Kotama & Academy Citadel is a competent metroidvania that clearly understands the fundamentals of the genre and delivers a solid overall experience. The fast, combo-heavy combat and the vast map packed with content are standout features, and the colorful anime-style atmosphere helps make the adventure engaging. Still, its approach is quite conservative: the traversal abilities follow the expected pattern, and the main structure is almost entirely linear. Although it introduces interesting ideas, the game does not explore these mechanics deeply enough to leave a lasting impact. The result is an enjoyable, but not a particularly bold experience.

Succinct and meticulously ingenious, Leap Year gets straight to the point, offering pure puzzle platforming while focusing on transforming its apparent simplicity into pleasant surprises that play with the genre's most basic element: jumping.

In a straightforward and objective way, Ninja Gaiden 4 is on par with the original trilogy — the problem is that the last game was released over ten years ago. Even though it's competent, the lack of variability during the campaign noticeably hurts the final product. Everything the game delivers, it does so violently. And violence, when overdone, loses its intended shock value.

Criticizing the industry that is killing the planet, Alruna and the Necro-Industrialists is a succinct yet expressive ecological manifesto. The world and its dungeons are well-constructed, and the dystopian setting matches its refined 8-bit style visuals, but some design choices prevent the true potential of this short adventure with too few battles from being fully realized.

From the Ashes complements the arc of the main game coherently while providing synergy with the latest film. By introducing a more brutal protagonist and focused, compact missions, it reinforces the saga's core themes without losing the fun. Despite inheriting conventional systems and occasional bugs from the base game, it stands as a solid and visually striking DLC tailored for fans of James Cameron’s universe.

Street Racer Collection is a compilation that may divide opinions: while some of its features haven't aged so well for its more than 30 years, it's a cool title that performed decently on platforms with different engineering, making it an item that will at least satisfy the curiosity of younger players and the nostalgia of older ones. The combination of ROMs provides the final touch that makes this collection worthy of being part of any collection.

Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road is a charismatic and emotional love letter to fans, offering fun gameplay and deep content. However, it is hindered by a controversial luck-based gacha system in online modes and an underwhelming English dub. Despite these flaws, it remains a must-play experience for its solid story and variety of activities.

Without direct combat, Auridia focuses all its efforts on exploration, platforming, and Lovecraftian-inspired narrative. The result is a game that excels in cohesion, without any dead weight or loose end. Everything in it has its place and fits perfectly, a sense of unity and fluidity that is greatly enhanced by movement mechanics, such as the rope, obtained early on. A true unassuming surprise that reveals itself to be a hidden gem full of bright colors amidst the surrounding darkness.

Zexion is an exemplary case of genre maturity. Made by a single person, this Metroidvania draws inspiration from the early 8-bit era in several aspects, such as aesthetics, level of challenge, and the confidence that letting the player find their way is an important part of exploration. Behind all this, however, lies a refined body of knowledge about how an adventure of this type should be put together, how to turn boss fights into spectacular action sequences, and how the modern experience is enriched by giving its audience options for adjustments to suit their different needs.

The Telenet Shooting Collection Launcher presents itself as a curious initiative and, at the same time, representative of current trends in the preservation of classic games. By opting for a modular model that allows the individual purchase of titles, Edia offers freedom of choice to the player, even if this goes against the traditional concept of closed collections. It is a proposal that prioritizes conscious consumption, but may not please the most purist fans.

Yakuza 0 Director's Cut is still Yakuza 0. The classic experience remains magnificent, backed by all the extravagance and charisma so characteristic of the franchise. Even though it's a victim of a marketing stunt that unfortunately don't match the result delivered under a "Director's Cut" label, the title maintains its mystique intact, exuding spectacle, noise, and an intensity like a dancing dragon across the night sky that, thankfully, refuses to turn off the lights in a everlasting party.

Much of HORSES' notoriety stems from its 'forbidden' status, but beneath the controversy lies a valid, experimental narrative for adult audiences. It is a worthwhile provocation for those seeking something off-beat, succeeding as an uncomfortable and fleeting audiovisual piece.

BUBBLE BOBBLE Sugar Dungeons has a good idea, but its execution seems to have been done by one of those amateur chefs from culinary reality shows. There's a lot of potential in the idea of using candies and power-ups, but the slow start, combined with the grinding that's tied to the randomness of the dungeons, makes the progression drag. At least it's worth it to be able to play Bubble Symphony in a well-emulated port and with menus in English.

Despite some positive points in its narrative and visual presentation, The Last Case of John Morley presents too many issues to be easily recommended. The gameplay is weak and uninspired, and this is further compounded by serious flaws in the Portuguese localization, such as gender agreement errors—especially when female characters are speaking—which significantly break immersion. This is a game that clearly deserved more care and polish to truly stand out and overcome its limitations. Still, due to its short runtime, many of these problems do not become as evident as they otherwise might, making the experience somewhat more tolerable for players looking for a quick, story-driven journey.

I honestly feel like this game should have been released as a DLC or update, not as a standalone title. As a side mode attached to the main event, a lot of my complaints would evaporate. It’d be a nice way to add some replayability, aiming for a high score in a randomized dreamscape. However, it’s presented as an entirely separate game, and should be judged as such. For the newcomer, you have an experience devoid of context. For the veteran, you have mostly the same experience shuffled around. In either case, there is a definite lack of content. A full run takes maybe twenty minutes, and while your strengths may vary between runs, the way you fundamentally approach each one does not.

The survival dynamic in a hostile ecosystem makes Bioframe Outpost a Metroidvania with its own personality and many challenges, but it doesn't help pacing a progression that is sometimes laborious and confusing, and that also lacks key moments and climaxes to break the monotony. Therefore, what we have is an approach that, in trying to execute its own idea, ends up being more geared towards niche players who are curious and patient.

Trouble Witches FINAL! Episode 01 Daughters of Amalgam is a great cute 'em up, but it suffers from repetitiveness and clinging too closely to the formula of the original release. If more unlockables had been introduced, justifying a return to the various game modes, it could certainly have a more attractive replay factor than simply replicating the same paths with variations in difficulty.

It's pointless to make a game that explores a particular theme without actually trying to understand what makes it so special and, consequently, embedding that into the core of its development. The Executive - Movie Industry Tycoon is a product that embodies this problem. It's a title that clings to a sterile logic of numbers, algorithms, and volume, like a bland production aimed directly at streaming.

Schildmaid MX kept what matters in shoot 'em up games and made an interesting addition to the gameplay. Being able to absorb shots to increase your strength is a great idea for those who want to dive headfirst into a title that offers increasing challenge, despite the large loop of repetitions.

Dunjungle presents a charismatic, accessible, and competent adventure within the action roguelite genre. Its pixel art direction, light humor, and agile gameplay make each attempt fun, even when the repetition of rooms starts to appear. Although it doesn't reinvent the genre and clearly follows references from other successful titles, the game still builds its own identity and offers a solid experience for those seeking something uncomplicated, addictive, and with constant progression.

Master Lemon: The Quest for Iceland is a brief yet emotionally resonant experience that places language at the core of its narrative. Despite some underutilized mechanics, the game distinguishes itself through its strong atmosphere, effective voice acting, and a touching tribute that highlights friendship, memory, and the power of words.

Two Point Museum: Zooseum fulfills its mission of further enriching the fun simulator from Two Point Studios. Thanks to its focus on living creatures, naturally more complex than static works, and the preservation of the franchise's characteristic sense of humor, this is an unmissable DLC for those who want even more adventures and responsibilities as a curator in Two Point County.

Unlike the glass skater, Skate Story is far from fragile. The combination of narrative, visuals, and soundtrack creates a great title for those who enjoy deep and reflective experiences.

By combining elements from seemingly very different genres and focusing on narrative as the guiding thread for the journey, Death Howl proves to be a deckbuilder that is as original as it is captivating. Although its high difficulty may be daunting at first, it is worth embarking on this melancholic journey through the afterlife and the power of maternal love.

A.I.L.A is a Brazilian title proving the market's growth, featuring an excellent story and exceptional voice acting. The game offers six unique stages, challenging puzzles, and great sound design, creating tension and fear. However, the main drawback is the clunky combat and uninspired bosses.

Although the expansion doesn't bring enough content to fully appreciate the marvel that was AlUla's representation in the game, Valley of Memory is a captivating revisit for enthusiasts of the original game, who will most likely feel at home once again as they follow Basim on a new, touching, and intimate adventure.

Blood: Refreshed Supply definitively consolidates the legacy of one of the most influential and distinctive FPS games of the 1990s. Nightdive Studios demonstrates, once again, absolute mastery in the art of restoring classics, delivering a version that respects the original material, corrects old technical limitations, and expands access to the game for new platforms and new audiences.

Slipping up on its premise, Project Motor Racing failed to deliver a competent and realistic racing experience. While it has qualities such as its selection of cars and tracks, as well as customization options, several things fell short. These include an uninteresting visual style and problems with gameplay and customization. In the end, the game is still a minimally interesting option for fans of the genre, but nothing more than that.