Another change I found in this version of FIFA was the amount of shoulder to shoulder combat happening all over the pitch. Lose your step for a second and you have someone bearing down on you and shouldering you off the wall. The soccer ball also sees a change, as in years' past it felt attached to a players' foot. In this version however, the ball rolls off your foot a lot easier and bounces around between players with greater frequency. This causes a lot less static play, with a greater sense of battle and strategy to be found at a quicker pace.
On the presentation side of things, the game looks solid, yet unremarkable. It is far from an ugly game, however, there is nothing here that really screams PlayStation 4. The world is nice and bright and the character models are kind of adorable. The audio side of this game is pretty good, with quirky dialog from the mad scientist and a mildly addictive main track that plays throughout. It is that sort of tune that is just perfect for an addictive puzzle game, which this is through the challenge modes.
On the presentation side, the game is a bucket full of colors, with every world being vibrant and bright. It is a very appealing and cute look that works well with the equally childish look of the characters and planets. As with the presentation side of things, the audio is a mix of 8 bit quirkiness that really shines during the levels. Though the game has some rather annoying sound effects throughout, like the random fart noises that seem to play every time to go to summon an item or way too often when you are talking with people. Outside of that, most of the noises found in the game just work and really expand the experience.
A minor issue I found too was while playing co-op with my wife. The game lets you visit two different areas of the map and work on separate things, which is nice. However, if I was working on a specific quest and then my wife started talking to an NPC to gain a new quest, the game collapses the split screen and reads you the quest. This becomes increasingly annoying when one person is in the middle of doing something and a quest is started, sometimes accidentally. This would be fixed with an option for online co-op, however that has still not been realized in the series sadly.
For a game that I knew nothing about until maybe a few days before release, The Last Tinker: City of Colors really did surprise and impress me, even with some of it's hiccups. What you have is a colorful and vibrant world full of cute inhabitants, quirky moments, and a great done soundtrack that do enough to keep you interested. This is the perfect example of a game that you could called a jack of all trades but a master of none. The combat, platforming, and puzzle solving are all serviceable game play elements that function well without being spectacular. Each section is just good enough. With over 10+ hours of game play, it is longer than I expected but has almost zero replay value to speak of. The Last Tinker: City of Colors is a throw back game that provides gamers with a simple approach to fun and it works.
As someone who plays every NHL yearly release all year long, it is unfortunate to see just how badly this has gone. I can somewhat understand taking out 6v6 online play if it wasn't ready, but taking out features in Be a GM or making Be a Pro completely unplayable is just ridiculous. If you are not a hockey fan at all but you want to slap around a few pucks, this might be the game for you. However, with all the lost features and left out modes, NHL fans might want to wait until everything is patched in to jump on this ship. EA Sports: it's in the game… eventually.
With all the bad I have said, there is an audience out there somewhere for Natural Doctrine. If you enjoy mindless hours of grinding with no clear goal or instruction, and if you enjoy hour long battles on the "easiest" difficulty setting where you still feel underleveled no matter how much you grind, then this game could be right up your alley. The system is there to try and be a good game, but it is given no chance to shine and no clear direction on what to do, leaving you with a mess of missed opportunities and frustration.
At the end of the day, the game was fairly average when it released on the PlayStation 3 and here we are on the PlayStation Vita and the game is still just average. The changes brought about with the Remake System does add value to the game and the combat is still fun. The game also scores points for going mobile, as it allows you to play a bit more at your leisure, hitting up a few missions and then putting the Vita down. The sad thing with this series and game, is that there is a great concept here that is hidden under layers of lame puns, bad jokes, and annoying characters. If you can get passed the story and added fluff that drags you down, there is enough here to keep you entertained for awhile.
It's hard to recommend Final Fantasy Type-0 HD at full price because it feels like a $60 PS Vita title. The game really shouldn't have released on a home console, as it makes a clunky transition from the PSP to next-gen and lacks the polish you would expect from a console release. That said, this is still a really good Vita game (Haha! BURN!!) that features a well designed and addictive combat system, with a story and characters that will keep you engaged. Seriously, this is one of the better combat systems in a JRPG that I have played. If you can get over the price tag and its obvious console shortcomings, you will find a game that is well worth the experience, XV demo or not.
NHL 16 is a huge step towards restoring faith in EA Canada and EA Sports. The game saw huge improvements across the board, with Be a Pro, Be a GM, and EASHL all being better entries than in previous years. It's not without its issue, as menu and online play lag is somewhat frequent and the added practice mode could use so much more attention, but the product is as crisp as they come. NHL is back with a vengeance and NHL 16 is one hockey game that you can't afford to pass up.
It's really rather unfortunate just how much is missing from Blue Reflection.
Summon Night 6: Lost Borders really surprised me. I can honestly say I am not usually a fan of visual novels, but this one to me never felt like one. This is a colorful and fun VSRPG (I think that works!) with loads of enjoyable characters, an interesting story, and a fluid combat system. While the game might have a bit too much extra dialogue, the story itself is full of charm, doing a great job of keeping you engaged. The combat flows along at a brisk pace, never feeling like you are on the battle field for too long, but not feeling rushed either. The ability to carry your progress between PlayStation 4 and Vita is a welcome addition, with the game looking and playing great both across both platforms. Gaijinworks should be commended for a great job in localization, and Western gamers should hope that this series continues to make its way out of Japan.
If you are looking for a game you can pick up and put down in short spurts, then Tokyo Tattoo Girls might just be perfect for you. There is a good strategy system to be found here, just really nothing else. The story is almost nonexistent and there really aren't enough options here to build upon the strategy, or give you something to break it up a bit. If you are OK with the lack of options and just want to take over Tokyo and look at some nicely detailed tattoos, then Tokyo Tattoo Girls should be on your radar. Just don't expect much more outside of that, because there isn't anything.
After being such a fan of the anime, I really wanted to fall in love with The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia. I was really hoping to see the same treatment given to Naruto or Attack on Titan, where the game really brings to life the anime in a fun, challenging, and engaging way. What was released sadly, was a game with some interesting ideas that failed to fully deliver on any of them. The game isn't terrible by any means, with some fans of the show sure to enjoy reliving Elizabeth's quest, but there is too much wasted potential here. If you don't mind the obvious lack of depth here, you can have some fun playing the game, just don't expect that fun to last.
Developer Soleil should be commended for giving players a fun world to create their ultimate ninja and then try out your best moves on people. The combat doesn't flow as nice as earlier games developed by CyberConnect2, but it's satisfying to run up a wall, jump off, and pull off a ninjustu mid-air. While that feeling is great, there is not enough built up around it to keep you engaged and feeling like a part of the ninja world. There were options out there to make the game a living, breathing, ninja brawler with some character, but those must have failed the Chuunin exam. Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker is a good start and will provide you with a good time, just don't be surprised if you find yourself growing tired of the rinse and repeat of VR missions and PVP.
There really isn't a lot that Persona 5 Strikers does wrong. The combat is rewarding, the story is interesting, and the characters/setting are fleshed out, all with a good soundtrack. It's by no means a perfect game, but what is wrong really isn't anything that impacts the wider experience. This game did such a great job with something new, blending in a few different game types, that now I really wish Persona 3 and 4 had done the same thing. Those who enjoyed Persona 5 will love getting the band back together for another adventure with a new gameplay style, falling in love all over again. For those new to the series, you won't feel like you missed a beat at all.
Overall, Super Animal Royale doesn’t really do anything groundbreaking, but it is still a fresh entry into the battle royale genre with its cute animal theme and the ability to quickly get into games without much waiting around. Cross play adds a lot of possible players to the pool and what’s here in the package works and it’s fun to play. The game does just enough to keep you coming back for more without being such a huge time commitment.
At the end of the day, whether you played the first or not, Mushroom Wars 2 is an enjoyable RTS that is accessible to all and a cracking bit of fun to play. Multiplayer, whether local or online is a special kind of quick-paced, slap you in the face fun that balances things out in a very nice manner. Great game to pick up in short spurts, as it doesn’t have the depth to keep you invested for too long at a time. Well worth picking up if you are in the mood for some fun.
At the end of the day, Edge of Eternity just sort of is. There is nothing really memorable here, just a bunch of ideas that don’t really deliver much of a kick. The UI is just disastrous, turning any task into a kick in the privates and the combat is just flat, with nothing really exciting about it. The basic premise of the story is strong enough and the characters aren’t horrible, but the dialogue felt rushed far too often. Edge of Eternity as a game is something that I played, but I can’t say I really enjoyed much of it. It’s a big world sure, but there is not a lot to fill it up, leaving a lot of empty space. It’s not the worst game out there and that’s really the best you can say about it.
Ghostwire: Tokyo is the game I think we were all hoping for when it was announced. The eerie streets of an empty Tokyo draw you in and promptly scare you senseless with some fascinating enemies lurking around every corner. The story shines exactly when it needs to and then fades into the backdrop, allowing you to experience this sensational world. From the incredible voice work and writing, to the well-paced combat and city exploration, this is a must-play experience with plenty to do across its 20 hours.