Umar Bastra
Life is Strange Episode 3 falters in some areas but it was never enough to hurt the overall experience. With heartfelt moments and an incredible climax, this game proves that it can stand tall amongst the giants in the genre. I felt a bit disheartened by the incredibly slow and slightly boring second episode, but this one proves that this game is still hella awesome, and yes, I just said hella.
Fallout 4 carries over a number of problems from the past, and some of the more streamlined changes end up hampering the experience - but despite all of that, it's a fantastic game that delivers one of the most compelling and addictive worlds this year.
Once you get used to all the mechanics, you'll find yourself, and even though it can get really frustrating at times, Xenoblade Chronicles X remains engrossing even after dozens of hours of play. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm really feeling it!
Story pacing issues aside, World of Final Fantasy is an absolute joy to play through. The game may look tiny, but it has a massive heart.
Dragon Quest Builders is a superb game, appealing to both fans of the series and newcomers alike. Don’t think of this as a Minecraft clone, but rather as a good Dragon Quest game with crafting and building elements.
Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX is the definitive collection of 4 classic JRPGs. The story might be the weapon to surpass Metal Gear in terms of convoluted storylines, but its cast of endearing and human characters more than makes up for this.
Bloodshed's End concludes the Nioh saga on a high note with amazing bosses and a new challenging mode. Not to mention it has some truly nostalgic throwbacks to Ninja Gaiden, and that alone, makes it a worthwhile experience
Dragon Quest 11 falters in the pacing of its story and features an unimpressive OST but at the end of the day, this game is like getting together with an old friend and hanging out on a cool summer's day; it's familiar and oh so comforting.
A slight downgrade in some visual effects and audio quality do little to hold back what is otherwise a great and smooth port of Dark Souls.
Indivisible is one of the more memorable Metroidvanias that I've played in recent years with its unique and addictive combat system. Story issues aside I enjoyed every minute I spent with this game.
As a stand-alone experience, The Tengu's Disciple is a bit on the short end and there's not much to the story at all, but it does provide some of the best boss battles to date. If the rest of the upcoming DLC provides the same level of gameplay and showdown quality as this chapter does, then Nioh 2 is going to have some incredible longevity going forward.
Nier Replicant gets a new lease on life complete with a combat system and graphical overhaul resulting in a game that's actually fun to play. More importantly, it allows the emotional and amazing story-telling to shine even more. Backtracking complaints aside, this is one game you have to experience for yourself.
Life is Strange's debut episode starts off strong, showing just enough of what it has to offer while cementing its characters and story firmly in its world. Though the journey only lasted 2-3 hours, it did enough during that time to make me excited for the episodes to come and it left me guessing what the consequences of my actions will be.
If you're a PS4 owner and you've never played this game before, it's an easy recommendation as the core game is fun and addictive. If you're someone that has already crafted a Terra Blade, you've probably played this game to death already and it's a bit of a hard sell especially if you've got it on other Sony platforms. Regardless, Terraria is an amazingly addictive and satisfying game with tons of replay value and is well worth every penny.
Overall, Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is a superb return for the series, and while it will undoubtedly frustrate most players with its archaic and downright atrocious control scheme, it makes up for its shortcomings with a fun and intuitive combat system, a scary and obscure story and stunning sound and art direction.
Bravely Second is one of the few JRPGs to play purely for the gameplay. While the story is good, the writing tends to spoil one too many potentially great moments with unnecessary fluff and comedic skits. On the other hand, everything else about the game is fantastic and was more than enough to hold my attention. Though the writing may make you cringe, the fun and incredibly deep battle and customization system makes this an easy recommendation to any JRPG fan.
Hyrule Warriors Legends is a fantastic game that is not satisfied with being a simple port. Its new features and content, refined gameplay and the inclusion of all the original’s DLC makes this an easy recommendation, if, and only if, you have a New 3DS.
Dragon Quest Heroes 2 provides a fantastic RPG-Musou experience, giving players the best of both worlds. The story might fall flat, but by Lu Bu, is the gameplay is an absolute blast.
Ni No Kuni 2 manages to showcase that even without Studio Ghibli, Level-5 can still create a truly wondrous and magical JRPG. Even though the new features and strategic elements feel undercut by its easy difficulty, this is still a fine example of what the genre has to offer.
For better and worse, Nioh 2 feels like more of the same. Tired environmental design and rehashed gameplay elements sully what is otherwise an addictive and exhilarating loot-based hack and slash samurai adventure.