MercurySteam, after being "baptized in battle" with Metroid: Samus Returns, delivers a superb game with Metroid Dread, a captivating, fresh take on the Metroid franchise, that is also true to the vision of the old games. Either you are a fan of Samus Aran or not, this is a "metroidvania" you should not miss out.

With a story that tackles the subject of bullying with grit and realism, and gameplay improvements around the block, Lost Judgement surpasses its predecessor in almost every level. But the frustrating decision to lock the wonderfully written main side stories (school stories) behind an incessant amount of mini-games and backtracking is a black mark for the series that we sincerely hope we'll never ever see again.

The full, compact story, an equally complete cast of memorable characters and an abundance of opportunities to unleash our Kamehameha, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a title that players should not miss. Despite some inconsistencies in gameplay and poor development decisions, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot brings forth the nostalgia and glory of Goku’s saga, leaving only a sweet sense behind.

An excellent addition to the series with the introduction of 20 playable characters, emphasis on co-op and multiplayer, and tons of content. If only the online was beefier.

Whoever had experience with any of the main Far Cry games since Far Cry 3 and afterwards will know exactly what to expect from here. Same forts to conquer, same guns to use, same abilities to utilize, same quest design, same everything albeit in the setting of Yara (read "fictionalized Cuba").

Even though its production values are low -a given that’s is apparent almost everywhere in the game- Ultra Age can be a great choice for those who are seeking a well designed hack 'n' slash experience.

A stunningly beautiful 3D action-adventure that combines environmental puzzles, exploration and Dark Souls-like (both in implementation and challenge) combat.

True Colors is everything a game in its genre should be: A well written story, with lovable characters, in a small town made from Hallmarks wet dreams. The perfect pace of the story and the social issues are just the icing on the cake.

What starts as a great journey, reminiscence of some great 16bit games of the 90s, ends up severely slowing down its rhythm and pace thus losing its chance to shine.

Lost in Random mostly benefits from its "Tim Burtonesque" visuals and quirky design, but unfortunately the whole experience is dragged down by a tiring card-based battle system, with cards that are bland.

Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom Prince's Edition signals the first coming of the game on Nintendo’s hybrid console three years after its original release. It brings together all the magic, all the thrill of Evan and Roland’s adventure, and all the content that was released post launch, plus all the technical sacrifices and compromises that should be expected on a weaker hardware. A must for those who haven’t played Ni no Kuni 2 before, and only wish to experience this on the go.

If you want to experience a "what if" of an early GTA styled game that is set in Medieval times, Rustler is your only choice. Be warned though, the crude humor and the problematic controls might not be ideal for everyone.

Tails of Iron offers an unapologetically straightforward action platform that thrives in its simplicity, visceral combat system and nice-looking visuals.

Even though some long running problems plaguing this franchise are still present in NBA 2K22 (microtransactions, poor defense, ads etc.) this year's edition is without a doubt the best we've seen in a long time.

Death Stranding Director’s Cut brings some additions and gameplay improvements to the original game, thus making it even better. If you still haven’t played Kojima’s masterpiece now is the time.

Deathloop is another hit from the talented Arkane Studios, albeit with some noticeable shortcomings. It’s especially peculiar that the A.I. is -simply put- bad, considering that Prey and especially Dishonored 2 where some of the highest quality games in this aspect. Nevertheless, the loop system where we live the same day again and again is cleverly implemented and utilized leading to an unforgettable and unique experience.

The Artful Escape definitely belongs to one of these games that appear almost out of nowhere, just to make us happy and blessed to try out. While not a title for platformer aficionados and those who crave for something challenging, The Artful Escape ends up being a pleasant surprise, and one that will stay within for long.

The Forgotten City is this year’s unexpected contender for the “GotY 2021” award. Exceptional writing and wonderfully built world, all come together in a wonderfully balanced adventure game that finds the golden line/ rule between the hardcore fist person adventures of the past and the more modern walking simulators, offering a deep experience for all type of players.

The level design in F.I.S.T. belongs to these excellent metroidvania games where there is just pure joy in exploration. The developer has great knowledge on what makes the genre tick, but at the same time they seem to be a bit “shy” when it comes to any form of innovative idea that would truly make them excel. Nevertheless, this is a must for fans of metroidvanias.

On time to celebrate the 50 years of WRC Rally, WRC 10 is extremely similar to last year's iteration, but at the same time is packed with content and has the needed tweaks and improvements to make it worth the purchase.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite reminds us of the mostly forgotten genre of movie tie-ins (even though this is simply a franchise tie-in occasion). It’s one of those games that mostly tries to capitalize on the power of its title, but at the same time it’s highly derivative in almost all of its aspects.

King’s Bounty II attempts to mix together two different genres, but the outcome does not satisfy. Despite the somehow satisfactory battle system, it is evident that the game needed to follow a different approach during its development. What we have now is a mediocre title that leaves much to be desired.

The complete edition of the brilliant Tetris Effect, now with the inclusion of co-op and 1v1 multiplayer modes.

Tormented Souls definitely has some issues, mainly the highly derivative combat system and map. Nevertheless, when it comes to level design, highly challenging riddles, and overall dark atmosphere it’s one of the best, if not the best, indie survival horror games aiming at a nostalgic trip to the survival horror games of old.

Tales of Arise has all the familiar features that we know and (mostly) love from the “Tales of” series (i.e. combat system, skits, great characters etc.), but at the same time it surpasses most of its predecessors by excelling visually, aesthetically and in its world building.

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights comes forth as a deep enough 2D action-RPG but not as hard challenging as Hollow Knight, dressed in an ever beloved Dark Fantasy theme with haunting piano melodies and souls-like boss fights, ticking every essential Metroidvania boxes that fans of the genre crave for in this polished and joyful played production.

Chernobylite may not be the deepest survival game or the most competent stealth/ shooter game, but it nevertheless completely hooked us in its Chernobyl setting as well as its mature story and characters, culminating in an excellently crafted final mission.

An ambitious revival of the Little Tail Bronx Series, which is created in a unique way.

Unbound does not try to dazzle you with its visuals or gameplay ideas, but it doesn’t really need to. It’s more than enough that it provides familiar abilities albeit executed cleverly and platforming with high levels of challenge, but being fair at the same time.

A mysterious fruit of a game, Nemezis is certainly an interesting experience as a mechanical puzzle game, despite its poor voice acting and average writing. The fact that it pivots more towards strictly mechanical/ brute force puzzles than its predecessors might put off fans of the series, but it can attract fans of that type of puzzles with equal ease.

The boss fights might drag on a bit more than they should. Nevertheless, the battles are well crafted, offering high challenge but fair. Kudos to the deep progression system, with myriad of options that begs to be implemented in a more extended game.

Neo the World Ends With You is a game that takes elements from the original game and manages to evolve them in the best possible way.

A typical, but well made 2D platformer with beautiful graphics that reminded us of games from the Yoshi and Donkey Kong Country series.

A beautiful, heavy on text, visual novel with interesting and innovative adventure elements wrapped up in a well-orchestrated story arc. While we would like to reprimand Capcom for this delay over the 3DS version, we are still happy to enjoy this little gem in more platforms.

Greak will probably caught your attention thanks to its beautiful aesthetic, but it will soon show the signs of a design approach that just don’t fit its rigidly single player nature. Handling 2-3 characters simultaneously without the help of an A.I. would always going to be a drag. Additionally, the story is short and gives the impression that it’s only the prologue of a larger story that we may see in a sequel.

Stunning in every aspect. Jaw-dropping design, addictive battle system and freshly clever ideas to retain interest from the reproducibility of the roguelike genre.

Dreamscaper doesn’t offer a compelling connection between the dream battles and the difficulty that the introvert Cassidy has in fitting in the big city. Nevertheless, where it truly matters, i.e. the combat and randomization of items/ levels, the quality is high enough to convince us to return again and again to its challenging but fair dungeons.

The new Iki Island expansion offers a compelling story and a new area for fans to explore. The technical improvements for PlayStation 5 make a great game even better, and anyone who hasn’t experienced Jin’s journey should definitely try out the Director’s Cut edition.

If you are familiar with (and a fan of) the musou gameplay and the overall mechanics of the series, Samurai Warriors 5 will keep you satisfied and busy for quite some time.

The beautiful aesthetic of Death’s Door is elevated by the amazing soundtrack establishing a world that is a pure joy to explore. A well-rounded isometric adventure with combat that is fast without being overly punishing, consistently clever level design, and story that presents an enjoyable dark fairy tale with nice humorous touches.

The Braking Point mode needs some work and the absence of F1 Legends let us down, but with superb visuals and great driving mechanics, F1 2021 is one of the best entries in the series so far.

Outright Games has evolved into some kind of an expert when it comes to licensed, kids games. This is apparent in The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom, a decent dungeon crawler, suitable for all the family, that has its share of shortcomings of course, but is fun nonetheless.

A simple idea that is addictive and fun to play, but gets too repetitive after only a few hours of gaming.

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.

Older fans of the Mana series will surely be delighted to revisit the world of Fa' Diel and play this remaster, unlike newcomers who will have to deal with the age of the game that is evident in every aspect.

An excellent HD remaster of the classic Wii game that features significant quality of life improvements, responsive motion controls and the addition of conventional, button controls.

Stunningly beautiful to watch, rather boring to play.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a fully-fledged Monster Hunter game, enriched with JRPG elements that provide a unique approach to the series. A worthy successor to a spin-off series that shows its merit, and makes us wait for what Capcom has in store for the future.

Even though this tied to the Spirit movie franchise game is basic and repetitive at times, it is however ideal for "family friendly" gaming and quite suitable for younger gamers.

A cute, paranoid and short horizontal shoot 'em up with heavy Gradius influences that offers a solid retro experience, but brings nothing new to the genre.

Chivalry II is a very poor game, devoid of single player content, clumsy battle system, scarce multiplayer modes and awfully repetitive gameplay. Apart from that, it is the ultimate barebones experience, and developer Torn Banner studios should have explored the option to publish it as a free-to-play title, like many other similar games out there.

More of a videography experiment for an art exhibition rather than an indie release on Steam, Mango is a strange and curious "fruit"" that definitely deserves a bite from those willing to explore and experience something different and unique.

A nostalgic trip to the past with lots of ups and downs. It has a brilliant and addictive gameplay, but also some obsolete mechanics along with many technical issues.

A game making software for the Nintendo Switch. It offers an easy to learn programming language, Nintendo style tutorials and lots of capabilities to make simple, but also complex games in any genre.

Despite its drawbacks and anime quirks, Scarlet Nexus can’t hide the fact that is a product made with love and care. Although it stands a bit in the niche side of things due to its full-blown anime characteristics, the story is solid and the combat system fun and unique. Definitely more robust than Code Vein, Scarlet Nexus can be a fun medium while waiting for Bandai Namco’s big hitters, Tales of Arise and Elden Ring.

You could very well take any review of the previous Contracts game, paste it in the sequel and read a completely accurate description of Contracts 2. It’s hard to notice any improvement or differentiation of the formula between those two games, other than an understanding that you are taking part in different missions, albeit in a very familiar setting.

A modern remaster of the 16 bit original. Asha in Monster World is a rather enjoyable and classic, but nevertheless outdated game.

Guilty Gear -Strive- has proven to be the game that extends the hand to those who would otherwise avoid a fighting game, while at the same time remains a glorious entry in the franchise's long history. With a deep story mode to intrigue the player and butter-smooth learning curve, helped by an innovative difficulty system, it guides them to a full and successful online experience. Despite being a little short on content and having a few minor issues with some of its new features, it definitely is the fighting game every newcomer should dare tame.

Mario Golf: Super Rush manages to deliver what it promises; a full golf experience, mixed with an all-stars cast of the Mario franchise. Despite the enhanced playstyle and game types that are offered in the game, there are still some areas that require improvement.

Probably the best Ratchet & Clank game and surely the best PS5 game to date, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the distilled essence of all the best elements this franchise has given us through the years. A true gaming masterpiece.

What used to be a recipe for success back in the day, returns with some modern-day additions, but with its core mostly unchanged and unevolved. Despite offering some of the best visuals ever jeweling a Pokemon game, it falls victim to its repetitiveness, unchanged mechanics and indifferent gameplay.

A fairly difficult Diablo-like experience set in 16th century South America that will appeal to gamers who enjoy challenging dungeon crawlers.

Adding HD resolution, voice acting and proper localization does not change the fact that Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is a product of its time. Be prepared for outdated level design, high random encounter rates and grinding battles in a relentless fashion in an otherwise dark, grim and moody post-apocalyptic Tokyo filled with demons, that engulfs a “catch ’em all” premise of pokemons in need of exorcism and plays like your everyday turn-based jrpg in a dungeon crawling structure.

Fly Together is one of those mid-range games that starting to pile on the Nintendo Switch. Neither the usual polished console game, nor a cheap mobile one. It only does a few things, but it does them, mostly, good and with a lot of fun.

Dark surrealism permeates the soul of the player in one of the strangest and more interesting adventure games we’ve seen in a long while.

Biomutant certainly is an ambitious game. This ambition though is what ultimately hurt the experience as a whole. A good fighting system, some gorgeous landscapes, the imaginative friend and foes, the well-thought crafting etc. are unfortunately held back by an utterly tiring open-world design, filled with the most basic and repetitive fetch-quests.

The fact that the first Mass Effect is fundamentally the same game, is a lost chance to correct the mishaps of the original one. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful remaster, as proper remasters should be. As a whole, the Legendary Edition is a must-have collection for every conscious gamer on the planet. You know, the planet called Terra, in the Local Cluster.

Subnautica: Below Zero retains all the key gameplay elements that gave its predecessor its success, and furthermore adds various improvements -although its significantly smaller map area and its design deprive it of the feelings of loneliness, fear and awe as you enter a new biome.

Although Sony made clear their plans to not go through with a sequel, at least Days Gone can stand on its own as a complete story. PC users will have the chance to see first-hand a decent open-world game, with emphasis on characters, on the beautiful forest areas of Oregon.

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.

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.

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.

While not without faults and with a strangely out of character last section, Resident Evil Village is simply one of the finest moments for the series, mixing together a wonderfully dark atmosphere with tense action and sweet morsels of horror and despair.

Four captivating heroines, new content for each game and lots of gameplay time guarantee three fantastic journeys into distinct worlds of alchemy that intertwine with each other and can make our quest of alchemic perfection a rather enjoyable one. Players who are ready to forgive some technical hiccups, the lack of challenge and the repetitiveness of the gameplay are due to a magical experience.

If only the highly derivative RTS part of Smelter was skipped during development, it would probably allow its platform segments to truly shine. Here is hoping that a possible sequel will follow the route of ActRaiser (a game so similar you’d believe Smelter might be a spin-off) and be made exclusively as platform game.

For someone who plays videogames just to have fun, Nier Replicant can be a brutal experience with its slogging pacing and busy work questing design. Behind all that rubble there is an amazing cast of characters that perform in an incredible emotional story, full of great conceptual themes that stick in your heart and mind days after the finale.

Various technical problems due to the sloppy transition from the VR environment and mixed gaming styles lead to a confusing mixture with no character defining assets and a mediocre plot with little to no interest for the player.

Tennis World Tour 2 Complete Edition offers minor improvements, but it still remains a game not suited for casuals. Hardcore fans on the other hand will likely spend many hours with the game and will appreciate the new arenas, international tournaments, added players and gear that this edition brings to the table.

It Takes Two is the magnum opus not only of Hazelight Studios but of co-op experiences in general. It’s one of those extremely rare games that it’s almost impossible to find a fault to any of its elements, be it the longevity, gameplay, art direction, music, boss fights, environmental puzzles, innovation etc. A truly flawless experience.

A fairly cute and easy indie puzzle game that is designed to spend the player's time in a relaxing way.

It's always nice to return to the dark and foreboding world of Doom 3, and the chance to relive it in a Virtual Reality environment is truly welcomed, but in this version Doom 3 really shows its age.

Returnal is a blast to play, with nice visuals, exceptional sound production and one of the best DualSense implementations to date. There is a significant degree of difficulty that might discourage a lot of players, but the gameplay is so addictive that it keeps you coming back for more.

We are definitely pleased seeing the return of Abe, one of the most beloved heroes of the PS One generation. We are more than pleased that it retains the essence of the gameplay while also modernizing it. We are thrilled in the prospect that Abe’s saga will continue. At the same time, we really hope that the next adventures will be accompanied by more reliable gameplay mechanics and less of the tired industrial environments.

The creators of Lust from Beyond had a quite interesting vision with this unique erotic-horror adventure, that sadly falls flat due to an obsolete game design and many technical problems.

Outriders is a quite pleasant surprise when it comes to its combat mechanics, lore, structure and overall quality. It is a bright example that a looter-shooter can be fun, addictive and extremely enjoyable without the need to reside on a "Games as a Service" mentality.

An innovative, wonderful game that is further improved in its “Final Cut” version, but is somewhat hampered in the console version by its poor gamepad controls and the annoyingly small text.

A short but fun and cute shoot ‘em up that will appeal to fans of the genre -provided they do not mind its short duration.

An oversimplified control system and an archaic level design could have been a fad if Balan Wonderworld had been released more than a decade ago. But in these times, Balan Wonderworld is nothing more than an uninteresting, tasteless relic of the past. Players who are interested in beautiful, fantasy-inspired platformers have many more interesting options out there to pick.

Paradise Lost should be described as a hardcore walking simulator, meaning that we can only walk (not run) and the most complex thing we can do is press buttons. This could potentially work if it had an engrossing story but alas the personal story of Szymon is predictable and devoid of creating an emotional connection. Be that as it may it should be pointed out that the gigantic bunker depicts some scenes of beauty.

An audio based arcade racer, that’s a bit too simple but with lots of fun. A unique blend of an interesting premise with a “Twilight Zone” vibe and an excellent, absurd and sarcastic writing.

The wonderful background art and the interesting main idea are to be commended, but whether these are enough to overcome some amateurish writing elements, poor animation and plainly bad voice acting, it will depend on how much of a hardcore "Cthulhu-ist"/ adventure gamer the player is.

Narita Boy is hands-down a gorgeous looking game, with detailed pixel art and a beautiful ode to Tron. It is unfortunate then, that its platforming is overly simplistic, the combat perfunctory and the backtracking feels utterly unnecessary.

Gnosia is more than just a visual novel game: It is a quest to help some characters discover universal truths. It allows players to break the boundaries of time and space, to move ahead and explore every single aspect of its expansive story.

A lovingly made remaster of one of the greatest first person adventure games of all time.

A typical roguelite, 2D sidescrolling action-platformer with an unnecessary combination of poorly made roleplaying elements. It has a few moments of fun in its procedurally generated levels, but otherwise it is nothing more than another grind fest.

Kaze and the Wild Masks is 10% a nostalgic trip to platformers of the 16-bit era and 90% an ode to Donkey Kong Country from the SNES. It is full of charm, with a vibrant and detailed pixel art and with simplistic, albeit satisfying gameplay. Fans of linear 2D platformers that focus on platforming could not find a safer option for their next purchase.

Following the successful implementations of Monster Hunter World, Rise perfectly utilizes them and moves them a step ahead. Implementing vertical exploration, new locales, the endemic life mechanism, the addition of the loyal Palamutes and, most importantly, a cast collection of new and dangerous monsters, Monster Hunter Rise is a game that can keep players busy for a long period of time.

A webcomic-based 2D point and click adventure that focuses on its adult humor, but offers little in terms of challenge.