Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy give you a tremendous amount of bang for your buck. The three games contained within are long, detailed and beautiful, and they feel right at home on the Nintendo Switch.
New Gundam Breaker is such a bad game that it makes me feel bad for Gundam fans. I picture a 12-year-old Gundam fanatic that has saved up weeks' worth of lawnmowing mowing money, sitting with a controller hanging loosely in her hand, staring at the screen and crying. This is a game that should never have come to market, regardless of how much hard work went into its creation. To ask anyone to pay money for New Gundam Breaker is outright offensive.
Conan Exiles is one of the most disappointing games I have played this generation. I have not experienced another game on PlayStation 4 as broken as Exiles. It is hard to believe that a game could be released for purchase in such bad condition. In another genre, the bugs in Exiles might be fun or amusing. In a survival game, they are crippling. Gamers deserve, and should demand, better.
If Rick & Morty: Virtual Rick-ality were a discount title, I would say "Take a look, but keep your expectations in check." However, this is one of the more expensive VR titles, and the brevity of the story combined with the frustration of some broken mechanics make this a mixed bag. The game is fun when it is working correctly, and the world building and writing are top notch, but don't expect to spend more than a couple of hours in Rick's garage, with some of that time spent wrestling with broken mechanics.
If Rick & Morty: Virtual Rick-ality were a discount title, I would say "Take a look, but keep your expectations in check." However, this is one of the more expensive VR titles, and the brevity of the story combined with the frustration of some broken mechanics make this a mixed bag. The game is fun when it is working correctly, and the world building and writing are top notch, but don't expect to spend more than a couple of hours in Rick's garage, with some of that time spent wrestling with broken mechanics.
Dark Souls Remastered is a nice, shiny new edition of a game that I have never enjoyed. While I respect the game's genre-creating precision gameplay and acknowledge it's place in gaming history, I just don't like this game, and can't recommend it to new players. That said, it plays fine, and looks better than it ever has. Dark Souls fans already know who they are, and will enjoy this new edition immensely.
Defender's Quest represents something new and unique. By dipping the tower defense “chocolate” into some RPG “peanut butter”, Level Up Labs has created a Reese's Cup-level classic. Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten DX' gameplay is rock solid, reflecting the six years of refinements that the small development team has made to the core title. If you have any interest at all in the tower defense genre, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.
The new Star Trek: The Next Generation DLC for Star Trek: Bridge Crew offers even more of what made the base game fun: fantasy fulfilment and the chance to tool around the universe with some buddies on a Starfleet vessel. While there isn't a ton that makes Bridge Crew feel different, it is fantastic to have some new enemies to fight, and fun to figure out how to navigate some new wrinkles in the bridge positions. After all is said and done, this DLC gives me more of what I love, and kudos to Red Storm for taking on that challenge when I thought they had abandoned the game and moved on. Now, can I get some Cardassians?
Killing Floor Incursion reminded me of the old Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyworld, in the way that it careened wildly from place to place, oscillating between thick tension and psychotic action, keeping me totally amused and off balance. From some of the best (and well-earned) jump scares I've experienced in a game, to one of the greatest boss fights in recent memory, Killing Floor kept me gasping and laughing for its entire duration. The tension ratchets unbelievably high, and the simple act of peeking around a corner can lead to coronary trauma when you realize that something is standing right behind you. Like any good rollercoaster ride, Killing Floor Incursion delivers the chills and the fun in equal measure, and is well worth the price of admission.
City of Brass is the sort of game that certain gamers will treasure. It is a beautiful, well-polished first-person rogue-lite that will not hesitate to regularly reward diligent players with a quick and horrible death. City of Brass is not for the faint of heart, but for those that put in the time to hone their skills, the rewards of City of Brass are great (and I'm not talking about the in-game treasure). A visual treat, City of Brass never feels unfair, and learning to overcome its many challenges can be vastly satisfying.
Tera is a six-year-old MMORPG that is showing its age, but not in the way you might think. While the combat and dungeons are fast and fun and have been translated to console successfully, the over-world has been sliced and diced in a manner that removes most reasons to visit it. If you have a group of friends and you want to run through the game, quickly leveling up and taking down giant monsters, Tera will be a blast. But if you actually enjoy the journey to the endgame, good luck. Tera has lost its patience for players like you.
Brakes are for Losers is a fun throwback to the racing games of yore. Fans of RC Pro Am or Super Sprint ought to feel right at home once they stop freaking out about having a basic racing control pulled out from under them. Single player has a number of good modes for practicing, but the game really comes to life in multiplayer. If you are like me and are constantly on the lookout for local multiplayer titles, this is an inexpensive way to add a fun title to your library.
It would be easy to dismiss Layers of Fear as a funhouse, but the reality is that this game goes far deeper than a ride through a spooky house. As an examination of family, artistic obsession, alcoholism and regret, Layers of Fear hits on a deeper level while still delivering quality scares.
Crisis on the Planet of the Apes is fast and fun, delivering a brief jaunt into the oppressive world of the beloved sci-fi universe. While the experience is light in the narrative department, the gameplay innovation and high production values more than make up for story's shortcomings. With the release of this game, FoxNext VR Studios have broken free of the movie-tie-in stereotype, and have established themselves as a VR developer to watch.
Preta: Vendetta Rising feels like what it is; an indie game that set extremely high goals for itself and achieved most of them. While the developer states that they will be refining and adding to the experience, Preta already feels like a full-featured game.
Island Time VR is an enjoyable and inoffensive little diversion that I spent a few fun hours with. That said, I have a hard time recommending Island Time to anyone that isn't spending an afternoon giggling with buddies. This is the sort of game that is fun to demo VR on a rainy day, providing entertainment while watching someone flail around. But unfortunately, there just isn't enough gameplay present on this tiny island to engage an experienced VR player for more than a couple of short sessions.
Playing Surviving Mars is like watching someone put a kitten in a plastic bubble. It's cute for a while, wobbling around in its new environment. But then you realize that the kitten is going to suffocate, and you are going to spend hours watching it slowly run out of air and die. Trying to get the kitten out of the bubble is hopeless. You don't know anything about bubbles, and the kitten isn't telling you. Have fun, kids!
Ni No Kuni II is a machine that runs on beauty, fun and delight. With simple storylines and engaging characters, it weaves a narrative that captures the optimistic nature of childhood, without forgetting to deliver deep RPG mechanics. Utterly abandoning many of the confounding elements of the original title, Ni No Kuni II marches to its own quirky beat. This is a game that will be remembered as a classic.
With its fun visuals, finely tuned difficulty, and inherent physicality, Blasters of the Universe stands out in the crowd of VR wave shooters. While a late-game bug was disappointing, I still had a great time and plan on returning to it. Bugs can be patched, and game design this strong doesn't come knocking every day.
Moss is a gorgeous game, with Disney-level animation (on Disney's best day), spectacular world building, and intriguing puzzles. Quill the mouse is a living creation, delicate but with real weight and personality. Like the way the best 3-D worlds incorporate 3-D organically, Moss avoids VR gimmicks and relies on wonder and story to produce the first essential title on PS VR.