Liberation's portable formula translates into home format losing part of its original appeal. The skin-tight Vita game fits better Aveline's sexy silhouette than this recycled outlet version. That is also technically out of fashion, after Black Flag.

One of the best Need for Speeds ever. Even if Ventura Bay can be a bit boring, the game is pure fun and adrenaline-driven.

Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is a game that knows how to entertain but without surprising, a lively title that can return a handful of carefree hours. The lack of any playful flicker, however, does not distinguish it from many exponents of the genre. The 3D graphics show a remarkable use of cel shading, but suffer from ubiquitous stuttering. Asha in Monster World is a decent remake, then, that lacks the restoration work done on his "colleagues", shows a little 'too much the weight of the years.

A very interesting "hero slasher" that at the moment is lacking in terms of content and variety.

Flockers is a nice and extremely addictive puzzle game. It's not extremely innovative, but it's got a lot of personality and lots of fun.

Paradise Lost is a classic walking simulator and this represents the cross and delight of the entire production. Letting yourself be carried away by the ashen environments, definitely inspired in their majestic decadence, means living a very suggestive and exciting story. On the other hand, its didactic nature and the total lack of playful elements could make anyone looking for a more classic and varied experience turn up their nose. The interest that Paradise Lost instills in players more inclined to narrative involvement goes beyond the game itself and could push the most curious to get interested in the real "Giant Project" or in the similarities with the homonymous poem by John Milton. This does not detract from the fact that the game has a level of graphic cleanliness largely to be reviewed and a structure locked inside a giant corridor. It's up to you to decide whether to immerse yourself in this chilling aquarium, or look for a less passive gaming experience.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong is a brilliant adaptation of the themes, the atmosphere and the mood of the homonymous pen and paper RPG. The alchemical mix between cinematic adventure and light RPG works great and Big Bad Wolf Studio gives a fresh take on the concept of “playing a role” in a video game. It’s a pity that technically wise the game sometimes doesn’t stand up to its own ambitions.

A game that coherently turns players into dog paparazzis, keeping them entertained for the whole time.

After the departure of Tomonobu Itagaki, Team Ninja seems to be victim of a curse: like a reverse Mida's touch, everything that Yosuke Hayashi comes in contact with suddenly turns to mediocre. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus unfortunately follows the same trend: instead of a portable rendition of an astonishing action game, here you'll find a questionable porting that, despite the interesting extras, is definitely not comparable to the original.

Strike Suit Zero has got some issues that keep it from being a must-buy, even for genre aficionados. It still is a pretty good game, with several highs and a good degree of challenge. There's also some replayability, even though it's tampered by the repetitive mission design.

Rise of the ghosts is a more of the same of Rage 2 with all the related strengths and weaknesses of Avalanche Studios. But with such a gunplay, it is difficult not to have fun.

Nintendo Pocket Football Club is a bite-sized football manager simulation. With its cute visuals and an enjoyable sense of progression, it fits perfectly the on-the-go way of living of the 3DS gamers.

Stronghold Crusader II can surely elicit nostalgia feelings in the most old-school fans, but it seems to lack the virtues to truly compete in the modern world.

Stronghold: Warlords isn't really a bad game, but antiquated mechanics and bland campaigns prevent it from standing out amongst a crowded strategy market.

Ash of Gods is heavily inspired by The Banner Saga, but sadly lacks the same charm and the rich narrative that characterized Stoic's game.

The Caligula Effect 2 has not too much to offer apart from a good combat system and some interesting artistic vibes. The game is a very classic JRPG technically wise far from the modern standards, which suffers from a quite frayed and monotonous rhythm.

Similar to Super Smash Bros. but much easier and with a very simplistic fighting system.

With four new maps, a couple of weapons and an extra episode for the Extinction mode, the classic DLC formula of Onslaught is too expensive for what it offers, while the horror cameo by Michael Myers feels a bit cheap and tacky. Zombies, aliens and now serial killers: what’s next, CoD?

A bold, brave and interesting attempt to translate the football mechanics in an old school action JRPG. The result is a fascinating, colourful and bizarre mix between Soccer Kid and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past which works in a sweet way until you have to play actual 5-a-side football: on the pitch Soccer Story fails to bring in actual drama and challenge, lowering the fun, the scope and the ambitions of the game.

GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon is not up to the level of the exponents from which it is inspired, but it remains a decent diversion for those who want yet another action roguelite.

MXGP2 is the best motocross game developed by Milestone, full of content and fun to drive.

The Lego Movie 2 Videogame is a solid game that uses a classical formula to succeed, taking no risk and so lacking in innovation.

A simple platform game, clearly thought for mobile gaming and not completely suited for a home console. Nevertheless, it is entertaining and the remixed levels are pretty challenging.

Dino Frontier sinks in longevity and in strategic/management depth, but if you're looking for a truly immersive and approachable VR game you've found it.

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra is a decent fighting game reminiscent of the classic arcades of the 90s, just without all of the evolution displayed by its modern rivals.

Despite what you could think at first glance, this is mostly an unforgiving action game, with some interesting ideas that require skill and improvisational abilities from the player. It doesn't always work perfectly, though, and it's a bit on the short side.

2Dark relegates the flatless only on the artistic side, hiding behind its style a deep and satisfying game. Unfortunately in that depth there are some bugs capable of breaking up the game.

Dangerous Driving is a fun but limited old-style racing game. Its sense of speed is exhilarating, but on a standard Xbox One/PS4 the frame rate drops to a not so exciting 30fps.

A good free-to-play MOBA for PS4 and a really good VR game.

The biggest Black Ops ever: packed with content and fun, but with a weak campaign and a few aspects that need refinement.

There’s too much LittleBigPlanet fan service and too little gameplay in this endless runner, but despite this it’s still able to entertain for a few runs.

A fast and confusing game, that can be fun but has got quite a few issues.

Spelunker Party! is a challenging, classic game, with a ton of levels and objects to customize our avatars. But it’s repetitive and some gameplay mechanics are overly punitive. We were expecting more from a new, payed, edition of its free-to-play brother, Spelunker World.

A decent mix of tower defense and puzzle game with an interesting art style and not much originality in terms of gameplay.

Graven had some problems during its early access periodo and sadly the 1.0 version doesn't solve all of them, nor does it make it a really compelling game.

Focused on the gameplay and the visuals, the game has a big lack of modes, a damage system that is still imperfect and some bugs.

Despite its hilarious story and its huge creativity, Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break fails in creating a consistent gameplay. Its good ideas and mechanics are too rough in implementation and fall quickly in repetitiveness and frustration, due also to awkward and counterintuitive controls especially in the tower defense part.

Wii Party U is a surprisingly rich party game and a perfect fit for the forthcoming holiday season. Not everything works perfectly, but it stands as an honest and funny game for your evening with friends, sons and/or parents.

The main strength of Risen 3: Titan Lords is the big amount of things to do. Missions of any kind, treasure maps, crafting, factions, exploration of the islands, some naval engagement and more. But for those who have already played Risen 2: Dark Waters the impression of "copy-paste" is really strong and unfortunately its main flaws are still here.

A nice new entry in the classic puzzle game series, with some interesting new ideas but also a not perfectly balanced difficulty level and a couple of missing options that we saw in previous entries.

A game that is unacceptable due to its structure, filled with all the wrong choices.

A new and moderately fun Yoshi game, with some nice level design and a lovely graphical style, but much less interesting than the original Yoshi's Island.

The console version of Le Tour De France 2013 tries to simplify gameplay too much by cutting away almost any managerial aspect and has some annoying technical issues, especially in terms of frame rate. It's a mediocre game, plain and simple.

Good art direction and funny dialogues are not enough to be an overall good experience, and Skelattack suffers too much from difficulty peakes and inaccurate controls. Worth if you are an action platformer fan, anyway.

Minecraft Legends' adventure, in single player, can be completed in a handful of hours, going straight to the goal with the right strategies, but it can also keep you company for much more if you want to explore all of the overworld. The PvP mode, very central on paper, doesn't really shine if you don't use some communication system external to the game – a non-secondary problem, given that strategy is really crucial and good coordination helps not only to keep the games fun, but also to ensure that they do not last longer than necessary.

On consoles, Aven Colony, with its simplicity and colorful graphics, could be a good introduction to the genre. On PC, a much stronger tradition of city builders highlights some annoying flaws.

Despite its limits due to a restricted budget, Valkyrie Elysium shines for an entertaining and well-crafted combat system.

Engaging and fun to play, Powerstar Golf is a nice sport game for people who are not looking for a rigorous simulation. The value-for-price ratio is quite good.

An interesting mix of strategy and real-time action dragged down by unbalanced features and a distinct lack of development time.

A good game, ruined by a flawed conversion. If possible, it’s better to buy it for another platform.

Made with impeccable richness and dolled up with cut-scenes and "distracted" fine ladies, the new Compile Heart JRPG is not fully convincing, presenting a solid gameplay, without a challenge equally worthy. And in the absence of this balance, Fairy Fencer F loses a lot of biting, especially in the second half of the adventure.

The surreal and decadent world of After Us is impressive: although it is not a large-caliber production, the developers of Piccolo Studio have been masters in using the means at their disposal to create impactful visual compositions. The mechanics aren’t innovative per se, but the chain of tools made available to the player, combined with a certain freedom granted during exploration, allows the action to settle on a good pace.

With Dynasty Warrior 9 Koei Tecmo makes a decisive turning point for the saga, and despite several structural flaws, the game turns out to be a solid framework for the upcoming episodes.

Birthdays: The Beginning is a nice simulation game with really cute art direction, which fans of the genre and people who seek a relaxing gaming experience will probably enjoy. Unfortunately it has its flaws, like poorly detailed graphics, slight frame rate drops and clunky controls, that we hope will disappear in the next titles of the series.

Strong in art style and founded on an interesting premise, Bad North is not deep enough to entertain for a long time.

TRON: Catalyst is a game that delivers solidly across nearly every aspect: from the length of the adventure to its combat system, from the art direction to the soundtrack, and even its fair launch price. But this very consistency - without major highs or lows - is both its greatest strength and the factor that holds it back from true greatness.

Martha is Dead is a complex first-person narrative adventure, a story of traumatic experiences that could upset the sensitivity of those who play. Anyway LKA depicted in a brilliant and compelling way the discomfort of the main character, even if sometimes narration lingers in the spectacularization of the most gory elements. The Italian studio did a great job creating an accurate historical stage, but technically the game has significant ups and dawns, which, anyway, don't undermine too much the overall experience.

Concord is excellent on the shooter side but less so on the hero side: the potential is there, but the execution so far could be better. The problems remain more impressive than the bland characters, and this is not a good sign.

An original and fun game, that falls in the usual free to play trap.

Esteban and the Mysterious Cities of Gold: Secret Worlds is a puzzle game that begins pretty well but gets worse very quickly due to a strong repetition, a confusing plot and a very low difficulty level. Technically it would not even be bad and the fans of the original TV series will appreciate the animated cut-scenes, but the rest of the game (including the weak stealth sections) is not so good.

The Guild 3 isn't a bad game, but isn't also significantly better than the previous chapter of the series. A terrible interface and some boring mechanics tend to spoil an otherwise interesting gameplay.

Crazy, destructive, and full of absurd ideas, Deliver At All Costs is fun despite some flaws and repetitiveness.

A huge, but frankly boring game, which not only lacks innovation, but also feels like a step back from the previous episode.

A racing game that loses its strengths and motivations in the transition from mobile to Switch.

Launching MMOs is always difficult, doing it on PC and consoles (and TV!) at the same time is almost impossible. But in the end Defiance defies early critics and lands some good punches: the smooth surfacing PvE and PvP FPS mechanics are intriguing enough to turn a blind eye on not-so-cutting-edge A.I. and visuals. Just give Trion a chance.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a clever game, full of personality and with a great control scheme. But playing online without the voice chat is a real bore.

Shadow of the Beast is a small and passionate videogame, perfect for nostalgic players, but that doesn't stand out for any particular feature.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is the best way to experience the Wizarding World's most famous sport in video game form. The gameplay is well thought out, with each role unique and differentiated from the other, and the changes to the Quidditch rules make the matches more competitive and balanced. Unfortunately, the game offers very little content - with the single-player content, in particular, running out within a few hours - and needs a ranked match system to entertain the most competitive players. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is recommended to all fans of the most famous wizard in the world who will have something to enjoy; everyone else can safely move on until the promised updates arrive to improve the situation.

A narratively well-constructed thriller, which helps us to forgive its shortcomings when it comes to gameplay.

After being released exclusively for PlayStation in the Japanese market in 1999, Goichi Suda’s visual novel crosses over to the West. In its PS4 edition, it is also enriched with two new chapters. A mature and interesting script and an excellent soundtrack are the strong suit of this otherwise slow paced game, with a weird and clumsy control interface.

The Crew 2 is a racing online game without the online part. This leaves us with some good views, some nice rides, but without something strong enough to keep going.

Unfortunately Robinson: The Journey is not the next big thing on the VR scene: despite the premise and the efforts, Crytek was not able to create a convincing blend of a traditional adventure game with a full blown VR experience. In the end, this prehistoric space safari will probably somehow entertain you, without however being as mindblowing and groundbreaking as you might expect. Give it a chance if you dig the idea, but without too many expectations and absolutely not at full price.

A good tie-in of the original anime series, Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is a solid JRPG, a bit repetitive and with the difficulty not well balanced.

The "usual" Suda51 game: you can love it or hate it. This time, though, there's a lot of substance under the great style and the not-so-great tech. Killer is Dead is a solid and rewarding action game, especially if you dare trying the harder difficulty levels.

Scribblenauts Showdown is a good solid party game, perfect for having a couple of fun hours. But it become repetitive very quickly.

The potential is there, but as of now there's not enough content and not many players on the servers.

Atlas Fallen is a decent action-RPG that, with all its merits and flaws, attempts to emulate God of War with a fun and dynamic combat system. Unfortunately, in addition to the challenging confrontations with the imposing desert creatures Deck13 Interactive's game does not have much to offer from a quality standpoint. An unsteady frame-rate, along with some problems related to enemy lock-on, prevent the developers from taking the next step after the good results achieved with the two chapters of The Surge.

Although it maintains most of its qualities, Borderlands 2 on PS Vita is not the best version of the game, mostly because of the technical limitations of the console.

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.

A dumbed-down version of Duels of the Planeswalkers with less game modes than the previous entries. Yes, there is a full deck-building option now, yet it is marred by a clear shift towards microtransactions.

Windbound is a pleasant and not too challenging survival game, ideal for those who love the sea and want to explore incredible natural landscapes.

Little Town Hero is a curious hybrid between a JRPG and a Heartstone-style card game. It’s not for everyone, but its combat system is really noteworthy.

Elex II is not without its flaws and some of them can sometimes be quite jarring, but underneath them all is a nice action RPG that gets more than a few things right and that can provide many, many hours of entertainment.

An interesting puzzle game that reminded us of Braid's time related puzzles. It lacks rhythm and ambition, but fans of the genre should give it a try.

Some good ideas cannot rescue all these Tiny Brains from their cruel destiny: this is a poor puzzle game with shallow visuals and a lack of personality.

As a TPS with soulsike elements and a sci-fi setting, Scars Above fails to be a worthy heir to Returnal due to several limitations that make the game very different to shine, especially from a technical point of view.

Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training is an update of the old formula but lacks variety in its content.

Maid of Sker - in some ways - could be described as a sort of Resident Evil 7 without weapons. A dilapidated house full of puzzles, the backtracking that repopulates deserted areas at first and the general atmosphere, have brought to mind several times the Capcom adventure. Clearly, the technical side pays the price for an immeasurably lower level of production, but in the same way it outlines the strength of its own qualities. Maid of Sker, however, is all about stealth, and while it gives us some tools to distract or block enemies, it doesn't stray far from its initial structure. Had it not been for a dark, kneaded aesthetic and some rather unfortunate game choices, we'd have a little classic on our hands.

Chronicles India tries to do something more than the China chapter. While still highly enjoyable, it's a little more unfocused and unpolished than the previous game.

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is one of the most interesting survival games I've played in the last few years. With very interesting mechanics and a gameplay capable of evolving together with the brains of the apes, Ancestors lets us experience the struggles of the human evolution. Unfortunately cumbersome controls and a difficulty that easily leads to frustration which partially ruins the experience.

If it wasn't buried under countless menus and all the red tape resulting from the freemium model, Trials Frontier would be a game to recommend to friends. The gameplay of Trials Frontier is smothered by its fun-breaking structure.

Urban Trials Freestyle is no Trials by RedLynx, but it's a competent clone: fun and challenging game perfectly, suitable for Nintendo 3DS, with easy-to-pickup-and-play nature and a fair amount of challenges.

After last year switch to Unreal Engine 4, MXGP keeps improving its physics and graphics. Now it is time to cut the long and boring loading times between the enjoyable motocross races.

While the GlassBox engine is definitely an exciting direction for a city builder, its implementation is still lacking. Strange behaviours and problems in pathfinding are more than frequent, and the area available to build your city is too small. Online features are entertaining, but they don't justify all the limitations of the always-online system.

Races against time, dramatic decisions, violence and torture. With Gods Will Be Watching you do not mess at all and the pixel art has never been so sinister and misleading.

The problem with Starships isn't its quick and light gameplay, which actually has some very nice design ideas. Its problem is a complete lack of balance and refinement: the AI is lacking, some mechanics are negligible and others are way overpowered. We expected more from a game with Sid Meier in the title.

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

Although it’s more an action-adventure multiplayer game than a proper MMORPG, LEGO Minifigures Online doesn’t fail to deliver a fun (a lot of them actually) world in which you play with your minifigures. Just keep in mind that it’s a free to play game with children as the main target.