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Here’s our final gathering of the best PS4 titles that released during the final months of 2016.
World of Final Fantasy
Taken from Game Review: It wasn’t until I received World of Final Fantasy that I understood that it’s not just some cutesy spin-off to appeal to longtime fans’ nostalgia; rather, it’s a fully-developed game, complete with side quests, objectives, and minigames. The story alone is allegedly 100+ hours, and based on the time I’ve put in and my apparent progress, this seems to be accurate. However, it was criminally under-hyped and that, combined with the animation style, will probably cause a lot of gamers to skip it. Personally, I find that the overall aesthetic somewhat evokes Kingdom Hearts (especially when Reynn and Lann are in Jiant form, which they can freely switch to). The mirages are utterly adorable (many of them have elicited a squeal of delight), and seeing familiar characters rendered in chibi style is fantastic. The dialogue is appropriately cheesy and the banter between Reynn, Lan, and Mirage sidekick Tama is quite endearing.
Buy World of Final Fantasy here.
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BlazeBlue: Central Fiction
Taken from Game Review: BlazBlue: Central Fiction is an excellent gift that’s perfect for those who stood by this 2D fighter since its introduction. New characters, modes, system adjustments etc. come together to make this series swan song a memorable one. This fighter features everything seen in most modern day fighters, plus it throws even more features in to put it above the competition. The lengthy Story Mode’s text-heavy sequences may look fine, but they’re simply too much of a bore to get into. And the loss of English voiceovers stings a little bit. Props still go out to Arc System works though for their fine farewell project within the BlazBlue lore.
Buy BlazeBlue: Central Fiction here.
Dishonored 2
Taken from Game Review: Dishonored 2 excels in every area that made the 1st game so remarkable. Each of the stages you explore within Karnaca are wondrous locales teeming with meaningful activity and beautiful scenery. Corvo/Emily’s otherworldly ability suite feels empowering and makes you feel like a true menace. Most of the fun produced by this sequel comes from exploring every nook and cranny of a level while choosing the more/less violent method for your main objective. The game’s tale of deception, revenge and redemption is all the more involving thanks to the interesting personalities you encounter. The only letdown that comes to mind is the fact that some of the game’s cooler mechanics are only relegated to a single stage. But don’t let that nitpick deter you from Arkane Studios’ latest triumph.
Final Fantasy XV
Taken from Game Review: Lastly, although this strays so far from the usual Final Fantasy formula, there are still plenty of elements that longtime fans will recognize, and things that just give it that feel. Most (if not all) of the monsters will be familiar to series veterans, including the Archons. There’s Chocobo riding, naturally, and Moogles even make a small appearance (if only as decoy plushies). You’ll hear clips of familiar music, such as the victory theme when your experience tallies each night (or when Prompto randomly sings it after battles). And of course, there’s the spiky-haired, brooding protagonist.
The Last Guardian
The eternal wait for the eventual release of The Last Guardian was a culmination of cancellation rumors and switched platforms. While it does have a few rough spots in some important areas, the overall experience behind this lovable puzzle adventure title is heartwarming. Exploring a mysterious castle as a young boy and befriending a massive creature named Trico meant getting the chance to build on the newfound relationship between them. Trico’s behavioral patterns and the way he interacts with his smaller ally helped deliver several memorable moments that still resonate with us months later. Ico and Shadow of the Colossus’ best elements combined together in just the right way to make The Last Guardian another Fumito Ueda’s classic.
Batman – The Telltale Series
Taken from Best Xbox One Games Description: We were quite skeptical of Telltale Games’ announcement of an adventure game geared towards Gotham City’s dark savior. But after wading through five chapters of Bruce Wayne/Batman’s taxing fight against the Children of Arkham, we grew to appreciate it. Instead of sticking to the traditional mythos the “Dark Knight” has stuck to since his inception, Telltale Games decided to alter his background. This move didn’t anger the traditional Batman fan in us; all it managed to do was give us a different take on his biggest conflicts and Bruce Wayne’s public image. Each chapter provided awesome action set pieces, clever crime scene investigations and a host of familiar allies/antiheroes. Batman – The Telltale Series closed out on a high note and its ending teaser has us excited for what’s next.
Buy Batman – The Telltale Series here.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Taken from Best Xbox One Games Description: We know, we know – everyone is seemingly tired of Activision’s annual routine of releasing a new Call of Duty game. We were far from excited after watching the initial gameplay reveal trailer (and it seems like we weren’t the only ones seeing as how many dislikes it garnered). But Infinite Warfare surprised us by its quality in two specific areas – the main single-player campaign and Zombies Mode. We enjoyed our time navigating through the far reaches of space, wiping out marked targets during side missions and engaging in hellacious dogfights. Once we were done with that portion of the game, we had a blast with the “ripped straight from the 80’s” take on humans vs. zombies. The multiplayer is what its always been and there’s still a fanbase out there for it. But the other two stronger pillars of Infinite Warfare are what kept us entertained throughout.
Buy Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare here.
Watch Dogs 2
Taken from Best Xbox One Games Description: A lot of people who were disappointed in the performance of the 1st Watch Dogs didn’t revisit its concept for the sequel. We figured that was true due to the lower sales figures of this follow up. But we hope that category of gamers finally gives Watch Dogs 2 a fair chance. It leaves the grey, dull expanses of Chicago and takes a bunch of tech-heavy hackers into the more colorful state of California. The main character is way more lively, which lends a more light hearted feel to every mission. The hacking mechanics were even stronger than before; we caused arrests after changing a person’s personal info, took over cameras to survey our enemies, took control of cars we definitely couldn’t afford etc. The gunplay was solid, but we had way more fun causing havoc with our little pocket disrupter. Hacking every bit of sunny ‘ol California gave us the hope we lost with the 1st Watch Dogs.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
Taken from Game Review: Shantae: Half-Genie Hero may not throw in a whole bunch of fresh faces/elements to get acquainted with. But there’s isn’t much else to complain about. The most familiar elements of the Shantae series (fun platforming segments, cool transformations, catchy tunes etc.) return along with a beautiful new take on the graphics. The art pops off the screen thanks to its HD presentation, which makes each stage, the enemies you encounter on them and the massive bosses you take on look even better than before. This platformer may have released late in the year, but it stands tall as one of the best 2D platforming experiences of 2016.
Buy Shantae: Half-Genie Hero here.
Stardew Valley
Taken from Best Xbox One Games Description: Eric Barone pulled off a feat that must be celebrated as one of 2016’s highest gaming achievements – he created excellence all by himself with Stardew Valley. This addictive life simulator offered gamers a modern-day rendition of Harvest Moon and then some. Improving our farm never grew old as we spent hours building up relationships with the friendly townspeople. We cooked, we fished, we crafted and we braved the dangers of dungeons in order to nab more valuable loot. These activities threw us into a never ending loop of fun that turned into our end of year obsession. Stardew Valley is getting even better at the time of this writing, which makes an already quality product near perfection.
