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Okami HD was great on the PS3, but is even better on the PS4. This may finally be the definitive version of the game. Motion controls have been dropped, but then again they didn't really feel like they belonged in the first place. Sure, this is essentially the same game for a third packaging, but if you missed the remaster, and especially if you never played the original game, Okami HD cannot come any more highly recommended.
8-bit Adventure Anthology Volume I does exactly what it advertises. It allows players to play three classic adventure games on modern consoles without any hassle. That said, it's important to know exactly what you're getting into since this doesn't featured remastered versions, and the design is absolutely old school. Those who are fine with those caveats will find a lot to like here, but even then, there could've been a little bit more put into the presentation of these classics.
Destiny 2 and its expansions are all tough to review for this very reason. I've got some frustrations with Curse of Osiris–mostly with the lackluster campaign and unvaried patrol space—but it has largely pulled me back in to my traditional weekly ritual of completing various milestones in Destiny 2. How long that will last remains to be seen, but the immediate future looks promising.
When the game is at its best, however, it is an enjoyable dungeon runner that features intriguing, fun combat, and it's definitely worth playing for those who never experienced the original Tokyo Xanadu for PS Vita—just with the caveat that players will need to stomach a lot of flavorless JRPG tropes to get to what makes Tokyo Xanadu eX+ tasty enough to merit its forty-hour-long runtime.
Yet another solid remaster will likely make some gamers wish for a proper sequel in this hyper-cute franchise. The increase in resolution allows LocoRoco 2's cheery art style to brilliantly shine, though this entry's cutscenes leave a bit to be desired. Still, the core of this classic has not been touched, and this remains the same LocoRoco 2 many gamers have fond memories of. Pick this up if you're a fan of the series, or especially if you never tried the original release and want the best version available.
Even with the structure of the Olympic events being lacking, there's still more than enough content here to justify the asking price. The Become a Legend campaign will take a few hours to get through, then there are all the traditional Steep-styled challenges, Mountain Stories, and the like that take place in the new Japanese and South Korean mountains. There's certainly plenty to do in Road to the Olympics, and that's before you even consider the number of times you'll find yourself perched at the starting gates on the downhill course, getting ready to try to beat your best time just for yucks.
It's really hard to recommend this game to first-timers with all of the problems and the JRPG stereotypes. I can't recommend it to long-time returning fans unless they owned a PS4 Pro. At least with a PS4 Pro you can choose the lipstick color.
A Hat in Time is a highly polished throwback that brings classic 64-bit platforming gameplay into the modern era. There are a couple of mechanical oddities, and the opening hours of the game could do a better job at telegraphing where to go or when new abilities are required, though by the time my Platinum trophy popped, I was enamored. Hat Girl may not go down in history as an iconic character, and the story is nonsensical, but often it's this very bizarre nature that lends this cap much of its credence. A Hat in Time is delightfully charming and always manages to take a left turn, surprising and challenging even a storied gamer like myself.
It's hard to reconcile the great game that is Doom VFR with the clumsy Move controls that are hardly player friendly. If you have an Aim controller, that's the best way to play, but I would have liked for the Moves to have been a viable option. Doom VFR highlights that allowing for player customization of control and comfort is imperative to making VR games accessible and more mainstream. Despite this, Bethesda has brought yet another title that proves virtual reality support is alive and well with impressive and full-featured titles that few thought would be possible at the outset of the platform. At the end of the blood soaked and demon infested day, Doom VFR is Doom in virtual fucking reality, and there's not much more you can ask for.
Dead Rising 4 was already a highly enjoyable game when it released last year, but Frank's Big Package really takes it to the next level. While not all of the DLC is a home run, the tweaks to the main game are all a net positive. The new Capcom Heroes mode is also a blast, and basically turns Dead Rising into a crossover musou title. Frank's Big Package may look completely ridiculous, but it'll leave you pleased in all of the right ways.
The Walking Dead Collection easily achieves its goal of being the best way to experiences the bulk of Clementine's journey. The most appealing part of the package is the graphically enhanced version of the first season, and it winds up being a joy to play thanks to how well the design has stood the test of time. Whether you're curious of the series or a returning for a second go, there's a lot to like about this well crafted collection.
That is simply the best way to describe the game—it just doesn't work. Besides a clever story that reveals itself every so often and an eerie atmosphere that is perfect for this type of game, Black Mirror is a missed opportunity to truly modernize the 2003 original. I feel like the game hasn't learned anything from the likes of Tales From The Borderlands or Life Is Strange in the same way that Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier has. It feels like a game that is purposefully ignoring its competition in an era where Andy Serkis and other filmmakers have made it a point to get into the story-focused, adventure game genre. Black Mirror, unlike the Netflix show with the same name, refuses to trek into the future, instead resulting in a game that feels stuck in the past.
The highlight of Batman: The Enemy Within‘s third episode is definitely the interactions with Catwoman, but it also does a great job of moving the story forward. The overall picture is becoming increasingly clear, and the episode ends with a fantastic cliffhanger that left me on edge. The wait for episode four will be rough, but I'm excited to get out of this mess that Bruce Wayne finds himself in.
Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier features a story that manages to excite and get players invested in despite it not going too deep into the lives of both apes and humans. It's also an important experiment in storytelling, and one that largely winds up being successful. Hopefully this leads to more titles that aren't afraid to challenge the established ideas of interactive narrative.
L.A. Noire remains the best detective game around. Combing crime scenes, interrogating suspects, and catching them in lies with evidence to back up accusations is just as rewarding as ever. This port has allowed the game to age a little better than the original, however, it doesn't look like a massive upgrade was made in terms of graphics. The included photo mode is also welcome, but it has some odd limitations that may prove frustrating. Still, if you missed the original, or want the entire experience all over again in up to 4K resolution, then it's worth the asking price of $39.99.
Every time I put on the VR headset, I'm reminded of just how incredible virtual reality is. A similar awe catches hold of me with games like Skyrim. It's still hard to comprehend that Skyrim, a game from 2011 not originally designed for virtual reality, is now PlayStation VR's killer app. Marrying these two ideas seemed like an impossible feat, but Bethesda pulled it off. Skyrim VR is anything but a simple port to virtual reality. It is lovingly crafted with care and attention to make one of the biggest and most memorable VR experiences since the platform first launched. Skyrim VR isn't just a must-experience for PSVR owners; it's a reason to buy the headset.
It's undeniably a weird package, but Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV manages to make its eccentricities work for it, rather than against it. Not only is it the best fishing game I've played in virtual reality, but it's also a true delight for Final Fantasy fans. Getting to see these iconic characters and creatures in a new way is simply fascinating, and it has me delighted at the prospect of future Final Fantasy virtual reality titles.
Defiant Development is a Dungeon Master getting better at their craft, taking us through a series of campaign filled with new mysteries, twists, turns, and mechanics. Not content with jut polishing up the formula of the original game, Hand of Fate 2 takes a step forward and defines what a sequel should be. Improvements abound, challenges await, and every single failure begets the promise of a bigger success, if you'd chance your fate in the cards.
VR experiences don't need to be complex or lengthy, but the depth of League of War: VR Arena is virtually non-existent. It tries to espouse a sense of strategy, but the execution is so simplistic that it becomes all too easy to win (or sometimes lose) completely by accident by spamming the field with units. League of War is literally just a game of spawning units onto a bland tabletop battlefield. It's designed well and the VR works, but more than a year on from the PSVR launch, a game needs to do something more than simply work to impress as a virtual reality experience.
Far From Noise is an important showcase that games should work within their limitations. A single developer like George Batchelor can never make something that'll rival Uncharted in scope or scale, but here he's managed to work within boundaries to make something all the more profound. Smart writing and design can go a long way, and Far From Noise manages to go many places while never leaving the edge of a cliff.