The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, a Delayed Rail Shooter That Was Worth the Wait, Mostly

Games · Purchased March 18, 2023 · $32.09 via PSN

The Setup

A VR rail shooter spun off from The Dark Pictures Anthology — you ride a horror-themed roller-coaster-style track through remixed locations from the four main Dark Pictures games, shooting threats and solving light environmental puzzles along the way. It was originally meant to be a PSVR2 launch title but got pushed back about three weeks.

The Review

The haptic feedback tied to the "ride" — bumps, drops, weather effects — does a lot of the immersive heavy lifting, and revisiting locations from across the series is a nice bit of fan service. The on-rails structure limits your agency compared to other PSVR2 titles I’ve played, and ammo/reload management adds friction that felt more annoying than tense.

What I Liked

Strong haptic feedback tied to the ride
Nice environmental/weather effects
Fan-service value revisiting the series’ locations

What I Didn’t

On-rails structure limits player agency
Ammo/reload management adds unwanted friction
Fairly short, around a handful of hours

The Verdict

Rating: 3/5

Where to Buy

PlayStation Store

Destiny 2: Lightfall, a Great New Subclass Wrapped Around a Rushed Campaign

Games · Purchased February 28, 2023 · $83.74 via PSN

The Setup

Lightfall is Destiny 2’s seventh major expansion, sending Guardians to the neon city of Neomuna to stop the Witness, and introducing the Strand subclass. I grabbed it with the Annual Pass bundled in, covering the full year of seasonal content that followed.

The Review

Strand is genuinely one of the most fun subclasses Destiny has ever added — the mobility alone changes how I move through every activity. Neomuna is one of the best-looking destinations in the game. The campaign, though, was clearly rushed — the pacing and plot are confusing in a way the marketing never let on, and it’s a shame given how good the new toys are.

What I Liked

Strand is a fun, mobility-focused new subclass
Neomuna is visually one of Destiny’s best destinations
Annual Pass bundle saves money over the year
Strong new exotic chase

What I Didn’t

Campaign story feels rushed and confusingly paced
Annual Pass only pays off if you play the full year of seasons
Steep base price for a seasonal live-service game

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy

The Dreametech L10s Ultra, a Robot Vacuum That Finally Empties Itself

Hardware · Purchased March 4, 2023 · $1,012.78 via Amazon

Dreametech L10s Ultra Robot Vacuum — Photo: Dreametech

The Setup

An all-in-one robot vacuum/mop combo with a self-emptying, self-mop-washing/drying, self-water-refilling dock. It uses AI-powered navigation with a camera and structured light for obstacle detection and recognition across dozens of environment and obstacle types.

The Review

The hands-off maintenance is the whole selling point and it delivers — auto-empty, auto-mop-wash, auto-refill, all handled without me touching it for weeks at a time. Obstacle detection is solid, and the app is genuinely good with Alexa/Google Assistant support. The dock itself is large and needs real floor space, and I’ve had a couple of mapping hiccups on my cluttered main floor.

What I Liked

Genuinely hands-free maintenance
Solid obstacle detection/avoidance
Flexible cleaning modes
Good app with smart-assistant support

What I Didn’t

Large dock needs real floor/closet space
Premium price
Occasional mapping hiccups in cluttered areas

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy

Dreametech.com

After the Fall: Complete Edition, a Left 4 Dead for the VR Crowd

Games · Purchased February 24, 2023 · $33.99 via PSN

The Setup

A cooperative VR zombie shooter for up to four players, set in an alternate frozen-over 1980s Los Angeles — structurally it’s Left 4 Dead with a VR headset strapped on. The Complete Edition bundles the base game with everything released for it since launch.

The Review

The gunplay is satisfying, elevated by PSVR2’s resolution and haptics, and the manual reload mechanic is a great tactile touch that rewards skill with bonus headshot damage once you get the hang of it. The loot/progression system keeps me replaying missions. The wrist-inventory storage is tiny though, and I’ve lost more than one item mid-mission because of it.

What I Liked

Satisfying gunplay elevated by PSVR2’s haptics
Manual reload mechanic is tactile and rewarding
Rewarding loot/progression system
Genuinely fun in co-op

What I Didn’t

Not enough map/mode variety long-term
Tiny wrist inventory is a constant hassle
AI bot companions are unreliable without a full squad

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy

Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge Enhanced Edition, a Solid Reason to Own a PSVR2

Games · Purchased February 23, 2023 · $66.99 via PSN

The Setup

A first-person VR action-adventure where you play a droid repair tech stranded on Batuu, pulled into missions across the planet alongside C-3PO and R2-D2. The Enhanced Edition adds new content and PSVR2-specific upgrades like eye-tracking foveated rendering and haptics.

The Review

The real-time physical interactions — grabbing weapons and tools right off your belt — sell the Star Wars fantasy better than most flat-screen games manage. About 7 hours of content across the main story and bonus tales, with well-acted droid companions carrying a lot of the charm. Some tracking quirks (a wrist communicator that doesn’t always register) are the main blemish.

What I Liked

Physical, tactile interactions sell the VR fantasy
Well-acted, likable droid companions
Comfortable teleport movement, low motion sickness
Solid ~7 hours of content

What I Didn’t

A second playthrough is much shorter, reusing the same missions
Occasional tracking/clipping quirks
No melee option despite close-quarters moments

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy

PlayStation Store

Tentacular: Playing as a Giant, Well-Meaning Tentacle Monster Is More Fun Than It Sounds

Games · Purchased February 24, 2023 · $33.49 via PSN

The Setup

A physics-based puzzle-adventure where you play a giant, good-natured tentacle monster, using your tentacles to build contraptions and solve environmental puzzles across a sandbox world, wrapped in a light, humorous story about self-discovery.

The Review

It’s a lot funnier and more heartwarming than the "giant tentacle monster" premise suggests, and there’s real substance here — 10+ hours across 50+ levels, which is a lot for a VR title. The tentacle-physics puzzle mechanics feel genuinely novel. The one real downside is that it’s VR-exclusive with no flat-screen mode, so it’s a hard sell to friends without a headset.

What I Liked

Substantial length for a VR title
Genuinely funny, heartwarming tone
Novel, tactile tentacle-physics puzzle mechanics
Flexible comfort settings

What I Didn’t

VR-exclusive, no flat-screen option
Single-player only despite the playful premise

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy

PlayStation Store

FANTAVISION 202X, a Gorgeous PS5 Fireworks Puzzle Game With Not Much Underneath

Games · Purchased February 25, 2023 · $18.89 via PSN

The Setup

A remake of the PS2 launch title FantaVision, PS5-exclusive. It’s a puzzle/strategy game where you select and detonate chains of same-colored firework "flares" for chain-reaction combo scores — think Missile Command with fireworks.

The Review

Visually this is a showcase piece — dense, gorgeous particle effects that make good use of the PS5. The chain-combo puzzle loop is satisfying in short bursts and it’s a strong nostalgia hit for PS2-era fans. There just isn’t much depth underneath the spectacle; a few reviewers called it more tech demo than game, and I get why.

What I Liked

Gorgeous, dense particle/fireworks effects
Satisfying, meditative chain-combo loop
Strong PS2-era nostalgia factor

What I Didn’t

Shallow depth of mechanics for a full-price release
Limited replayability once combos are mastered
No cross-gen version

The Verdict

Rating: 3/5

Where to Buy

PlayStation Store

Awesome Asteroids: A Budget PSVR2 Launch Title That’s Exactly What It Says on the Box

Games · Purchased February 25, 2023 · $8.79 via PSN

The Setup

A budget-priced arcade shoot-’em-up that reimagines classic Asteroids in full 3D VR — blast waves of asteroids and enemy ships with lasers, rockets, and a gatling gun while defending your bases, grabbing shield power-ups along the way.

The Review

This one’s exactly what the $8.79 price tag suggests — simple, pick-up-and-play arcade fun with a decent sense of scale for a budget title, and a nice nostalgic hook if you grew up on the original Asteroids. It’s shallow and repetitive if you sit with it too long, and the presentation is noticeably dated next to the bigger PSVR2 launch titles, but for the price it’s a fine way to kill twenty minutes.

What I Liked

Simple, pick-up-and-play arcade fun
Decent sense of scale/immersion for the price
Nostalgic hook for Asteroids fans

What I Didn’t

Shallow, repetitive gameplay loop
Dated presentation next to other PSVR2 launch titles
Very light on content/modes

The Verdict

Rating: 3/5

Where to Buy

PlayStation Store

WHAT THE BAT?, More Absurdist Slapstick From the What the Golf? Team

Games · Purchased February 25, 2023 · $26.79 via PSN

The Setup

From the makers of What the Golf?, a slapstick, absurdist minigame collection themed around baseball bats — your hand becomes a bat (or something sillier) across 100+ short, chaotic levels of physical comedy.

The Review

It’s consistently silly in a way that escalates well, and it’s a genuinely good "hand the headset to a friend" party game. About 4 hours of content across the 100+ bite-sized levels, with a wholesome original soundtrack underneath the chaos. Some of the jokes are recycled from What the Golf?, and it’s on the shorter side once you’ve seen the gags.

What I Liked

Consistently silly, escalating sense of humor
Over 100 varied bite-sized levels
Great pick-up-and-play party game

What I Didn’t

Some jokes recycled from What the Golf?
Short with low replay value once you’ve seen it all

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy

Tetris Effect: Connected on PSVR2 Is the Best Reason to Own the Headset

Games · Purchased February 23, 2023 · $13.49 via PSN

The Setup

Second purchase after the headset itself, and it wasn’t close. Tetris Effect: Connected wraps classic Tetris mechanics in synesthetic audiovisual presentation — music, lighting, and particle effects all sync to your play — and the PSVR2 version adds native VR, layered haptics, and eye tracking on top.

The Review

This is the game I hand the headset to skeptical friends for. It’s meditative, stunning, and the "Zone" mechanic (freezing time to clear lines) adds real strategic depth to something as simple as Tetris. There’s a huge amount of content here across 30+ stages plus robust cross-play multiplayer.

What I Liked

Stunning, meditative audiovisual design
The Zone mechanic adds real strategic depth
Huge amount of content and modes
PSVR2’s haptics and eye tracking genuinely add something

What I Didn’t

Pricey re-buy if you already own the PS4 version
Pacing can feel slow until you learn the Zone/Journey modes

The Verdict

Rating: 5/5