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Skyrim VR leverages reputation and novelty against repetition and cynicism. Retrofitting a six-year-old game inside of imperfect hardware would be imprudent if it weren't one of the most expansive, popular, and beloved products in its medium. Skyrim VR happens to fit this extremely unique set of qualifications.
The Warmind expansion is a change in gear from the usual. Warmind brings the promised grind from Bungie, but rewards the player for their efforts. People thought that the previous expansions were too simple, and they were right, so Bungie kicked it in the other direction and now we have gotten what we have asked for, even if it feels like it's too difficult. The balance between effort and reward is now a right of passage and something that is respectful instead of expected. Warmind is a good way for Bungie to begin to right the ship of their D2 game and make it closer to what was promised at the beginning of this Destiny journey.
Mr. Shifty begins in the same place it ends; by punching a man through a window. Defenestration is appealing, especially when it's preceded by short form teleportation, but the first instance is more gratifying than the last. Mr. Shifty deals in scale, quantity, and strategy in the wrong order, assuring its sharp edge dulls after an auspicious opening.
Persona 5 will be beautiful forever. Meticulous thought and consideration has been applied to Shin Megami Tensei's durable model of dungeon crawling and Persona's paragon of social simulation, creating a brilliant pulse visible through (almost) every aspect of its performance. Keeping this pace across a formidable length is Persona 5's most impressive trick, ensuring it will steal your heart without wasting your time.
Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight is an emphatic return to beloved characters and themes from Persona 5. While its energy is relentless and its rhythm mechanics are capable, it's hard to deny Dancing in Starlight is a product picked, borrowed, and assembled from existing Persona games. It's a performance that moves but a show that doesn't go anywhere.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth is a profuse amalgamation of Persona's psychology and Etrian Odyssey's methodology. Just like—maybe a little too like—Shadow of the Labyrinth, it covers a lot ground without exploring a new direction. Emblematic of its eight-year-old hardware, New Cinema Labyrinth is battle-tested, secure, and incapable of surprise.
Monster Hunter: World takes the formula of what's worked with the series and turns it up to 11. Every monster encounter and every armor set to be had feels so uniquely crafted that it's hard not to marvel at the scale and complexity of the game. While new players such as myself may feel a little daunted at first glance, the game does an excellent job of easing you in before throwing everything at you. If there was ever a game in the series to feel like a jumping-in point, it would be Monster Hunter: World.
Kaze and the Wild Masks starts off as an innocent platformer from the 90s but goes from first to fifth gear quickly in difficulty. Ramping up to large amounts of difficulty and enjoying the scenery is what made platformers in the 90s good. With Kaze, the difficulty is such a dramatic shift that you're stuck not having the ability to stop and smell the flowers that PixelHive has worked so hard to grow.
Gnog distills the joy of fiddling with switches, dials, and knobs into a potent liquid and then uses that fluorescent elixir to invigorate a monster's brain. The result is a collection of orderly puzzles eager to illustrate logic while soaked in giddying medley of spaceships, electricity, and mother birds. If you were ever allowed to peer inside of a candy monster's skull, Gnog is precisely what you would find.
Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs is one of the better products to come from the crowd-funded scene. Fans of classic JRPGs will find much to enjoy, especially with the lighthearted characters and story.
Make no mistake, this is a very good game and takes a rightful place among its Forza brethren. However, I'm not quite as enthralled or captivated after my play test as I was with Forza 6. Largely, I think that's due to those bits of gameplay that felt brand new in 2015 aren't as shiny now.
Played on the Vita or the PS4, Damascus Gear offers simple, enjoyable mech combat with a good story and lots of customization at a great price.
Evasion is a decent FPS for the PSVR, but it needed just a bit more variety to make it fun and engaging. The initial structure of the gameplay is spot-on, but the enemies and level design are just a bit too stale. Hopefully, Archiact continues to make VR titles because I think they're onto something.
The PlayStation 5 version of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is the best in the bunch. It tells a solid campaign with branching narrative choices, contains some of the best visuals that you’ve seen on a system not called ‘PC’, and it has some good, new faces on the multiplayer scene. Is it all perfect? Not at all, but it’s a good way for Call of Duty to start on the next generation of consoles.
Life isn't often what we imagine and death isn't usually what we expect. What Remains of Edith Finch responds by capturing death's despair and tragedy through life's lenses of whimsy and fantasy. Every emotion and detail is left in frame, exposing profoundly anguishing themes that nevertheless develop into endearing pictures of hope and determination. Edith Finch creates a portrait of a family that, even in their doomed eccentricity, feels not only sanguine, but also deeply human.
In conclusion, Strange Brigade gets much more right than it does wrong, and it proves the power of co-op yet again. Played alone, this game isn't worth the time or effort due to the tedium. However, add in a friend or three, or at least some decent randos, and suddenly the game takes on a whole new feel and it instantly becomes a treat. It's certainly not the first game to prove this phenomenon, but nevertheless, if you have some buddies to play with, keep Strange Brigade on your radar.
After spending several years on mobile devices, Growtopia is bringing its seemingly limitless worlds to consoles. In a game where everything grows on trees, young players will gobble the chance to punch and build while those looking for depth may come up short without searching for intricately crafted worlds.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint expands on the sandbox structure of Wildlands. By adding new systems to this massive game, Ubisoft creates a constant reward loop for players wanting a harsh, stealthy playground that can be gobbled up by a band of friends.
I can’t say G-LOC Air Battle is a game I will play very often at all, but I am really glad that it got the M2 treatment and finally has arrived in a home release, decades after its original arcade debut.
Oninaki is an abundance of compelling ideas enveloped in a fog of stammering expression. An extensive progression system, myriad combat options, and a sincere and original premise aren't enough to overcome the rote execution of its world, characters, and basic combat. Oninaki's only viable curiosity is what kind of game it may have been with more time, budget, and expertise.