Little Noah: Scion of Paradise | PS4

Cygames' "Little Noah: Scion of Paradise" is very much like a recipe passed down through the generations. Adopted, added to, and fine tuned to perfection for consumption. It's like a pinch of "The Binding of Isaac", a dash of "Diablo", and a flourish of "Devil May Cry". Part hack & slash platformer, part roguelite, and part JRPG "Little Noah" brings to the table a delectable meal of an experience worth savoring. Every moment, and every retry satisfying in the best ways. Never dull, and never frustrating.

Through the story of Noah Little, a tale about an airship pilot and alchemist who is in search of her father, we find a plot that plays out a lot like Groundhog Day of Bill Murray fame. A rinse and repeat trek through a kingdom in the sky wherein lies a cat who acts like Alice's white rabbit. The key to a deeper mystery. Paired with this walking talking feline Noah is bound and determined to not only repair her airship, and find her father, but also explore the ruins she has discovered. Ultimately facing off against a powerful antagonist in the process who also seems intent on looting the ruins for all it's worth.

Yurukill: The Calumniation Games | PS4 Review

 Produced in a Shojo, or Otome visual novel art style the criminal cast, and paired executioners of "Yurukill: The Calumniation Games" come to life in the harsh reality of a do or die amusement park ride spectacle meant to either establish innocence for one winner, or deal death to the deceivers. Part puzzle solving, part trial by evidence, and part shoot 'em up simulator this insane collection of character specific short stories culminates in an unfolding maniacal mystery hosted by the eccentric and oddly spoken fox masked Binko. The outcome is ultimately up to the player as they take on the role of 5 teams of supposed culprits accused of the most heinous crimes. Each trying to prove their innocence at the mercy of a joining executioner who has a kill switch tied to the poison needle device placed around each prisoners' neck. Choices will be made that will determine the outcome of the games at hand, and only one prisoner will leave Yurukill Land alive with the chance at freedom via retrial.

The Legend of Bum-bo | Another Man's Trash Is ...

Nicalis, in the not so distant past, has moved from their traditional dungeon crawling formula presented in 'The Binding of Isaac' to a more stylized 3D puzzle matching game in the prequel that is "The Legend of Bum-Bo'. This prequel of sorts which was originally released on PC comes complete with a new protagonist, and a new plot alongside turn based RPG mechanics. We are introduced briefly through animated cutscenes to the crudely spoken Bum-Bo who is actually a literal bum. He is a squatter living in a cardboard box outside of a house on a hill with nothing but a bag of trash, and a coin to his name. As fate would have it the monster residing in the house comes calling for Bum-Bo's coin. Making a dive into a nearby hole in the ground with Bum-Bo in hot pursuit. As with Isaac's descent into the demon plagued basement of his home Bum-Bo too faces similar foul fiends in the deep down below. From the decrepit turdlettes to the bigger and badder bosses he must use his trash bag contents to deal with the deadly, and devious denizens.

Disgaea 6 Complete | A Story Of Hope

Formerly known as "Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny" this complete port for the PS4 is a long time coming for fans of the series. It contains all character DLC, all the cosmetics, and new color palettes for customization. That and better graphics than the former Switch version. Intact is all of the game's main plot, and premise as well as the returning 'Super Reincarnation' mechanic tied to the main zombie underling, Zed. 

Zed, his frankensteined pug pal Cerberus, and a whole host of other quirky fun loving characters join his fight against the God of Destruction and the tyrannical overlords. Zed, himself, embodies the fight against all odds. A never give up, and never surrender attitude. By repeatedly doing the damage that he can, dying in the midst of battle, and being born again to repeat the process he whittles away at the competition with increasing strength. Forfeiting stats, and transporting to new worlds as he does so. Still with his mind set on the prize.

Pocky & Rocky Reshrined | PS4

Beautiful, and brutally challenging is the return of this retro classic. In the way of remasters it is more than an HD upgrade this time around, and by design features stage elements not seen in the original 80's arcade release. The game I speak of is none other than "Pocky & Rocky Reshrined". Formerly known in the East as "Kiki KaiKai". At heart it stays true to that original, and is still a manually driven shooter with multi-directional aiming. You take control of one of 5 characters that are gradually made playable, and available through Story mode progression. Each with their own take on gameplay mechanics, and involvement in the unfolding plot. This includes the titular shrine maiden Pocky, and her Tanuki partner Rocky. 

While minding the shrine one day, under a treaty of peace with the local Yokai and the fabled Gods of Fortune, Pocky's shrine maintenance is interrupted by a worried Rocky. Rocky comes calling with news of the Gods having broken the peace treaty. To figure out what's going on Pocky, and Rocky head out to deal with the problem. Unveiling in the process a hooded mystery man who seems to be the culprit ...