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Hand of Fate 2 attempts to combine the fun of tabletop games with video games, but its commitment to that pitch is its downfall. The portals to combat filled me with nothing but grunts of exhaustion everytime as I drew my weapon. If you are able to look past the dreaded combat, there is a fun tabletop RPG here with interesting stories to tell, but I personally can't stand to do another one of those combat scenarios. Sorry, The Dealer wins.
If you're like me the hunt for a complete Pokédex and the excitement of even the worst shiny Pokémon provides enough fun to keep Pokémon Quest around for sometime.
Solo is a blissful and beautiful journey into your own heart. You may spend minutes upon minutes enjoying the crashing waves in the background as you swing over a stunning cliffside; contemplating the latest question asked of you, before moving onto the next puzzle and that’s the best way to play Solo -- slowly, relaxed and willing to give in to its theme.
The world and characters are honestly quite enjoyable and the art is the best part of Sir Eatsalot, but the gameplay is too cumbersome, tedious and painful at times. I pointed my Vita at a light source lost in those caves and nearly pointed Sir Eatsalot, much to my disappointment, at my bin instead.
Island Time was great fun (eventually) and I would certainly recommend it, though I can’t help but think it would be a little more enjoyable given the prompt to stand at the start and a little more accuracy in it’s tracking. I want you to play it, and on a system with better tracking if possible, like the HTC Vive. Regardless, I do suspect I will be back attempting to survive the treacherous VR island with my crab companion very soon.
I couldn’t put Reverie down once I picked it up. The charm of the New Zealand setting and the pull of wanting to just start the next dungeon… and then complete the dungeon had me playing for hours on end until the credits rolled. My disappointments in the wasted opportunity with the story aside, Reverie is easily a Vita must buy, especially if you’re a fan of the genre like I am.
Crisis on the Planet of the Apes has moments where it shines and the presentation and character models all look good. The climbing and movement with an initial setup for an emotional prison break story were promising, but from the moment I picked up my first gun, it took a dive into mediocre territory. As far as movie based VR experiences go, this is one of the best I’ve played, but that doesn't make it a good VR cover-based shooter.
Old Man’s Journey is a heartwarming, sad, and intriguing story unfolding in a world that feels magical with its always eye-opening impressive visuals. A journey well worth your time.
It’s a damn shame Monster Hunter: World is doing so well because, I believe, Dynasty Warriors 9 would otherwise be a worthy recipient of that mainstream boost early calendar releases - and often slightly more obscure titles - receive. Perhaps if Dynasty Warriors 10 gives us some shared world, multiplayer coop action…
Telltale has been telling an interesting story this season, and has proven time and time again to have interesting takes on Batman villains both new and old, but it's their ability to make The Joker so interesting that should be commended as we eagerly await the finale.
Rumu made me fall for this cute little vacuum cleaner -- I adored it. The little bleeps whenever I told someone I loved them -- heart melts. But the game also tackles a subject matter I'm highly interested in, especially in today's age of technology. It also challenges and poses interesting questions about human emotions and by the final moments, I was genuinely moved. Some of Rumu's final words before the game's end really hit me. All of this from a game about a cleaning appliance.
Fractured Mask was a great episode with plenty of character moments I loved. But my favourite thing about the episode was ending it, realising there are two episodes left and I really can't see the direction the story is heading -- which is exciting.
The Evil Within 2 did something not a lot of games have been able to do -- it won me over after a disappointing start. I went from hating the main character to being fully invested in his journey. At its core, this is a creepy survival horror game with tight gameplay and enough scares to keep you on edge. Unfortunately, while improving some aspects of the original, it has lost a lot of the charm that the first game absolutely nailed in its environments and enemies. Much like its predecessor, a few minor issues have stopped it from being a masterpiece, so I guess we'll just have to settle for a great game.
High Hell can be either a fun shooter for an hour or two, in the style they used to be made, or it can be something you replay over and over as you master each level to meticulous detail to place on the leaderboards for bragging rights. How you choose to play is up to you.
The Pact was a great introduction to Harley, who was fresh, fun and menacing, and Bane was great as a smart musclehead.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is everything I love about the franchise: getting to know a group of interesting and crazy characters, ultimately having to watch my favourites die off in horrible ways, investigating complex crime scenes, and getting the final clue to the case to find the murderer. Oh, and of course, the lovable psychopath that is Monokuma. However, this is the third entry into a franchise that already feels like it’s retreading too much familiar ground and not doing enough new, or to move the series forward.
Ruiner ticks a lot of boxes for what I love in video games: fun gameplay with a degree to master it; an interesting story with characters I’m intrigued by; most importantly though, this art style and music -- I’m an admitted sucker for it. Fortunately, it is more than just art and music; it’s also fast-paced combat that requires thinking and reflexes with a story that belongs in the worlds it feels inspired by, which is a compliment. Ruiner is, most definitely, another kick-ass game published by Devolver Digital, where you just so happen to play as a guy wearing a mask (it's actually a helmet.)
Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul often seems more like a budget random haunted house game than a true Paranormal Activity experience, and that’s unfortunate. For fans of the franchise, you will get a kick out of the connections, but it’s not the next thing to play after the films or something necessary to get more out of the films, or even to get a true Paranormal Activity experience in VR.
Oh, and you can make all your Bat-Gadgets purple: plus ten points.
The fantastic music paired with a great colour scheme and visuals really creates an odd juxtaposition. Futurlab, however, has crafted a really interesting game out of such a simple premise, and as their first step into VR, I really think they could do something quite special one day. Velocity3R, maybe?