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Cloudpunk looks like an ambitious project that needed rounding-off before it could be fully realised. However, as it stands you’ll find an interesting cyberpunk-themed story to play through, and then there’s the amazing city to just fly around. Toss-in some awesome music and it’s almost worth recommending the game just for these two aspects alone.
Is it a fun game? Not really. Is it intriguing? In a way. Is it worth buying at the full price? Certainly not. I would suggest if the usual gaming tropes aren’t scratching a gaming itch during this Coronavirus world lock-down right now, then you might find some enjoyment against this weird tree.
We enjoyed the Resident Evil 2 Remake immensely. It was a breath of fresh air to an aged game bringing it into the modern age. When Resident Evil 3 Remake was announced to get the same treatment it was a time for excitement. However, the reality is we’re left with just an OK game that is somewhat uninspired and falls way short of its potential.
For fans, this is a must-have for sure. Anyone on the fence though might do well to give it a try simply because it’s takes itself far less seriously than similar games. The co-op play is a neat inclusion as well. A welcome addition to the series then and a step in the right direction moving forwards.
DOOM Eternal ticks all the right boxes to be a great addition to the series. Whilst it does keep things fresh with its combat resource management approach, some players might find this too overbearing for their enjoyment when hoping for a straight-up shooter. Therefore, it’s advised to remove any preconceived shackles from 2016, and approach it as a fresh experience under a familiar guise.
Is Corruption 2029 worth picking up then on the Epic Games Store? Yes and no as it’s relatively cheap for under £16. Fans of Mutant Year Zero will find this familiar ground and lap-up the change of difficulty. Tactical fans who like XCOM etc. might find it interesting to play. Anyone else looking-in will find a game that excites and frustrates in equal measure.
Can we recommend Hunt Showdown then as a solo player game? Yes, totally. Whilst it’s not really story-driven and you have to take your chances with the wider community to make progress. You can still have a lot of fun sneaking around collecting clues and taking out AI controlled characters. If you do get the drop on human adversaries then it’s your choice to risk all and engage or stay hidden in the undergrowth until the danger passes.
The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners is a cool VR game that feels feature complete and is well-worth the asking price. Whether you’re a fan of the TV series it’s based-on or not, this is just a cool game for VR audiences. It boasts excellent production values and despite featuring more “zombies” which is a very common theme in VR games, manages to avoid the usual wave-shooter mechanic we’ve seen so many times before.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will appeal to fans of the series without a doubt despite the familiarity of events. However, if you’re like us and aren’t overly familiar with the wider DBZ story then this serves as an entertaining ride to get up-to-speed. The RPG elements aren’t so interesting here although levelling-up moves and the community board is welcome. The fighting works very well and despite some repetition is the main event here. Can we recommend the game then? Well yes it serves as a decent offering for newcomers and younger gamers especially. However, it could improve in some areas such as a more adaptive combat system that allows for advanced players to shine.
Journey to the Savage Planet is a fun and likeable game with great visuals and a quirky feel that keeps events and gameplay interesting. Players can take their own time with things and explore this crazy and wacky world. It’s not the most difficult of games but this factor alone makes it very accessible. It ticks all the right boxes and doesn’t really falter as far as we’re concerned. Therefore it comes highly recommended for adventure fans looking to broaden their horizons on this unusual planet.
It’s a fun game that really puts you into the moment at times making you feel fully immersed in what you are doing. However, the physics which are the main star-of-the-show aren’t polished enough making for a frustrating experience at times. With a better story this could have been far more interesting. As it stands it feels more like a VR assault course. Is it worth recommending? Yes and no. It’s probably prudent to wait for the patch to drop first (which addresses some of our complaints). But if you’re a sucker for VR shooting experiences then you can do a lot worse than this game.
Paranoia Happiness Is Mandatory offers a fun-to-read game with some action based gameplay tossed-in. The fate of your clone character is interesting especially as you delve-deeper into the darker corners of Alpha Complex. The combat feels like the weakest part of the experience as it lacks the complexity required to fully engage the player. That said, if you can stomach some odd design choices then this game might appeal. With a bit of tinkering though it could be much-better, unfortunately it’s not and becomes a bit of an acquired taste for fans of the cult role-playing game.
To conclude then, there is a lot to like about Espire 1 VR Operative. The foundations are there for a competent stealth-action game. However, in its current state it feels like an “early-access” title rather than a fully-fledged finished product. With some additional time polishing the AI and making the game fun-to-play there is potential. As it stands the unforgiving AI, audio problems and poor instructions for new players make Espire 1 a game for hardened stealth players only who have tons of patience to fall back on. For those resting on the action side of gaming then expect a short-lived and unfulfilling experience, too easy to best as a result.
I feel the developers need to look closely at games like Racket Fury to get some ideas on how to structure the game. Arcade and Sim modes, options for sensitivity etc. This would help greatly. As it stands, I cannot recommend this game in its current form. It’s pretty eye-candy until fleshed out with more modes, features and a tweak to the ball physics.
The Outer Worlds ticks all the right action RPG boxes. Upgrades, skills, levelling-up, decent combat etc. However, some elements rest on the generic side, which is not a bad thing here. The Outer Worlds ultimately is a fun game to play with its dark humour which is neat to mess around with given the options available. That said, it is familiar territory done-right and wrapped-up in an eye-catching lick-of-colourful paint.
This is a weird, disjointed review, not spoiling anything and deliberately avoiding the details. Rightly so. I think Disco Elysium is an exceptional game but won’t resonate with action gamers or even RPG players who prefer more hands-on actions. You read a lot of text, there’s quite a bit of fluff, plenty of distractions and progression feels painfully slow at times. Yet, if you can dig those beats then your entire being becomes sucked into a whirlpool of depressive thought-provoking nonsense. Enlightening assessment of the sublime nature of human existence and the existentialism of a predetermined character. I love this game and all it purports to be even if inside I don’t always agree with its underlying message. It’s gratifying to play such a game where developers cleverly step outside comfort zones and the proverbial box.
Code Vein is an enjoyable Souls-like hack and slash game. Whilst its combat might not be too-complex it remains fun all the same - think Phantasy Star Online. With pleasant visuals and a semi-interesting story tying it all together Code Vein is a recommended game for action role playing fans. With more updates and extra planned further down the line, it's also worth investing in for the long-haul support.
Rain of Reflections offers a neat adventure game fused with the combat element which sets it above similar games. Chapter 1 acts as an introduction and if the following two chapters expand upon the ideas here (especially the turn-based combat) then this will be an interesting series to dive into. The hacking lets the game down somewhat, but perhaps some players will enjoy the mild puzzle element here. For under £15 it’s not bad value at all but in terms of replay it’s not offering too many choices if any at all considering once you playthrough you know what to expect. Perhaps a difficulty option could have improved replay. As it stands, Rain of Reflections comes as a interesting prospect but not a game for all players.