Though it is a little light on content, Super Bomberman R scratches the retro itch for hectic action. Voice repetition is a bit of a turnoff, but the charm and multiplayer focus help to make up for it. If you and your friends like purely chaotic action with up to eight players, Super Bomberman R might be right up your alley. If you aren’t investing in extra controllers, you might want to nab this after a price adjustment.
While a step up from last year in terms of included tracks, Just Dance 2017 doesn’t bring a lot new to the table — the meat and potatoes lies in Just Dance Unlimited. The Switch version specifically functions as well as you might expect, offering up an easy second player controller courtesy of readily-available Joy-Cons, though the experience becomes difficult visually once undocked. At this point, it’s what you’d expect from Just Dance, but on a new platform. Consider this tiny cartridge your portal into Just Dance Unlimited as I imagine 2017 might be where physical entries to the series end.
I’ve mentioned Ocarina of Time a few times, and there’s a reason – it is the benchmark by which all other Zelda games are tested. Somehow, and beyond all of my expectations, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild exceeds that mark. I can confidently declare that Breath of the Wild is the best Zelda game ever made.
John Wick Chronicles feels like the start of something great that didn’t quite button up all of the intended elements before it launched. More maps would do wonders to expand the gameplay, as would inclusion of some of the cooler elements like weapon jams and hostage situations. Highlights like the sniper rifle make it worth a nod, but I’d recommend catching this on a sale due to the short runtime of just three levels. It’s a solid wave-based shooter, but expect more arcade action than gritty hard-boiled realism.
Rich in story, but less so in execution, Divide suffers from a few technical issues that makes it a little more clunky than it should be. That said, the cyberpunk narrative is evocative of the best of sci-fi, backed up by a fantastic score. I just wish the controls matched that potential.
I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed the additional immersion of Pinball FX2 VR. It’s completely nausea free, and it looks fantastic to boot. While the neck angle required to work the table is a little uncomfortable, Pinball FX2 VR is a great new way to experience the amazing work of Zen Studios and their pinball tables.
When you create sandbox worlds, it’s very easy to leave the player to “make their own fun”, but here the mixture of intuitive controls, player agency, and tongue-in-cheek humor makes Job Simulator a must-have. While it’s a little on the short side, Job Simulator is the easiest VR title to recommend. If you have a VR headset, this game needs to be in your library.
Rollercoaster Tycoon World has so much potential. All of the base pieces are here, and the game's content is being expanded to match that promise, but stability problems and bugs hamstring what could be a solid park creator. There's a fun game here…but you can't experience it if the game won't stop crashing.
More than just a ‘locked in a room’ simulator, I Expect You To Die! Is a masterful use of VR and the Move controllers. The puzzles are just challenging enough to be fun, while not so easy as to be obvious. My only complaint is that the game is relatively short, but the promise of a sequel has me ready to hand over my money. You need this game in your VR library.
There are very few games that consume me like this. Frontier has made a game where obsession over every detail is somehow fun. While there are a few elements that need improvement, such as the staff management and some much-needed heat maps or location services, Planet Coaster delivers in terms of rollercoaster customization and sandbox flexibility. Let inspiration be your guide and check out this incredible thrill ride.
Watch Dogs 2 is Ubisoft open world at its finest. Full to bursting with fun and interesting content, Watch Dogs 2 carefully balances hacker culture, serious moments, and engaging storylines to create a game that has something to say. With far more personality in its protagonist, it’s very easy to recommend Watch Dogs 2.
Thumper is a right hook out of nowhere. It’s the right combination of speed, bizarre visuals, music, and difficulty that makes you want to replay it after the credits roll. The single button and stick controls also makes it eminently accessible to everyone, but difficult to master. Come for the bizarre visuals, stay for the even more bizarre bosses.
Well beyond simple DLC, Escalation polishes every aspect of the base game. The campaign is excellent, and the expansion of defensive and upgradeable structures helps ease in new players. New technology amps the scale, but also provides tools to manage the larger world. Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation is a fresh coat of paint for an already-revolutionary RTS.
A straight port from 2005, Destroy All Humans! is not pretty to look at, but the writing has held up well over the last decade. That said, nostalgia can’t fix the repetitive gameplay of Destroy All Humans!, and technical glitches mar the fun on tap. If you want a trip down memory lane, you might catch this on a sale, but it’s hardly a must-have in its current technical state and price point.
Eagle Flight transcends its simple concepts, bringing the world of flight to life in a way I could not have expected. With incredibly intuitive controls it is accessible by any audience, and all without nausea. If you own a PSVR, Eagle Flight is a must-have.
Simple and safe, Tumble VR provides a nausea-free virtual reality block stacking puzzle experience suitable for gamers and non-gamers alike. Intuitive and reasonably challenging, it should keep you busy for a few hours. Just don’t expect a lot of variety.
Carnival Games VR is an unexpected hit in my house. The intuitive control scheme made it fun for gamers and non-gamers alike. While having multiple players was cumbersome, there is a nausea-free simple and enjoyable VR experience.
The root game of Super Stardust Ultra VR is everything you remember, with a new (albeit small) twist. The new Invasion mode, on the other hand, is a shallow nausea-inducing horde mode that does little to elevate the game. If you are looking for the VR game to showcase your new headset, save yourself the literal headache and skip this one.
While Sports Bar VR captures the look and feel of a sports bar, the control scheme combined with Hulk Mode made me feel drunk, complete with hangover. The four games on offer are hampered by inconsistent physics, resulting in an unsurprisingly uneven experience. None of that, somehow, interferes with the game being a stupid-fun experience with friends.
While repeat visits become somewhat predictable, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood offers up some genuine scares by tapping into some of our most twisted fears. While the game doesn’t take long to complete, watching your friends play it never stops being fun.