Kong Survivor Instinct is a simple game with a clear mission: to make us experience the tension of being hunted by giant monsters that try to crush us by demolishing everything in their path. A mission that is overall successful, but not flawlessly. The gameplay mix has its ups and downs, also due to the stiffness of the protagonist and the less than brilliant clashes with human enemies. We really liked the dynamic backgrounds, but the experience - if nothing else, better and not a little better than the previous one on King Kong - remains of fluctuating effectiveness.

While never reaching particularly high quality peaks, Alien: Rogue Incursion confirms itself as a good action game in virtual reality, which sacrifices the horror element typical of the film saga in favor of a more direct and brutal approach. Although not intrinsically lacking, the formula chosen by the developers shows its side with a certain basic repetitiveness, closely linked to the reduction of the threat represented by the xenomorphs. While a little more variety would certainly have benefited the production of Survios, Rogue Incursion remains an enjoyable title, especially if you are a fan of the imagery created by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett.

Marvel Rivals is a damn fun and immediate hero shooter, which also boasts a management of microtransactions that makes it perfectly playable without spending a cent. If the developers are able to manage the wave of success well and constantly release new content, it could be an experience capable of remaining on the crest of the wave for quite some time.

Flint Treasure of Oblivion is a pirate adventure with a successful atmosphere and tone, full of visual details that make it more authentic than many other pirate transpositions. Interfaces, settings and costumes, equipment and objects, writing and texts contribute to this goal. The plot, on the other hand, is not among the most interesting and does not fully do justice to the importance of the protagonist: the legendary pirate James Flint from the novel Treasure Island. As for the actual gameplay, although the dice rolls liven up the turn-based battles a bit, in the long run they become repetitive at times and sometimes last too long. Ultimately, if you are a fan of the setting halfway between the epic and the crude, all shrouds, rusty swords and explosive barrels, Flint will fully satisfy you. Otherwise, both as a strategic RPG it is an enjoyable experience, but not very original or varied.

Fairy Tail 2 had the duty to unleash the great latent potential of the first episode, but unfortunately the developer missed the mark, creating a title that is overall inferior to the previous one. Drawing on the lessons and mechanics of the Atelier Ryza trilogy, the turn-based combat system has made huge steps forward, and it is a real shame that all the other aspects of the production have been neglected or at least penalized by decisions that are nothing short of opinionated. We are convinced that fans of the license will love it despite all its flaws, but it is highly unlikely that the title will be able to win the sympathies of those who still do not have a strong attachment to Natsu and company.

Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered has the undoubted merit of preserving and re-proposing in an updated key a saga that still today has all the cards on the table to fascinate the public, thanks to charismatic characters and an evocative imagery. The process of updating the experience implemented by Aspyr is fluctuating, and fails to stem the effects of the passage of time, especially evident for the first Soul Reaver. With the hope of one day being able to witness the announcement of a true remake of Raziel's epic, The Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered manages at least to attenuate the nostalgia of the fans of the first hour, with a rich package of extra content and the possibility of reliving, at a modest expense, two games that have made history.

Hironobu Sakaguchi's last great undertaking, Fantasian: Neo Dimension reminded us of the reasons why we loved the father of Final Fantasy and his conception of JRPG, without however equaling the greatness of his most successful titles. Both the historical flaws recorded in the original version, such as the poor characterization of the antagonists, the verbosity of the dialogues or the inconsistent balance of the difficulty, and the problems encountered in the re-release, such as the drops in frame rate and the long loading times that currently afflict the Nintendo Switch version, weigh heavily on the final evaluation of the product, which nevertheless remains solid and enjoyable. We recommend recovering it to true fans of the genre.

Indiana Jones and the Ancient Circle is an action adventure of great depth, well worthy of the name it bears. Moving away from its “shooter” comfort zone, MachineGames has built a fresh and engaging adventure, embellished with a maniacal attention to detail and supported by a palpable passion for the original material. Moving from the classrooms of Marshall College to the snowy peaks of the Himalayas, the title's campaign expertly carries out what is the main task of the production: putting users in the shoes of Indiana Jones in the context of a story similar to the classic adventures of the archaeologist. Yes, along the way it is easy to notice more than one rough edge both on the gameplay and technical side, but the overall balance is still exceptional, especially if you are a fan of George Lucas' character. In short, Microsoft and MachineGames have hit the mark, and it was not easy.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is a complex, complete and realistic simulator, as ambitious as the game that preceded it and that brought so many people closer to the world of aviation. The Career mode is interesting and well structured, as are all the other available modes that allow you to experience the game as you wish and enjoy the hyper-detailed models of the vehicles to the last nut and bolt, or the most incredible panoramas of our wonderful world from a different perspective than usual. The technology behind cloud rendering is interesting and promising, it lightens the weight of the game on consoles and allows integrations with real-time satellite information that greatly increase immersion and simulation fidelity. However, even knowing that Asobo is a workaholic studio capable of producing patches and solutions in a short time, we cannot ignore the current state of the game servers, still not up to the ambitions of the production. It is equally difficult to ignore the fact that without a more than good connection free flight can be problematic, or the occasional lag, freezing and stuttering phenomena encountered on Xbox. There is room for maneuver, without a doubt, and in a few weeks everything could already be resolved. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Alaloth Champions of the Four Kingdoms is a huge and incredibly detailed world. Sure, you have to turn a blind eye to a technical sector that is not in line with modern standards and some imperfections on the gameplay front, but once you overcome this obstacle you find yourself in front of an old school game that, just like the RPGs of the past, succeeds in capturing the player in a loop of exploration and combat, so much so as to push him to avoid the final battle to spend more time around Plamen.

In its coming and going of pop quotes and inspirations, Extra Coin flows for a variable number of hours. How many minutes will we spend in the minigames? How long will it take us to overturn the rules and discover the truth? How much of our life will we sacrifice to the loops? At least 4 hours, little but sure. And in this span of time the narration and gameplay, with their qualitative oscillations, will ensnare us in a world that is certainly not very original, yet constructed in a way that is anything but superficial. Extra Coin is a well-conceived work, as well as created with full awareness of the means available. CINIC Games balances resources and ambitions, purposes and possibilities, without biting off more than we can chew. This is also demonstrated by the price (5 euros) at which the game is sold. Also for this reason, it is worth playing The Arcade.

Farming Simulator 25 is not a game for everyone, that much is clear. It is a complex title, and only those who approach it with certain types of mentality will be able to survive its seasons. Curiously, however, once you understand how it works it can also be extremely relaxing, thanks to the methodical nature of its cycles and mechanics, the calm that the sounds of nature transmit, the chirping and rustling of leaves under the pouring rain, even when in the background there is the roar of a tractor. The only shame is that there are technical problems that currently undermine its enjoyment and weaken its visual impact at times, and that we hope will be resolved as soon as possible.

STALKER 2 Heart of Chornobyl is a product characterized by an undeniable production value, conveyed through a plot with interesting narrative ideas and a proudly unique gameplay structure. The large amount of technical problems and some obsolete ingredients inherited from the original formula prevent it from making that great leap in quality that we would have liked to tell you about. Any future updates aimed not only at alleviating some technical problems but also at better balancing the gameplay could transform STALKER 2 into an unmissable experience.

Looney Tunes Wacky World of Sports is, quite simply, an unfun game. It doesn't shine aesthetically, despite being based on the iconic cartoons, and the animations never manage to shake off a certain stiffness. The sports offered are characterized by a less than decisive register, which attempts to be simultaneously carefree and deeper than expected: it is never fully either of the two.

Following the example of Star Ocean: The Second Story R, ​​Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is an extremely faithful remake of the original material that, rather than aiming to conquer the new generations, confidently chooses to address almost exclusively historical fans and those who still prefer gaming experiences that respect the typical canons of the old school. Although the adjustments made to the gameplay have made it more accessible and enjoyable, the combat system lacks the strategic depth for which the series and its genre are renowned; as a result, the options available in battle are very limited and the random encounters consume practically the same way, resulting in a repetitive and boring experience in the long run. While fans might find Ortega's flashbacks and the new graphics a pleasant incentive to dust off a great classic from another time, newcomers risk coming up against outdated logic and mechanics, which unfortunately the Dragon Quest series doesn't seem ready to bury in its glorious past yet.

LEGO Horizon Adventures is therefore a fun but limited project. The bright side of the coin is composed of a first-rate technical realization and the successful light-hearted atmospheres, while the darker side includes an extremely repetitive gameplay and a rather limited amount of content. It is a game that gives its best if experienced in the company of friends, but it does not represent a great leap forward, at least from a gaming point of view, for LEGO branded productions.

Despite being rooted in a valuable gaming system, supported by a convincing technical sector, Metro Awakening struggles to maintain its initial momentum among the numerous stages of an adventure that, in the absence of noteworthy variations, is longer than it should be and - especially in the final hours - rather repetitive. Vertigo Games has done a good job in adapting the atmosphere and characters of 4A Games' post-apocalypse to the interactive framework of virtual reality, but without managing to compose a fully balanced and satisfying offer. Metro Awakening remains a worthy product, but it struggles to compete with the best experiences on PSVR2.

The Pokémon TCG Pocket must be analyzed for what it is, that is, a mammoth but clearly evolving work. It is the most ambitious digitalization ever of the popular card game, as well as the main attempt to modernize its core mechanics in a few years now. From a technical point of view, the mobile app is well made and collectors will be happy to spend hours and hours immersed in decks, binders and displays of their favorite Pokémon. At the same time, a sparing distribution of the rarest cards risks undermining the experience of all users, from those who just want to "catch 'em all" to those who aim to experiment with as many competitive decks as possible. For this latter type of player, however, the biggest obstacle to overcome is the simplicity not only of the mechanics, greatly streamlined compared to the originals, but also of the cards themselves. Simplicity that can make sense in an introductory set, of course, but which must absolutely give way to deeper strategies in the near future.

Green light for the new Batman: Arkham Shadow, a title that keeps its promises by bringing one of the most popular franchises in the traditional video game landscape to Meta viewers. Our experience with Meta Quest 3 was fun and at times very satisfying, with a dynamic and lively combat system and stimulating gameplay even in the more static phases of investigations or the study of areas to be tackled stealthily. The graphics department is good, but the high ambitions of the development team must clash with limited hardware for the standalone execution of a game of this kind. The test is generally good with some stumbles, for one of the best VR games of the year.

The goals of Clock Tower Rewind are clear: to allow anyone to experience one of the most significant horror adventures of its time and to offer bonus content that is as interesting as it is valuable from a historical point of view. Even though it is an experience of its time, Clock Tower proves that it can still exert a certain charm, also thanks to its atmosphere.

Slitterhead is a set of fascinating ideas, which with a better application from a technical point of view and with a larger budget would probably have taken flight. Unfortunately, Toyama fails to package a product that is completely enjoyable to play. There are extremely original aspects, Alex and Julee are the most interesting Unicum available and appreciating their skills will be the first thing you will do in the almost 15 hours of gameplay necessary to reach the conclusion. However, too many anachronistic elements push Slitterhead away from the modern needs of video games.

Empire of the Ants is the work of a small studio that was inspired by the famous novel by Bernard Werber to give a touch of originality to a complex genre like RTS: although the narrative suffers from the "reduced" ways of expressing its protagonists, the excellent visuals manage to give great complexity to a game world that can be appreciated for the care taken in modeling every detail. From a strategic point of view, the title is based on a simple and well-oiled structure, which unfortunately suffers from a basic redundancy caused by the lack of variety and the lack of depth inherent in the game situations, while the exploratory side is often plagued by problematic collision management that sometimes prevents you from fully enjoying the splendid scenarios.

Mario & Luigi: Charged Brothers enriches the already rich Nintendo Switch offering with an adventure that has its roots in the brand's role-playing tradition, but manages to modernize it in practically every aspect. Despite some uncertainties on the technical side and an unbalanced level of challenge, this is a great event for all Mario Brothers fans that could also be a great surprise for those simply looking for a role-playing game to spend a few dozen hours of lighthearted fun.

Overall, Call of Duty Black Ops 6 is a great example of the series and even considering the contents of the package as a whole, we can only continue to believe that the result of the work done by Treyarch is the best among those that have arrived on the market in recent times. The campaign knows how to entertain throughout its duration with well-timed missions, the Zombies mode has all the right features to please long-time fans and the multiplayer is as fun as it is frenetic thanks to the introduction of the Omnimovement, the absolute protagonist of this chapter.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is a visual modernization conducted with skill, which in graphic terms brings the experience closer to that offered by the sumptuous Horizon Forbidden West. From the appearance of the protagonist, to the rendering of the dialogues with the characters, to the lighting and vegetation, the developers have kept their promises. In other words, those who already wanted to replay Aloy's adventure can spend the 10 euros of the upgrade without problems, while those who want to approach the series for the first time would do well to consider this version of the title. That said, aspects of the gameplay recipe already critical in the original - especially the melee combat and the clashes with humans - clearly show the signs of time. Not at the cost of the enjoyability of the whole, mind you, but they are there in plain sight.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a work that welcomes the most nostalgic players in a vortex of reassuring and melancholic atmospheres, and at the same time tries to shake up the status quo of the saga with ambitious narrative choices. Re-embracing the iconic Max Caulfield represents a pleasant dip into the past, especially because the guys at Deck Nine have managed to respect the traditional elements - narrative and artistic - of the first Life is Strange. But the return of "Super Max" did not entirely convince us, with subplots that were not particularly brilliant and twists that at times seemed exaggerated. Although the gameplay formula is interesting, the game framework then stumbles into some naivety. The best Life is Strange by Deck Nine is still the one that takes place before the storm.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard arrives at its launch with a proposal that unfortunately shows signs of a development that is, to say the least, troubled, which over the years has seen the project repeatedly change shape and prerogatives. Although Bioware's work has all the pieces of a great role-playing epic, these compose a ludonarrative mosaic that is at times disorganized, to the point of undermining the power of the story and the solidity of the gameplay. When the game shifts into gear, and it does, it is easy to recognize in The Veilguard the best traits of the Dragon Age saga, but it is still difficult to overlook all those asides that, on the other hand, consistently dilute the overall effectiveness of the offering. Even on the gameplay side, we have detected some significant dissonance, although the action "turn" orchestrated by Bioware proves to be functional overall. This play of light and shadow extends to every aspect of the experience, although it is ultimately the positive elements of the whole that triumph. In essence, The Veilguard is certainly not the best chapter in the Bioware saga, but this does not mean it deserves to be labeled as a role-playing game of little value. It is a work that knows how to be satisfying, however we are convinced that, with a more coherent overall vision, it could have given much more.

Mutants Unleashed is a dull game, from every point of view. It is not fun in single player and it is not fun in multiplayer. Outright Games deals with games aimed at a young audience and, given that children are perhaps twice as eager to play as us adults, standing still watching cutscenes, identical and silent, seems like a contradiction. In short, if you are a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, rewatch Mutant Chaos or Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Paramount, read The Last Ronin or play Shredder Revenge, but save Mutants Unleashed. If you are not a fan, this is really not the product to get closer to the franchise.