Already the author of the appreciated remake of Trials of Mana, the Xeen studio has subjected Romancing SaGa 2 to a targeted rejuvenation work limited almost exclusively to the technical component, making just a couple of adjustments to the gameplay and the plot. Overall, the final result is more than satisfactory, however this could and should have been the right opportunity to enrich the characterization of the characters, who today as then continue to be insufficiently cared for. If on the one hand we suggest its recovery to all lovers of the genre and to anyone who has not yet tried their hand at the Inheritance System, a mechanic that is always tasty and truly unique in its genre, on the other we are well aware that the lack of localization of the texts in Italian could cause more than a few headaches to non-users of English.

The result of a troubled development that lasted much longer than expected, Unknown 9: Awakening is the “victim” of the exaggerated ambitions of a very young Reflector Entertainment, which chose to immediately dive headfirst into the creation of a complex transmedia universe. Despite all its burdensome technical and gameplay limitations, the narrative adventure offered to us by Bandai Namco is intriguing and fun, especially if tackled in stealth at the highest difficulty levels. The crossmedia imagery of Unknown 9 may ultimately not have started off on the right foot in the videogame field, but its potential - which remains largely unexpressed - is undeniable.

Sonic x Shadow Generations confirms itself as one of the most successful incarnations of the IP and is preparing to hit the market in its definitive edition. The portion dedicated to the blue hedgehog is still quite enjoyable today, but it is the Shadow spin-off that plays the lion's share: the dark anti-hero from SEGA shows up to the appointment with fans in dazzling form. If you have never had the chance to experience the original adventure or if you are curious to find out in which direction the unpublished Shadow story will move, we can advise you to make the title yours without further ado.

Until Dawn Remake is a rather lazy remake of the now iconic PS4-era video game cult: the narrative additions appear superfluous and even anticlimactic, while the graphic modernization operation leaves itself open to too many qualitative oscillations, between excessively loaded facial expressions and still stiff animations. Playing Until Dawn today, for fans of the "teen horror" genre, still represents an interesting rediscovery, for a title that still manages to entertain thanks to the unpredictability of its narrative twists.

Super Mario Party Jamboree succeeds in its main goal: offering a varied selection of mini-games and modes capable of providing hours of entertainment for the whole family. Needless to say, as has always been the case for the series, the title is at its best when used in local multiplayer. However, the fun is significantly reduced when a single player is taking on the Nintendo challenges. The numerous customization options of the experience allow you to modulate the relevance of chance and luck within the boards, whose dynamic structure is still capable of constantly destabilizing the progress of the matches. Coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch on October 17, 2024, Super Mario Party Jamboree is a candidate to become an excellent ally for autumn evenings, both for families looking for an activity to do in company and for groups of friends ready to organize parties and parties based on a fun form of video game competition.

Between a blanket of fog and a field of wildflowers, Neva's aesthetics are imbued with great poetry. An artistic inspiration that unfortunately is partly obscured by excessive quotationism, which calls into question in particular the imagery outlined by Studio Ghibli in Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. A soundtrack of rare beauty accompanies the growth of Neva's two protagonists on screen, a little girl and a wolf cub. Through the alternation of the seasons, Nomada Studios tells us about the relationship of trust between a human being and an animal, but also the cyclical nature of existence. Despite a narrative component that is perhaps excessively hermetic, Neva manages to move in many moments, generating a sincere wave of affection for its main characters.

Sumerian Six is ​​a passionate and well-crafted homage to classic stealth tactics games, enriched by a fascinating fusion of mad science and the paranormal. Artificer's title manages to capture the essence of the pioneers of the genre, with the unique abilities of the characters and the variety of the missions that contribute to enriching the gameplay, which is engaging but not without some rough edges. While Sumerian Six performs well from a visual point of view, thanks to a distinctive graphic style, the plot and characterization of the characters would have benefited from greater depth. Overall, we are talking about a stimulating strategic adventure capable of offering surprises.

Overall, Undisputed is a worthy product, which manages to bring “great boxing” back to the market in video games, a good fifteen years after the release of the last Fight Night. The core of the proposal is represented by an excellent assortment of mechanics, which grants ample room for maneuver both to those looking for a more technical experience, and to novices in the art of digital boxing. The balance between these two aspects of the offer, however, is not yet calibrated to perfection, and it is easy to notice a group of rough edges that, put together, hold the game back from expressing its full potential.

Despite starting from truly intriguing premises, Shattered Space is a content that moves - with the brakes on - between light and shadow, failing to add a piece of great value to the Starfield content mosaic. Net of its qualitative fluctuations, Bethesda's DLC is not unpleasant in any way, but it is difficult not to attribute to the package the characteristics of an operation carried out, at least in part, on autopilot. A direction that makes one turn up one's nose also in relation to the list price, too high in relation to the scope and quality of the offer.

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is a worthy heir to the Budokai Tenkaichi genre, because it offers spectacular battles, based on a "manageable depth" and suitable for players of all abilities. Battle Episode has some shortcomings and simplifications, but it also offers alternative events that are sometimes surprising, which can encourage the enthusiast to discover every secret of the mode, which could also be enriched with additional content in the future. From the little we tried it, the online dimension proved to be free of particular uncertainties, and the same can be said for the dear old split screen battles. The opponents' AI does its job, without reaching excellence, but on the other hand the roster of fighters is immense and strong with a 360-degree characterization of the individual fighters that is truly remarkable. Despite its qualitative declines, Sparking Zero's audiovisual department constantly reminds us why we love the Saiyans and their opponents, and overall Spike Chunsoft's production is one of the most beautiful titles based on Toriyama-sensei's world, a triumph for any Dragon Ball gamer fan.

Metaphor: ReFantazio has undoubtedly carved out a place for itself among the best proposals from ATLUS, which this time has finally found the courage to break out of its usual patterns and propose something vaguely different, especially in terms of setting and narrative structure. With a brand new job system, the combat system halfway between Persona and Shin Megami Tensei is one of the most successful elements of the package, as it offers a level of customization never seen before in an ATLUS game. Unfortunately, the eight years of development weigh like a millstone on the visual rendering of the product, which however defends itself with a valuable artistic direction and a musical accompaniment of the highest level. It will not be the authentic revolution that many expected, nevertheless Metaphor: ReFantazio remains a must-see for anyone who professes to be a lover of the JRPG genre.

Just a To The Moon Series Beach Episode reconfirms the indisputable narrative and compositional talent of Kan Gao, an author who over the years has demonstrated how video games are capable of tackling themes that are anything but obvious. Those who have been following this narrative universe since 2011 will find familiar faces, protagonists of a short story that is able to strike the right chords. If you have not followed Kan Gao's productions, it will be difficult to fully enjoy this title: stories, characters, quotes and references to the past abound, making it more of an arrival experience than a departure. Given their short duration, our advice is to recover the previous chapters, so that you can appreciate Beach Episode in all its aspects.

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.

Ultimately, the Silent Hill 2 remake has managed to dispel any doubts we had in our hearts, delivering a product that is respectful of the original and capable of preserving its powerful message. Today, like twenty years ago, we are in the presence of a work capable of crossing the boundaries of the traditional narrative of the medium, touching delicate chords in the souls of the spectators while an unprecedented horror unfolds inexorably before their eyes. If you are a fan of the genre, you have no excuses. The city is waiting for you.

Despite a single player campaign that is decidedly forgettable, Khaos Reigns is a step in the right direction from Netherrealm in terms of balance and roster choices. Cyrax, Sektor, and Noob Saibot are spectacular, dynamic, and deep, and the balance changes are timely and not excessive. We are not faced with an absolute excellence in the fighting genre, but it would be unfair to rate this expansion lower than the base title, of which it is still a notable evolution.

Far from being the disaster prophesied by the genre's detractors, but the miracle desired by fans of the great artists involved this time by FuRyu, REYNATIS is a practical demonstration of how, many times, it is not enough to put together brilliant minds to give life to an authentic masterpiece. Indeed, the superficial screenplay by Kazushige Nojima and the repetitive soundtrack composed by Yoko Shimomura almost seem to suggest that not even they fully believed in the goodness of the project, whose most successful elements are hands down the artwork created by Yasutaka Kaburagi. Although limited by an extremely dated technical sector and an almost non-existent level of difficulty, the combat system of REYNATIS is quite intriguing, even if some mechanics could have been implemented with greater conviction. All things considered, REYNATIS takes home a passing grade, however the advice is to wait for the first discount before pouring into the streets of this dystopian reinterpretation of Shibuya.

EA Sports FC 25 confirms the solidity of Electronic Arts' modern gaming and content proposal, in a chapter that is starting to show signs of a long-desired revolution. The main game modes do not offer any particular innovations, but are still more integrated with each other thanks to a unified progression system and Rush, which acts as a minimum common denominator integrating equally between Career, Ultimate Team and Club. Volta's replacement is in fact more effective and focused than its predecessor, although in cooperative matches it turns out to be quite confusing and frenetic. In any case, the substantial difference this year is in the gameplay, which maximizes the technological achievements obtained thanks to HypermotionV, FC IQ and Cranium for a more realistic, immersive and engaging digital football experience than ever before: finally, thanks above all to the improvement of Team Tactics and Player Roles, FC 25 embraces a more strategic idea of ​​football and less focused on full-throttle speed. Another small and significant step forward towards the definitive leap in quality.

Ultimately, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom can be considered a successful experiment. Playing as the princess is not only genuinely fun, but it offers a new perspective on the entire imaginary of the kingdom of Hyrule. The mechanics of the replicas interact perfectly with the possibility of seeing Zelda in the role of swordswoman, while the ideas related to physical principles further enrich the gameplay. In Echoes of Wisdom, male and female players can adopt the approach they prefer, favoring exploration, use of ingenuity or use of bizarre weapons, equipment and accessories. An excellent adventure, which with a more refined artistic sector and a greater refinement of interfaces and technical aspects could have been a complete masterpiece. If you have a Nintendo Switch on your home table, however, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a very valid reason to grab the joy-con and enjoy the genuine fun offered by the kingdom of Hyrule.

Ara: History Untold boldly launches into the 4X landscape, bringing with it some intriguing innovations. Although the game introduces the prestige system and non-hex maps, it remains faithful to the basic structure of many other congeners. In this sense, the production by Oxide Games is more of a refined restyling than a Copernican revolution. Its new mechanics undoubtedly offer fresh ideas and compelling challenges and the attention to the smallest details further elevates the value of Ara. However, the complexity in resource management and a war component that does not hold up to comparison with the rest of the experience are less brilliant aspects of the package. In any case, we are faced with a valuable production, capable of intriguing fans of the reference genre.

We welcome the return of the most famous mouse in the world with joy, albeit with a hint of bitterness: the game created by the now defunct Junction Point oozes originality from every brush stroke, and who knows, maybe one day Warren Spector and his colleagues will be able to give us a third chapter. The certainty remains that we are faced with one of the highest creative peaks reached in those years, and what better occasion than a graphic remake to rediscover its beauty?

Akimbot's adventure isn't unpleasant, but its shortcomings are evident. The potential of the combat has remained partly unexpressed, either because of some weapons that are too standard, or because of the limitations of the more particular and powerful ones. Then there's the platforming, which has its moments of brilliance, but is accompanied by phases that are far less successful and with an inconsistent pace. The gameplay structure rests on a story with "forecast" developments, which fails to enhance the game's most interesting characters. That said, if you remember the golden age of action platformers with nostalgia, you could still give Evil Raptor's title a chance.

Aside from a couple of hitches that don’t significantly alter the quality of the production, the PC version of God of War Ragnarok shows up to the gamers’ appointment in great shape, ready to drag the masses through the snows of Fimbulwinter. From a performance point of view, we’re talking about a product capable of adapting very well to a wide range of configurations, thanks to the precautions taken by Santa Monica already at the time of the first release. Although the gap between the PS5 and PC versions isn’t exceptionally wide, the overall performance of the porting pushes us to confirm without hesitation the evaluation given a couple of years ago, the same one also attributed to the porting of the previous chapter.

All things considered, Jyamma Games' Italian soulslike gave us mixed feelings: the bright side of the coin is made up of a pleasant plot, a first-rate artistic component and a quality soundtrack, while the darker side is made up of design issues related to the bosses and a gameplay formula that is not always well-balanced. Even leaving aside the technical uncertainties that could be resolved with a series of targeted updates, Enotria: The Last Song seemed to us to be a half-successful project, but between the lines it is still easy to glimpse the development team's potential.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown gives up what had distinguished the previous chapters to try to resemble experiences that have been successful in recent years, but unfortunately it has some obvious shortcomings. The production life cycle has just begun and the offer is destined to enrich and evolve significantly in the coming months. To date, however, we can only photograph the state of things, between a progression based on interesting ideas and not ideal in practice, a barely sufficient customization of the cars and a driving model that has not been able to fully satisfy us. In any case, part of the production potential is still unexpressed and we hope that post-launch support can improve the situation.

Frostpunk 2 is a great experience, with solid graphics, interface improvements and an enviable strategic depth. The transition from the role of Captain to that of Steward introduces a completely new dimension in the management of the city, where power is no longer unilateral, but distributed, which calls the player to face crises, challenges and political games. However, the situations in which you have to deal with a myriad of emergencies at the same time, which are created in ways that are sometimes artificial, end up being oppressive, to the detriment of a feeling of healthy involvement that fortunately the production of 11 Bit Studios knows how to generate very well.

When the credits rolled, the writer immediately thought: if I had a daughter or a son, I would recommend them to play The Plucky Squire with me. While not a brilliant production in every aspect, we are faced with a title aware of its potential, and for this very reason it wisely decides to focus on what it does best. The 3D sections, undoubtedly the weakest of the game, seem almost disfigured when compared to the 2D ones; a real shame, especially if we consider their playful potential.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is an excellent job. Every aspect of this classic has been improved, with brand new graphics, more voiced dialogues and an impressive number of "quality of life" improvements that streamline and make the entire experience much more enjoyable. The slightly dull color palette and some rather clunky animations are not enough to tarnish the excellent work done by Capcom in making one of the most iconic zombie killers of all time current. Absolutely worth recovering for both veterans and newcomers to the series.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is a fun game, but it's not enough. We appreciate the effort to adapt a sport that was based on other rules to a video game content that must come to terms with the needs of the gameplay. However, we reiterate, that today the content is really too little: the single player challenges are limited and the multiplayer can satisfy you for a few games, but nothing more. More modes, more proposals and a more varied offer were needed, especially in the customization of the team, which instead has few skills to improve. Fans will have their share of satisfaction in whizzing around with their brooms, but the difficulty of the gameplay risks raising the accessibility bar a lot and keeping out all that more casual audience that instead in Hogwarts Legacy had made the fortune of Portkey Games.