Konrad the Kitten isn't for everyone – it's a game built of out love for people who want a virtual pet they can visit either daily or every now and again and experience in VR. I can personally see this being more appealing to the younger age ranges which is why the ~30minute playtime is a good idea as it means parents can allow their children to jump in without being in it for hours on end.
Gravel is a fun arcade racer – something I've not seen many of in the last few years. It looks and plays great on the Ps4 Pro and offers a tonne of content that will keep you going for a long time. There are plenty of licenced cars which you can use to race through some well-designed areas either against the CPU, other players or solo via Time-Attack; however, the setup of the game (the TV show) feels a little 'basic'. It's great if you love the old-school 'pick a race and go' style, but if you are looking for more depth in the campaign then you may be disappointed.
North is both an unusually disturbing game and a very interesting one at the same time. I can honestly say that you will never play another game like this on the current gen of machines, maybe even the next gen. Due to its short length and lack of save/load, this game is perfect if you have an hour to kill and you just want to experience something new and strange – although, go into the game with an open mind otherwise certain things may creep you out.
The Station is a short game but one which has a lot of things to be desired. The game looks, sounds and plays great as you wander around uncovering the truth behind what's going on and what happened to the crew. The story is well fleshed out and whole, it's just there for you to find on your own and uncover as you go along – not everything is given to you on a plate and there isn't a load of fluff packed in there for no reason. Highly recommended to everyone who loves a good story, exploration and some decent puzzles.
Suicide Guy may not be for everyone, it controls a little clunky and it feels like a just-finished Early Access PC game; however, if you take the time to get used to the controls then you are in for a treat. The game has 26 imaginative and clever puzzles which you really should play and figure out for yourself instead of using a guide if you want to get the full enjoyment out of the title. Platinum Hunters and people who couldn't care less are both welcomed and catered for with the addition of the easy platinum and the fun gameplay.
Apex Construct is a must have PSVR title. The story is interesting and always leaves you with a feeling that you don't know who to trust, the puzzles and exploration are great for a VR title, and the combat, whilst a bit clunky to begin with, is actually surprisingly solid once you're used to it. There is plenty of replayability with all of the secrets hidden away and areas which demand you to go back on yourself and the game actually does a great job of making you want more, not for trophies but because you are interested.
Rad Rodgers is a decent 2.5D platformer which brings together various aspects of all the old 2D platformers we love and slapped on a modern look. The writing is funny, the story is entertaining and the references thrown in here are sure to make everyone who gets them smile.
Tiles is a simple puzzle game yet it also gets pretty frustrating and annoying (in a good way!) like all the best puzzle games do. I would have prefered the option to take it on-the-go on the Vita, but the aesthetic doesn't look bad on a TV and the game works perfectly. The times to beat do seem a little unfair but they can also be seen as a challenge as if you can beat all the times then you surely have the fastest fingers in the West!
Monster Energy Supercross is a very deep experience to both those new to the genre and fans of Milestone's previous work. There is not only a lot of content but also the ability to create and share newly created content with the community which will help prolong the life of the title. It takes a while to get used to the controls if you have not played a similar game in the past (as it isn't your typical racer), but once you know what you're doing, it's such a blast to play solo and competitively online.
Crossing souls is a great little nostalgia trip back to the 80's with a lot of references both in the story and randomly scattered around the place. The pixel art style of the game fits the game for the most part with the cutscenes being the stand-out feature for me. The puzzles are great and some really get you thinking, but the combat does get a tad annoying as you approach the final boss due to the time it takes to get back into the action when you lose.
Aerosmith once said, "Life's a journey, not a destination", the Longest Five Minutes places you at the destination and then proceeds to show you the key parts of your journey up until this point. The game plays it very safe, other than the memory recalling aspect, all other aspects of the gameplay are your standard JRPG mechanics with nothing new thrown in there – however, it is very enjoyable and the humour had me laughing out loud on quite a few occasions.
Dynasty Warriors 9 is a very ambitious title. It tried to take a game, which has been operating as a series of mini-missions and make it into a true open-world experience. Do I feel it was successful? Yes and no. The game has all of the aspects of an open-world game, it's just a shame it also inherited all the flaws of one as well. However, the combat and gameplay mechanics I love from the franchise are here and everything has been expanded on to make it the biggest Dynasty Warriors game to date.
From the gorgeous backdrops to the interesting character design, the whole thing feels like an illustrated storybook. The use of the bright, bold colours contrasting with the characters who contain hardly any colour is a great effect – along with the creepy, atmospheric environments and settings. Everything is stylised and designed in such a cute yet terrifying way and you can really tell that the developer has poured a lot of love into this project.
Monster Hunter World is an ever-evolving game which will never be over. It appears the game is following its 3DS counterparts with free content being added regularly in order to keep things fresh and new. Sure, some of the hunts can take a while and the game is clearly built on a social platform rather than a single-player experience, but it's enjoyable in both aspects and delivers a game which you can enjoy both on your own and with other people, even if they are strangers
If you are purchasing Energy Cycle purely for the trophies then you can expect a very short and easy platinum with no skill required, however, if you are buying the game in order to play it correctly and refrain from looking at guides or cheating then you will receive a fun little puzzle game.
Squareboy Vs. Bullies: Arena Edition is a great attempt at a solid beat 'em up – especially one which started life as a mobile game. There is enough gameplay to keep you entertained for a decent amount of time and I would recommend it to trophy hunters, people who like side-scrolling beat 'em ups and even those who have nostalgia for the 16-bit era.
Alteric was a fun little game to play and I would recommend it to trophy hunters purely for its quick platinum. If you sit back and play it from beginning to end without the guides that are out there then you will get more out of the game as you will have to figure out how to proceed on your own. As a whole, it's a short, challenging platformer which should last you a few hours under normal conditions and at times can really frustrate you
One More Dungeon is an interesting take on the roguelike genre as it offers it in a first-person perspective and via a pixel-art style. The game itself allows you to customise the game to your own playstyle and increase the difficulty accordingly but the core mechanics don't pull you in and scream 'replay me' once you have achieved your platinum.
Spiral Splatter is a fun little puzzle game which will leave you both frustrated and satisfied once you have achieved all three stars on each of the levels. It isn't a long game and can be completed within a few hours, or less if you resort to looking up a guide online – however, I advise you to not bother doing that, just play the game and enjoy it for yourself, it's all about trial and error and getting used to the controls.
The Inpatient's opening hour will require you to keep a change of pants with you as you encounter more jump scares and intense moments than you can shake a Move controller at. However, the final hour feels rushed and creates a very different atmosphere very quickly. There are plenty of different paths which unlock various trophies so replaying the game is a must but the question is, would you want too?