For the uninitiated, God Eater 3 is not the third title of the Japanese role-playing game franchise God Eater, which debuted in 2010.

With a number of revamps and remakes between the main instalments, it is actually the ninth release.

It is also the first title not designed for handhelds and is exclusive to the PlayStation 4 and Windows platforms.

Shift, the developer of past God Eater titles, has passed the helm to Marvelous First Studio, which is famed for developing the critically acclaimed Senran Kagura, Soul Sacrifice and Fate/Extella series.

Set in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic setting where bio-mechanical creatures roam, you start off as a young adult whose wrists are shackled by armlets.

A brief but painful test experiment turns you into an Adaptive God Eater, capable of wielding special weapons.

Being a God Eater also allows you to use your weapon to devour creatures, which in turn lets you unleash burst attacks that deal more damage.

You can select the gender as well as change the name and appearance of your character. But while the customisation options are decent, they are not as elaborate as they could be.

For example, you have only 10 hairstyles to choose from and you cannot select body size. As a result, every character model looks like a new age pop star.

For a game designed for platforms that can accommodate larger storage, the absence of elaborate enhancements and options feels like a missed opportunity.

That said, with the game needing less than 20GB of storage, it lets gamers squeeze another game into their precious library space.

You can enhance your proficiency by switching among various melee and range weapons, known as God Arcs. My favourite is the Heavy Moon as it can morph into three different forms to maximise its effectiveness.

Graphics appear more polished compared with previous releases. Character models look sharper and I enjoy examining the weapon designs up close.

As always, the anime cut-scenes are entertaining to watch, whether in Japanese or English audio. Turn up the volume to immerse yourself in the mesmerising soundtrack compiled by returning composer Go Shiina.

The standard missions are designed to be fast and furious. Jump into the map, locate your target monster (known as Aragami) and you can complete the objective within a short time.

You have artificial intelligence characters as companions and can share combat perks with them when you are in close proximity by activating a feature called Engage system.

If you are up to the challenge, you can take on Ash Aragami, which are higher-tier creatures that possess similar God Eater powers and are more aggressive.

You can also battle them online with up to eight players cooperatively.

The only drawback is that you have just five minutes to take the monster down, failing which you will take home fewer rewards.

While it is a brief affair, playing online allows you to show off your created character and skills.

Another thing I like about this game - publisher Bandai Namco reportedly plans to release new content for God Eater 3 that can be downloaded online without charge. This is a welcome change from the recent trend of micro-transactions.

• Verdict: Polished graphics and features as well as AI companions make God Eater 3 an enjoyable affair.

• Nizam Mohd is a freelance writer.