Dead Island 2 is definitely showing lots of signs of the development hell that it went through. It’s a game that’s stuck in the past with overtly simplistic gameplay, a plot that is completely derivative and a gore system that may be fun for a couple of hours, but it outstays its welcome too soon.

A juicy collection, full of content that aims to introduce an entirely new audience to the series, while it manages to bring back memories to old players in the best way possible. Lack of content that would have been meaningful to the older player is a drawback, but not enough to deprive players of a fantastic collection of games that can offer hours and hours of gameplay.

Unfortunately, Curse of the Sea Rats is mediocre or even bad in many of its areas, from its problematic combat system to the ugly 3D environments and level design that is just boring.

It's disappointing that Blood Bowl 3 had a messy launch and many bugs, as well as predatory microtransaction systems and a bad UI. However, it's good to know that deep down there is a good core game despite the sloppy and rocky start and we hope that future patches will improve the issues that have arisen.

The Burning Shores is a must-have expansion for fans of the franchise. With the addition of Seyka, Guerilla gives Aloy an ally with whom she can interact on an equal level. The gameplay elements are enriched with small additions and new skills, while the new area is visually stunning, demonstrating what PlayStation 5 is capable of.

A spectacular 3D metroidvania game with great combat depth, accessibility options that should exist in any Soulsborne game and exceptional level design & traversal. It is just sort of reaching greatness due to is average storyline, forgettable villains and the unfortunate modern trend of being released before getting the final 3-4 months of polishing needed to achieve a smoother experience.

Unfortunately Redfall will be remembered as the exact opposite of Arkane’s previous work. Utterly bland level design, flat and uninspired questlines, non-existent AI, and obsolete graphics are just some of the significant shortcomings of a game that creates the impression of a product created without any signs of vision.

A worthy The Legend of Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom is an adventure that spans across time, good and evil and tells an exciting story of light and darkness, yet still manages to fall victim of mechanisms old and new that deprive it of the refreshing addition to the series its predecessor was. Despite this, it’s still a title that is here to stay.

The recreation of the fall of the Bakumatsu Era at the tip of your sword is as exciting and entertaining as expected, but it seems that apart from a fresh coat of (glitchy) paint, Sega didn’t do even the basic refurbishment to bring properly this game to 2023. Unlike the wonderful job they did with the Kiwami remakes, here it feels more like Sega used the game as a training exercise for its studio to learn the Unreal Engine and simply didn’t bother to invest in anything else.

A pretty, addictive rogue-lite game that offers a unique gameplay mechanism where the player must manage the health bar in order to progress. Note that it’s still in early access and nearly half the game isn’t available yet.

Black Salt Games answers a question we never have thought we’d ask: Would you like to become a fisherman in Cthulhu mythos? The answer is a resounding “yes”, even though Dredge has many areas where it could be enriched.

Have a Nice Death is a roguelike that fans of the genre should definitely check, thanks to its nice, cartoon-like, visuals, fast gameplay and good variety of enemies. The only real drawback is the lack of imagination in its level design, which can’t help but create a sense of repetition after a while.

Vernal Edge seems to put all its heads in the basket of the air ship, in order to differentiate itself, alas, it just ends up being a gimmick without any real gameplay value. Unfortunately it ends up being a bit derivative.

Moving past the few positives it has to highlight, such as the use of music in the gameplay or some clever representations of pieces of a person's consciousness, the total 6 hours or so that Figment 2 has to offer, can't deservedly win a place among other modern, indie games.

Altair Breaker lacks a storyline, the world of Vastus Isle is unimpressive and the gameplay becomes repetitive and uninteresting after a short amount of time. Even though the tracking is really good and the graphics are nice, we cannot recommend it due to the lack of content.

9 Years of Shadows is a typical metroidvania which still manages to draw attention thanks to its interesting design and the somewhat eccentric elements of its world building.

We should always approach indie games -especially those made by a few persons- with a sense of indulgence, but in the case of Remorse: The List for Nintendo Switch, there is no silver line. It is a game, one step away from being unplayable.

An atmospheric puzzle game with very interesting graphics and well designed, fairly unique puzzles. The Ultimate Edition comes with two extra levels and a 61-page comic that sheds light into the game's story.

As an origin story, the game dares to walk an unexplored action-adventure path, a first for the series, offering an overall gameplay experience that is different, but equally mesmerizing. Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a fairy tale through and through, with some of the most stunning visuals ever encountered in the genre. The lack of a co-op implementation deprives the game of a potentially excellent status, but somehow it manages to offer a magical experience, leaving us dreaming of what could come next.

Capcom continues to rock the ship with its selection of “Remakes”. Resident Evil 4 Remake may have seemed like a game that didn't need such a thing, until it was time to play it.

Wo Long will certainly quell your appetite for a Sekiro inspired gameplay, even though it cannot reach that game’s height. On the other hand, Team Ninja seems like it has reach a creative plateau sharing a lot of identical shortcomings with its previous games, mainly the boring level design, low variety of regular enemies and visuals that are certainly behind their time.

Company of Heroes 3 offers, as expected, solid real-time strategy gameplay with four factions that have unique characteristics. The involvement of North African and Italian theaters of war provided additional flavor to the game. However, the hyped turn-based Italian campaign is lackluster and boring despite the great scope and needs major improvement.

One Piece Odyssey is a great JRPG that offers a new adventure for the straw hat crew that is clearly addressed to fans of the series.

Kirby’s Dream Land DX is what anybody would expect of a Nintendo remake: a combination of sleek, new content along with the recipe of the traditional game that made its mark back in the day. The addition of new modes and the four-player co-op are things that can be completely enjoyed by new players and can be a great incentive for old players to return. A memorable adventure, yet one that should pave the way for a brand-new adventure, starring Kirby, and can really push the series forward.

Scars Above is a solid first effort by Mad Head Games, albeit flawed. The game has soulslike gameplay elements, yet with three difficulty levels it is still accessible to the mainstream crowd. The story doesn’t bring anything new to the sci-fi genre, but it doesn't disappoint either. If you are looking for a game to kill time between big releases, Scars Above is a good candidate.

For a first try from a studio without any previous games, Atomic Heart is certainly an achievement albeit rough around (some) edges. Its aesthetic and mixture of well crafted action, puzzles and exploration is dragged down a bit by an abysmal open-world design (which thankfully doesn’t last long) and a rather predictable story. Nevertheless, the overall experience created the feeling that Mundfish is a studio that we should keep our eyes on in the future.

Deliver Us Mars is a truly worthy sequel of the -underdog- Deliver Us the Moon. There is much more effort in developing its characters and the overall story complements and expands the topics of the first game. Expect a slow-burner, hard science fiction adventure and you will not be disappointed.

Much like modern Assassin Creed games, Hogwarts Legacy lives and dies on whether you get captured by its spectacular worldbuilding. There are clear and concrete bloatware issues and concerns, but for a Harry Potter fan it can be quite easy to ignore most of them and just dive in its impressive world, chockfull of activities and Wizarding World experiences.

A perfect remaster of a perfect game. The graphical upgrade is stunning and the game feels more like a total remake than a remaster. Metroid Prime is finally available in HD and is an essential buy for all Switch owners.

Αn interesting horror visual novel with mature themes, lots of choices and multiple endings. The characters are fleshed out, but the zombie apocalypse story has been used to death in the past and the game would benefit from voice overs which it doesn't have. Some problems with the controls when you come up with choices could also be easily averted.

There is not much to say about Elderand other than that is designed in the most typical way in all of its different aspects. Unfortunately, nothing worth pointing out about it be it positive or negative.

Returnal for PC brings technical improvements while retaining the excellent gameplay and overall feel of the PlayStation 5 version. It’s a must play title for roguelike fans, but mainstream gamers that want to experience Returnal’s highly addictive fast bullet hell gunplay should be armed with a lot of patience.

Wanted: Dead is marred by issues in its gameplay, story, and characters, but most of all its main downside is its short length with credits rolling only after around 6-7 hours.

15 years later, Dead Space remains one of the best action survival horror games and its new refreshed take is the perfect way for new players and old players alike to wear their adult diapers and jump (back) in the visceral horror of USG Ishimura.

Forspoken may have some merits, in terms of combat design and the magic parkour, but it is also, unfortunately, one of the most derivative games we have seen in many years in terms of open world design as well as questing. Especially the secondary quests are joyless and devoid of any redeeming value.

This remaster of Persona 4 Golden is an excellent JRPG, which should not be missed by anyone who loves the genre.

Persona 3 Portable's remaster is a huge opportunity for those who wanted to deal with this game, however its age -and everything that comes with it- will be a problem for those who can't stand the game design of a bygone era.

Fire Emblem: Engage is an unexpected main series title that is about to grace the Nintendo Switch consoles of tactical RPG fans. It is a game that manages to pushes the boundaries of the overall gameplay experience, yet makes some choices that lead us to the very distant past of the series, where various elements did not just matter. It is a pleasant adventure that will happily take some 40 hours of the players’ free time, yet fails to provide a monumental experience like its predecessor did.

Midnight Suns is a complete package created with passion and love, and that's why it stands out from many lifeless Marvel releases we've seen lately. It oozes substance, which is why not many will focus on the relatively weak visuals and technical problems.

As it happened with JoyMasher's previous games, here too our engagement was ultimately deemed enjoyable, as Moonrider satisfactorily treads on the easily digestible dictates of the genre and transports us convincingly and nostalgically to the older days of two-dimensional action platformers.

Finally, after almost 25years of half measures and mostly mediocre titles, Sonic has finally reached the 3D levels of gameplay it needed to reach. Yes, the pop in is absolutely inexcusable and the ancient gatekeeping grindy methods damage the flow of the game for no reason, but a wonderfully built base exists here, with a highly entertaining adventure in wonderfully melancholic world and a surprisingly well founded story, thankfully clean of Sonic’s annoying 3rd tier friends!

A wonderful return to form for the Syberia series after the misstep of the 3rd game, The World Before is not only a wonderfully written game that finishes the 20 year old story of Kate Walker, but also one of the best games from Benoit Sokal, the perfect goodbye to this legendary artist.

The Callisto Protocol is definitely not an evolution of Dead Space or even a title of equal quality that we wanted it to be. It’s certainly a pleasant experience for horror fans, thanks to the one-note, but satisfying combat, as well as it’s no-frills linear design. Nevertheless, it’s a by the numbers horror title without many (if any) surprises and a crucial lack of variety in enemies and combat/ survival situations.

It might seam a little strange that many iconic titles are absent, but Atari 50 is more than just a batch of random games. It is an interactive experience and a visit to the museum of video games. It’s not just a collection, it is a Celebration.

The variety in areas and monsters are its strong points, with the combat offering good fun with controversial choices. Its big problem is the lack of rhythm in its gameplay, as a result of which the title passes as an indifferent "binge watch" for the weekend.

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.

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.

Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales for the PC is a high quality port, optimized to run on any PC hardware configuration. With an interesting story and outstanding gameplay, Miles Morales is a game that should be in everyone's game library.

Pokémon Scarlet/Violet had the potential to become the most exciting adventure in its entire history. New battle mechanics, an improved UI and a gameplay that has matured over the years, along with the appearance of an open-world region, could have been the game that all fans deserved. Ultimately though, The Pokémon Company delivers a rough-on-the-edges, unpolished and underdeveloped game, with an amount of graphical and technical inconsistencies that reveal the lack of time the developers had.

Pokémon Scarlet/Violet had the potential to become the most exciting adventure in its entire history. New battle mechanics, an improved UI and a gameplay that has matured over the years, along with the appearance of an open-world region, could have been the game that all fans deserved. Ultimately though, The Pokémon Company delivers a rough-on-the-edges, unpolished and underdeveloped game, with an amount of graphical and technical inconsistencies that reveal the lack of time the developers had.

The strange mixing of elements from different genres works amazingly giving a sweet rhythm to the game. Their implementation does not deviate from a more casual approach and the truth is that it leaves us a little unsatisfied for an implementation with more depth, for the sole reason that it works so well.

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.

The Devil in Me may not redefine the series, but it's the first title from Supermassive Games where it actually shows that the developer is trying to improve the recipe.

Poor in substance, soft in impact, slow in pacing, annoying in characters, lacking in gameplay / choices, The New Tales from the Borderlands is just a distant foggy echo of the first, vastly superior game.

Somerville is a quite troubled game. Its biggest flaw though is how often we spent more time trying to figure what the developer had in mind for the riddles, and less time with trying to solve the actual riddle.

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.

Ghost Song looks like the road that Samus Aran has not taken. This “2D Exploration Action Game” is the post-Metroid way that Metroid itself abandoned for the sake of being a modern Metroidvania. A curious yet fascinating case of a game.

In the seven years that KT Racing has been at the helm of development, we certainly haven't seen any radical changes or major improvements. Even so, in those years the series has had some of its most interesting moments, which are now offered all together in one package.

In an era that survival horror gaming seems to make a strong comeback in the AAA sphere, “Signalis” offers an unexpected, near perfectly crafted, old school experience that fans of the genre should not miss.

This year’s iteration of Call of Duty comes rich in content, with a variety of modes, well-made multiplayer, plenty of maps and solid gunplay. At the same time it delivers a bland and uninteresting story, with poor dialogue and shallow characters. A perfectly timed sniper shot from 300 yards where the bullet ricocheted just before hitting the center of the target. It achieved what was expected, but did not reach the full expectations.

The improved storytelling and the additions Royal has, compared to the original game, is a true gift to all owners of modern platforms. Possibly due to the Phantom Thieves stealing the hearts of Atlus executives, a big audience can now dive into one of the best JRPGs out there, with hours of an immersive story and a refined gameplay that has built onto its past foundations and brings with it the promise of an exciting future.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is such an excellent game, that makes its wonderful predecessor, Kingdom Battles, look plain and basic. And that is something that screams “great sequel”.

The overall quality of the main game, together with the interesting and entertaining new content, make the Gold Edition of Resident Evil Village a must play for anyone that had missed the game up until now.

God of War Ragnarok is a triumph in designing an epic adventure on an established mythology. Nothing less.

While it is kept back by plain side activities and poor grinding mechanisms, Gotham Knights does manage to win over the player through its well told main story, the interesting gameplay variation between the four characters and its highly entertaining co-op mode.

Dakar Desert Rally strives for something more but that is not enough. The lack of routes with interesting design and variety make it a boring racer, while this indecision about whether it wants to be serious or not, is an issue that in the future Saber Interactive should see through a different perspective.

After many years of cooking and boiling at Platinum’s cauldron, Bayonetta makes her return to Nintendo’s most recent console. And that’s probably not a great choice, as the visuals are struggling with Switch’s outdated hardware. Still, the magic and charm of the series are here, better than ever, while taking the players on a trip across time in the series’ multiverse and preparing them for an eventual end and a new future for Bayonetta…or not.

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars offers a lengthy adventure with a well-thought and diverse combat system that sits somewhere between the high challenge of soulsborne and the ease of a hack ‘n slash. It’s only marred down by some bad design decisions (like the absence of fast travel until halfway through), which could be avoided if -maybe- some more testing was done.

The Last Oricru, to its credit, doesn't want to sow discord in the gaming family. It stands under the acrobat's rope, confused, with a look full of wonder. Equally bewildered were we who watched its endeavor, hoping at the end that the farce taking place would one day end and the true character of the title would emerge, saving all as a true hero.

The main issue of A Plague Tale: Requiem is the absence of any real improvement to its already simplistic gameplay. Thankfully, its amazing set pieces, great visuals and -especially- its intense story of Amicia’s and Hugo’s survival make up for these gameplay shortcomings.

With a great story and an engaging cast of characters, it feels a bit frustrating that the game falls so short on so many other elements like its gameplay, animation, controls, voice acting, pacing etc.

Nathan, Sam, Chloe, Nadine and a wider cast of memorable characters are ready to show PC gamers why the Uncharted series on the PlayStation family of consoles is a benchmark on the genre, and the industry in general. Beautifully woven narratives merge together with action-packed moments, good level design and brilliant visuals that can keep PC players going, and wondering why a potential PC The Nathan Drake collection is still out of the picture.

An almost perfect port of an incredible game with impressive technical aspects.

The DioField Chronicle is a game that, despite its low budget, manages to deliver a good story with a great cast of main characters and a satisfying combat system. However, those looking for something more in terms of strategy, will not be satisfied.

FIFA 23 keeps the high standards of the series in content, modes and visual display, closing one chapter and opening another for EA. However, it does not reinvent the wheel, it does not pioneer, it does not take risks, it does not bring something new or fresh. FIFA 23 simply executes, and scores in a match that will probably be quickly forgotten.

So, the aftertaste of the dish that Reply Games serves us is somewhat bitter. It's based on a classic recipe, but falters and fails both in its execution and in its inspiration to add extra ingredients.

Brok the InvestiGator is a mosaic of many things that we never thought will fit into an adventure game. Although most of them remain at basic level, they still sum up for an enjoyable ensemble.

It might not be one of the best of the genre, but it's certainly worthy in all its aspects and something that's definitely worth playing today. And most of all, it goes to show that the Terrible Toybox team knows and understands the genre like few do today.

Jack Move is almost a curiosity. A JPRG that is barely reaching the 8-hour mark, but at the same time it’s built exactly for that short length. A pocket sized JRPG then for the fans of the genre which may want a short break from the 20, 30, 80 hours epic journeys.

If NBA 2K23 was a today's player, it would probably be Doncic - we can either focus on his magical stepback threepointers, or on him being a "black hole" on defense.

My friend Peppa Pig is an excellent chance for the very young kids to enjoy the world of their favorite show, but after the initial excitement, the troubled, lazy and absurd design leads to a repeatable and a little annoying game, even for that age.

The realism of the battlefields, uniforms and guns is at the heart and core of the game. The combat is brutal and unrelenting for anyone looking to dive into the historical battlefields of Isonzo. Players will have to deal with constant deaths while engaging with this historically accurate, tactical FPS delivered by BlackMill Games.

Soul Hackers 2 can offer a good experience to those who want to follow an interesting story that deviates from the teenage-school life style. But it is advised to arm yourself with patience, because the dungeons of the main characters are quite tiring due to their identical level design.

An ambitious attempt -from an experienced studio- on a "soulsborne" game, which even though doesn't do anything particularly wrong, it fails to stand out from the rest of the pack and leave its own mark.

Multiple puzzle solutions, surprisingly interesting mini games and pure "heart" oozing behind the design of the game, Whateverland is a game worth playing as it manages to soar above its pacing and budgetary issues.

There is no doubt that Splatoon 3 sets out on a path that has already been paved by its predecessors, leading straight to success. The game manages to provide the same sense of colorful action and enjoyment in a more refined way compared to the previous titles, though it lacks the spirit and the features that would name it as a true sequel. Until all the new features that have been promised by Nintendo become available, Splatoon 3 will remain a game that we enjoy, yet we do not truly need.

The organizing as well as the development of a competitive F1 team that houses a large number of people has been rendered almost flawlessly. But technical problems during a race and lots of bugs pulled the brake on our hopes for something even better.

The visual upgrades give a fresh look to the game, however the same cannot be said for the gameplay that comes straight from 1999. PAC-MAN World Re-PAC gives the opportunity to those who loved the original game to see it with a fresh eye, while at the same time fans of old school 3D platformers that missed it back in 1999, have now the chance to try it out.

Rollerdrome's blend of roller skating gameplay and shooting is as unique as expertly created. Thanks to a simple and effective control scheme you would feel as if you are in a cinematic blend between Matrix and Rollerball.

Hard West 2 is a sequel we didn’t know we wanted. It’s XCOM-esque gameplay is enriched with the especially fresh mechanic of bravado, which leads to a completely unique approach at the shootouts. That’s no small feat for a subgenre where its rules of engagement are deeply embedded to the past.

Almost 10 years after its initial release The Last of Us remains a masterpiece, a game so important and unique that has no match. And it got even better with its new "coat of paint".

The hours it offers are few, but they can hold some interest initially, which in turn quickly fades. On the other hand, if you're looking for a light “timekiller” for your Switch on your vacation this summer, Treehouse Riddle might just be what you need.

Cult of the Lamb presents one quite unique roguelike experience where base management and action are two distinct aspects of the game that at the same time completely complement each other. What elevates the game even more is the clever implementation of the religious aspect, both humorous and integral to the gameplay.

Saints Row is one of these reboot cases that fails to build upon the legacy of the previous games in the series. While it does bare the essence of the series, it utterly fails in other domains. The new adventure in the Saints Row universe is plagued by gamebreaking and other bugs, heavy repetition in exploration missions and character models, and feels bland and tasteless. Players looking for customisation options can find loads of features that can keep them happy; ultimately, though, they are not enough to guarantee an exciting time in Santo Ilesso.

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 port of Spider-Man Remastered on PC exemplarily transfers Spidey's story from the world of PlayStation to the world of PC, while at the same time giving us a multitude of settings and options to customize this experience to our needs.

Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die is a tribute to point and click adventures and the hard rock music genre. Quirky, witty, passable and made with lots of love. You will be charmed.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 brings the end of an era to the Xenoblade Chronicles series, with players only guessing what could come next. It is a game that is a sentimental roller coaster from its first moments to its last ones; a game that praises human life, feelings and relationships and gives players loads of food for thought and consideration. Despite some minor setbacks, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 offers a more compact battle system, a cast of wonderful characters and a world full of secrets and open to exploration.