Vertical Drop Heroes HD (PS4)

Nerdook Productions, the one man indie development studio brings to us yet another addictive, and outright challenging game. This time the game in question is made available on the PS4 console. That game being an HD console port of, "Vertical Drop Heroes". With the charm of games like 'Castle Crashers', and 2D RPG platformers of the retro arcade type this game leans heavily on the age old destined hero trope while making light of the fact that said heroes are not always what they think they are. Death comes often in the adventures taken on by these heroes who come to believe the Tome of Knowledge's myths about a chosen one, damsels in distress, fabled treasure, and formidable foes. 

While many heroes, and heroines venture out to make a name for themselves not too many ever reach their ultimate goal though. In fact sometimes you'll find it takes descendants of the wannabe savior to finally reach that point of glory, and fame. A final chapter in a never-ending story that starts innocently enough at the Tome of Knowledge, and takes them on a dangerous descent into various environments laden with environmental hazards, enemy lackeys, and gargantuan bosses. Utilizing two assist abilities, a basic weapon attack, and the aid of other captive heroes the chosen protagonist must survive long enough to reach the end of their perilous journey in order to reap the rewards thereafter. Should they fail another hero will no doubt take their place as that fabled protagonist of a tale passed on generation after generation.

Double Dragon IV (PS4)

I'm at a loss for words. I went into my playthrough of Arc System Work's "Double Dragon IV" hoping for an authentic trip down memory lane, but was met instead by "Sucker Punch Simulator 4.0". That's what it felt like. Sure the game took the series' main characters Billy and Jimmy, and followed up half-heartedly with a story that takes place after Double Dragon II's events, but the beefed up gameplay felt intentionally one-sided. I remember the first Double Dragon on the NES being sluggish, but not gang heavy like it is here. In this follow up there's way too many enemies onscreen at a time, especially with the sucker punches flying, and your character's inability to respond quickly to the threats at hand factored in. Not only that, but this latest Double Dragon adventure feels shallow, and without substance. Like a straightforward experience hindered by cheap fights, and cheaply made environmentally hazardous platforming. I'm truly surprised, and not in a good way.

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4: Road to Boruto (PS4)

The Naruto anime, and manga franchise has expanded quite a lot since it's initial debut. Most everybody knows of, or has watched the anime. To some it has inspired a sort of character specific cult following, and offered an alternate identity in the worlds of online gaming. To others it has inspired bravery, or perhaps even loyalty. Characters like the outsider turned leader Naruto, and the rebellious man against the machine Sasuke Uchiha are relatable to many youngsters who have similar personalities. While this can be considered a good thing, and a bad thing at the same time there's no doubting the significance of Naruto's relevance in modern day social culture.

I personally watched the entire season one anime on my own time and own dime back in the day, but kind of lost interest down the road when the animation style, and storytelling direction changed. I was very fond of that first season, and it's feels. Like many other fans I could relate to some of the characters in it, and found inspiration from it. As far as the ever expanding video game series goes the last Naruto game I played was admittedly on the Nintendo Wii. I actually enjoyed the combat in it, but never pursued the ongoing series beyond that point. You can imagine my surprise, and excitement when I was selected to review this latest game though. It's been a true trip down memory lane, and hasn't been half bad. Though I did end up favoring the offline portion of the game, the online part ended up hurting my overall opinion of it solely because of the players abusing it. Not because of the game, itself. In the following paragraphs I'll break down the game feature by feature, and tell you why it is I feel the online portion of the game is it's Achille's heel. Let us begin ...

Digimon World: Next Order (PS4)

From the trailers to the box art, and the opening cinematic I thought for certain "Digimon World: Next Order" would be some sort of grand JRPG adventure with game changing character involvement, a deep seeded plot, and an endgame scenario. Instead it is being marketed as a monster training/raising simulator with slight JRPG elements. The game itself starts off as a JRPG would with an interesting interactive cinematic battle that looks like it is going to set the stage for a later climactic encounter between some heroes, and a formidable foe. Past the female, and male protagonist selection though this foe is only hinted at, and lost in what turns out to be a glorified Tomagatchi-like experience. This raising, influencing, and evolving of digital monsters that you are tasked with after the initial loss of your evolved Digimon partners definitely feels like it's a bit lacking. It has you tending to two infantile Digimon who require real-time attention in the form of feeding, discipline, caring, and training. You even have to take these creatures to potty when a poop icon floats above their head. It is a tedious undertaking wrought with sub-par voice acting, and gameplay that is only made intricate by the micro-management menu system that has you doing things for both your character, and your Digimon in a simultaneous or individual sense. As far as plot goes there are objectives, but even those are burdened, and dwarfed by the parenting duties that have been forced upon you.

Zen Pinball 2 ~ Star Wars Pinball: Rogue One (PS4)

Going into this review I was blind plot-wise. I have yet to see 'Star Wars: Rogue One', and only know the basics of the story being told. I know this latest tale follows a ragtag group of shipmates who are trying to infiltrate the Death Star to steal the battle plans so that it can be destroyed. My guess is that it takes place somewhere in the middle of the original trilogy before the Death Star is actually blown up. A sort of side story that builds upon what fans already know. As far as the tribute table goes there's no in-your-face spoilers, but it does obviously feature design elements that will be recognizable to those who have already seen the movie. I will say that out of all the available Star Wars Pinball tables this table, by far, is the most grand in design. It features a rich array of 3D models, and accompanying story missions that number 10 in total. It even has table art that is a realistic representation of the contributing actors, and actresses done up in a way that is almost photo-realistic. The table features, such as the wired half-pipes, and ramps are also added in a way that is vastly different from any Zen Pinball table before it. It's definitely more user friendly, and has more scoring opportunities than usual. There's even some new additions to the Zen Pinball 2 mechanics that haven't been seen before.

Tales of Berseria (PS4)

Bandai Namco's "Tales of Berseria" is a thematic story driven action RPG that delves deep into the human psyche through a varied storytelling presentation that includes a plot of revenge taken on by an exorcist's apprentice who was wronged in the worst sort of way. Velvet, that wronged protagonist, starts off in a semi-happy life tending to her ailing younger brother Laphicet while abiding by Arthur's guidance, and instructions. The latter of whom is a man of the utmost seriousness, and who is loyal to his duties as the town's unwelcome savior/exorcist. While the world in which Velvet, and the trio of main role-players is oppressed by a surrounding demonblight, or rather an unexplained plague which turns humans into daemons, the lot of them push to make the most of their humble lives. Like many people in the real world they aspire to do great things in the midst of dark times, but suffice to make ends meet through hard work. Unfortunately for them the aspiration, and dreams for a better life are cut short one fateful red mooned night due to a certain character's selfish decision, and the resulting seeking of vengeance by the wronged, Velvet. As it were Velvet's quest, and thirst for revenge is what set's the stage for the bloodthirsty battles ahead, and drives those who join her cause to fight alongside her.