John-Paul Jones's Reviews
With its new narrative and additional characters being as well-received as they are, Road to Boruto is a solid expansion that is somewhat let down by uneven side quests and a far too brief story mode.
Impressively single-minded in its aim, Knee Deep strips everything back from aesthetics to player agency to fashion a non-linear narrative adventure quite unlike any other. Fans of well-written adventures would do well to not sleep on Knee Deep.
Representing a T-Virus level shot in the arm for Capcom’s venerable survival horror franchise, Resident Evil 7 combines old and new alike to create the most essential entry in the series since its fourth core instalment.
A wondrous melting pot of Japanese cultural excess distilled into a relentlessly compelling synergy of RPG and action elements, Yakuza 0 arguably represents the consummate entry point for newcomers to the series. Without a doubt, Yakuza 0 is a masterpiece and the first must-have title of the year.
Steep refines the winter sports template in a way that no other title has managed to this extent; skillfully marrying open-world and social aspects to create one of the freshest genre entries around. Steep is the most fun I’ve had on the digital slopes in a long time.
Though an ambitiously modest venture, Lethal VR nonetheless hits all the right targets when it comes to fashioning a compelling arcade blaster stuffed with enough engaging score chasing activities to keep players busy for a good while.
If you're looking to immerse yourself in a meticulously rendered world for a few minutes at a time, or just relax for a bit after a stressful day, then Perfect has you covered. If however, you're expecting anything, anything more than that then Perfect simply doesn't do enough to maintain interest.
Though its meagre duration and challenge make it better suited for younger audiences, The Little Acre arguably remains greater than the sum of its relentlessly charming parts; offering up a point and click affair that reliably elicits laughter and joy from anybody, young or old who decides to pick up that DualShock 4 controller and set off on its grand adventure. Entrancing me in a way that very few games have lately, I cannot wait to see what Pewter Games comes up with next.
Lara Croft GO is that rarest of beasts; a puzzle effort that not only elegantly distills the core essence of the franchise with which it shares its namesake, but one which is equally at home on PS4 as it is on PS Vita. There's no getting around it; this is one of the best puzzlers of the year.
A strategy RPG that suffers from a distinct lack of technical polish and unsatisfying combat, The Dwarves superb orchestral soundtrack, intriguing narrative and charismatic cast almost make up for its technical deficiencies, lending hope that future instalments might improve upon what we see here.
Far less fun than both it could and should have been, Surgeon Simulator ER is undone by poor PSVR implementation and lack of additional content over the previous non-VR release.
Bolstering the ever increasing ranks of PSVR efforts that place a premium on calm and relaxation over challenge and depth, How We Soar is a charming title that embraces calming spectacle over mechanical ambition.
Though a muscular and complete offering, it's difficult to believe that with the two of the series most highly regarded entries included in this package, that Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection didn't receive a far better remastering than what we have here. As it is, this trio of Ezio-era titles only boasts limited appeal to those who have already sampled its enduring setting and notable delights.
A superior sequel absolutely layered in emergent player opportunity and a true evolution of the enduringly robust foundation lain by its predecessor, Dishonored 2 sets a staggering high standard for its genre peers to try and follow. The waiting is over; your Game of the Year is here.
If you want to show off PSVR to your friends, Robinson: The Journey is the game that you use to do it. Equally, if you want to lose yourself in your very own Jurassic Park style fantasy, Robinson: The Journey is undoubtedly a triumph in this respect; just don’t expect to find an overly challenging core lurking underneath its resplendent veneer.
Falling short in just about every way a title of this ilk can, everything Super Dungeon Bros attempts to do, the three year old Diablo III does better. Avoid.
Despite falling shy of true greatness, Tethered is nonetheless just what Sony's new gaming platform needs to convince the naysayers of its suitability for ‘traditional’ gaming experiences. This is one PSVR title that you’ll want to hold onto.
After the relentless grimdark of FROM Software's stellar Souls and Bloodborne offerings, Necropolis feels like a breath of fresh (fetid, really) air. Hellbent on not taking itself too seriously and offering solid roguelike, dungeon crawler mechanics underpinned by a finely tuned combat system, Necropolis is not a game you want to be sleeping on.
With the promise of far better PSVR horror titles on the horizon, not to mention the superior Here They Lie being available right now, the only thing that will be weeping will be you if you buy this subpar, scare-free effort.
A finely tuned turn-based strategy effort that takes place in Warhammer's grim Mordheim game universe, Mordheim is furiously enjoyable but it demands both patience and skill from its prospective armchair generals in spades.