After the beef-and-cheese skewer, Skybound Games and Quarter Up have invented the sashimi burger. Invincible VS ticks all the boxes of a true *kusoge*—a glorious trash game—featuring 3v3 matches, bizarre physics, broken mechanics, and a roster of characters that make absolutely no sense. Almost against your better judgment, you find yourself enjoying the experience—mashing your controller in every direction to take flight and obliterate your opponent's health bar through sheer chaotic button-mashing—all while sensing that even if you *did* master the mechanics in depth, the end result wouldn't be much more coherent. While I certainly wouldn't recommend pursuing an esports career in this title, it remains a solid choice if you’re a fan of *Invincible*, or if you simply enjoy chaotic, generous fighting games that deliver plenty of bang for just a few button presses.

More than a reductive slot machine, Vampire Crawlers is a true roguelike deckbuilder and requires wits, reflexes, game knowledge and a taste for taking calculated risks. Building the perfect deck to wipe out skeletons by the dozen in a single turn is an absolute delight. The endless onslaught of colors, garish visual effects, loud noises and unlockables has all the pros and cons of an all-you-can-eat buffet, leaving the player satisfied and ready to burst at the seams for a very sharp price, yet also slightly nauseous after long sessions. Won't keep you from coming back for seconds, though.

According to Aphelion, it all comes down to hope. If that were truly the case, Don’t Nod’s latest title would undoubtedly reach soaring heights. But much like its characters, the game must confront the harsh reality. It is not always an easy feat to reconcile narrative intensity with video game mechanics. On the narrative front, it delivers—despite a certain lack of originality. Yet, in many other respects, Aphelion lacks the precision that would have allowed the title to leave a lasting imprint on players' memories—and not just those of narrative game enthusiasts. It is thanks to its realism and its handling of emotions that it nonetheless succeeds in offering a rewarding journey through its own vision of space. It is an enjoyable space vacation, featuring a few particularly memorable moments—though the memory of it will surely eventually fade with time, much like the silhouette of a planet on the horizon.

Will Saros appeal to everyone? Probably not—and if you didn’t enjoy the gameplay of Returnal, this one won’t hook you any more, as it relies on the same core foundation. That said, Housemarque has done such a thorough job with difficulty tuning that one can only commend such a precise response to the criticisms previously aimed at the studio. In terms of gameplay, Saros holds up admirably despite its tiny flaws, and the whole experience feels perfectly cohesive—whether in its enemies, its biomes and their variations, or the many mechanics and weapons that keep enriching the experience throughout the adventure. Add to that a gripping story, with an allegory that is far less cryptic—and therefore far more engaging—and you’re looking at the very top tier of the PlayStation 5. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the console’s best exclusive, and it’s never leaving my system.

Does Sol Cesto frustrate me? A little bit—since despite all the tweaks one might make to the probabilities, the luck factor remains absolutely paramount, and—unluckily for me—I have none whatsoever. Does that make Sol Cesto a bad game, though? Absolutely not. The gameplay loop is still very cleverly designed to be addictive, and the art direction has a charm of its own, featuring a well-executed blend of the zany and the macabre. Moreover, the very fact that the game puts us through the wringer is precisely what makes it so captivating, compelling us to experiment and uncover its secrets.

Even reviewed under punishing conditions and burdened with a technical performance that H. P. Lovecraft would probably have described as “indescribable” at least a dozen times in the same chapter, something still compels us to focus on the strengths that emerge from Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss. A diligent and conscientious student of an enduring literary mythos, the game by Big Bad Wolf skillfully lines up its references, but is unlikely to sweep connoisseurs off their feet with a narrative that—even when set in the future—lacks a bit of madness and surprise. It nonetheless remains an investigative game with a gripping atmosphere and rewarding mechanics, and deserves credit for the bold choice of placing its full trust in the player’s powers of deduction.

More "cinematic" than "platformer", Replaced is visually scrumptious but simply feels bad to control. Ultimately, it does feel like the gameplay was conceived backwards from the visuals. As mean as it sounds (and I don't like beating on indies), the experience might genuinely be best enjoyed on YouTube for less jank-tolerant folks.

Pragmata truly shines through its gameplay, and that is undoubtedly what matters most. Not only does its blend of TPS and puzzles work very well, but the game also features a finely tuned progression curve and constantly renews itself, keeping us engaged from start to finish without difficulty. Faced with such mastery, its few flaws—such as level design that can sometimes feel a bit conventional, or a very predictable story despite the touching relationship between Hugh and Diana—are entirely forgivable. Pragmata is, above all, a game from the school of gameplay, and it stands among the top of the class.

Life is Strange: Reunion manages to sidestep the fan service that Max and Chloe’s return could have leaned into, delivering a story that holds up well—and, above all, a rather satisfying conclusion for both heroines. Deck Nine still struggles to fix some pacing issues in its storytelling, and Max’s time-rewinding powers feel somewhat underused, but the overall experience remains a positive note on which to say goodbye to this universe. Let’s just hope no one gets the bad idea of giving it a sequel.

Super Meat Boy 3D has strong bones, but gets lost in the three-dimensional sauce. You will die 'n retry often, for sure, with a bunch of tight levels and clever secrets to conquer for true old-school masochists, but too many deaths - and so, too many retries - stem from perspective issues which create artificial difficulty. Sluggerfly's game feel shines when the studio actually focuses on delivering a clever 3D experience rather than translating 2D ideas into a game space with depth, which induces an excessive margin of error in every movement. Do try the demo version before buying.

Somewhat like a cuter Little Nightmares, Darwin's Paradox takes the player through a series of charming vignettes. But this adventure has teeth. Imperfect controls and pixel-perfect jumps sometimes create unnecessary friction. Still, the fluid animation style and diversity of dioramas make this title worth a try.

Make no mistake: Screamer is anything but an accessible game. Its unique, meaty gameplay demands a significant amount of time to master; its difficulty spikes—at times unfair, with visibility issues in certain overly cluttered stages—put players to the test; its progression mechanics are also rather shallow, and its stunning cinematics are few and far between. Nevertheless, it remains a racing title that dares to be different—one that frequently succeeds in hooking, thrilling, and intoxicating the player through the unique stylistic exercise it offers. It is a game of drifting and vehicular combat situated at the crossroads of a ruthless *Ridge Racer* and a brute-force *Burnout*—generous in both dialogue and tracks, and punctuated by an excellent soundtrack and art direction. Lacking any currency system or car upgrade mechanics, Screamer still falls short on structural depth to truly ascend to the ranks of the genre's greats; perhaps future updates will make the difference. In the meantime, Milestone’s offering is more than laudable, proving that the Italian studio can—and should—break free from the perpetual confines of pure simulation: flirting with arcade-style gameplay, science fiction, and Japanese animation really does pay off.

Crimson Desert is the absolute definition of a massive disappointment. It’s a Ferrari body with a lawnmower engine under the hood. Pearl Abyss tried to please everyone and ended up pleasing no one: Elden Ring fans will be driven mad by the clunky combat, Witcher fans will be bored to tears by the lack of depth, those looking for a world as organic as Breath of the Wild are in for a rude awakening, and the general public will struggle with the abysmal UI and unwarranted difficulty spikes. Riddled with technical issues unacceptable for a blockbuster of this scale, and weighed down by dated writing, Crimson Desert is on the verge of a total systemic failure. The hype train has well and truly derailed. See you in a year, after 150 patches and a mountain of DLC, which, of course, are already in the works.

Although 1348 Ex Voto appears to be the labor of love of enthusiasts seeking to toy with history, it proves to be as tedious as a lecture delivered in a monotone voice. Quite simply—and sadly—Sedleo’s title is nothing more than a bad game. Whether in terms of gameplay or narrative, it suffers from a relentless string of minor flaws, nasty bugs, and deeper structural issues. Unlike many indie games of this ilk—which can rely on a compelling story to make up for mediocre gameplay, or vice versa—*1348 Ex Voto* cannot lean on either of these crutches. The result is a spectacular failure; it may indeed go down in legend, but in the worst possible way.

Despite some great ideas and undeniable skill in creating a coherent and engaging world, Greedfall: The Dying World will struggle to be the saving grace for Spiders and Nacon. It never truly escapes its major structural shortcomings (which have only worsened since Greedfall). Its utterly forgettable combat (due in large part to its disconcerting simplicity) fails to generate any real enjoyment. The worst part is that it's hard not to see in this sequel (which isn't really one) the skeleton of a good game. There's soul there, at least. But because of its fragmented structure, outdated design choices, and overall flawed presentation, the title chosen for Spiders' latest release might very well end up being sadly prophetic.

Marathon makes excellent use of Bungie's strengths, whether in its narrative, visuals, or gameplay. But despite this polished presentation, it remains a relatively conventional extraction shooter, and the few attempts to differentiate it—particularly the fast-paced and challenging combat and the hero system—fail to truly convince. There's no doubt the game will find the dedicated community it deserves for its undeniable qualities, but following the vibrant Arc Raiders unfortunately makes Marathon somewhat bland for the average player.

Not a revolution, either in terms of plot or mechanics, but simply an evolution of the "narrative RPG" à la Disco Elysium, which has thoroughly absorbed the rules—and especially the possibilities—of Dungeons & Dragons to deliver a profoundly fun adventure. Following the Cleric on his journey is a real treat (provided you're a fluent English speaker), and the scenario gradually unveils the infinite complexity of this deceptively familiar universe, where a roll of the dice can whisk us away into a gigantic, multi-hour interlude, reveal a metaphysical secret, or allow us to skip ahead in the investigation in the name of good gameplay and freedom of action. For a game written solo, it's a real tour de force, suffering only from bugs to fix and some fairly minor writing issues. Given the post-credits scene, a sequel is definitely possible, and it would be a real pleasure to return to Norvik for a second investigation.

For all the beautiful moments of art direction and atmosphere it offers, the charm of Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake is too often broken by combat hampered by arbitrary new mechanics that drag on and make the experience frustrating and tedious, without the player's skill being able to do anything about it. Aside from the less-than-optimal fluidity (we'd forgotten what 30 frames per second was like), Koei Tecmo has clearly spared no effort in modernizing this installment in both substance and style, giving it a new depth that is reflected in its genuinely solid length. The side quests and new exploration mechanics are among these worthwhile additions that tip the scales in its favor. But despite its 25 years of existence, Fatal Frame still seems to have some work to do before finding the balance that will allow it to join the ranks of the great names in horror games.

Despite a story lacking cohesion (due to its more scattered structure), Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection easily holds the player's interest throughout its adventure. Its key strengths—generous exploration that encourages discovering every nook and cranny of the various areas, deep, strategic, and challenging combat that avoids feeling unfair, and visual quality far superior to that usually seen in these spin-offs—deliver an engaging experience from beginning to end. There's absolutely no doubt that, despite the stubbornness of some players perhaps blinded by nostalgia, this is one of the very best monster-taming games of recent years.

With its consistently sublime art direction, Wishfully needed to focus primarily on its gameplay. And so it did; the studio delivers greater variety and depth in its gameplay, and we even wished for more sequences in this vein, as they effectively break up the very linear structure of the first game. The story greatly enriches a universe that was still quite cryptic, but the ending, which takes the form of a "to be continued," leaves players wanting more and even a little frustrated.

Pokémon Pokopia met our expectations, even if it's not perfect. It does have a repetitive aspect inherent to the genre, which won't appeal to everyone, and some technical issues that can become annoying over time. However, if you enjoy relaxing atmospheres and don't want to overthink things, there's a good chance this game will satisfy you if you're willing to pay the price, because in terms of playtime, you'll definitely get your money's worth.

For the very last (?) ride in Raccoon City, Resident Evil Requiem delivers a healthy blend of survival-horror tropes and references from almost every main episode of the franchise. Alas, this does also mean its edge is sometimes dulled by an avalanche of cameos, winks at the camera, and even more ridiculous twists than usual. While the Rhodes Hill center is one of the best Resident Evil locations ever put to screen with gorgeously detailed zombies and a tried-and-true approach to level design, the game does suffer from "Resident Evil syndrome" as quality, care and precision start waning as the adventure progresses. Still an essential buy for survival-horror enthusiasts.

Neither sacrilegious nor godly, God of War: Sons of Sparta is a pretty decent metroidvania romp. Mega Cat Studios wears its Blasphemous influence on its sleeve with enchanting pixel art landscapes, crunchy combat and secrets galore, yet, at launch, the game is brought down by bugs and performance issues. Wait for a few patches.

Styx: Blades of Greed is a real moral dilemma. It’s the quintessential example of a game you desperately want to love, yet it constantly gives you reasons to hate it. On one hand, Cyanide is making the most of a fantastic character and a "pure stealth" philosophy that we want to support with all our heart. On the other, the finished product feels rushed and unpolished, riddled with game-breaking bugs and technical performance that is simply unacceptable for 2026…We’d love to be lenient with this AA budget title, but when a game physically prevents the player from progressing, love just isn't enough. Styx deserved better than such a technical train wreck. So, can we recommend it? No. Can we suggest you wait for a massive amount of polishing before diving in? Probably.

We very easily forgive High on Life 2 its few flaws. The combat remains dynamic enough and the levels well designed enough for its weaknesses to feel secondary when set against the festival of stupidity it delivers. The game draws us in above all for its comedic proposition, and on that front it is a great success. Whether in the writing of its characters, the dialogue, or in certain offbeat situations—both in terms of gameplay and visually—the studio has spared no effort in bringing to life the wildest and most ridiculous ideas that crossed their minds. How can one not respect such dedication in elevating stupidity to the status of a true art form?

Despite a scuffed and unbalanced story, repetitive solo "open world" missions and numerous gameplay issues, My Hero Academia : All's Justice remains a pretty fun romp for anime fans when played with friends. Buy on sale?

“A mature work” is probably a phrase you’re tired of hearing. Yet, Reanimal certainly gives that impression at first glance. Despite its characters, the game isn’t childish at all. With its monstrously disturbing atmosphere, deeply meta gameplay, and art direction worthy of the most terrifying nightmares, Reanimal has something special and does exactly what you’d expect. That said, it remains a game that hasn’t quite matured in terms of its execution. Conventional and rarely transcendent, Reanimal’s gameplay lacks that little something extra to elevate it to the top. So, while it’s certainly a game that’s mature for its age, it still has a few things to learn to truly join the ranks of the greats.

Code Vein 2 is a textbook example. It's a testament to a glaring lack of inspiration, revealing, if any further proof were needed, the utter emptiness of a work that merely copies without ever daring to be original. Uninspired assemblage is the hallmark of a creative who doesn't know how to create. And one is led to wonder how Code Vein 2 even exists: limited in its narrative (as abstruse as can be), in its gameplay (completely devoid of any real feeling), in its structure (why open up a world only to close it off in its possibilities?), and even in its art direction (all the clichés are there), it's nothing more than a collection of ideas that sound good but struggle to generate interest from the very first minutes. And this continues right up to its inevitable conclusion, which, in the context of this review, proved to offer a far greater sense of liberation than that of having defeated a challenging enemy.