Use a Potion
HomepageUse a Potion's Reviews
Whilst Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada doesn’t really do enough to completely reinvigorate the series, the focus on providing a more story-driven experience along with the introduction of the hub town and smaller side-missions is certainly a step in the right direction. Musou titles are known for being pretty repetitive, but the implementation of these RPG style ideas ensured I had more of a personal investment in the game and kept me hooked in for longer. I didn’t see Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada as something I’d play for a bit of mindless fun, but instead as game that I actually wanted to see through to completion. Whilst I’m sure some of the changes won’t be for everyone, it made Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada a much more unique experience. Not only has it proven that Koei Tecmo have got plenty of neat ideas as far as innovating the musou genre goes, but it’s got me excited to see what they do with the ‘Warriors’ series next.
After loving ‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’ so much, I’d been eagerly anticipating Injustice 2. There was just this little part of me that was worried that it wouldn’t live up to the hype. You know what though? It exceeded all of my expectations, in turn providing one of the best fighting experiences I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing in my lifetime of gaming. I’m often guilty of riding high on a video game after I’ve enjoyed it, but everything about Injustice 2 is simply fine-tuned to perfection. The slick and accessible fighting mechanics, the fantastic roster made up of DC super heroes and villains, the addictive customisation options, the multiple game modes that offer something new every day, and the jaw dropping visuals – they all come together to create one of the finest fighting games that has ever been released.
Shadow Warrior 2 is a sequel in the most truest of senses, offering something that feels fresh and new whilst still offering the same top notch action that returning gamers would have been used to. Some might not necessarily like the game’s new direction, but I loved it and would thoroughly recommend Shadow Warrior 2 to both FPS and dungeon crawling fans – you certainly won’t feel shafted by Wang’s latest outing.
Puyo Puyo Tetris amalgamates two classic puzzlers into one enjoyable package, mixing up elements from both games to offer a charmingly addictive experience. It’s a breath of fresh air for gamers who have been used to seeing more of the same from both releases over the years, with each aspect of the game feeling distinctly old-school but also surprisingly refreshing at the same time. It’s nice to see it coming together and working so well – I’d have easily wrote off a mixture of Puyo Puyo and Tetris as an outlandish idea, but it’s surprising how well both games compliment each other. With plenty of games modes, a lengthy single player adventure, and both local and online multiplayer to play through too, Puyo Puyo Tetris offers plenty of enjoyable fun to keep you busy for a long time. Just get ready to lose online… a lot…
I absolutely love Statik. The puzzles are incredibly well designed and satisfying to solve, the premise is eerie and will keep you intrigued throughout, whilst the whole concept of the game utilises both virtual reality and the Dualshock controller in a unique and intuitive way. It really ticks all of the boxes in proving an engagingly entertaining puzzle experience. It loses a few points for the lacking finale and short running time, but the package as a whole is fantastic and one I can’t recommend enough. Statik is simply one of Playstation VR’s must-own titles.
I could tell from the moment I first saw the game that a lot of love has been poured into the creation of Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom, and it really tells in the final product – it’s a thoroughly entertaining adventure that mixes up exciting battling with the exploration of luscious worlds. The combination of combat, platforming, and puzzling will keep you hooked from start to end. It does stutter a little with some balance issues in combat and a story that never grips you in, but the fact that the game is so much fun trumps these issues. It’s a great effort that brings together a multitude of different genres into one fantastic package – here’s hoping we’ll see more from the awe-inspiring world of Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom soon.
Despite the sense of familiarity returning gamers will feel, LEGO City Undercover is still a lot of fun to play. LEGO City is a joy to explore, the story and characters are great, whilst the gameplay still remains a lot of fun. You can always count on LEGO video games to offer a lot of fun and it’s a trend that has continued here; just don’t expect to see anything fresh outside of the open world experience.
Danganronpa 1•2 Reload offers something entirely unique for Playstation 4 gamers, with an experience that mixes up a gripping visual novel narrative with a series of deadly murder investigations. The fact that it’s incredibly well written, features some fantastic artwork, and has a great cast of colourful characters only strengthens its appeal, ensuring that you’ll be entertained throughout all of the forty plus hours the package offers. There’s no doubting that it won’t be for everyone – I’m sure some gamers won’t enjoy all of the reading involved with a visual novel – but those who give it a chance will fall in love with the nefarious escapades of Monokuma and his poor students.
Gamers who want some demon slaying action will have a lot of fun with Toukiden 2, especially with its wide variety of weapons and great showdowns with the gigantic Oni. Tearing their limbs away is incredibly satisfying too, whilst being able to do it all online with friends will ensure you’re kept hooked to the game for a long time. During that long time you’ll begin to notice the flaws of Toukiden 2 though, with things like the lack of variety in gameplay mechanics, the underwhelming visuals, and the fact that progression is limited to simply being more powerful as opposed to feeling like it beginning to creep through. They’re fairly minor issues and won’t stop you having fun, but when all combined together they show the cracks in the game’s otherwise competent button-mashing formula. Still, as a whole Toukiden 2 is a lot of fun and improves on the series in a variety of ways. It’s far from the perfect ‘Monster Hunter’ rival that the game wants to be, but it’s still the best alternative for Playstation gamers.
FATED: The Silent Oath’s blending of a deep narrative with enjoyable yet simple moments of interaction helps the game deliver a thought provoking tale that the player manages to feel a part of throughout. It’s beautiful to look at too, with the game world full of colour and plenty of enticing sights to see. It’s far from perfect with the short length slightly disappointing, whilst the story wraps up in an unsatisfying manner too. There is hope of a follow up though, so hopefully we might see a more thorough conclusion to the Viking family’s tale in the future… These flaws don’t stop FATED: The Silent Oath providing an enjoyable virtual reality experience though, and one I’d recommend to all Playstation VR owners. If you’re looking for an enjoyable title to play through that’ll tug at your heart strings, it’s definitely worth giving FATED: The Silent Oath a look.
Snake Pass offers a charming and intuitive adventure that feels unlike any platformer I’ve ever played before. When slithering through the world as Noodle it really feels like you’re controlling this cute little snake – it has such an unorthodox approach in comparison to your typical platformer, but it ensures that gameplay feels uniquely enjoyable. It’s also incredibly beautiful too, with a luscious vibrant world that’s a pleasure to explore. There are a few frustrating moments along the way though, such as with the awkward camera controls and the fact that the gameplay never diversifies itself too much; I hope you like climbing because you’ll be doing a lot of it in Snake Pass! These flaws don’t stop Snake Pass being a really fun game though and one I can see myself coming back to time and time again in the future. Gotta’ get all those collectibles, right?!
Mass Effect: Andromeda delivered exactly what I hoped it would – an epic sci-fi adventure with fantastic combat mechanics, stunning alien worlds to explore, and a narrative that’s full to the brim with side-quests and sub-plots. However, there’s no denying that it’s severely lacking polish. You’ve just got to look at the character’s faces, animations, occasional framerate drops, and jaunty menus to realise that it might’ve benefited with a bit longer in the oven. Do these flaws make it a broken, terrible game though? Certainly not. The positives of Mass Effect: Andromeda outweigh the negatives and it certainly lives up to the series’ high standards in almost all facets of design. I have no doubt that it’ll probably be one of the most divisive titles released this generation, but for me it certainly delivered on its promise of providing a compelling, action-packed adventure.
At its very core, Everything almost feels like the antithesis of a video game; sure, you’ve got the full freedom to interact with this colossal universe that seems to reinvent itself over and over, but it’s hard to find a purpose to anything that you’re doing. Whilst the lack of a real objective saw the game’s allure wearing thing on me after a few hours, actually seeing this universe and how expansive the interactive freedom offered to the player is was INCREDIBLY impressive and worth the admission price alone. Unless you’re seriously into collecting everything in a video game there won’t be much in Everything that’ll interest you for the long term, but those impressive opening hours alone make it worth checking out. With a fairly low price-point and considering the fact that there’s nothing else out there quite like it, I’d definitely recommend trying Everything just to experience how unique a creation it is.
I’ve got a lot of love for 88 Heroes and the diverse gameplay experience it constantly delivers. You really never know what to expect each time a new character enters the fray – the game constantly switches up how you have to play, but without sacrificing the enjoyment of the player in the process. As much as I want to give the game an 8.8 score though, there are a few things that hold it back. It’s a fairly short experience and there isn’t a whole lot to come back to after completing it, whilst I did encounter one moment where I wasn’t able to progress because of my hero’s power. Sure, it wasn’t a constant problem, but the one occasion was enough to frustrate. Still, none of those issues stops 88 Heroes offering a great platforming experience. If you want some zany fun with a cast of some of the most anarchic heroes you’ll ever come across, you really need to check it out.
Trove has left me feeling a little torn; whilst I certainly had plenty of fun with the old-school combat mechanics and multiplayer adventuring, it didn’t take too long for the repetitive nature to drag things down. It’s not that there aren’t plenty of things to discover and loot to find, but rather that the gameplay alone didn’t offer enough of an incentive to entice me to stick with the game for the long term and uncover all of these things. For a game which demands hours of your time, that was a bit of a problem for me. It might not be the same for other players though and I have no doubt that Trove’s RPG/world-building hybrid will certainly tick plenty of boxes for other players, but I’ve already found myself moving on to other titles. Still, it’s free to play so there’s no risk to trying the game – just don’t expect to be blown away by what Trove offers.
Chaos Code: New Sign of Catastrophe has a lot to offer fighting fans of all skill calibers thanks to its accessible gameplay, whilst the colourful cast of characters are both memorable and entertaining to play as. However, there’s nothing on offer you wouldn’t have seen before. Don’t expect a myriad of complicated combat mechanics that feel fresh, but rather a tried and tested formula of fighting that doesn’t do anything outside of the norm. That doesn’t mean the game’s bad though, but rather that it’s easily unnoticeable; it’s a shame too, because Chaos Code: New Sign of Catastrophe really offers hours of entertaining fighting fun. If you want a quick, slick fighter to play through, it’s definitely worth checking out – just don’t expect something as invigorating as the likes of ‘Killer Instinct’ or ‘Street Fighter V’.
I have to be clear and say that Unearthing Mars isn’t a bad game, but it certainly isn’t the most engaging of titles you’ll find on Playstation VR. The premise is intriguing though and some aspects of the gameplay are fun; it’s just lacking depth in almost all facets of design. It’s a hell of a lot better than ‘The Martian VR’, but those looking to take an epic expedition to Mars might not find what they’re looking for with Unearthing Mars.
The freedom and easy going nature that LEGO Worlds offers has kept me coming back for more, and I can easily see myself playing the game for a long time to come in the future. Whilst new releases come and go, there’s something about the charming world building and sense of discover that LEGO Worlds offers that I simply can’t get enough of. It’s certainly no ‘Minecraft’ clone, but rather its own enjoyable entity that really manages to embrace the creativity of the LEGO brand. I spent endless hours playing with LEGO as a kid and LEGO Worlds ultimately proves that the bricks still have that strong appeal to me even as an adult. It’s certainly got its fair share of flaws with the repetitive nature of objectives, awkward controls, and sketchy camera, but behind all of those is a great game that’ll certain provide some relief for any gamer’s creative itch.
Styx: Shards of Darkness puts its own unique spin on the stealth genre by giving us an unconventional hero that’s not only incredibly powerful, but very crude too. What’s most important though is that it’s fun to play throughout, offering an adventure that constantly entertains and offers plenty of things for the player to do. It has its flaws with some shoddy climbing controls, poor AI, and lack of diversity with its visual design, but none of these issues trump what Styx: Shards of Darkness does right. If you’re looking for an enjoyable stealth adventure that offers plenty of freedom to the player, it’s certainly worth checking Styx: Shards of Darkness out.
When playing Ghost Recon Wildlands in single player you’ll find it offers an enjoyable action-packed experience that never does anything bad, but can feel a little repetitive at times. It never stops being enjoyable though, whilst the atmospheric surroundings that Bolivia offers will simply astound you at times. However, there are certainly better single player games out right now that I’d recommend over Ghost Recon Wildlands. When you jump into the multiplayer mode though it’s a totally different experience. I’ve mentioned it once already and I’ll say it again – I really think that Ghost Recon Wildlands’ co-op action is some of the best I’ve experienced in any video game. You might be doing the same things as you do in the single player campaign, but when carefully orchestrating these operations with a group of friends it becomes one of the most enthralling multiplayer experiences you’ll have in a video game. It really is that good. If you’re looking for a single player experience there is fun to be had with Ghost Recon Wildlands, but it’s not the game’s strongest point. If you’re looking for some co-op multiplayer action though, you simply NEED to play Ghost Recon Wildlands.