Sammy Barker's Reviews
Perhaps the main takeaway here is that FlatOut 4: Total Insanity is safer than its name suggests. There's not a lot to criticise in terms of its execution, but its ambition feels firmly rooted in the PlayStation 2 era. There's nothing particularly wrong with that, and if you're looking for a distraction to occupy between juggernaut releases, then the PS4 isn't host to many destructive racers that are better. But while there's fun to be had while you're playing, don't expect this above average car crash to live long in the memory at all.
On a system bursting with great horror games, you can safely side-step Dying: Reborn. While we appreciate the attempt, the production values just aren't in place to create the tension that's intended here, and even though there are a couple of decent puzzles on display, there's not enough meat on this murder mystery's bones to make it worth the price of admission.
Too many brickwalls prevent Clicker Heroes from reaching the "highs" of AdVenture Capitalist, but this is still a frighteningly addictive incremental title. The simplistic gameplay loop means that it's better suited to smartphones, but that doesn't make it any easier to put down once you get started – even on the PS4.
Disc Jam has all of the ingredients of a classic but it just doesn't feel fully cooked. Flat visuals and some balance issues prevent this disc tossing sim from reaching the same highs as Rocket League, even if its gameplay loop is fairly accessible and sporting some great depth. That said, though, if this is High Horse Entertainment's Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars moment, then we can't wait to see what it delivers next time it takes to the field.
An oddity that grows in stature the more time that you spend with it, NieR: Automata is so much more than you think it is – and it's all the better for it. Some decent writing aside, its side-quests fall into genre pitfalls and its open world can be annoying to navigate. But if you're able to look beyond its shortcomings as a game then you'll be richly rewarded. And while we can't really elaborate on why that is, you're just going to have to trust us.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - Banned Footage Vol. 2 is arguably an even better piece of DLC than its already excellent predecessor, but our excitement for the additions is tempered by frustration that they should have been included with the main game. We liked the core campaign as it was, but with these packs bolted on it could have scored higher. Still, what you have here is some truly inventive content that repurposes the game's main mechanics in a variety of interesting and exciting ways.
VR Ping Pong's a steeply priced simulation that mostly misses the mark. The presentation is rudimentary and the gameplay is awkward and unrefined. The developer may argue that we're just bad at table tennis, but we have no problem in real-life, so clearly there's something awry here. Factor in technical glitches and this is difficult to recommend.
Enormous, open levels augment Sniper Elite 4 with some of the best long-distance shootouts that the series has seen thus far. The under-the-hood improvements – paired with the idyllic Italian backdrop – do give this entry the edge over its predecessor, but if you've played one of these games before then you'll know more or less what to expect. Nevertheless, as far as ball busters go, it doesn't get much better (or wince-inducing) than this.
Like matriarch Marguerite's dishes, bonus mode Ethan Must Die will prove an acquired taste, but the two other VHS tapes included with Banned Footage Vol. 1 are a delight. Nightmare serves up some surprisingly smart arcade action that fans missing Mercenaries will surely enjoy, while Bedroom is brilliant puzzle sequence that subverts the rules of the main game in order to create a real sense of tension without requiring any enemies at all. There's no question that had this content been incorporated into the main campaign it would have been an even stronger package overall, but as a standalone it's still easy to recommend.
At its very best, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a barnstorming survival horror with some truly brilliant boss fights. Granted, the game isn't always able to maintain its own high standards, but it eclipses its abysmal predecessor with ease. While it borrows ideas from a variety of different sources, it manages to feel both original and old-school all at the same time. And even though fans are likely to be divided by the release's direction, make no mistake: this is the change that the series has needed for quite some time.
Even though the core of Gravity Rush 2 remains largely unchanged, you'll be hard pushed to find a fresher open world title in a sea of Grand Theft Auto and Assassin's Creed clones. Kat's traversal mechanic is still among the most satisfying that the sandbox genre has to offer, and an endearing cast of characters means that you'll actively want to spend time in their world. The combat and mission structure may still be this series' biggest shortcoming, but colourful scenarios mean that you'll stick around long enough to see the sizeable story and its many side-quests through. So, while not everyone will be dazed by what this release has to offer, the sequel should at the very least ensure that existing fans continue singing Kat's chorus.
Air Race Speed is one of those pleasant surprises that never sets the world alight but yet still manages to thoroughly entertain. Rock-solid performance and a great sense of speed means that adrenaline junkies will enjoy this, and while it doesn't exactly threaten WipEout's speed freak crown, it should ease the wait for the Omega Collection next year.
Crystal Rift is far from an enjoyable experience, with cumbersome controls, lacklustre visuals, and poor enemy AI. The entire experience gets very tiresome very quickly, and with the ever increasing expectations for great quality games, this just doesn't cut it. This rift would be better left unexplored, unless you think you'd enjoy its torturously repetitive depths.
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier – Episode 2: Ties That Bind (Part Two) maintains the opening episode's great pace with a more action-heavy instalment. The new characters continue to compel, even if you'll see the closing twist coming a mile away. Telltale's definitely getting better at directing these narrative-centric experiences, and while the creaky engine still sticks out at times, the production values in this particular instalment are above and beyond anything that the developer's done before.
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier – Episode 1: Ties That Bind (Part One)'s title may appear to promise something wholly original, but this is the same old episodic adventure that you're already familiar with. That's no bad thing, though, as Telltale appears to be on top form with this third series, setting up a compelling new cast of characters while re-introducing the most important of them all: Clementine. The same old quirks remain, but you should know by now whether the engine issues or lack of player agency will affect your enjoyment. If you're comfortable with the usual shortcomings, then this is a strong start to what promises to be another compelling season.
The Last Guardian is a modern masterpiece, and a worthy addition to Team ICO's already flawless track record. Some will be unable to look past the mechanical shortcomings, but they'll be missing out on one of those most meaningful and truly original experiences in years.
Weeping Doll's one of those games where you can see the intentions of the developer, but the end product just isn't very good. The muddled mismatch of time periods could be forgiven if the writing wasn't so woeful and the voice acting so unintentionally amusing. There's the nugget of a good idea here, but like an action figure with its appendages in the wrong places, it's been sloppily assembled.
Carnival Games VR is about as entertaining as a funfair organised by gypsies in a community centre's car park. The tracking issues don't help, but the actual moment-to-moment gameplay is so morbidly boring that you may need medical attention to resuscitate you from this virtual reality yawn-fest. In a word: candydross.
Contrary to common opinion, Farming Simulator's always had the root of a great game buried beneath its Eurojank surface, but now that nugget's really starting to blossom. This edition doesn't reinvent the veal [Sorry – Ed], but it refines what's enjoyable about the originals, and sprinkles some Miracle-Gro on top. It's still an acquired taste, and you're going to need to be patient to get the most out of it, but if you've ever dreamed of being an agricultural extraordinaire, then this is a series now very much in its hay-day.
Headmaster scores a hat-trick with its sense of humour, quirky concept, and well-executed gameplay. It's one of those games that you really want to get into, diving around your living room as you try to score the perfect goal. It's a shame, then, that the realities of actually wearing the PlayStation VR headset mean that you can't actually ever unleash your inner-Alan Shearer – but we'd be being pretty harsh if we gave it a red card for something that's out of the developer's control.