Obvious: spoilers for the first Steins;Gate game ahead!
Having first reviewed JAST USA’s PC release of Steins;Gate in 2014, I had originally thought that this well-told time-travel story was complete and had nowhere left to go. Sure, I’d watched the movie Steins;Gate Fuka Ryōiki no Déjà vu but to me, the story of Okabe reaching the Steins Gate world line to save both Kurisu and Mayuri was complete though even that felt a bit superfluous. Now after hearing about, and having played, the “sequel/expansion pack” Steins;Gate 0 I’m glad I’ve never been so wrong.
Like the other Style Savvy games, in Fashion Forward, the player becomes a manager of a boutique through magical means. The aesthetics of this game is very feminine, but at the same time, I don’t think that is all it has to offer. Taking away the girly elements, this game is a simulation game - managing stock and inventory of the store, attending to customer needs, and of course, withholding the reputation of a fashionista and top designer in a fictitious city. New to this franchise, Fashion Forward, there are other things to do than selling clothes. Become a makeup artist! A hair stylist! A room designer and even a model!
So first came the manga, then the anime, and then the live action movie, now comes the game! So cue the German chant chorus because here comes Attack on Titan (PS4) by Koei Tecmo. This game is coming out just in time for the fans that are waiting for the second season of the anime to begin. Is this what all fans are waiting for or is this just another bomb like Humanity in Chains?
In most respects, PlayStation 4’s The King of Fighters XIV - which is the 14th core King of Fighters game - is simply more King of fighters, but as a fan of previous entries in the series, that’s exactly what I wanted. There’s a lot that in this latest installment that veterans will find familiar along with new changes that will be welcomed. Familiarity is one of The King of Fighters XIV’s greatest strengths, allowing players to jump straight into the action while cutting through formalities that aren’t needed.
The plot to Phantom Brave revolves around the character Marona, a young girl who has the power to communicate with Phantoms, which are essentially the spirits of the dead. In the world of Chromas, her powers carry a negative stigma, and she lives on an island all by herself taking odd jobs to survive. However Marona has a guardian - the phantom Ash - a friend of Marona’s deceased parents tasked with watching over the girl.
A.W.: Phoenix Festa comes by the way of Kadokawa Games, a sizeable Japanese developer best known for its connection with many portable RPG games as well as the popular series Sword Art Online. It is based on the anime series The Asterisk War and it combines elements from dating simulations with action RPG gameplay and still, manages to find its footing with its fun combat system and interesting gameplay elements.
Grand Kingdom tells the tale of Resonail, a continent which consists of four nations at war over the fallen Empire of Uldein. The story is delivered via voice-acted comic book-esque cutscenes where players engage in turn-based battles. Delivered by lead designer Tomohiko Deguchi, Grand Kingdom takes inspiration from many of my favorite like minded games in the genre – think Fire Emblem or Valkyria Chronicles or even Odin Sphere – but it also shakes things up to keep the experience unique.
Let’s just cut to the chase, shall we? I am happy to report that Idea Factory has brought Fairy Fencer F, a PlayStation 3 game, to PlayStation 4 in the form of Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force. It’s as much fun on PS4 as it was on PS3, whether it is a replay, or jumping in for the first time. Sure, a port may not have been necessary, but then again, the developers at Compile Heart went to great lengths and have implemented changes by adding a new twist with different story arcs, more challenging battles, and multiple endings.
God Eater: Resurrection is an action role-playing game, delivered by Director and Producer Hiroshi Yoshimura and Yosuke Tomizawa, it takes inspiration from like minded games in the genre – think Monster Hunter or Freedom Wars – but it also does some unique things that help keep it fresh. While it can occasionally bog down in sheer repetition and the rampant overuse of monsters and maps, there’s something inherently and undeniably addicting about God Eater: Resurrection.
Megadimension Neptunia VII is the fourth game in the Hyperdimension Neptunia series. New systems and approaches are combined with tried-and-true, traditional Neptunia staples to create a product that complements its already-extensive catalog of titles.
The first time I heard of the Senran Kagura series and its jiggle physics I said ok, this review will be a hit or miss. For those that are unfamiliar, the Senran Kagura series has games available on the PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Nintendo 3DS, and PC, ranging from fighting games to cooking games - think cooking mama but with an ecchi spin. From those titles we now get Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus from XSEED for PC originally for the PS Vita it now is available for the PC and is the third game in the series.
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is the 17th game in the primary Atelier series, and the start of a new setting after Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea concludes the Dusk installment series. It maintains many of the franchise's long-standing traditions but it also finds room to try new and notable things. Developer Gust takes more chances to shake things up, and it pays off. It compliment's the series' best parts (like the alchemy system) and supports the weaker aspects of the formula.
We previously reviewed The Witch and the Hundred Knight for the Playstation 3 and praised it as an interesting game that was new yet familiar with the signature trademarks of a Nippon Ichi Software video game. Two years later, NIS America brings us an updated version, The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition for the Playstation 4 with all the bells and whistles you’d expect refining the experience.
It’s been over a decade since the launch of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. The SRPG franchise from Nippon Ichi Software began back on Playstation 2, appeared on the Playstation 3 a few times, showed up on both Sony and Nintendo handheld systems and now it’s making its debut on the Playstation 4. With Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance, Nippon Ichi Software President Sohei Niikawa is looking to evolve the franchise to the next level and with its addictive strategy game play, charming characters, and deep character customization, makes Alliance of Vengeance the strongest game in the series to date.