Quake is a seminal shooter that helped define the genre, but it's definitely starting to show its age. It's well worth experiencing the campaign, but its design and enemy placement can occasionally feel unfair. Just as well, the multiplayer is difficult to get into if you're not already familiar with it.
WarioWare: Get It Together, despite its rather short campaign, features over 200 incredibly funny, absurd, and downright creative microgames for players to complete. You'll find yourself laughing your way through the experience, fighting with your friends over who failed a game, and savoring your triumphs over the late game's harder challenges. The addition of the Emporium, Break Room, Missions, Play-O-Pedia, and Wario Cup are nice and will keep the game fresh for many players well after they complete the story, but a few players may not enjoy the grind to unlock all the Prezzies available. As it stands, WarioWare: Get It Together is a great, though short-lived, game – perfect for a night in with a friend.
In Sound Mind is a psychological horror game which borders more on tense than scary, and proves to be a unique look into the minds of struggling individuals. Having each tape/patient provide a different world, with the patient's inner torment essentially lashing out as the level's boss, is a unique twist on the genre. The juxtaposition between the monster trying to hurt you, but also expressing its doubt and fears, all while Desmond attempts to calm it and show that he wants to help, felt surprisingly fresh – and gave me much more reason to continue than a simple good versus evil fight would have. A sense of humor, large levels, and a variety of puzzles make In Sound Mind a game worth picking up for those looking for a new twist in an overdone genre.
The Last Stand: Aftermath is a rougelite with a unique concept which keeps each run feeling fresh. Each character, despite having nearly no dialogue, still feels distinct and gives you the sense that each volunteer who sacrifices their life in the name of the community is important. As you progress and unlock new and better equipment and upgrade your survivors, runs will become longer and unveil new story beats, constantly keeping players pushing to unlock the next upgrade, find the next supply cache, or uncover more of the world's lore.
Ghostwire: Tokyo is a unique blend of FPS, RPG, and horror with a creative twist on how we approach fighting in an FPS. Despite a few grievances about the length and ambition of the project, it is still a good game, but unfortunately it merely toes the line between good and great, never quite finding its footing. Still, Ghostwire: Tokyo is well worth picking up.
Despite my minor complaints, Salt and Sacrifice is an insanely fun Souls-like featuring brutal challenges, great level designs, beautiful hand drawn graphics, interesting enemies and boss fights, cool gear to find and upgrade, a fun leveling system, and one of the most enjoyable co-op experiences I've had in quite a while. The fact that this game was designed by so few people and is of such high quality for a relatively low MSRP of $19.99 is nothing short of astounding. While not perfect, Salt and Sacrifice kept me entertained for well over 20 hours and made me excited for the next entry in this incredible series.
Mothmen 1966 is a gripping story of how three characters react when thrust into contact with the paranormal. Fast-paced and featuring fleshed-out characters, the story only falters as it nears its action-packed ending. The retro aesthetic oozes charm and helps elevate the story, while the simple puzzles and gaming sections allow players to take a break from reading to become active participants in the story. At only two hours long, Mothmen 1966 is a no-brainer for those interested in the paranormal.
As a game, The Last of Us: Part 1 still deserves a high score after all these years, but I give that score hesitantly, as I am acutely aware that previous releases offer more content and that this release was not created for those who have already played through and enjoyed the game in the past, but rather to welcome in new players or for those who wish to harness the full power of their PS5. While this is the most technically impressive version of The Last of Us that we will likely ever get, it is anchored down by its previous releases, while simultaneously missing important components those versions had, namely the superb multiplayer. Despite some interesting bonus features, new cosmetic items, vastly improved AI, and a few quality-of-life changes, there may not be enough here to justify the purchase for anybody except newcomers. That said, the impressively robust suite of accessibility options is a welcome addition worthy of praise and will hopefully provide an opportunity for a new generation of fans to experience this story.
Children of Silentown delivers a compelling story told through stunning hand-drawn graphics and spearheaded by a hauntingly beautiful score that perfectly encapsulates the feelings of melancholy and dread that pervade Lucy's thoughts. Silentown's unique focus on discovering notes to uncover songs which can then be used to unlock puzzles provides a new dynamic to the point-and-click genre, and despite having gripes with one of the puzzle types, I still enjoyed my time unraveling the mystery of Silentown and the monsters that haunt it.
Kayak VR: Mirage is a testament to the power of the PlayStation VR2 and a showcase for those who want to show their friends and family what VR is all about. While more of an experience than a full-fledged game, Kayak VR manages to provide a gorgeous, realistic, memorable, and relaxing experience which accurately mimics real kayaking and is almost certain to make you begin plans for your next vacation.
Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded is a great VR shooter with precise shooting, good enemy variety, a nice cel-shaded art style, and near infinite replayability. While the base campaign is short, the multiple goals, B-side levels, upgrades, and leaderboards help to flesh out the game and provide a compelling reason to continue jumping back into the chaos long after you first complete the levels.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection – Volume 1 serves as both a fantastic collection of video games and as an impressively detailed look at the evolution of the iconic video games series, but is unfortunately hampered by a sense of déjà vu due to providing few upgrades to the core games from the previous HD collection release. Despite this, the Master Collection remains the only way to be able to experience these games on modern consoles and each title is well worth revisiting. The real stars of this collection are the screenplay and master books which provide meticulously crafted breakdowns of each game and serve as a treasure trove of information for die-hard fans to pore over.
The Gunk is a creative, witty, and charming adventure game, albeit a bit on the short side at only five or six hours in length. Still, the writing, world, and exploration more than make up for the short campaign as players will find themselves immediately immersed in the world and Rani and Becks' friendship. Unfortunately, a few technical problems plague the game, the most blatant of which – getting stuck on various items – becomes frustrating in later platforming sections. Still, The Gunk is an adventure well worth partaking in.
PAC-MAN World Re-Pac is a fun 2D/3D platformer with creative level design, unique boss battles, and collectible items that are actually fun to find. From space ship battles to kart races, PAC-MAN World rarely sticks to one genre of play style for long and is all the better for it. While lack of camera control does make some sections more frustrating than necessary and the campaign clocking in at only five to six hours is a bit disappointing, there's still a lot of fun to be had with this remake whether you're a fan of the original or a newcomer.
Before Your Eyes is a unique and emotional narrative about a soul on its way to the afterlife and a deep dive into what is important in life. Sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, Before Your Eyes manages to make you care for Benjamin in the short time that you have with him. Controlled using only your eyes, Before Your Eyes is a testament to what the PSVR2 can do, helping craft a story which has no need for controllers to experience. Simply sit back, watch, and blink when you're ready to progress.
Unplugged: Air Guitar is a great concept that works quite well despite using only Sense Controllers to mimic playing a guitar rather than requiring an unwieldy accessory but falls short due to limitations on the type of chord progressions and notes that the PSVR2 is capable of reproducing without hand tracking. A good song list will ensure that most players will remain entertained for a few hours, but despite the developer's best attempts to ensure the game remains challenging by adding new techniques throughout and multiple difficulty levels, it still becomes rather repetitive.
Cosmonious High is a fun, albeit brief, VR experience which allows you to drop into a school in disarray and obtain a variety of powers which can then be used to fix the school or cause more chaos. The assignments are fun, the VR mechanics work great, and the characters are hilarious, making Cosmonious High a game well worth spending a few hours on.
Stray Gods is an interesting and mostly successful experiment in creating a new gaming genre, one that I am ultimately hoping leads to more refined experiences in the future. Despite a few grievances, I enjoyed my time unraveling Calliope's death and diving into the lives of these diverse Idols, all while tapping my feet along to some well-constructed songs.
Knight Squad 2 is a fun, competent, and chaotic multiplayer game great for parties, but features little to keep players interested beyond the few hours it will take to tackle all the game modes and unlock all the Knights. The addition of cross-platform play is certainly nice and a feature I hope more games implement in the future. A few more unlockables or even a leveling system for the Knights would have been nice, but as it stands I enjoyed my time with Knight Squad 2.
Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl does a great job recreating the look and feel of an original NES release, but takes its retro inspired roots a bit too far and becomes a game which few but the most dedicated will finish. That said, I did enjoy my time with the game and catching the references to other Kevin Smith movies.