The end of the XIII trilogy, from a gameplay standpoint, gains and loses its strength from design mechanics and decisions that sets Lightning Returns apart from its predecessors. It’s nevertheless a title that caters to the trilogy fan, giving also a different perspective and a fresh air of play to the veteran Final Fantasy players.

Despite giving the sense of some underdeveloped gameplay mechanics, Neversong manages to tell a dark tale about child trauma in a poetic, nightmarish narrative, using odd characters, exceptional art and strong symbolism.

This one is for "Lara lovers" indeed. The package contains the three latest games of the series, with the first two of them enjoying updated, HD graphics. Too bad some of the bugs and glitches of the original games were not addressed here.

Konami still hasn't "struck gold" in this generation. Although the developers tried to improve some aspects of this year's edition, it's only after the inevitable patch that some of the major problems are dealt with.

On PS5 MXGP 2020 retains all the great physics, addictive racing and hardcore elements of the original release, but at the same time remains a poor game, content-wise, with the absence of a career mode being its biggest flaw.

For Honor truly captures the cinematic feeling of clashes between heavy armored medieval warriors. Especially in “Duels" we took part in spectacularly tense fights as if choreographed for an epically uncut movie scene. It’s a bit of disappointment then that microtransactions show one of their ugliest faces in Ubisoft’s game.

I wish Creepy Tale was bigger or with at least some elements of story and lore about the forest and its creatures. But in all honesty, I can’t really complain cause I had a very entertaining evening playing it from start to finish.

The arcade style gameplay -as well as the few available modes- may alienate some of the franchise's old fans, but that doesn't mean WWE All Stars lacks the quality and enjoyment that define THQ's games.

Tripwire, "the modders that became developers", delivers a decent, multiplayer oriented FPS based on the WWII battles between the Nazis and the Russians. And the result is game almost perfectly suited for those who love massive online battles.

The arcade style gameplay -as well as the few available modes- may alienate some of the franchise's old fans, but that doesn't mean WWE All Stars lacks the quality and enjoyment that define THQ's games.

Suda 51 proves again that heʼs a special creator with a strange sense of humor. Lollipop Chainsaw is probably the best "b-videogame" ever created.

The excitement for 60 Parsecs! doesn’t come from the game's greatness, cause we clearly talk about a small scale game, but from how spot-on the improvements are from the original title.

A nice addition to a great series, Gods & Kings offers a lot of new content, but neglects to fix all the problems of the original game.

Greedfall is a huge step forward for Spiders, offering improvements on all levels when compared to their past games. It does fall victim of overreaching with a small budget, having an annoying amount of backtracking and of reused enemies and assets, but it is still an entertaining WRPG in a very interesting setting, full of intrigue and suspense.

A multiplayer experience that offers a realistic point of view of the Medieval melee battles. It's not fit for everyone, but if you get past the glitches and the high difficulty curve, you'll find an enjoyable and addictive game.

A rather familiar anime fighting game that even though it does not excel in any way, it truly shows CyberConnect2's expertise on the genre.

Once more, Tarsier proves it knows how to craft a horror setting that feels torn from the darkest corners of a child’s imagination. Compared to the Little Nightmares games, Reanimal features a far more dynamic camera that heightens tension and amplifies its intense chases and moments of awe. However, these striking set pieces are the exception in an experience that remains largely reminiscent of the studio’s previous work. As a result, Reanimal stands as a satisfying new entry, but one that ultimately plays things a little too safe.

Resonance is a game with great ideas, wonderful puzzles and inspiring gameplay, but also a lackluster storyline that never reaches its potential.

Our Adventure Guild doesn’t attempt to reinvent the tactical RPG genre and struggles with repetition in both its quest design and recruitable characters. That said, it could still serve as a welcoming entry point for newcomers to the genre.

A short but well made arcade twin-stick shooter experience with a minimalistic graphic approach.

While a lot of the modernizes Frogwares implements are not for the betterment of the franchise (simplification and implementation of unnecessary mechanisms), they have produced a technically impressive title with some fresh ideas and great scenarios that can provide an interesting weekend.

Blazing Chrome could be simply be described as a spiritual sequel to Contra III and Contra: Hard Corps, using those games as a strict template for its weapons, difficulty, stage and enemies design as well as total length. Although we are more than happy with most of these similarities with those games, we would definitely prefer to differentiate itself from them at least in the total number of levels. As it is it’s highly enjoyable albeit quite a bit on the short side.

Screamer is a truly unique racer, standing out thanks to its charming anime aesthetic, both on the track and in its well-crafted cutscenes. The characters are well written, even if the story is somewhat predictable. Thankfully, the driving model is up to par, offering a variety of nuanced mechanics within its arcade feel that keep the challenge high but fair. Unfortunately, it’s dragged down by a limited selection of courses and vehicles.

Brutal combat and simple mechanics are the “bane and the boon” of this Action/ Hack 'n' Slash game. Impressive in the beginning, grows weary, though, after some playtime, following Marius Titus’ journey for retribution. The stunning depiction of some territories of the ancient Roman Empire make it an eye candy and the extremely interesting multiplayer co-op feature adds extra play hours, making it a worthy buy.

The Switch port is a technological wonder, but the lower (but stable) framerate hurts the overall experience.

With its third Sonic racing game Sumo Digital stayed true to the overall formula and quality of the franchise, by delivering a solid and fun experience. On the other hand the lack of various vehicles from the previous game feels like a step back.

Mullet Madjack may be the most frenetic FPS we've played, literally asking us to not have even a second to spare, with a level design that complements perfectly the non-stop approach. However, despite its fun and fast-paced nature, the game is held back by its very short longevity and almost nonexistent depth.

As an homage to the Persona series, The Caligula Effect: Overdose tries to utilize the same mechanics and mannerisms that made the Persona games unique, yet fails to improve over its past shadow. While it does improve many aspects, including a fantastic battle system, it still struggles to improve its storytelling and interaction mechanisms, which ultimately fail to engage players to the dark secrets of the human soul. Not a bad effort, but definitely with room to improve.

What it lacks in content Everybody's Golf VR almost makes up with its superb gameplay and wonderful implementation of VR mechanics. It's not the best game that has come out from Clap Hanz, but it is enjoyable nonetheless.

The Famicom Detective Club titles are a piece of Japanese gaming history that has finally graced the western markets. They can be a milestone in the visual representation, a great example of what future visual novel titles can become. They can also be a great nuisance to players, due to their archaic investigation and progression mechanisms that shout their age loud.

Helldivers 2 offers a highly fun coop experience, optimally in short bursts and with friends. It doesn't hide some serious signs of repetition and extremely slow character progression, but its hectic battles and excellent shooting can easily convince anyone to come back again and again for the fight against the insectoids and cyborgs.

The Famicom Detective Club titles are a piece of Japanese gaming history that has finally graced the western markets. They can be a milestone in the visual representation, a great example of what future visual novel titles can become. They can also be a great nuisance to players, due to their archaic investigation and progression mechanisms that shout their age loud.

Struggling with its episodic nature, Tales of Monkey Island makes an interesting addition to the franchise. Fans will love it and newcomers will enjoy it due to its beautiful world and storyline. Nevertheless, the endless ups and downs in quality of its story progression, keep it from becoming the classic it could be.

Still Wakes the Deep is somewhat dragged down by repetitive gameplay and a lack of challenge in the stealth sections. However, the developers really knew how to create a great horror atmosphere and the oil rig proved to be the perfect setting for the experience.

The Ascent is an unapologetically familiar twin stick shooter, with a detailed cyberpunk world that feels alive and especially dystopian. Some mistakes in the way the map is implemented and a fast travel that is unreasonable limited could have been alleviated, but nevertheless the action is top-notch and cathartic.

Warsaw is a compelling turn-based RPG offering a deep and well thought battle gameplay, while severely lacking in terms of storytelling and lore. A newcomer may face difficulties due to the punishing nature of this roguelite game, but we never felt it was cheap or overwhelming. The similarities with Darkest Dungeon are obvious, yet it still manages to deliver something fresh and distinctive.

Stranger’s Wrath HD, remastered and enhanced for the Switch, does some things better that its previous iterations, but fails in other aspects. Totally recommended to Switch owners who have never experienced the game before, and to long-time fans as well, but until the next Oddworld adventure arrives, it might be best to search for the game somewhere else.

An interesting and inspiring convergence of a 2D side-scrolling platform game with a role-playing, turn-based combat system, all wrapped with a beautiful visual shell. It has a few minor faults here and there, but it is enjoyable nonetheless.

Heaven Dust 2 is an ode to the first Resident Evil through an isometric perspective, nothing more, nothing less. And that’s all the charm it needs to have to be an absolutely fun 6-8 hours ride.

While it is a fair bit simpler in animation, story and puzzles that we would have liked, the interesting flip and the new take on a heaven dystopia (after the hellish one of the first game) and the yet again gorgeous art from Dave Gibbons, make Beyond a Steel Sky a game that does have to offer something fresh and interesting to new and returning gamers alike.

The first chapter in CAT-astrophe Games' strange metaphysic endeavor is wacky, well crafted, and with interesting characters. A promising - albeit too short - start.

An enjoyable addition to the series, Absolution is a complex mix of the old-school series with modern gaming. A few of the changes are hit & miss and some are plain broken, but in the end it manages to offer an entertaining experience for both old fans and younger gamers alike.

By keeping the superb musical score and the interesting characters of the first episode, Telltale tried to hide the slower pacing and the fact that The Lost Lords is quite short.

Sanabi is one of those (very) few action platform games which apply almost all of its focus to the story and characters. As such, its main draw is its plot, which thankfully is quite interesting and well written, holding the whole experience to the end. On the other hand, its gameplay, though well made, is lacking in terms of challenge and in the sense of moveset and abilities progress.

A game that is set in a brilliant setting, and starring a townful of colorful characters, albeit with so many information and details that will often keep players guessing. It’s a game with heart, though the players need to go through many layers of Koch’s crispy bacon before uncovering its true strengths and merits.

Phobia: St. Dinfna Hotel is an indie horror game that draws its inspiration from previous, successful horror titles of the past while also having some good ideas. Definitely not for everyone, but fans of horror games (see Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Outlast etc.) will appreciate it.

Codemasters is taking something that was already great and trying to bring it into line with the modern reality of F1. Technically the title moves to incredible levels of quality, but unfortunately the impression is created that FIA's changes in the real life environment have not been translated so successfully to the corresponding digital one.

Phantom Rose 2 presents itself with some unique visuals, but it could prove a bit difficult to convince fans of card-based games that it offers anything unique in the genre.

Even though some of its major aspects, like the battle system and the tiresome grinding, are keeping it from being great, Conan Exiles is a promising and unique survival game that -with the proper attention from the developer- could soon become a must-have for enthusiasts of the genre.

A decent game that offers a pleasant combat system and satisfying duration.

Team Ninja created a hardcore action-RPG with an interesting combat system, but some missteps -like the awful dialogue, the mediocre level design and the bland story- keep it from achieving greatness.

Killing Floor 2 delivers what it promises. Mindless, explosive, bloody killings of Zed hordes upon Zed Hordes. Shooting, gore and graphics are beyond satisfying, but the gameplay, due to its limited and repeated nature, falls short after some hours. Recommended for what it is, but nothing more.

Murder on the Orient Express may not have the best balance between storytelling and puzzles, however, it still offers well-written characters, an excellent story and good voice overs. All in all it's a very good "excuse" for fans of Hercule Poirot to revisit one of his most famous cases.

NBA 2K21 sure has that "next-gen feel", but that's as far as it gets. There are updated, certainly not revolutionary, visuals, and some serious new content that puts last-gen versions -and it's pricing - to shame, but the first next-gen NBA 2K feels like a fastbreak that results in a casual layup, not a dunk.

Space Hulk: Deathwing’s atmosphere is riveting. The Space Hulk lore is being animated before the gamer’s eyes and while the shooting and tactical aspects of this team-based first person shooter are solid, the single player campaign can easily bore the player. The co-op in Codex Astartes mode is the best experience, gameplay-wise, that the game can offer.

Tennis On-Court is lacking in terms of content and its technical prowess to truly justify its price tag. It's an unfortunate situation considering that the gameplay is up to the task.

Lost Eidolons provides an unexpectedly interesting storyline, which remains engrossing until the end. Some wrinkles appear in both the audio and visual presentation, but these does not deter much from the core of the experience, which is none other than the gameplay.

Thumper manages to offer quite a fresh gameplay experience for the rhythm games genre, something that is no small feat. On the other hand its electronic music is an acquired taste in our opinion, and the repetition of tracks in its 9 levels doesn’t help.

The Surge is a decent step forward compared to Lords of the Fallen, that manages to avoid the copycat characterization that the latter had. The modern factory setting may be somewhat drab and the difficulty needs to be more balanced, but nevertheless combat is hugely improved and the dismemberment mechanic manages to provide a very welcomed personality to the game.

Druidstone plays it quite safe when it comes to the usual complexity of skills and battle tactics that we see in games of the genre. Nevertheless, this might as well be considered its strong point for those players that would like to approach turn-based fantasy games, but would like a more simplified entry point in terms of rules, status effects etc.

What it lacks in storytelling and script it gains in gameplay and in the way it can get awfully addictive.

A honest fan serving adventure game, with clear yet unlikely influences from King’s Quest, Lure of the Temptress, Mr. Bean, Black Adder and Monty Python.

While it doesnʼt offer a unique experience, Heroes of Ruin is definitely a game that will keep you going for hours.

While barebones in modes and lacking tutorials, Aces of Thunder still delivers a great VR experience. Its highly detailed warplanes, excellent audio design, and realistic physics will convince you to push through the steep learning curve and take part in its intense dogfights.

Separation offers two to three hours of exploration and puzzle solving into a moody but charming and strange world that only VR technology can deliver.

Hot Pursuit was a great and extremely fun arcade racing game in its initial release, and it remains an enjoyable experience today in this remastered version. But we feel there were more things that should have been done with this version, things that were, sadly, left out.

A satisfactory bullet hell vertical shoot 'em up with many unlockable ships, branching paths and a dynamic difficulty that could benefit from better graphics and a more stable framerate.

The single player mode is not enough to justify a purchase as it is short and with very little challenge. Gather some friends though and you'll have a great time.

Silly Polly Beast definitely has its rough edges, but it’s hard to deny the passion behind it. The fact that it was created by a solo developer is admirable in itself, especially given its pretty aesthetics and the creative use of multiple camera perspectives to present the action. With a more balanced difficulty and a more coherent story, it could truly be a diamond in the rough.

An interesting idea with a decent production, Iron Danger could be the basis for something truly amazing in the future.

Although Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure All Star Battle R has rich offline content to offer, in the long term it‘ll be difficult to keep the audience because the lack of rollback netcode creates problems in online matches.

Painkiller delivers fast-paced action and a roster of memorable, uniquely designed weapons. However, those -arguably- well-crafted aspects struggle to keep the player’s interest after a few hours, due to the repetitive enemy design and overall lack of variety.

In this episode we take a first look at a strange world with some interesting characters. Life is Strange Ep. 1, gives the impression of a small piece of a larger story that will follow.

Something good is being brewed here by Zenimax. The Elder Scrolls Online definitely needs a lot of work just to be able to reach other MMOs, but by playing this game you get a feeling that the online version of this franchise could become a milestone for the genre.

Combining the gameplay design of classic pet games, like Nintendogs, EyePet and Kinectimals, THQ's addition to the genre is quite the cocktail! Even if it falls a bit short of the aforementioned games, it still manages to deliver hours of fun to young gamers.

Wrath of the Druids brings new gameplay features that work exceptionally well, while Ireland, its culture and ancient roots are brought forward in a way that amazes and satisfies the player. Still, this new chapter suffers from mistakes that have been surprisingly imposed upon the series, with an unnecessary display of mythological and fantasy features that shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Additionally, like the core game, the new chapter is struggling with bugs that need to be dealt in order to ensure an optimal gaming experience.

When Dead Rising meets Diablo the outcome is a game like How to Survive. A game that has tons of great ideas, but in the end fails to take fully advantage of most of them.

Quite an enjoyable, beautiful and nicely crafted Move game for kids. The motion controller of Sony needs more games like this one.

While it remains the best entry for new gamers into the world of Magic: The Gathering and it finally introduces us to sealed decks and custom builds, the hardcore fans of the series will probably be a little disappointed by the restrictions put on them and on the amount of basic content available.

This new Scribblenauts adventure retains almost every element we loved from the previous games, but at the same time fails to do something truly new and engaging.

Disney's movie tie-in is quite a surprise. Although it has very little to do with the movie by Pixar, it's quite entertaining and enjoyable, especially for gamers of younger ages.

As an anime CyberConnect2 has done a remarkable job in crafting a very intriguing mythology that is worth watching until the end-credits. Unfortunately gameplay in Asura's Wrath seems like an afterthought which depends a lot on QTEs.

Developed by a team of Danish students, this action-RPG can offer great co-op gameplay if you can find the right company to help you through your adventures.

Virtua Tennis 4 seems more of an upgrade of lasts year's game, but with motion controls added. That doesn't mean that SEGA's new game is bad, only that it has little new to offer.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/ Shining Pearl is a trip down memory lane – just as the developers intended. Admittedly, players can have a good time in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/ Shining Pearl, however, this good time feels more like a deja-vu rather than a refreshing experience that previous Pokémon titles remakes used to provide.

An interesting but quite short visual novel that acts as a nice introduction to the PnP Werewolf: The Apocalypse.

Thymesia may be short, with repetitive levels and it’s not really great in terms of level design, but it more than makes up for it by including a combat system that follow in the best possible way the excellent one from Sekiro. That is no small feat, especially for such an only 7-member team.

The Chant is a survival horror that’s definitely worth checking from the aficionados of the genre. It may have its share of shortcomings, mainly a derivative albeit functional combat system, and a complete absence of environmental or other riddles that could spice up things. Nevertheless the demonic essence is there to built up tension and the monster design is surely memorable, something that’s certainly no small feat.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/ Shining Pearl is a trip down memory lane – just as the developers intended. Admittedly, players can have a good time in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/ Shining Pearl, however, this good time feels more like a deja-vu rather than a refreshing experience that previous Pokémon titles remakes used to provide.

A trip into a vibrant, colorful, psychedelic and bizarre world via one of the most basic, yet cleverly designed gameplay of the genre. Highly addictive if you get past the overwhelming visuals.

With Showdown Codemasters makes a 180 degrees turn towards the American audience. Itʼs not a bad game by no means, but itʼs also not a "DiRT" game.

It’s a very rare hybrid (if not the only one) of side-scrolling and turn-based gameplay that functions much better than expected. Both its strength and its weakness rests in its simplicity. On one hand its extremely easy to pick up and play in mere minutes, but on the other hand its lack of any kind depth on skills and equipment customization hurt, somewhat, the experience on the long term.

By combining the “roguelike” design with the intense atmosphere of a space horror game and the immersion of the VR technology, The Persistence offers a rather enjoyable experience, even though it has some problems like the poor A.I. and a constant repetition of the environments.

It’s an intriguing mix of online FPS mayhem and MOBA characteristics that can lead to especially fun matches. As such, it’s a shame that polishing issues arise constantly while also the current content is lacking.

Panic Button has managed to fit a beast of a game on the Switch quite successfully, but you can’t overlook the compromises that the developer had to go through when it comes to the overall visual experience. It is not a pretty version of the game, but it is a great Wolfenstein II experience nonetheless.

Rainbow Skies is a decent turn-based RPG that follows the path and the legacy of its predecessor (Rainbow Moon), which means that the new game from SideQuest Studios is targeted towards a specific audience that doesn’t mind grinding for hours upon hours.

If you can find friends to create a team and battle your way online, then the new game from the team that brought us Motorstorm and Driveclub is ideal for you. Just don’t try Onrush on your own because you’ll be massively disappointed.

At the time being, Neon Chrome is a game you can hardly play with a game-breaking bug in it. But when the 10tons Overseer connects his neurons to the cyber-chair and fix it, it will be a great game with quite a fresh look on the twin-stick genre.