Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age is great. It was great in 2017 on the PS4. It’s greater now on the Switch. It looks amazing and the frame rate is consistent in the dock and in handheld.
The Banner Saga 3 is a fitting and triumphant conclusion to the franchise. It's not without its small problems, but the overall experience is polished and deeply rewarding. It may be completely inaccessible to newer players, but people who have stuck with it will not be disappointed.
Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition continues the winning streak of ports for the Nintendo Switch.
Ultimately the question everyone is asking, is it better than FIFA? It comes down to personal preference. PES 2020 undoubtedly plays a better more compelling version of the beautiful game. But some people will never get over the unlicensed content, and the extremely little effort Konami seems to place on anything outside of the on the pitch action. The effort Konami has made into the on the pitch action deserves notice. T hey've once again tweaked the formula and made an exciting yet realistic game of football. Not quite a wonder goal, but you've got to appreciate the effort put in.
The lack of changes to the gameplay are emblematic of the series as a whole. As PES continues to tweak its on-field game, FIFA tweaks the modes surrounding it. These tweaks are a success overall but the game finds itself lagging behind. Ultimately none of this matters. FIFA fans are going to continue to eat up the game and PES fans are going to continue to think of themselves as football purists. If you like FIFA, the new Volta mode is a ton of fun and the upgrades all around make it worthwhile. If you hate FIFA, this won't change your mind.
Absolutely essential if you're a fan. If you've never played a Trails game before, you might want to consider starting at the beginning. Or reading a lot of plot summaries.
A great port of a great game. Civilization VI offers so much to do, and with two expansion packs bundled in, now is the perfect time to experience it on a console.
So, does Final Fantasy VII Remake live up to the standards set all those years ago? Overall, yes. The world is lively, the script is well written and the combat feels natural. There is still a long way to go in the saga yet, but with these bones it feels like Square Enix has the potential to build something great. The first instalment strikes a great balance of catering to long-time fans while opening up the tale to a newer generation. If you don't like it, there's always the original. This trip to Midgar is well worth taking, even if it feels like the best may be yet to come.
The best way to play a cult classic and experience the wonderful storytelling abilities of Yoko Taro. Nier Replicant is a worthy version upgrade to accompany 2017's successful Nier Automata
Despite the performance issues there is plenty to like here. The story is engaging and the characters are likeable. Using the Monstrum abilities adds a genuinely new layer to the core Ys gameplay and combat remains a blast to play through. The Switch may crumble a little under the weight of the game, but Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is still highly recommended.
Final Fantasy IX is a fantastic game with an average port. The price is steep for a 20 year old game with no major upgrades. But once you start playing you won't be able to put it down.
Sunset Overdrive wants to be liked and it wants to be different. Badly. The fact that it manages to pull this off in spite of more than a few annoyances is an achievement in itself. At the end of the day, it is a hell of a lot of fun to navigate the city and blast enemies, the customization is enjoyable to mess around with and even some of the attempts at humour land (The re-spawn animations in particular). The shortcomings are there however, and it prevents Sunset Overdrive from being the game it so desperately wants to be seen as.
Ultimately your enjoyment of the Switch port comes down to whether you value accessibility over performance. XCOM 2 is a fantastic game and is a great title to play on the go
Those who love old school JRPG grindfests will find a lot to love with Bravely Default II.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope is an ambitious but flawed game. Exploring planets can be thrilling, but spending time with some of the characters will wear on the nerves. The combat can at times be deep and strategic, but it happens so frequently that the pleasurable aspects of it are often dulled. The graphical remaster looks great, but the presentation of cut scenes and the voice acting are bargain basement, especially compared to something like Persona 5. For those interested in Star Ocean as a franchise, the discount on this remaster could make it worth your while. For people looking for a great JRPG though, 2017 has seen a slew of great current and remastered games to make Star Ocean: The Last Hope essential.
Marvel's Avengers seems uncomfortable with itself. The single player campaign is charming and only lags in the areas that feature dull loot collecting sections. The post-game features fun combat in a co-op setting but can be a genuine drag to slog through. Overall the game is lacking a sense of life and variety to compliment the fun combat. It's a shame because playing as the Avengers is a delightful experience, with each hero having its own endearing play quirks. Perhaps future updates will nail the balance, but right now it's not quite worthy of lifting Thors Hammer.
So FIFA ends its run on this console generation as the undisputed champion of sales, and will probably remain that way for years to come. Whether EA will try to further innovate the actual game, or if they even want to remains unseen. eFootball PES continues to outshine it on a pure gameplay level, but without the flashy licenses and expensive bells and whistles many will be content to keep rolling with EA's juggernaut. FIFA is still a fun game to play and at times can still be addictive as anything. You just can't help but wish for those two or three major signings that would take it to the next level.
Will Final Fantasy diehards get a kick out of Stranger of Paradise? It's hard to say. There are multiple enjoyable nods to past games throughout the levels, enemies and pieces of lore. The soundtrack is excellent, featuring remixed or remastered themes of multiple games. The combat is fast paced and the extensive job system takes the Final Fantasy system of old and thoroughly modernises it. Yet the game is decidedly un-Final Fantasy. Exploration is minimal, the story takes far too long to get going, the dialogue is often laughable and the characters are mostly bland blank slates. As an over the top action cheese-fest, the game puts points on the board. Just don't expect it to compete with the greatest hits.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers edition brings a classic JRPG to the PAL region for the first time. The port may not be exceptional, but the game itself deserves to be experienced.
Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection allows a new generation of gamers to experience one of the 2010's best adventure games. Just don't expect the labelled 'remaster' to provide much of an added sheen