Dragon Ball FighterZ (PS4)
Possibly the most anticipated game in the history of Dragon Ball games, Dragon Ball FighterZ is a 2D fighting game from Arc System Works, creators of fighting game classic like Guilty Gear and Blazeblue. Goku,Vegeta, Cell, and Frieza, and the rest of the iconic characters are here for another adventure new to the game. The gameplay was pretty fun as you get to chain attacks and pull-off some of the neat moves from the show like the "Kamehameha", "Descructo Disc", and "Final Flash".
Like any competent fighting game FighterZ has a bunch of modes to choose from ranging from online, arcade, training, local matches, and the much anticipated story mode. Rather than retelling old story arcs, FighterZ introduces an original story that takes places during the events of Dragon Ball Super and sees the return the androids and the Red Ribbon Army. It wasn't anything revolutionary, but was entertaining and I loved the fan-service moments and seeing all of the old villains back again.
Presentation-wise, Dragon Ball FighterZ looks amazing thanks to its detailed cel-shaded visuals that stay true to Akira Toriyama's design. The character models, backgrounds, and visual effects all that stay true to anime while making for some flashy action on screen. The voicework is also great, featuring the talents of English dub of Dragon Ball Z and Super, which is always a joy to hear. The soundtrack is alright, nothing caught my attention but does a good job of complementing the fighting. As a fan of Dragon Ball, I really enjoyed Dragon Ball FighterZ and it's by far among my favorite 2D fighting games I've played so far.
Transistor (PS4)
Transistor is another indie hit from Supergiant Games, creators of my favorite indie game Bastion. Following a young heroine's journey to reclaim her lost voice, Transistor is a futuristic hack-and-slash game with a huge emphasis on style. I've read nothing but high praises for the game ever since it came out and after being in the backlog forever, I've recently had to the chance to play it--- and I wasn't disappointed!
The game follows Red, a popular singer whose voice have been stripped away by a mysterious group called the "Camerata". Joined by an equally mysterious talking sword known the "Transistor", the pair will journey across a futuristic city while fighting hordes of robotic drones that plan on infecting it. The story doesn't make a lot of sense initially since its shrouded in mystery and yo having to piece most of it. Like the Souls series, story clues and character bios are tucked away in item descriptions, so expect some reading to do.
Transistor is top-down hack-and-slash game where you control Red as she cuts down a wide range of robot enemies. There's a bit of RPG elements as you get to level up and unlock new skills and perks for the Transistor like melee and ranged attacks. To top it off, skills can even be upgraded using other skills to increase their effect too. The main draw of the gameplay is that you can slow down time to briefly plan your attacks, thus adding an element of strategy as mindlessly facing enemies isn't always a great idea.
Visually, the game is impressive thanks to its stylish artstyle. The character models and backgrounds were all neat and fit the noir setting of the premise, something that I enjoyed. For an indie, the voicework was surprisingly great with the Transistor's performance being a highlight. As for the soundtrack, it was just as great with the ending theme being a standout.
Overall, Transistor was a short 5-hour adventure that was pretty fun. The story was interesting though admittedly, the characters were forgettable. That and the lack of content doesn't warrant a second run, unless you're planning on 100% it. Still, the gameplay was engaging due to its vast amount of experimentation as well as the challenging enemies and boss fights. The presentation is top-notch, no surprise from the studio behind Bastion. If you're looking for a story-driven game with interesting gameplay and neat visuals, then Transistor is worth a look.
100ft Robot Golf (PS4)
While I'm not a golf fan, I've picked up 100ft Robot Golf on sale years ago just for the fact that it had giant mechs playing golf. If that sounds silly, that's because the whole game is just that. Packed with cheesy golf humor, bad puns, and a Neon Genesis Evangelion spoof, it's clear that 100ft Robot Golf doesn't take itself too seriously.
No surprise, it has you playing as giant mechs as you aim to beat your opponents by hitting the golf ball into the hole first-- pretty simple until you have to destroy giant buildings blocking your aim and ruin your opponents shots so they won't get an advantage. Also, each mech has its own abilities like using a hover-board to quickly navigate the course, which offers a slight edge in matches. Other than that, it's a straightforward and clunky affair that doesn't get any more interesting than that. There are online and co-op modes as well as a customization shallow feature other than the main story. Speaking of the latter, it's short 2-3 hour ride that's packed with quirky characters and a forgettable plot.
As for the presentation, it's mediocre to say the least. The less than stellar mech designs and flat backgrounds won't impress a lot and though the anime-inspired art-style is great, it feels unfinished considering its choppy all the time. The voicework is terrible with many weak performances and the soundtrack was average. Amidst its shortcomings, the biggest surprise was that I grew to like it due to its certain amount of charm, which made it a worthwhile play. If the premise sounds interesting, definitely consider getting it on the cheap.
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