Zeag

This is essentially what happens when somebody who grew up playing JRPGs in the 90s ends up making his dream game. This is filled to the brim with references to SNES and PS1 classics but at the same time eschews the time-consuming and tech-limited aspects of the era. If you like Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, Final Fantasy and Breath of Fire, you'll be supremely entertained with this little gem.

A beautiful game with solid gameplay, lush graphics and a mesmerizing soundtrack. The story is confusing at first; if you're a veteran anime lover it won't phase you at all but for others, androids dressed as sexy (and blind) maids and butlers living in orbit around a post-apocalyptic Earth might feel A BIT WEIRD in your first few years. If you can sit through it though, the game gets increasingly rewarding as you progress and it's one of the few games that is actually fun to Platinum (Pun not quite intended). Definitely one of my highlights of this console generation.

As someone who bought all the Picross games in existence so far, I had to give this one a go despite it's free-to-play model. About 3-4 days in I was frustrated with how the game had "gated" me so early into buying some of its in-game currency (picrites) but since the price for the one-time "starter" package was so low and the fact that they give you unlimited picrites if you spend ~30 dollars, I decided to cave in. I've been so **** hooked since then, it's almost silly. The Pokemon mechanic layer on top of Picross has managed to put a new twist in this ageing puzzle game and keep the whole thing fresh. Considering the amount of puzzles and the fact that you'll most likely replay a few of them to get 100% completion, it's not as pricey as it initially seems. All in all, I don't feel cheated out of my money with this game, but there are some weird design decisions that made me regret doing some in-game purchases before others such as Alt-World puzzles not giving any picrites and the lack of use for the 4th-5th-6th pokemon slots. I could've probably completed the game without maxing out the in-game store limit if I had known that. All in all, a much more solid Picross game that I initially thought. If you're not quite sure after you start running out of picrites, try putting 2 dollars in it! Enjoy!

We didn't get much news from Helldivers since it was announced at E3 2013 and that's usually a bad sign. In the case of this game though, that's not the case at all! If you have fond memories of Killzone Liberation on the PSP, you'll feel right at home in Helldivers! There's not much variety in the mission objectives, but playing with 3 other players (with friendly fire always active) WILL keep the experience fresh and entertaining. I've had no lag whatsoever over a dozen of online games and all players were friendly (There's voice chat!). All in all, A very good investment at 20 bucks, the amount of content is quite substantial for this price point and it's a very nice addition to any fan of twin-stick shooters / co-op games.

Lords of the Fallen is, by all accounts, a more approachable Dark Souls. There's less cheap tricks, frustrating platforming and unnecessary deaths. The graphics are absolutely breathtaking, it's a shame that the framerate isn't smooth as it could be but if you've played the first Dark Souls, you've seen much worse. Regular enemies are much more fun to fight than in Souls games and the checkpoint / leveling / gear system, while very similar, has its own subtleties that I enjoy very much. The Boss Fights do not generate the same feeling of despair and impossible odds as in other games of the genre, but at least they can be done without resorting to cheap tricks or online guides. I think this game is perfect for all newcomers to the genre or Souls veterans unable to stand still until Bloodborne.

As a lifelong Mega Man fan, I can say without a doubt that this is a Mega Man game in all but name. Inti Creates took everything they did right with the MMZ and MMZX series and crafted this spiritual successor that is worth well over the asked 15 bucks. The only thing that will take a little adjustment is the Force Field combat mechanic, but once that's taken care of, you'll have a blast!

I couldn't help but feel a tiny bet let down by Rivals. Compared to Most Wanted, it was a not really a step down, but a big side-step. Instead of a non-existent story, we got a mediocre one and instead of weak car customization, we got it for only half of the game (Racers side only -- Cops got only weapons upgrades but start with better stats). The game however is easily redeemed but its two core appealing features: It looks absolutely gorgeous and it plays like a charm. NFS Rivals is your only option for a racing game on the PS4 right, but it sure as hell ain't a bad one.

Each new Ys game is a guilty pleasure. Every other games in progress are set aside for long sessions of incredibly satisfying hack and slash adventures with Adol. Very few changes have been made to the great party and skills systems of Ys Seven for the PSP and that's quite alright since Seven had already brought along changes like crafting and sidequests board that made the game feel much more substantial than previous games of the series. If you're a fan of the series or looking for a Diablo-like with an anime flair, Ys: Memories of Celceta's is another great production from Falcom and a solid buy for any Vita owner.

I am frankly surprised at the below average scores this game is getting. Sure it's not exactly like Parasite Eve 1 and 2, but the game truly makes the most out of the PSP and offers tight gameplay despite the lack of second analog stick. The story is serviceable, and there's a good resume of the previous games in the menu's notes if you're a newcomer. All in all, this game is one of the swansongs of the PSP and I'm quite saddened it didn't get much love from the press. It feels like a blend of all the positive aspects of Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core mashed together, and the now-discounted price of $20, you have the best third person shooter on the platform. Not too bad!

At first I was very skeptical of Ys Seven: Adol looks more like a teenager, he's stripped of his jump ability and instead of going solo, you now have a huge party just as big as traditional JRPGs. It's a huge departure from other recent Ys games, the stellar Oath in Felghana and Ys Origin. Strangely enough, I totally enjoyed Ys Seven. The teammates helped overhaul the combat system tremendously, the Shop/Synthesis was very enjoyable and the boss fights are the typical "Die until you master his patterns" that fans of the series love. The game is also quite long compared to other Ys; it took me about 22 hours. The game is extremely easy to pick up and play and requires no prior knowledge of any other Ys games to fully understand the story. It's a must own for any JRPG, Beat-em up and action adventure games and I can't recommend it enough.