Being the seventh installation in a long and complicated storyline, and the length and complexity only increasing with each new edition issued, it will come as no surprise that this story is more of the same, being too long for detailed description.
Loosely, the protagonist is a journalist looking to avenge himself on the killers of his family. He goes head to head with the evil corporation and all its minions who are, needless to say, out to prevent him from uncovering the corporation’s worst secrets and publish his story, toppling the leader from his lofty and pretty much untouchable position.

It is in the actual fighting where the game proves its laurels, presenting a slick immersive fighting experience that will have you as breathless and exhausted as though you had been in a real fight for your life.

Full of Character

As often with these saga type games after several releases, there are a plethora of playable characters to choose from and an equal abundance of NPCs (non-playing characters). There are over fifty playable characters, ranging from Negan, the modified-baseball-swinging villain from the hit television show and comic book series The Walking Dead to Lucky Chloe an adorable kitten themed character whose fighting style includes many elements of dance. More about some of the other characters below.

A moderate stable of characters is available on initial purchase, with downloadable content and expansion packs adding in the rest. The game developers respond well to social media interactions and have even adjusted the way some of the characters look in response to negative feedback.

Characters to Watch Out For

• Gigas: This gigantic chap is post-box red over his entire body which is otherwise bursting with tubes and straps. His backstory is that he was experimented on by the corporation’s scientists in their bid to design stronger, more powerful fighters. This gave him his monstrous form and bright red colouration
• Kazumi Mishima/ Devil Kazumi: This character was originally one of the unplayable bosses. She is related to a handful of the other characters, and has a so-called Devil Gene that gives her serious fighting power: but she does not like it, finding violence to be abhorrent
• Leroy Smith: This downloadable character has seriously cool style, and even cooler fighting skills and an evocative and poignant backstory. Having lost his entire family as a child, Leroy vanishes for fifty years, returning as a fully grown, highly skilled martial artist
• Noctis Lucis Caelum: Occasionally called Noct for short, this character is a cross-over from Final Fantasy and he brings his unique fighting style along with him from that game into this. He is a smallish man, well under six foot, and has black hair and blue eyes. However, his unusual attire – skull motifs play a strong part along with a decidedly emo air – and the fact that his blue eyes can glow red mean that he will never pass for one of the crowd