With agonizing decisions in an unforgiving Viking-inspired setting, The Banner Saga mixes strategic gameplay with choices that truly matter. .
Just as fun and exciting as the previous outing, The Next Generation re-invigorates the game with a fresh bridge, a new race, and a new role -- Operations. While an updated training module might have been helpful, everything else about this DLC is ship-shape and ready to engage. Could this open up more DLC from shows like Enterprise, DS-9, or even Discovery? Please, Red Storm...make it so!
Harebrained Schemes has transformed the complexity of the pen and paper BattleTech universe into an incredible game that welcomes veteran and rookie pilots alike. BattleTech represents the perfect culmination of all of their previous works, and the team should be proud of how well it all came together.
I'm going to do something I don't normally do, and score the game based on what's here, but also what's possible. With mods, this game is gorgeous, and you can trick out just about any aspect of the experience, though the menus and overall object interaction is still very much stuck in the pancake world. Still, there's nothing quite like standing your ground and taking the fight to the enemy. In VR, I am the Dragonborn, and that's what virtual Skyrim is all about.
It's very rare that a game grabs me this completely, but God of War is, without a doubt, an early contender for Game of the Year. It's flawless in its execution, and the new benchmark for action titles. Well done, Santa Monica Studios, and thanks for taking us on this entirely new adventure.
With high production values, solid voicework, and impressive scale, The Mage's Tale was every bit worth the wait. While the controls are certainly obtuse for the platform, the fun storyline, puzzles, and spellcrafting makes it a fun addition to the Vive library.
Fans continue to deliver incredible facsimiles of real-world parks, and the Planet Coaster Studios Pack fills in gaps with a deluge of content. From non-infringing shark attacks, to new ride types, this is easily the biggest and best expansion yet. It's a must-have for anyone who owns Planet Coaster.
With new gameplay mechanics, overhauled progression systems, a strong narrative, and the Guns/Friends for Hire system, Far Cry 5 is the overhaul that the series desperately needed. It is easily the best of the series, and represents a positive step in a new direction. Come for the storyline, stay for the co-op chaos.
Bio Inc: Redemption fits in a strange place. It feels like it'd be as welcome on a cell phone as it is on PC, and as a result, it often feels like it doesn't take advantage of either's strengths. The campaign's restrictions create a barrier for casual players, but the sandbox is freeing. Multiplayer is a real highlight, as long as it stays stable. When the crash bugs are ironed out, there's a lot of fun to be had here, I just wish the difficulty was less of a cliff and more of a curve.
It's exciting to re-board the Morrigan and step into the boots of Shay Cormac. The ground combat may feel the effect of age, but the naval combat remains a highlight of the series. While a lot of people may have chased Unity onto the new generation of hardware, missing Rogue in the process, now they can enjoy the crowning jewel of the Americas Trilogy at 4K, which looks better than ever.
With a message that is guaranteed to piss off half of the American populous in a hilariously vicious way, The American Dream is one of the most entertaining games in the virtual reality space. What it lacks in longevity, it makes up for in snappy writing, unique aesthetics, and excellent voiceover. Come for the gunplay, stay for man's best friend, Buddy.
There are plenty of archery, wave-based, and shooter VR titles out there, but none that scratch the spellcasting itch. Thankfully, The Wizards fills that gap with style. What it may occasionally lack in finesse, it makes up for in style, voice work, and gameplay. The Wizards is a solid addition to any VR library.
Polyarc has created a fantastic world filled with compelling characters, creative puzzles, and a story that'll stick with you long after the five-hour runtime. Moss is precisely the reason you buy a PSVR, and it's sure to make any player fall in love with a brave little mouse named Quill.
Apex Construct provides some excellent exploration and exposition in a compelling and beautifully bizarre world. While there is a fully-baked experience here, the engaging story and compelling gameplay is marred by PSVR's limited control scheme. It represents a step forward for the platform, and for storytelling, but a bit of polishing or patching would bring the controls to heel.
I've had a lot to say for a game I'm not ready to pass judgement on quite yet, but it's safe to say that I'm absolutely blown away by what Warhorse has put together.
Overall, Sairento VR is an absolute hit. Any shortcomings I pointed out are the result of my desire for it to reach its potential, not for any level of defect. The team has been tightly engaged with the Steam and Reddit community, and they've taken that feedback seriously. The result is a game that feels more complete, and in a more finished and polished state, than nearly any game in the current VR space. Put simply, Sairento VR is a must-have.
If you felt like the previous iteration of Street Fighter V felt a little anemic, this one is easily an embarrassment of riches. With more new features than is reasonable to recap here, Street Fighter V Arcade Edition is everything the original game should have been, and much more.
With production value equal to any first party AAA game, Shadow of the Colossus is a technical masterpiece. This is the new benchmark for what a remaster should look like, standing as the best remaster ever released on any platform. Put simply -- this is how it's done.
EA Sports UFC 3 provides a staggering amount of improvements in nearly every area. EA Canada could have played it safe and iterated, but instead they overhauled major systems, addressing almost every complaint I had about its predecessors. Better striking mechanics, movement, and animations are joined by a fantastic career mode, and a whole host of additional attractions. I've still got a few axes to grind on submissions and AI balance, but the rest of the game is an embarrassment of riches.
L.A. Noire The VR Case Files represents the next step forward for VR. In a world filled with wave-based shooters, stationary puzzlers, and simplified interactions, L.A. Noire offers instead real-world interaction with real dialogue and head-scratching problems to solve. Easily one of the best demonstrations of the potential of VR, I just wish it had some more legs to it.