Blaster Master Zero is what a nostalgic game update should be. It isn't bogged down in the past, and it doesn't lose what makes the original game so memorable and fun. It's not quite a masterpiece, but it's a ton of fun to play. Whether you're getting a new upgrade or battling a brutal mutant, it's a well-paced and enjoyable experience. Fans of the franchise should be delighted, and those who have never played the original Blaster Master will find Zero a much better place to start.
It's been a long time coming, but it was absolutely worth the wait. Persona 5 is an improvement over the last two games in almost every way. There may be some arguments over which game has the best cast, but the mechanics, visuals and general style can't be denied. It fixes a lot of nagging flaws and adds a bunch of features that are so useful it's difficult to imagine ever playing without them. Some minor issues, including a sometimes-stiff translation and a low difficulty level, hurt the experience slightly but should only be considered minor flaws. If you're a fan of RPGs, you have to get Persona 5, which is easily one of the best games available on the PS4.
Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition is an unsatisfying remaster of an excellent game. Everything that made Bulletstorm a delight has been faithfully replicated, and the game runs extremely well. It's still one of the most enjoyable shooters in the past decade, and it's aged remarkably well. At the end of the day, it's about as bare-bones of a remaster as they come, but it still bears the price of a brand-new title. That's difficult to justify when the original is available for around $5 . If price is no object, Bulletstorm is still a top-notch game, but otherwise, it's probably better to wait for a price drop.
Snake Pass is a charming and distinctly different game, which mostly works in its favor. You won't find the platformer-without-jumping mechanics in any other game on the market. The downside is that the gameplay mechanic can quickly go from fun to frustrating. It's a game with a ton of personality, and those with the patience to work around its flaws will find a lot to like.
Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is a thoroughly traditional and thoroughly fun entry in the franchise. It sticks to what makes it work and doesn't rock the boat. There are improvements, but most are so minor that they're unnoticeable unless you're a die-hard fan. It's the kind of game you can pick up for five minutes and end up playing for an hour, eager to finish just one more chore. If you're looking for a relaxing and enjoyable way to waste time on your 3DS, Trio of Towns is a lighthearted farming sim. What more can you ask for?
At the end of the day, Mass Effect: Andromeda isn't bad so much as it is disappointing. The core gameplay has been improved from Mass Effect 3, and the multiplayer is almost worth the price of admission on its own. Alas, it's dragged down by a weak presentation, poor plot, and a general lack of ambition. When Andromeda shines, it's a lot of fun, but in a month filled with top-notch games, it's disappointing that Bioware's years-in-the-making follow-up is so thoroughly mundane. There's plenty of fun to be had if you're willing to overlook the flaws, but Andromeda asks you to overlook flaws just a bit too often.
Sometimes, you get the ultimate pairing of both chocolate and peanut butter, and in the case of Nier: Automata, that's Yoko Taro and Platinum. Automata is an amazing game even by the high standards of this year. Its flaws don't detract much from the experience, and the combat is fast, stylish and fun. The story is engaging, and the music is phenomenal. Some poor graphics performance and a slight repetitiveness to the combat drag things down. If you're a fan of Taro's games, Automata is by far his best on a gameplay level. If you're not already a fan, Automata is a bizarrely distinct game that's absolutely worth experiencing.
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey is a solid and enjoyable JRPG that feels a bit too ambitious for its own good. The mechanics can sometimes feel overly bloated and overcrowded, and the graphics don't live up to the concepts. At its core, the alchemy is among some of the most fun in the franchise. It doesn't live up to the highs of the Dusk series, but Atelier Firis is still an enjoyable entry in the long-running franchise, and it's a very solid improvement on Sophie's strengths.
All in all, Hitman is exactly what a Hitman game should be. It's not long in the traditional sense, but it's dense and packed with content. The mechanics are a little rough or hand-holdy at times, but that's a minor problem in the overall scheme of things. Whether it's a brutal, close-range assassination or a subtle poisoning, Hitman gives you more options than you know what to do with. The episodic nature is a boon, not a flaw, and the game plays as well in a complete set as it does individually. Fans of the genre should make it a priority, and newcomers will find few better places to start. With Season 2 on the way, there's more Hitman to come, but even the first season should have enough assassination action to keep you busy for hours.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a modern classic. It does so much right and so easily that it's difficult to believe. The exploration and the sheer sense of freedom bring to the forefront what Zelda used to do. Aside from some frame rate problems and annoying puzzles, it's a solid and enjoyable game. Anyone who has ever enjoyed a Zelda title will find a lot to love here, and anyone new to the franchise couldn't pick a better place to start. Breath of the Wild might be the swan song for the Wii U — and the herald of the Switch — but it's one heck of a note to go out on.
All in all, Torment: Tides of Numenera is an enjoyable nostalgic trip into the strongest days of PC RPGs. It's well-written, engaging and interesting, if occasionally bogged down in its own setting. Both reactive and exciting, it makes the simple act of talking to characters or exploring areas feel rewarding and exciting. Only some lackluster combat drags down the experience, and that's easily avoidable. Those looking for a successor to Planescape: Torment should find a lot to enjoy here, but this offering does not eclipse the original. It's an enjoyable game, both as a spiritual successor and on its own merits, and that's all you can really ask.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is a strictly by-the-books Warriors-style game. There's enough value here for die-hard Berserk fans, if only for collecting Behelits, which unlock artwork and galleries, and they can enjoy the fun of mowing down tons of helpless foes. However, in comparison to most other recent Warriors titles, Berserk feels unambitious. As an anime adaptation, it's a darn sight better than something like Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage, but it seems to coast on its popular license rather than trying to do something special.
For Honor is enjoyable enough, but it feels more like a proof of concept than anything else. The core combat system is interesting, but everything built around it is awkward. When you're in the middle of a dramatic duel against another foe of the same skill level, the game shines. Anything beyond that, and the seams begin to show. It's a game that demands a high skill level for fun and success, and that can be enough to turn off someone. The game is also pretty light on content for the $60 price tag. If you've played the beta and enjoyed For Honor, you'll have a good time, but others may want to find a way to try it out before committing to a full purchase.
Horizon: Zero Dawn is a perfect example of strong, competent and enjoyable gameplay. It doesn't reinvent the genre, but it's a lot of fun to play. The mecha-dino combat is the highlight and represents some of the most enjoyable open-world combat on the market. Burning through powerful foes and looting their corpses for rare treasures captures an excitement rarely felt in open-world games. The rest of the gameplay is somewhat dulled in comparison. A somewhat weak plot drags down the experience but isn't enough to detract from the enjoyment. All in all, Horizon: Zero Dawn is one of the better exclusives on the PS4 and a great addition to any PS4 owner's lineup.
Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers is a fun and light SRPG, but it's held back by its lack of ambition. It does a great job of translating the mook-bashing Warriors gameplay into an SRPG, but that also means it suffers the same flaws as a Warriors title. It's fun for as long as you're having fun obliterating foes, but it doesn't have the teeth to compete with more focused games. It's not bad, and it's probably one of the most relaxing SRPGs on the market. Fans of the franchise or casual SRPG players will have a good time with it, though they may want to wait for a price drop. More hardcore gamers may want to get their SRPG fix elsewhere.
Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is a satisfactory addition to the franchise. It smooths out a lot of Shallie's PS3 weaknesses and is a genuinely fun game, though it suffers from being the weakest in the Dusk trilogy. Anyone looking for a solid and enjoyable lighthearted JRPG will find a lot to like here, and almost every improvement is for the better. Some nagging performance issues prevent it from being better than the PS3 release in every way. Shallie Plus is a good buy for fans of the franchise, though newcomers may want to start with Ayesha or Escha & Logy instead.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is probably the weakest of the Kingdom Hearts collections to date. Since it's bundled with a single game, a demo, and a borderline-incoherent selection of cut scenes, the content is far behind the other Kingdom Hearts HD ports. The content is mostly good, and the Ground Zeroes-style demo for Kingdom Hearts 3 is sure to entice fans. It has more original content than the previous collections, but it's still not worth the $60 asking price. Kingdom Hearts fans will be happy to get some time with the newest entry in the series, but casual players might want to wait for a price drop.
Nioh is a surprise delight. In a world of clones, it's great to find a Dark Souls homage that manages to be its own game and stands on its own merits. It's fast-paced, fun, brutal and full of enough mechanics and gameplay features that you could play it for months. You don't need to be a Souls fan to enjoy Nioh'sexcellent gameplay. The story is a little thin, and the environments aren't always great, but if you're looking for fast-paced samurai action or seeking a challenge, Nioh is the game for you.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a solid and very enjoyable reinvention of the series. It returns the franchise to its roots and does a great job of updating and improving the archaic PS1 gameplay mechanics without losing the Resident Evil feel. Both the strengths and weaknesses of the franchise are present. The high-tension atmosphere, spooky monsters and cheesy cornball villains combine to create something that is undeniably Resident Evil. Fans of the series should love that it's spooky, silly, and requires you to solve puzzles in order to find a shotgun so you can fight biological horror. Isn't that what Resident Evil is all about?
Tales of Berseria is a solid JRPG that doesn't excel in any one area but manages to hit all the marks well enough to be enjoyable. It's not ambitious and focuses on providing a pleasant experience. It suffers from being too easy and spending too much time clearing up its predecessor's flaws, but it's balanced by fast-paced combat and an entertaining cast. It's not going to change your world, but Tales fans should find a lot to like, and for casual players, it's a good introduction to the franchise.