Final Fantasy XVI
Verdict: A glorious return to form for the famous series.
What is it?
Final Fantasy XVI is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. The 16th main instalment in the Final Fantasy series is set on Valisthea, a world divided between six nations who hold power through access to magical Crystals and Dominants, humans who act as hosts for each nation’s Eikon. Tensions between the nations escalate as a malady dubbed the Blight begins consuming the land. Clive Rosfield, guardian to his younger brother Joshua, witnesses his kingdom destroyed and goes on a revenge quest in pursuit of the dark Eikon Ifrit.
Gameplay
The game features segmented open environments and an action-based combat system involving both melee and magic-based attacks. There are also recurring series features including Chocobos and summoned monsters called Eikons, which are both fought as bosses and used through channelling their power in combat.
Graphics
FFXVI is arguably the best-looking game on the PS5. Compared to previous titles, the most obvious improvement that’s been made is to the lighting. A scene where Clive is sitting next to a campfire is much more realistically lit, with the fires even making his hair look brighter and his face shadowed. Then there’s a scene with ice goddess Shiva, with her jewellery and magic crystals glittering with the latest ray tracing technology. Generally, textures just look a lot more detailed and less washed out than any other game released on PS5 so far, it’s a true technical marvel.
STREET FIGHTER 6
Street Fighter 6 is the latest entry in the iconic fighting game series by Capcom. The experience spans across three distinct game modes featuring World Tour, Fighting Ground and Battle Hub. The game offers a highly evolved combat system with three control types – Classic, Modern and Dynamic – allowing you to quickly play to your skill level with a diverse roster of 18 fighters, including legendary fan favourites Ken, Ryu and Chun-Li.
DIABLO IV
Diablo IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, through beautifully dark settings, or explore a shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players.
LAYERS OF FEAR
The canvas awaits its final brushstrokes. The stage calls for its lead actor. The novel needs its final chapter. It’s time to face your fears. One. Last. Time. The Layers of Fear series, which has left a mark on narrative-driven first-person psychological horror games, returns to tell its final spine-chilling story The game is built on Unreal Engine 5 and supports HDR and 4K resolution to make the stunning visuals, and your nightmarish experience, as immersive and realistic as possible.
