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Before the Storm's bonus episode doesn't feature the series' best writing or any pivotal choices, but it all works as intended here. It's just a fond farewell to a friend. One that gives players one more opportunity to see two of their favorite characters interacting with each other, and one final chance for the player to say their own goodbyes.
Bridge Constructor Portal leans heavily on its Portal collaboration, in some cases forgetting its Bridge Constructor roots. It's a brilliant spin-off for anyone missing GLaDOS's tests, even if the game's unlimited building philosophy feels lumbering and brutish at times. I'm always happy to get a new perspective on a popular game world from a different developer. Bridge Constructor Portal is a great look at what Aperture might get up to outside of first-person physics puzzle-solving, showing that GLaDOS is definitely still alive.
Gravel is a nice change of pace from the simulation-heavy racing games available elsewhere in the industry. While decidedly light on content outside of the main campaign and devoid of any real multiplayer options to speak of, the most important part of any racing game, the driving, is consistently fun. Soaring through the skies in multi-ton behemoths or nimble boxer engine Porsches is always a good time, and for capturing that, Milestone deserves praise. But a half-hearted career mode should've stuck with a traditional setup, as opposed to the phoned-in fake television series that we ended up playing. Still, for those aching to race on open courses or jump around in dirt tracks around the world, Gravel is right up your alley, and for slightly less than some of the competition ($49.99 USD) to boot.
Excepting its online shortcomings, however, Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is easily the best game using the license yet. Everything feels more polished, and though the game's setting sacrifices the bright colors and exciting worlds that have been the saving graces of past titles, the gameplay and structure more than make up for it. Fans will enjoy the unique story and major character appearances, and those new to the world of SAO will inevitably find themselves losing hours to the grind without realizing it before late-game fatigue finally begins to set in. In that regard, Fatal Bullet does something that no other title in the series has done—making a game about a show about a video game finally, inexplicably, a decent game after all.
Moss bridges the gap between observation and participation. It creates a bond between the player and Quill, making you a part of her story. There's a sense of pride and accomplishment for everything Quill does, not because you are her, but because you are her friend. Polyarc has built an amazing adventure with a grand sense of scale, bonding players with the smallest hero as they send her out beyond the safe walls of her tiny mouse village. Even if it ends too soon, Moss is one of the most memorable and immersive VR adventures I've ever been on, but more importantly, it's the best friendship I've ever had with a VR mouse.
Immortal Redneck is ultimately a simple, fun game that is hard to master. Constantly replaying the same pyramid in order to progress sounds repetitive on the surface, but randomizing various key aspects changes things up enough to ensure the trip stays varied. Tongue-in-cheek humor with some of the weapons, but especially on literal objects such as the skill tree, help to dial down some of the frustrations of grabbing the occasional bad random scroll. All of this is packaged up in a sleek, cheap ($19.99) download and buttery-smooth, consistent frame rate that keeps the action going. Immortal Redneck is a good buy for those looking for a challenging arcade shooter that keeps things fresh.
Those who are able to accept Metal Gear Survive for what it is will find one of the most captivating survival games in recent memory. It's an incredibly unforgiving experience, which can definitely be detrimental at times, but one that ultimately feels fulfilling. Konami has taken the series in yet another new direction, but one that also feels in line with a lot of the series' past. It's still very much a Metal Gear game down to its story, which might be more out there than some of Kojima's own, even if it doesn't quite match them narratively. Embrace the bleakness of reality and simply try to survive.
After being such a fan of the anime, I really wanted to fall in love with The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia. I was really hoping to see the same treatment given to Naruto or Attack on Titan, where the game really brings to life the anime in a fun, challenging, and engaging way. What was released sadly, was a game with some interesting ideas that failed to fully deliver on any of them. The game isn't terrible by any means, with some fans of the show sure to enjoy reliving Elizabeth's quest, but there is too much wasted potential here. If you don't mind the obvious lack of depth here, you can have some fun playing the game, just don't expect that fun to last.
Mulaka has some neat ideas and a sometimes gorgeous look to it, but little else to offer. The individual locations fail to stand out, and the game quickly becomes overly formulaic. The combat is too sloppy to impress, the platforming is plagued by a stiff moving character, and the puzzles are never captivating. It's a completely forgettable experience with a few really nice sights that are better experienced as screenshots.
Past Cure is an odd mash of Max Payne, The Evil Within, Heavy Rain, and a bit of Inception, without ever fully realizing any of those influences—compartmentalizing each section instead of creating a unique blend. Ideas teased early on never come into play, with nightmares and the real world staying largely separate from one another until the script calls on them not to be. An intriguing narrative is interrupted by long bouts of boring wave-based shooting against generic enemies in dull locations. I can't help but think of the early moments in Ian's house, seeing ceramic horrors in reflections and being excited for a cinematic psychological-horror action game that would never come to be.
OK K.O.! Let's Play Heroes won't end up on many year-end lists, but it should go down as an important title. It's one that shows that licensed kids cartoon adaptations don't have to be mediocre, and that they can be filled with the same charm as the television shows that made them beloved in the first place. Let's Play Heroes is a success because of how respectful it is towards its source material, and is one of the few licensed games that feel like a true extension of its world rather than a hollow recreation.
Secret of Mana is an entirely skippable remake of a game that was the progenitor for a number of JRPG conventions. That's a shame. The greater failing, however, is what happens when fans will inevitably pick this title up in the hopes of recapturing some of the feelings of grandeur the original game contained so much of. They, like me, might end up realizing that a game they had placed on a pedestal for decades is actually rather ordinary by today's standards, and any magic that made it a lasting impression on those who played it has long since been left behind by the cruel, inexorable march of time.
Guilt Battle Arena is a fun distraction for a little while. Naturally, this party game is also a lot more fun played with friends and/or family. Having only one bullet is a nifty gimmick which can introduce some level of strategy to the madness that unfolds, too. Modifiers and an assortment of game modes help to increase the title's longevity, but there isn't a whole lot of content to speak of, including one of the shortest campaigns we've ever seen.
Even with the occasional boneheaded design choice, there's still so much that Apex Construct does right. The absorbing level design, outstanding voice acting, and competitive combat all prove to be fantastic uses of PlayStation VR. Ultimately, the game feels like a very promising glimpse into the potential future of the platform. Even with its wrinkles, this adventure exemplifies what VR experiences could be on PlayStation.
It's genuinely difficult to not be charmed by the foul-mouthed shenanigans of Rad Rodgers. The game somehow manages to morph extremely dated design ideals into a form that is palatable to the modern console crowd. If you can get past the constant barrage of unnecessary vulgarity, you will find the muted luster of something special hiding beneath. Here's to hoping that Slipgate Studios gets the opprotunity to make something a bit more substantial the next time around.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an incredibly deep and intricate game that looks beautiful, but it has a fair amount of stumbling points in its quest for realism. The sheer scope and ambition comes with a number of silly bugs that are far from realistic, and some quests can be impacted. It's a hard game where taking risks (and stupid mistakes) can mean a lot of wasted time. The slow burn can be agonizing when you are 15 hours in and barely feel like you've made progress, but suddenly simple and intimate victories are made rewarding. Succeeding in sweet-talking one person, intimidating another, or finding a clever and tricky way to complete an objective often feels more rewarding than becoming a powerhouse and solving every problem with a sword. As much as the game frustrates, it frustrates by design and intention. For every situation where I felt that Kingdom Come was wasting my time, I always wanted to come back to see how I could subvert and overcome the systems for just another small victory.
When I was finished with it all and the Platinum trophy popped up, I had no desire to play the game again, but neither did I regret the experience. Pop-Up Pilgrims is an interesting virtual reality diorama that is just a bit longer than it should be. The best thing that Pop-Up Pilgrims does is present a fascinating papercraft pop-up world that more VR developers should explore. Had it offered a more consistent growth on mechanics and rapid change between the variety, it would have stuck with me more than it did. Instead it was a monotonous and repetitive 60 levels that didn't offer anything memorable during the five or so hours that it took to complete. Pop-Up Pilgrims isn't a bad game by any stretch, but it's not all that interesting or engaging either.
The Station is short and sweet, which could be seen as a detriment. However, I liked the fact that there wasn't a lot of fluff to the story, and there weren't any fetch quests or other modes of padding the game to keep it going. There was plenty in the story to tell, and the developers didn't drag it out at all. The brevity actually solidifies how stellar the narrative truly is, and I can't recommend it enough to all gamers who love a good story, especially a good mystery.
Although there are certainly stumbling points, it's the aspect of exploration that really makes Fe a memorable experience. There's seemingly always something to do from stumbling upon ferocious animals that are hidden in a cave to figuring out how to get an upgrade shard. The game world that Zoink has crafted is truly wondrous, and learning to work together with its inhabitants is a truly rewarding experience. Sometimes we just need to learn how to understand each other.
As it stands, though, Dynasty Warriors 9 is more of a foundation for the next title than the dawning of a new era for the franchise. That's perfectly acceptable, too, given that series like Dynasty Warriors inevitably must evolve to stay relevant. Right now, there are just some growing pains, and anyone who was interested in the newest iteration because of its new gameplay features would do better waiting for the next one instead.