The whole experience is just a lot of fun to play. While the game is completely new it somehow has some of the spirit of many of the classic platformers. The combat is surprisingly deep, the platforming is equal parts satisfying and immensely punishing, it is all brilliantly balanced.
While Freedom Planet doesn't hit the same dizzying heights as Sonic Mania, it is still an incredibly enjoyable platformer that just about manages to carve out its own identity. The great visual style really helps to build the world it is set in and the three playable characters help to give some replay value as you explore their abilities. By the end of the game Freedom Planet establishes its own way of doing things that puts it apart from its inspirations, it's just a shame that it doesn't do more to differentiate itself straight away.
Membrane is an immensely enjoyable puzzle game filled an increasingly interesting use of it's simple base mechanics.
Masters of Anima is a lot of fun to play. The combat and puzzles are both challenging and keep you learning as you progress through the story. The characters themselves are incredibly well written and charming with the regional accents adding a lot of charm to the feel of the game. While the controls are a little complicated at first, they feel incredible once you've mastered them, with nothing quite beating summoning a new group of units seconds after unsummoning them to dodge an attack. Despite the game's pacing feeling a little off at times, Masters of Anima takes a solid formula and adds its own twist in order to deliver something that is entirely its own, wonderful, entity.
Deployment is a huge amount of fun and ultimately it's just nice to sit down with a great gameplay experience and enjoy it. The matches being so short really means you can just jump on for ten minutes and get through a few games without worrying about not having enough time, and since every match is fast paced and each shoot-out is usually a clutch affair it never fails to be exciting.
Moonlighter is an incredibly enjoyable jaunt through some interesting ideas and some fun fights. While the combat gets a little easy as you progress, the fun of watching money pour in as you play is immensely satisfying. It would be nice if there was more reason to play after completion as is normally the case with roguelites, but equally having an actual conclusion is a breath of fresh air for the genre. It is a lot of fun and one that will keep you entertained for a fair while if you want to sink your time into it.
Pixeljunk Monsters 2 is a very solid entry in the tower defence genre. The little things it has changed make for some really interesting choices when it comes to tower placement and co-op play makes it much more replayable. Graphically the game is stunning in it's own way and will keep you invested in the tree-destroying, tower-building, funky-dancing gameplay as you progress through the increasingly tricky levels until the end. It suffers from the same issues prevalent in any TD game but is a solid entry nevertheless.
With an off-the-wall sense of humour and style, Pool Panic is a very different pocket to sink your balls into. There are plenty of high points here that help to counteract the occasional camera issues and make for an entertaining experience all round. The multiplayer will probably drag plenty of your friends into this strange world too and there's no reason not to enjoy that. Pool Panic excels at being exactly what it is, a weird puzzle adventure game with a lot of personality and plenty to do.
This might be the first Naruto game in a long time that does something new, blending anime with class-based online battles. The idea may seem a little strange but it works well, and it would be great to see Bandai Namco build off this with other anime franchises in future. Shinobi Striker is well worth your time if you like the Naruto series and even worth trying out if you just want a new multiplayer experience to get lost in.
Wandersong is by no means perfect, but it is very different. Charm oozes out of every note and motion you make. Despite the technical glitches it is consistently winning and moving, with a lack of aggression and a genuine optimism that beams through like nothing else. It really will bring a smile to your face.
Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story is one of those strange games that can easily consume hours of your time in one sitting. The strange mix of management and adventure makes for a fun distraction. The graphics are cute, the music is good, and the characters are charming if a little odd. If you want something fun to dip in and out of instead of a monumental task, then this may well be what you are looking for.
I like Ashen, it's a good game, it would just be nice to see it building upon the foundation of its muse rather than almost copying and pasting it. The world of Ashen is its biggest attraction, the lore is deeply entrenched and really pulls everything together into something that is worth playing through. That being said, if you have played Dark Souls and don't want to replay Dark Souls, then you aren't going to get on with this. It is an odd one as I am a huge fan of this style of game, but we need games that build a more exciting game on top of the ideas that have been put down. It isn't enough to be the same but with a different look. Ashen is good, but nothing revolutionary.
Screencheat is a hit of nostalgia for those who are beginning to feel old, and a fun new way to play for those who aren’t.
Nippon Marathon is a game that is proud to be exactly what it is. There are no pretences or delusions of grandeur, just good clean fun. Playing with friends is sure to bring a fair few laughs as you rain watermelons down on your rivals. Just be prepared to be taken out by sudden barrels and hordes of cute dogs.
A Fisherman's Tale succeeds in being one of the most interesting games on VR. It is charming, magical, and awe-inspiring. It manages to do all of this with you playing as a puppet, and feeling a huge amount of warmth towards that little puppet. It is just a shame that the playtime is so short, even just an extra couple of hours would have made this impossible to miss. As it stands, it is a wonderful game that deserves playing, but the play time is such a drawback to an otherwise impeccable game.
Singularity 5 is one of those rare games that looks so good it shouldn't play well, but still does. It's an incredibly aggressive piece of interactive art, one that you can only fully experience if you're willing to don a VR headset and fight through hordes of robots with great feeling weapons. I don't know if this is a must-play game, but it's definitely a must see game. It's the kind of world that you'd happily get stuck in. Well, if it weren't for the angry robots.
Dandy Dungeon: Legend of Brave Yamada is a fun, unique and genuinely funny game. It manages to keep you entertained throughout its playtime with a mix of solid jokes and excellent gameplay, and unlike so many games that jump from mobile to Switch, it works perfectly on the system. It's a delight and one that you'll find yourself hooked on. Also, down with capitalism and billionaire CEOs.
Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs is a lot of fun. It works exactly as you'd hope in VR, and the game world is pretty to look at even as you're toppling the horribly capitalist pigs and their snotty structures. The level editor is an excellent addition, though there's no online sharing at the moment. Even without that, it's still a fun game to play and should keep you occupied for a few hours.
Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency is an excellent addition to the Budget Cuts universe, one which well and truly builds on the original in every way. The new tools add in plenty of new strategies and the stealth gameplay is just as good as it was in the first game. The levels have a bit more variety now too, which should be a nice change for anyone who works in an office in real life. It could have done with a slightly longer tutorial for brand-new players, but aside from that, it's a great addition to anyone's VR library.
Mortal Shell is just an incredibly satisfying experience. It'll punish you constantly, but if you can master the mechanics it lays out in front of you then you'll have an incredible time of things. The lore is a little more obvious that in other soulslikes, and the story it tells and the world it puts you in are both rather enthralling. This is definitely a game that fans of dying a lot will enjoy, but it's probably not for everyone.