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It’s difficult to talk about Minit too much, because spoiling the puzzles or locations you visit would be a disservice to the game. It’s so finely crafted and full of charm that each and every thing you encounter is best seen for the first time when playing yourself – spoiling it by reading a ton of reviews or watching videos on YouTube would just take away from the pleasure of actually playing the game. Just know that Minit is masterfully crafted and an absolute joy to play. It keeps things simple throughout, but still manages challenge, charm, and even surprise the player with its grand little adventure. With such a low price point too, you’d be a fool to miss out on it.
Penny-Punching Princess continues NIS America’s trend of offering unconventional RPGs that blend together a quirky setup with unique gameplay mechanics, but it really does make for a good time. It has its fair share of flaws, with the repetitive drag of forced-grinding proving to be the most severe, but I can’t deny that I had a ton of fun with the game – each frustration is outweighed by the satisfaction of the entertaining brawling with your gold-hungry ‘allies’ by your side. It’s far from perfect, but anyone who enjoys an RPG that genuinely does something a little different will want to give Penny-Punching Princess a try.
Whilst the potential is there for ARK Park to be a remarkable virtual reality experience, it instead falters thanks to a poor control scheme, blurry visuals, and underwhelming gameplay mechanics. I can’t help but to feel that if the developers focused more on fleshing out the exploration mechanics they could’ve had something special, but instead gamers are simply given a small selection of areas that grow old fast and some incredibly lacking shooting mechanics that offer nothing fresh outside of the dinosaur foes. It’s disappointing. Add to that the high price and it becomes increasing difficult to recommend giving ARK Park a purchase. It isn’t the worst game you’re going to play on the PlayStation VR and it does have its moments where it can shine, but it’s difficult to describe it as anything other than very disappointing.
Following the success of the first game and the sheer hype that’s built ever since the initial reveal, my expectations were exceedingly high going into Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. Thankfully, it’s managed to absolutely smash them, with the game’s perfect amalgamation of clever gameplay mechanics and it’s charming story coming together to make for what is one of the most entertaining RPGs I’ve ever played. You could be building your own little Kingdom, taking part in strategic showdowns between armies, battling an onslaught of colourful monsters in the wild, or simply taking in the beautiful sights of the finely crafted world – whatever you’re doing, you’ll be having a blast and will simply be left in awe of how perfectly everything manages to come together. Bravo to Level-5 and Bandai Namco. With Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, they’ve embraced everything about the RPG genre that’s made it so loved by gamers worldwide and managed to take it to the absolute pinnacle. Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is simply an unmissable game.
The Long Reach offers an enjoyable and intriguing horror adventure, with its puzzling and narrative both standing out as high points throughout. There are some genuinely clever puzzles on show that force you to think outside the box, whilst the world design itself is incredibly atmospheric and certainly unnerving as you explore each dark corridor. There are a few issues with the game though, with some puzzles feeling overly obtuse and the over-dependence on exploration to solve them feeling a little boring. There are a few little gameplay bugs too, though they’re more of an irritant rather than game-breaking issues. The pros outweigh the cons though, and those flaws don’t stop The Long Reach being an enjoyable adventure that fans of horror and point-and-click style adventures will definitely want to check it out.
Octahedron is a unique platformer that really does something different in the genre. The dependence on creating your own platforms and facing a whole variety of different hazards leaves the game feeling varied throughout, whilst the psychedelic visuals and slick 60fps framerate remain a treat on the eyes too – even if they can become a little repetitive over time. Best of all though is that the game is just a hell of a lot of fun to play. Its clever ideas are accessible and easy to pull off throughout, and whilst there are a fair few difficulty spikes that can be frustrating, they don’t stop Octahedron from being enjoyable from the start to the end.
You’re not going to get the accurate footballing experience that you might’ve been hoping for with VRFC, but it does embrace the fundamentals of the ‘beautiful game’ in a way that makes for a social, chaotic, and incredibly fun virtual reality experience. Sure, the controls are a bit fiddly and there’s a big dependence on an active online community, but every minute I spent with the game has been incredibly enjoyable – and maybe even a bit sweaty… In all, VRFC is a great addition to PlayStation VR’s multiplayer catalogue and a title that footballing fans will definitely want to check out.
The American Dream takes the traditional shooting mechanics of a virtual reality title and does something completely different with them, offering an experience that blends together a humorous narrative with a wide range inventive little scenarios. From the outside it'd be easy to see it as just another shooter, but it's so much more than that – it's a hell of a lot of fun too, and a surprisingly meaty experience. It does have some issues here and there, with the game forcing me to restart a few chapters during my initial playthrough, whilst the overall message behind it all might not necessarily be for everyone. If you enjoy dark humour with a satirical twist, creative shooting mechanics and a personality-filled world though, you won't want to miss out on The American Dream.
I was pleasantly surprised with Rangi – not only did it offer a fairly in-depth virtual reality puzzling experience that lasted a few hours, but it was charming and fun throughout too. It properly embraces the African culture that it's so clearly inspired by thanks to the vivid visuals and impressive soundtrack, and it really makes for an enjoyable experience from start to end. It's not the most intricate or most complex of titles that you'll play on your PlayStation VR headset, but with it's low price and fun gameplay it's easy to recommend giving Rangi a purchase.
At the start of this review I questioned whether UFC 3 was the best entry in the series so far, and without a shadow of a doubt I can say the answer is yes. Not only does the game feel more authentic than ever with its improved visuals and striking, but it also features a career mode that’s genuinely exciting and a whole host of brand new features that improve the game ten-fold. It still has its flaws here and there, with the ground and grappling game a little underwhelming and some aspects of the Ultimate Team mode a little uninspired (for me anyway), but this really is the best MMA game that EA have ever released and one that embraces the excitement of the sport both in and out of the octagon. Whether you’re a casual fan, a hardcore mixed martial arts enthusiast, or even if you just love Conor McGregor – you won’t regret giving UFC 3 a purchase.
There really is a lot to like about Ambition of the Slimes, but the harsh difficulty and over dependence on grinding prevent it from standing out as a little tactical-RPG gem. There were too many times during the game where I felt like I came to a complete halt because of some brutal level, whilst the time spent replaying previous levels to improve myself felt like it could’ve been spent doing something a bit better. Still, there’s no denying Ambition of the Slimes has a lot of charm and there’s certainly fun to be had. It’s not the sort of game you can sit and put hours upon hours into in one go, but if you pick it up every now and then you’ll have a good time working out the best way to conquer each level. Add to that the low £4.99 price point and I’m sure that tactical-RPG fans will enjoy this quirky little title.
Playing Lost Sphear was like re-visiting the classic RPGs of yesteryear that hooked me in with their enjoyable combat mechanics, impressive world design, and incredibly evil (though somewhat predictable) villains. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and whilst I’ll certainly admit that it had a few flaws, I was completely absorbed by it throughout the entirety of my twenty hour-plus adventure. Believe me, if you’re an RPG fan you need to buy it. It acts as the perfect reminder that RPGs don’t need to have super fancy visuals, overly intricate combat mechanics, or a convoluted plotline to grip players in – they’ve just got to have heart, and that’s something Lost Sphear has in abundance. Here’s to the next fascinating adventure that Tokyo RPG Factory send us on…
Crawl hooked me in from the get-go thanks to its unique take on dungeon-crawling, with the constant shift between playing the hero and the enemy proving incredibly entertaining – especially when playing with three other friends. It’s certainly a whole lot different to the norm as far as the genre is concerned and it makes for something that never seems to stop being fun to play. The single player isn’t as fun as playing with friends and there could be a few balance issues here and there, but in all Crawl stands out as a must-own title for Nintendo Switch owners who love a unique take on competitive (and at times co-operative) local multiplayer action.
After loving Life is Strange when it originally released, I’d been intrigued to see where they would go with Before the Storm. Prequels haven’t always been successful after all, so I didn’t know if it’d still manage to offer the same emotionally-driven experience that I’d loved so much back in 2015. Thankfully, Deck Nine have managed to deliver something that might not have as grand a stage set, but somehow manages to feel a lot more human and, at times, more enjoyable than its predecessor in the process. There’s no huge looming disaster in Life is Strange: Before the Storm; instead, it’s a tale of two girls, their blossoming relationship, and the believable trials and tribulations they face as part of growing up. Whilst anyone who has played the first game knows that it can all end tragically, you don’t have to think about any of that here and it makes for a truly poignant experience. The choices you make, the situations you find yourself in, the ways you interact with the world – everything comes together perfectly to make Life is Strange: Before the Storm a very enjoyable and worthy prequel to the original game.
Not A Hero offers an enjoyable encounter with Lucas Baker and gives an action-packed reminder of just how good Resident Evil 7 is. Don’t get me wrong, outside of the boss battle it doesn’t really do anything that improves upon the main game, but it didn’t need to – it was fun enough from start to end without having to change the formula too much. Whilst I’ll admit that playing as Chris Redfield didn’t offer too much extra to the overall narrative, seeing what went on behind the scenes of the main plotline was interesting. Still, I was a little disappointed that Chris just came in to tie up loose ends and didn’t have some shocking revelation that linked him in ready for future releases. It’s a great little freebie though and it’s certainly worth getting Resident Evil 7 back in your console to see it through. It might not offer a startling conclusion to the game’s narrative, but the return to horror is still a very enjoyable one.
I thoroughly enjoyed my twenty-hour adventure through South Park: The Fractured but Whole, with the game offering plenty of the things I loved about The Stick of Truth but also evolving upon the formula with its new premise and its surprisingly deep combat mechanics. Don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to be partaking in some epic in-depth RPG action with complicated systems in place, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the game actually had more than enough unique ideas of its own and never just relied upon the brand to do the hard work. There are so many zany and outright disturbing things I could talk about in this review, but the absurdity of South Park: The Fractured but Whole is best appreciated when witnessed yourself. It really is something special and those who love the show (or have a very juvenile sense of humour) will have a smile on their face from the start up until the very end. There are a few flaws in place, both technical and from a gameplay perspective, but in all South Park: The Fractured but Whole offers an entertaining adventure that’ll keep both fans of the show and gamers alike enthralled until the end credits. Just stay away if you’re easily offended…
Despite the series setting some serious high standards in previous games, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony manages to exceed them in almost all facets of design. The story is exciting and full of twists, the Class Trials are spiced up with some all-new features, whilst it also happens to be the best looking game in the series so far – seriously, it’s just brilliant. Whilst I’m not sure it’ll be the case for everyone, for me Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony has earned its place as my favourite entry in the series. Its brilliant combination of bizarre murder mysteries mixed with a great variety of different gameplay elements made for a fascinating experience that I simply loved being a part of.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider delivers more of what players expect from the Dishonored series: a fantastic amalgamation of tense stealth segments, all-out action-packed combat, and some incredibly well designed environments to explore. It manages to introduce some clever ideas of its own too, ensuring that series veterans will find themselves tested by the trials that Billie faces on her journey. That being said, there isn’t as much flexibility in how much you can expand on Billie’s powers as there has been in previous games, though it doesn’t really hinder the experience in any shape or form – there’s still almost endless possibilities in how you decide to play the game. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider offers another stunning adventure that not only lives up to the high standards of the series, but also does it at a cut-price. It’s a must play title that fans of action-packed stealth adventures simply need to check out – just try to make sure you finish Dishonored 2 first…
Whilst there have been plenty of these interactive narrative titles released on VR platforms, none have captured my attention or have felt as thought-provoking Manifest 99 – the fact that I still think about it days after completing it shows how much of a one of a kind experience it really is. Admittedly, there’s not a whole lot there to bring you back for repeated playthroughs, but seeing everything play out just the once will be enough to leave its mark on you. Add to that the fact that it’s available for such a low price point and it’s easy to recommend Manifest 99’s emotional journey to just about anyone.
Whilst Knack 2 might not necessarily offer anything that you wouldn’t have already seen before in the genre, it improves upon the prequel in almost every single way. The gameplay is more refined and enjoyable, combat has been expanded upon but still remains accessible, the game world is stunning and slicker than ever, whilst the introduction of co-op play offers a whole new way to play the game. Whilst I’ll admit that I don’t think Knack 2 does enough to really cement Knack’s status as Sony’s platforming mascot, it has certainly improved the reputation of the series and proven that there’s a place on the Playstation 4 for its fun, platforming action. If you were let down by the original game, don’t be put off giving Knack 2 a try – you might find yourself pleasantly surprised by the charming adventure on offer.