World War Z GOTY edition doesn't provide a whole lot to players that the standard edition already has done in way of free post-release content. In essence, you're paying for character skins, and weapon skins and variants. While the variants help new players jump start their adventure, the upgrade for returning players isn't all that worthwhile. The Marseille episode, while fantastic, can also be purchased as a separate DLC. In reality, the GOTY edition doesn't have too many legs to stand on to suggest it's completely worth the money.
Maskmaker feels like it's going to give you full control over the game, then it takes it away from you and does it for you. The parts it gives you full control over, however, tend to be exceptionally tedious. The crafting system is great when the game wants it to be, and I loved exploring every nook and cranny that the game had to off, but in short, while the game feels like a bedtime story, ultimately it's just that --- there's not much lucidity that you'd expect from a VR game, and it feels more like an on-rails experience.
Into The Radius is a great VR survival game with an amazing atmosphere, rewarding experience, and a very interesting set of enemies. It's especially suited to VR veterans, who may think they've experienced all that's to see and do with the platform. Do beware however, as this game has recently come out of Early Access and has some hallmarks of it.
Burnout Paradise Remastered for the Nintendo Switch comes with its fair share of issues. You'll experience a lot of blurriness playing it handheld, and might struggle making out what's what at high speeds even when playing it docked. Plus, there's that big $50 price tag for a 2008 game. Yet, included in the remaster is eight of the nine premium DLC, which comes with nearly all the vehicles unlocked, as well as one of the best racing soundtracks to ever exist.
Homebody is unnerving. The puzzles are difficult, and it's extremely rewarding when you slowly chip away at them as you uncover the secrets of the house. Equally, it's immersive - you'll slowly morph into the player character's shoes and feel her fear of isolation. The only trouble with Homebody is it eventually feels less and less like a horror game, as you'll eventually realize that it's not all that scary - and quite forgiving.
Winter Ember is good, but could be better. The voice acting and script made me extremely disinteresting in the story, and combat is just so extremely dull. It doesn't help either when the soundtrack overheard in all areas of the game is equally as basic. These three things made the game lose a bit of its charm, but that's all mended together thankfully by the enjoyable stealth mechanics and moment-to-moment gameplay. As a pure stealth experience, this game fast became a highly enjoyable experience overall, and one that I'd recommend if you can get past its big issues.
The story is lackluster, the microtransactions are everywhere, but everything else is amazing; it's like being on a rollercoaster ride every single second you play. Ubisoft put its heart and soul into developing every location just so that each race and each moment feels immensely different from the next. It's an absolutely thrilling, immersive experience that does well to keep you entertained for hours and hours on end. If only you could spend more time racing people instead of bots, then it'd really feel like you're working to become the amazing triathlete Riders Republic wants you to be.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 for the PS5 is a great PlayStation game, but not necessarily a great PS5 game. It's still a ton of fun to play, with no noticeable bugs or glitches. However, the only utilized PS5 feature is improved loading times. Adaptic triggers and haptic feedback felt largely unused, so much so it felt more like I was playing with a PS4 controller. Nonetheless, that doesn't stop this remake from being amazing --- it's still a ton of fun to play, and for new players there's plenty of content to chew through that you won't necessarily be missing those missed DualSense features.
Microsoft has finally brought Age of Empires 3 out of the dark ages and fans are able to return to the game that they know and love. There's a lot of quality of life changes to be found with the Definitive Edition, but at the same time there's essentially the same amount of content to be experienced. Returning players may find that they're effectively paying for a 15 year old game, but are now able to view it in 4K.
Skully is a simple platformer that boasts fun characters, a great soundtrack, and creative gameplay; all of which provide a rewarding experience by the end of it. However, good things only last for a while, since the quality of the story drops off significantly by the end, and the poor music looping quickly becomes boring. And yet, it's an underrated gem that you'll likely want to platinum as soon as it's done.
Although Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time has the occasional frame rate drop, and it doesn't pose that high a challenge, Soleil's game direction has proved worthwhile. Having all the tools to shape your experience provides a thoroughly enjoyable experience for the player, and it'll keep long-time fans of the series happy seeing Jack's old allies in action once more. However, with such a short time-to-complete and weak story, it will have you yearn for more.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is one of those games that oozes fun, no matter how you play it. It lends itself perfectly to all playstyles, and has this natural way of immersing the player in its world. That might be from the unique RPG system, the insanely detailed environments that make you feel like you're really walking through this huge hellscape, or maybe it's just the gratuitous violence. Whatever the cause, it's doing a great job of keeping me hooked. Of course, the game isn't without its cons, and these do detract from an otherwise solid experience. Regardless, it's a game that I will absolutely be coming back to time and time again.
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate is the definitive edition to own if you don't already own the game and post-launch content. However, running off a PS5, the improved load times and graphical enhancements are amazing and necessary. It's a highly optimized game that feels like it was made for the new generation of consoles. The ability to launch within seconds from the main menu into a match is a technical marvel of itself. It's definitely the Mortal Kombat 11 version to purchase if you want to own all the post-launch content from the get-go.
Spellbreak could be a huge hit if it was capable of drawing in the numbers, but a poor marketing campaign established otherwise. Even still, Proletariat's fantastic sound design, music, gameplay mechanics, and art style creates a hugely immersive experience for the player; comfortably satisfying a player's desire to experience games shaped around elemental magic. It's a shame that such an incredibly rewarding experience is marred by bot-heavy games.
The Wizards - Dark Times is great. It's absolutely a must-have if you're interested in VR spellcasting using only hand movements, and generally want to feel like a wizard. While there are some minor grievances with the gameplay, they pale in comparison to the level of fun and enjoyment you'll get out of this one.
The Room VR: A Dark Matter is great. It's got plenty of unique puzzles, which never felt overused once, and has some very creative environments. It also has a deeply mysterious story, which was designed in the same vein as the original mobile games in the series. Consequently, in the same vein as those, it didn't feel like it was a completely new and authentic VR experience. The developers didn't utilise all that VR is capable of, which is a real bummer for what this title could have ultimately been.
Lies Beneath is one of those horror games that's so tense and stressful but will keep you stuck behind your headset for hours. Though this game may have a few issues, its cel-shaded art style and fun game mechanics are what sets it as a must-have for VR horror fans. It's got all the hallmarks of being a great, immersive VR title. It certainly doesn't disappoint.
Not many games have you play the underdog from beginning to end. It's tense, and each passing day keeps you on edge. You'll be emotionally invested in trying to keep your members, friends, family, and even strangers safe as you make choices that will shape your life and their future. Although a second playthrough doesn't hit the same way emotionally as the first, it's still a fantastic title to understand the heart-wrenching reality of that period.
Soulstice does an exceptional job of keeping the player engaged throughout its entirety. The amount of content just within the combat is jaw-dropping, so much so that it feels like Reply Game Studios aren't saving anything for a sequel. There's a lot to discover (and a lot to master) as you slowly trek through its massive world and uncover one of the most enjoyable detective-style stories that I've come to experience.
Metal: Hellsinger has absolutely kickstarted the boomer-shooter, rhythm FPS genre. Of the handful of issues the game possesses, they're all overshadowed by its insane amount of entertainment value. There's no doubt that The Outsiders have created something extraordinary, something that absolutely needs a sequel. Although very challenging and not without its critiques, its an extremely satisfying experience through and through.