Sammy Barker's Reviews
Pizza Titan Ultra has a strong identity and a delicious gameplay loop, but the title actively works against you in later levels, sapping your momentum in a desperate attempt to inject some difficulty. It's a frustrating flaw, because between its high-octane arcade action and punchy personality, there's a slice of something nice here – you've just got to pick off all of the bits you don't like before you can truly enjoy it.
Shenmue I & II divided players and critics on the Dreamcast, and will continue to do so on the PlayStation 4. These games are an acquired taste, but there's nothing quite like them, and if you can overcome some of their more awkward idiosyncrasies, you'll be rewarded with a set of revolutionary sandboxes that impress even today. The ports are let down by a handful of recurring bugs, but are otherwise presented authentically, and while the voice acting is no less embarrassing today, there's a charm to both the script and performances that can be endearing to an open mind. There's no question that these titles deserve their place in the annals of gaming history – but whether you'll love them or loathe them will ultimately come down to personal taste.
There's no doubt that Firewall Zero Hour's tactical combat works well in virtual reality – in fact, the fledgling medium adds a lot to this FPS, allowing you to naturally gesture to teammates and intuitively check your corners in a way you couldn't on a standard display. But while there are some structural and technical issues that we have confidence First Contact Entertainment will be able to fix, it's the question marks over its community that make it a tough sell. It's a chicken-and-egg situation that's unfortunate for everyone involved, but it's something that the developer would have been aware of when it embarked on creating an online-only multiplayer shooter for an install base of a few million headsets. Good as the game may be, it's something you need to keep in mind as well.
Wailing Heights' presentation is perfectly in-tune, but its gameplay is out of time. While it neatly repurposes some old point-and-click tropes, it doesn't quite have enough quality to match the ambition of the classics it's so clearly inspired by. There are some laugh out loud moments and some real ear-worm audio, but it's not quite enough to demand front-row seats for The Deadbeats' reunion tour.
It's practically impossible to make any firm conclusions about The Walking Dead: The Final Season in its first episode, but the engine improvements have really helped step up the storytelling, while the new cast of characters seem interesting at this early stage. While we could take or leave the gameplay tweaks, particularly in the combat department, it's already clear that the stakes are going to be much higher in this concluding season than the series' previous disappointing outing – and for now, that's enough for us.
Electronauts' slickly presented, highly interactive sound stage makes for a thoroughly entertaining musical application. It's so easy to get into the groove as you remix songs in virtual reality, and while you probably won't recognise a lot of the artists included, the songs are solid and easy to manipulate. Veteran musicians may long for a little more control, but by emphasising accessibility, this is a game that everyone can enjoy.
You're right to be sceptical of EA Sports' buzzwords by now, but Madden NFL 19's headline Real Player Motion really does result in a more fluid game of football. The presentation may be familiar, but the game feels great on the field, and that consequently enhances all of its headline modes. Longshot: Homecoming may be short, but Tiburon's teen drama is well-presented and well written, while Franchise mode includes some oft-requested features, like draft classes. Ultimate Team, meanwhile, continues to be a grind – but it's an addictive one that's made all the more compulsive by the roster of gameplay improvements made elsewhere.
Games like Train Sim World will always benefit from a greater array of content: more trains, more routes, and more services. That said, learning how each of the trains in this title work and mastering the three main disciplines will take you hours at a time, and while it's very much an acquired taste, we derived a mixture of satisfaction and relaxation from our new role as a railway operator.
The Persistence cleverly blends Dead Space-esque outer-space sci-fi scares with the addictive arcade loop of rogue-lites like Rogue Legacy, resulting in a PlayStation VR campaign that's both gut-wrenching and weirdly replayable. It won't take you a million lightyears to complete the likeable campaign, but a hardcore mode awaits when you've finished, and clever co-op functionality adds a little longevity to the experience as well. With a compelling gameplay format as well as some great gadgetry, this is one survival mission we thoroughly enjoyed.
Look, it's a fun game, filled with flashing lights and so much digital detritus you'll need a shower after one run. But the thing is, you've played this before – not in this form in 4K on this particular format, but Tempest is Tempest and Tempest 4000 doesn't really try to be anything else.
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit thoughtfully examines a troubled childhood through the eyes of the 10-year-old living it. This non-linear episode encourages you to explore, refraining from beating you over the head with its difficult subject matter. It's building into something, and it's hard to determine exactly what that is with DONTNOD being so coy about its plans for the sequel. You need to really dig into this to get anything out of it, and while we found the backstories of the small cast to be well thought out, it's hard to know what purpose they will serve yet.
Onrush is a chaotic arcade game that surprisingly comes together – even if there are question marks regarding its longevity. This brash vehicular experience draws inspiration from several different areas of the industry, but it reassembles them into something unusual and entertaining. A great online infrastructure means you can be in and out of the action in seconds, but the package could do with a little more meat on its bones to fully justify its price tag.
Detroit: Become Human is vintage Quantic Dream, delivering a multifaceted choose-your-own-adventure that's both ambitious and somewhat of an acquired taste.
2MD VR Football works so well because it has the best throwing mechanic we've experienced with PlayStation VR to date. The game's relatively simplistic, tasking you with executing a series of successful two-minute drills, but the ability to design your own playbook paired with the implementation of recognised NFL rules mean that there's some strategy to this arcade affair. The art style's not going to appeal to everyone and it's unlikely to keep you occupied forever, but fans of American football are sure to have a blast doing their best Tom Brady impression in virtual reality.
AO International Tennis went wide with its first service, and double faults at second attempt.
CoolPaintrVR is a fine alternative to Tilt Brush for PlayStation VR, although the limitations of Sony's technology mean that it never really hits the same highs. We would have appreciated a larger palette of objects and effects, but budding artists should find more than enough to make a masterpiece with here.
Super Mega Baseball 2 looks like a straightforward arcade game and it can be if you want it to be – but there's a surprising amount of depth to this colourful sequel that will keep you coming back. The game's vibrant presentation and frenetic flow set it apart from MLB The Show, and its raft of customisation options mean that you can tailor it to your tastes. Some cumbersome controls can grate, but if you're looking for a baseball game a little less serious than Sony's, then this is a great alternative.
Home Run Derby VR makes the act of slugging entertaining, thanks to good PlayStation Move motion tracking and a strong balance between arcade and simulation gameplay. But the price of entry is far too high for a title that only includes three stadiums and one game type – even if it is ultimately rather entertaining to play.
God of War is a special game. This reimagining of the famous PlayStation franchise elevates the series in unexpected ways, without forgetting the core tenets that made Kratos a fan-favourite to begin with. This is a sprawling single player epic with an abundance of secrets and a storyline that keeps you hooked from start-to-finish. While it borrows liberally from other action adventure greats, its unique combat and outstanding artistic direction separate it from its immediate peers. A truly impressive achievement.
MLB The Show 18 is, for our money, the best sports game on console right now. Whether you love baseball or not, this is a flexible simulation that can appeal to both beginners and veterans alike, with some of the best presentation you'll find on the PS4. On paper this may not sound like a substantial step forward for the series, but the under-the-hood improvements mean that it's the best playing, best looking version yet. We're not sure where Sony San Diego goes next with this series, but we say that every year, and it continues to smash our expectations out of the park.