Warlords of New York is easily the best expansion for the game to date. With fresh foes, a new portion of New York to explore, great gear, and some brand new reasons to care about loot, it delivers on its lofty promises. Now, we just need Massive to settle in and swat some of these bugs…
Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash! is an ode to its Dreamcast roots. While it is as short as the original, it translates perfectly to the PSVR. The game's got style, and it's great to see the shiny world of Ulala come to life once again. If only it was priced a little more reasonably.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics is a mid-tier game with a top-tier Netflix tie-in. Where it delivers on tactical combat, it falls down in being overly grindy for resources, and a direct-from-mobile interface. If you like tactics, and you think Hup is the cutest thing ever to wield a soup spoon, then you'll like Age of Resistance Tactics.
This newest iteration of Thronebreaker is a welcome and unexpected treat, and truly at home in its portable format. Being able to tackle Queen Mave's part in the Second Nilfgaardian War while on the go is well worth the slightest of tradeoffs in graphical quality. Even if you aren't a CCG enthusiast, this is a must have for any Gwent battler or Witcher fan.
Commandos 2: HD Remaster graphically upgrades a beloved tactical classic and gives a fresh coat of paint to a fairly obtuse set of controls. While it is shipping with a few bugs, all of the pieces that made this game a classic are present and accounted for. With just a little more polish we'll be able to "Consider it done, boss".
MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is a return to form. As a fan of the series, it's been a very long wait, but PGI managed to deliver in a big way on nearly every front. While there are certain things that could be improved, what's here is an excellent four player mech-stomping good time.
While Tools Up! isn't revolutionizing the cooperative play genre, it gave my friends and I every reason to charge up four controllers and start yelling at one another for fun. Whether it's rolling carpets, gluing up wallpaper, or arguing over who spilled the paint (AGAIN), Tools Up! is a must have.
With only a few hiccups, Sniper Elite: Contracts finds the fine line between action arcade and sniper simulation. While the story might be forgettable, landing the perfect shot from 500 meters away never stops being awesome.
Audica morphs elements from several music genre bests, but putting a Harmonix spin on it. With a smooth pickup and play difficulty curve paired with a solid and ever-expanding soundtrack, Audica is another fantastic beat buster from Harmonix!
Folding in a fresh stable of mechs, and eight new weapons, Heavy Metal brings new ways to play. It also delivers a brand new mech in the Bull Shark, as well as specialization modules and two new lore-heavy mini-campaigns in the form of Flashpoints. Whether it's your first flight, or if you are a seasoned veteran, Heavy Metal rounds out Battletech nicely.
I haven't bailed out on a VR game in a while, and only the most severe of nausea will cause me to eject completely rather than grind it out over time, but Golem is just painful to play. There's too many games that have done it cleaner, and with better motion mechanics -- play them instead.
Pistol Whip is insanely fun, downright hectic, and excellent for parties. While the seven levels won't last very long, the soundtrack and compelling rhythmic gameplay carry this one to stratospheric heights. Embrace your gun kata, and pick this up.
With gorgeous visuals, an expansive open world, and multiplayer support, Stormland delivers a serviceable shooter with an exceptional upgrade system, and a feeling of progression. What makes it amazing is all of the ways you can glide, fly, surf, or climb -- the expansive world of Stormland is yours to explore, until it changes next week and you get to do it all again.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is an absolute masterpiece. Well paced, written, and executed, the game is Respawn's best thus far.
Planet Zoo is the culmination of the best parts of Frontier's previous efforts, but is far more than the sum of its parts. Hundreds of creatures, both cute and deadly, need homes, and it's up to you to help them thrive and survive. While a few bugs hamper the overall experience, this is another simulation game that'll keep me building sprawling and ever evolving parks for hundreds of hours to come.
Synth Rider's 80's neon wave aesthetics and incredible soundtrack combine with simple but challenging mechanics to create one of the most entertaining and engaging VR games I've played in quite a while. Come for the fresh beats, stay for the great workout.
With fantastic graphics, balanced and engaging gameplay, and a brief but fun single player campaign, Battlewake is an amazing VR pirate combat game. The only thing it doesn't have is a larger audience. My crew is ready, and it's time to set sail -- who's with me?!
Combined, these four games carry over 400 hours of some of the most well written RPG storylines I've ever played. The Enhanced Editions provide a wealth of quality of life improvements that make them bearable for new platforms. While there is bafflingly no touchscreen support for Switch, and the multiplayer is AWOL, there is simply no better way to take these wonderful RPGs on the road than the Nintendo Switch.
Rebel Cops is a solid tactical game with a somewhat cliche storyline. While some of the mechanics are a little half-baked, the progression system and combat are engaging and tense. The game forces you to really think through your actions thanks to the limited save system, I just wish there was more impact to playing it loud.
Lina's week-long adventure is a brief but intense adventure in technology, human nature, and all the ways those two can intersect. Where it lacks in length, it makes up for with compelling deeper stories about people.