The King of Fighters XV is a fun, deep fighting game with a promising online infrastructure. The proposal would certainly have deserved greater attention on the content front, both in terms of story mode and tutorials, but the overall result still has all the credentials to offer fans a more than pleasant experience. This is mainly due to the merits of a solid gameplay that respects the canons of the series, with changes that do not alter the historical soul much. We would certainly have appreciated a few more interventions, for example as regards the holds, but we are sure that the result will still be able to offer fans a good concert of satisfactions.

The curtain falls on the Far Cry 6 Season Pass, and not in the best way.

Wanting to think of a comparison that is not too bold, it could be argued that Sifu is literally like a diamond: shining, very hard and obviously not within anyone's reach.

Circuit Superstars is not a masterpiece but it is a game that has a certain charm. The fleet is truly impressive, the driving system is surprisingly demanding, the graphic style is pleasant, the local multiplayer is hilarious: what's missing? A little bit of variety. After a couple of hours of play the initial enthusiasm drops as well as the replayability factor. We would need new game modes and an AI capable of livening up single player races, as well as a few more options for online multiplayer. The game is sold at a budget price (20 euros): in company it is absolutely worth the purchase.

Olliolli World is a promise kept. A game dedicated to skate that embraces every aspect of street culture in a perfect blend of Platform, Rythm Game and heart-pounding Arcade. The biggest news is in having finally discovered the third dimension, lighting that has led to a crazy level design in its intricate simplicity, the real keystone of a title that makes inclusion its watchword. One of the best titles on the market, perfect both for those who want to be obsessed with the execution of the perfect combo in each stage, and for those who need a "different" title to disconnect from the wear and tear (even videogame) of modern life.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human is a title that struggles to bear the weight of its ambitions, as a result of a development path that in all probability proved to be more bumpy than expected.

More of a questionable game of slaughter than a thoughtful critique of the phenomenon, which ends up being disturbing for the wrong reasons.

Pokémon Legends Arceus is exactly what it promised to be: a new frontier for the series. Like all experiments, however, the title has room for improvement and on a technical level it shows more than one lack. With "Legends", Pokémon tries to get out of its comfort zone and if the result is sometimes edgy and in some ways less stable than the other main works, the many targets hit - combined with the many wishes of the fans finally fulfilled - can only lead to a promotion of Game Freak's work. On the march towards Monte Corona!

Final Fantasy XIV closes its first colossal story arc with an exceptional expansion.

As the Anglo-Saxons would say, Windjammers 2 is one of those proverbial cases of "history in the making": an instant classic that collects the heavy and prestigious legacy of its predecessor, even managing to relaunch on the gameplay side - or a topic on which the masterpiece hardware-based NEOGEO has had for decades to teach, from the authentic interactive game design manual it is. Of course, some of that immediacy that made the original a Pong to the nth degree was lost along the way, yet in the end (despite an inadequate tutorial) the game could be worth the candle. Also because the first Windjammers will not disappear anyway, and can always be a valid alternative for purists. Having said that it will be very difficult to give up the exasperated dynamism of this sequel and its genuine playful and audiovisual spectacle.

Net of an underlying repetitiveness that begins to emerge after a few hours of play, a non-exceptional enemy design and a series of fluctuations related to the balance of weapons and operators, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction is an intense and compelling cooperative shooter , able to offer an experience different from other exponents of the genre, more oriented towards frenetic action and little to strategy.

The main strength of Nobody Saves the World is that it is never banal: it is not so in the splendid music, in the funny dialogues, in the simple plot, nor in the complex but satisfying system of the Aspects, which gives the player the possibility of mix skills and create ever new and devastating builds. In short, it is a game in full Drinkbox style, different from the splendid Guacamelee !, but from which it inherits an over-the-top style and an explosion of creativity that can be found not only in the artistic component, but in every pixel.

Labyrinth Legend's conversion to Nintendo Switch does nothing but show the limits of a product designed for the mobile market. In fact, we are faced with an action RPG hybridized with roguelike elements with little playful and narrative depth, whose progression becomes monotonous and repetitive already after the first stages of the game.

The Phantom of Sparta makes its debut on PC with a port of remarkable workmanship, which inherits all the merits of the Santa Monica Studio masterpiece and enhances them thanks to the merits of a technical sector of exquisite workmanship.

A little slow in the beginning and a little repetitive in the long run, overall Grow: Song of the Evertree still offers a pleasant and relaxing experience, with its simple but effective playful loop, its ability to motivate the player without pressure or forcing and that sense of freedom and progression that it transmits in a concretely satisfying way. It has obvious technical limitations and a localization to review, but it makes up for it big with the gameplay and raw but fine art style. In short, the perfect game to be played without commitment, perhaps as a pastime between one AAA and another, or as a decompression tool after a hard day at work.

Artistically valuable and capable of providing an intriguing additional perspective to the story of Far Cry 4, Control is a DLC that does not add or subtract from the playful experience of the first content of the Season Pass. This is why the qualitative degree of the two add-ons is in our opinion totally overlapping, with an upward or downward decline depending on your preferences for Vaas or Pagan Min. Given the groove taken by Ubisoft, in short, it is likely that the DLC dedicated to Joseph Seed can settle on the same standards: we will find out during our next journey into the madness of the villains of Far Cry.

Almost a year after the debut of Monster Hunter Rise on Switch, the expectation of fans on PC has been rewarded with a valuable port, which not only preserves the merits of the original version but enhances them with a good collection of technical improvements. Net of some fluctuations in the overall yield of the proposal, the new edition of Rise therefore has all the credentials to offer the people of Steam dozens of hours of hunting fun and epic clashes, enhanced by an unprecedented fluidity for the Capcom title.

The Alien Cube is not a perfect product, but it is impossible not to evaluate it taking into consideration both its budget price (19.99 euros on Steam), and the fact that it was developed by only one person. If you are willing to turn a blind eye to poor quality dubbing and some imperfection that involves both the gameplay and the technical sector, this game will guarantee you a handful of hours of fun in a world that any fan of H. P. Lovecraft would love to madness.

Net of a low-level technical sector, especially on Switch, No Longer Home is one of the most touching experiences of the year.

Translating the cinematographic language of a seminal director like Hitchcock into a video game is a complicated intent, and the way in which Pendulo Studio chased it underlines an obvious confusion about the very nature of the adaptation. Vertigo is all form and little content, and qualifies as a narrative adventure a la TellTale with very little to say, mostly due to the flatness of its tale. A great pity, unfortunately.

The hope is that that "To be continued" at the end of the game can lead to a more substantial second chapter, which perhaps stimulates newbies to rediscover the universe of Record of Lodoss War. It really deserves it.

It is never pleasant to assign an insufficiency, even more so if to the debut of a tiny team that enters the market with such passion for the first time. Unfortunately, however, Praey for the Gods ends up crushed under the weight of its own ambitions, the victim of a fluctuating and problematic realization: even avoiding in any way the direct comparison with its illustrious points of reference, the action-adventure of No Matter Studios is difficult to recommend. In short, good intentions are not enough to save this Shadow of the Colossus emulator: better direct your € 29.99 and your time elsewhere.

The playful offer tends not to want to take off in a decisive way, lending itself more to providing an entry level option for those wishing to approach the genre for the first time.

Under an aesthetic layer that is a little too essential and dated, Disney Magical World 2: Enchanted Edition contains a simulation experience with unexpected qualities, genuinely delightful. A product whose target is very precise, mostly within the circle of school-age players, which hits its targets thanks to its relaxed way of doing things, a good variety of tasks proposed and a captivating use of some of the most popular Disney licenses. always appreciated. For little Nintendo Switch owners, Disney Magical World 2 could really make a great Christmas present.

The Gunk would have deserved a little more structure and background vision: perhaps a better elaborated and refined gameplay, a dose of extra variety and last but not least a more incisive writing - because beyond the wonderful lyricism of the column sonorous it is complicated to become seriously passionate about the events narrated. Too bad, because with a different attention the outcome of this extraterrestrial outing would have proved much more memorable.

Overall, we are faced with a product that can attract the attention of Asterix fans and those who love the genre, but which could have turned out to be much more enjoyable with several more tricks.

Aeterna Noctis is a product that is all in all enjoyable, but one that wastes the potential in the useless attempt to chase Hollow Knight too closely. The good artistic direction, the excellent combat system and the well-conceived boss fights end up being suffocated by a linear and tedious progression, a victim in turn of the desire to fill the game with content even when there is no need for it. A great pity, because if the team had managed to effectively streamline the proposal and better balance its components, we would have had a much more satisfying title on our hands.

Although it is difficult to turn a blind eye to the defects of the technical sector, whose use of the Unreal Engine 4 seems really naive, the production of Revolution is still distinguished by a grandiose, inspired and suggestive artistic direction, as well as a narrative fluency that will satisfy even the finest palates.

Hextech Mayhem will keep you busy for a few hours, and at a budget price of just under 10 euros, it was hard to ask for more.

With a very limited longevity, White Shadows offers an engaging aesthetic experience, but without forgetting the playful aspect. Although not predominant, the latter reaches its peaks in platform sequences with a strong scenic impact and in simple puzzle phases, but functional to the narrative. The whole is finished by an excellent sound sector, closely linked to great pieces of classical music.

Between the pros of a hybrid form ideal for local multiplayer and the cons of a network experience with the handbrake on, the Switch conversion of Gang Beasts defends itself enough to provide the Nintendo audience with the opportunity to recover one of the parties craziest brawler in recent years. Although we are not in the presence of the best edition among those seen on consoles, the immediacy and the lively disorder of the formula put together by Boneloaf return here without alterations, guaranteeing a few hours of genuine leisure to anyone who has the opportunity to recruit a few friends. well-disposed to give them -virtually- of good reason.

The second incarnation of the Jurassic World Evolution series is undoubtedly a clear step up from its predecessor. The end result is a revised and corrected version of a formula that overall continues to work quite well and that we think will satisfy fans of the saga quite a bit. The game is elaborate but not particularly demanding, and it could certainly represent a more than satisfying pastime, as long as you overlook some small defects that afflict its playful structure.

At the moment the Infinite campaign indicates a direction, a landing point: it is a very solid even if at times imperfect departure, which however will not fail to leave ecstatic the veterans of the saga and the curious who will approach Halo only thanks to this chapter.

For the 2021 season Milestone has worked mainly up to the aim of improving an already quite satisfactory base, postponing the technical revolution for future chapters. It will not be the most explosive episode of the series, but MXGP 2021 remains very appreciable for its soul increasingly tending to simulation.

Chorus is a half-successful product. The guys from Deep Silver Fishlabs have actually shaped a galvanizing combat system supported by gameplay mechanics that are well suited to the space combat shooter genre, but the exploratory component almost completely devoid of indications and the poor readability of the action penalize the playful system. If on the one hand we declare ourselves satisfied with the work done on the narrative front, there is still a long road that the Hamburg studio will have to travel to transform Chorus into the promised product. In short, the redemption of Nara cannot yet be said to be fully achieved.

Many years after the franchise's debut, Big Brain Academy returns to the scene with an episode that has little new.

A few bugs being resolved and a few wasted opportunities (especially in the final) prevent him from reaching the full 90, but if you find the background noise of mega-productions unbearable, Solar Ash represents the perfect oasis of peace and harmony in which to take refuge.

Farming Simulator 22 represents the most complete embodiment of the spirit of the series signed by Giants Software. An uncompromising simulation experience, which makes its relaxed rhythms and the vast range of contents its proud distinctive element.

Considering also the very peculiar artistic direction that managed to shape the ambitions of historical films such as the 007 of the 60s with a satirical attitude, Evil Genius 2: World Domination is a worthy successor to that never forgotten first chapter.

Ruined King is an RPG with undoubted qualities. Thanks to the fundamental artistic contribution of Joe "Mad" Madureira, the work manages to capture the attention of both fans who live permanently in Runeterra and newbies who have never heard of League of Legends.

A very powerful experience, which can be completed in less than three hours but capable of burning itself into your eyes and mind.

Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier is not the battle royale that will upset the equilibrium of the market or will surpass the industry champions such as COD Warzone and Fortnite Chapter 2, but it is a product that, without particular pretensions, offers a gameplay that is all in all enjoyable and immediate. If you are a fan of the seventh chapter of the Square Enix series and do not disdain the battle royale, The First Soldier would at least deserve a try to explore Midgard in a different context from what you are used to. And who knows, maybe you will also have fun picking up every single quote posted by the development team in the various corners of the map. On the other hand, those who are not a die-hard Final Fantasy fan might in any case find a product a little distant from the usual battle royale and which, compared to the competition, offers a lighter gaming experience and less devoted to unbridled competition. In short, a game that fulfills its duty for a few games in the name of lightheartedness.

Battlefield 2042 immediately shows enormous potential, fueled by a playful structure that hosts very thick modes and truly promising innovations. Unfortunately, DICE's latest work is also one of the most disorganized chapters of the series, as spectacular as it is strewn with imbalances and lightness, which affect the choral rendering of an offer that still fails to give the best of itself.

Unique remakes of their kind, which find all their strengths and weaknesses in the morbid attachment to the past.

Unique remakes of their kind, which find all their strengths and weaknesses in the morbid attachment to the past.

The first polygonal trilogy of GTA is back on the shelves with a definitive edition that struggles to hide the results of a gestation that is perhaps all too fast, a matrix of remasters that would undoubtedly have deserved greater attention in the polishing phase. Although the three titles in the package showcase valuable technical interventions, as well as a good assortment of playful revisions, the result of the modernization process put in place by Grove Street Games stops at sufficiency. This is because the collection shows qualitative fluctuations on almost all fronts, which in some cases significantly affect the enjoyment of the experience. However, the new version of the GTA Trilogy proves to be able to offer fans hours and hours of nostalgic "juggling", as long as they are able to overlook the obvious rough edges in the offer.

Inscryption is a damn fun card game: a roguelite, a puzzle game and a story with horror tinges, and all of this is barely enough to describe what on balance are only the first hours of the experience. It is the consecration of Daniel Mullins and his idea of the code as a sentient and malignant entity that turns against the user, upsetting his role and his relationship with the game. A card game with a punk soul, developed by a developer with a punk soul and distributed by punks who have made subversive indie their trademark. An absolute triumph.

Given the redundancy of activities and the lack of variety of situations, Insanity will offer a good amount of hours of play only to those who will be moved by the desire to improve their records or to those players dedicated to completism. All the others will find themselves in front of a more compelling experience on the artistic side than on the strictly playful one. Anyone who has experienced Jason's epic in Far Cry 3, however, will certainly have an added incentive to explore Vaas' insane mind.

Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a pleasant tale of origins and investigation, which continues the extremely intimate and introspective approach of Frogwares towards the character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The game often stumbles upon the narrative errors of its predecessor, not delving sufficiently into some crucial ideas in the epilogue of the adventure. The meticulous management of clues, deductions and exploration linked to the cases to be solved makes the work a satisfying product for fans of the famous English investigator, as long as you turn a blind eye to a graphic sector that at times is somewhat obsolete.

The game offers numerous extra modes, including challenges and skirmishes, in addition to the already substantial campaigns, so, strictly solo, you will also have fun on consoles.

In looking for a way to compose a product suitable for children, Microids seems to have lost sight of what it really takes to convey a bit of fun pad to hand. The Smurfs: Felleaf Mission does not go beyond the dignified platform game accessible to all, but lacks bite due to its substantial inability to produce content that really manages to stimulate action and exploration, the two pillars of this playful formula “Sunshine-like”. Sorry for Peyo's art, but in the platform market aimed at the very young it is easy to find better.

Ultimately, Bloodshore is a title capable of offering some gasp of nostalgia to fans of the old FMV productions, with a proposal that is anything but memorable.

The formula of the DLC is perfect for its playful potential.

Bright Memory Infinite is not without flaws, but thanks to the use of a fast and intuitive combat system it keeps the player glued to the screen for the two hours it takes to reach the end credits. To make the offer even more attractive is the method of distribution of the game, which can be downloaded at no additional cost by all owners of Bright Memory (who will find Infinite in the library starting from 12 November 2021). Furthermore, if you have not yet purchased the title, know that its price on the Valve platform is really negligible: only 8.19 euros. An element that cannot be ignored in the evaluation, which perfectly counterbalances the poor longevity of the adventure and a few too many edges.

Compared to the original, Blue Reflection: Second Light undoubtedly represents a big step forward for the boys of Gust, who have once again synthesized an exciting and frenetic playful formula. However, the progress made on the gameplay front and the unexpected introduction of a more traditional growth system are again offset by an uninspiring tale, sleepy and repetitive side activities, and a technical system that is dated even by last year's standards. console generation. The road to obtain redemption is therefore still long, but it would seem that the majokko of the house Gust and Koei Tecmo have at least taken the right path.

Call of Duty Vanguard is a particular episode, a collage of experiences that do not all have the same inspiration and quality. There is a very effective but not very original PvP, a short and breathless campaign, a Zombie mode that is almost a reward, with the promise of progressively growing. Depending on your needs, then decide whether or not to approach this year's chapter: if you like the cooperative experience against hordes of undead, you will probably just need a little patience.

Accompanied by wonderful pixel art and a soothing soundtrack, Unpacking rises from being a simple moving puzzle game to becoming a manifesto on environmental narrative, capable of teaching school for its incredible effectiveness.

Just Dance 2022 is a dance without a revolution, but what a dance, ladies and gentlemen. Strengthened by a sensational line-up that ranges from the old glories of the past to the new stars of the present (even virtual ones), the last chapter of the series focuses on the quality of the selected pieces and on choreographies of indisputable specific weight. The various levels of difficulty ensure an experience within everyone's reach.

The feeling is that Sports Interactive wanted to perfect everything that was already working, trying to put a nice patch on what was wrong and postponing the innovations / revolutions to the post pandemic. It remains, however, the best football managerial simulation on the planet.

With its breathtaking battles, and the disorienting architecture of its Beyond, it enters the Olympus of the best titles for the Nintendo Switch.

Forza Horizon 5 is the pinnacle of the Playground Games series and is the new king of open world courses. To oust such a noble predecessor was not easy but the Leamington boys have further embellished the playful recipe and made the progression in Horizon Adventure clearer. In addition to the splendid expeditions around Mexico, the arrival of 360-degree editors such as Event Lab will allow the community to create wonders and expand a basic offer with few equals, both in terms of quantity and quality. Hypercars of all brands are even more enjoyable to drive and the audiovisual presentation goes to great lengths to strive for the full next-gen. While waiting to know what the future holds for us as a flagship team of the Xbox family, we can finally enjoy this monumental experience.

Riders Republic is on balance a Steep on steroids. The latest effort of Ubisoft Annecy is a huge playground available to the player and in which it is possible to have fun both in a carefree and in a more serious way thanks to the total freedom of approach and the countless customizations of the control system. If you are willing to overcome a few minor gameplay problems for certain types of activities, which would need some extra filing, and some technical fluctuations, Riders Republic will be able to offer you an unprecedented amount of hours of fun, thank you. also to the intention of the developers to support the product both through paid updates and new completely free content.

A general repetitiveness of the action and an invasive backtracking often make it difficult to continue in the adventure, also penalized by a questionable monetary resource management system that risks compromising the progression in the adventure if not carefully calculated.

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is a great wasted opportunity: a triumph of playing cards accompanied by a wonderful soundtrack and a wonderful atmosphere, which however does not have time to breathe and arrives too quickly to the credits , without expanding your own story. An experiment which from the aesthetic point of view is an absolute success but which becomes too repetitive in playful terms and not very interesting in a narrative key.

NHL 22 finally brings the series to the next-gen: the beginning is encouraging but we are still far from the magnificence that had characterized the EA series for long periods in its first thirty years of life.

If Super Mario Party chose to embark on the path of timid "next-gen" evolution, Mario Party Superstars takes the opposite, yet complementary, path of amarcord traditionalism. The result is a celebratory episode of exquisite workmanship, a reasoned selection of some of the most representative tables and minigames of what the franchise has been in its abundant twenty years of existence. Old, solid substance that is reborn with a completely new aspect, whose charm does not lie only in the aesthetics; among the details of a gameplay that is finally customizable and unprecedented opportunities for the multiplayer experience, Superstars is, even from a formal point of view, one of the most interesting and welcoming Mario Parties ever. A party of Mario who, remembering his own story, knows exactly how to be remembered.

Two very acidic, bloody and emotionally powerful hours, full of symbolism and meanings, which should possibly be experienced in a single, distressing session. Good night and sweet dreams.

Ultimately, the revival of Maiden of Black Water on modern hardware is a welcome operation but which is partly a wasted opportunity. The remaster will allow fans of the genre to rediscover an interesting experiment among survival horror, but greater care in realization would have made the last episode of Project Zero usable by a much wider audience. Despite the years that have passed since the first release and the absence of the technical limits imposed by exclusivity on Wii U, no additional effort has been made to improve a title with not properly refined mechanics. If over the years the Project Zero series has struggled to renew itself and has gradually crystallized into an aging playful formula, this new edition does nothing to remove Maiden of Black Water from the ancient spectrum of its roots.

It is difficult to judge Into the Pit: the game starts really strong and seems to have what it takes to bewitch the player until the end. Unfortunately, the Nullpointer Games title tends to get repetitive after a few hours and interest wanes over time. What Into the Pit lacks is a little more variety (from enemy behaviors to levels, which are a little too much alike) while the procedural generation typical of the roguelite / roguelike genre leaves something to be desired in this one. interpretation. A greater difficulty in the clashes was desirable: overall, Into the Pit remains a title to try for lovers of the genre, especially if you are a subscriber to the Game Pass.

It really should be said: Sheltered 2 is not a game for everyone. The complexity of the Unicode title is really high and only a niche of players will be able to appreciate the whole package without giving up at the first difficulties. Taken individually, the gameplay components are discreetly made, but the problem lies in their overlap. The developers have staked everything on the amount of different mechanics without paying too much attention to mixing them in the right way and the result is a chaotic experience, not very user friendly and too punitive.

Age of Empires 4 is a game that wants to do many things and has found the right compromise to do them all well.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy gave us positive vibes from the moment we set foot on Milan. A solid gunplay, the importance assigned to the cooperation between the protagonists and the phenomenal script lead us to widely approve Eidos Montréal's fresh and original vision of the precious license of the House of Ideas. However, there are some reserves of a technical and playful nature, accompanied by a fairly limited level of customization. Whether or not you are a die-hard fan of the most ramshackle supergroup in the Multiverse, let yourself be enchanted by the extravagant style and personalities of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and set off with them for the stars.

Now in its third act, The Dark Pictures Anthology shows the first signs of a perhaps inevitable fatigue. Wisely trying to involve and amaze the player with unprecedented stylistic ideas, Supermassive Games chooses to adopt a more impactful pace, and thus creates another type of horror where violence takes precedence over restlessness. Between slight additions and repeated defects, House of Ashes is, without too many surprises, at the same qualitative level as its predecessors, with a small downward or upward decline based on the preferences of individual users, who may or may not like the cinematic sub-genre. staged by the studio. We do not yet fully know what the future of the series will hold for us, although the game - as always - provides us with some clues in the form of a premonition: what is certain is that the horror will change its aspect again.

If you love the fanservice and the typical demented humor that distinguishes Japanese productions, Neptunia ReVerse will be the perfect starting point to discover (or rediscover) a franchise that has now become a cult among fans of Japanese role-playing games.

UnMetal is one of those games that start without a real reason and end at all costs. It is not a masterpiece, mind you, but a very good game to have some good laughs in front of dialogues that are a mix of absurdity and pure idiocy. UnMetal is a tribute from start to finish to the Metal Gear series: more than the typical action hero, Jesse Fox looks like the slightly crazy clone of Snake. For those looking for something fun to play and for all retrogaming lovers, UnMetal is a mouth of fresh air in a videogame landscape that takes itself a little too seriously.

The Crysis Remastered Trilogy allows you to relive a product that at the time had pioneering traits for the industry and that perhaps for this very reason still had ample room for improvement. While at times returning an impression of a brake on, the story remains enjoyable and the approach chosen allows you to relive an experience updated to the parameters of current consoles.

The Good Life is a product plagued by major problems on the playful and structural side. A title extremely lacking from a technical point of view, which brings to the screen a series of decidedly questionable game design choices, at the basis of an adventure that, while trying to tell a story in its own way mature, often ends in boredom and struggles to support the player's interest.

From the very first moment, Back 4 Blood unmistakably shows all the signs of the heavy legacy it carries on its shoulders. By playing on the lowest difficulty, in fact, the offer is substantially in line with the Left 4 Dead canons, appropriately updated and enriched with a greater variety of play. However, when you find yourself taking up arms in the most "hardcore" modes (a physiological stage in a title like this), you cannot help but appreciate the innovations introduced in terms of progression and the merits of the Card System developed by Turtle Rock Studio, which greatly increase the tactical depth of the gameplay and the cooperative dynamics underlying the experience. Back 4 Blood is certainly not a perfect title, but overall the Californian team's proposal is effective and well thought out. It goes without saying that to fully enjoy it you will necessarily have to find suitable companions, but we can assure you that the game is worth the candle.

Lemnis Gate is perhaps one of the most interesting independent games of recent times and is the only one to have been able to propose a truly innovative concept in the field of first-person shooters. Unfortunately, the genius of the idea on which it was built is not adequately supported by an up-to-date technical and artistic sector and this makes the product only half successful. In any case, it is impossible not to turn a blind eye to some technical issues, also because the title is not only included in the Xbox Game Pass catalog for PC and consoles, but is also sold at a negligible price, since it can be added to your digital library for just over 16 euros.

An excellent opportunity to rediscover one of the most popular stages of Remedy's journey in the industry, waiting for the developer to enlighten us on the future of its intriguing shared universe.

In short, it remains a recommended purchase for the nostalgic of the Konami series and for those who love the Metroidvania genre.

Metroid Dread is an experience that is at times deeply enjoyable and yet imperfect at the same time. MercurySteam certainly did not lack the courage to take risks, proposing new ideas, exceptional dynamism and surprising horror veins: elements that fit coherently within a winning formula, tested over the last thirty-five years. A few too many smudges - probably the result of a production not up to the height of Nintendo's heavyweights - however, end up making the whole thing miss: with some extra ideas, less repetition and a little more character in artistic terms, the result could have been be different and even more rounded. However, it is always fascinating to find Samus on our screens, in a franchise that deserves more than it usually gets (starting with the Big N).

Vast and long-lived, Far Cry 6 is an open world where quantity is king: there are lots of playful ideas, and lots of customization possibilities, but often one gets the impression that Ubisoft tries at all costs to never end the battle of the guerrillas, even sacrificing the refinement of the game mechanics on the altar of accumulation. Far Cry 6 is therefore a fluctuating production: moments of high narrative involvement are accompanied by others of stasis, while the gameplay oscillates between good ideas and some uncertainty in the shooting phases and in artificial intelligence. It amuses and entertains, yet it does not overwhelm, nor exalt. It remains true that at times it still manages to make us perceive the penetrating smell of the revolution, one that smells of blood, tobacco and freedom.

Deck Nine knows how to make the most of its characters, and in that sense the Life is Strange: True Colors DLC doesn't disappoint. Steph's story is quite emotionally intense and will appeal to fans of the first chapter of the series especially, but it stumbles on the playful front. In about two and a half hours of duration, in fact, the expansion reiterates some game mechanics too much, making them monotonous and not very varied. An additional content that remains a welcome and exciting tribute to the protagonists of the first LIS, and that at the same time is effectively linked to the incipit of True Colors, from which however we also expected something more.

BPM: Bullets per Minute responds to that nostalgia that all lovers of rhythmic games have long cherished, placing itself - with an exuberant, but thoughtful combination of solutions - halfway between a first-person shooter and a roguelike.

It wasn't clear before release what Jett: The Far Shore wanted to be, which was as alien as its setting. Unfortunately it is not even now. It is a not at all veiled reference to the intuitions of No Man's Sky, but having adapted that playful structure to a narrative that exists and also has not indifferent apexes. The problem is almost entirely in the gameplay, which together with unresponsive controls transforms even the simplest of activities into a grueling struggle with the game system. A real shame, unfortunately, since the game was intended as a placid and relaxing experience.

Lake amazes for its coherence and compactness, for its essential and at the same time deep and melancholy nature.

ActRaiser Renaissance is an excellent remake that manages, not without some slips, to update a playful formula that over the years has not found convincing re-propositions. When Renaissance stays true to the source material, Sonic Powered's work is able to achieve excellent results, but it is when it deviates from the traced path that something starts to go wrong. Although all the gameplay additions, especially in managerial moments, are appreciable and well structured, what is missing is that perfect cohesion between apparently unapproachable elements that made ActRaiser a masterpiece of the 90s. In any case, Renaissance remains a successful experiment, able to awaken the attention of long-time players and also attract those who, for personal reasons, have never been able to try the original on SNES.

Impostor Factory teases and deceives, involves and strangles. It doesn't have the destabilizing power of To The Moon, nor the brain balance of Finding Paradise, but that's okay.

Despite the twenty years on the monkey shoulders, the first Super Monkey Balls remain puzzle video games of superfine quality, albeit tough on the verge of sacrilegious imprecation. Retrogaming aside, Banana Mania is undoubtedly the best way to experience its spinning gameplay recipe, now also open to welcoming any newbies thanks to the introduction of some optional "assist controls". The picture closes with a wealth of content that not many other remasters can boast, although part of the secondary offer, in terms of accessibility, is essentially for a select few. Stuff to spin the ... balls.

Overall, however, we can only be satisfied with the outcome of the nostalgia operation implemented by Blizzard, which will once again trap fans in an endless cycle of fights to the death and unbridled looting.

The technical limits of Nintendo Switch are well known, yet Kakarot's aura expands from second to second even on the hybrid machine of the Kyoko House, which in spite of the predictions has in fact been able to guarantee us an always fluid experience and a shot of ' remarkable eye.

Hot wheels Unleashed is, in some respects, a brilliant arcade driving video game. Simple, immediate, fun and just enough adrenaline, supported by an excellent technical department and which offers one of the best circuit editors that have been seen in recent years. However, it is not explained how such a well-made title can be inserted in such a cumbersome and counterintuitive menu system, in addition to the fact that in the face of an excellent interpretation of the Hot Wheels brand on an aesthetic level, it contradicts itself so evidently with the its management of the lootboxes, the underlying mechanics of the title that has influenced its internal balance in a way that is at least questionable.

The EA Sports revolution comes to life in FIFA 22 for next gen, but in our opinion we are facing a starting point and certainly not a goal for Canadian football. The innovations guaranteed by Hypermotion Technology, a real pillar of this year's offer, give the scenic impact and gameplay a realism that is unprecedented for the series. Unfortunately, the refinement in the animations and the artificial intelligence tricks clash with the idea of ​​football that Electronic Arts has been repeating for a decade now: spectacular and frenetic, but too fast and not very inclined to strategy. In addition to the technical improvements, there is a content offer that has never been so rich and complex, but in large part a little too anchored to the past. In short, FIFA is heading towards excellence again without fully achieving it: it begins to transform its beating heart, but not its own head. And for a champion to become a champion, it is necessary to have both.

A forgettable shooter.

The obvious flaws of Sable eliminate the possibility of presenting all these ideas in a coherent and engaging adventure from start to finish. The open structure of the narrative and gameplay, however, allow to calibrate the overall experience on the user's desire to immerse themselves in a story that is as fascinating as it is imperfect.

Death Stranding makes its debut on PlayStation 5 with a Director's Cut which, while offering players a good dose of unreleased content, does not significantly alter the quality balance of Hideo Kojima's latest work. The playful narrative essence of the production has therefore remained the same as it was two years ago, with all its strengths, its flaws and its overflowing expressive power. With an exceptional technical sector, the monumental epic of Sam Porter Bridges returns to console in its best form, to propose to the public an exceptional science fiction story placed between the meshes of an extraordinarily rich and fascinating imaginary, which frames a poignant story supported by a gameplay as satisfying as it is unique, capable of triggering a pleasant addiction. More than anything else, Death Stranding is the ardent manifestation of the creative flair of an author who is not afraid to challenge the logic and dogmas of the market, with the aim of pushing the medium towards still unexplored territories.

After completing Kena, we felt the desire not to leave these virtual lands, to continue further into the heart of the forest to eliminate even the last bit of Corruption. Like the souls of the village, in short, we didn't want to "go further" either. The magic of Bridge of Spirits is all here: in its sweet magnetism, in its balance between gameplay and storytelling, in the echo of those adventure games of yesteryear, where simplicity moved hand in hand with refinement. Gorgeous to look at and rewarding to play, Kena is a debut work that has rarely been seen in recent years: that the independent sector can be guided by its spirit.