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.

There are words we don't dare use too often: due to their overused nature, the very essence of their meaning seems to have lost its substance over the years. "Masterpiece" is one of them. And yet, we feel like breaking the rule for Clair Obscur: Expeditions 33. We have here a lesson in scriptwriting mastery, artistic vision, and gameplay complexity rarely achieved in a game of this genre. The few small technical flaws (potentially corrected with a day one patch) cannot overcome the excellence and elegance depicted here with transpiring passion. The picture fills up, little by little, and the watercolor reveals a unique depth over the course of the adventure, which will be remembered for years to come. As for the fact that this is the first game from a French studio with overflowing ambitions, that's just the icing on the cake.

Much like his protagonist Ichigo, Bleach : Rebirth of Souls is no messiah. While Bandai Namco and Tamsoft go to great lengths to deliver an original anime fighting game while avoiding arena fighter trappings, combat mechanics are too light to remain interesting over time. Bleach : Rebirth of Souls mainly targets shinigami fanatics and hardcore fans able to find every detail and reference scattered through the game. Good enough, I say.

Despite a certain generosity and explosive sword fights, The First Berserker : Khazan stretches so far and wide that its strings end up fraying after thirty-five hours of play. Between a retrograde avalanche of color-coded loot, damage-sponge bosses and plain level designs, Nexon has clearly studied the genre in depth yet lacks the necessary spark to coalesce varied designs into a radical proposition. In the end, you'll just find an okay action game.

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.

Our review ends on this sour note: Assassin's Creed Shadows sometimes lacks panache and faith in its choices. Is that what it lacks to indulge in excellence? Probably. Does that make it an average game? Certainly not. Shadows is a journey as exotic as it is captivating, relying on the complementarity of its two guides. Whether in terms of gameplay or story, the game manages to grab you by the guts without making you pray for it to stop. Influences and good ideas come together to unite under the same banner two formulas that are complete opposites and two characters that have nothing in common, at least on the surface. A tour de force that turns out to be, against all odds, the logical continuation of the evolution of a franchise that needed to take stock to emerge from the shadows and move closer to the light.

As interesting as the character development may be, as exhilarating as the combat gameplay may feel, and as endearing as Van may be, Trails Through Daybreak II struggles to hide its lack of major narrative stakes. Storytelling shortcuts and the overall lack of impact of the plot have tested our patience for a title that deserved much more—especially as a reward for the dedication of longtime fans of the series, who are already particularly patient. For a Trails game, this is very weak, and our eyes are already turning toward Kai No Kiseki, hoping that this time, Nihon Falcom will have more to tell us.

Atelier Yumia is an invitation to voluntary and controlled escapism. Through its mastery of secrets scattered across the map, combined with a more mature (albeit relatively simple) narrative, this new Atelier embraces its role in revitalizing the series with unprecedented flair. By the end of its lengthy experience, Atelier Yumia stands as the most complete yet most accessible entry in the series for newcomers—which was likely Gust’s main goal. In some respects, this new adventure does feel like a rough draft, particularly with its chaotic combat and a much less refined alchemy system than in previous installments. However, the leap forward from past attempts is so significant that we are more than willing to overlook some of its minor missteps.

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.

Split Fiction has the quality of holding its sprint over the duration of a half-marathon: its liveliness is impressive, its level design and gameplay ideas fascinate and push the limits right up to the very end of its adventure, without ever running out of breath. It is an intense game, one that gives a lot, with creativity stretching as far as the eye can see—at the risk of sometimes bordering on excess, though it is ultimately quite difficult to pinpoint exactly where. The idea of sharing the whole experience with a partner, then rediscovering everything with another character from a new perspective, only reinforces its sheer generosity. Split Fiction is like an excellent buffet with a myriad of amazing dishes. Don’t eat too much at once, savor its flavors and share them at your pace—you will come away fulfilled, and for once, the digestion will clearly have a taste of "I want more."

The problem when reviewing a game of this scale, part of a series with more than ten entries, is that personal attachment and nostalgia inevitably play a crucial role. It’s clear that the franchise no longer offers the same experience as it did years ago. The rough, unwelcoming, and flamboyant feel of the past has given way to unwavering accessibility, a clear pursuit of simplicity, and a deliberate openness to newcomers. While the game’s addictive foundations are still present, they are nonetheless hindered by an at times excessive simplification of its mechanics. However, Monster Hunter Wilds remains a thrilling experience, even for veterans—provided they accept that it is no longer the game they once knew.

You will have understood from the extra-large size of this review: Avowed has an incredible charm that deserves discussion. Obsidian delivers a beautiful fantasy epic, with a delightful troupe of companions, which does not reach the studio's peaks but still makes you want to return after the end credits to continue exploring the Living Lands. Those looking for an anti-colonialist political manifesto or a new sacred monster of Western RPGs will be left wanting, of course, as it lacks a radical idea to transcend the whole. However, Avowed remains a very solid offering that would deserve a direct sequel to go beyond its classicism. Let’s hope so.

Apart from a combat overhaul, Warhorse offers nothing truly new in terms of gameplay compared to the first installment, even regarding aspects that were far from unanimous. While one might regret that the studio stands so firmly by its choices, including the visual aspect of its game, the quality of its main story’s writing and the gargantuan richness of its side quests make it an adventure in which one can easily lose themselves for hours without ever getting bored. All this, provided one embraces the experience—those who did not enjoy the first installment will have a hard time finding satisfaction here, as the experience remains largely the same.

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.

For any attempt at a sequel, Citizen Sleeper 2 now stands as a benchmark. It passionately builds upon the elements that made its predecessor a success—sharp storytelling, dice-based gameplay, and a unique audiovisual atmosphere—while introducing numerous innovations that expand its scope. Filled with tension and tough choices, thanks to a narrative driven by brilliant writing, Citizen Sleeper 2 particularly excels in its gameplay, which is deeper, bolder, and less forgiving. So much so that, beyond its well-earned status as a narrative RPG, we might be tempted to label it with a touch of survival, which suits it well. The meticulous mind might regret a certain lack of clarity regarding the potential consequences of some decisions and a slight overload of simultaneous quests. However, these minor flaws are far from enough to prevent Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector from being a great experience for discerning players who enjoy a bit of reading—provided you understand English (at least for now).

While it always feels bad to slam a small-ish studio that is more overly ambitious than actually incompetent, Eternal Strands is too shoddily-made to be praised. Not challenging and intelligent enough to promote a smart use of systemic magic effects, too repetitive to be charming and too strained between inspirations to find an unique voice, this is more of an unfinished tech demo with wacky physics than a true fantasy tale.

Addictive in its repetition, Dynasty Warriors: Origins appears simultaneously as a synthesis and a new beginning. Certainly, the rating will seem high for players resistant to the muso formula, who will likely not see enough evolution to change their judgment of the franchise. But Omega Force significantly corrects its trajectory after a disastrous ninth episode and reassures its followers with generous content, palpable technical evolution, and a refreshing new approach nonetheless. A very good installment.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

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Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.