Yeah, yeah, another review that could have been summed up as "it's the first episode, but better." Buying a CyberConnect2 disc is like going back to Grandma's at the first sign of frost: you know she's going to whip out the old-fashioned tartiflette, and it's not particularly clever when you think about it, but good god, it fills your stomach and brings back good memories. The Hinokami Chronicles 2 has the good taste to deliver slightly more interesting boss fights and a more extensive cast, which is enough to reach the sacrosanct bar of seven out of ten; but the online mode with shaky servers, the finger-licking balance, and the basic single-player content still prevent the franchise from passing the "it's really cool if you've seen the anime" threshold. Come on, there's no harm in treating yourself.

Quotation forthcoming.

Richer, more versatile and more playable with the addition of the cross/buttons handling, Dragon Ball : Origins 2 fixes most of the flaws from the previous episode.

To get it straight, Halo Reach is just what Halo 3 should have been at its release, three years ago.

A converted try for Ubisoft Quebec, and a safe bet for Wii owners.

The very relaxed atmosphere, well-written characters and the “Born to be wild” ambiance are the main strengths of this add-on.

Quotation forthcoming.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is quite the thorny case, because you can easily be disappointed in the face of its numerous hardships. By shipping a much more difficult experience, Team Cherry may lose some players. A daring choice we could praise if it was more slickly executed. Team Cherry had a real treasure but lost pearls along the way. But Silksong is no bad game. It remains a singular poetic experience, different from 8 years ago. Sceptics will need to accept the game has real qualities, from its univers to its improved combat mechanics. So then, we remember Silksong was born as a DLC. And it could have been an excellent DLC.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Funnier and more diversified […], Gay Tony extends the fun for 10 hours at least.

Better paced than its big brother and more technically stable, RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business is a nice last hurrah for Teyon's super-cop. Oh, sure, the plot is a few lines long, the references to the various films are a bit too clumsy and we're left with the feeling that the studio is really reaching the end of the line with this franchise, but there are still 8 hours of explosive and stupidly enjoyable action interspersed with sarcastic oneliners and polished visuals. At a reasonable price (€29.99), we don't ask for much more...

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

This polished sequel will suit gamers who liked the first episode, and those who crave for new concepts and referential humor.

Quotation forthcoming.

While Garou : Mark of the Wolves remains untouchable, his legitimate heir Fatal Fury : City of the Wolves easily stands face-to-face with ruthless competitors. The SNK formula shines with modern updates and delivers a dynamic game with a high skill ceiling but a relatively low skill floor for newcomers (despite a few thorns). Unlike many other recent fighting games, defense is just as exciting as offense, creating a very balanced feeling overall. However, Saudi Arabia's political interests shine through with a deplorable CR7 cameo. Let's just hope this is a one-time marketing stunt and not the start of something worse.

It's impossible to remain indifferent to Shadow Labyrinth. Behind a modest package and a slightly (very) outlandish promise, it's a work that's both respectful and subversive, tender and metaphysical, ingenious and technically imperfect. We're dealing here with a radical author's game stuck in the tight-fitting costume of a forty-year-old license, a gamer's manifesto for gamers, and a profound homage to an entire history of Japanese video games. It's not a classic, nor a blockbuster, but it's certainly a sincere and dense experience that more than deserves its favorite label.

There are games that more than deserve their "timeless classic" label: Gears of War probably falls into this category, as it has aged so well. Sure, The Coalition's rework has something to do with it, but we're talking about an action title that, at its core, is solid enough to grab the hearts of even those who never got their hands on it. In itself, there's nothing truly new on the horizon, especially since the title already benefited from a remaster in 2016: the experience remains imperfect, it's sometimes a little bland and thin, but it's brutal, enjoyable, and surprisingly timeless. And that's not bad, especially for a first installment released almost twenty years ago.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

An ideal game for kids to enjoy themselves at home when they cannot get out.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Freed from its big brother's technical issues, Hyrule Warriors : Age of Imprisonment is a polished muso experience that remains a tad too easy. Also, while the Switch 2's power is certainly put to good use, reading the action in portable mode is sometimes difficult due to an overload of visual effects and UI elements.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

If the Albion lives its revolution in Fable III, that's certainly not the case for the Fable saga, which gets here an episode pleasant to go, but too close from its predecessor, at least in terms of its first and biggest part.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Rune Factory Frontier is an adventure of mind-blowing density, but you will need time and patience to fully experience it.

Oblivion Remastered aims to primarily target longtime fans by offering an experience that is ultimately extremely close to the base game, but with a new, very successful visual coating. This is the principle of a remastered game, of course, but we were entitled to expect a robust frame rate, or official support for mods, for example. While the few improvements made by Virtuos are also appreciable, we also feel that the studio could have gone further, and Bethesda seems determined to refine things in this area. It's just a shame that all this is happening after the release and reinforces the impression that the goal isn't so much to introduce the game to a new generation, but rather to satisfy the old ones.

Quotation forthcoming.

It would be sad to ignore this new Splinter Cell for its small flaws, because the game is unquestionably fun.

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.

For this new episode, the Team Ninja dare to start from scratch or almost to eventually offer a new gameplay, switching brilliantly between action/exploration and story... The game stays very much advised to the fans of Samus who'll find her more powerful – and fragile – than ever.

Quotation forthcoming.

Tiger Woods is still the king of golf. More than ever, the strength of this episode on Wii is its ability, year after year, to fit to any player, from casual to hardcore.

Quotation forthcoming.

With its polished gameplay and outstanding graphics, 2010 FIFA World Cup is truly brilliant […] but its price tag, 70€, is a bitter pill to swallow.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Above all, Tides of Tomorrow is an original narrative game concept—and on that front, it delivers. The premise is a success; it works well thanks to a high degree of transparency regarding the impact of our choices—as well as those of our predecessors—and a cohesive narrative integration. This truly serves as the game's central pillar, supporting a meticulously crafted universe; however, it also necessitates a certain simplicity in the design of the explorable locations, ultimately rendering them a bit too conventional. It is a necessary sacrifice for such an ambitious concept, yet one that is felt a little too keenly nonetheless.

The RPG aspect is so dominant that we forgive the technical issues and the lack of artistic ambition […] Deep but ugly, the sign of games that last.

After having explored every corner of the galaxy and played the card of excess, the Borderlands saga re-centers its story on a single planet, meant to be the franchise’s first true open world. By returning to less grandiose foundations, but also to less fiery writing, Gearbox clearly intends to offer an experience that doesn’t scatter itself, in order to better master its fundamentals: excellent gameplay with real depth, paired with humor that is better handled and less overblown. That said, it’s also regrettable that the density of its universe relies on exploration and environments that are, all in all, very conventional, along with a certain lack of boldness. Borderlands 4 is efficient, but it won’t send shivers through the industry—showing off muscles we already know all too well.

Quotation forthcoming.

Firaxis delivers a solid performance, with an interesting gameplay loop that stays fresh and successfully makes micromanagement feel less cumbersome, encouraging even the most reluctant players to expand their empire by founding more cities. A real change of pace for the franchise, which ultimately wins us over. While the diplomatic system overhaul and the AI's more coherent playstyle stand out the most, we hope Firaxis will find a way through patches to make the structure of a match a bit more unpredictable, as a clear pattern emerges after around thirty hours of play regarding the overall flow of a game. This is the downside of the new model that divides a match into three ages: it works well with its soft reset but comes with its own set of issues. Still, it's a game we can easily see ourselves sinking over a hundred hours into by the end of 2025, whether in solo or multiplayer.

The RPG aspect is so dominant that we forgive the technical issues and the lack of artistic ambition […] Deep but ugly, the sign of games that last.

It's difficult to adequately rate Skate Story, as the game constantly oscillates between wonderful musical moments and incredibly generic, open-world sections, creating a yo-yo effect on the overall quality graph. But since a rating is necessary, 7/10 seems to reasonably reflect my overall impression. Sam Eng offers controls that are both simple and comprehensive, with a well-designed tutorial system that constantly introduces new moves to master, allowing you to skip the less engaging moments and focus on the best parts. It's a visually striking game that's worth checking out.

It would be sad to ignore this new Splinter Cell for its small flaws, because the game is unquestionably fun.

Like most of Chris Taylor’s games, Supreme Commander 2 deserves to be in every RTS fanatic’s games library.

“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.

After a few mixed spin-offs such as Puzzle Chronicles, the unexpected success of 2008 in the reflexion gender is now back in favor.

Quotation forthcoming.

After a few mixed spin-offs such as Puzzle Chronicles, the unexpected success of 2008 in the reflexion gender is now back in favor.

Quotation forthcoming.

Original despite its context incredibly classic, RUSE offer a subtle gameplay, reinforced by the addition of the ruses system particularly pleasurable.

Quotation forthcoming.

Ghost of Yotei has clearly refined its formula on quite a few points, exploration and the construction of its open world being foremost, delivering a far greater sense of discovery than the previous installment. Stealth has been sharpened and combat gets a few small tweaks, but the game also neglects other aspects that should have been addressed. It is still a visually stunning game to wander through, but the story struggles to stand out and to offer us something as strong, narratively speaking, as Ghost of Tsushima.

With UFC 2010 Undisputed, THQ delivers a strong second round, but without any surprises.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

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.

South of Midnight is Compulsion Games' strongest production yet. This enchanting tale through America's Deep South convokes rich popular imagery between wonderful musical sequences and colorful characters. While the writing is sometimes a little too plain and obvious, this adventure offers a deep and nuanced view of historical counter-cultures and remains interesting until credits roll. However, the gameplay remains plain as white bread ; nourishing to a certain degree, but lacking taste and spice. Your enjoyment will hinge on your ability to get paste stale combat mechanics to immerse yourself in a fantastic folklore-based world.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

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.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

With its new gameplay based on quests and jobs, The sims Medieval offers new directions to the Sims saga without forgetting freedom.

Quotation forthcoming.

With its inventive gameplay, its enhanced graphics and the new online multiplayer mode, this HD version of Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is greater than the original. Let's just ignore the bad storyline and the poor characters.

Its depth can be terribly intimidating.

Quotation forthcoming.

If the mix of puzzle game and rogue-lite works up to a certain point, it is mainly because Blue Prince makes no concessions on its random nature. Whether you’re 2 or 200 hours into the game, it will continue to be the number one obstacle in your quest for knowledge and puzzles. Despite that, it’s a game that remains fascinating, one that easily obsesses the person who is ready to dive in to make it one of the most striking video game experiences of recent years. For others, it will be far too heavy and uncertain an investment.

With its inventive gameplay, its enhanced graphics and the new online multiplayer mode, this HD version of Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is greater than the original. Let's just ignore the bad storyline and the poor characters.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Mafia: The Old Country tells a superb story with a colorful cast of mafiosos. Even though the plot is classic, we can’t help but get drawn in, as the atmosphere is perfectly set and the Sicilian scenery is sublime. The immersion is such that we’re even willing to forgive gameplay which, without being fundamentally bad, remains stuck two decades in the past in its design and archaic AI. Even if we can still feel that the game is aimed at an already convinced audience of the franchise, it remains a very pleasant narrative experience.

Of course, Dead Rising 2 knows how to be efficient, but we could expect a bit more from this second episode.

With its polished gameplay and outstanding graphics, 2010 FIFA World Cup is truly brilliant […] but its price tag, 70€, is a bitter pill to swallow.

What can I say? Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles remains, in essence, Final Fantasy Tactics. In that sense, the game is, by its mere existence, still one of the most striking adventures of the medium. There are indeed some substantial additions here in the interface, in quality of life, and even in the gameplay, but can these really justify a purchase at this price? We’ll let you answer that question, but know that, while in some respects this re-release proves particularly respectful of the source material, it also shows some baffling shortcomings. Where is the re-orchestration of the soundtrack? Where are the content additions from the War of the Lions version? Where are the adjustments for better camera angles? Certainly, The Ivalice Chronicles is without a doubt the most pleasant version of the game to play in 2025, but it also could (and should) have been much more.

After swimming with sharks, Pro Evolution Soccer has undergone a facelift with this new episode, particularly successful, although perfectible, but placed on the right track.

CloverPit is a roguelite that is conceptually solid, with an instantly addictive loop, but it runs up against modest ambitions that limit the richness of its possibilities. While having a narrative thread helps to structure the adventure, it also gives the impression that the whole thing has been too heavily built around it. What we have here is a small but efficient roguelite that will keep us busy for a while, but whose limits in depth become clear once its short story has been wrapped up.

After swimming with sharks, Pro Evolution Soccer has undergone a facelift with this new episode, particularly successful, although perfectible, but placed on the right track.

More forgettable than its predecessor, Lost Planet is brilliant nonetheless.

After swimming with sharks, Pro Evolution Soccer has undergone a facelift with this new episode, particularly successful, although perfectible, but placed on the right track.

Paradox doesn't reach perfection with Victoria 2, but the Swedish publisher seems nearer and nearer every game.

Less striking than the previous installment, Killzone 3 is a nevertheless solid experience, delivering everything we're entitled to expect from a modern FPS. Amazing graphics, good multiplayer and compatibility with the hot PlayStation features (Move, 3D), makes it the perfect match for PS3 fans looking for exclusives. This being said, it's a shame it does not live on its promises on a more consistent solo mode, along with a more innovative gameplay and a compelling story.

Are you willing to tolerate a blatant lack of resources, very 2014 mechanics, and a relatively esoteric narrative? If so, then Dead Take might appeal to you. Surgent Studios doesn't break any new ground, but it does craft a nice little plot by using a few directorial levers wisely, without relying on horrible, hackneyed chase sequences, as is often the case with these types of projects. There's no low-brow monster to get around to prolong the ride. The fact remains that the ending collapses a little on itself, and our benevolence then reaches its limits.