RWBY: Grimm Eclipse Fast combos, four friends, one loud night

This is a hack and slash in the Dynasty Warriors tradition: you move fast, hit often, and clear rooms of Grimm in satisfying strings of light and heavy attacks, dodges and cooldown abilities. Each member of Team RWBY fights differently, with her own weapon style, ranged attack and ultimate, and skill points you earn by leveling up let you build out her kit. The combat is easy to read and quick to learn, and when a run flows, clearing a packed arena with teammates covering different angles feels great. One warning from long sessions: the final boss does not mess around.

The campaign is an exclusive storyline, not a retelling of the show: new locations in Remnant, including areas never seen in the series, new Grimm types, and a villain of the game's own. You play as Ruby, Weiss, Blake or Yang through ten chapters of missions, with full voiceover from the show's cast plus new talent. Knowing RWBY helps, since the story nods to the series, but it stands on its own, so newcomers can jump in without homework. It is a short campaign, built more for replaying with different characters than for a long haul.

This game wants four players, and it is at its best when it gets them. Horde Mode takes that further across five maps, where you defend security nodes, place defense turrets and survive wave after wave as a team. Lobbies can be quiet these days, so bringing your own friends is the reliable way to play, and the community that remains is happy to fill a squad. Solo works, but the energy drops noticeably.