Fate/EXTELLA LINK (PS4)

This entry in the continuing Fate/Stay Night gaming series, which was adapted from an ongoing manga visual novel of the same namesake, extends upon the lore in a more combat heavy experience in which master and servant micromanagement is the key to victory. The key to keeping SE.RA.PH from being Oracilized by Karna, and his growing army of shadow servant clones. SE.RA.PH being Earth's enigmatic Moon server which brings to life the virtual world you inhabit along with all of it's servant residents. Servants which are historical recreations of warriors from ages gone by. It is through the master that these servants are guided as well as summoned, and through said servants that said masters are protected. Thus creating, in layman's terms, a world of kings, queens and kingdoms.

In true mosou form, and within SE.RA.PH, you will ultimately play as a main servant (I chose Charlemagne) in the company of supporting servant troops under the guide of the master as you navigate gated labyrinths traveling from portal to portal while clearing out key enemies and protecting the master as well as the key supporting servants. It's manic multitasking in a somewhat streamlined fashion that makes Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors look like a more tedious dragged on affair. From the base camp to the battlefield, and through a handful of increasingly difficult difficulty settings you will build bonds between master, and servant while you prepare them meticulously to face the threat to your virtual world, and it's housed NPCs. Including a complex set of main missions, and side missions with a progressive plot to forward.

Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal (PS4)

Going back to it's 3DS roots "Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal" renews the old 2.5D presentation of the original Nintendo handheld release allowing those dedicated PlayStation console gamers who missed out the first go around the opportunity to bare witness to the series' origin story. Not only did this entry point receive a visual overhaul with newer graphics, but it is also functionally fit for the PS4 controller. You'll get to experience the story mode mission by mission throughout two different Shinobi alliances' perspectives within 41 chapters each. Both "Ultimate Shadow", and "Burst" with their good versus evil alignments offer replay value in the form of three difficulty settings per mission, varying grades for completion quality, and the usual assortment of obtainable unlockables with which you can doll up your favorite femme fatales to your heart's desire, and equip them with the tools of their trade. That as well as videos, and music for after game enjoyment. Even the diorama mode returns with the posing, and dressing opportunities for those looking forward to that fan service feature. Speaking of fan service there are plenty of revealing, and provocative poses as well as damaged Shinobi attire to apply. While censorship is applied it is not aggressively so, as you might assume. You'll still see the bewbie sparkles in mid-transformation as one would expect returning to the series. That, and the infamous bounce.

Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash (PS4)

If you like bouncy busty anime gals having fun with squirt guns then this latest Senran Kagura adventure might be for you. If however you are easily offended by censorship, or are a feminist you might not enjoy it so much. Personally I found it to be fun though quite perverted. That having been said I am a grown adult male who has seen worse in the way of sexuality, and who can handle adult content without getting butthurt over it. What XSEED, and Marvelous! provides here is mild in comparison to a lot of adult games, and is actually quite fun. The game, as it were features both single player, and multiplayer content with a new RPG card system that adds immense replay value. Returning are all the Shinobi gals from the previous series' entries as well as the mob battles, and character versus character scenarios. They are still with their resident clans, and leaders, but are switching things up with a demon appeasing ceremony of the splashy kind. One that is televised by "NewTube", and hosted by Senran Kagura's equivalent of Team Rocket in the form of Ms.S and Mr. K. The P1-Grand Prix which the girls are forcefully summoned to is in fact a ceremony in the guise of a televised squirt gun based sports event. The victor of the event will get any wish their heart desires, and in the process they'll stop a looming threat. There's wacky hijinks aplenty, and combative gameplay that's fun enough to whet your arena shooter whistle.

Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel (PS4)

I've seen anime fighters come, and go along with their interesting mechanics, their unusual character rosters, and their flashy special effects. I've seen most of them turn into virtual ghost towns that only dedicated Japanese gamers bother playing as well. I've even seen some of them do fairly better than others. The Guilty Gear, and Blazblue series comes to mind in regards to that latter remark. When it comes to XSEED's, and Marvelous' anime crossover, "Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel" I think the game lands somewhere in the middle of the mark. It's neither great, nor is it a huge disaster. I think this forty dollar fighter has something catchy, but at the same time feel that the asking price is a bit too steep even though it is on new-gen hardware. What you have to understand is that the developer went all out to make the game flashy, attractive, and functional in a fighting game sense but failed to offer the gamer some essentials that have become a must for fighting game fans. Sure it looks nice from the cover image to the main menus, and even the gameplay, but where it really counts it struggles a bit to captivate a genre veteran such as myself.