Chorus' controls and awesome powers make its space dogfighting some of the best, but the convoluted story and frustrating difficulty spikes hold it back from greatness. I would love to see a sequel with more interesting missions, where it just gets out of its own way and allows players to soar.
Dark Alliance has the core of a fun game, but many design decisions and some very spotty enemy AI prevent the game from fully taking flight. While the game still feels early, there is some fun to be had running around and taking advantage of Dark Alliance's many issues. But with time, this game will become a mid-tier action adventure-which is exactly what it should be.
While the cheerful island graphics and pirate themes are fun, King of Seas' over reliance on grinding quickly stifles the enjoyment. Exploration is highly enjoyable, but after you've seen everything, the story is the only thing left to pursue. Artificial barriers to extend the experience frustrate, as there is little satisfaction in grinding to victory.
Hood: Outlaws and Legends brings players into an alternate universe where Robin Hood and his Merry Men are a gang of murderous thieves. While the core heist gameplay loop offers some fun for committed players, the structure around those heists doesn't give much reason (beyond getting better) to keep playing. The thematic darkness doesn't help; when the Sherriff of Nottingham drops f-bombs and smashes people's heads like pumpkins, I kinda tap out.
Deiland: Pocket Planet Edition has a lovely, relaxing vibe, and some pleasant, very recognizable farming mechanics. But some quest problems lead to frustration – and worse, hours of bewildered wandering. When progression grinds to a halt and there is nothing to do but grow endless crops, Deiland starts to feel less pleasant, and more like a purgatory.
Breathedge offers some decent exploration and survival gameplay, tucked among very slow trips to gather materials that sometimes feel like they are wasting the player's time. A hit-and-miss sense of humor can sometimes amuse, while other times causing something close to fury. A mid-game pivot seems to drive the game off track-changing the mechanics in a way that feels jarring. Enjoyable for stretches, Breathedge can't help but shoot itself in the foot occasionally, in ways that are more frustrating than fun.
Though technically something of a wreck, I still enjoyed I Saw Black Clouds' narrative audacity. The choices the game makes aren't necessarily good, but they are often bold. Even through the rough editing and sound issues, the game still delivers some surprises and suspense. Holler at the screen and throw popcorn with your buddies, and you just might enjoy this one.
Pine has a lot of interesting systems and mechanics, but those individual pieces do not add up to a completely satisfying whole. While there is fun to be had with Pine's interesting exploration, many of the mechanics feel disjointed, with too much reliance on the game's collection-based economy. While Pine was clearly made with a lot of love, every good feature in is balanced by a mechanic that doesn't feel so great.
Yupitergrad is a well-made game that I simply didn't enjoy very much. The suction-cup based line swinging works great and is a lot of fun on its own. But trying to get through difficult sections with any sort of precision can be very challenging. For the strong-willed and strong-stomached only.
Torchlight 3 offers a solid foundation of ARPG goodness, but the balance of loot drops and progression feel off to the point where long sections of the game feel interminable. When everything is clicking, players can destroy waves of bad guys with the best of them – but expect an ebb and flow to the good times.
Without much reward for playing single player-and an obtuse and difficult to navigate multiplayer system-Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition simply creates too many barriers to entry for the player to overcome. While the simple gameplay could be fun with an easier interface, the complicated multiplayer will likely only be enjoyed by the most hardcore of fans. Not an outright bad game, but certainly a difficult game to play.
The Inner Friend is a game with interesting ambitions that doesn't quite gel together into a cohesive whole. While elements of the game (music and creature design) are quite stellar, other areas (puzzles, controls) suffer enough to hold the game back from what it could have been. The Inner Friend is still worth a look as an interesting experiment, just go in forewarned about the parts that don't work so well.
Beyond the bewildering decision to exclude multiplayer (and some truly awful characters), Trials of Mana is a very basic action RPG that might be good for kids or newcomers to the genre. Playing the game isn't unpleasant, though it puts up very little fight for experienced players. Know what you are getting into, turn your brain off (and the character voices down), and you may enjoy cruising through its very surface-level gameplay for a weekend.
Good Goliath is a well-made arcade game that I just didn't enjoy all that much. The central mechanic of little dudes throwing things at you and you catch them and throw them back somehow made me feel angry and annoyed. Stellar artwork and design would not overcome some mechanical issues and, in the end, I was left feeling grumpy.
Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash! is an absolute delight—for the entire 27 minutes of its play time. While the music, swirling lights, and dancing are all accessible and fun, the price for this game is incredibly out of proportion to what you get for your money. Wait for an extreme sale, and then have a blast with this wildly entertaining game.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics is a competent tactics game that doesn't rely on its license for much beyond window dressing. Though the gameplay is entertaining and works well, there is little in this game that ties it strongly to property that spawned it. TDC:ART will be great for tactics fans that are looking for an inexpensive diversion, but Dark Crystal fans might be disappointed by the game's underwhelming presentation.
While interesting and certainly unique, Ritual: Crown of Thorns wears down the player with relentlessly punishing difficulty. While the concept and story are a hoot, in the end the gameplay can't sustain interest. Instead of feeling rewarded by advancing to new levels, players must often backtrack and play previous difficulty levels repeatedly. Frankly, there are just too many other ways that I would rather be spending my time.
Let's Sing Country provides a way to sing modern radio country songs (and a couple of classics) with friends. If that sounds fun to you, then you will likely enjoy this game. It doesn't need to be more complicated than that.
Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son is primarily a superb adventure game occasionally stymied by overly finicky – and at times outright broken – minigames. At most times a stellar lighthearted VR romp with some grand heartfelt moments, Groundhog Day's charm subsides at times as players are forced to do minigames over and over to succeed. The superior writing and structure shine through, but expect some moments of frustration.
Like the original franchise that spawned it, The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure starts out simple enough but quickly ramps up in difficulty to the point where it where it will exclude its target audience. On its own, Angry Birds 2 is a fine Overcooked clone, but beware if you plan on playing by yourself or with little kids. At least a couple of experienced gamers are required if you want to see any of the late-game content.