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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hitman: Episode 6 – Hokkaido is a great finale to what has been a rollercoaster of a ride with Hitman: Season One. There have definitely been a lot of ups and downs in terms of content and quality releases, but overall, the complete package is absolutely worth playing through by any fan of the stealth genre, or fans of Hitman games in general.
Batman: The Telltale Series – Episode 5: City of Light caps off the initial season nicely, and wraps up the storylines presented throughout the five episodes, while also clearly setting the game up for a second season thanks to the final scene shown before the credits.
Batman: The Telltale Series – Season One is definitely one of my favorites to come out of Telltale Games in recent memory. Known for their ability to tell amazing stories, Telltale Games crafted a world I wanted to physically be invested in as Bruce Wayne to try and make it a better place. The friendships and relationships you can build throughout the five episodes makes this game a real pleasure to play, and I would highly recommend it as a complete package to any fan of Batman or Telltale Games. Unfortunately, certain episodes do have their hiccups when it comes to stability and performance, and that alone is enough to hold it back from being the best game released by Telltale so far. But don’t let the engine’s shortcomings keep you from playing what is otherwise a great fit in the Batman universe.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero will whisk you away on a platforming nostalgia trip while you platform through beautifully designed levels to a rocking soundtrack in the background. The platforming featured throughout is some of the most fun I’ve had with the genre in quite some time. The actual design of the levels is intricate yet fun to navigate, as each one holds secrets galore. Different forms that Shantae will gather allows her to revisit older levels to try and find secret areas and collectibles that you may have missed the first time through. And some of those forms are necessary to reach these areas. The game definitely offers a lot of replayability and invites players to keep coming back to past areas and levels in order to see everything Shantae: Half-Genie Hero has to offer. And since the game is quite fun, doing so didn’t feel like a chore either.
Final Fantasy XV does not disappoint after waiting for so long to enjoy it. The relationship that formed throughout the game between Noctis and his friends is definitely one of the strongest aspects of the story. But the rest of the story is just as good, even if it is lighthearted at times and silly. It does have its moments that'll tug on your heartstrings, and the soundtrack by Yoko Shimomura helps paint an epic tale that I was glad to have been a part of and experience after first seeing Noctis in a trailer over ten years ago. Final Fantasy XV certainly is moving the franchise forward in the right direction. I absolutely cannot wait to see where the series will go with Final Fantasy XVI. I just hope it isn't 2026 before we see another mainline entry.
Robinson The Journey is a prime example of where VR technology is going to take us as gamers in the coming years. Unfortunately, controls within a 3D environment are holding back games like Robinson from being great and instead are relegating them to being average at best. That being said, Robinson The Journey is perhaps the best showpiece for gaming on PlayStation VR currently available on the market, and for those that can stomach the controls and motion, it should absolutely be experienced at least one time through.
The Dwarves was a great concept on paper that failed to materialize into something that should have worked naturally when making the jump to a video game. I’d certainly like to see this type of crossover happen again, as I feel it could easily work. The Dwarves is a very hard game to recommend to even the most hardcore of fans, but there are certainly some out there who will find enjoyment out of what it has to offer.
Watch Dogs 2 is a great step up from the original Watch Dogs, and certainly seems to be driving the franchise in the right direction moving forward. It’ll be interesting to see where Ubisoft decides to take the series next. One thing for sure, I hope that there is another sizeable gap between this one and the eventual Watch Dogs 3, if there does happen to be another one. Going away for a couple years gives fans of the games time to appreciate them more, especially with Watch Dogs 2 since it is such a great game with a lot of content to hold fans over for now.