Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit can be a lot of fun even for the people who usually aren’t interested in video games. The only drawback is that you need a console and a kart for each player. [Issue#249, p.78]

Kirby Fighters 2 can’t compete with Super Smash Bros and other major fighting games, but it doesn’t have to. It’s the game you play when you don’t have the time for something more complex and involved. [Issue#249, p.82]

Only the game’s overall idea deserves some praise, but its execution fell short: the controls are messed up, and uneven beat doesn’t make it more enjoyable.[Issue#249, p.59]

If you like platformers, Crash will suck you in for a week or more – and you’ll keep finding things you’ve yet to complete or unlock. [Issue#249, p.50]

Rebirth doesn’t feature any new mechanics, and while the story is pretty good, one of its main themes is pregnancy, which may be hard to relate to for some players. [Issue#249, p.64]

Too bad that when you really get in gear, end credits will start rolling all too soon – but it’s a common thing for beat ‘em ‘ups. Also, when a game feels too short – it’s a sure sign that it’s good. [Issue#249,p.58]

Clichés and predictability don’t make the playthrough of Wasteland 3 any less enjoyable. After all, good post-apocalyptic RPGs are always in short supply. [Issue#248, p.36]

Apart from laggy menu and modest graphics, UFC 4 is a good finale to the series’ run on current generation of consoles. [Issue#248, p.48]

To their credit, in the sequel Bossa Studios managed to break new ground. Previously, you were basically chained to the operating table. Now you can explore the entirety of operating theater and beyond! [Issue#248, p.65]

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is for everyone who loves videogames. Hopefully, even though it’s a limited-time offer at the moment, Nintendo will change its mind and 3D All-Stars will be available for purchase even after March 31. [Issue#248, p.58]

Even though it touches upon the themes of death and saying goodbye to your loved ones, Spiritfarer feels warm and upbeat. It also doesn’t feel like work, which is a rare thing for management games. [Issue#248, p.43]

Project CARS 3 leaves you with mixed feelings. It has wonderful controls and good arcade physics, but its tracks are too plain and boring for an arcade racing game. It’s even worse if you’re a sim fan – the game will leave totally disappointed. [Issue#248, p.54]

You can’t help but feel that Mortal Shell is a fan-made mod for Dark Souls – however, it has accordingly low price. It also shows promise: a few more tries, and Cold Symmetry could make something really good. [Issue#248, p.34]

The story is the most important part of Maid of Sker, and it’s good. It doesn’t follow the original narrative word-for-word, but stays faithful to it. A good game for a Lovecraft fan. [Issue#248, p.41]

It’s not as stellar as the original Mafia was, but it’s not like anyone really expected that to happen. Still, Hangar 13’s game offers an interesting take on Mafia’s story – and that is no small thing either. [Issue#248, p.30]

As promising as Iron Harvest’s setting is, the story just can’t keep up, while gameplay is a straight copy/paste from Company of Heroes 2. [Issue#248, p.50]

Crusader Kings III is definitely a success. The developers made a huge self-evolving world where the players can do as they please. It’s unrivaled both in scale and level of detail. [Issue#248, p.68]

Fans of the genre should definitely play Company of Crime for its novel setting of London criminal underworld and rich melee combat, but it’s probably too low-budget to please your average gamer. [Issue#248, p.62]

Don’t get me wrong – Battletoads is a good co-op game for an evening or two. But you can’t help feeling that the developers didn’t give it their best. [Issue#248, p.40]

Troy can’t hold its own against the main entries of Total War series. But its purpose is to introduce new players to the series, and in that regard, Troy is more than adequate. [Issue#248,p.44]

Vanillaware’s signature style is evident in every scene of 13 Sentinels. Both long-time fans and newcomers will enjoy this gorgeous Japanese game.[Issue#248,p.42]

Willy Morgan tries to ride the wave of nostalgia for old-school adventures like Broken Sword, but the comparison is clearly not in its favor: characters lack charisma, and the story isn’t even close to being intriguing. [Issue#247, p.55]

Rocket Arena is a promising junior, but will it get to the major leagues? With the right amount of balance adjustments and content patches, it’s totally feasible. [Issue#247, p.52]

By the end of the game, Inaba will feel like home to you. [Issue#247, p.50]

I can’t say that Origami King is a great game – it has too many annoying battles with weak enemies, filler dialogue and trial and error puzzles. But it’s definitely a very original game, and a real treat to anyone looking for new gameplay mechanics. [Issue#247, p.64]

Amusingly, Telltale’s Story Mode had more Minecraft in it than Dungeons does: it involved a little mining and crafting, at least. Dungeons features neither, and although its levels are made of blocks, they are indestructible. [Issue#247, p.67]

If you loved the original for its great characters and well-paced story – stay away from this game. However, if you’re aching to sink into the depths of depression, or just want to cut some throats and burn some zombies – Part II will deliver. [Issue#247, p.72]

It feels as if Sucker Punch decided to make the most picturesque open world ever, while still keeping it grounded in reality. Not an easy task, but the studio really nailed it. [Issue#247, p.38]

Back in 90’s, not all shooters had a tough guy with big guns as their main character; some of them focused on a weird vehicle instead. Since then, that subgenre had gone extinct, but with Disintegration, it suddenly makes a comeback. [Issue#247, p.48]

Despite less-from-stellar controls, missions that actually ask player to destroy all humans are fun; too bad that they are heavily interspersed with absolutely uninspired stealth segments. [Issue#247, p.71]

Great 4X strategies have a thing called “one more turn” syndrome. With Desperados 3, it’s “one more neutralized lookout” syndrome. Its levels are big and so well-designed you might end up playing until dawn. [Issue#247, p.34]

It’s a breath of fresh air for veterans of CCG, but newcomers to the genre probably won’t enjoy it as much due to Deck of Ashes unforgiving nature and abundance of unusual mechanics. [Issue#247, p.56]

It’s not enough to simply be familiar with the original Deadly Premonition to really get the sequel, you need to be “in” on many things that Swery is into, like music, games and movies. [Issue#247, p.60]

C&C was difficult not because of good AI or interesting tactical puzzles, but due to poor usability. With modernized interface, it’s a walk in the park, and will be enjoyable only as long as nostalgia lasts. [Issue#247, p.44]

If you like JRPGs and own a Nintendo Switch – this is a game you shouldn’t miss. [Issue#246, p.48]

While it looks like an XCOM knock-off, Troubleshooter is much more RPG than tactics. It has unique characters with different mechanics and literally hundreds of perks that lead to drastically different builds. [Issue#246, p.39]

It’s no secret that beat ’em ups are better in co-op, but it’s especially evident with SoR4. If you’re playing on your own, prepare to get juggled to death, but if you bring a friend or two – you’ll be the one having a party. [Issue#246, p.54]

Before, you used to drive a heavy-duty rig through all kinds of difficult terrain basically for the sake of it. Now you complete contracts and earn money to get a better rig. You can also impact the world by building bridges and removing debris, which makes the entire process much more involved. [Issue#246, p.42]

Whether you have to consume 10 bass or 10 human beings to level up, the basic gameplay loop stays exactly the same. [Issue#246, p.52]

Bloody, brutal and visceral shooter franchise was given a tactics treatment – and the end result is surprisingly good. Gears Tactics is one of the best games in the genre this year. [Issue#246, p.36]

While new XCOM lost in scale, it makes up for it in style. It’s great that agents now engage in friendly banter both in and out of missions, and room-scale shootouts are far more intense than hunting for enemy pods in a city block. [Issue#245, p.64]

Not only it doesn’t surpass RE2, it fails to even hit the same mark. In RE2, every act had you explore a rather large environment, search for clues and solve puzzles. In RE3, you just run down a corridor, blasting zombies and dodging scripted Nemesis attacks. [Issue#245, p.46]

In this extremely niche genre, studio should’ve paid very close attention to physics and car’s inner workings; as it is, Overpass is too difficult for an arcade racing game, but way too shallow for a proper sim. [Issue#245, p.59]

Developers reused a lot of assets from the first game, did nothing to address its shortcomings, and probably hope that combat alone (which is as good as it was before) would be enough to sell the game to the public. [Issue#245, p.54]

Everyone wants to repeat Hearthstone’s success, but most new CCGs stick to fantasy setting, and the rest go for sci-fi. For people who can’t stomach either (or just prefer something more grounded in reality), KARDS will be a real treat. [Issue#245, p.62]

Time rewind mechanics and focus on maneuvering bring a welcome spin on an otherwise tedious gameplay formula. [Issue#245, p.56]

It’s a good thing that Valve didn’t add a digit to the title: from Half-Life 3 we expect nothing short of revolution, while Alyx is “merely” an amazing game. [Issue#245, p.50]

If you were a fan of the original FF VII, go ahead and add another 5 points to the final score. It’s a perfect remake: it faithfully follows original game’s storyline, is filled with fan-service, but remains approachable by complete newbies. [Issue#245, p.38]

Will the initial spark of interest last? Hardly. Bleeding Edge is a nice little time-killer that probably will never evolve into something bigger. But if it helps Ninja Theory earn some money for their next project – it’s cool. [Issue#245, p.60]

Extraordinary beauty (and extraordinary bugginess) aside, Wolcen is a run-of-the-mill ARPG that takes "inspiration" from every popular game in the genre and mixes it with its own questionable know-how. [Issue#244, p.64]

As a shooter, Resistance is rather mediocre. But as a Terminator game, it's great. [Issue#244, p.52]

It's much more "polisher" than "mechanic" simulator: usually you just need to remove the rust from the tank, then paint it. Even if something is broken, you can easily buy a spare, as if there's a depot somewhere that's loaded with replacement parts for Sturmtiger, KV-2 and StuG. [Issue#244, p.50]

Introduction of autoexplore mode shows that even developers realize there's something fundamentally wrong with the formula, but instead of making real improvements, they just duct tape it and call it a day. [Issue#244, p.62]

Engaging, difficult and charming metroidvania with an amazingly low price. [Issue#244, p.54]

Fast-paced brutal action that still requires you to think ahead and utilize every tool at your disposal – we've been waiting for a shooter like that for a long time. [Issue#244, p.44]

Corruption 2029 is basically Road to Eden sans cute anthropomorphic animals, interesting lore or meaningful upgrades. [Issue#244, p.53]

New Horizons always has something new in store. For example, on the way to your regular fishing spot you can suddenly make acquaintance with a hippie, fly to his island and come back with some great photos. [Issue#244, p.58]

Compared to Wii U version, Encore offers not only prettier graphics, but new content as well. It’s not limited to a few new clothes or songs either; Encore has an additional storyline, as well as lots of nifty little additions. [Issue#243, p.52]

Graphics aren’t up to modern standards, and you’ll visit the same locations over and over again – but it’s not all that bad. What really stays with you are finely written characters of this game and well-paced anxiety buildup. [Issue#243, p.56]

Beneath the simple “match-three” surface lies a very conscious attempt to subvert the traditions of this trite genre. [Issue#243, p.58]

Snack World instantly charms you with little things, like names derived from various foods, or that your weapons get tired, so you might want to let your sword rest in the sheath for a bit before launching attack. [Issue#243, p.60]

Diaz brothers undoubtedly have their charm, but they can’t compete with Chloe and Max. Let’s hope that next time developers will focus on actual story rather than current political agenda. [Issue#243, p.50]

Although Genesis turned out to be a bit glitchy and buggy, and its parkour sequences are straight-out torturous, all in all it it’s a pretty successful experiment. [Issue#243, p.48]

Cuisine Royale’s main advantage is variety. Artefacts, magic, topography and scarce ammo – everything in this game was designed to ensure that even similar encounters play out very differently. [Issue#243, p.40]

Brain Training doesn’t impress as strongly as before, however, its several hundred puzzles are still interesting. It’s both a game and an exercise machine, the best one it its niche. [Issue#243, p.49]

Both games deserve much more than a simple re-release, but it’s great to be able to play these masterpieces on the current-gen consoles. [Issue#243, p.54]

Graphics are rarely worth mentioning nowadays, since most games look good or great. That’s not The Surge 2’s case: sometimes graphics are so bad it messes with gameplay, as it gets hard to tell if it’s a puddle of water, poison or a chasm. [Issue#242, p.50]

Despite all Suzuki’s claims that this series is his life’s work, Shenmue 3 feels more like a quick cash-in. [Issue#242, p.62]

Rebel Cops keeps the pace on small and medium-sized maps, but larger ones turn into a drag. [Issue#242, p.48]

Pokemon Sword/Shield is uncharacteristically user-friendly: now there’s no need to backtrack half across the world to heal your entire team of pokemon or to get to a particular city, for example. [Issue#242, p.66]

Pokemon Sword/Shield is uncharacteristically user-friendly: now there’s no need to backtrack half across the world to heal your entire team of pokemon or to get to a particular city, for example. [Issue#242, p.66]

Pokemon Sword/Shield is uncharacteristically user-friendly: now there’s no need to backtrack half across the world to heal your entire team of pokemon or to get to a particular city, for example. [Issue#242, p.66]

Lots of side-activities, barebones story and music that’s very unsuitable for driving – Heat is basically Payback without some of the latter’s shortcomings. [Issue#242, p.40]

Searching for clues and interviewing witnesses isn’t all it takes to beat this game, you’ll also have to solve hundreds of puzzles – most of them random and not tied into the main plot at all. [Issue#242, p.60]

Hell Let Loose keeps fine balance between realism and action: it’s inclined towards hardcore gameplay, but adepts of run’n’gun style won’t feel useless either. [Early Access review - Issue#242, p.52]

It’s disheartening to see that Codemasters wasn’t even trying. On its own, new Grid is an okay arcade racing game, but it’s hard to ignore that the previous one was far better. [Issue#242, p.56]

For the first few hours you’ll be locked in the “combo-block-dodge-ability” cycle, but as hero unlocks additional powers, more and more elements are dropped, until all that’s left is the use of abilities. [Issue#242, p.65]

A lot of interesting mechanics were implemented, but ultimately left stranded by tedious core gameplay. [Issue#242, p.44]

Pendulo carefully handled Blacksad’s transition from comics to game format, so fans of the original series will feel right at home, and those who haven’t read the comics yet – well, they should, to get a better appreciation for Pendulo’s work. [Issue#242, p.58]

No matter what you do, it’s the RNG that will ultimately decide whether you win or lose. Instead of playing Warsaw, you might as well just roll the dice and punch yourself in the face every time it doesn’t show six. [Issue#241, p.55]

If more attention was paid to story and less to grind, Void Bastards could potentially rival System Shock. As it is, however, it’s basically just another roguelike. [Issue#241, p.50]

Usually, a planet has just one or two settlements and a bit of wildlands to explore. But that’s for the best – instead of exploring miles of filler content, Outer Worlds keeps you moving from planet to planet, from one tense situation to another. [Issue#241, p.34]

The number of references to H.P. Lovecraft’s works and the fact that they are subtly woven into the main narrative and side-quests makes Stygian the most faithful lovecraftian game of recent years. [Issue#241, p.60]

Played regularly, Ring Fit Adventure may become a cheap alternative to gym membership, or at least make morning workout less boring. [Issue#241, p.69]

The levels are badly designed and uninspired, they don’t spark curiosity or desire to explore them – but you still have to, because new weapons and armor aren’t dropped by the enemies, they must be found in obscure spots scattered across the maps. [Issue#241, p.44]

Outlaw is a throwback to the roots of spacesim genre, a visual aid that shows where it all began and helps to understand just how far the genre has evolved since then. And the lesson to take is this: let the past stay in the past. [Issue#241, p.40]

Games by Double Fine have great visual style and often feature fresh gameplay ideas – but their execution is usually sub-par. RAD is no exception: beneath an acid neon mutant-punk mask hides a very generic indie roguelite. [Issue#241, p.59]

Definitely the best game in the series – but too niche to recommend it to everyone. [Issue#241, p.63]

Dedicated multiplayer modes grow stale quickly, and we wish there were more customization options for controls and camera, but other than this, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a very solid game both for solo and co-op. [Issue#241, p.64]

Awakening’s world is much smaller than Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule. But within the island’s depths lies something that was missing from the last game – eight difficult, multi-layered dungeons, each with its own theme, traps and puzzles. [Issue#241, p.66]

The best thing about GreedFall is that intangible thing called “flow”: it’s easy to get hooked up and just play it, even though the game doesn’t offer nuanced mechanics or meticulously detailed world. [Issue#241, p.52]

Introduction of open world led to action slowing down a little, but new lore and world-building more than make up for it. [Issue#241, p.30]

As long as Ultimate Team mode keeps making money, there’s little hope for FIFA series. [Issue#241, p.33]

When it comes to reimagining decades old games, there are only two options: change the graphics and release it as is, dated gameplay and all, or keep the general idea and build everything from scratch. Not surprisingly, both of them lead to an uphill battle. [Issue#241, p.46]

Compared to Dark Souls, it’s less hardcore and more “Japanese” – although less so than usual for Bandai Namco, as they obviously tried to make it appealing to broader audiences. [Issue#241, p.56]

It’s hard to tell why there was so much ado about single-player campaign: controversial topics aside, it’s completely mediocre. On the other hand, the multiplayer mode is one of the best in latest instalments of Call of Duty series. [Issue#241, p.49]

Even though the prologue is unexciting and finale drags on a little too long, Blair Witch’s atmosphere usually hits the right notes. [Issue#241, p.38]

When Youngblood falls back to its linear roots, like in Bruder missions, it turns into a pretty good Wolfenstein game; but its open-world segments and RPG elements feel entirely out of place. [Issue#240, p.58]