A brief, but memorable experience is at the core of Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot. Downright stunning environments serve as a backdrop to exploring the streets of 80s infused France. Between the solid performance level and the fluid controls, this is Bethesda's best excursion into virtual reality. Given how well the title succeeds at pretty much everything it sets out to do, we hope that this is step one to a fully fledged Wolfenstein VR title down the road.
While Telefrag VR might be light on content, what is there is fairly impressive. Each of the game's maps and weapons have strong identities that set them apart from one another, and the gameplay is exciting as well as polished. But ultimately, we're just really worried that not enough people are going to show up and play. Finding a match proved tricky almost immediately, and if this trend continues, there may not be reason to add content going forward, which is not what the title deserves. Prove us wrong. Please.
While lean on content, Funomena delivers a bite-sized title that offers one of PSVR's more meditative experiences. Extremely relaxing, the title's puzzle, art, and music work in concert to deliver a title that had us smiling from beginning to end. The game has such a warm sincerity that it's nigh impossible to not get swept up in its charm. If you're on the fence, but have PSVR, the recommendation to pick it up is a no brainer.
If you're a fan of hockey, this is not a game you want to miss. Given how long EA's hockey titles have remained an underwhelming exercise in repetition, the fact that Super Blood Hockey approaches the frozen sport with such creative spark is incredibly refreshing. An oddball genre mashup that blends fighters with hockey even better than NHL Hitz, this is a delight. With a razor sharp sense of humor, and great, concise gameplay, this title manages to sneak an awful lot of quality into a small package, while still allowing room for its goofier moments to breathe.
Bubsy: Paws on Fire is a combination of elements that range from merely adequate to frustrating beyond belief. In fact, the best part of the game is often being able to break the rules and cheese your way to victory. With almost zero redeeming qualities to speak of, the only way this game could possibly offer anything of benefit is to Trophy hunters, as there are a fair number of easily unlocked gold trinkets. If that's not something you care about, then steer well clear - it's just not worth it. Despite the shockingly long legacy as a series, surely this time must be the last, right?
A charming visual novel about tending a cyberpunk bar, VA-11 HALL-A is a genuinely fantastic title. A focused, neon-drenched art direction, paired with incredible music and razor-sharp writing, the game is great if you're new to, or curious about, visual novels. The writing's deft handling of darker or more taboo subjects makes for a compelling title with a varied cast of characters that each bring something unique.
FAR: Lone Sails is a lovely title. Remarkable environments and a strong art direction anchor a brief but compelling title. While the puzzles and amount of resources never really hit a point to make anything truly challenging, the resource management loop is more satisfying here than it usually is in more survival-focused titles.
Clementine and AJ's - and by extension, the player's - story comes to a fitting end here, as the creative efforts of Skybound and Telltale bring the story of the beloved series to its satisfying, largely open-ended conclusion. A plethora of emotional punches, varied and surprisingly engaging gameplay - even if the frame rate chugs - accompany wonderful music and impressive cinematography. Despite a couple of narrative hiccups, with one or two scenes that would have benefitted from some retooling, the conclusion to Telltale's most beloved series is not just good, it's satisfying.
Who or what the titular Déraciné may be is unclear, but don't let that dissuade you from walking through this wonderful title. A charming cast of characters pair with an incredible environment to explore, while the stirring soundtrack helps to elevate an already good title. Throw in the great narrative, in and of itself a rarity in VR at this point, and you have one of the best titles available thus far for Sony's headset.
CREED: Rise to Glory can be entertaining, but the PS Move's inability to track things properly makes it hard to call this a good game. A thin narrative and smattering of other shortcomings detract from the overall experience, but it's not a disaster by any stretch – just not worth its full $24.99 price point.
Don't let NHL 19's slick menus and new skating animations fool you: the same NHL game you've been playing for five years is still here. If you already know the series well, this is unquestionably the best iteration of the title, but it comes with the added caveat that it's hindered by many of the same problems from years past. The reduced significance of poke check, and smaller changes like new skating animations, definitely help elevate the general presentation of the title – but it could and should be so much better than it is.
Blind is a wildly uneven, generally disappointing trip into virtual reality. Its main sticking point, echolocation, shines when used to its fullest, but more often than not, it doesn't get put to any real use. In between each of the game's good puzzles, you'll encounter large stretches of walking, and probably a smattering of technical problems as well. But hey, at least it won't take too much of your time. The ending impression with Blind that we were left with was largely one of disappointment. We hoped for, and expected, more.
The Gardens Between is almost a truly great puzzle game, but it gets hung up in a couple of small areas.
We Happy Few isn't bad per se, but it's a very near miss, as the game comes right up to the brink of collapsing in upon itself from its many missteps. The game offers such an intriguing backdrop for its world, and really grand art, that whenever it's more focused and non-procedural, it's a grand old time. These spikes of enjoyment are however far too infrequent given the scale and running time of the title, often times leaving you floundering amid strong art direction and music without a real desire to actually play what's on offer.
While most of the VR titles that are slim on content feel like incomplete titles, Detached manages to subvert this expectation, delivering a fun filled zero-gravity romp through its limited runtime. If a community for the title manifests, a really interesting and unique multiplayer mode is part of the equation as well. Some truly stunning setpieces and the opportunity to float through space to a haunting cosmic score make for a grand ol' time. The game's steep price to content ratio might scare off some, but that's not exactly a new thing in the VR realm, and ultimately the price of entry still feels worth it.
Saying that Milestone need to take a step back with its dirt bike games and rework everything is becoming as tired a statement as saying Telltale needs to use a new engine. But it remains true yet again with MXGP Pro. A very slight improvement over MXGP 3, but a noticeable step back from Monster Energy Supercross, MXGP Pro is largely a spectacular disaster. It gets a couple things right, and offers a new slate of tracks to race on, but you'll be too busy slamming your head into a wall to really notice.
Lumines Remastered is a loving, wonderfully polished return of one of the best rhythm games of these past years. A couple irritating technical issues and a slightly archaic song unlock system aren't enough to stand in the way of the wildly entertaining, timeless gameplay.
Late in the game, one of the characters has a line where he says “I am a miserable, unfortunate man.” We can't think of a more perfect way to describe playing this title. From a team capable of making a game as exceptional as Fated: The Silent Oath, the quality of work, or lack thereof, on display here stings.
Gorogoa is an immaculate puzzle game. Gorgeous art, beautiful but ominous ambient music, and mind-blowingly clever design combine for something special. It's a game like nothing we've ever played before, and with a modest run-time and low price-point to boot, you have no reason not to snag this outstanding experience.
A lot of Monster Energy Supercross' issues on their own really aren't too bad, but when taken all at once, the game is disappointing. Many of the problems – like load times – are more quality of life issues than game problems, so if Milestone could tidy this stuff up then it'd go a long distance. But it's the inconsistent physics that are the real kicker, and detract from the generally acceptable presentation and decent selection of modes. It's better than nothing, and North American supercross fans will surely appreciate the fact that the title exists at all, but it could be so much better.