This will eventually be a momentous year for video games, for better or for worse, but it’s taking some time for the engine to warm up in these early months. February doesn’t do much to help that, really, idly cranking out a few compilations and ports to satisfy players’ comfort zone desires, even though there a few interesting new offerings that might raise the temperature just a little bit. Between a continuation of playing through holiday gifts, waiting on tax refunds to get here, and the lead-up to some heavy-hitting games and new consoles, it’s not hard to understand why the release schedule is still light and undemanding leading through this second month of 2020, but let’s check in on what’s here.

Order Dark Crystal at Microsoft          Order Yakuza Remastered at Amazon

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance — February 4

Many folks probably have fond memories of their first experience with Final Fantasy Tactics, in which the popular role-playing franchise ventured into new territory with pure grid-based tactics combat.  Some may have been reserved about that, but it’s so good that the substance of the gameplay largely overpowered any of that.  The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance isn’t too far-removed from that feeling: it takes the world created by Jim Henson’s cinematic masterwork of fantasy puppetry, one that just received a Netflix TV sequel of the same name as the game, and plops it into the design space of a tactics experience.  Even more than FF Tactics, Age of Resistance will rely on the quality of the tactics gameplay, as the feeling of seeing the Jim Henson property in a videogame environment will fade quickly.

The Yakuza Remastered Collection — February 11

Back in the days when Sony’s PlayStation Plus service offered free legacy games to subscribers, there was a month where Yakuza 5 on the PS3 stood out as the attention grabber of its lot. There, I mentioned that it would be an ample opportunity for players to get involved with what many consider to be one of the franchise’s most undeservedly overlooked entries … and perhaps this PS4 port will be another opportunity.  Released in Japan during the summer of last year, Yakuza 5 Remastered will be included in the Yakuza Remastered Collection, which includes entries 3-5 with upgraded visuals, previously cut content for both narrative and mini-games, and a newly revised translation into English.  The physical release comes in a snazzy package, too, including sweet red-dragon foldout packaging for Yakuza 3 and 4 and a PS3-era case presentation for Yakuza 5 (no PS3 disc included).

Order Darksiders at Amazon          Order Dreams at Amazon

Darksiders: Genesis — February 14

Google’s Stadia system remains in its infancy, but it’s fairly safe to assume that the cloud-based format didn’t revolutionize gaming the way its creators had hoped amid its release.  In the push to draw attention, they were able to secure a noteworthy franchise name for a (mostly) exclusive game release: Darksiders, in the form of their Genesis isometric hack-‘n-slasher. While it isn’t a prime installment in the franchise, being a prequel that introduces the fourth horseman of the apocalypse, Strife, the hectic action and multiplayer options seems to suit the Darksiders universe quite well, offering Stadia players a Diablo-like experience that couldn’t be played on consoles. That exclusive window has closed, though, and now all players can get their hands on this slightly different prequel, as it’s being released on all three major consoles; it was also already available on PC.

Dreams — February 14

Several years of accolades for their presentations at trade shows have built to the release of Dreams, MediaMolecule’s way of letting average players go out and make their own game.  Sure, the concept isn’t exactly new in the era of level creator functions and app building assistants, but the promise of Dreams goes well beyond all that.  If their early presentations – and early impressions – are accurate, the amount of versatility at the user’s fingertips will be unparalleled, allowing them to build anything from first-person exploration games through lush environments to fast-paced racers, challenging platformers, even 8-bit retro actioners. Users will be able to explore others creations in one section of the game or, of course, delve into the “Dream Shaping” area and brew something up for themselves using all sorts of artistic tools. Dreams seems to good to be true, which could end up being a good thing … at least, for people on the PS4 who can enjoy this exclusive.

Order Bayonetta/Vanquish at Amazon          Order One-Punch Man at Amazon

Bayonetta and Vanquish: 10^th Anniversary Bundle — February 18

The balance between fun and frustrating can be very difficult for developers to nail down in the current era of gaming. Those that want their games to pose a real challenge to players don’t want the experience to be too miserable, else word-of-mouth could drive more mainstream, less hardcore audiences away from making purchases. One developer that has mastered that balance is Japan’s PlatinumGames, and it’s a quality they’ve had essentially since their conception a decade ago now. Out of the gate, they released Bayonetta and Vanquish in 2009 and 2010 respectively, both of which are fast-paced, complex action experiences that offer some adversity to players even on their lowest difficulty levels … and get way more difficult when that switch gets turned up.  Between the gunslinging witch and the jet-propelled sliding sci-fi hero,  PlatinumGames also understands the outright enjoyment of making craziness happen onscreen, experiences they’re carrying over in HD ports to new consoles.

One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows — February 28

How can someone possibly make a fighting game around a character who can win a match by landing literally one attack? I’m not sure it’s a rhetorical question that should really be answered, but Bandai and Spike Chunsoft are up to the challenge in trying to bring the popular webcomic character, One-Punch Man, to the gaming sphere. On the surface, A Hero Nobody Knows looks like most other 3D anime-inspired fighting games, perhaps with goofy personality through the eccentric characters’ attacks and dialogue. Where it differs is, if course, whenever Saitama (One-Punch Man) is selected as a combatant teammate: he’s invincible to all other contestants and wins the battle if he lands one punch, but he’s humorously late to every square off and forces his weaker teammates to survive until then. Fans will likely get a charge out of it, but it’s going to take a lot to overcome that gimmick.

There are a number of noteworthy ports and re-releases coming out this month: Street Fighter V: Chapionship Edition will enter the lobby on PS4 and PC on Valentine’s Day; Devil May Cry 3 will engage in battle on the Switch on the 20^th; Samurai Showdown will also square off with the Switch on the 25^th; and the Mega Man Zero and ZX Legacy Collection shall fire off on February 25 for pretty much all formats. There’s also a new Persona and Dynasty Warriors mash-up entitled Persona 5 Scramble arriving on February 20, and it’s worth pointing out that the Switch will be getting the Metro Redux remastered package of Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light late in the month as well.

February’s Video Game New Releases: Dreams, Dark Crystals and Darksiders

More and more, especially with their September lineup of free games, Sony seems to have gotten the message about their waning lineup of PS+ titles following the removal of their legacy offerings.  Over the past few months, in degrees both small and significant, the quality and prestige of their titles has gone up to a near-respectable level.  This round, however, makes a big case for them being back in the game, though, boasting two AAA titles – one that’s been out for a while, another that’s fairly recent – with recognizable brands and strong prestige behind ‘em. Will they continue to offer games of this caliber? Who knows, but for now, this seems like a strong indication that PlayStation Plus’s monthly free games might once again make it worth the price of admission for a subscription. Let’s explore them further.

PS4

Batman: Arkham Knight

Rocksteady’s third installment in their Arkham series of videogames shares more than a few similarities with the final entry in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight film trilogy: it’s an excellent conclusion to a remarkable series, despite also being the lesser of the three due to some story missteps. Arkham Knight finally takes Batman outside the separated boundaries of the previous games — both the institution grounds of Asylum and the “quarantined” section of the city in Arkham City — and into the full space of Gotham itself, though its millions of citizens have been evacuated due to a plot orchestrated by Scarecrow.  Piloting the Batmobile and soaring across rooftops, Batman battles the criminals who remain in its boundaries, including both familiar faces as the “new”creation of the Arkham Knight: a seasoned, familiarly-trained adversary who dresses in a mech-like suit resembling Batman. Exploration, drama, stealth and combat variety are all there in classic Rocksteady sandbox fashion, though the twists and turns of its story may leave some players, even seasoned comic-book readers, a little perplexed.

Darksiders III

The original Darksiders surprised with its Legend of Zelda-like progression of hack-‘n-slashing and puzzle-solving through a mythical storyline and high-fantasy action, while Darksiders II unleashed even more of developer Vigil’s potential with open maps, expanded loot, and tightened combat.  Vigil has shuttered and will be missed, but the hope was that Gunfire Games — the folks behind the Darksiders II remastered edition — might be able to continue their legacy with the third installment, featuring the female among the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Fury. What they’ve done instead, to mixed successes, is tweak the game’s mechanics to adapt to the current realm of reflexive, deliberately challenging dungeon crawlers. Critics and players seems divided on whether the spike in difficulty seems fitting or cheap, but some agreements can be made on two fronts with Darksiders III: while the graphics are decidedly lower-fi than one might expect of the current generation, the mythology of the setting, the fluidity of the world, and the execution of combat still make this yet another ride worth taking.

PS+ Delivers Big in September With Dark Knight, Darksider Freebies

Ever since the ‘90s, upon its first at-home release, Mortal Kombat has intimidated competitors in the video game business.  No matter how many years go by, it seems as if the industry operates under the assumption that as soon as gamers get the latest gory brawler in their hands, they’ll be preoccupied for quite some time and ignore just about everything else. Looking at the releases for the month of April, whether intentional or not, that mantra looks to have reemerged in full-force: aside from Mortal Kombat 11 entering the fray, there isn’t a lot of new content getting released this month.  Instead, the other releases fall into a few categories: remasters of classic Final Fantasy titles, another time-sink destined to pull attention away from anything else coming out this month; and several ports of other action-RPG time sinks on the Nintendo Switch.  The best other titles can hope for is to coexist with the rest, something that’s entirely possible with the niches — and substitutions — filled by the others.

Download Power Rangers for PS4                     Order World War Z at Amazon

April 2^nd

Power Rangers: Battle For the Grid

Oftentimes, whenever some kids are getting excited about M-rated games like Mortal Kombat, it helps for there to be a more reserved, teen-slanted take on the same concept so that more conservative households can jump into it instead of the bloodier, more violent alternative.  Unfortunately, that can result in what seems like pale, restrictive, deliberately younger-audience imitations that aren’t received very well. Power Rangers: Battle For the Grid was released a week earlier on the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, and now squares off for battle on the PS4, telling a new story in the universe of colorful dino-ninjas and the mecha-vehicle “zords” that coincide with their designated colors/outfits.  The usage of vintage Power Ranger costumes – for both the heroes and the villains – meshes with standard 2D fighting design in what should tap into a mighty amount of fam-friendly nostalgia.  This one’s an inexpensive download at $20, which should curb some expectations.

April 16^th

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster

Over the past half year or so, a few titles bearing the Final Fantasy name have made their way onto the Xbox One, but none of ‘em have been those iconic experiences that folks associate with being landmark PlayStation exclusives from generations past; even the 360 didn’t get to enjoy any of the ports. Well, the time has finally come for the green gaming machine — and Nintendo’s Switch — to relish those high-fantasy Japanese RPG titles, starting with Final Fantasy X and X-2 in the oft-released HD remastered package from  Square Enix.  Tidus may not be the greatest protagonist the series has seen, but the mythical tragedy entwined in his story and the world-building involved with the atmosphere and the plot’s trajectory more than make up for a little whining.  Complimented by the series’ traditional, yet deep and refined RPG system, this remains one of the greats, drastically improved through its makeover.

World War Z

Recently, it was revealed that the planned sequel to the first World War Z film had somewhat officially been scrapped, much to the … well, apathy of many movie fans. On top of being a rough adaptation of a great book, it turned out to be little more than a passable zombie movie with mundane moral dilemmas for the genre.  Similarly to the confusion behind Telltale’s adaptation of The Walking Dead comics (instead of from the show), folks should know that this video game bearing the World War Z name serves as a loose version of the movie’s take on the story instead of from Max Brooks’ novel: a cascade of variations that probably lacks just about all of the source material’s substance.  With that out of the way? To be honest, the third-person zombie apocalypse gameplay looks hectic, somewhat referential, and possibly as engrossing as some of Resident Evil’s more vigorous moments.

Order MK 11 Standard at Amazon  Order MK11 Premium at Amazon

April 23^rd

Mortal Kombat 11

Ah, I remember when there were alternate releases of the original Mortal Kombat on home consoles, differentiated by the amount of violence available to each one: Nintendo’s version got the shaft with underwhelming “censored” versions of fatalities, allowing the unedited Genesis version to come out as the victor. Can you imagine if someone tried to pull that now? Regardless of the console it’s being played on, Mortal Kombat 11 will be unleashing its full violent glory across all modern systems, sporting graphics and gameplay similar to Mortal Kombat X from a few years back.  What’s different? Complimenting the seemingly more outlandish and violent Fatalities and Brutalities, accentuated by the insane reveal trailer, a series of new interim attacks and clapback gaps in combat lend it new versatility.  And, of course, there’s a roster of novel combatants both new and returning — Baraka’s beefy body and sword extensions look toothy and terrifying; Kano reminds me of his ‘90s movie appearance; Noob Saibot personifies nostalgia — that should get the blood pumping in just about any fan of the franchise.

April 30^th

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

But wait, Final Fantasy fans, there’s more! Two weeks is enough time to get through one and jump into another, right?  This one might offer something a little more substantial and inviting, though, as it’s not just a graphically-polished port of an older title.  Final Fantasy XII arrives on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in its Zodiac Age incarnation, a version of the classic game released on the PlayStation in 2017.  While everything about the tale of politics and sky pirates in the realm of Ivalice remains intact in this port –along with the other extensive improvements made to the Final Fantasy formula that included a more open-world combat interaction system, camera control, and many other character-tailoring toolbox options – this version of FFXII comes equipped with the Zodiac Job System improvements to the game.  That includes 60fps graphical overhauls, speed-up controls, New Game+ (and New Game-), and of course the replay-enhancing Zodiac Job mechanics. Sure, the changes FFXII made to the franchise’s formula are still polarizing among devotees, but that shouldn’t deter anyone from embarking on this journey.

Order FFXII: Zodiac Age on Amazon                     Order Darksiders on Amazon

Scattered throughout the month of April are a number of worthwhile ports to the Switch that should be pursued, including two personal favorites of mine.  The Warmastered Edition of the original Darksiders leaps into the fray on April 2^nd, while Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen accepts its destiny and charges forth for the first time on Nintendo’s consoles on the 23^rd.  Also, it would be a travesty to not at least mention the arrival of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney catalog onto current-gen consoles, making its case for visual-novel dominance on April 9^th on the Xbox One, PS4, Switch, and PC.

War, Fantasy, and Kombat Power Up the Can’t-Miss Video Games of April 2019