VR developers continue to prove that there is no single formula for making a great virtual reality experience, and this latest batch of releases takes that idea in several very different directions. From the kinetic mix of puzzles, parkour and combat in Hyperstacks to the more focused escape-room design of Amelia’s Escape, these games each explore a different way of putting players directly into their worlds. Walkabout Mini Golf adds another inventive course to an already dependable VR favorite, while Irusu Cricket VR demonstrates how surprisingly effective a traditional sport can become when the player is physically standing at the crease. Continue reading “VR roundup: Hyperstacks, Amelia’s Escape, Walkabout Mini Golf & Irusu Cricket VR”
Category: addon
Heat – Rocky Roads review
Heat: Pedal to the Metal was already a remarkably complete racing game, so the challenge for any expansion is not to fix what was never broken, but to find new ways of making us reconsider the road ahead. Heat: Rocky Roads, published by Days of Wonder and Asmodee, takes the familiar 1960s Grand Prix setting and adds two new circuits, a ninth racer, fresh upgrade and sponsorship cards, and another four Championship events. The result is very much an expansion rather than a reinvention, but that is hardly a problem when the underlying game remains as enjoyable as it was when we first reviewed it. The new content mostly succeeds because it understands exactly what makes Heat work: every extra rule needs to feed back into that wonderfully tense balance between speed, positioning and engine management. Continue reading “Heat – Rocky Roads review”
Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand review (PC)
Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand takes one of the defining real-time strategy series and strips away much of its traditional structure to concentrate on a simple question: how long can we keep our headquarters standing? There is no campaign to push through, no territory to capture and no elaborate base-building phase to worry about. Instead, we are dropped onto one of five battlefields, given a handful of tools and asked to survive twelve increasingly dangerous waves. It is a surprisingly natural fit for Company of Heroes, because while the format is different, the fundamentals remain intact. Positioning, cover, combined arms and knowing when to reinforce or reposition are still what separate a successful defence from a spectacularly expensive defeat. What is missing is a stronger sense of narrative, although the individual battles often compensate by creating their own little war stories through desperate last stands and unexpected reversals. Continue reading “Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand review (PC)”
DLC roundup: Frostpunk 2, The Alters & Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
If the biggest releases often grab the spotlight, it’s downloadable content that increasingly determines how long a great game stays relevant. This latest roundup looks at three very different approaches to post-launch support, from a story-driven expansion that reshapes the survival challenges of Frostpunk 2 to a substantial new chapter for The Alters, and the first fighter in FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves’ latest season pass. Continue reading “DLC roundup: Frostpunk 2, The Alters & Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves”
Release roundup: PowerWash Simulator 2 – Star Wars, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Skitarii & Biomechanical Toy
This week’s roundup highlights three very different releases, each catering to a distinct audience. Whether you’re scrubbing iconic Star Wars locations clean in PowerWash Simulator 2, bringing the Omnissiah’s wrath to Hive Tertium in Warhammer 40,000: Darktide’s new Skitarii DLC, or revisiting an obscure arcade shooter from the mid-’90s with Biomechanical Toy, there’s plenty of variety on offer. While each release has its own strengths and shortcomings, they all demonstrate how both new content and classic revivals continue to keep today’s gaming landscape refreshingly diverse. Continue reading “Release roundup: PowerWash Simulator 2 – Star Wars, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Skitarii & Biomechanical Toy”