Scary for many, too skinny for others, Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan remains one of the symbols of this "neo-classicism gaming" which is reflected in a market more vibrant and faceted.

While not equaling the epic nature of Trails of Cold Steel IV, which for its part had the advantage of being the final chapter of a painful and well-oiled tetralogy, The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak stands out as one of the best recent productions of Nihon Falcom. In addition to telling a story with more mature tones than usual, this time the Japanese developer wanted to take a few more risks, completely revolutionizing its historic and already profound combat system to create a formula capable of mixing turn-based strategy to the frenzy of action. The result is astonishing and, as demonstrated in the past by Square Enix with the first two chapters of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, it really says a lot about the incredible potential of the hybridization between the two "currents". Everything is finally framed by the powerful steps forward offered by the new Nihon Falcom engine, thanks to which the universe of The Legend of Heroes appears more lush and colorful than ever. If we add to this that the product marks the beginning of a new narrative arc and is therefore perfect for approaching the series, you no longer have any excuses to continue avoiding one of the best JRPG sagas around.

A great way to close a cycle and kick off a new phase, in the hope of finding less action and more tension in the future. Together with that atavistic and visceral evil that crawls through the machinations of Umbrella, and under the rotten skin of his creatures.

From our point of view, we do not believe that Black Mesa can be an integral substitute of the original Half-Life (still very enjoyable), as much as an adventure that accompanies it with respect and dignity. And walking tall with a legend can be considered a success in itself.

Bulletstorm is frantic and wild. Its gruesome story mode comes with the Online Co-Op (anarchy). It may be not as polished as other first-person shooters, but for sure it is original and thrilling.

M2 rescues the roots of a fundamental saga for the gaming medium from technological oblivion, offering a collection that rediscovers the various arcade versions of the first three Gradius games and the two (but actually three) Salamander games. The emulation work is simply perfect and accurately recreates the experience of the original titles, characterized by a style that would have set standards and a terrifyingly high level of difficulty. Precisely to soften the more critical aspect of a production that would have been indigestible to many contemporary gamers, the Japanese company has introduced the welcome Easy and Invincible modes, while purists are given online leaderboards where they can compete for the highest scores. As if this commendable rediscovery wasn't enough, M2 enriches the package with a completely original Salamander, but developed with an eye on what a third installment would have been like if it had been released in the 1990s: the answer to this question is a video game calibrated for more modern sensibilities, but at the same time completely inserted within a historical continuity that will delight all fans of the saga.

Kinect has been an unlucky device. Fru is a real masterpiece, a brilliant game everyone should try and share. Through Games delivers Kinect's Killer App: too bad they are few years late.

If you love the old science fiction movies, RPG roguelike genre and spaceship, FTL could be the game that you were waiting for a entire life. Otherwise, if you are looking for a good sci-fi story or a "fleet rts", you could be disappointed.

New Vegas is like a Huge DLC, an enormous add-on. But the formula is still fresh and deep.

Vessel of Hatred confirms the trend already established in the most recent seasons of Diablo 4, adding a lot of density to the fights, facilitating the leveling system and introducing a new and very fun class. Fans of the dark and oppressive atmosphere of the first chapters are destined to be disappointed, but players who want to dedicate themselves to the unconditional massacre of hordes of demons will find in this expansion a refined and organic progression system, new mechanics and new endgame content capable of entertaining them for several hours. The length of the campaign and the way in which it concludes the game events did not satisfy us, but there will be time with the next patches to correct the shot.

Monolith Soft shows the western market that JRPGs are far from extinct. The open world is simply stunning, the depth of the combat system will keep you engaged, and there's so much to explore. The story is not as good, and some dialogue not very well written, but the overall experience feels just amazing.

Resogun, the new shooter of the Finnish Housemarque captures players thanks to a fantastic look, and a very speedy, technical and exciting gameplay.

The guys at Frictional Games tried something really hard, in telling a story that reflects good old science fiction. The result ultimately works: don't expect a "sci-fi Amnesia", no jump scares here, but a completely different experience.

The "shift" in Need for Speed series is one of the most fascinating and exciting changes of this new EA racer.

GT 5 is definitely the best Driving Simulator on PS3. But because of some technical issues and an unclear structure, it does not set new standards.

Despite a non-optimized to best development, undermined by haste to publish the game, it remains impossible not to be affected by the quality of the second episode of the series The Walking Dead.

13 years after its debut, Bravely Default remains an extraordinary JRPG in every way, as well as a title that any fan of the genre should jealously guard in their collection. That said, the remaster churned out by Cattle Call does not really add anything indispensable to the original experience, except for some necessary adjustments to the "quality of life"; indeed, paradoxically the re-release locks down key mechanics that were once available from the first hours behind two new and damned repetitive mini-games. If you do not have a Nintendo 3DS and are not the least bit interested in getting one, the remaster could be a good opportunity to bring home one of the best JRPGs of the modern era. However, we remain of the opinion that the combo formed by the Nintendo 3DS version and its equally enjoyable direct sequel (which expanded and concluded the story), played strictly on the original hardware and therefore on two screens as it was originally intended, is still the best way to explore Luxendarc and experience the great adventure of the Warriors of Light in its entirety.

In short, these last games put an exclamation point at the end of an era, it's undeniable.

Borderlands, in this generation, is one of the few titles that dares with courage, exploring new styles of gaming without the constriction of its genre. The game owes its success to the articulated gameplay that sums GTA, Halo and WoW mechanics in a single pot. Gearbox's production shows its muscles in particular in the co-op multiplayer mode, which is the top experience in the game.

A great achievement in the immense banquet of the world of PC gaming.

This does not mean that the product originally developed by Ensemble is today unpleasant, but only that it should be approached with a bit of preparation: one must be aware of the fact that some aspects work "in the old way" and that technical limits defeated by the evolution of software they are still there, mitigated by the careful reworking of Forgotten Empires.

In representing the moment of passing away, however, it enhances life, creating a cycle of small daily actions that describe days of joy and carefree nature.

Quotation forthcoming.

F1 2019 is an extremely rich and solid title, not without some small qualitative fluctuations.

Acceptable and indeed praiseworthy in concept and realization, but maybe less easy to digest at literally twenty cents a minute.

Seventeen years after its original release, Abe's Oddysee is still one of the most strange, brilliant, original and funny platform around. This new edition is, indeed, tasty, and no player should miss it.

McMillen and his team make another essential gameplay shine above all the rest. Disturbing, sadic and incredibly addictive.

Mediterranea Inferno offers an effective blend of history, artistic direction and characterization, accompanied by a valuable sound sector. This visual novel - essential to say the least on the playful front - is able to tell the exciting story of three friends, in which it is difficult not to identify. Also for this reason, going beyond the end of the first run and dedicating ourselves to discovering the various endings of this journey seemed to us a natural choice, as proof of the talent shown by the insiders.