The Rogue Prince of Persia is an extremely competent and entertaining roguelite that excels where it matters most. Its acrobatic movement is the highlight, complemented by a solid combat system and vibrant art direction. While it doesn't reinvent the wheel and follows a safe formula, it executes it masterfully and offers replayability.

The RPG does what it sets out to do and lets few things slip. Infinity Nikki is a more evolved version of what all fans of dress-up games from the 2000s loved. With thought-provoking gameplay, a detailed world to explore and plenty of content, the game is one of the best surprises of the year.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess impresses with its aesthetics and, almost without words, the game tells the story by itself. The plot is fairly simple, without much complexity, but it works. The action fits perfectly with the strategy and creates a unique and immersive experience, but it's in the beautiful art direction that Kunitsu-Gami exudes the most personality and style.

Dungeons of Hinterberg is a fun, synergistic marriage of the mechanics of The Legend of Zelda and Persona. The dungeons are the great brilliance of the game, as they are fun, unique and have excellent puzzles. The combat is solid and very competent, while the story is fairly simple, but provides a good thread for the gameplay. The big downside is the relationship system, which may disappoint Persona players who expected a similar quality to Atlus' franchise games, but is still enjoyable at the end of the campaign, although there are ups and downs along the way.

It is the best soulslike not made by FromSoftware. Lies of P does not innovate, but it is extremely competent and executes what it sets out to do with excellence, which shows that to be an excellent game it is not always necessary to reinvent the wheel. Lies of P often sounds like a beautiful and solid homage to FromSoftware games, especially Bloodborne, and features very well-executed gameplay with its own originality. The game has a great story told in a direct way, which overcomes the major flaw of other games of the genre.

Although far from the quality of the great titles in the genre, Crow Country offers a very cohesive survival horror experience that will please fans of the genre. The game's aiming system is terrible, but it doesn't become a major problem after a few hours of campaigning. With an intriguing plot and great puzzles, the game is an excellent indie that you should give a chance if you like horror.

Without words, Keeper manages to have a touching narrative depth and features wonderful artistic feats. However, technical aspects make the experience unpleasant at certain points and detract from the enjoyment of such a surreal and beautiful world. Double Fine continues to be great at creating works that touch the heart, but perhaps it is time to review the optimization of the studio's works.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins greatly reduces the scope of playable characters by concentrating on a single protagonist, but with access to a huge arsenal at his disposal and an entertaining campaign from start to finish. The game once again stands out for its good story, beautiful visuals and great combat system, but the repetitiveness of the missions and the fact that the protagonist is overshadowed by all the historical characters in the series, such as Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Diao Chan and Guan Yu, prevent Koei Tecmo's hack and slash from reaching its full potential. Even so, the game shines with its gameplay, captivating plot and delivers the best title in the franchise since Dynasty Warriors 4.

The King of Fighters XV may not be the best fighting game of the current generation of consoles, and it may not have the best graphics or visual style ever seen in the fighting game market, but it is certainly a fun game that will give fans enough reason to kill the nostalgia of the good arcade times. Its classic and new characters do the trick to bring lively and fierce disputes above all, especially with online modes that work and will make the battles pay for many hours.

With a deep and rich career mode, and the vast amount of assist and difficulty options, F1 22 remains the best racing game in the series, as well as being the most complete and accessible reproduction of a single modern motorsport in the market - not to mention that adjustments to some of its most reused elements also make a difference. This year's edition isn't quite as bold as F1 2021, though, and the F1 Life mode, frankly, with its focus on footwear and furniture, certainly isn't even a bandage to cover the lack of the F1's ambitious story mode from last year.

Dying Light: The Beast is a fun and confident return to the series' roots. The new mechanic of transforming into a monster is the highlight and, together with the charisma of the protagonist Kyle Crane, elevates the story. With a more contained but dense map and exemplary technical performance, the game does not reinvent the formula, but executes it masterfully. It is a polished adventure, a treat for fans and an excellent starting point for newcomers.

EA took great care and brought a farewell worthy of the last FIFA. FIFA 23 brings a lot of interesting new features, cameos - like the members of Ted Lasso -, gameplay improvements that really add to the game, not to mention it's actually much better looking than the previous games. The really first FIFA of the new generation of consoles will also be the last, and while it brings some of the frustrations already known to fans, it will be a good gateway to the next generation of EA football games.

After a hiatus of almost 26 years, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves has successfully brought back one of the most iconic fighting game franchises of the 90s. With excellent gameplay and a great blend of tradition and modernity, the direct sequel to Garou is still an extremely familiar game for fans of the 1999 classic, but with a host of new features capable of attracting a new audience.

ROUTINE is a unique space horror game with strong references to classic survival horror titles and 1980s science fiction cinema. With its sublime puzzles and well-paced gameplay, the game keeps you hooked from start to finish with an intriguing narrative skillfully woven together through documents, videos, diaries, and even the character’s hallucinations.

Pacific Drive is a meticulous game that asks the player to perform a lot of tasks to deal with its many exploration, survival, crafting and customization systems. Offering a rich universe filled with questions and kind of a macabre awe that is definitely unique among many survival games that end up bringing the same chassis with a different skin, the Ironwood Studio game is a gem.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment successfully expands on the story of Tears of the Kingdom in a satisfying way. The fun and chaotic gameplay is great and is the highlight of the game. Fortunately, thanks to the wide variety of characters, the game avoids the repetitiveness of its very similar objectives. Although it doesn't shine like the main titles, the narrative brings a new perspective to the War of Imprisonment. Learning more about each sage is charming, but even so, there is nothing that makes it a must-have title within The Legend of Zelda.

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a reminder as to why Kazuma Kiryu will always be the biggest name in the franchise. The return to action adventure provides the best combat the series has seen and the story shows a Kiryu that regardless of the trials and tribulations he's been through, remains true to his ideals. The game is obligatory to any fan, even if it doesn't bring many innovations and a gameplay structure that is more of the same.

Overwatch 2 fulfills the mission of breathing new life into what was once one of the best multiplayer shooter, before falling into great oblivion because of Blizzard's lack of attention. Switching to 5v5 matches ushers in a new era in Overwatch battles and abilities, where one-on-one duels take precedence over tactical team play. New heroes and maps freshen up the environment, while the Push mode could become a fan favorite. Overwatch has everything to shine again, as long as it gets the attention its competitors have done. We can't gauge what Overwatch 2 could be, we can judge what's in front of us at launch - and this is a team-based FPS that's quite fun, full of charm and love for its universe, and one that we can't wait to see more by keep playing.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger is more than just a nostalgic trip down memory lane—it's a JRPG that knows exactly what it wants to be: grand, addictive, and exciting. With a story that blends mystery and epic, a brilliant digivolution system, and a vibrant Digiworld, it not only honors the franchise's legacy, but establishes itself as one of the best games of the year. An irresistible invitation for veterans and a magical gateway for those who have never experienced the universe of digital monsters.

The First Berserker: Khazan is intense for better or worse. When the game is immersed in its combat, creating builds and a few boss battles, it shines brightly, almost reaching the shelf of great soulslikes. However, the poor level design, repetition of enemies, drowsy story and inconsistent difficulty make it fall down the ranks and be just another soulslike, although it still ranks among the good titles of the genre, no more than that. Lovers of Nioh and difficult games will find plenty of fun in the more than 35-hour campaign.

Despite all its flaws, Tormented Souls 2 may still appeal to nostalgic players who miss the classic survival horror games. That said, it doesn’t make up for the game’s script flaws, its unintuitive gameplay, and its predictable jump scares, which get lost amid an excellent atmosphere.

Dune: Awakening takes advantage of the franchise's great momentum to create an immersive experience in the Arrakis desert, mixing MMO and survival elements in a good balance. Despite some technical flaws and combat that will need to be reworked by developer Funcom, it's a solid and fun base for a game that has everything it takes to become a benchmark in the genre.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond delivers a solid adventure faithful to the series' legacy, combining good exploration and puzzles that carry the essence of the saga. The game, however, suffers in portable mode, featuring somewhat dated graphics unworthy of such a highly anticipated release, but shines when docked and played on a good TV. The presence of AI-controlled allies is more charming than useful, and although the Vi-O-La motorcycle helps make the journey through Viewros less tiring, it works more as a remedy for a pacing problem than a genuinely exciting element. The price differences between Switch and Switch 2 also raise the question of whether the improvements justify the additional cost, especially when some of them seem to merely mitigate technical limitations.

NBA 2K23 has it all. Its nostalgic ways massage the affection that more traditional NBA fans have for games and teams of the past, while also bringing a little bit of the history that turned the NBA into the emotional machine it is today. All of this combined with gameplay changes like improved spacing and better AI make this an ideal game for sports game fans. NBA 2K23 is indeed one of the best experiences for basketball fans in games, but please, stay away of its microtransactions. Particularly, we focus on the parts without it and that's the path for some real fun.

EA Sports FC 24 has a new name, but it's still just another FIFA. Solid gameplay, AI improvements, subtle changes, and movement updates have always been present in the franchise that now has a new name. The new features in Career Mode are interesting and make you feel closer to the shoes of a soccer player or coach. The presence of women's football within Ultimate Team makes mixed team combinations interesting, fun and balanced. It will always be unfair to charge full price for a game that could just be an update, but for the huge community that loves EA's football game, it's a good game and will definitely have fun. There was a lack of boldness for EA, which expanded the presence of women's football within the game, but did not add a Career Mode in the women's leagues, but perhaps this is future planning for the new EA Sports FC franchise.

Shrouded in the magic and oppressiveness of the Elden Ring world, Nightreign is a good addition to the franchise, but it's no more than an empty, superficial spectacle that relies on nostalgia for bosses and references to Dark Souls. Fun can be found in the rushed exploration of Limveld and in the battles that are only big in size and have lost their epic factor due to the lifeless arenas. The game, however, could be a new way for new players to enter the soulslike universe thanks to its greater accessibility and less punishing challenge.

Despite a few stumbles, Mario & Luigi: Brothership manages to deliver a comeback worthy of the franchise. The game strikes a balance between fun and challenge, and it's a great duo job to control Mario and Luigi at the right time to progress through obstacles and face enemies in an exciting combat system.

Without going overboard or using any extravagance, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD revitalizes the Nintendo Wii classic with decency. You can still have fun and stress out equally, but in a satisfying way in the excellent platforming challenges and the beautiful scenery worthy of the masterpiece it is known for. The addition of the Nintendo 3DS-exclusive stages gives it an air of novelty, but it's still too little to justify the full price of a title that hasn't even been localized into Brazilian Portuguese. In short, the game is a timid addition to the catalog of a franchise that deserves more and has been forgotten since 2014, when Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was released. Who knows, maybe on the Nintendo Switch 2 we'll see our beloved Donkey Kong shine again.

As a Nintendo Switch release, Luigi's Mansion 2 HD manages to entertain despite the problems that eventually make it tiresome, just like the original. Although it's not the best game in the franchise, it's a title that has interesting mechanics and relies especially on the contextual narrative adapted for each region. For those who played the original, however, the big difference is in the controls. The visual evolution isn't big enough to justify the full price.

The Lake House adds to Alan Wake 2's incredible ecosystem in a simple way, but maintains the quality of Remedy's work. What was great is still great, and now all that's left for fans of the franchise and the developer is to wait for the brilliant new adventures and horrors that Sam Lake and his team are preparing.

Crimson Desert offers a well-rounded experience, even if it has a few stumbles along the way. Its campaign leaves something to be desired, but the game more than makes up for it with a vibrant, detail-rich world. Its excellent combat, combined with stunning visuals and a powerful soundtrack, makes the battles fun and epic, but it was in its open world that I found the game’s greatest appeal and standout feature.

Avowed delivers a solid and accessible action RPG, with a vibrant world and dynamic combat, but without the depth or complexity that many expected. Its predictable narrative works, and exploration is rewarding, although repetition and the lack of impact of choices limit immersion. If you're looking for a successor to Pillars of Eternity, you may be disappointed, but for those who want a fun adventure without excessive complications, it could be a good choice.

Without being scary, with mediocre storytelling and gameplay, an uninteresting protagonist, and cats as the main highlight, Cronos: The New Dawn is a basic and unremarkable survival horror game, but one that will entertain fans of the genre — and that's enough. Unfortunately, Bloober Team has not repeated the quality level of Silent Hill 2 Remake and returns to the level of forgettable games.

South of Midnight is one of the hits that Xbox Game Studios has been crying out for. With a simple but captivating narrative, the game presents good characters and moves you with clear and profound messages. Despite the somewhat repetitive combat, the game is fun in its simplicity and finds its brilliance in a restrained and great folkloric world, governed by beautiful songs and led by the excellent protagonist Hazel.

At first glance, Zenless Zone Zero proves capable of maintaining the level of quality expected from HoYoverse in its own way. In a brief comparative analysis, however, there are certain qualities in Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail that I believe surpass ZZZ, such as world exploration. However, the hack and slash action RPG brought the best combat mechanics of all the company's games, and I can say that I'm pleased with the result of this initiative, although the low difficulty prevents the game from reaching higher heights.

Dusk Falls brings a branching narrative that takes full advantage of the style of animations in comic book form, which gives us the opportunity to fill the empty space with our imagination - and this works in such a way that it makes the experience even more impressive, with its many multiple choices combined with the emotional intensity of its expressive voice cast. A masterpiece of the genre.

In a completely different way from what we're used to, Tales of Kenzera: Zau tackles the ups and downs of the grieving process through an exciting, colorful and charismatic adventure. With a fun combat system that becomes increasingly challenging throughout the campaign, the game meets expectations with rich world-building and satisfying exploration.

The old school style of Skald: Against the Black Priory is a tribute to classic RPGs. The game's narrative shines through and its retro design will trigger nostalgia. However, this lovecraftian darkness adventure may not be for everyone and I wonder to what extent it is just a look into the past while failing to deliver something special for players.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is a true love letter to the early years of the franchise, but it does not really bring anything new or revolutionary to the gameplay and story. You're gonna get the same mechanics - albeit without the RPG elements and as refined as you can imagine - and a charismatic protagonist that leaves its mark in the hall of best assassins.

RKGK is a relatively short adventure, but it's an extremely satisfying and entertaining surprise. The game delivers visually with its eye-catching graffiti and exotic colors. The challenges are everywhere, and as stressful as they may be at certain levels, they will encourage players to tackle everything that lies ahead and revisit the worlds they have already completed in search of more challenges.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human could very likely become the stellar zombie survival adventure it should someday be, provided the bugs are finally wiped out. Its excellent parkour is an amazing way to explore this giant open world of the last tough city, and the post-apocalyptic stories of its many strange and distinctive characters are a must-see. Our bet? If its developers bring us a DLC with a really interesting story (or that solves this ending that we can't swallow), then we'll have the perfect zombie game.

With some of the best world-building in the history of the gaming franchise, Star Wars Outlaws stands out from most of the other titles in the series for its immersion and richly detailed construction of different planets and moons in a galaxy far, far away. The good story and excellent setting are the great strengths of a game that doesn't fly higher only due to a combat system that lacks greater depth and becomes repetitive after a campaign that can easily exceed 50 hours. Outlaws doesn't reach the level of titles like Knights of the Old Republic or Jedi: Survivor, but it certainly ranks among the good Star Wars adaptations for games.

With great combat, Rise of the Ronin falters trying to be bigger than it should, which ends up taking the focus away from its positives and distracting us with a series of things that don't really matter.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is the fantastic fantasy version of Borderlands, and as the spinoff progresses, it closely remembers previous successes, which at times felt a little unoriginal. Thankfully, with excellent writing, hilarious performances from an all-star cast, and ridiculous combat shines and make this tabletop-inspired blast festival absolutely worth it.

Dead Take experiments with narrative triggers already masterfully employed in previous first-person horror titles and draws players in with well-developed scenarios that represent the emptiness of fame, but it relies on the excellent performances of Ben Starr and Neil Newbon to really take flight.

Immortals of Aveum has only its combat as a merit. However, the repetitiveness of encounters taints the only redeeming aspect of the game: the magical weaving system. The game lacks character development, solid narrative and intricate level design, not to mention the technical problems.

Visions of Mana renews the soul of the franchise with interesting characters and simple but visually appealing combat. Exploration, interaction with the map and interpersonal relationships are the strong points of this RPG, which is a must for those who enjoy linear heroic adventures. It is, however, a game that stays in the comfort zone of its genre in all respects and optimization for consoles could be improved.

Ghostwire: Tokyo really surprises by delivering a perfect balance of horror and action. It Exceeds initial expectations, and makes you feel more fear than expected thanks to the great transversal work of the Tango Gameworks team. With a nice gameplay, although not much in-depth, you'll find yourself in the midst of an incomprehensible chaos that will make you fall in love with it when unraveling it. Finally, the title will give you the best thing in a work of horror: not feeling momentary fear from an animal survival instinct, but a constant fear that makes you restless when you close your eyes before going to sleep.

In addition to being a city manager with breathtaking visuals, The Wandering Village offers an immersive experience with a narrative that arouses curiosity, a super interesting morality system, and an enchanting soundtrack.

F1 24 doesn't bring any major changes compared to its predecessor, but it does deliver some good additions to the game's well-known modes. The revamp of the career mode, allowing players to assume the identity of a real Formula 1 driver, was a great move by EA and Codemasters, but some problems with the car's steering can affect the experience in the very first races. In short, if you have F1 23, it may not be worth switching to the new full-price entry if you don't want the career mode with real drivers.

Saviorless is a great indie game with an abstract story that captivates you from start to finish, but it has a confusing and rushed ending, which is improved by the other endings available in its plot. In terms of gameplay, the game shines with platforming challenges that offer just the right amount of difficulty and will test your skills, especially during boss battles. The game is a pleasant surprise from a market that is just starting out in the electronic games industry and has everything it needs to grow.

Despite its fun gameplay, which is very reminiscent of the fourth game in the series, Top Spin 2K25 has evolved little in terms of movement mechanics and the physics of the tennis players' strokes in almost 15 years. To make matters worse, the poor visuals, especially in the textures of the characters, really detract from the experience, as the game often looks like it was made for the end of the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation. Top Spin 2K25 even hits some commendable winners, but the large number of unforced errors prevents it from dreaming of a Grand Slam title in sports simulators.

Emio - The Smiling Man comes up short being too simple, but it's a very well-constructed game in terms of both graphics and storyline. Despite a few stumbles in the choice of dialogue development, the game progresses to a surprising conclusion and leaves no loose ends.

One of the most eagerly awaited independent metroidvanias of recent years, Gestalt: Steam & Cinder stands out for its excellent combat system, with a huge and diverse skill tree for the powerful protagonist Aletheia, and for its steampunk setting, rich in detail. The title developed by Metamorphosis Games, however, squanders its own potential with an excessive focus on a story that, although promising at first glance, turns out to be drawn out, distant and full of expository dialog and characters lacking in charisma. Despite the neat gameplay, good soundtrack and beautiful art direction, the title doesn't reach the level of the best games in the genre, whether classics from the past or more recent releases.

The game removes some of the mechanics that made it even more terrifying, but it still stays true to the original and serves as an excellent introduction for a new generation of players.

Persona 5 Tactica is a strategy game that will please fans of the franchise, but will not impress more than Strikers. It's a fine experience with the Phantom Thieves in a new story that drags for a while, but has its funny moments if you're fan of Atlus's RPGs.

Princess Peach: Showtime! is an experience that will hook you with its magical visuals, but only the first time. The game, which mixes several genres, has slow stages that don't offer much replayability and few extra challenges, making it stand out as a unique adventure in which Peach navigates the most varied nostalgic memories of our childhood.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a good game, but it's not even close to the original title. Although the plot is interesting and leaves the door open for a sequel, the new entry in the famous franchise lacks something that made the first game so impactful: a moving story that makes players identify with it. As a result, Double Exposure fails to be as memorable as its narrative predecessor. While the original Life is Strange perfectly balanced the relationships between the characters with the mystery of the story, Double Exposure seems to put aside the more social commentary of the games in the franchise and put more emphasis on superpowers and their possibilities. A new proposal that has yet to prove itself.

Harvestella is ideal for anyone looking for a game with the peace of mind of a farm simulator and the challenge of combat. You'll likely feel a mix of relaxation and excitement as you tend to crops and fight off threats, all while trying to uncover the truth behind the mysterious "death station", Quietus.

The prequel knows how to exploit its strengths, with a cinematic narrative full of tension. The setting in ancient Sicily is also one of its strengths, with an engaging atmosphere and a protagonist who carries the weight of his journey well. The game suffers from certain limitations with unrefined features, but even so, the story makes up for it with morally ambiguous choices that keep the player hooked until the end.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is great when it's not mired in sameness and technical flaws. In the moments when the game is working as it should, I found great narratives, had fun fighting soldiers and monsters and enjoyed exploring the regions of the Exclusion Zone. If played calmly and after major corrections, STALKER 2 can be a very satisfying experience, but at the moment it has become one of the most stressful gaming experiences of my life.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals doesn't innovate much on gameplay and when it tries to, it could've done better. However, the story touches on heavy themes of grief and belonging while giving closure to its predecessor. Offering choices that escape the 'good versus evil' dichotomy, the game is an allegory to accepting what is outside our control.

Sand Land is a game that pays homage to Akira Toriyama's original work, with a living world that brings much of the atmosphere of the manga published in 2000. The good story and charismatic characters make the campaign a lot of fun most of the time, but the repetitiveness of the enemies and the shallow combat prevent the title developed by ILCA from soaring higher. For an open-world RPG that can exceed 40 hours between the main story and side quests, Sand Land still entertains, but it would certainly be a better game if it featured more variety of strategies in hand-to-hand combat or on board the various vehicles you unlock during the campaign.

When Nintendo Switch Sports was announced, I was ecstatic. When Nintendo provided the code for this review, I couldn't stop smiling. However, when I opened the game and started playing it, I embarked on a nostalgic adventure that took me to simpler and happier times. However, it was towards the end of my evaluation period that I really understood that Nintendo Switch Sports had accomplished the mission. When bringing the game back to the IGN Brasil newsroom, I could see the other team members gathered, curious about the game and looking forward to testing it. Upon defeating a friend, smiles opened, simulations of sports narrations took the place of the sound of keys being pressed and the purest happiness took over the environment. Yes, there are modes missing for a game of this importance and with the price range that It's commercialized, and not all of the ones available have pleased me, but the truth is that I've already fit Switch Sports into my routine, like my daily exercise session.

It started out as a collection of the looser story ideas that seemed to go nowhere, but slowly but surely Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin pulled it all together and managed to keep it level - although you want to make sure you scour it for collectibles. If you want the full effect of your revelations, a solid and immersive action combat system can be tweaked to be as challenging as it is rewarding. Along with versatile character customization that lets you mix and match dozens of interchangeable jobs, your character fights as you see fit and gives you the ability to experiment and find a winning combination in one or three player co-op. There's significant room for improvement in the tools it offers to manage the avalanche of gear that drops on every mission, but the nods to Final Fantasy history sprinkled throughout its levels are enough to deflect attention from this sort of thing.

Life is Strange: Reunion clings to nostalgia and doesn't allow its protagonists to mature beyond the dilemmas they faced in Arcadia Bay 10 years ago. It's a must-see for fans of the franchise, but it's also a bittersweet experience, delivering a predictable mystery shrouded in technical problems that, at this point, Deck Nine should have already overcome.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet are excellent games, and, if it weren't for the technical problems, they would surpass the feats of Legends: Arceus, which started a necessary evolution in the classic Nintendo franchise. The game features a beautiful open world full of Pokémon, so you never feel like you're exploring something empty. The Pokémon campaigns finally showed an interesting maturity, which seems to want to keep up with the audience that has so much prestige to the series since 1995, without losing the children's audience that still drives purchases. However, most of Scarlet & Violet's potential is wasted simply by avoidable technical issues such as a lack of graphical and performance polish. A game of this relevance within a franchise of this magnitude cannot succumb to repeating these mistakes and not improving, especially in light of the criticism that the latest title has had.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has its story as a strong point, but can drag a bit, especially in the beginning. It's a game to enjoy slowly and explore everything the immersion can offer you.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet are excellent games, and, if it weren't for the technical problems, they would surpass the feats of Legends: Arceus, which started a necessary evolution in the classic Nintendo franchise. The game features a beautiful open world full of Pokémon, so you never feel like you're exploring something empty. The Pokémon campaigns finally showed an interesting maturity, which seems to want to keep up with the audience that has so much prestige to the series since 1995, without losing the children's audience that still drives purchases. However, most of Scarlet & Violet's potential is wasted simply by avoidable technical issues such as a lack of graphical and performance polish. A game of this relevance within a franchise of this magnitude cannot succumb to repeating these mistakes and not improving, especially in light of the criticism that the latest title has had.

With a stimulating combat system and an ambitious proposal of accessibility for soulslike newcomers, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn oscillates between highs and lows. A well-constructed story could also make the game better, especially given the potential of the Flintlock universe, but studio A44 has left this point too far aside and prevented the action RPG from taking higher flights.

Sonic Frontiers takes some risks, and that's good. Even in a bizarre way, it is an evolution of the franchise that brings new air and hope for the subsequent content. If you're a Sonic fan or an adventurer, you're sure to enjoy what this brave new open world includes. From the presence of classic stages to silly but enjoyable minigames, the new things are fresh air to the playground of possibilities that Sonic can run through. And even with its flaws and oddities (a bunch of them), I'll be back running through the fields of Frontiers to find what was missing in my first playthrough.

LEGO Horizon Adventures adapts the universe of the Sony franchise well and brings lightness and humor to the PlayStation Studios production, although it is a duller adaptation than the original series. When compared to the other LEGO games, the game falls short due to some overly simplistic level design decisions. The story tries to be funny in a forced and flawed way, the gameplay is repetitive and tires you out after 30 minutes.

Creatively different, Pokémon Legends: Z-A sets a new standard for the series by combining the identity of the anime with decades of expectations. The intimate concept of Lumiose, while still highlighting Game Freak's repetitive problems, brings more life to the world in which humans and Pokémon share the disappointments and joys of metropolitan life disrupted by incessant innovative battles.

Stuck in some survival horror tropes that are already tired in 2025, A.I.L.A embodies the terror of AIs with a frightening villain, macabre settings, and great puzzles. A little more polish would be very beneficial for the game, which has a solid narrative and an excellent variety of horror approaches for each experience in the plot.

Spirit of the North 2 has its ups and downs. The sequel expands its universe and story well, building a plot capable of captivating the player with its mythology and symbolic message. However, the game replicated the same mistakes as its predecessor, flaws that can't just be brushed aside, since they sacrifice gameplay and player progression.

Shadow Labyrinth doesn't quite capture the chaotic charm of Pac-Man. The game seems intent on proving that a dark reinterpretation of this universe can work, but it doesn't really seem ready for it.

Right from the first month of the year, as far as I’m concerned, Code Vein 2 has all the makings of one of the most disappointing experiences of 2026. The story is predictable and monotonous; the combat, while decent, gets tedious due to the repetition of enemies and attack patterns; and the boss battles are unengaging—which is probably the biggest flaw in a Soulslike game.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game is sure to entertain you, especially if you play with friends, but the title doesn't innovate enough to stand out in the genre. With familiar mechanics and interesting gameplay, it offers an enjoyable experience, but no great surprises. If you're a fan of asymmetrical horror, it's worth a look, but don't expect anything revolutionary.

Even though it's short, Trek to Yomi's journey is very interesting and captivating. With an art style inspired by monochrome Japanese films, this adventure has enough interesting paintings to make up for your slips. Its combat is interesting and easily mastered, while exploration and puzzles aren't the most challenging in the world.

Although well-intentioned, the game tries to embrace the world and show different approaches to survival horror in a shallow and unremarkable way, which makes it a morbid and forgettable experience in a genre full of unforgettable and excellent titles, whether on the indie scene or big AAAs.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 slows down a little compared to its predecessor and responds to complaints from the community to deliver a good multiplayer experience in a year when everything is against it. Its campaign, however, highlights what has been sacrificed in the short development time and stands as a strong contender for the worst story in the franchise.

The Casting of Frank Stone expands the Dead by Daylight universe, but leaves more questions than answers. With a “safe narrative” and solid gameplay, the horror and narrative game manages to be a valuable addition for fans of the work or the genre.

Detective Pikachu Returns is a good deal for Sherlock Holmes fans and those who don't really like action packed games. It feels more like a long movie with a few select actual game parts. The graphical part is nothing spectacular and leaves to be desired. Lastly, the fact the game does not have PT-BR localization is a big minus especially because of the amount of dialogues and text.

Aphelion offers a compelling sci-fi premise and an immersive soundtrack, but stumbles in its execution. What should be an emotional and epic journey ends up getting lost in a rushed pace and repetitive gameplay, which turns exploration into a tedious climbing (or mountaineering) simulator.

With extremely entertaining combat, an innovative party system and an interesting, well-told story, Deathbound shines, but stumbles over technical flaws. The game is exquisite in creating a vast world rich in detail, whether it's the mythology created or the seven protagonists who ooze personality. An excellent way of defining Deathbound is that it's a soulslike game from the early 2010s, which hasn't kept up so well with the improvements that other titles in this category have brought over the years, but may please more purist gamers.

Deliver At All Costs has a good system for destroying environments and stylish graphics, but lacks much in the way of really useful customization and gets lost in a shallow story with little charisma. Despite this, it's a good title to launch an independent studio, which can take its future projects to greater heights.

Alone in the Dark leaves a lot to be desired compared to other survival horror games, but it manages to deliver a somewhat competent experience. The game doesn't really shine in any aspect, but has small positives and is a good return for a franchise that needed a restart to position itself among the genre it created many years ago. Alone in the Dark is not dead, and if it manages to fix mistakes it can have a bright future ahead.

Living up to its name, Lost Soul Aside is a soulless game. Its combat, which should be its strongest point, suffers from a lack of responsiveness and boils down to mashing two buttons, while its generic art direction and empty story fail to make any impact. Despite its indie origins, which could justify some flaws, its launch price as a AAA game makes its shortcomings difficult to forgive.

Just when Drag X Drive starts to get fun, you reach the end of the content and activities the game has to offer. Simple is the best way to describe this title, and unfortunately, due to the lack of content, the game can't escape looking like a “premium” tech demo.

Endless Ocean Luminous sells itself as an immense blue expanse, but its developers seem to have forgotten to create enough content to broaden the player's interest in returning to repetitive scenarios with fish that look more like robots than the game's artificial intelligence. The tedious experience is made worse as you progress through the basic story, which doesn't justify the large number of hours spent scanning an exaggerated number of marine animals.

The House of the Dead: Remake can be an classic enjoyable return to fans of the franchise, but its performance hiccups and not-that-well-made controls are more scary than the zombies.

Morbid: The Lords of Ire has an interesting concept, but it gets lost in terrible gameplay, lifeless and ugly scenery, an uninteresting story and unexciting boss battles. Whether it's the terrible hitbox, the unsatisfactory exploration or even the unbalanced challenge that doesn't make the game difficult, but frustrating, the game fails as a soulslike.