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.
Somehow, EA has managed to refine and hone the modern FIFA formula to an even greater degree with FIFA 18. Last year we questioned what more the developer could possibly do to keep the series from stagnating, and it turns out that making a slew of welcome smaller adjustments across the board can really impact the big picture. Some will roll their eyes, but FIFA 18 is yet another fantastic footie sim -- one that takes the ball from the already great FIFA 17 and runs with it.
Despite Capcom's uninspired remastering, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen remains one of the best action RPGs of the last decade. Tight controls hold together thrilling combat, and the sense of adventure that the game exudes is almost unmatched. At its budget price, newcomers should definitely give the PS4 release a fair chance, while veterans will find a good enough excuse to begin the cycle all over again.
Not all aspects of Final Fantasy IX hold up perfectly in 2017, but the PSone swansong is still a stone cold classic. Although you could argue that the PS4 port should do more to enhance the experience, the adventure's core strengths in world building and storytelling remain, and they're as flawless as ever. When all's said and done, masterpiece is still a word that we'd use to describe Final Fantasy IX.
Happy Dungeons is worth a download. Its quirky style and accessibility make it a good on-and-off experience -- especially with a few friends by your side -- but weak dungeon design and poor presentation holds it back from being anything more than that.
Destiny 2 takes the core gameplay of the first game and surrounds it with a much more confident, cohesive experience. This isn't Destiny reimagined but it is Destiny refined, and while that may not be enough to win over those who were left disappointed by Bungie's efforts three years ago, it doesn't change the fact that this is without a doubt one of the best shooters on PS4.
Ultimate Tekken Bowl can be a blast with friends, but for its asking price, it's hard not to feel like there should be more meat on its bones. It's a fun Tekken 7 extra, but it's far from an essential purchase.
Warriors All-Stars is a colourful hack and slash title that can be fun in short bursts thanks to its varied cast of playable characters, but it just has too many problems to be considered a good Warriors game. Frustrating, tedious mission design, a throwaway story, and a wildly unstable framerate make it very difficult to recommend when there are so many better Koei Tecmo titles on the market.
Yakuza Kiwami finds itself in a strange position. A remake that's technically a sequel to a much better game in Yakuza 0, it struggles to offer anything besides another engaging crime-drama storyline. Best described as a kind of expansion, Kiwami really shows its age in terms of narrative structure and gameplay design, but it's still worth playing through if you just can't get enough of Kaz. It goes without saying, however, that series newcomers are much better off starting with the far superior Yakuza 0.