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I had hoped that after a few initially rocky hours, The Alliance Alive would somehow turn it all around and be a game that I would love. Unfortunately that's not quite the case here, and on a system with no shortage of good RPGs, it's hard to sell The Alliance Alive to anyone but the most ardent of fans.
Ni No Kuni II is a machine that runs on beauty, fun and delight. With simple storylines and engaging characters, it weaves a narrative that captures the optimistic nature of childhood, without forgetting to deliver deep RPG mechanics. Utterly abandoning many of the confounding elements of the original title, Ni No Kuni II marches to its own quirky beat. This is a game that will be remembered as a classic.
Pit People is one of those games that I enjoyed despite being terrible at the genre. While the game can be simple compared to other games in the genre, the combination of the easy to pick up gameplay and the graphics and humor that The Behemoth is known for makes this a game worth checking out regardless of whether you've played other tactical RPGs or if this is your first one. Plus, who doesn't want to hear a giant space bear taunt you throughout the game?
It is a truly welcome gem in the medium that takes risks and propels the experience with new energy nearly every step of the way. The player constantly moves forward and the game gets tension done in a way seldom seen in gaming. A Way Out is an example of a triumph in new ideas, while using traditional methods of gameplay to get the point across that this is a different beast.
Super One More Jump is a fun and addicting game that's simple to pick up and has a gradual difficulty curve. With over 100 levels to play and a few extra game modes to unlock, plus the two multiplayer options including two- to four-player co-op, Super One More Jump is definitely worth picking up.
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus takes an already fiendishly addictive arcade game and adds a fantastic multiplayer mode. At $20 it's an impulse buy for any Switch owner.
Castle of Heart goes for that Souls level of challenge but without the nuance and balance needed to make that kind of difficulty satisfying. It's visually striking for an indie game but it needs some fine-tuning; for now it's mostly just frustrating.
With its fun visuals, finely tuned difficulty, and inherent physicality, Blasters of the Universe stands out in the crowd of VR wave shooters. While a late-game bug was disappointing, I still had a great time and plan on returning to it. Bugs can be patched, and game design this strong doesn't come knocking every day.
While technically competent and armed with a good story to tell, Apex Construct doesn't provide a compelling reason to keep going after the first few levels. A couple of upgrades to your single weapon appear, but the primary increase in challenge is simply more of the same.
While the game is a fantastic improvement over the first game, the ability to play through the story mode as a created character doesn't really make up for having to play through the exact same missions while watching the exact same cutscenes of the first game all over again. That said the gameplay more than makes up for it as flying around battlefields and taking down Titans has never been more fun.
The room escape part of Room Escape VR: Stories is very good. There can be some quirky behaviors with the Touch controllers, but none that go so far as to ruin the experience. The unnecessary disruption from interstitial cutscenes, on the other hand, can be a mood wrecker.
Moss is a gorgeous game, with Disney-level animation (on Disney's best day), spectacular world building, and intriguing puzzles. Quill the mouse is a living creation, delicate but with real weight and personality. Like the way the best 3-D worlds incorporate 3-D organically, Moss avoids VR gimmicks and relies on wonder and story to produce the first essential title on PS VR.
It its current form, Sailaway is an adequate way to learn about complex sailing vessels, travel the world by sea, and race online with other skippers. It is fairly straightforward to learn, but the limitations of controlling a complex boat with a keyboard and mouse are very evident. Sailaway is not for the casual player.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life wraps up the story of Kazuma Kiryu with the same sense of style and attention to quality the series has always maintained. By alternating erratically between deadly serious crime stories, and wildly goofball side activities, Yakuza strikes an entertaining sweet spot that few other series manage. Players should set aside a lot of time before engaging with Yakuza, because like the mob, this is a game that will keep pulling you back in.
Once you get past the hook in The American Dream, there is a decent VR shooting gallery to enjoy; but even that is derailed by the pacing, with the best bits too few and far between.
Q.U.B.E. 2 is a puzzle solver's dream in a gamer's nightmare. There are dozens upon dozens of simplistic button and jump puzzles to complete over a five-hour time span.
The atmosphere is what makes this game. The emotion of the plot succeeds in some places and stumbles in others. The puzzles can be frustrating at times, but not because they're impossible to complete, more so because they seem like filler to extend gameplay time. Overall, the experiences are memorable for the feeling they create in the player, but not much else.
Fe is a beautifully ethereal game that, despite its flaws with plot comprehension and spatial organization, is a pleasure to play. If you're fine with wandering, and don't mind the feeling of being swept along on a journey rather than pioneering the journey yourself, then the weak points of this game will seem a lot less weak.
Pop-up Pilgrims is a beautiful and charming game that is pleasant for a time, until players discover that it carries some backdoor punishments for not getting perfect scores on every level. Compounding the issue, the game never explains this unfortunate mechanic, instead allowing the player to discover how things work when they are already in the midst of their punitive levels. There is no question that the game is well made, and fans of Lemmings-style games will probably find something to love here, Pop-up Pilgrims left me more frustrated than entertained.
I have no skill when it comes to playing this game, yet I enjoyed my time with it. The two most important aspects of the game could have used a lot more support, but I choose to view that as a sign of greater things to come from the developers, whether in the form of a sequel or another product.