It’s not as pretty as Hearthstone and its lack of responsiveness is sometimes annoying, but Dire Wolf Digital tackled gameplay mechanics expertly, making The Elder Scrolls Legends Hearthstone’s main rival. [06/2017, p.73]

From the very first seconds of the introductory cut-scene, from the very first notes of the soundtrack HLD sucked me into its masterfully crafted world, alternately engaging me with its intensity and soothing my nerves. Hyper Light Drifter is an instant classic. [06/2016, p.58]

Ultimate Edition is worth playing not only out of sentiment or respect for this Black Sabbath of cover based shooters. It’s worth playing because it’s still a damn fine game and it looks great again. [10/2015, p.54]

The climbing mechanics are satisfying, the frustration you’ll have to endure on your road to mastery is sweet, and Foddy’s commentary is intelligent, but mouse controls are physically tiring and need getting used to. [01/2018, p.65]

Road to Gehenna is extremely hard from the very beginning and therefore was meant for those who already have The Talos Principle down to a science. [10/2015, p.56]

Imagine Heroes of Might and Magic III with VGA graphics and real-time battles, and you’ll get Hero’s Hour – a beautiful nostalgic journey back to the 90s that will try to rob you of all your free time. Add a campaign, improve the AI and give the player more control over the battles and in my opinion you’d get what could easily be a low-res HoMM VIII.

An unobvious reinforcement of PlayStation’s range of exclusives. You can love Returnal, you can hate it, the feelings can even be simultaneous. Even though it’s tough love, there’s something about this game that makes you scream into a pillow and then try again. And again. And again. [07/2021, p.44]

After a hundred hours spent with RE6 I’m still hungry for more. While others complain that Resident Evil reached the gutter, I’m in love with the Mercenaries mode and superb combat system that lets you create unbelievable encounters. [06/2016, p.59]

Reanimal easily surpasses Little Nightmares 3. Although the recently released game was perfectly fine, it was the Swedish developers who took a step forward, which proved necessary to keep the idea fresh and simply not boring.

The phrase “reversed Darkest Dungeon” springs to mind immediately. Groups of heroes delve into dark dungeons, suffering bodily and mental wounds as they face hellish monsters in an attempt to reach the evil lord. The difference is, in Legend of Keepers you are the evil lord – and it’s so much fun! The only flaw I need to point out is that it’s quite easy to find a combination of monsters which makes it possible to finish every dungeon without much effort. [07/2021, p.55]

Dying Light 2 is a solid sequel that creatively amplifies the pros of the predecessor. Its multi-layered story is engaging and the player’s choices have actual impact on the game’s open world. Admittedly, there are some shortcomings, but not substantial enough to ruin the overall very positive impression. I had tons of fun playing DL2 and sometimes lost track of time.

A surprisingly solid tactical game with interesting characters and well-written (even if sometimes too long) dialogues. [06/2016, p.64]

I had tons of fun with the PC version of Horizon Zero Dawn. I appreciated the story, enjoyed exploring the vast, remarkable world crafted masterfully out of extremely diverse elements, and found defeating the largest mechanical beasts to be deeply satisfying every single time. Additionally, the Complete Edition features The Frozen Wilds expansion, which is not only large, but also visually stunning. [10/2020, p.56]

All those who can’t get over the fact that Nintendo forgot about F-Zero can now play a really decent indie substitute. The same goes for all of you who miss Wipeout. [02/2016, p.63]

Magic Flute stands out from the crowd thanks to its good visuals, wonderful music and well-designed puzzles. [12/2015, p.73]

Project_Hel might not be as great in terms of level design as the base game, but it’s a fun DLC that tells a good story and provides more space for combat, which results in more intense, more violent gameplay.

I’m highly impressed with Ironoak Games’ debut. If you’re ready for a long and painful (the difficulty level is so high!) but immensely satisfying wander across colorful fantasy realms, do not delay and buy this wonderful roguelike. [07/2018, p.48]

Tunic might seem like a mere homage to The Legend of Zelda, but despite similar gameplay mechanics it’s a great game in its own right. It’s a surprisingly complex mix of a metroidvania and an RPG with a heavy emphasis on exploring the world and uncovering its secrets. Sometimes it might be frustrating, but I’m sure it will charm many.

Monster Hunter Wilds is a no-brainer for dedicated fans of the the series, but it may also appeal to fans of... hack'n'slash games, provided they can ditch the isometric view, battles with dozens of enemies and dark fantasy atmosphere in favour of epic duels and a full-on Japanese feel.

I wanted to both scold Bravely Default II for its many flaws and kiss it for some stellar moments when it shone like a diamond. At the end of the day the latter decisively outweighed the former. The game boasts one of the best combat systems I’ve seen in jRPGs, towns that are a work of art, and a breathtaking soundtrack. If you like the genre, there’s a chance you’ll fall in love with Bravely Default II. [04/2021, p.48]

If anyone can introduce anything interesting into a runner genre, it’s Choice Provisions. Runner3 is one of very few such games that use their automaticity to their advantage instead of suffering from it. All levels are handcrafted, so there’s a true sense of progression and getting better by the hour, and the soundtrack is outstanding. [07/2018, p.51]

Modern Warfare 3 deserves a 10/10 in a 'Call of Duty game' category, but we already know all its tricks, strengths and weaknesses. Some of the series' elements were successfully recreated in other titles but none has gathered them all on one disc yet – and this is why MW3 still wins. [December 2011, p.38]

What looks like a straightforward side-scrolling shooter with some platforming elements quickly turns out to be a rich (tons of items and upgrades!) and highly addictive roguelite. [10/2020, p.75]

At first I looked at Mind Scanners as a copy, but as the story progressed, the game distanced itself from Papers, Please and developed its own identity. It’s rather short, but gives reasons to try different approaches, while the varied array of patients along with some random elements make every playthrough different. [07/2021, p.75]

The collection lacks some important games but still is a treat made with love and thoughtfulness. [10/2015, p.70]

The fifth chapter of this brilliantly creative and polished indie game is the best thing I’ve experienced in gaming in recent years. [10/2020, p.76]

In many aspects The Origami King is the best game in the Paper Mario series. It’s brimming with intelligent humor and it looks and sounds better than any of its predecessors. Unfortunately, combat is more challenging than before while still being superfluous (there’s pretty much no incentive to engage in it), so after a couple of hours I started avoiding the chore of fighting whenever I could. [10/2020, p.78]

The game was designed to be controlled with eye movements and blinking, but as this system doesn’t work perfectly (sometimes I had to open my eyes very wide and blink very dramatically for the game to notice), I appreciated the fact that the mouse works too. The immersion might have suffered, but it was a price I was willing to pay to be able to enjoy the story without any issues and frustration. And the story is what makes Before Your Eyes great – it only lasts two hours, but still managed to surprise me and pluck just the right emotional string.