The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind is a very enjoyable expansion to an already rock solid role-playing experience. Featuring some fantastic questlines, this is a welcome return to the island of Vvardenfell - a wonderful location which has been lovingly recreated.
Cladun Returns: This Is Sengoku!'s bite-sized stages are best suited to quick stints of dungeon delving. Stay much longer, and you might stumble across the frustrations that lie in its depths. Bouts of trial and error gameplay drag down an otherwise addictive release, and convoluted upgrade systems keep you from getting straight into the action. Still, the process of powering up your pixelated protagonist is a rewarding one once you find your groove.
In terms of gameplay, Tekken 7 is masterful. Its overhauled rage system gives its already punchy combat a whole new dynamic, while helping to level the playing field for more casual players. Its story mode isn't quite the blockbuster that it thinks it is, but the insanely addictive treasure battle makes up for that on the single player front. Meanwhile, its online components can't be faulted – the newly introduced tournaments being a real highlight. Tekken 7 is a fantastic fighting game, and one of the best entries in the series.
Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada attempts to shake things up with a bigger emphasis on RPG elements and a more personal story, but it doesn't always hit the mark. Seeing events unfold from the perspective of just a few characters does make for an interesting and engaging narrative, but the pacing is bogged down by boring filler missions. Likewise, chopping huge historical battles into bite-sized chunks adds depth to each scenario, but the epic scale and the thrill of thriving battlefields are lost in the process. Spirit of Sanada certainly isn't a bad game, but it is one of the weaker Warriors titles on PS4.
Despite some pacing issues near the end of the game, Dragon Quest Heroes II takes what its predecessor did right and builds upon it in positive ways. Its open world design is definitely a step in the right direction, as is its more prominent narrative and larger cast of colourful characters. Meanwhile, combat remains fun and satisfying, and a sprinkling of new systems add some welcome depth. Dragon Quest Heroes II is exactly what a sequel should be.
Vikings - Wolves of Midgard takes a fair swing at the loot-heavy action RPG genre, but its middling gameplay fails to leave a lasting impression. Going up against the likes of the mighty Diablo III on PS4, its dull blade bounces off the competition, but Vikings is just competent enough to survive the scuffle and live another day.
Persona 5 sets the benchmark for modern Japanese RPGs: it oozes style, charisma, and polish quite unlike anything we've played. With this fifth entry, the series' trademark formula of dungeon delving and socialising has been perfected. Addictive, engaging gameplay, incredibly endearing characters, and a consistently rewarding narrative loop combine to create a spectacularly cohesive whole – whether or not you're already a fan of Persona. A masterpiece from top to bottom.
For its asking price, Episode Gladiolus is a decent little distraction, but a distinct lack of substance keeps it from being an essential addition to Final Fantasy XV. Combat doesn't have the same spice without the usual party members, and although the DLC ends with an enjoyable boss fight, it's not quite enough to make this a memorable test of strength.
Mass Effect deserves better than Andromeda. The series has stumbled into a new generation, weighed down by tedious open world tropes and a catalogue of performance issues on the PS4. That said, it's not quite the disaster that some would have you believe. There really is a good Mass Effect game here, complete with endearing characters and great combat, but it's buried beneath a mountain of unnecessary clutter. In time, patches may sort many of its problems out, but until then, we can only recommend Andromeda to the BioWare faithful.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk's fate is to be branded as yet another not-so-great initial effort from Omega Force. While the release does get a decent amount right – the story mode is nicely done in places and the fundamental combat mechanics are super satisfying – it stumbles on several fronts. Again, we're left with a Warriors game that's begging for a much improved sequel. Fans of Berserk will enjoy bathing in the blood for a good few hours, but it's hard to ignore the cracks at this sword's core.
Expansions are rare when it comes to fighting games, but Road to Boruto manages to add a reasonable chunk of content to a brawler that's already stuffed with things to do. Most of what's on offer is nothing new, but if you've been looking for an excuse to leap back into CyberConnect 2's super polished title, then this additional adventure is as good a reason as any.
Although it's not on the same level as other, more popular tactical titles, Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers is a fair attempt at a strategic spin-off. A lack of depth does hurt the release as bigger battles drag on, but there's fun to be had in gathering allies and creating unique teams of your favourite officers.
At this point, the property's trademark formula is seriously starting to wear thin, but when it comes down to it, there's nothing quite like Yakuza 0. It combines unapologetically mature themes and violence with brilliantly dumb minigames and hysterical side quests, resulting in a thoroughly memorable experience. Bolstered by a gripping story that's packed with great characters, fans of Japanese games or even Japanese culture owe it to themselves to give this a prequel a shot. Yakuza 0 is fantastic place to start a love affair with Kamurocho's finest, and what's more, it's one of the best entries in the series to date.
A rock solid hack and slasher, Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star offers non-stop, totally over-the-top action from a fantastically fun cast of playable characters. Our only real complaint is that repetition can bleed into the experience over time, but give yourself a few days to recover from the fatigue, and you'll come back to a welcoming brawler that's stuffed with content. It's not quite up there with the best musou games on the market, but The Umbral Star scratches that button bashing itch and then some.
Final Fantasy XV is a strange, patchwork beast that's made up of countless different components. Having been in development for so long, things could have gone far, far worse for Noctis and the gang, but as it stands, this is an engrossing journey that delivers a unique experience – and that's something that can rarely be said about today's open world games. When its at its very worst, Final Fantasy XV is mind-bogglingly misguided, but thankfully, those moments are very few and far between, and are soon forgotten when you're running off on adventures with such an endearing band of brothers. As a whole, Final Fantasy will likely never recapture its former glory, but Final Fantasy XV fills us with hope that the series can still carve out its own path, even after all these years.
