If Rick & Morty: Virtual Rick-ality were a discount title, I would say "Take a look, but keep your expectations in check." However, this is one of the more expensive VR titles, and the brevity of the story combined with the frustration of some broken mechanics make this a mixed bag. The game is fun when it is working correctly, and the world building and writing are top notch, but don't expect to spend more than a couple of hours in Rick's garage, with some of that time spent wrestling with broken mechanics.
Godfall has all the ingredients for an enjoyable epic game, but somehow these ingredients are assembled into a soulless Franken-game that feels empty and soulless. While the combat is solid, and some of the boss fights are clever, players will still be left wondering why they should continue playing. Gorgeous to look at, but ultimately numbing to play.
Spuds Unearthed has a lot of cool elements, but they unfortunately don't add up to a very compelling game. Plagued by overly complex interface elements and a very flimsy structure, the core gameplay just isn't interesting enough to keep players coming back for more.
The Complex feels like a moderately entertaining super-low budget science fiction film – the first time. After that, it becomes apparent that the "interactive" part of this interactive film is just fluff, until the very end. At that point, the game slams you into an ending that feels a bit unearned. The Complex is a fun enough way to spend an evening with family or friends, but don't expect any longevity out of it.
Art Pulse is more of a toy than a game - but pleasant electronic music, brilliant colors, and a great movement system make Art Pulse an experience that certain people will enjoy quite a bit. While there is almost no structure and the creation tools are ultimately limited, just existing in Art Pulse's space is pleasurable for a time. Keep your expectations lowered, and you might enjoy simply existing in this gamespace.
A technical achievement to be sure, Battlewake succeeds in delivering accessible arcade-style naval battles. But underwhelming depth in the campaign, combined with broken matchmaking and a lack of cross-play with PC VR systems leaves the long-term prospects for Battlewake looking pretty grim.
Elea is a conundrum; a mirror-maze of beautifully rendered but almost indecipherable vignettes, tying together into an arc that is nearly inscrutable. Without a coherent story to tie them too, the puzzles involved become chores, and advancement becomes its own reward. Adventure gamers and fans of deeply surreal sci-fi might find things to enjoy here, but more casual players might want to look closer before buying.
Mini-Mech Mayhem has all the trappings of a fun game. The colorful visuals, cheery gameplay, and online representation of the player are all top-notch. But the core gameplay is somewhat questionable, due to the fact that it forces the player to strategize on unstable ground. There is a fine line between "anticipating" other players moves and "guessing", and in Mini-Mech Mayhem, that line is fuzzier than PSVR's graphics.
While the story in Eden Tomorrow is intriguing, there are simply too many frustrating mechanics to look past. The quality of the narrative is overwhelmed by repetitive puzzles, and a strange combination of completely linear gameplay and an occasional lack of direction. This is a game that would have been much better had the developers given up on the puzzles, and simply told a story.
A Fisherman's Tale tells a charming story with surprising depth that is unfortunately marred by technical issues. Within its brief playtime, the game's story packs in enough thought provoking content that I found myself thinking about it for days after playing. Though I'm not recommending A Fisherman's Tale, I wouldn't blame you if you decided to play it anyhow.
Squishies is a beautiful game that introduces a new, unique gameplay mechanic that unfortunately simply isn't very fun. With a game design that requires precision, vaguely influencing characters with wind is incredibly frustrating. Don't be fooled by the attractive art-style, if you are seeking a kid-friendly puzzler, this ain't it.
Farming Simulator 19 is a very visually appealing simulation/strategy game that absolutely nails the look and feel of the rural United States. Unfortunately, some very rough AI and a non-existent tutorial are barriers to entry. Series newcomers had best stand back and let the veterans clean this one up through mods before giving it a go.
I would love to say that I loved South Park: Snow Day. But the shallow combat, light story, and general lack of depth made me feel like this game was just scraping the surface of what it could have been. Grab it on sale to play with buddies, but beyond that, stick with the classics.
While I eventually began having fun with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, the game was a very difficult nut to crack. Rather than being open to the way I wanted to play it, Avatar pushed me to find the way it wanted to be played, and then kinda punished me for doing so. Frontiers of Pandora should feel free and flowing, but I've found a lot of the experience to be restrictive and near-punitive. Once I pushed through the game's many barriers to entry, I started having a good time, but don't expect to just jump in and have fun. Like Jake Sully, it's going to take a while to find your Avatar-legs.
Can torturing prisoners in a secret underground laboratory be kinda boring? The Kindeman Remedy shows that it can. Essentially a time management game, The Kindeman Remedy has players putting an evil doctor and his nun assistant through the paces of dark experiments in a way that ends up feeling a lot like a repetitive day of work. Some cheap kicks to be had from the not-so-violent violence, but the shock value is short-lived. Not a prison I would want to spend any significant amount of time in.
Cave Digger 2 is just too mechanically inconsistent to fully recommend. While there is a fun roguelike at the core of this experience, I had trouble with almost every mechanic in the game bugging out or being overly difficult due to technical issues. When you have to struggle this much to get a game to perform, it's tough to recommend, no matter how good the ideas behind it.
Far Cry 6: Lost Between Worlds feels like a bit of a wash, echoing too much of what came prior in the base game and DLCs. With required repeated runs through the same environments and a new combat mechanic that doesn't amount to much, this expansion doesn't provide much players haven't seen before outside of a strange new story for Dani Rojas.
While I can't fault Cloud Gardens for its cool visuals or interesting themes, those things are ultimately lost to fiddley controls and a somewhat obtuse gameplay loop. Many players will likely enjoy the creative side of this game, but others will be left wondering why they are trashing up perfectly nice scenes.
RiffTrax: The Game almost entirely relies on the quick wit of the people playing it; play with a bunch of duds and you will have a dire evening. But if you have funny friends, you can have a pretty decent time playing the "Write a Riff" mode for a few rounds. Just stay far away from the "Pick a Riff" mode, and understand that the appeal here is very limited to those that enjoy this form of entertainment already.
Zorya: The Celestial Sisters is a sweet, relaxed puzzle game with very unique cooperative mechanics that suffers a bit from overly touchy controls and some strange camera issues. While I ultimately enjoyed the game, I would suggest trying the demo before investing.