Dreams may not be something that will blow you away as only a player right now, but if you open your mind enough and get creative, there is a wealth of possibilities for you. If creating really isn’t something you’re interested in, perhaps give these creatives a bit more time to craft you a true dream-like experience.
Overpass is a title that may appeal to a niche audience of off-road enthusiasts. The slower pace will definitely tire on those who prefer racing at breakneck speeds, but there is definitely something engrossing about it. The way it makes you focus more on the track itself and how each obstacle is its own puzzle to conquer is appealing. However, even the niche crowed of off-road enthusiasts won’t be able to overlook the physics issues.
If you’re looking for your next SRPG and love Bloodborne‘s themes and setting, then Alder’s Blood is the game for you. Just maybe not in its current state.
I now see why MLB: The Show is praised among baseball fans for being the best, because it is an extremely solid title. It offers a ton of content that ranges from more arcade modes to full on sims, and it has a decent way of bringing in newcomers.
Nioh 2 is an extremely well done sequel that adds enough to an already complex combat system, but not too much to make systems redundant or cumbersome. The changes aren’t drastic, and this may lead to some feeling like it feels too similar, but the first game already had fantastic gameplay variety.
It’s refreshing to have a game that focuses on telling a full fledged story experience on a platform that is mostly stretching its legs with gameplay tech demos. It just so happens that this full fledged story is also a Half-Life game that also lives up to its predecessors and ties in nicely with them.
Desperados III is an extremely polished, smart, and engaging tactical game that deserves to be in the library of any fan of the genre.
The TakeOver is a really great salute to the old school beat ’em up genre, and if you enjoyed Streets of Rage 4, then I totally recommend you picking this one up. It’s easy to overlook its handful of shortcomings due to its excellent moment-to-moment gameplay.
Roguelikes are a dime a dozen nowadays, especially in the indie scene. A lot of them end up falling flat because they don’t understand what makes the genre so addicting to begin with. That wasn’t the case here. Aside from a few issues and its slow beginning, West of Dead sits at the top of the pile, being one of my favories games in the genre.
Hunting Simulator 2 unfortunately misses the majority of feelings that come with actual hunting. With cumbersome systems, clunky gameplay, unbalanced currency system, and no dynamic day/night cycle, Hunting Simulator 2 feels like a test of patience in the wrong way, that ultimately does not pay off.
REZ PLZ was a fantastic surprise that had a great idea and fully dove into it. It fills a void in the video game industry that has mostly turned its back on couch co-op. Not only it does that pretty well, but it also provides a unique experience full of humor and brain teasing puzzles.
Carrion is a fantastic game that flips horror tropes on their heads and allows you to be the one slaughtering the ignorant and incompetent humans. There is actually a lot more depth to the gameplay than I anticipated, which never led to a dull moment.
The ideas, characters, humor, and gameplay make for a very enjoyable time despite a few annoyances. If you’re looking for your next puzzle game fix and want to experience a silly romp through Norse mythology, or if you’re a masochist who likes the idea of ripping your limbs off; I fully recommend picking up Helheim Hassle.
PGA Tour 2K21 is a well-made golf game that features a ton of gameplay options for its audience. Being able to choose through a large list of options to fully tailor your type of gameplay is incredible. However, I feel like it can’t decide whether it wants to dip more into arcade territory or just remain as a simulator. I hope they will find a way to cater to both eventually, but this is a big step in the right direction.
Windbound is an intriguing game full of mystery and wonder, and does a lot right. I’m not the biggest fan of survival and crafting games, but these systems are well implimented and balanced properly. They also add a lot to the feeling of being lost, but pushing forward in order to uncover this mystery.
BPM is a a combination of great ideas and for the most part it nails what it’s going for. The melding of the intense FPS combat set to the beat of metal makes for some really great moments. Unfortunately, the roguelike and RNG aspects that rule the game need a bit of work.
Honestly, it hurts me to have to give this game such a bashing, because I do enjoy the series. There are some good things about Serious Sam 4, and some fun moments. Unfortunately, it mostly feels uninspired in its overall design. However, what really kills the experience is the severe lack of polish and quality control presented here. This needs more time in the oven and that is why even if you’re a fan, I suggest you wait on more patches.
Gleamlight is a game that could be something great, but squanders it at every turn. It’s on the right track by taking inspiration from a couple of great games, unfortunately, it never comes close to matching them. There is no purpose to the game conveyed through tone, music, characters, or text that will urge you to continue. If I had not been reviewing this, thus feeling obligated to flesh out the game, I would have stopped after the first forty-five minute run-through.
The Walking Dead Onslaught is not the type of licensed game that ended up surprising me. Nor was it so bad that it ended up being an endearing cheesy experience I could laugh at and have fun with. Unfortunately, it’s an uninspired title that even lacks the depth of its fellow The Walking Dead VR games.
The fact this was accomplished form a single person is enough to be impressed by. As a tech demo, this is spectacular, however, this is being sold as a game for $8 on the MS store, and it is not worth the asking price. Playing this did get me more interested for the upcoming Bright Memory Infinite, but be aware that you’re paying for a 30 minute teaser.