Regalia doesn't reinvent the wheel and it probably won't come close to blowing you away, but it's a pleasantly entertaining RPG that just about anyone can enjoy.
Between being a relatively traditional Japanese RPG, a kingdom management sim, and an advocate of real-time strategy, Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom could have easily stretched itself too thin, but developer Level-5 somehow manages to pull everything together and make it all seem worthwhile. This is a robust but accessible adventure that's stuffed with charm and character. A really fun combat system and gorgeous visuals top things off, making the sequel a joy to play. In a word, Ni no Kuni II is delightful.
Assassin's Creed Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs is a great expansion that does a fantastic job of bringing ancient Egypt's spiritual side to life. Channelling the creativity of a clearly talented team, the DLC breaks the series' historical shackles and provides a memorable adventure packed with cool boss encounters. Curse of the Pharaohs is right up there with the best that Ubisoft's franchise has to offer.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life tells a truly gripping tale – a story that blows most games out of the water. Combine that with a refined combat system and a new engine capable of making the game's world feel more alive than ever, and you've got a stellar Yakuza title. Although the experience does feel a little stunted in places outside of the main plot, this is still a fitting final chapter. Yakuza 6 is a gloriously dramatic send off for one of the greatest characters in modern gaming.
With the online being a bit of a bust and the single player modes failing to really showcase the game's strengths, it's difficult to recommend Slice, Dice & Rice. Against a human opponent, the title's interesting and entertaining on a fundamental level, but as an overall fighting game package, it's found lacking.
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is easily the most polished Sword Art Online game to date, but it's also one of the least imaginative. A strange union of third-person shooting and role-playing action, it offers up quite a unique mix of gameplay and a progression loop that's really quite addictive, but the overall package rarely thrills. By stepping away from Kirito and the gang, the story definitely benefits, but it's not enough to inject life into a game that often feels bland and monotonous. Fatal Bullet's still a solid anime-based title, but unless you love to grind, you'll likely lose interest.
Dynasty Warriors has been on a steady run since it fumbled with the divisive Dynasty Warriors 6, and now it's in danger of fumbling all over again. Dynasty Warriors 9 goes open world and the result is a game of extreme ups and downs. For every gloriously huge battle there's a boring stint of traversal across a dreadfully barren map. For every interesting story moment or interaction, there's a horribly ugly graphical glitch. Factor in an unconvincing combat system overhaul, and you've got a Dynasty Warriors title that may disappoint even the most dedicated of fans. There's still some good historical hack and slash fun to be had here, but we expected much more from the return of this flagship series.
Assassin's Creed Origins: The Hidden Ones is a rock solid expansion to a great game. It doesn't try to surprise or break the mould, but that's fine when the core gameplay remains this strong. For fans of Origins this is a no-brainer -- the story successfully builds upon the existing narrative, and there are some really enjoyable missions to sink your hidden blade into.
Utterly stunning in motion and effortlessly capturing the essence of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball FighterZ is a masterful video game adaptation. Its combat system is relentlessly entertaining, fusing anime sensibilities with traditional, competitive fighting game mechanics, and its accessible controls allow anyone to get in on the action. If the online portion of the release holds up, then we'd dare say that this is just about the best anime fighting game ever made.
It's taken close to two years, but Street Fighter V finally resembles the game that it should have been from the start thanks to Arcade Edition. Newcomers can rest assured that there's now enough single player content to keep casual players happy, and at its core, the actual fighting remains top class. There's a cynical part of us that says Arcade Edition is little more than a glorified season three update, but the simple truth is that there's never been a better time to jump in.
In its systems and its storytelling, Romancing SaGa 2 is still a unique RPG -- one that genre enthusiasts may want to experience for its unorthodox methods alone. For all of its strange intricacies, though, this is a flawed fantasy adventure, hindered by potentially significant balancing issues and a horrible looking user interface. As a curiosity, Romancing SaGa 2 is worth looking into, but a lot more could have been done to bring the overall package up to speed.
Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ignis is the most impactful character episode yet, and it's easily the most essential. Those already invested in Final Fantasy XV should find a lot to like in terms of additional story elements, and Ignis' flashy, fast, and fluid fighting style keeps enemy encounters engaging. Here's hoping that future episodes build upon what this latest scenario gets right.
Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris is ultimately more Destiny 2 for those who want it, and that would be fine if it wasn't stuffed with so much squandered potential. For its asking price, there's no reason not to expect more from this first expansion. The story missions range from okay to insultingly dull, and the one truly interesting concept that Bungie introduces -- the Infinite Forest -- ends up being little more than a tedious shooting gallery. The most frustrating part of all this is that the developer has been here before, and it still insists on repeating the same mistakes all over again.
School Girl/Zombie Hunter is a rough, low budget release that's a guilty pleasure for all of a few minutes. Awful cutscenes pepper a forgettable story mode, and the online co-op is stunted. Rather than being so bad that it's actually good, the game's simply below average, weighed down by too many issues.
Final Fantasy XV: Comrades ends up being a missed opportunity.
Without a doubt the best Assassin's Creed game since Black Flag – and right up there with the best entries in the entire series – Assassin's Creed Origins is a top notch open world title. Egypt itself is the star of the show, Ubisoft having meticulously crafted a stunningly detailed and varied landscape, but outside of the setting, a parade of gameplay and design improvements make this the roaring return to form that the franchise desperately needed.
Whether it's that unmistakable Euro-jank charm or its commitment to providing a surprisingly robust role-playing experience, ELEX definitely has something going for it – it's just that most players will likely never make it far enough to find out what that something is. Piranha Byte's latest has ambition, but barely any of it is realised. As far as B-tier games go, this criticism is nothing new, but when so many amazing action RPGs are already available on PS4, you can't be blamed for ignoring this seriously shoddy release.
Up there with the likes of Journey and ABZU, AER: Memories of Old is simple, elegant, and impactful. It's a heartfelt game that's a joy to play, and although its storytelling does feel like it gets in the way at times, your worries will evaporate when you're soaring effortlessly from one floating island to the next.
Gorgeous to look at and packing some seriously satisfying dungeon dust-ups, Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a great RPG. Its story may struggle to surprise and its pacing is a little on the slow side, but stick with it and you'll get lost in a deep and rewarding adventure.
Easily one of the better Gundam games to ever make it West, Gundam Versus is an incredibly rewarding arena-based mech-'em-up. A wide selection of gameplay modes ensure that there's always something to hold your attention, while the tense action itself offers depth, variety, and satisfaction.