For every “this game is stupid, I’m not playing it ever again” there was “OK, just one more time”. [10/2015, p.62]

I strongly felt the presence of late Benoît Sokal in Syberia: The World Before. I saw the Belgian master’s touch in the game’s distinct architecture, enchanting environments, non-obvious characters, and the story that once again takes on the subject of evanescence and longing for something irreversibly lost. The World Before is not the best entry in the series, but it is definitely a huge improvement over Syberia 3.

If the developers keep their promise to constantly expand this Diablo-like action RPG, it will stay on my iPad for long. [12/2015, p.72]

Sanctus Reach does not offer scale or presentation comparable to Total War series, but it has the charm of an old school turn-based strategy game and seems to be a great basis for future Warhammer 40,000 titles. [03/2017, p.46]

Sixty funny characters crammed together on a small area, competing with each other, while avoiding various traps and causing all sorts of unpredictable, amusing situations – what’s not to like here? The rules are simple and the entry threshold is low, so pretty much anyone can pick up Fall Guys and instantly have fun. [10/2020, p.60]

Two guys decided to mix spaghetti westerns with hip hop. It had no right to work, but despite simplicity and primitive visuals Luckslinger is pretty damn good. [10/2015, p.63]

Although Never Yield is a fun auto-runner with a great soundtrack and a valuable message (it gracefully brings up the subject of racism without being pushy), it feels like a short experiment rather than a full-fledged game. [07/2021, p.61]

Each of Inmost’s three playable characters has been given not only their own narrative, but also distinctly different gameplay mechanics. The bearded man’s segment is a full-blooded platformer that reminded me of Hollow Knight (and that’s a huge compliment). The little girl’s gripping story took the form of a simple yet suspenseful adventure game. And then there’s the knight whose action-oriented section is dull and feels like it was grafted from a different title. Despite that disappointment, I’m not surprised by the awards this beautiful, memorable game won when it was initially released on mobile devices. [11/2020, p.70]

Should I dash forward or jump backwards risking getting hit? How do I deplete his defense meter so he doesn’t work out my attack patterns? How do I hit him during a super attack to maximize the damage? You will ask yourself such questions a lot while playing Yatagarasu – and that’s what makes fighting game great. [10/2015, p.63]

Vlambeer’s game is difficult, repetitive and ugly but it doesn’t stop it from being unbelievably addictive. [02/2016, p.64]

A bizarre, fascinating game that gives you a headache when you try to understand how it works, but repays you with immense satisfaction when you start to grasp what’s going on. [10/2020, p.64]

Picross S 6 is basically an expansion pack with 485 new puzzles, but its gameplay is still crazy addictive. Haven’t tried Picross yet? You need to! [07/2021, p.62]

GTA V aged really well and it was a pleasure to return to Los Santos. Almost a decade later the attention to details is still amazing, literally beyond reach of most modern games. If you’ve never played this classic, you really need to catch up. However, if you’ve already finished it on PS4 or Xbox One, you will lose nothing if you ignore the next-gen edition, as it does little beyond adding new rendering modes.

I’m almost completely immune to horror games – they just don’t scare me. From time to time an exception from this rule happens and Detention is one of those exceptions. First half of the game expertly blends heavy, unsettling atmosphere with occasional jump scares and it’s a shame that the second half can’t keep up. If you enjoy being scared and don’t mind an excessively convoluted story with a moderately satisfying ending, give Detention a try. [03/2017, p.53]

Do you know how it feels to experience a sequel to a game you played (and loved!) 26 years ago on your Amiga? Do you know how it feels to realize that it was worth the absurd wait? I do now. Beyond the Steel Sky is not perfect but it reminded me why I used to enjoy adventure games so much back in the day. [10/2020, p.66]

How do you spend your last hours alive if you can’t visit your loved ones? How do you talk to someone who’s passing away and nothing can change that? Necrobarista is not really a game (you don’t get to make any decisions), but its simple, powerful story about death touched me to tears. [10/2020, p.70]

Does ancient AI ruin the fun? No, and neither do some graphical flaws. There’s a reason for Rome being so cherished by Total War fans, and the developers did great job at rejuvenating this magnificent classic. Grab your pilum, Carthage must be destroyed! [07/2021, p.66]

Inspired by Franz Kafka, this great mix between weird fiction and magical realism casts you in the role of a man turned suddenly and inexplicably into a little bug and lets you explore a civilization built by insects but resembling our own. In many aspects Metamorphosis is crude, but the unsettling atmosphere of the strangely bureaucratic insect world, unusual music, solid voice-acting, and dialogues full of legal gibberish that illustrates said bureaucracy make the game unique. [11/2020, p.73]

Falling somewhere between Dark Souls and Shadow of the Colossus, Shattered offers a huge, beautiful world full of secrets and shortcuts that’s a joy to explore, and adds platforming sequences to the mix. The game has a lot going for it, but it’s also full of bugs (minor but very numerous) and most of its bosses are rather bland. [04/2021, p.42]

It’s a solid, very pretty and well-balanced RTS in the vein of Company of Heroes and Dawn of War II. Its most important quality though is that it managed to retain the atmosphere and allure of the unique dieselpunk 1920+ universe it’s set in. [11/2020, p.74]

You don’t have to be a tower defense junkie to appreciate Deathtrap. [03/2017, p.57]

Especially at the beginning Don’t Starve is ruthlessly addictive and the only thing that saves you from starving to death while plying it is the fact that it also ruthlessly devours device’s battery. [09/2015, p.68]

Glittermitten Grove will surprise you every step of the way and is at its best when it shows the developers’ deep love for video games. [03/2017, p.58]

It’s easy to start playing Railway Empire but difficult to stop. The game is very addictive, the Complete Collection is brimming with content, and building a railway network with dozens of efficiently moving trains gives great satisfaction. [10/2020, p.73]

In a nutshell: as a researcher, you travel to various places, interact with wild Pokémon and take photos to document their behavior. This simple concept only works thanks to the Pokémon, but it doesn’t have to be a drawback, because the game shows the world of pocket monsters more realistically and vividly than any title before it. [07/2021, p.72]

Angels of Death’s visuals are, to put it gently, crude, but that didn’t bother me at all. The game’s violent, engaging story with a twist plays out behind the scenes, in the characters’ heads and words. I think every horror fan should experience it.[07/2021, p.74]

Only intrusive microtransactions could have ruined this great game, but fortunately it’s not the case. [12/2015, p.74]

A game based around surveilling squirrels sounded like a guarantee of a boring afternoon, but thanks to its great art style and gripping mystery, Nuts turned out to be almost as good as Firewatch. [04/2021, p.50]

I expected a game made with passion, polished in every detail, something that will set the direction for others for the coming years and threaten Call of Duty's hegemony. Battlefield 3 turned out to be just a very good shooter – and that is simply not enough considering all the promises EA made. [December 2011, p.44]

It's a shame that the developers didn't have a few more months to finish their masterpiece. Despite the shocking number of bugs and flaws, Stalker 2 is an insanely addictive title that you just want to come back to. It's one of the most atmospheric open worlds I've ever experienced.

When picking up Ancestors Legacy, you need to be aware that it’s not a carbon copy of Age of Empires or Warcraft III. A lot of gameplay elements were designed in a new, original way and even though at first it does cause confusion, it quickly turns out to be one of the game’s most notable strengths (which also include visuals and entrancing soundtrack). [07/2018, p.54]

The Nioh Collection brings two bright stars of the Soulslike constellation to PS5, slightly improved and accompanied by six DLCs. I found the first Nioh very satisfying, addictive and immensely fun as a whole, but the sequel turned out to be a chore because its absurd difficulty level was too much for me. [05/2021, p.28]

A fun, although relatively simple platformer inspired by old school Nintendo games. Colorful levels are easy on the eyes and when you catch the right rhythm, finishing them is pure pleasure.

The new installment introduces a lot of changes, but does not depart from the atmosphere of the previous entries to the series. It’s an excellent turn-based strategy that offers not only an engaging campaign, but also graphics unmatched across the genre. The only thing Age of Wonders 4 needs, are improvements to the multiplayer, as right now it doesn't work great.

Logic Artists once again proved that they know how to make RPGs and shortened the distance between their games and the genre’s greatest. Promised strategic elements were introduced with moderation, so they are visible but did not dominate the gameplay. Card-based legion management is disappointing, but traditional turn-based combat is as enjoyable as always. Just bear in mind that the story needs quite a lot of time to really get going.

I spent 46 hours with the PC edition of TFitF, so I obviously love this game. I wish it let me rate it higher this time, but I couldn’t do it because of the bugs – not very frustrating but frequent. [03/2017, p.67]

I was really impressed with gameplay variety squeezed into Thieves in Time. It’s a long and well-designed game for kids really worth the money – and that doesn’t happen very often. [CD-Action 04/2013, p.58]

Astro Bot is an incredibly charming 3D platformer that fell just short of being perfect. What stood in its way were the previous installments, which set the bar high and made the latest game feel not fresh enough in comparison. However, my overall experience with it was simply fantastic.

It’s the best runner I’ve ever played. Its only notable flaw are fps drops on some levels. [03/2017, p.69]

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, one of the best musou games of recent years, is Omega Force’s return to form and a title that should make Fire Emblem fans nostalgic. If you enjoyed the turn-based original, you’ll probably appreciate Three Hopes too.

Neither minor bugs nor some questionable ideas change the fact that one thing was recreated perfectly in new SimCity – the addictive quality this series is known for. [CD-Action 04/2013, p.60]

After a brief introduction, you get access to a virtual USB flash drive found at the scene of a possible crime. You browse its contents (photos, apps, books, videos, a journal and a password-protected archive) in Windows to determine whether the device really is connected to some awful occurrence. The most important file is the journal, which in fact is an extremely well-written crime story. Reading it, analyzing the files for clues and looking for a way to crack the password was truly thrilling. [04/2021, p.58]

The classic game was skillfully remade with respect and love. Everything that made the original amazing was left intact, while the additions fit the gameplay well. The difficulty level of the campaign mode was sometimes too high for my taste and the challenge mode is repetitive but overall it’s a very enjoyable journey back in time.

It’s an ideal party game worth buying even if you already own SingStar, because We Sing is better in many aspects. [03/2017, p.71]

Heavenly Bodies is a surprisingly enjoyable physics-based puzzle game about an astronaut fixing a space station. Unusual controls and weightlessness can be frustrating, but most of the time they are really fun. The game shines especially in local co-op, where clumsy interactions between two astronauts are often amusing.

I just have one doubt regarding the iOS version of This War of Mine. Depressing struggle of civilians for survival is not a great fit for a mobile game that you’re gonna play in little chunks while commuting. [10/2015, p.75]

Despite some annoying backtracking Half-Genie Hero is one of those Kickstarter’s children you don’t want to drown after birth. [03/2017, p.72]

Revengeance has moments worth 90/100 but it is surprisingly short and rather shallow. Apparently turbulence during the development process forced the team to make some cutbacks. [CD-Action 04/2013, p.70]

First impression is not very good, especially if you're not familiar with previous Piranha Bytes' work. But Risen 2 is so gripping and surprisingly fresh that you turn the blind eye to technical issues and rough edges. I really wish Germans had Skyrim's budget at their disposal and could polish the game properly, but if you're an RPG fan, you still have to play it. [June 2012, p.46]

The recipe for the Warriors games almost hasn’t changed for years. And that’s perfectly fine. [10/2015, p.76]

When it came to rating the game, I was torn between 7+ and 8. There are some technical issues here, the bosses are disappointingly bland and both enemies and environments could use some more variety. I made my final decision when I played the wonderful song from the game and started to look through the screenshots I captured. I instantly remembered how much fun I had with The Surge’s great combat system and felt the need to start New Game+. And I don’t even consider Dark Souls the best thing since medieval torture devices. [07/2017, p.54]

After terrible first couple of hours Fallout 4 pulled itself together and ultimately was almost as fun as The Witcher 3. There’s a huge chasm between these two games in terms of technology (F4 looks like a X360 game), but their open worlds are equally good and Bethesda did a better job with crafting. [01/2016, p.42]

With its engaging story steeped in Scandinavian folklore, varied and satisfying puzzles, unique art direction, and terrific audio, Roki is a real treat for every fan of the frosty North. [10/2020, p.87]

Mad Max is this year’s equivalent of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – a really decent open world game that will not disappoint the fans of the franchise and will win over some undecided gamers, but will not be inducted into the industry’s hall of fame alongside Skyrim, GTA, Black Flag or The Witcher 3. [11/2015, p.28]

A great revival of an old, crazy game and a very pleasant, fast FPS providing many hours of enthusiastic mouse torture. [12/2013, p.58]

A New Day is more of an 'interactive story' than a true game, but fortunately it's more interactive than Telltale's previous achievements (Jurassic Park and Law & Order) and the story itself is great – emotional and engaging. [June 2012, p.60]

It’s a very good game, but it was tailored for a specific audience. If you put the story above everything else, you’ll have a great time playing The Forgotten City. However, if you’d like to feel the adrenaline rush at least once in a while, it’s probably not a game for you, because there’s barely any action here. Oh, don’t be afraid of the whole time loop thing – this integral mechanic is forgiving and won’t erase your progress without a serious reason. If it resets, it’ll be a consequence of either wrong choices or a conscious decision. [10/2021, p.32]

The beloved highlight of the Resident Evil franchise returns in a form that makes it even easier to love. Capcom did a great job with the remake and it shouldn’t be hard for new players to understand why RE4 is revered by the fans of the series and considered one of the greatest achievements in the genre. Veterans shouldn’t expect changes as far-reaching as those introduced in remade Resident Evil 2, but I believe they will appreciate some well thought out improvements, welcome additions and pleasant surprises.

PES 2016 is a football simulation for gamers, not for football enthusiasts, because in terms of realism it falls way behind EA Sports FIFA. Pro Evo simply chose another path and doesn’t even try to convince you that what you see is an attempt to recreate the real thing. It goes back to the roots – to wonderful PES 6 – and that’s why I had so much fun with PES 2016 and fell in love with it. [11/2015, p.34]

It’s a worthy finale to Slayer’s gory odyssey, but I must admit that while Part One left me hungry for more, I was a bit tired by the end of Part Two. Still, you should definitely play it if you’re a fan of Doom. [05/2021, p.53]

An unusual spellcasting system and many interesting references to Japanese folklore make Ghostwire: Tokyo a unique experience that’s worth your time despite the game’s disappointingly small variety of enemies and their poor AI.

By the end arcade sequences get a bit tedious but tactical manoeuvres are still fun. It might not be for everyone but I did go down with the ‘one more round’ syndrome. [CD-Action 04/2013, p.76]

An inconspicuous game that really surprised me – it’s enjoyable, funny, great from the technical point of view. It would have been perfect with a better balanced undead team and more gameplay modes. [04/2014, p.54]

At first glance Cultist Simulator looks like a card game, but in fact it’s a fusion of a puzzle game with a text adventure game. With its extraordinarily atmospheric writing, ability to merge simplicity with depth, and different paths it’s fun for hours. It’s a shame the later stage relies on grinding too much and can become tedious. [07/2018, p.80]

An engaging and charming tactical RPG with above average visuals and audio and a rich cast of interesting characters. [07/2017, p.64]

Forza 6 is friendly even towards inexperienced players, rewards good maneuvers and does not punish minor mistakes as strictly as it could have. [11/2015, p.38]

MSFS 24 was not a pleasant experience at first - fortunately things are looking better now and although there are still some issues, this highly advanced flight sim looks really good. Provided you have a powerful computer and a stable internet connection.

At first Slime-sam charmed me with its art direction, then it bought me completely with its engaging, demanding but fair gameplay. [07/2017, p.65]

Despite the top-down view DarkMaus stays too close to Dark Souls and it’s obvious that the developer is not interested in telling stories, but I’m still really impressed by what he managed to achieve on his own. [05/2016, p.43]

When it comes to storytelling, Root Film is a gem and a great example of how to evoke anxiety and curiosity using written word and spot-on music. Sadly, the story is linear, but vivid characters and a cool mystery to solve make up for it. [05/2021, p.65]

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow is charged with the aura of moors and local folklore. I really enjoyed taking part in the experience of the heroine stranded in a strange place were the real and supernatural worlds intertwine, but I also have to applaud logical puzzles and a really engaging story.

A compelling cooperative experience mixing Left 4 Dead, Minecraft and Aliens franchises. [07/2020, p.56]

It’s a solid remake that brings back the memorable experience but also enhances and modernizes it through a surprising multitude of subtle changes, giving Isaac’s tale a chance to delight new generations of players. The team at EA Motive clearly understood why Visceral’s survival horror was great and while they rebuilt it from scratch, they managed to retain the most precious ingredient – the tense, overwhelming atmosphere, now even more palpable thanks to stunning lighting and great 3D sound. However, while I did not mind backtracking and repetitiveness 15 years ago, they did bother me now, especially since new optional activities force you to run around the ship even more.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A is one of the most successful installments in the series in recent years. The new real-time combat system works great, and the game itself is hard to put down. Unfortunately, the graphics are disappointing.

GT Sport boasts an excellent driving model and superb car models, but primarily it’s a paramount step towards blurring the line between electronic entertainment and sport, and on a global scale. I just hope Polyphony continues working on the game until it reaches its full potential. [13/2017, p.42]

The F1 Classics mode refreshes the game and I would gladly welcome it as a separate full-scale title. Otherwise F1 2013 doesn’t get crazy with innovation, but maintains high level of the series. [12/2013, p.68]

The setting used to disguise the Far Cry we’ve already seen is fresh and wonderful, it’s easy to sink into this wild, beautiful, majestic world. Primal was put together skillfully, it’s not an outstanding game, but it’s so enjoyable that I devoured it hour after hour with an appetite of a cave bear. [04/2016, p.28]

Grounded captivated me with its survival layer and the atmosphere of its wonderful miniature world. Then it discouraged me with a couple of ill-considered design choices, including ones that artificially extend its length in a tiring manner. Ultimately, however, I kept coming back to Obsidian’s game not because I had to, but because I wanted to. Despite having devoted 60 hours to Grounded, I can’t shake the feeling this backyard still holds many secrets and I’m eager to discover them.

In Cloudpunk I found ‘Blade Runner’, ‘Drive’, ‘Altered Carbon’ and even ‘Lobo’ vibes scattered around the cyberpunk city. The gameplay itself can be a bit repetitive but if you drive off the beaten path and bother NPCs on the way, you are in for a treat. [07/2020, p.63]

A wonderful gem, an absolute must-have for all RPG veterans and a great history lesson for those who didn't have the opportunity to enjoy classic dungeon crawls. [June 2012, p.76]

The game marries Dynasty Warriors with Zelda and provides the same kind of fun that classic arcade beat ‘em ups did. You just move in 3D and simultaneously fight hundreds of enemies instead of three. [Nov 2014, p.57]

Eldest Souls’ difficulty level is so overwhelming even soulslike veterans will feel unsure of their skills. The developers boiled the game down to its essence, which is killing enemies, while the story and exploration were relegated to the background. As a result, the narrative tying boss encounters together is rather shallow. [10/2021, p.34]

It’s more of a regular DLC paired with some improvements for the PS5 rather than a true director’s cut. However, the developers do deserve praise for how skillfully they inserted the expansion into the narrative of the base game. The story about Jin’s past and the sins of ancestors is great (as opposed to boring side quests), new enemies pose a challenge, and the game as a whole shines on PS5’s more powerful hardware. I wish the visual improvements were more noticeable though. [11/2021, p.31]

Amanita Design are still in great shape. If you liked Machinarium, you must play Botanicula! [June 2012, p.90]

Equipped with one simple tool offering a surprisingly wide array of capabilities, I was thrown into a maelstrom of crazy fast action and overwhelmed by every wave of enemies. Boomerang X is so addictive I couldn’t put it down. Luckily it offers a lot of flexible options to make the game easier, so you can have fun with it even if you didn’t grow eyes on the back of your head and never developed superhuman reflexes. [10/2021, p.36]

Tormented Souls is a melancholic love letter to the fans of classic survival horrors. You need to play it if the phrases “fixed camera angles”, “tank controls” and “backtracking” give you goosebumps. [11/2021, p.32]

Battlefield 6 listens to the community and successfully returns to what we know from parts three and four. EA DICE has abandoned controversial ideas, giving us the best installment in the series in years. It's a bit conservative, but very playable.

When designing a new game in a long-running franchise, the developers face a fundamental question: go with the tried-and-true or risk trying something new? In this case the former approach was chosen and it was the right decision, because JC4 is as enjoyable as its predecessors. It has some obvious flaws (e.g. uneven visuals and some repetitive mission types) but they are easily outweighed by incredibly fun gameplay. It is simply a well-made, thrilling open world game. [01/2019, p.40]

Four good multiplayer maps and a great castle for the constantly awesome zombie mode. [05/2016, p.53]

Addictive gameplay, great soundtrack and spot-on minimalistic visuals – there is a lot to like about Aaero. [07/2017, p.70]

When you learn your moves well enough to be able to focus on reading your opponent, InJustice 2 starts to resemble a match of chess, where thinking and anticipating is as important as swift fingers. I’m sure fighting games fans will have a blast with it. [07/2017, p.74]

Unique atmosphere, lovely retro visuals and extremely enjoyable gameplay mechanics. The game could be a bit more friendly though, because it's easy to get confused in the intriguing world of Fez. [June 2012, p.84]

The game grew in scale since the previous Shadowrun – locations are a bit larger and story lasts for over 20 hours. The visuals and the interface were improved a bit. The third trip to The Sixth World is worth every penny, but the game mechanics could really use a facelift. [11/2015, p.54]

Reignited Trilogy looks like a Pixar movie and proves that while many other genres have changed significantly over the last 20 years, the recipe for an enjoyable platformer stayed the same, at least in many aspects. Of course nowadays people expect more from any game and Spyro does feel archaic but its wise design stood the test of time, especially if you look at the remake through the eyes of a child (either literally or metaphorically). [01/2019, p.50]

Aimed primarily at fans of the genre, Verho – Curse of Faces is a more than successful project. Even despite its shortcomings, it shows that more modest games can, in some respects, surpass high-budget AAA productions.

The Finals is the biggest surprise of 2023 for me. It entered the online shooters market out of the blue and with a bang, announcing its intention to elbow its way through the competition. There’s a long and difficult road ahead of it, as right now it lacks some basic features we’ve come to expect, the characters are poorly balanced and AI-generated voice-overs sound pretty awful, but it’s been ages since any game sucked me in for so many hours. I believe The Finals has a bright future and a chance to become a significant player in its genre.

The game makes up for its shortness (ca. 4 hours) with an intelligent, well-delivered story, overwhelming atmosphere of solitude, fantastic audio (including voice acting worthy of a AAA game) and overall high level of polish. [07/2017, p.77]

A test of nerves – the clock is ticking and 12 minutes is a very narrow window to take appropriate actions. It’s kinda hard to rate this game with full conviction, because a lot depends on the player – the more patient and perceptive you are, the better it gets. However, the fact is that it’s one of the most unique adventure games in recent years and that alone makes it worth your time. [11/2021, p.38]