Somehow, Capcom has managed to find a way to weaponize concentrated nostalgia, and set us all in their cross-hairs. While not as impressive as the first iteration in terms of quality and amount of content, Mega Man Legacy Collection 2, is still worth a purchase for damn near any gamer. It manages to be grounded in history, while still adding in just enough modern flourishes to help keep the challenge manageable. If recent history is any indication, it's probably best to indulge yourself and savor every byte of digital goodness. Lord knows when we will get the chance to see the Blue Bomber again.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then ChromaGun is one of the most lovingly crafted manifestos I've ever seen. It effortlessly parallels the world of Portal, while injecting more than enough originality to be able to stand on its own. It may not quite meet the gold standard that was established by Valve's masterpiece, but I can't help but wonder how much more impressive it might have felt, if ChromaGun had actually pre-dated Portal. While certainly not reinventing the wheel, this is an experience that will surely satiate any puzzle fiend, searching for a more colorful way to embrace their inner tester.
For all of its promise, Dead Alliance falls frustratingly short of its full potential.
It's rare for a game to sneak in under the radar and genuinely catch me off guard. Tooth and Tail is one of these infrequent pleasures that feel like discovering a diamond amongst the coal. This is a stellarly constructed and well-considered RTS that goes a long way towards showing how the genre can stand out, even without the aid of a keyboard and mouse. When also factoring in the approachability that the art style brings to the table and its shockingly deep well of unit types, it becomes obvious that this is the full package. So, lace up your boots and reach for the ammunition. It's high time to blow some drunken squirrels back to hell, where they belong. Fire away, soldier.
Purely when looked upon as an educational vessel, Chernobyl VR has a genuinely compelling story to tell. Unfortunately, the overall lack of visual polish undermines the ambitions of the developers. It may be a bit much to ask $9.99 for an experience that has such a short run time and lacks any substantial replayability. I genuinely like what the developers are trying to accomplish, but it falls short of justifying the price tag. Unless this is a purchase for classroom purposes, you should probably just wait for Ken Burns to decide to cover Chernobyl in a future documentary.
There's plenty to like in Pharaonic, including fantastic visuals, interesting (albeit repetitive) character design and moment-to-moment gameplay that is hard to beat. The development team has somehow managed to make a Souls-style game accessible, with one less dimension. Ambitious achievements like this are fairly rare, especially for such a young studio. And to imagine that this was done on such a small scale is genuinely remarkable. I would highly recommend giving this experience a look if you're looking for the next chance to be reminded how you suck at games. Git gud, man. Git gud.
When you take a step back and look at what Raw Data is attempting to accomplish on the PSVR, it's remarkable what they were able to pull off. Better yet, it's one of the few VR experiences that I've played that feel like they've graduated from extended tech demo to a fully formed gaming experience. Unfortunately, while the ambition is certainly there, it feels like the hardware is once again preventing a standout title from achieving its potential greatness. Raw Data is an experience that is most definitely worth exploring, just don't expect your eyes to be overwhelmed with what they see. Suit up soldier. It's about time you cause an oil clean-up in aisle everywhere.
On one side of the coin, Outcast: Second Contact is a warranted revisit of a beloved title. It has a fantastically well-constructed narrative that's a genuine treat to delve in to. However, on the other side of the coin are the terrible combat controls, embarrassingly low-fidelity voiceovers and a bland, bug riddled world design. Being retro is no excuse for recklessly disregarding the quality of the end product. This may be one of those nostalgic experiences that are better left dead and buried in the past.
In case you couldn't tell, InnerSpace is a game that you should be playing. The well-realized worlds, exceptional aesthetic and compelling exploration mechanics complement each other tremendously well. If you can get past the occasional bout of unnecessary complex exposition, the evolution of each environment tells a compelling enough story to keep you enthralled from start to finish. Drop everything and check out what deserves to be one of the sleeper hits of 2018.
For a short time, I was genuinely in love with this game. It managed to be so damn fun, despite the fact that it was whipping my ass right and left. The low-fi production values and unique character designs and power-ups only deepened my affections. However, the fact remains that while it was fun, it was a supernova of a game. It burned hot and bright for a short period of time and then fizzled out almost as quickly. It's surely worth a glance, but it may be best to wait until you can play this with friends, where it has the chance to truly shine.
It's genuinely difficult to not be charmed by the foul-mouthed shenanigans of Rad Rodgers. The game somehow manages to morph extremely dated design ideals into a form that is palatable to the modern console crowd. If you can get past the constant barrage of unnecessary vulgarity, you will find the muted luster of something special hiding beneath. Here's to hoping that Slipgate Studios gets the opprotunity to make something a bit more substantial the next time around.
Even with the occasional boneheaded design choice, there's still so much that Apex Construct does right. The absorbing level design, outstanding voice acting, and competitive combat all prove to be fantastic uses of PlayStation VR. Ultimately, the game feels like a very promising glimpse into the potential future of the platform. Even with its wrinkles, this adventure exemplifies what VR experiences could be on PlayStation.
If you were to boil TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge down to its essence, it does a fantastic job of recreating the storied event in fantastic detail.
On the surface, Super Mega Baseball 2 looks like a pretty face that lacks the substance necessary to have any sort of staying power. On closer examination, however, the depth of the mechanics provide a far more gratifying gameplay than would be expected. Slap an amusing layer of over-the-top animations on top of a roster of cartoonishly disarming characters, and the result is glorious throwback to the yesteryear of sports gaming. Being a filthy casual has never been so appealing.
It somewhat goes without saying, but Unravel Two feels like the organic evolution of the franchise. The introduction of cooperative mechanics proved to be just enough change to keep things fresh, while still preserving what made the original so special. Weaving the matured puzzle design in amongst the already stunning art style produces a visual patchwork quilt that is unlike anything else on the market. If you can set aside the odd storytelling decisions and the occasional platforming quirk, Yarny's newest quest is one you won't want to miss.
There are plenty of aspects of Kabounce to enjoy. The fast-paced action, stylistically exaggerated attacks and intense give-and-take help deliver a genuinely enjoyable experience. However, things tend to run out of steam rather quickly. If you are looking for an entertaining way to burn a few hours, look no further. If you have aspirations of extensive replayability, however, you will be better served rolling on by.
As backhanded as it may sound, Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-Tered Edition is far better than it has any right to be. The mechanics that originally made it heaps of fun still hold true today. Shedding the excessive complexities that accompany modern open-world games is a surprising breath of fresh, albeit dusty, air. Regardless of whether you are a red planet rookie or grizzled Martian veteran, you won't want to miss the opportunity to revisit this explosive gem. It really brings the house down.
When played in small bursts, Mothergunship has the potential to be an extremely amusing experience. The bite-sized nature of the mission structure and fast-paced action make it ideal for burning small bursts of time. Even better, the constant progression makes every session, regardless of length, feel like it's consistently contributing towards turning the player into a certifiable badass. As long a bit of repetition isn't a turnoff, there are countless hours of destruction that await.
If you were to look up the word “consistent” in the dictionary, there should be annotation referencing the Madden franchise. EA has cranked out solid installments year-after-year, and this iteration is no exception. They've made strides forward on many fronts, including more realistic controls, new ways to interact with lineups in franchise mode, and several additional Ultimate Team experiences. Sure, there still might be the occasional physics quirk, but Madden NFL 19 still cements itself as the premier football simulation on console.
I genuinely appreciated what We Happy Few was trying to accomplish. Its unique perspective to storytelling and compelling setting kept frustrations at bay for far longer than they had any right to. I even think that the game has the potential to course-correct though their future DLC. However, this doesn't change the fact that the game has serious issues that make this full retail release feel more like a second round of Early Access. I cannot in good conscience encourage anyone to purchase the game in its current state. It would be best to revisit the game in a few months to see if things have improved. Now if you will excuse me, I have to pop a pill and pray to God that my entire memory of this game will just go away.