MotoGP 26 is like that rider who nails three perfect turns and then runs wide on the fourth, looks at you, and says, “Don’t worry, we’ll fix it in the next patch."

Pokémon Champions is a Pokémon battle simulator; it does just that, and that's fine. It was developed with that specific purpose, and it wouldn't be fair to dismiss it as a flaw. As it stands, the game is a bit lacking in content, completely missing the possibility to battle against the CPU, and more could have been done to teach newcomers the basics of high-level competitive play. On the plus side, the experience is completely free to play, with a non-predatory, and indeed very fair, monetization system. Pokémon Champions is therefore a good foundation to build on, a live service built to last. If the game wants to be the home of competitive Pokémon in the long term, however, it must prove it with continuous improvements over time.

A worthwhile sci-fi story that is marred by questionable gameplay. One would expect more from Don't Nod.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is a Lovecraftian game to the core, but it is also an investigative adventure with an overly slow pace and less frightening than expected.

Life is Strange: Reunion constantly straddles two identities: the desire to recapture the intimate atmospheres and human relationships that made the original Life is Strange special, and the burden of a broader, more convoluted narrative direction inherited from the more recent Life is Strange: Double Exposure. The result is uneven - often stumbling over inconsistencies and simplifications - but it finds its strength in quieter moments, particularly through the renewed focus on Max and Chloe's relationship. Its contained structure, recycled environments, and gameplay that evolves little from past entries prevent the game from taking a true step forward. Yet, when it centers on character and emotion, Reunion leaves an impression, showing that the heart of the series is still beating. It may not be the sequel the franchise needed, but it slightly improves on Double Exposure, and could be a satisfying chapter for those attached to these characters and their world.

Stunning but "dated": World Series-caliber gameplay in a graphics engine that feels outdated. That’s the paradox: it drives you wild… and then, in the blink of an eye, it reminds you why you just can’t put it down.

Marathon gets better the more you play, but in today’s gaming landscape, it’s fair to ask how many players are willing to invest many hours before the real fun begins. The foundations are solid: the artistic vision is striking, and the gunplay is satisfying. Yet, many of Bungie’s new shooter’s mechanics seem almost designed to push players away rather than draw them in. A confusing interface, overly convoluted weapon and item design, a low TTK paired with punishing PvE, and progression systems that only balance out after unlocking most skill trees create significant early hurdles. And even when everything finally starts falling into place, some design choices remain puzzling, including the mandatory quarterly wipe, which currently raises more questions than answers. When it all comes together, Marathon is undeniably fun, but at this stage, the game still needs quite a few key tweaks to fully realize its potential.

Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is a heartfelt and massive tribute to the 20th anniversary of Geo Stelar's journey. While the newly added voice acting, the rich virtual museum, and the modern QoL features are fantastic additions, the surgical preservation of the original code brings along severely outdated design choices. The tedious backtracking, unskippable animations, and a clunky one-at-a-time quest system hold the experience back from true greatness. Still, beneath the anachronistic flaws lies a deeply emotional story and a genuinely addictive combat system. A solid, if slightly flawed, return to the Wave World.

Despite its fascinating 14th-century Italian setting and a combat system inspired by real historical martial arts, 1348 Ex Voto collapses under the weight of its own ambition. The rushed narrative, clunky and repetitive gameplay loop, jarringly empty environments, and a severe lack of technical polish overshadow the undeniable passion of the small development team. It's a game with great potential that sadly bites off much more than it can chew, leaving players with a frustratingly unrefined and buggy experience.

An ambitious roleplaying game marred by unsatisfying combat and too many graphical glitches.

Reanimal is a disturbing and visually meticulous déjà-vu, where gameplay lacks courage and co-op isn't fully exploited. Still, better to play it in two than alone.

A heartbreaking tale of two games. The first half with Grace offers a tense, atmospheric survival horror experience that hints at a bright future for the franchise. However, the second half completely betrays that promise, descending into a chaotic mess of forced nostalgia, nonsensical retcons, and a disrespectful treatment of its new characters. While technically polished with solid gunplay and great visuals, Resident Evil Requiem is narratively bankrupt - a confused hybrid that sacrifices logic for cheap fanservice. A massive missed opportunity.

God of War: Sons of Sparta is an incomprehensible project, whose purpose is unclear and whose overall presentation, both gameplay and narrative, fails to keep pace with both other exponents of the Metroidvania genre and the high quality that has more or less always distinguished the saga.

Code Vein II is a missed opportunity: it expands the universe and streamlines the gameplay, but sacrifices challenge on the altar of accessibility. Between a difficulty flattened by overly powerful teammates and various technical uncertainties, it remains a pleasant title but lacking the spark necessary to excel.

Quarantine Zone: The Last Check stands out for its concept and emotional impact, making the player feel the weight of deciding others’ fate. Weaker in variety, narrative, and technical polish, it lingers more for its discomfort than its game design.

A game with two distinct natures that don’t always interact well, wrapped in a pace that’s a bit too slow. Fortunately, the interesting use of deck‑building makes Death Howl a solid title for fans of the genre.

Sleep Awake is a visionary psychological horror, strong in atmosphere and aesthetics but less impactful in gameplay. A short, flawed yet memorable experience for fans of auteur-driven walking simulators.

Project Motor Racing tries to pick up the Project CARS legacy by sitting on the more sim-focused side of simcade, with a decent variety of cars and tracks and a driving model that can be enjoyable, especially on a wheel with some assists enabled. Overall, however, it struggles to find a clear identity, with a dry, spreadsheet-like career, merely adequate visuals and sound, inconsistent AI and several missing features and rough edges. A project with interesting potential that, at launch, stays well below its own ambitions.

Demonschool is a game with a strong personality and a distinctive aesthetic, blending PS1-style pixel art with references to classic ’90s JRPGs and an atmosphere reminiscent of Italian horror cinema. However, the game’s ambition often works against it: the story is predictable, the cast is underdeveloped, and the constant humor rarely lands as intended. The combat system, despite some interesting ideas, becomes repetitive as the game progresses and lacks a real sense of progression or reward. Demonschool ultimately leaves the impression of unfulfilled potential, making it an interesting but never memorable experience.

Football Manager 26 marks a new beginning for Sports Interactive’s saga, but not without growing pains. The move to Unity and a revamped, albeit convoluted, interface bring ambitious depth and realism in football storytelling, yet also contradictions and rough edges that make this a fascinating but imperfect transition year.

An uninspired return, frantic and fun, but lacking the soul and depth that made the original Painkiller a cult game.

A stilish roguelike which is fun in multiplayer but feels underdeveloped under several key aspects.

A charming yet flawed comeback, Yooka-Replaylee refines the original without making it truly shine and the 30 fps on Switch 2 are an eyesore.

A third chapter that could have seized the opportunity of the change in direction for a brave, new course, but instead settles for a sufficient rehash of its predecessors.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a captivating roguelite thanks to its narrative concept and artistic style, but it struggles in terms of pacing, variety and difficulty balance.

Baby Steps is a mix between a rage game and a walking simulator, where the player is required to have a lot of precision and patience. And I have no doubt that this title and its protagonist will find a place in the hearts of many gamers. At the same time, however, for some it could be a frustrating game, often involving long periods of downtime where you get stuck in one place or don't know which way to go. Furthermore, apart from the wonderful comic scenes, the game never really rewards the player for the effort made in reaching the goal, whether it be a campsite or a collectible. Perhaps Baby Steps is just a big metaphor teaching the player that life is about putting one foot in front of the other, knowing that falls will be frequent and disastrous, but that you can always get back up; or perhaps it's just a grotesque comedy, a title that knows how to make fun of itself and us, and that amid so much frustration manages to make us laugh a little at both Nate and ourselves.

A first-person shooter with great potential, but which unable to fully express itself.

A bland stylish action that proves how ambition and passion should never override actual experience.