VDZE Media's Reviews
Call of Duty Modern Warfare II Campaign remastered is not only a mouthful, it’s great! I enjoy revisiting improved versions of games I loved years ago and I think £19.99 is an excellent budget price as well. If you didn’t play through this the first time around don’t expect the level of polish from last year’s entry to the series, but buckle yourself in for a thrill ride that rarely gives you a moment to breathe!
Streets of Rage 4 is a welcome return for a classic franchise. Hardcore fans of the series are likely to be smitten with the amount of fan service and love that has gone in to this and rightly so. In not overhauling the game further though it may lose some appeal with new gamers.
Super Mega Baseball 3 is an improvement over the previous game in pretty much every area. It looks fantastic and manages to appeal to both newcomers and seasoned pros alike. Customisation is at the heart of the game. From the difficulty all the way to the creation suite Metalhead Software give you the agency to play how you want. The result is a game that all sports fans, not just baseball enthusiasts, should check out.
Bloodroots is an excellent game and one of the first true gems of 2020. It takes all that was great in previous games of a similar ilk and builds on them with a beautiful art style, slick combat and great level design.
Saints Row: The Third is on the high end of remasters. The bulk of the work has went in to visual upgrades, but that was what was needed most. With the game not aiming for realism, you can get away with the odd bit of sloppy AI or an unforeseen glitch. Sometimes it only ends up adding to the insanity and hilarity going on all around you. If you want a crazy, fun and exciting open world to blow stuff up in, you can’t go wrong!
Some reviews I have seen state that the formula of Paper Mario is getting a little old, but as a lapsed Mario fan (Odyssey was the first Mario game I saw through to the end since Sunshine) I really enjoyed it. I had never seen this side of the wee red plumber before and so it was not only fresh but beautifully designed, really funny and with that signature Nintendo polish. I highly recommend checking the Origami King out.
I really liked Cuphead. While not having the skills to finish the game – yet – I will be plugging away at it. It’s a mountain and I am determined to reach the summit. The game has one of the best art styles I have ever seen and while I do wish there was an ‘easy mode’ so that more people could enjoy what Studio MDHR has created here, it’s impossible not to admire the execution.
While this is as the name suggests just a season update, it does improve on PES 2020 where it matters most and that is on the pitch. Once you add a option file in and get the latest transfer updates applied it really is a good package and one that will be iterated on throughout the year. In terms of modes PES needs a serious overhaul, but while we wait for that in 12 months on PS5, this is a good stop-gap.
In short, Hotshot Racing is great. As someone who never really sticks with racing games for long, I can honestly see myself coming back to this one a lot. It’s just so much fun to pick up and play. Drifting is so satisfying and the different modes add some variation. With free content coming in the future and a rock hard trophy list, there is always more to strive for. In terms of over-the-top arcade gameplay, this is my favourite racer on PlayStation 4.
Cloudpunk is a stunning narrative adventure with a solid story and a satisfying gameplay loop. Some initial performance issues are being addressed by the developer, but on the whole it’s made an excellent transition from PC to PS4. If you’re looking for a chilled ten hours, this is for you. Beautiful graphics, fully voiced, well-paced story. I strongly recommend Cloudpunk to absolutely everyone.
Watch Dogs Legion is a great game. London is an excellent setting and the gameplay variation makes for a really fun experience. The recruit anyone mechanic is an interesting idea that works well if you are willing to overlook the awful lip-syncing and some odd-looking characters. If you enjoyed Watch Dogs 2 and don’t mind a game that is a little light on narrative, you will enjoy this third entry in the series.
Hidden Through Time is a solid game that when you factor in the creation suite is good bang for your buck. It has a nice art style and is good wholesome family content at a time when that is in high demand.
Covert is an great addition to the PSVR roster. Hardware limitations hold it back at times but the concept is strong enough to carry it through. For too long VR has mainly been an anti-social gaming platform and White Elk Studios has proven that not only can you enjoy VR with friends, but that local co-op is alive and well.
I’m a firm believer that a bad game should not be excused for being a bad game just because it’s aimed at kids. Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is not a bad game, and I – a twenty-five-year-old guy – had a moderate amount of fun exploring its world and reminiscing about early mornings before school watching the cartoon with my brother.
This is another great addition to the PSVR library. It fits in alongside titles like GORN and Drunken Bar Fight as mindless fun that can only be truly realised in virtual reality. It also serves as a decent workout, as despite the lack of weight behind what you are throwing/smashing, it burns some serious calories.
There are no character classes or skill trees to muddy the waters which does make the game more accessible to a younger audience but there is depth here to be found if you want it. I think Mojang have done a really good job of creating a core experience that Minecraft fans will enjoy.
I truly enjoyed Maneater despite it’s limitations and performance issues. In my head I would have preferred a more realistic simulation, but in practice that would have probably been boring after an hour or so. It is definitely one of the most unique games of 2020 so far and an experience I will remember fondly.
GORN is a lot of fun. Combat is very satisfying which is the core of your experience. Movement is my biggest fault with the game, but once you set up shop you can largely get away with staying in the one spot. It’s also a good cardio blast, which many of us could do with in the current climate.
Overall I really enjoyed WWE 2K Battlegrounds and it is a game I will continue to dip in and out of, especially when the DLC characters are added. The limited move lists were a bit of a disappointment but both the graphics and the campaign over-delivered. Microtransactions may still be an issue for some, but they can be avoided. I have no problem having to grind to unlock characters. It’s the way things used to be.
Overall, Swordsman is a fun time. It’s similar in a way to games such as GORN and Drunkn Bar Fight. It doesn’t have much variety, in that you will see most of what the game has to offer inside half an hour. But that gameplay loop is addictive and kept me coming back for more. At £13.99 I definitely recommend checking the game out if like me you enjoy first-person combat in VR. This is one of the better examples of it on the PlayStation headset.