For those keen to revisit this PSVR classic, the remake is still a fun zombie shooter, with solid gunplay, brilliant graphics, and a decent wee package of content. It's also launching at a reduced £25/$30, making it fairly inexpensive. However, if you're new to the series and want to dive straight into the series at its best, we'd recommend its superior sequel over this.
Alien: Rogue Incursion is a solid first attempt from Survios to capture the iconic sci-fi franchise. If you're a fan of the series like we are, then you'll be giddy as you first get to hold your own pulse rifle; you'll shiver as your motion tracker's pulsating tone gets higher; and you'll revel in the disgusting details of the H.R Giger-inspired Alien nests. It is let down at points with repetitive and lacklustre combat, trivial performance issues, and its hard cliff-hanger ending does leave you with far more questions than answers. But you'll be hard pressed to find standout VR moments quite like the ones sprinkled throughout this fun campaign.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 is an intriguing introduction to a mysterious new world. With its characters and setting at the forefront, this rose-tinted view of the mid-90s is welcoming, nostalgic, and perfectly blends this tale's more enigmatic side. It is incredibly slow at times and it doesn't answer an awful lot, but truth be told, we're dying to have those questions addressed in the latter part of the story. Tape 1 has teed it up, so it's down to Tape 2 to secure the home run.
Splitgate 2 is an interesting sequel. In a lot of ways, it fixes the issues we had with the original; it looks nicer, runs better, gameplay is far improved, there's a lot of content on offer, and the portal mechanic is good fun to learn. It's a great pick for those casual sessions with your mates, but we still can't help but feel underwhelmed by it all. The maps are fine, and the cosmetics are dull as dishwater. If you removed the portal mechanics - which were arguably more freeing in the first Splitgate - you'd be left with a competent, but ultimately uninspired shooter.
Forza Horizon 5 checks all of the boxes that it should, but it is let down by a lack of innovation. You are racing the same types of races, with the same types of cars, across a map that looks different but doesn’t feel different. Developer Playground Games has leaned on what it does best, and that makes for a fast and fun experience, however, wherever the series takes car-lovers off to next, it will have to look much further into the horizon for inspiration.
Dying Light 2 does little to shake up the open-world formula, because it could be so much more, especially after the initial reveals promised so much. With that said, if zombie decapitations, sick parkour moves, and true next-gen graphics are what you're looking for then Dying Light 2 certainly fits the bill.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok surely is an ambitious expansion, and for those that are looking for it, it provides an often engaging collective of content to sift your way through, buffing out your character with imaginative gear and mythically enhanced weapons. Put together with its new power sets and enemy types, fun boss fights, and a relatively engaging story, Dawn Of Ragnarok is worth checking out. However, beyond its layers of content and amicable entertainment levels, this is a mythical romp that sadly stays in its lane, and shirks its evolutionary responsibilities that previous entries have carried on so well.
Back 4 Blood features the hectic first-person combat and brilliant co-op camaraderie that made Left 4 Dead so popular. It’s no wonder that Turtle Rock wanted to emulate that success, and while there are a few compromises – the terrible bots if you can’t round up some mates, and the extreme jump in difficulty if you want to eke out some more playtime – this spiritual successor falls into the “worthy” category.
At the end of the day, System Shock is the faithful remake of a 30-year-old game, and you can feel that age in every facet of its being. In some ways, this is a tantalising look back at the game that started an entire genre, and if you've got the enthusiasm or nostalgia for immersive sims like it, then it's worth checking out for that alone. However, if you lack that nostalgic connection, then System Shock is more a showcase of how far the genre has come, rather than a spotlight on how well it's held up. System Shock may have walked so others in the genre could run, but for us, that walk is just a little too slow.
If it seems like we're dogging on this latest outing for the series, it's only because we know just how unique and entertaining it can be. Double Exposure isn't a bad game, it's just not the series at its best. It loses some of that inviting atmosphere with Caledon paling in comparison to Haven Springs or Arcadia Bay, and its narrative suffers from an overreliance on the supernatural. But we'd be lying if we said it wasn't great to see Max Caulfield return and we still think it's worth checking out if you're a fan of the series.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black reminds us of our younger years, essentially playing through a cheesy action movie with over-the-top violence, cool looking vistas, and a ridiculous story. In parts, it’s fun to play something you can just enjoy for what it is, without the need to delve into overly deep combat systems.
FBC: Firebreak stings a little, because it has so much of what we're looking for in a co-op shooter. It's got the killer world and aesthetic, it's got quirky powers and role based kits, it's got tight first-person gameplay, and doesn't require you to grind things out for dozens of hours. However, despite all of that, Firebreak's just fine, and ironically lacks the fire that we expect from Remedy's output. It's a fun, casual time, but you'll play it, you'll finish it, and before long you'll forget about it and wish you had been playing Control 2 instead.
Rust Console Edition is a solid survival sim that refuses to fix some of its biggest issues.
WRC 10 is a hardcore racer that'll require you to put in the time before reaping any of its rewards.
Fort Solis starts out promising, with an eerie and mysterious narrative that just seems to get everything right. From environmental details to pacing, this opening act genuinely had us thinking we had a Firewatch or Everybody's Gone To Rapture on our hands. However, as the game begins to expand, the pacing tanks, the story fumbles its way across the finish line, and the gameplay experience makes us want to throw our DualSense off the wall. There are a number of ways in which we should be impressed by the game - it's made by a 10 person team after all - but in the end Fort Solis is an experience as dusty as the red planet itself.
Ultimately, we think our impressions of Firewall Ultra boil down to just one question: will we be back for more? At this point in time, it seems unlikely. There are certainly the bones of a good game in here, but with the streamlined gameplay experience and limited content roster, frankly we just kept thinking about the better VR games we could be playing. We'll certainly be keen to dip in once new content arrives, but it's especially disheartening when we've been waiting for a big VR shooter like this on the PSVR2 for quite some time. Firewall Ultra then is an infrequently fun yet persistently disappointing first-party title that really forgets what makes VR so special in the first place.
We’re sure that if you’re a fan of the base game, you’ll likely get some enjoyment here, as there are some genuine moments of tension, and we loved getting to hear wee tidbits about the Beira D disaster. However, what it does more than anything else is make us want to go back and play the base game.
Swords of Gargantua is a short thrill ride of an experience that tries to stretch it out to a length it simply doesn’t have the legs for. Between momentary bouts of motion sickness, dull and uninspiring enemy variety, and a flawed form of gameplay that strays far from the supposed “hyper-realistic swordsmanship” that was slapped on its trailer, I became entirely deflated from my time with the game and simultaneously disappointed that I kept playing at all. Those early hours reminded me of why I love VR so much, and just how well those short burst experiences work for the format. Alas, Swords of Gargantua is like a once-great TV show that simply will not end.
Destruction AllStars is like a well-oiled machine—it looks the part and does the job. However, once the thrills of landing the perfect slam or launching yourself from an imminent K.O. fade away, what is left is a relatively shallow experience that will struggle to keep you playing longer than a dozen hours. That may be fine for those swiping this up during its stint on PS Plus, but for anyone paying their hard-earned cash for this lacklustre experience, well… you’re in for an expensive ride.
Ultimately, Skydance's Behemoth feels like it's still in its beta phase. The enormity of its Behemoths works excellently in VR, but at almost every turn, the game bogs you down with bugs, repetitive gameplay loops, and underdeveloped level design. Sadly, it also lacks the same sense of place that the developer's previous work has, with its Forsaken Lands feeling painfully dull for the most part. There are moments when the magic shines through, but Behemoth is a massive missed opportunity overall.