Playstation 4 Reviews T

After the disappointment that was Tales of Zestiria (Bandai Namco, 2015), Bandai knew they needed to pull out all the stops to win back their fans' trust—and they did! Tales of Berseria (ToB) stars Velvet, a young woman who looks like she put her Hot Topic outfit through a shredder. She lives with her little brother Laphicet and her brother-in-law Artorius. When a mysterious sickness starts turning people into demons, Artorius sacrifices Laphicet to stem the demonic plague. Velvet's resulting anger turns her into a demon herself who vows to get revenge. She's joined by a goofy samurai, a theatrical witch, and a pirate cursed with bad luck.

The voice actors are all great and seem to be having a good time. After suffering through Zestiria's passionless cast these colorful characters are a breath of fresh air! ToB is a rip-roaring emotional roller coaster that runs 40-50 hours and I loved every minute of it! The story isn't the only thing that's improved however. The combat is more action focused, with Velvet stringing together combos like Bayonetta-lite! You can even design your own combos to determine which move each consecutive button press will unleash. It's not button mashing; it's personalized button mashing! And in an almost Dark Souls-like move, the extent of your combo is determined by a stamina meter. By stunning enemies you can extend your stamina meter, allowing combos to run even longer.

Experimentation will help you determine attacks enemies are vulnerable to, but be advised they'll do the same to you. Mechanically speaking ToB is the best Tales Of game I've ever played, but it's still a Tales Of game with the same Tales Of problems. The areas between cities and dungeons look better than previous games, but they're still just overly long hallways designed to pad out the game's run time. And as great as the story is, there are times when it goes overboard, subjecting you to cutscenes running upwards of fifteen minutes! I'm not sure what to make of all the subtitle typos, but they are everywhere and some are just plain weird ("I'm sure you can squeeze some privates!"). Still, there's plenty to love In Berseria, especially for gamers who like to lose themselves in a good story. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.

If there's one thing you could always count on from the "Tales of" series of Japanese RPGs, it's a great story. So what happens when you take that away? Tales of Zestiria, sadly. The hero is Sorey, a young man raised by the angelic seraphim who leaves his peaceful mountaintop home to face a demonic plague in the world below. With his pure heart and spiritual abilities Sorey becomes a legendary figure prophesied to bring the world into an age of light. While previous Tales games featured complex storylines with ample twists and turns, Zestiria settles for the most cliched, predictable "chosen one" narrative imaginable.

Sorey comes off as the world's biggest goody-two-shoes and the supporting cast is equally bland. Cutscenes drag because no one has anything interesting to say, and even the voice actors sound disinterested. I made an effort to enjoy this, but it's just… so… boring! Little else has changed from previous games, with real-time combat that uses O for physical attacks and X for magic. You can map various thumbstick and button combinations but enemies tend to be pushovers so button mashing will suffice. The camera remains behind you during battle, making it hard to judge the distance between you and enemies.

The back of the box boasts of an open world adventure, but that's a bit of a misnomer. The over-world has indeed been opened up considerably but there's nothing to do but run between cities. I consider myself a fan of the Tales series but it's hard to ignore the shortcomings of Zestiria, especially without a strong storyline to hold the experience together. © Copyright 2018 The Video Game Critic.

Tekken 7 received glowing reviews over the summer, leaving me to wonder what all the fuss was about. Besides its high definition graphics, has this game changed at all since the original Tekken (PS1, 1995)? It's still a one-on-one 3D slugfest with a button assigned to each limb. The selection of fighters includes old favorites like Law, Paul, Kazuya, and Jack. I always preferred King, despite the fact that his cat head is too small for his body. Nina now comes decked out in a tattered wedding dress, Kazumi can summon a ghostly tiger, and Heihachi plays the obligatory villain.

New entries include a hulking robot named Gigas who can catch an opponent in mid-air and throw him around like a rag doll! I was also surprised to see Akuma of Street Fighter fame. The remaining fighters seem to exist to meet some kind of diversity quota. The character models are sharp but robotic compared to the Street Fighter series.

The realistic stages include some really dull locations like an endless sandbar, a volcano, and a mountain top. I did enjoy the helipad stage which overlooks a city skyline at night, and the stage featuring a platform surrounded by robotic arms is also impressive. The fights are action-packed thanks to crisp controls, imaginative attacks, and flashy effects. One new wrinkle is the "rage art" ability, but since there are no instructions figuring out how that works is an exercise left to the reader.

The modes and player statistics are divided into online and offline categories. I like the concept but the offline selection didn't excite me. The story mode is so long-winded I could not stand it! The arcade mode employs some kind of "kyu progression" system I didn't understand. What ever happened to keeping score? Oh sure you win gold coins to unlock bunny ears and sunglasses but who the hell cares?! Tekken 7 is technically sound but it fails to offer the player compelling reasons to play. © Copyright 2017 The Video Game Critic.

The original Tempest was a 1981 vector-graphic arcade hit that used a unique dial controller. The idea was to move a shooting claw around the perimeters of large geometric objects, blasting aliens crawling in from the distance. You could rapidly fire shots while strafing the lanes, and when you felt overwhelmed just unleash a "super-zapper" to obliterate everything on the screen.

Its sequel Tempest 2000 (Jaguar, 1994) served as the flagship title of the Atari Jaguar console. The game took the classic gameplay to new heights with psychedelic backdrops, power-ups, more stages, and catchy techno music. Tempest 4000 is surprisingly similar - even reusing the same soundtrack! Maybe that's not a bad thing. The rumbling intro really gets your blood pumping and the shooting mayhem is pure arcade fun. Using the thumbstick to navigate the perimeter feels inexact but is probably better than digital control. Holding down X engages rapid-fire but your shots feel intermittent until you upgrade your firepower. Obtain the "AI droid" and you'll get a robot who shoots by your side, doubling the destruction.

Tempest 4000 does add a few new twists. Enemies are now seen approaching from the distance even before they reach firing range. There are more shapes to shoot, and they tend to burst into crazy pyrotechnics. When you die the stage doesn't reset, but instead drops you back into the current level with enemies now teeming along the edge. It's a little unfair, especially if you don't have the "jump" power-up. Between stages you travel through a space tunnel while trying to remain centered for bonus points, but it's nothing special.

Tempest 4000 offers three modes of play, but you'll have to figure out the difference between them on your own because there's no [expletive] manual. The "classic mode" has so much flashing colors and distorted visuals it's sensory overload. Random messages like "PLEASURE" and "YES YES YES" make you feel like you're indulging in some sort of perverted fantasy. The game records high scores locally, and I love having the current high displayed at the top of the screen. For a longtime fan like myself Tempest 4000 is slightly underwhelming, but if you haven't experienced Tempest before you're in for quite a trip. © Copyright 2018 The Video Game Critic.

When I saw Roger Federer gracing the cover of World Tour Tennis I figured it had to be a safe bet. If you can't trust Roger Federer, who can you trust? I'll never make that mistake again.

Tennis World Tour begins with a time-consuming tutorial walking you through the basics like serving and aiming your shots. But what's the deal with these graphics? I was hoping the vaguely cartoonish players were just part of the tutorial, but no, the actual game looks this bad! Players in a PS4 game licensed by the pros should look photorealistic, not look like characters from a mobile phone game.

The gameplay tries to mimic Virtua Tennis (Dreamcast, 2000) by letting you hold down the swing button to "charge" your shot. You can also sprint via R1. I tried to remain cautiously optimistic heading into my first exhibition match. Taking the defaults, the game set up Wawrinka vs. Wawrinka - in the same outfit no less! Every volly felt stilted and I couldn't get into any kind of rhythm. And despite playing in a large arena with fans there was no atmosphere at all.

Then I tried the career mode and the wheels came off completely. When your opponent faults your player doesn't even react, as if the controller had disconnected. Sometimes my player would lunge in the wrong direction, and other times he'd give up on a shot and not even bother to swing! Whenever I approached the net my player seemed to have no idea what was going on and refused to swing. And when your computer opponents allow perfectly returnable shots to pass, it doesn't make for a very satisfying victory.

The commentator does his best John McEnroe impersonation but his commentary is weak, repeating the same lines ("Now's definitely not the time for a double fault") and making bizarre statements ("What power! Talk about ball abuse!") And why is the umpire yelling "out!" for winning shots that are in? Lacking the fun of an arcade title and the realism of a simulation, Tennis World Tour falls squarely into no-man's land. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.

Terminator Resistance takes place in 1997. Some of you may recall that was the year the Green Bay Packers won the Superbowl, George Clooney was named Sexiest Man alive, and Skynet became self-aware and caused nuclear armageddon.

Playing the role of soldier Jacob Rivers, Resistance immediately thrusts you in the middle of the "war against the machines." After a few close calls you meet up with members of the Resistance including Danny Glover, a cranky old hag, and of course some annoying chick who always wants to tag along.

The character models look like something from the PS3 era, but the game maintains that gritty Terminator look and feel. You'll trudge through burnt-out buildings, abandoned factories, and junkyards below overpasses. An amazing soundtrack instills a sense of dread during some of the more pulse-pounding scenes. Early on you're forced to employ stealth to avoid Terminators, and the suspense runs high.

The controls are responsive and easy to pick up for the most part. The setup screen however presents your weapons in a diamond configuration, giving you the false impression you can use the directional pad to toggle between them. The act of "hacking" is played out via a minigame that plays like Frogger (Atari 2600, 1982) except with worse graphics. It is pretty sweet however when you turn a turret to your side, causing it to mow down all approaching terminators.

The game can be annoying. Was it really necessary to incorporate so many "nuisance" enemies? There are a lot of flying drones and scampering spider droids that zap you with electricity. Worst of all are the metal bugs that roll at you and explode in your face before you can aim your weapon.

And is there a reason the game prompts you to hit a button after every loading screen? Did they think the player might want to wait just a little longer? Oh, and the crafting just plain sucks. I realize they were trying to give the game depth but I got really tired of collecting junk. You're often encouraged to converse with other characters but I was grateful "leave" is always an option.

Resistance held my attention until I reached this wide-open city with multiple objectives around a sprawling map. Everything looks the same and the battlefield is one big maze. It's hard to figure out what the game wants you to do. I'm trying to take pictures of installations and it keeps saying "not a target" or "bad quality" which is total BS. The final straw was not being able to hack a panel because my "skill level wasn't high enough".

I'm starting to think the whole Terminator storyline is played out. Resistance has high production values but the gameplay gradually wore me down my spirit. I understand a post-apocalyptic world is inherently depressing, but does the game have to be too? © Copyright 2022 The Video Game Critic.

It's not easy to stand out in the competitive field of first-person shooters (FPS), yet Titanfall 2 manages to feel fresh and original. Your character has unprecedented agility by FPS standards, and your ability to battle from inside of a robotic mech adds a whole new dimension. I passed up on the original Titanfall because it was online only, but Titanfall 2 offers a monumental single-player campaign.

I can't get over how good this game looks and feels. The animation is fluid, the controls tight, and the graphic quality outstanding. The first-person shooting feels instantly comfortable as you target enemy soldiers, flying drones, and dinosaur-like wildlife. I love how helmets pop off when you shoot enemies in the head. Weapon loadouts have multiple capabilities, and while they seem complicated at first, it's fun to experiment with them. I got a kick out of the gravity grenades which pull enemies together so you can shoot them all in one place.

Pressing the touchpad button brings up your current objective marker, but I found the thin line indicator hard to follow. What shocked me about this game was the amount of platform jumping. Titanfall 2 not only makes heavy use of wall-running and double-jumps, but expects you to string them together in combinations that will leave you breathless.

Of course the true hallmark of the Titanfall franchise are its "titan" mechs. I like how your titan will grab you and stick you into his chest. The mech battles offer a brute force style of combat including lock-on missiles and a shield that absorbs projectiles and repels them back at adversaries. You'll spend most of the game running on foot but the titans play a major role in boss encounters.

The missions are ingeniously designed. In one stage you trek through a topsy-turvy factory stage that reminded me of a scene from Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. In another you toggle time at the press of the button, switching from past to present to locate new paths and remove enemies. It's mind-blowing.

As I played through the game my opinion progressed from "not bad" to "this is great" and finally "I think I love this." I was close to giving it a solid A until the game crashed not once, but multiple times. I didn't try the multiplayer but have friends who have vouched for it. The bugs are unfortunate because Titanfall 2 is a head-popping, robot-wrecking good time. © Copyright 2016 The Video Game Critic.

Featuring peppy little cars racing around oval dirt tracks, sprint car racing is wildly popular in small towns across America. Despite the sport's relative obscurity there's a surprising number of fine video game adaptations. The former king was World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars (Xbox 360, 2010) but Tony Stewart's Sprint Car Racing blows it out of the water.

The well-designed career mode kicks off with a personal video introduction by Tony himself who provides some history and guidance on ascending the ranks. After taking the default settings I wound up with the name "Dirt Racer", which is cooler than anything I would have come up with.

This game itself embodies the gritty feel of real sprint car action, right down to the cheap PA systems. Each event consists of several heats which typically kick off at sundown and continue into the dark of night. If you doubt sprint car racing is exciting, imagine 25 cars power-sliding around a banked turn at full speed while kicking up a blinding wall of dust. This sport is no stranger to fantastic wrecks.

The game's arcade style emphasizes playability over realism. Using opponents as guardrails can be effective, and should your car veer off-course you simply press the touchpad to reset it on the track. You don't have to worry about goggle tear-strips when your vision gets muddy, because the game is played strictly from a third-person perspective.

The cars handle like a dream as you jockey for position on straightaways and hang on for dear life around turns. The rear-view mirror combined with surround sound makes you feel as if another racer is hot on your tail. It's so intense I found myself leaning to the side while power-sliding. Once I nearly fell off the couch!

One disappointment is how the game consists of 24 "fantasy" tracks instead of actual venues. That's curious when you consider Tony Stewart himself owns one of the more famous tracks. Even so, those included embody that rural, blue-collar feel with their factories, grain silos, windmills, and water towers. Frankly I would not have guessed these tracks were fake.

The PA announcer makes charming small-town announcements during the race, like an alert about someone leaving their lights on in the parking lot. I find it amusing when he boasts how "all of tonight's proceeds will go directly back into the track!" Couldn't some sick kids use that money? The track looks perfectly good if you ask me!

In this day and age the inclusion of an excellent two-player split-screen mode is a gift. As icing on the cake, Tony Stewart's Sprint Car Racing is available on physical media, so you can own it forever. It shares a double bill with Tony Stewart's All-American Racing. Wow. If you're a sprint car fan, go ahead and bump up the grade by a letter. © Copyright 2021 The Video Game Critic.

Call me a glutton for punishment but I've always gravitated toward "bullet hell" titles, and this is a unique take on the genre. Instead of moving up a vertical scrolling field while blowing away swarming ships, Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet is a one-on-one fighter with rapid-fire shooting and melee combat. The basic concept is similar to Space War (Atari 2600, 1977) as you exchange fire with an opponent on a screen-sized battlefield.

The menu and setup screens offer a lot of fun music and colorful anime graphics. But as you would expect of any game with the word "ballet" in the title, it sucks. An endless tutorial explains the gauges, indicators, and attack modes in methodical detail. After paging through 500 text bubbles you'll just say to hell with it and quit out. There are so many subtle elements, like reconstituting your charge attack by "grazing" (brushing up close to enemy projectiles). Initiating a spell positions your opponent at the bottom of the screen and lets you pommel him with waves of bullets.

Despite its anime style Bullet Ballet isn't much to look at. There are two fighters who are tiny and surrounded by a pair of concentric circles. The background graphics are so uninteresting you won't even notice them. The bright-colored projectiles offer plenty of fireworks, but the action is mediocre at best and the constant shooting noise is obnoxious.

Most bullet hell shooters reward the player with eye candy and a sense of progression. Bullet Ballet provides neither and doesn't even save your offline scores! It's a real shame because I got the special edition with a soundtrack and art book. I think my friend Scott put it best: "I don't know what's going on here, but it's not fun." © Copyright 2016 The Video Game Critic.