Simon Fitzgerald
Episode 1: Hero in Residence represents a rather disappointing start to Minecraft: Story Mode Season Two. The story is agonisingly slow to get going, core mechanics are clunky, and there is a huge lack of character throughout which leaves you feeling like you've wasted your time. Unless you were a huge fan of Season One and can't stop punching wood, we'd suggest you wait for another episode to see if this adventure is worth following. We really hope Telltale has got an absolutely stunning season planned, but we're not feeling this one yet.
Minecraft: Story Mode Season Two - Episode 2: Giant Consequences on the whole is a slight improvement on the opening episode with an intriguing plot twist and an exciting cliff-hanger ending that will entice you to jump into Episode 3. However, the plot choices still feel very lacklustre and unimportant and the characters themselves are still lacking any sort of development in personality in order to make them memorable. We'd suggest you hold off a little longer in the hope of an outstanding Episode 3 that'll do a U-turn on the season so far.
Sparc is a good PlayStation VR game with all the core mechanics to be a sleeper hit; the gameplay is enjoyable and requires a lot of skill. Unfortunately, with very little single player content, the title is pinning all of its success on its small but active online community – and it's hard to predict how long the release's servers will remain occupied.
Jailhouse Block is a big step in the right direction for Minecraft: Story Mode Season Two and is far better than the first two episodes with a really well-paced and fast flowing plot. The more impactful decisions and a humorous appearance from a well-known artist keep your attention from start to finish – although that's not saying much with a running time shorter than an hour.
The Solus Project is poor survival game that plays far better as a walking simulator. The lack of any guidance in controls and direction will leave you feeling clueless on how to proceed throughout. The environments are bland and barren, and although the weather and day/night cycle offer some positives, they're all ultimately overshadowed by the game's negatives. To top it all off a below par PlayStation VR option and a large number of bugs turn what could have been a good survival title into a disappointing one.
JYDGE is an enjoyable twin-stick shooter that has a fun and destructive core mechanic and a lot of replay value. If you're a huge fan of twin-stick shooters it'd be a crime not to give this one a try and judge it for yourself.
Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut is an enjoyably addictive sliding puzzle game that although it can get repetitive has enough variety within its puzzles to keep you returning for more. Its cartoony visuals help to make for some humorous, murder cut-scenes that will either make you chuckle or grimace. If you're a huge Hallowe'en hooligan or a profoundly psychotic puzzler, Slayaway Camp is well worth checking out.
Below the Bedrock is a rock solid penultimate episode for what's been a very under-par Season Two so far for Telltale's Minecraft Story Mode. With a well-balanced structure and a steadily paced plot progression that is intriguing throughout, Episode 4 has pulled off what the first three episodes failed to do: setting up firm foundations for future episodes. It's a real shame that Below the Bedrock didn't come earlier on in the season.
Cat Quest is a decent little game that we'd definitely recommend, with a charmingly cute presentation and a solid combat system that together form an overall enjoyable experience. Although you will definitely feel the pangs of repetition, there's just about enough here to keep you engaged until you reach the title's satisfying conclusion. If you're a big RPG fan or you're a cat purr-son, then Cat Quest is going to be right up your alley.
Above and Beyond is a rather disappointing end to a rather lacklustre second season for Minecraft: Story Mode. The season's plot is forgettable, the pacing is slow throughout, and the same environments are used repeatedly. Although the final boss fight is enjoyable, the ending is surprisingly anticlimactic. Unless you were a huge fan of Jesse's first outing, you won't be missing much by skipping this season.
Tiny Metal is a fun military-themed, turn-based strategy game. It manages to put your brain in gear with the troops' different strengths and weaknesses creating interestingly close battles. However without a multiplayer mode, some translation issues, and a text-heavy story the game falls short of being a must buy.
Time Recoil is a solid twin-stick shooter and is definitely the best of 10tons' previous titles in the genre. Its simplicity in both gameplay and controls mean it's easy to pick up and play at your own leisure, making it a perfect fit for the PS Vita. If you're a fan of Hotline Miami, Neon Chrome, Jydge, or any other twin-stick shooter for that matter, then Time Recoil is well worth your time.
Marooners can be fun with the right people but ultimately it lacks a lot of polish. The AI is lacklustre, there's not a huge amount of content, and the online community is practically non-existent.
Immortal Redneck is an exciting roguelike FPS with enjoyable procedurally generated dungeons that encourage fast-paced gunplay. Although it can be repetitive at points, it has a fair but challenging difficulty curve and a wide variety of enemies, weapons, and abilities that keep things interesting. If you're looking for something to really get wrapped up in, then Immortal Redneck is well worth your time.
Blasters of the Universe is an absolute blast to play with silky smooth motion control and headset tracking that allows for precise shots to be pulled off with ease. The 80s cartoon style visuals, combined with the trance music, create a charmingly frantic environment for a bullet hell shooter to be set. Although its runtime is short lived, the quality of its gameplay makes Blasters of the Universe a very worthwhile venture.
QUBE 2 is an outstanding and enjoyable puzzle game that builds upon its predecessor in all the right ways, with a lengthier run-time, more complex puzzles, new elements and gorgeous visuals. Although not as innovative as Portal, QUBE 2 is a step above the rest in both quality and quantity and should not be overlooked.
Floor Plan is a short but adequate puzzle game for PSVR, with an interesting elevator-based premise. That said, it's rather forgettable, has some irritating bugs, and a few of the puzzles don't make any logical sense. If you're looking for a game with lots of ups and downs, then Floor Plan certainly has you covered – however we'd recommend you wait for a sale before hopping in.
Island Time VR's best attributes – the visuals and the voice acting – are unfortunately overshadowed by some very major flaws in repetitive gameplay, a very short running-time, and game-breaking bugs. If you are looking for a new friend, Carl the Crab will certainly suffice, but if you're looking for a top-notch VR survival title, we'd suggest you swimming the other way.
Wizard of Legend is an enjoyable roguelike dungeon crawler with fun, fast-paced combat, beautifully crafted music, and pleasant pixel visuals that come together to form a fantastic fictional setting. Although the difficulty is steep and there is the occasional balancing issue, the available co-op modes are an excellent addition that help negate those problems.
Everspace is a fun and fast paced space exploration roguelike with beautiful visuals, solid combat, and rewarding progression systems. Unfortunately, it's let down by regular crashes and major drops in frame rate throughout. Rockfish has created a slick ship in the form of Everspace - it just requires a few patches before it can take off.