GamePitt's Reviews
Hotel Transylvania 3: Monsters Overboard is a fun family-friendly game based loosely on the latest film in the franchise. Command four types of magical beings known as Ipmas as you set out to solve environmental puzzles and rescue your crew in a Pikmin-style game which will keep you and your kids entertained for hours. The game does have a few issues and missing features in regards to the camera controls and the overall navigation aspect, but overall I had a fun time playing through the game and I’m probably going to pick it up on the PS4 at some point as well.
Anamorphine is a visual focused non-narrative story in which you must delve into the mind of a man haunted by guilt and anger over his own inabilities to help his wife. The game has you travelling from memory to memory as you reconstruct what actually happened and how you feel via fantastical environments and a spectacular soundtrack. Unfortunately, the PS4 version has a few issues such as frame rate drops and stuttering. However, I imagine these issues should be resolved within a few patches.
Aces of the Luftwaffe – Squadron is a great example of a modernised, old school plane-based shmup. It’s pure bullet-hell combined with perfect controls and a pleasing aesthetic. From it’s multitudes of oncoming smaller enemy bogies to its gigantic bosses, there is never a dull moment within the game. Its premise is simple – kill everything on screen before they can kill you, but as you progress throughout the game, this simple task becomes much trickier. One thing which will keep you on your toes is the handicaps of each squad member as they all play through their own episodes of terror and sicknesses. With its additional support for up to four players, I can’t help but recommend this to all fans of the shmup genre!
I Hate Running Backwards is a fine example of a developer taking on board criticism and using that to make a better game. Day one, the game was really hard, very inconsistent, a bit too brutal, and very unforgiving. A few patches later and we have a great take on the shoot ’em up genre with roguelike elements thrown into the mix. Personally, I would say single player is a better experience than the co-op mode due to the way it works, but both modes are a lot of fun to play and very entertaining. The sheer amount of destruction, pickups, enemies and character unlocks are very welcome and really help make this game stand out in a market of ‘similar’ titles.
Salary Man Escape is a fun puzzle game with a very catchy soundtrack. The game does have its flaws with its controls and the physics, but once you’ve got used to them and you know how the game works, there are many hours of entertainment to have here as you aim to save all 60 employees. Every time you successfully complete the later levels you get an immense feeling of satisfaction and joy, especially if it’s a level which has had you stuck for quite a while.
Fill-a-Pix: Phil’s Epic Adventure is yet another brilliant logic-based puzzle game from Lightwood Games. Whether you like it or not may be hit or miss, but if you like Minesweeper and Sudoku then I’m sure you will learn to love this game as I did. Help Phil develop his holiday snaps as you solve over 100 puzzles, some of which took over 20 minutes to complete. There is a lot of content here to keep anyone busy, plus you get both the PS Vita and PS4 versions for one low price – what’s not to like!
Guts and Glory is completely sadistic and crazy – I love it. The console version isn’t a scratch on its big brother PC version though as it doesn’t have access to the level creator. Regardless, you still have access to nine challenges with 6-9 missions in each, all of which will frustrate and annoy you for many hours. The graphics are very basic but the gameplay more than makes up for it and the sheer amount of WTF, OMG and LOL moments you’ll have will keep you entertained for a long time.
The Persistence is an amazing roguelike FPS with full immersion within VR. When you’re not salvaging the ghost-ship “Persistence”, looking for Stem Cells and other useful items, you’ll be either hiding from or taking out the mutated clones who roam the decks of this doomed ship. The only downfall of the game lies within its clarity as the game can get a little fuzzy at times, but this is more than made up for with its incredible stealthy combat mechanics and progression system. The Persistence is great to play on your own but it’s even better to bring along a friend as you work together (hopefully) in order to find a way to regain control of the ship. This is another ‘must buy’ PSVR game which everyone should own.
Full version, not 'founders' edition... Train Sim World is the best simulation game, based around driving a train, available on consoles to date. Okay, it may be the only one as well, but it still doesn’t affect the fact that I had a lot of fun playing it. Sure, there are issues with pop-in, texture quality, the inability to purposely die or destroy a train, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad game – it’s just a little too forgiving at times. With the ability to either participate in the pre-set scenarios or just go crazy in the Services mode, there is a lot of content here which will keep any locomotive fan happy for many hours.
The Council: Episode 3:- Ripples is another great episode in the thrilling narrative adventure game from Big Bad Wolf. Unlike episodes 1 and 2, episode 3 focuses more on your purpose on the island and it begins to show you the various characters true intentions and motives. Ripples may not be a deep as the previous two episodes, but don’t let that put you off if you’ve liked the game so far. What it lacks in puzzles, it makes up in branching dialogues and interactions. One thing to take note of is the fact that this episode has a number of bugs and issues, as of writing this review.
Gene Rain is a good attempt at a third person shooter from Chinese developers, Deeli Network. The game looks great for an indie title, with some high-quality textures, detailed character models, dynamic lighting, and a great use of particle effects. However, what lets the game down is its clunky controls, poorly translated and executed narrative, and the sub-par voice acting. I overcame the control issues by manually remapping my pad on the PS4, the script could be forgiven as it’s not their native language, and the voice acting was ambitious due to the fact all the actors are clearly Chinese. However, the story wasn’t explained clearly and it’s easy to forget what’s going on as you enter the next cover-based combat area.
Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs – Royal Edition is an easy going SRPG packed with humour and an easy trophy list to platinum in one playthrough. There is also a separate trophy list for both America and Europe, so it’s possible to obtain two platinums. It makes for a pretty decent game of its genre, although it’s hard to stand up against giants like Disgaea. But at least with this, there are no necessary long grinds required.
18 floors is one of the best looking games on the PSVR and one of the best Escape Room games I’ve played. This initial version of the game only covers the first two floors, yet there is enough content for around two to three hours as you find clues, solve puzzles, and investigate two highly detailed areas. There is no jump scares or cheap horror moments but the game is creepy and mysterious with both its visuals and it’s audio. If you own a VR headset and you’re a fan of puzzles, escape rooms, or creepy “what do I do” games, you should add this to your list of what to pick up next!
The Walker is another really fun game that’s come out of China. You may not be able to actually ‘walk’ in The Walker but the game does offer some interesting mechanics with the addition of the lightning and ice talismans which enhances your regular attacks. Take to the dark alleys of Shanghai or the populated late-night trains in the underground, no matter where you go, evil will follow! Beating the game initially won’t take longer than an hour but if you’re aiming to 100% the game then there is plenty of content with three difficulty modes and a Rush Mode as well. If you enjoy wave-based VR games, pick The Walker up today and help save Shanghai from the demonic creatures of the night!
Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion is the best Adventure Time tie-in game out there. It’s packed with all the humour, charm, quality, and jokes from the TV show along with the original cast as the voice talent. Sure, some moments can get a bit tedious as you’re sailing from point A to point B with no form of fast travel, but it’s all worth it for the excitement and fun you’ll have once you get there. The game is clearly aimed at fans of the TV show and I feel they will be the ones to get the most out of this game. However, even if you’ve not watched the show (like me), the game is hilarious is most parts and will entertain both small and big kids for hours.
Rooms: The Unsolvable Puzzle is a very challenging puzzle game with a very dark and sordid tale to tell. Work your way through 144 rooms of some of the trickiest puzzles I’ve experienced so far this generation. Even though the premise of each room is the same (get to the exit), every single puzzle is different and will make your brain overload as you try to figure out the solutions! The added PSVR mode is a nice addition and offers a different way to experience the game but it doesn’t add anything more to the gameplay other than turning your room into the mansion’s courtyard.
The Path of Motus is a short game which cleverly provides a metaphor for life behind a game about a goblin making his way through a forest. If given a choice, will you opt to retaliate against the bullies and thus become one yourself as you breeze through your miserable life, or will you combat your obstacles without conflict and follow your dreams? As with life, the right path isn’t necessarily the easy one. Along the path, you will come across walls, pits, and doors which must be overcome by using your brain and solving one of the many logic-based puzzles thrown at you. Through the clever use of the narrative, the music and the visuals, The Path of Motus delivers a story which so many of us can relate to and take inspiration from.
Frost is a turn-based card game in which each draw of the cards could literally be life or death for your character. As with any strategic game, I would highly recommend you choose to go through the tutorial and take in everything it says before-hand, otherwise your enjoyment will be severely affected. Overall though, Frost offered me a challenge which you don't see very often on the Switch and it kept me hooked for hours upon hours as I furiously played the game to try and make it through alive! If you have a Switch (or any other console as it's on them all) and you like survival games but you want something different and something which isn't about Zombies, pick up Frost today.
Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! is pure heaven! It’s a management sim you can really get absorbed into and stay there for many hours at a time or just drop in every now and again for short bursts – particularly if you’re on the Switch. From the micro-management of your employees to satisfying all of your customers, everything can be adjusted and tweaked in order to become the greatest arms supplier in the land! One thing to be aware of though, the pun is strong in this one with almost every character being a pun of someone/something famous. If you like hilarious storytelling along with frantic and rather stressful gameplay, then this is the game for you! With the addition of the Herclueless DLC you gain even more content and many, many hours of gameplay.
Blacksea Odyssey is rather unique in the saturated genre of top-down twin-stick shooters. With it’s strong likeness to Toukiden yet played out as a top-down, Rogue-like, bounty collection game, it’s a game which you can easily spend many hours in without actually getting very far. It’s a great game for those who love games in the twin-stick shooter genre but it’s probably a bit hard for new-comers or casuals who are looking for an easy game to fly through. If you persevere and aim to get stronger every time you die, Blacksea Odyssey is both very rewarding and satisfying.