Henry's Monthly Newsletter - May 31, 2023
Showtime
Hey everyone. Welcome to my weekly monthly newsletter, thank you as always to everyone who’s subscribed. I feel like May’s gone in a flash but looking back, I’m0 realising just how much I’ve done. There’s so much I can’t share right now, pieces waiting to go live. Even as this newsletter goes out, I’m heading off to meet a publisher for a day-long event.
Whenever I’m asked by friends or family lately how things are going, I only have one answer: “Busy.” June is nearly upon us and even with PlayStation Showcase done, the next two weeks are best described as “showcase, showcase, showcase.” Meta’s hosting their Quest Gaming Showcase tomorrow, UploadVR hosts our Summer Showcase on June 14, and that’s before naming the more mainstream ones like Summer Game Fest.
Needless to say, June will be exceptionally busy but I’ve got plenty to show for May. Between annual racing games, sleepless nights and controller-free roguelikes, here are my biggest features for the month:
Insomnia: Theater In The Head impressions
If you saw me at W.A.S.D. 2023 on opening day, sleep deprived and running on less than an hour’s sleep, I can only apologise. Finding Insomnia: Theater in the Head in the Curios section was almost poetic but it’s a rare game that understands my sleeping woes this well. Here’s what I thought about this sleepless adventure.
Rogue Ascent Impressions
This may shock you but I genuinely believe VR has fascinating potential, and we’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible. For many games, ditching controller support for hand-tracking has been little more than a novelty, a fun extra. Rogue Ascent takes full advantage of this technology to deliver a unique VR roguelike shooter. These are my early impressions.
F1 23 Preview
Anyone who follows me on Twitter is likely aware that I’m a big motor racing fan, especially for Formula 1. As a freelancer, UploadVR let me tackle the F1 22 review and now, F1 23 is almost here. Like any annual series, don’t expect drastic changes but for any racing fan, what’s here is entertaining. I just wish playing in PC VR didn’t keep crashing my headset.
Red Matter 2 on PSVR 2
Red Matter 2 is one of VR’s best adventures and I stand by what I said last year in my IGN review. This sci-fi adventure was a visual showcase on Quest 2, so I’m very impressed that Vertical Robot took this even further to deliver what I’d call a Definitive Edition. Between enjoyable puzzles, an intriguing story and improved performance, here’s what I thought of the PSVR 2 version.
Dungeon Golf Preview
Dungeon Golf asks the age-old question of what happens if you mix Zelda's dungeon-crawling structure with Mario Golf's party sports gameplay. I was intrigued by a hands-off demo during W.A.S.D. 2023 but after spending some time with the public playtest directly, it's looking promising. Here’s my preview.
VR Skater Preview
VR Skater is a tough one to judge, though this preview build was pretty limited. Skateboarding never interested me like motor racing, yet I found a satisfying movement system and landing tricks that rewarding. Unfortunately, there’s a steep learning curve and pulling off clever moves can be tough. My early impressions.
Everslaught Invasion Review
My most recent review has, for me, been a long time coming. Everslaught Invasion is an intense co-op game that I first played during EGX 2022 over 8 months ago. Following another hands-on preview back in January, the full release is now here and I found myself much less positive than those occasions. Thanks to more repetitive elements, this is a game best experienced in small sessions. My full review.