Fill-a-Pix: Phil’s Epic Adventure is yet another brilliant logic-based puzzle game from Lightwood Games. Whether you like it or not may be hit or miss, but if you like Minesweeper and Sudoku then I’m sure you will learn to love this game as I did. Help Phil develop his holiday snaps as you solve over 100 puzzles, some of which took over 20 minutes to complete. There is a lot of content here to keep anyone busy, plus you get both the PS Vita and PS4 versions for one low price – what’s not to like!
Guts and Glory is completely sadistic and crazy – I love it. The console version isn’t a scratch on its big brother PC version though as it doesn’t have access to the level creator. Regardless, you still have access to nine challenges with 6-9 missions in each, all of which will frustrate and annoy you for many hours. The graphics are very basic but the gameplay more than makes up for it and the sheer amount of WTF, OMG and LOL moments you’ll have will keep you entertained for a long time.
The Persistence is an amazing roguelike FPS with full immersion within VR. When you’re not salvaging the ghost-ship “Persistence”, looking for Stem Cells and other useful items, you’ll be either hiding from or taking out the mutated clones who roam the decks of this doomed ship. The only downfall of the game lies within its clarity as the game can get a little fuzzy at times, but this is more than made up for with its incredible stealthy combat mechanics and progression system. The Persistence is great to play on your own but it’s even better to bring along a friend as you work together (hopefully) in order to find a way to regain control of the ship. This is another ‘must buy’ PSVR game which everyone should own.
Full version, not 'founders' edition... Train Sim World is the best simulation game, based around driving a train, available on consoles to date. Okay, it may be the only one as well, but it still doesn’t affect the fact that I had a lot of fun playing it. Sure, there are issues with pop-in, texture quality, the inability to purposely die or destroy a train, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad game – it’s just a little too forgiving at times. With the ability to either participate in the pre-set scenarios or just go crazy in the Services mode, there is a lot of content here which will keep any locomotive fan happy for many hours.
The Council: Episode 3:- Ripples is another great episode in the thrilling narrative adventure game from Big Bad Wolf. Unlike episodes 1 and 2, episode 3 focuses more on your purpose on the island and it begins to show you the various characters true intentions and motives. Ripples may not be a deep as the previous two episodes, but don’t let that put you off if you’ve liked the game so far. What it lacks in puzzles, it makes up in branching dialogues and interactions. One thing to take note of is the fact that this episode has a number of bugs and issues, as of writing this review.
Gene Rain is a good attempt at a third person shooter from Chinese developers, Deeli Network. The game looks great for an indie title, with some high-quality textures, detailed character models, dynamic lighting, and a great use of particle effects. However, what lets the game down is its clunky controls, poorly translated and executed narrative, and the sub-par voice acting. I overcame the control issues by manually remapping my pad on the PS4, the script could be forgiven as it’s not their native language, and the voice acting was ambitious due to the fact all the actors are clearly Chinese. However, the story wasn’t explained clearly and it’s easy to forget what’s going on as you enter the next cover-based combat area.
18 floors is one of the best looking games on the PSVR and one of the best Escape Room games I’ve played. This initial version of the game only covers the first two floors, yet there is enough content for around two to three hours as you find clues, solve puzzles, and investigate two highly detailed areas. There is no jump scares or cheap horror moments but the game is creepy and mysterious with both its visuals and it’s audio. If you own a VR headset and you’re a fan of puzzles, escape rooms, or creepy “what do I do” games, you should add this to your list of what to pick up next!
The Walker is another really fun game that’s come out of China. You may not be able to actually ‘walk’ in The Walker but the game does offer some interesting mechanics with the addition of the lightning and ice talismans which enhances your regular attacks. Take to the dark alleys of Shanghai or the populated late-night trains in the underground, no matter where you go, evil will follow! Beating the game initially won’t take longer than an hour but if you’re aiming to 100% the game then there is plenty of content with three difficulty modes and a Rush Mode as well. If you enjoy wave-based VR games, pick The Walker up today and help save Shanghai from the demonic creatures of the night!
Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion is the best Adventure Time tie-in game out there. It’s packed with all the humour, charm, quality, and jokes from the TV show along with the original cast as the voice talent. Sure, some moments can get a bit tedious as you’re sailing from point A to point B with no form of fast travel, but it’s all worth it for the excitement and fun you’ll have once you get there. The game is clearly aimed at fans of the TV show and I feel they will be the ones to get the most out of this game. However, even if you’ve not watched the show (like me), the game is hilarious is most parts and will entertain both small and big kids for hours.
Rooms: The Unsolvable Puzzle is a very challenging puzzle game with a very dark and sordid tale to tell. Work your way through 144 rooms of some of the trickiest puzzles I’ve experienced so far this generation. Even though the premise of each room is the same (get to the exit), every single puzzle is different and will make your brain overload as you try to figure out the solutions! The added PSVR mode is a nice addition and offers a different way to experience the game but it doesn’t add anything more to the gameplay other than turning your room into the mansion’s courtyard.
The Path of Motus is a short game which cleverly provides a metaphor for life behind a game about a goblin making his way through a forest. If given a choice, will you opt to retaliate against the bullies and thus become one yourself as you breeze through your miserable life, or will you combat your obstacles without conflict and follow your dreams? As with life, the right path isn’t necessarily the easy one. Along the path, you will come across walls, pits, and doors which must be overcome by using your brain and solving one of the many logic-based puzzles thrown at you. Through the clever use of the narrative, the music and the visuals, The Path of Motus delivers a story which so many of us can relate to and take inspiration from.
Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! is pure heaven! It’s a management sim you can really get absorbed into and stay there for many hours at a time or just drop in every now and again for short bursts – particularly if you’re on the Switch. From the micro-management of your employees to satisfying all of your customers, everything can be adjusted and tweaked in order to become the greatest arms supplier in the land! One thing to be aware of though, the pun is strong in this one with almost every character being a pun of someone/something famous. If you like hilarious storytelling along with frantic and rather stressful gameplay, then this is the game for you! With the addition of the Herclueless DLC you gain even more content and many, many hours of gameplay.
Blacksea Odyssey is rather unique in the saturated genre of top-down twin-stick shooters. With it’s strong likeness to Toukiden yet played out as a top-down, Rogue-like, bounty collection game, it’s a game which you can easily spend many hours in without actually getting very far. It’s a great game for those who love games in the twin-stick shooter genre but it’s probably a bit hard for new-comers or casuals who are looking for an easy game to fly through. If you persevere and aim to get stronger every time you die, Blacksea Odyssey is both very rewarding and satisfying.
Shining Resonance Refrain looks like your standard JRPG with all the common elements; Grinding, Anime boys/girls, Bikinis, Monsters, and Good vs Evil, but there is so much more to it if you choose to invest your time and patience into learning the various aspects. The story isn’t going to blow you away as you’ll probably guess what’s going to happen next if you’re an avid JRPG fan, but the overall enjoyment you receive whilst playing the game only gets better the more you progress and unlock.
All-Star Fruit Racing is a fun family-friendly multi-platform kart racing game. I had a blast playing it as it reminded me of a lower budget Mario Kart yet with its own personality and charm. The combat mechanics, when using Fruit Mode, are a little daunting at first yet once you have used it a few times, it’s actually really innovative and it actually lets you collect up to four abilities at a time or less if you wish to combine them ala Magicka style. The voices and laughing do become irritating for adults after a while, although kids may not think the same as young children usually like words and phrases being repeated.
The Spectrum Retreat is a challenging, first-person puzzle game set within the near future. As you awake and being to explore the Penrose hotel, you will begin to unlock your memories through the various colour-based logic puzzles and various interactions you have with the mysterious Cooper. You must solve each of these ingenious puzzles as you uncover the truth behind why you are in such a place and who is behind your imprisonment. The Spectrum Retreat has AAA quality voice acting, an amazing soundtrack and the perfect amount of mind-bending and thought-provoking puzzles all contained within a single package.
The Crew 2 is a hard game to critique. It has so many things going for it, from the diversity in gameplay, the plethora of available vehicles, and the overall fun and excitement it creates. However, it’s matched with equally disappointing aspects such as the pointless free-roam mode, the annoying photo-mode challenges, the indestructible obstacles, and the annoyingly ‘perfect’ AI. It initially feels like the game is ‘pay to win’ as you are unable to afford the better vehicles for the events you are entering. This is until you dedicate a few hours to the game and begin to realise that after a while the game will progress at the level you are, thus opening up new events and offering more money in line with what you need.
Railway Empire: Mexico is a great first piece of DLC for the brilliant Railway Empire. Not only do you get a new Scenario, a massive Free Mode and Sandbox map, two new locomotives, and two new resources, but you also get access to the night mode which allows you to play any map in the dead of night. Other than the scenario, the DLC doesn’t really offer any new features or mechanics. However, the game has received numerous updates since launch which has added a multitude of new features for free which has really changed the way you play the game and the strategies you must utilise.
The Exorcist: Legion VR is the scariest game of the year so far on PS4/PSVR. The developers have gone above and beyond and delivered a game which not only achieved what it set out to do (scare the pants off you) but it also looks amazing in the process as well. I’m not a fan of the clunky control scheme and the blinders are something I would like to see less of (pun intended) due to the fact a large majority of us don’t get motion sick and would rather play the game with no restrictions.
Riddled Corpses EX is the perfect example of how a remastered game should look in this generation of gaming. Fabrice Breton (COWCAT) has taken everything good about the original PC version of Riddled Corpses and improved, tweaked, fixed, and added things in order to deliver a solid twin-stick Rogue-like shooter with very addictive gameplay. Sure, there is a bit of grinding and some people may think it’s a bit monotonous or repetitive, but I had a blast playing for seven hours straight as I popped on a few podcasts and albums and pushed my way through wave after wave of disgusting pixel beings! The Cross Buy (with an extra platinum) is an extra bonus for us Sony gamers and for all the trophy hunters out there, just be aware that you’ll probably need about 10-15 hours in order to work your way through each iteration of the game.