Local multiplayer lacks the narrative trappings of the campaigns, but serves as a solid extension of the core gameplay. Online multiplayer, however, is where Strikers Edge falters. After several attempts to evaluate it, I was never successfully matched against an opponent. So, for six-eyed folks in search of a frenetic couch co-op game, look no further. Strikers Edge is an underdog to root for. The rest of us might be better off renting Dodgeball instead.

When I got over the controls I dug into the season, gradually evolving the skill of my team’s characters was well done, and improving my standing was addictive. I’d even say that winning a match of Thetaball is as gratifying as its peers like Rocket League or #IDARB. Perseverance will reward with Thetaball. It’s got a bigger hump to get over than most other games of its kind, but its base is solid — the dev just needs to zero in on the best parts of the game and start iterating.

Being a text-based political game, Shape of America probably has fairly limited appeal at best, but it’s great to see developers taking risks on unique ideas like this and delivering them in a package of solid design and storytelling. I’m looking forward to episode two.

One of 2018’s more notable indie releases, worthwhile as a charming homage to retro action/adventure titles and as an ambitious exercise in restrained game design – it’s the world’s most agreeable game, chopped up into a hundred bite-sized pieces. I want to complain that it’s over too quickly, but then Minit makes a constant case for brevity being the soul of wit, so I guess I should shut up.

Anyone looking to smash through the game’s 705 shortcuts, billboards and jumps is a true glutton for punishment, but Burnout Paradise was never made to test players’ skills — it was made to be an escape, which is why the poor difficulty curve is so forgivable. It will always be a pleasure to return to the warm sun and speedy shenanigans of strangers in this familiar place, even if just for a few minutes.

Symmetry is a beautiful and deadly puzzle of survival that successfully emphasizes the loneliness and tension in this most dire of situations. However, the collision issues that affect the player’s controls and text notifications that are too difficult to read can turn this gripping experience into something intensely frustrating in an instant. For those willing to push through these rough edges, Symmetry is a unique experience that should not be missed.

Sine Mora EX looks amazing, plays like a dream, and has a story that will leave players feeling bad about themselves and the world. That third thing may not sound like a selling point, but it’s so strange that I couldn’t help but be impressed by the audacity the developers had to include it. Horizontal Shmups don’t come smoother or better-looking than this, so it’s an easy recommendation for anyone with an interest in the genre.

While Far Cry 5 doesn’t reinvent the wheel and is not a massive change of direction for the series, it does fix many of the problems I had with earlier entries, and it jettisons a lot of unnecessary baggage that had accumulated over the years. The end result is a lot of mindless enjoyment with memorable characters that go to waste thanks to the disconnected plot. It’s not going to be my game of the year, but as a fan of this formula, I still found it worth the time I put into it.

It successfully channels the spirit of its inspiration, it will please the niche audience that remembers it, and it’s impossible not to appreciate all the TLC that must have gone into its creation. Good strategy will win games and the playbook is not shallow, but it’s impossible not to love a game where victory can also be won by killing the opposing team’s best players.

While I enjoy the idea of dedicated co-op and I’m excited to see someone exploring the space, it doesn’t feel like A Way Out trusted itself or its players to do so – the gameplay is simple to the point of being bland, the script is too predictable, and its efforts to evoke emotion feel cheap. It might be fine to play with a friend over a weekend, but it will be forgotten soon after, and it’s a shame.

Past Cure isn’t terrible. It has a great visual style, and the combat manages to offer some thrilling setpieces. It’s the lack of a coherent story that really sinks it, though. The way the script gives only glimpses of the big picture before undercutting all the work it’s done right at the end is simply unacceptable. Perhaps a sequel could redeem this effort and let the developers figure out the story they want to tell, but that doesn’t let them off the hook for keeping the player so thoroughly in the dark this time around.

It’s possible that Play With Me gets fantastic further in, and the developers certainly show a thorough understanding of the SAW franchise – this is a much better implementation than the official adaptation. Still, the experience is just too user-unfriendly to be worth spending time on. There’s some hope, however – they already noticed and fixed the match issue. Perhaps future patches will address some of the other myriad problems. Until then, however, I won’t be playing with them.

I have no doubt that the developers of Rad Rodgers meant their work to be a loving tribute to 16-bit platformers, and as long as the game restricts itself to fast action, it’s a perfectly fine experience. The puzzles and item hunting just don’t work, though, and those designs shouldn’t have made it through testing. Rad Rogers never rises to the level of the games it’s aping, which renders it inessential, because what’s the point of an homage that’s not even as good as its inspiration?

Paratopic‘s unique approach to storytelling and its unsettling content come together in a lo-fi, short experience that left me wanting more of this world and this story. But seriously, don’t watch the tapes.

Pop-Up Pilgrims has a lot to like — cute and varied character design, appropriately festive music, colorful, animated visuals that overflow with sakura blossoms. However, I simply couldn’t look past the struggles I had with the gameplay. Due to the clunky, headset-guided controls and taxing physical requirements, Pop-Up Pilgrims would probably be a better experience without VR.

I wish Ghost of a Tale was more polished and I’m annoyed that it ends as abruptly as it does, but I’m still eager to spend more time in this world. Whether Gallat continues his work or moves on to something else, he’s one to watch… and if this is what he can pull off more or less by himself, I’d love to see what he could do with a bigger team and a serious budget behind him.

APEX Construct manages what few others have – it creates a fully-fledged action adventure experience in VR. The levels are expansive and detailed, the story is intriguing enough to keep people trailblazing through each new area, and the combat – while occasionally frustrating – is just the kind of thing players looking to test their virtual bow skills will gobble up. It’s as good an adventure as I’ve seen in the made-for-VR world.

Binary Stars is not only a shmup, it’s also takes cues from roguelikes like randomly generated levels and permadeath. I may never finish it, but even so, Steredenn: Binary Stars is worth playing, and I will happily play it over and over again.

Fundamentally, the palette of action choices felt too limited, and the stately procession of single challengers makes each melee seem slow and boring. The premise feels compromised by the use of defense solely as a way to build up to violent attacks, rather than a way of dealing with bosses on its own. There’s an interesting idea or two in here, but they’re not developed into a complete, coherent experience.

Crossing Souls has great style and art direction, and while the plot can be quite cheesy, it’s in a good way. It’s just a shame that poor controls dampen what should be a more enjoyable retro-inspired experience than it is.

I cannot overstate how pointless and infuriating Castle of Heart feels to play.

Ni No Kuni II is absolutely delightful. While the original was bogged down by some cumbersome mechanics, Level 5 has done an outstanding job of cutting the fat while adding new elements and keeping things fresh — It has almost none of the filler that plagues the JRPG genre. I can’t stress how happy it makes me to see a game as good as this appeal to both someone like me, and to children as well. But most importantly, it’s not a kids’ game — it’s just a fantastic JRPG.

Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology offers a staggering amount of content for the price — there are nearly 300 different events to see, and the campaign can finish with dozens of possible endings. Patient RPG fans looking for intriguing story hooks and puzzle-like battle mechanics would do well to try it. Those looking to simply enjoy the narrative without being punished can also dip into Friendly mode and enjoy the experience as well.

Although it’s a bit short with only four levels, two difficulties, a weekly challenge, and an online score attack leaderboard, it’s right in line with what I’ve come to expect from an arcade-style title, and in its favor, it’s a rather refreshing take on the ‘shooting gallery’ genre that is quickly becoming stale among VR offerings.

The Council: Episode 1, The Mad Ones is a treasure thanks to a great story that’s well-told, some of the highest Interactive Movie production values I’ve seen, and a skill and experience system that serves to make it even deeper and more replayable than it already was. And the cliffhanger ending? It’s so compelling that I can’t wait for the next chapter to arrive.

Those hankering for something reminiscent of Advance Wars or Valkyria Chronicles will find much to enjoy, and players looking to challenge their grey matter should absolutely give it a try.

Mulaka is a treat for the eyes that’s just fine as it is, but I can’t help but feel there were many opportunities where it could have, and should have, done more.

The overall story does come up short when stacked against the incredible Yakuza 0, but it’s still a joy to take Kiryu out for a stroll in the most meticulously-crafted and comically-dangerous rendition of Japan ever offered.