Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a cozy game that stands out for its welcoming atmosphere and the richness of the interactions with Sanrio characters. The simple gameplay combined with vibrant visuals and a relaxing soundtrack create a charming experience for players of all ages.

Super Bomberman Collection is a real treat: the seven titles that make up the collection are great, with a pleasant and beautiful presentation. In addition, the game has a series of interesting audiovisual materials, useful gameplay tools, and a boss battle mode. Even if the multiplayer component could be better, the game is practically a perfect package for long-time fans or those curious to understand why the brand is so famous in the world of video games.

NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound is a solid revival of the series in a 2D style, featuring fast-paced combat, well-placed platforming challenges, and high-level pixel art visuals. The dynamic between Kenji and Kumori adds variety to the gameplay with both close-range and ranged attacks, strategic use of Overload, and alternate stages in the demon realm. Despite some repetitive moments and sections where mechanics feel forced, the game maintains a steady pace and offers pleasant surprises throughout the campaign. With customization options, extra challenges, and a good balance between action and exploration, Ragebound provides a memorable and accessible experience that respects and revitalizes the franchise's legacy.

Gradius Collection honors one of Konami's flagship franchises, demonstrating its importance to the genre and revealing a title that was previously considered a myth. Furthermore, the work done to make all titles accessible and preserve their original structure makes this collection a treasure for shoot 'em up fans of all ages.

With a lot of new content in every aspect, Lies of P: Overture is worthy of the title of expansion. Although it partially wastes the potential of the art direction by spending too much time in bland corridors and caves with little visual appeal, these extra chapters maintains the quality of the main campaign as a whole, being a significant and mandatory extension for all who enjoyed the adventure of Geppetto's puppet and want to delve deeper into it.

The Namco Legendary Pack is a very important chapter in Atari's 50-year history, and this expansion treats it with the respect and care it deserves. It's another great addition to the collection's vast library of classics, and it sets a huge precedent for other companies to also bring their gems from that era to this near-perfect set.

Kumitantei: Old-School Slaughter - Episode 1 brings renewed interest to the death game formula, between more openly questioning the meritocratic philosophy of the Danganronpa world and boasting a cohesive cast, very well-positioned for chaos (or apathy, as their captors would have it). This is a project worth following to its eventual conclusion.

The selection of titles and the documentary aspect of Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection do an excellent job of showing why ripping off heads and throwing opponents into pools of acid has been so much fun for 30 years, even with some absences from the list. However, there are still many issues to be addressed, especially in online performance, which should be the main attraction of the collection.

The Drifter exudes respect and passion for its inspirations, from pulp magazines to the point-and-click genre itself, while simultaneously establishing its own identity by combining these elements with unparalleled success. With an engaging, precisely paced narrative and a well-crafted noir atmosphere, the game proves to be not only an intriguing experience, but also an accessible and fluid one. Knowing how to work with its influences, it understands the value of conciseness, both in progression and design, and, like its drifting protagonist, it never allows itself to stagnate, leading the player through a memorable mystery of death, paranoia, and acceptance.

I believe Dynasty Warriors: Origins was designed to appeal to a wider audience for the musou genre, adding an extra layer of variety to the traditional formula. For my personal taste as a fan of this style of game, I was quite pleased. The combat has more depth, the narrative is more linear and the diverse structure gives this reboot a fresh feel, moving it away from feeling like just "more of the same".

One of the videogame highlights of 2023, Sea of Stars continues to be a great RPG. Among its qualities are an engaging story, top-notch production, and solid gameplay. The adaptation for smartphones is practically flawless, making this version as good as the others for experiencing a great adventure. Whether you're a veteran player or (especially) a newcomer, this is a highly recommended addition to your mobile library.

Expectations for Doom: The Dark Ages were huge, especially given the merit of its predecessors. In many ways, it even surpassed the last games, including story, performance, variety and scope of the challenges. In others, we had a competent experience, with combat that mixes FPS and action in an engaging adventure. Many secrets to discover, giant robots and other qualities complement the experience and its changes that, although not necessarily inferior, may or may not be popular with the public. It took me a while to get used to it, but then I fell in love with it like happened before. The biggest criticism is the lack of any extra mode, which could expand the game. In the end, it still is an incredible suggestion for your library.

The idea of mixing strategic management with existential drama and science fiction results in a game that will demand both the player's technical and social skills. This is where my perception of it being a weird subversion of a farm simulator, such as Story of Seasons, comes into play. It's just that instead of planting turnips, milking cows and trying to woo some of the village's bachelorettes (or bachelors), we have to mine an inhospitable planet, maintain a functional mobile base and prevent alternative versions of ourselves from killing each other. In short, The Alters can be as welcoming as it is irritating — but it is also unique in its own way.

Battlefield 6 represents a clear effort to win back fans and restore the franchise’s prestige. The result is a stable, classic experience that delivers the best of the genre, even if it doesn’t break new ground. Battlefield is truly back.

Though ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist plays it safe by being too similar to its predecessor, it also surpasses it in every aspect. It's a challenging, beautiful and melancholic metroidvania, but also heartwarming in its emphatic narrative tone and quality of life upgrades — especially the excellent mapping —, along with the difficulty management.

Even though a high level of challenge is part of the essence of MIO: Memories in Orbit, there's much more to it than just that: some of the most beautiful visuals in games of this type, excellent world design, secret locations that demand keen attention, a well-built setting, and exciting boss fights to face. However, even if the ambition to create a punishing experience may be consistent with the narrative context, it ends up posing a potential obstacle to enjoying all the other great features this game has to offer.

Ys X: Proud Nordics delivers Adol's definitive journey featuring dynamic combat, memorable bosses, and naval exploration within a world full of new content. This version expands the experience with an additional narrative and a challenging dungeon designed for veteran players who have finished the main campaign. However, the game suffers from excessively similar linear environments and common opponents that make the battle rhythm less exciting over time.

With captivating pixel art and a world full of paths and secrets, Under the Island succeeds in building a great sense of exploration and manages to give the player the freedom to discover things on their own without leaving them lost, providing plenty of help for those who need it. It's a competent, charismatic, and fun Zelda-like, but it may disappoint those looking for exciting combat.

Gecko Gods is an enjoyable open-world exploration adventure. The central gameplay element is free climbing: on the role of a gecko, we can walk across all solid surfaces and solve puzzles that allow us to progress through the campaign. However, the general simplicity ends up with an air of superficiality and leaves one wishing that certain aspects were better in-depth, such as the world's story, the variety of environments, and the level design challenges.

The standard established by the franchise once again proves strong and healthy in MLB The Show 25. The changes to the game modes were essential to revitalize precisely what was needed, despite Franchise and March to October starting to fall a little behind. As for gameplay, once again we have a title that embraces both newcomers and veterans, offering accessible levels of challenge that reward those who dedicate themselves.

Excellence in gameplay, meticulous care in visuals and strong bonds of friendship in emotional core build up a masterpiece of an adventure. Pacing is tight and the metroidvania elements are well placed, but it's the construction of a found family that really sells the whole package. Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth will warm even an ice cold heart.

Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga is a curious piece of Falcom's history that finally comes officially to the West. Though it has some quirks that may keep it from what people expect of a competitive fighting game, it's a consistently fun game that's worth exploring, especially for the fans of the Japanese developer.

More than the meme-game it seems to be, MiSide convinces you with its waifus, but enchants you with the masterful execution of a surreally well-optimized product signed by a team that clearly knows what it is doing without aiming and getting lost in pretentious delusions, but still managing to achieve them with a lot of work, competence and passion.

Look Outside is one of the most interesting projects I've played in 2025 so far, and I believe it will find a legion of fans over time. With the surprise release, a good portion of the public will still have a way to go to get to the game, but the project is so solid, different, creative, and thought-provoking that I doubt word of mouth won't have its effect. I really had a scary, impactful, and fun time playing this title, and I hope it won't be long before we see more from Francis Coulombe, a name to keep an eye on in the coming years.

For those who have already experienced the first game, the recommendation is immediate. Coordinating Lana and Mui has never felt so satisfying, the puzzles strike a well-balanced level of challenge, encouraging thoughtful problem-solving without becoming frustrating, and the narrative delivers powerful moments, especially in its most emotional twists. For newcomers, if you appreciate heartfelt adventures with a strong visual identity and a focus on atmosphere, it is well worth discovering Planet of Lana.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined successfully revisits a classic with great effectiveness. The episodic structure, engaging dramas, and the sense of adventure and discovery remain intact, while the more user-friendly interface and the changes to combat make the journey more inviting. Although certain decisions, such as the automatic revival of fallen allies, dilute some of the traditional tension and challenge of the franchise, the final result is a modern and accessible version of one of the most ambitious adventures in the series.

Atelier Ryza: Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack is a solid collection offering graphic improvements, new content, and quality-of-life features. It nearly delivers the definitive version of the trilogy, lacking only Portuguese subtitles and an option to speed up combat.

KuloNiku: Bowl Up! is quite simple and straightforward in its premise, and it delivers on what it sets out to do. The cooking mechanics are easy to grasp and engaging enough, the art is beautiful, and the characters are charming, even if they lack depth. However, the game quickly falls into a repetitive loop typical of cozy titles, with additional gameplay elements taking a while to unlock. It’s best enjoyed in short play sessions, and using a mouse is recommended for the optimal experience.