Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone is exactly what I have always wanted from a Hatsune Miku game. A simple jump-in and jump-out at your own leisure rhythm game that is insanely addicting to play and fun at the same time. Without having to go through a story mode to unlock various songs and outfits, everything is literally right there for you to enjoy whenever you start the game up and feel like joining Hatsune Miku and her friends with some catchy tunes. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone offers up more gameplay and things to do than any previous entry in the franchise before it, thus clearly making it one of the best, if not the best, Hatsune Miku title on the market.
Hollow Realization is a vast, open game. If you enjoy aspects of MMO’s and have always wanted to play one offline and single player, this is a great title to jump in and do that with. Sure, it doesn’t have everything that an MMO typically offers, but what is there is really well done. The story is interesting enough at times, the combat continues to shine, and the exploration will keep fans of the genre and of the anime busy for months to come.
Fans of the series were slightly disappointed with how Season Two went down, and I don’t blame them to an extent. It failed to live up to the standards that Season One had set, but Season Three is definitely getting the franchise back on the right track. Telltale Games continues to improve with each new release and series they work on, and after what I experienced with these two episodes, I think they are going to have another hit on their hands. Ties That Bind has set the tone and the bar for the remaining three episodes in A New Frontier, and I cannot wait to see where the story goes next.
From a pure gameplay perspective, 2064: Read Only Memories will absolutely be a favorite of anyone that enjoys point-and-click adventure games and especially visual novels. While it may not be a traditional visual novel at heart, starring anime-like characters and featuring a deep romantic storyline, it does offer a unique friendship building mechanic between the player character and a lovable ROM named Turing that I had a hard time not falling in love with throughout my time spent with the game.
If you are already a fan of the Fate franchise, this game will absolutely appeal to you. If you’ve never heard of this series before, but you’ve played previous musou style games, this game will also appeal to you. Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star has a lot to offer for fans that enjoy one or both of those scenarios just mentioned. The intense and quick in-your-face style of combat, mixed with the anime art style and graphics, works better than you would think.
I sincerely hope gamers everyone give Yakuza 0 a chance. The series has never really been as popular over here like it is in Japan, but I truly do feel as if this game could change that and swing the momentum back around for Yakuza as a series and for SEGA. While it isn't a perfect game, it's one hundred percent worth diving head first in with and getting lost in this world that was created. It's a game that lays everything out on the table for you, and doesn't shy away from being exactly what it set out to be. A silly, serious, fun, and excellent game that explores the roots of the franchise we all have come to know and love. Now if you'll excuse me, I have more dancing and singing to get back to before Yakuza Kiwami releases in the Summer.
Darksiders: Warmastered Edition is a beautiful reminder of how great this franchise was and could still be in today’s gaming landscape. With THQ Nordic solidly on board with the series after releasing the first two games on current generation consoles, it’s only a matter of time before we hear the inevitable on Darksiders 3. Right? We can only hope.
Resident Evil 7 is exactly what the series needed to keep it moving forward, and honestly, it’s what the horror genre needed to keep it fresh and exciting. Hopefully other developers become fueled by the success and praise Resident Evil 7 has been receiving to kick start a revival of this beloved genre, which has been quite lacking as of recently. Capcom fully has my attention again, and while the game isn’t perfect, it is absolutely the best Resident Evil game we’ve seen in the last decade.
With all sincerity, I hope that Fumito Ueda and genDESIGN are given another opportunity to make a game within the boundaries of Sony Worldwide Studios, and that is doesn't enter development hell for the better part of a decade. The team has clearly shown that they are still talented and have what it takes to produce emotionally enthralling games and experiences worth playing through. The Last Guardian is not perfect. It doesn't have to be perfect to leave a lasting impression on the player like it does. But it is close.
Digimon World: Next Order is going to be the perfect game to satisfy the appetites of the diehard Digimon fan base and community. The game seriously has a lot to offer, and if you invest the time and energy needed to really appreciate everything it has going on, you’ll definitely want to keep coming back for more. A really solid roleplaying game foundation lies underneath the steep learning curve presented to the players, we’re just afraid that particular issue is going to scare off a lot of potential newcomers to the series.
Nioh is a clear depiction of Team Ninja being near their absolute best. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so good about a Team Ninja release, and I’m excited to see what they do next after playing through and experiencing Nioh. While it isn’t fair to say that this is better or worse than the Dark Souls or Bloodborne games, I can confidently say that fans of those games will absolutely find something to enjoy within Nioh. Its brutal difficulty yet fast-paced gameplay strike a nice balance that feels very rewarding. If you like what you’ve heard so far about it and have seen in the many videos released about it, give Nioh a chance, especially if you are a fan of FromSoftware’s work. You won’t regret it.
Earthlock: Festival of Magic was an enthralling concept that failed to materialize into one of the better roleplaying games this generation. The potential was certainly there, but the lack of an interesting story, characters that do not feel memorable, and strange difficulty spikes that require a lot of grinding hold the game back to a certain degree. The combat and battle system offers a lot of enjoyment though, and is where the game really shines. Still, even with the complaints, fans of the genre are going to find something to love in Earthlock.
Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan is certainly not a perfect game, but it’s a great first step for Kiro’o Games. There needs to be more of a focus on the Central African region within the gaming medium, as there are certainly more stories that need to be told and experienced. With this as a great foundation for future projects, I will be eagerly waiting to find out what this team has in store for us next. Fans of the genre should definitely consider picking this up on Steam whenever you’re in the mood for some folklore and something entirely different than roleplaying game fans are used to.
Tales of Berseria feels like a much needed leap forward for the franchise. It still suffers a bit graphically since the game was released on the PlayStation 3 over in Japan, so hopefully the next entry is fully developed for the PlayStation 4 and PC so we can get an advancement in terms of the visuals as well. Fans of the series are absolutely going to adore this game, as well fans of roleplaying games in general. Hopefully we’ll get a taste of what’s to come later this year at the Tales Festival.
Ys Origin does a great job at detailing the major plot points that occurred in the past that were instrumental in setting up the story of the Ys universe. A finely crafted roleplaying game, fans of the series and of the genre itself are going to find a lot to love with this one, as well they should. It was a great experience from top to bottom, even if it was a little on the shorter side. A typical playthrough on normal difficulty will take the average player anywhere from 7 to 9 hours depending on how much leveling up you do on the side. Do not sleep on this game. Ys Origin is one of the better Action RPG’s currently available on the PlayStation 4, and will provide a nice bridge between now and when Lacrimosa of Dana launches later this year.
It’s a silly phrase to say because it doesn’t make much sense, but I really was hoping to like For Honor more than I actually did. Everything leading up to the release of the game looked very promising, but after seeing it firsthand and spending time with it, I found myself a lot more bored than I anticipated. The single player experience is basically non-existent, with the campaign being finished in a mere couple hours. Multiplayer is the meat and potatoes, and if that just isn’t your thing, I’d recommend holding off on it for now. But, if the thrill of one on one duels and the nature of the combat sound appealing, you’ll find more than enough to satisfy here.
We got used to The Legend of Zelda as it was and as it has been for thirty years. The previous entries in the franchise can still stand the test of time as some of the greatest games ever conceived. But there hadn’t been a true evolution for the series since Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64. Breath of the Wild is that next step in the evolution and blew open the design of what it means to be a Zelda game, and it feels extremely satisfying. I pray that we aren’t in for another six years before the next game, but even if we are, there’s a ton of content here to hold fans over for a long, long time. Hands down, this is one of the best games ever made. Bravo Nintendo, bravo.
Horizon Zero Dawn is a game that almost every owner of the PlayStation 4 should experience sooner or later. It doesn’t just appeal to roleplaying game fans or action adventure enthusiasts. This is a game that almost everyone can enjoy in some fashion, and it shows with how well the game has been performing since it’s release one month ago. This is an impressive piece of art for both Sony and Guerrilla Games, and we simply cannot wait to see what is coming next.
Square Enix and PlatinumGames really knocked one out of the park with NieR: Automata. Do not let this franchise die and fade away! It deserves to be one of the main staples right up there alongside Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, especially if it continues to have as big of an impact as this one did over the original. When we set out with Level Down Games, never in our wildest dreams did we imagine that we’d have three masterpieces release in the span of one week. But that’s exactly what happened.
Super Bomberman R could have been the return to glory of a franchise that has been missing for quite some time, especially over here in North America. Not counting small releases that hit platforms such as Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation Store on PlayStation 3, and the eShop on the Nintendo Wii, we haven’t seen an actual Bomberman game since Bomberman Land on the Wii back in 2008. That’s a fairly long time to go without any new releases on a franchise as popular as Bomberman once was. It’s sad to say, but Super Bomberman R is not going to rekindle the love for the series that fans were hoping for. Maybe one day we’ll get lucky, but that day is certainly not today.