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If you enjoyed these games the first time and just want more Trophies for your collection, then by all means, jump in a second time. But if you missed LEGO Harry Potter back then, it’s far too rough to come back to now. TT Games has improved their games so much since these, and the LEGO Harry Potter Collection has too many problems, old and new, to recommend to Harry Potter fans.
At last call, SportsBarVR does some incredible things for virtual reality, proving the kind of presence and depth that a social VR game can provide.
Despite its flaws, Yomawari: Night Alone is an entertaining game that will be perfect to play while handing out candy to the neighborhood trick-or-treaters. The incredibly lenient death system will be seen as a boon by those who suffer through horror games and love only having to experience a particularly scary section the bare number of times that is necessary. The save system also encourages a pick-up-and-play mentality, which is a nice fit on the Vita. Pick up Yomawari: Night Alone if you want to see a horror game on the Vita, because it will likely be one of the last of its kind, since the system is on life support.
While Ace Banana puts an amusing foot forward at first, it is hard to remain supportive of the end product. When bugs derail an experience so dramatically, it is extremely unfortunate. As much fun as the title looks to be, I cannot in good conscience recommend a game that has this many genuine issues. Hopefully this is something that can be resolved in a later patch, but as of right now, it would be best to leave this jungle unexplored.
Pixel Gear has the base to be something truly great, but it ends before hitting any real type of stride. With only three levels, and a strangely designed main menu, it feels more like a proof-of-concept that never was fleshed out. Hopefully the first-person shooter will get updated with more content and features in the future, but right now it’s just a whole lot of missed potential.
Imaginators feels like the next logical step in the franchise while still maintaining support for the massive library of characters from all previous games. It gives Skylanders the perfect way to survive as the era of kids using games to craft their own heroes, stories, and experiences is upon us. Skylanders has always managed to delight and surprise, but Imaginators struck me as something particularly special, scratching that creative itch that I always have. Instead of coming up with a gimmick, they put control in the players’ hands, and in interactive entertainment, that’s precisely who should have control.
I think it goes without saying that Kismet is not for me. It lacks virtually any element that would appeal to a traditional gamer demographic. However, for what it is attempting to be, the software is a genuinely unique interactive experience, that makes great use of the PlayStation VR. So as much as it may shock even me, this entry-level use of a budding technology might actually be worth checking out. It is high time that you learn what the future has in store.
Know what else takes a cult, niche audience willing to devote several hours to fully delve into an RPG campaign? A Warhammer tabletop RPG. If you're missing playing Warhammer with a local tabletop group of friends, then Mordheim: City of the Damned will be the next best experience.
Whenever new technology is introduced, it usually takes a fair amount of time before developers grow accustomed to the capabilities and nuances of the hardware. Not everything is a hit right out of the gate, and The Assembly is no exception to that rule. Despite providing an interesting showcase for the equipment, it is blatantly devoid of anything that’s unique to virtual reality as a platform. Even in two dimensions, this is a title that would be hard to recommend due its mediocre story and bland puzzles. Hypothetically speaking, if this were an experiment being conducted by an underground research organization, trying to determine the validity of PlayStation VR as a platform, it would be deemed rather dramatically inconclusive.
All-in-all, The London Heist and Ocean Descent are good VR experiences book-ended by mini-games that range from the woefully mediocre to the staggeringly dull.
Loading Human: Chapter 1 is a flawed start to what might become an interesting journey down the line. While the execution was sloppy, I’m invested in Prometheus and Alice (you never forget your first VR kiss, after all), and am looking forward to finding out what happens next. If the puzzle design gets better and the controls fine-tuned, then Loading Human might be able to turn into something worth the high asking price.
Though the “1” in its name may officially stand for the Great War, it could also represent the rebirth of a franchise that took a bit of a beating with Battlefield 4, went down an awkward path with Hardline, before finally rising as the Battlefield title that simply all shooter fans must buy.
It seems like every single year the WWE 2K games take a stride forward, but also a few steps backwards. 2K17 is no different as for every smart gameplay change there is a missing feature or a worthless addition. The yearly release schedule is clearly making it difficult for the team to fix issues while also adding new features, so they’ll have to make a choice sooner rather than later if trying to juggle both each year is worthwhile. For now, WWE 2K17 is barely off Jericho’s list.
Superdimension Neptune VS SEGA Hard Girls still carries over some of the faults from past games, but it makes meaningful changes that really help improve the formula. It’s a refreshing step forward in a series that seemed to be treading ground. It’s a formidable RPG, and fans of the franchises crossing over should definitely check it out.
Hardcore Hatsune Miku fans might find something redeeming here, but even then they won’t be getting much for their $15 or more they spent. Even within its limited scope of being a virtual concert, Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live is a disappointment. Much more could’ve been done with this idea, and maybe the future DLCs will do just that, but right now it’s without charm or much pizazz.
The bond between mother and daughter is beautifully portrayed, which makes the story powerful and at times tear-inducing. At 20 minutes, it is a veritable saga in the new realm of VR cinematic experiences.
As far as VR turret shooters go, Gunjack sets the benchmark fairly high. Its lack of a concrete story may be a turn-off for some — it does have its roots in the mobile space — but that feeling of gunning down ships from the comfort of your cockpit is as exhilarating as it is immersive. At the risk of sounding pejorative, CCP’s spinoff can in many ways be likened to VR junk food — short, sweet, and fulfilling in the moment. Just don’t expect a VR experience for the ages.
SuperHyperCube relies on simplicity in execution to become an accessible VR experience. It may not have a lot of deep content, but in the early days of consumer grade VR it’s a welcome addition to the lineup, showing exactly what the platform is capable of without taxing players too much. It’s not quite a must have game, but it perfectly encompasses the VR experience in a concise and accessible package. As much as I want to play it again and again, I also find no real desire to play it at all, a bizarre schism that perfectly echoes the disparity of the simple complexity present in SuperHyperCube.
When the PlayStation Move tracking doesn’t get in the way, Wayward Sky is a delightful game. Getting to take a peek at the fantastic world that Uber Entertainment has created was fascinating, and they tell a charming story that deals with neglect, death and family. It’s not challenging or overly interesting mechanically, but this fresh take on the adventure genre is worth checking out.
Simply put, Thumper is electrifying, and very, very close to being the perfect harmony of inspired visuals and fist-pumping audio. It’s ability to dazzle and awe with its wondrous visuals is matched only by its ability to hook you in for a relentless, downright intoxicating ride. Once you’re strapped in and speeding down that serpentine track, the biggest obstacle you’ll face isn’t the literal hurdles lying in wait — it’s putting down the controller.