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SUPERHOT may be a little older than others in your list of recently released games on the PlayStation Store, but for those who have yet to experience it, this title remains a polished gem. The game has a few slight mechanical hiccups, but they pale in comparison to an otherwise solid and unique first-person shooter. DualShockers review of SUPERHOT VR — the PlayStation VR version — will also go live today, July 26, at 12:30 PM Eastern. You can read that review here.
Despite the issues that I have with the tracking in the game, I still think that SUPERHOT VR is a game that all first year adopters of PSVR need to check out. Not only is it one of the most unique experiences I have had in gaming this year, it might be one of the most unique I have had in my entire life. While I think the game is probably much better suited on either of the other virtual reality headsets on the market, playing SUPERHOT VR on PSVR will still give you hours of enjoyment even if you do have to calibrate your device more than you'd like. DualShockers reviewed the original, non-VR SUPERHOT on PS4 earlier today — check out that full review here.
Hey! Pikmin is an incredibly fun platformer that's easy to pick up and doesn't take a ton of hours to finish like many games that have come out this year. While I was able to get through the game in a couple of days, reaching 100% completion on each level will take some time and serious dedication. Fans of older Pikmin titles and even Nintendo 3DS owners that have never tried the series before are in for a treat with Hey! Pikmin — I highly recommend it.
While the first episode does drag a bit in its first half, "Hero in Residence" does a solid job of reintroducing Jesse, Petra, and the rest of the core cast since we last saw them while setting us up for another dose of adventure ahead.
Leap of Fate was a pleasant surprise in the crowded rogue-like genre and provides a great value for all the variations in play styles. While the game suffers from a sense of repetition after repeated play throughs with enemies and challenges, gamers looking for a solid action oriented affair will have plenty to keep coming back for.
Mixing together so many different influences and styles of gameplay together could have made Pyre an unwieldy, confusing experience. However, Supergiant apparently found just the right mixture of ingredients to make Pyre work almost perfectly, as its addicting Rites “combat” shows. Thanks to a compelling mix of gameplay and atmosphere bound by an incredible art style, Supergiant Games has crafted one of this year's most unique titles that's equally tense and thought-provoking throughout its journey. Coming from the studio that already has provided memorable titles like Bastion and Transistor, Pyre has me eagerly waiting for the next story that they have to tell.
Given that you're greeted by the squid DJ duo Marina and Pearl each time you hope into the game — who are instantly lovable the moment you meet them — it's easy to see why Splatoon made such a splash on the Wii U two years ago, and how Splatoon 2 might make a kid (or a squid) out of all of us on the Switch.
I know Antihero isn't going to suddenly become the most popular game and get Call of Duty numbers, but it definitely deserves your support if you like well made surprisingly deep strategy games that are easy to pick up and even easier to get hooked. Where else can you play a video game over days if not weeks with email notifications letting you know when your opponent has moved? I highly recommend everyone try that experience at least only once.
Unfortunately, it falls into some of the some old trappings of the genre that prevent it from joining the great 3D platformers that it is clearly inspired by. Samey worlds that are larger than needed are Unbox: Newbie's Adventure's biggest bane; the game may have benefited if it had smaller and more concise worlds. As it stands, if you are a fan of 3D platformers and are intrigued by this game's unique control scheme, it's worth giving a shot — just be aware that it can fall victim to some of the genre's more frustrating problems.
Accel World VS Sword Art Online had the potential to bring these two words together in a unique way, but that ended up stopping at the story. The similarities between this game and Sword Art Online: Lost Song are just too much to overlook. If you enjoyed the past Sword Art Online games then this is for you, but if you know nothing about either of these worlds and are just looking for a fun action RPG, I'd look elsewhere.
Arizona Sunshine has an intriguing premise and enough customizations with the control scheme to warrant a play through if you have a PS VR. Just be aware, this has not been optimized very well from the PC versions, being held back by the restrictions from the inferior tech of PS VR. That being said, I still had fun shooting zombies and there still is much to like with the vibrant visuals and added multiplayer content, even if calibration issues and inconsistent aiming take you out of the experience far too often.
Pixel Heroes: Byte & Magic has a lot going for it at first with clever humor and many intriguing RPG, rogue-like systems in place, but the archaic design and multitude of navigation problems mar the overall experience. The Bitfather definitely had their heart in the right place creating this title, and it can be seen in the retro call-backs to many fantasy stalwarts. However, no amount of nostalgia can cover up the glaring control issues and dull, dreary combat present in the final product.
Children of Zodiarcs is the game that story-driven SRPG fans have been waiting for. It's evident when playing through that the developers at Cardboard Utopia are passionate about delivering a product that could potentially fall in line with some of the genre's greats. However, by adding unique mechanics and a focus on character growth, Children of Zodiarcs stands out as simply a great SRPG.
While playing, you can tell the game is competently built and comes from a place of passion with the developers, but outside of some eerie imagery and unique uses of the player's robot companion and Designator tool, Black the Fall fails to be the next big standout entry in this ever growing sub-genre.
Final Fantasy XII is an epic, sprawling tale that many gamers — myself included — missed the first time around because of when it was released. Don't make that mistake again. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is one of the best, if not the best, remaster of a Final Fantasy game in recently memory, and is objectively better now than it was a decade ago. For $49.99 on PlayStation 4, the game is a steal to fans new and old interested in an old(er)-school JRPG experience.
Kung Fury: Street Rage ends up being a decent distraction from other major retail releases in short bursts, but is severely hampered by the lack of modes and overall repetitiveness of it all. What can be said is how Hello There definitely put in the work to show adoration for the 80's with a authentically crafted look into what made that era great. Street Rage is fun in short gameplay sessions, but its a game no one really needs to own unless you're a big fan of the movie.
If you're a hardcore Zelda fan you may find enjoyment in Oceanhorn; the game's not bad, just very bland. It also might appeal to younger audiences who may have never played a Zelda game before. This game is a good stepping stone into that genre. Ultimately I wish Oceanhorn created more of an identity for itself but it ends up just playing it safe.
Toby: The Secret Mine's performance is pretty good as a whole with only a couple of instances that caused me some frustration. The most prevalent of these took place near the end of the game while platforming on a series of turning buckets. After I had fallen a number of times, I soon found that after regenerating at the checkpoint, I couldn't even land properly on the first bucket, a previously simple endeavor. I first assumed that I was at fault, making some sort of micro adjustment to force Toby to slide off the bucket. However, after testing this at length, I found that Toby just wouldn't stick to it. I eventually had to reload the level to an earlier checkpoint, which resolved the issue but not after significantly testing my patience. For all of the inspiration that similar titles have leant to Toby: The Secret Mine, the game fails to do the most important thing: to establish itself and become its own. The end result is a mechanically sound puzzle-platformer heavily reminiscent of other games from the genre, but in a far more watered-down form. Additionally, at only about three hours in length with few reasons to replay save for a second ending (you can just play the last level again to get it) and only a few missing collectibles, Toby: The Secret Mine is not something worth playing before getting to one of the games it was born from.
I love Tokyo Xanadu for what is: a solid action RPG with a dramatic premise and an awesome cast of characters. The game impressed me with the responsive battle controls and beautiful special attacks. Even though the story didn't amount to the standards Falcom has set in the past, Tokyo Xanadu truly shows what the PlayStation Vita is capable in terms of graphics and playability and I would happily play through the game again.
Yet, I can't lie: I hope that Sega will interpret the reception of this game as a signal that we want more Valkyria Chronicles, and that this kind of spin-off is better explored when the hunger for the main course has been sated, and not when we're all starving.