While the Pokémon Legends series may at first seem eager to break free from the limitations of the mainline episodes, it still falls short of the long-awaited reinvention fans have been hoping for. Z-A shows plenty of good ideas and offers the most engaging battle system the franchise has seen in a long time, but it struggles to make up for its eternal shortcomings: dull and underwhelming visuals for the modern era, a still overly childish narrative, a glaring lack of personality, and gameplay inconsistencies that gradually erode the experience over time. Though die-hard fans of the series will no doubt overlook these flaws, the average player (who only hunts monsters from time to time) will find Pokémon Legends: Z-A to be a pleasant attempt, but far from essential.

Neither the charisma of Goro Majima, both violent and imbued with a sense of honor, but also now tinged with paternal benevolence and open-mindedness, nor the few flashes of directing from an increasingly uninhibited RGG Studio, can make us forget the weakness of the narrative stakes of this spin-off, nor the general lack of interest in all the phases at sea. Certainly very generous and often funny, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii always knows how to make us have a good time and keep the satisfaction cursor on the right side. But its empty passages also offer us the opportunity to reflect on the general state of a franchise that has elevated recycling to the rank of art and that vigorously shakes its totem of immunity as soon as we dare ask it to ease off a little, to take the time to correct its technical flaws, to review its aging structure and to treat its filling and hyperstimulation disorders.

Quotation forthcoming.

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.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Pleasant, but a bit on the light side for series aficionados, and very forgettable if you don't play online.

Quotation forthcoming.

As elaborated as it can be, Metal Slug XX hardly stands out from the previous episodes of the saga, because of the lack of this sense of madness that made us ride some cyber-mammoths once.

Transformers : War for Cybertron is not an unforgettable action game, but it manages to stay above average, even more when compared to the previous Transformers games.

Fun and nervous, Lead and Gold will certainly fit to the gamer who only wants to let off steam a little bit. But for the others, a couple hours will be enough to see all the game have to offer.

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.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

A pleasant adventure, but by no means revolutionary.

You don't fight fifty headless kamikazes on a giant trampoline every day, especially with a teammate dressed up as Santa Claus.

The Mickey Mouse's return finally isn't as epic as we could expect, but the Wii got close to having a great game.

Quotation forthcoming.

Welcome to a soccer game where making the slightest pass is a merit. Where your camera skills, your effort management, and your instincts count for more than statistics and complex manipulations. When you're part of an action that goes all the way, when players demonstrate fighting spirit, altruism, and skill to multiply tackles and passes, and when the ball ends up propelled into the net with a powerful acrobatic volley after a perfect cross, the pleasure is real and provides that dopamine that will make you stay for one more game. However, the balance between satisfaction and frustration remains very perilous as things stand. Simple to control on paper, Rematch doesn't need your 30 years of experience with other soccer games. It's a coach with whimsical methods, whose codes must be learned and who puts the player's patience to the test. Sometimes it's the game's fault (technical issues), sometimes it's the player's fault (muscle memory), and sometimes it's other people's fault (lack of altruism). In any case, if you find these lines don't feel like a conclusion, please direct your complaints to Sloclap, as Rematch doesn't feel like a finished game either.

This expansion will fit players who always dreamed to play with their Sims while those are at work, but it could have gone a bit further.

Quotation forthcoming.

Unlike his predecessors Socom Special Forces is filled with action. Its strong multiplayer mode makes up for its disapointing campaign.

Quotation forthcoming.

The idea of guiding a herd of supernatural creatures to their place of life was fascinating on paper. If the studio does a good job of building its universe and making these critters endearing, the conventional gameplay offered in the name of a calm and contemplative atmosphere makes the game in the end a little boring, and it would have gained much more by making us experience more situations of danger for our beasts, which we will stroll on autopilot for a large part of the time.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

A very simple and addictive concept […] but we really would have liked more new features.