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Spider-Man 2 is a sequel that is superior to the first game in a lot of gameplay ways, but also falls short in the narrative and writing. It’s a more streamlined experience that still offers a ton of blockbuster action, but then it hits you with some head scratching character decisions and pace killing side activities. If you’re a fan of Spider-Man then it is still an absolute must play game, and I would hope that at this point a lot of the issues I had while playing have been ironed out.
Sometimes it’s hard to remove the nostalgia glasses and appreciate the new version of something you once held so dear. I stand by my sentiments that I wish Stauf had been more sinister, menacing, and present in this remake. The original also has more mystery surrounding what transpired, especially with the kids, but this one lays most of it out for you right at the start. In the end though, The 7th Guest VR did manage to win me over, thanks to its jaw-dropping graphics, disquieting atmosphere, and inventive puzzle designs.
Having said that, 20 Minutes Till Dawn is a solid bit of enjoyment for the player who doesn’t mind a bit more mental investment in a “bullet heaven” title (I don’t love the moniker but it’s what appears to be taking off). Playing around with some of the abilities is fun, mixing and matching weapons is entertaining and the potential for more future content will keep this on my radar. Whether you’re rounding out 2023 or blasting into 2024, there’s no reason fans of the genre shouldn’t give this little slice of darkness a try.
You’ve got something for everyone (art, writing, trivia, music and psychology) and it scales wonderfully for all age ranges. Jackbox has done fantastic, and I highly recommend grabbing this as a party favor to distract and delight whomever you surround yourself with this holiday season.
House Flipper 2 still has flaws, but it’s a massive improvement over its predecessor, and one of the most relaxing titles I’ve played in a while.
The characters are charming and the views of space and Mars are remarkable in VR. My biggest complaint is that it’s quite short, taking only about an hour and a half to beat. Wallace & Gromit in the Grand Getaway was so much fun that I wanted more! For anyone looking for a delightful, family-friendly adventure, Wallace & Gromit in the Grand Getaway is a cracking good time!
For as much as I want to believe there were good intentions behind Bootlegger’s Racing Story, nothing about it works. It’s not fun, it crashes constantly, and it’s devoid of any kind of excitement. If you want to drive like crazy as a bootlegger, just play Mafia instead.
The Finals is one of the most interesting PvP shooters in a long time. A truly unique and refreshingly simple concept that worked out for the better. It is fast paced without being annoying and puts solid teamwork at the forefront of its main game mode. Although there is a lack of content and balance isn’t perfect, The Finals is well worth trying.
Anthology of Fear is one of the most mind-numbing and unremarkable horror games that I’ve played this year. It’s nothing more than a walking simulator, with very few actual moments of tension or effective scares. Not to mention a story that only serves to frustrate and confuse. There are so many better choices out there, so I recommend steering clear of this one.
I wouldn’t consider The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to be the best asymmetrical multiplayer game I have ever played, but the sheer fact it has managed to carve a somewhat entertaining gameplay loop, whilst maintaining a steady playerbase for nearly a third of a year, is already very impressive. Playing as the cannibals is obviously more fun than being a victim, and the progression system is a bit unnecessary, but it could have been a lot worse.
Super Crazy Rhythm Castle has its fair share of issues, namely on how its strongest selling point, having to deal with a tyrant with a childish tantrum, can also be one of its most frustrating aspects. It’s a fun rhythm game if you’re in the same mental vibes as itself. If so, you’ll be able to enjoy a very unique mixture between Guitar Hero and Overcooked, covered in some cute visuals and random sense of humor. It might not be the best party game out there, but it certainly is one of the more unique titles to be released in recent times.
Yeah, this one is impossible to defend. The Walking Dead: Destinies is just truly bad. Granted, it might not be the worst game I’ve played in 2023, by a mile, but it’s a borderline charming exercise in incompetence. With poor combat mechanics, uninspired level design, and an enemy AI so (fittingly) brain-dead you can literally complete levels by simply walking by a horde of zombies, this game fails at being scary, tense, or even a great companion piece to The Walking Dead franchise.
Tevi didn’t disguise what it was: a 2D exploration game with bullet hell elements. I knew this going in, and I was ready for it. The parts that aren’t boss battles showed me a fun world with some great characters, decent crafting and a light meal of a metroidvania: pleasant to map out but it won’t fill you up.
Thief Simulator 2 is not a bad game, per se. Far from it in fact, with its engaging central premise and core ideas giving a satisfying stealth experience that we don’t see often. However, everything feels surface level and just a little too janky. It reuses way too much of the original and doesn’t making any significant improvements where it was really needed. But there is still some fun to be had with it, if you’re looking for a basic stealth experience.
As a whole, I did enjoy my time with Sniper Elite VR: Winter Warrior, but I can’t stop thinking this was probably supposed to have been released as an expansion to its predecessor rather than a standalone title, due to its short duration, identical graphical style, and very specific winter-themed setting.
Most of the visuals are pretty good, and the story is a really dark, anime style story. Everything else slacked and was saved entirely by those two sections of the game. I enjoyed a good chunk of the story, when I didn’t have to restart everything, but in all honesty I never finished it because the second time I lost my save file I was about 6 hours into this story trying to see something and suddenly everything disappeared on me again and I decided I wasn’t going to go through another 6+ hours of the same story just to not care about some of the same characters again. Don’t use the skip button, it’s bugged.
As a game to dedicate hours of your life at a time, Strike Force Heroes isn’t very interesting. For as much as its gameplay loop is decent enough, it lacks a bit of depth and substance. Now, as an arcade-like distraction, this game shines. It’s great to pick up and play, to simply join a match and proceed to blast everyone near you with your carefully crafted character build.
To say that LEGO Bricktales impressed me is an understatement. The idea of playing with LEGO bricks in a VR environment was already great in my head, but I was completely taken over by how ClockStone Studio managed to mix diorama-like adventure segments with building puzzles in such a natural and addictive manner. I can’t even believe this wasn’t developed first and foremost with VR in mind; the transition was absolutely perfect.
Persona 5 Tactica is another masterful inclusion in the P5 collection of spin-offs. It’s a mish-mash of inspirations that weirdly works spectacularly. In no world did I think that Splatoon would be a factor or that I’d experience the closest thing to an anime interpretation of XCOM. What I adore the most is how, no matter how egregious the ideas seem, they all coalesce together beautifully. It kept me guessing, and I was engrossed until the very end.
Getting lost in the absolutely gorgeous world of Pandora and having fun with the brutal, tribal-like combat make up for the weak story and the fact that, at the end of the day, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora does suffer from some of the traditional Ubisoft open world tropes.