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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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
Tekken 7 shows why Tekken is one of the most beloved franchises around, with its fast-paced yet calculated combat, impressive visuals, strong cast of customisable characters, and zany nature coming together to offer one of this generation’s finest fighting games. It offers something a little different to the popular 2D-plane fighters that are in abundance right now, with a fun focus on utilising the space around you to unleash massive combos on your opponent. It doesn’t only look great in-game, but is a hell of a lot of fun to pull off. It isn’t quite perfect thanks to the slightly lacking story mode not really offering enough from a gameplay perspective, but it doesn’t stop Tekken 7 being a must own title for fighting fans. The King of the Iron Fist Tournament is back, and it’s better than ever…
Victor Vran: Overkill Edition treats gamers to a dungeon crawling experience that doesn’t really do much to evolve upon the traditional formula, but offers plenty of enjoyment with its hacking, slashing, and loot collecting action. It certainly keeps everything simple and can suffer from repetition over time, but it doesn’t stop the game being fun. The challenges will keep you tested even after you’ve finished the game, the extra expansions give you some more meaty adventures to play through once you’re through with the base game, whilst the fact you can do it all in multiplayer with friends will ensure you’re kept coming back for more. All in all, Victor Vran: Overkill Edition makes for a nice little dungeon-crawling package for console gamers to play through. The simplistic nature of the game won’t blow you away, but it will offer plenty of hours of demon slaying fun.
Whilst The Town of Light remains an atmospheric experience from start to end thanks to its fantastic yet harrowing location, the narrative elements don’t quite match up in quality. Renée’s tale has a lot of potential to offer an emotional trip through the treatment of mental patients back in the 1940s, but instead feels slightly fragmented and convoluted. Don’t get me wrong, it has its moments where it shines and you’ll genuinely feel absorbed by what’s going on, but then it’ll quickly move to another scene that’ll leave you a little baffled. I wouldn’t say The Town of Light is a bad game by any means, but I was left a little underwhelmed by it. There’s so much potential here thanks to the genuinely disturbing subject matter, but instead The Town of Light feels like just another average ‘walking simulator’ to add to the ever growing selection.
Smugglecraft mixes up old-school racing with questing nicely, but the lack of variety in the gameplay and the sense of familiarity you’ll quickly feel means it won’t take too long before you start getting bored. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination – it just doesn’t really do enough to hook you in. Whilst it certainly has moments where it really shines, it also has moments where you’ll be left thinking “I’ve done this before”. With a bit more polish and variety it could’ve been something special, but as it stands it’s a little hard to recommend Smugglecraft over the better titles that are available right now.
I have to be honest, I was a little surprised at just how good Nex Machina is. I felt like I’d seen everything twin-stick shooters had to offer, and whilst the game doesn’t really invigorate the genre nor does it do anything you wouldn’t have seen before, it just feels so damn good to play. I’ve spent hours with it already and find myself constantly coming back for more. If you’re a fan of twin-stick shooters you really need to give Nex Machina a purchase. If you’re a fan of classic arcade experiences that push your skills to the limit you need to give it a purchase. Hell, if you’re a fan of gaming, just buy Nex Machina – you’re not going to regret it.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series – Episode Two ‘Under Pressure’ doesn’t feel as impactful as the first episode from both an action and storyline perspective, but it does enough to keep players entertained throughout it’s roughly hour and a half run-time. Seeing this deeper look into Rocket Racoon’s past was quite enlightening and I’m intrigued to see how it affects the story down the line – even if it did minimal to progress it right now. I’d probably say I preferred the Episode One over Under Pressure, though only just. The lack of new locations to see and actual exploration was pretty obvious, whilst some of the flaws remained the same here too. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy playing through it though and I’m still eagerly excited to see what comes next in the series.
Get Even is made up of a plethora of different gameplay aspects, though none of them are masterfully crafted in a way that helps define the game. You’ve got your exploration, your puzzle solving, your sneaky stealth moments, and even moments of all out action in hectic gunfights, though none of these things are done to the extent that you’d really label Get Even a particular genre. It’s not a flaw though; as I’ve said, Get Even is a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’, yet it all works together to make for an entertainingly unique experience. You’re not going to be blown away by what Get Even offers and it often lacks the polish that a triple-A title holds, but it does more than enough to justify a playthrough. If you fancy playing something a little different to the norm that’ll hook you in with its engaging story and entertaining gameplay, it’s certainly worth giving Get Even a try.
Arizona Sunshine brings a whole new shooting experience to Playstation VR’s ever-growing catalogue that not only gives players a full-fledged zombie-killing campaign to blast through, but also just so happens to be a hell of a lot of fun to play. I thought we might be waiting a while for our next shooting adventure that utilises the Aim controller meaningfully after Farpoint, but Arizona Sunshine’s arrival has shown that it’s just as much fun to pop zombie’s skulls as it is to kill aliens in Playstation VR. Add to that the fact that the game has expansive multiplayer options as well as multiple ways to play and it’s easy to see why it’s already proven so successful on other VR headsets. Whilst I’ll admit that it is at its best when played with an Aim controller, I more than recommend giving Arizona Sunshine a purchase regardless of whether you own one or not – it’s easily one of the meatiest and most enjoyable experiences available on Playstation VR so far.
I’ve already mentioned in this review that Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles won’t be for everyone and it’s something that I think is worth reiterating once more. Its focus on offering a tranquil experience that encourages relaxation and trudging along at your own pace won’t be exciting enough for all gamers, whilst the lack of combat and emphasis on crafting will leave some bored after just a couple of hours. There’s simply no hiding from the fact that it’s a very unique, divisive title. Those who enjoy the simplicities that the game offers will love it though, with Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles offering a sense of depth that always remains accessible from start to end. I loved discovering all the beautiful sights of the world, taking on different professions to craft all-new items, fishing and farming, and simply taking in everything that the game had to offer. It’s a wholly refreshing experience that might not be exhilarating, but will certainly warm your heart whilst playing. Its simple yet enjoyable nature won’t be for everyone, but it most certainly was for me.
I love being surprised by a video game and Cars 3: Driven to Win certainly did that. I had a lot of fun playing through the single player challenges and whilst I did grow tired of it quite quickly, the multiplayer modes kept me coming back for more. There’s no denying there are better racers out there, but if you’re a fan of simple arcadey racers or Disney Pixar’s Cars universe it might be worth taking a look at Cars 3: Driven to Win.
Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age takes everything that was great about the game when it originally released and improves upon it tenfold, with the expanded Licence Boards, improved visuals and audio, enhanced gameplay, and host of extra additions coming together to make for a fantastically produced package. It doesn’t only give players a chance to play through a classic RPG once more, but also gives those who weren’t so keen on the divisive title the first time around the chance to give it one more try. There are still a few issues that simply can’t be changed, but as a whole I thoroughly recommend Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age. It’s one of the best remastered releases I’ve played so far and I’m glad to finally have been able to finish the game in its freshly enhanced state.
It’s incredibly tough and the daunting task of working across levels can grow a little tiresome over time, but I’ve really enjoyed playing DeadCore. I haven’t managed to conquer every level yet, but it’s got this addictive appeal to it that sees me coming back time and time again to try and reach the pinnacle. Whether or not I’ll get there is another thing altogether, but at least I’m having fun trying. There’s nothing about it that’s going to blow you away, but if you want an enjoyable speed running title that’ll keep you entertained for a low price it’s definitely worth checking DeadCore out.
Tiny Trax offers simplistic yet superb virtual reality racing that lets you see all of the racing unfold in front of and around you. It’s uniquely fun and you’ll find yourself hooked into its simple yet deep mechanics almost immediately. Despite this, it’s let down by a lack of content; what’s on offer is brilliant with each vibrant track full of personality and charm, but there are just not enough of them. I still had a hell of a lot of fun playing the game though. If you get into the multiplayer side of it you’ll easily find yourself easily spending hours on end speeding across the fantastic raceways, whilst the single player is great whilst it lasts. There’s no better way to re-live those days of slot-car racing than by jumping on Tiny Trax – even if it is a little limited in content to play across.
SUPERHOT VR is one of those virtual reality titles that manages to nail everything perfectly, with the action-packed gameplay and incredibly stylish vibe of the game gelling together incredibly well within the confines of the Playstation VR headset. Being able to dodge bullets all whilst throwing shurikens, bottles, knives, or just shooting at enemies was incredibly satisfying, whilst the clever time-bending mechanics ensure that the game offers you an experience like no other on virtual reality headsets right now. It might be short in length, but much like its predecessor, SUPERHOT VR is simply a must own title.