Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a delightful game, a small production that exudes care from all pores and manages to instill a relaxing sense of calm in the player. The narration, which draws on classic Japanese folklore, has those simple but winning characteristics typical of the training story. A pure, cheerful and touching fairy tale, capable of holding on to the screen until the (splendid!) conclusion. Unfortunately, some naivety in mission management makes the second half of the game a bit redundant. It would have been perfect to "dry" the continuous backtracking, enriching the central part with some unprecedented fighting. However, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin can be loved, with well implemented game elements and wonderful art direction.

Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition is a short and lighthearted adventure that boasts a good visual department but is crippled by several annoying technical problems.

A good DLC that marks the ending for the new, experimental path chosen by Game Freak and Nintendo for the Pokémon saga. The second expansion included in Shield and Sword Season Pass adds lots of contents and legendary creatures to discover in a brand new area.

Football Manager 2021 is the best episode ever of the series on the pitch, where the experience is nearly perfect in terms of simulation, while off the pitch the game has really a clumsy and obnoxious user interface. Overall, the experience is great and the football world feels tense, realistic and dynamic as never before, but there's still more room to improve the game in terms of narration, flow and emotional storytelling.

A two-part DLC that expands the endgame with many inspirations from the first movies of Dragon Ball Super. New trasformations, enemies and quests, for those who love Dragon Ball and its Kakarot iteration.

Sumo Digital's new game is a colorful and fun adventure that brings back Sackboy, allowing players to explore new worlds, each based on different themes and gameplay mechanics. A great game for Christmas to spend some time along with your family, thanks to the 4-player co-op mode.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is undoubtedly a tangible step forward from the classic musou. Not only in terms of quality, but also for the commitment of the developers in the creation of a powerful story and the inclusion of solid and funny mechanics. The management of the elements and powers linked to the Sheikah technology are a breath of fresh air and a considerable whiplash to a gameplay notoriously linked to rhythms mostly noisy and carefree. While not renouncing its disruptive roots, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is inscribed in a very refined construct, endowed with a dragging narrative and endowed with an overwhelming number of secondary activities. To pay the price is the fluidity of the action, mixed with a very low resolution and full of pop-ups in portability and drops in frame-rate rather annoying in dock mode. Although the technical sector is not in line with the ambitions of the project, the game can be said to be substantially successful.

Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle is a nice experiment that turns an iconic saga into a battle royale, even if some gameplay mechanics don't fit well with Tōru Iwatani's original concept.

Just Dance 2021 is not a revolution but a confirmation, like every year. But, like every year, he also reiterates that his is a winning formula, which shows no sign of fading.

Sniper Elite 4 for Nintendo Switch is a good porting of the original game published in 2017.

Visage is a survival horror that tries in every way to shake off that walking simulator aura that is so easy to put on it. On the one hand it succeeds in its intent, thanks especially to the proposed puzzles and the remarkable longevity. However, much of the experience is still tied to a limited script and the freedom of movement within the house is only apparent. The obsessive bactracking and the very slow pace of the action end up limiting the ambitions of the game, which remains - in any case - a raw and terrifying experience. Visage represents a considerable step forward compared to the usual horror rides proposed by the competition, but not enough to approach the classics it is inspired by.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a shooter that you shouldn't miss. The excellent campaign and fun online modes guarantee hundreds of hours of entertainment and fun.

XIII Remake could've been a nice way to relive a classic FPS tale, but it's filled with too many bugs, glitches and technical issues. Maybe with future patches it can overcome its problems but right now you're just better off playing the original instead: it's cheap and it's still the best way to experience XIII.

A good and expansion, with winter sports vibes, very fun for both veterans and newcomers in The Sims series.

Plain and simple, the best Tetris incarnation currently available. Now with new interesting multiplayer modes.

A very good rhythm game, for who love the soundtrack of the KH saga.

A simple-yet-fun game about collecting... weird, half-animal and half-food hybrid creatures: a Pokémon-style game that shines thanks to one of the best uses of DualSense and Game Help that we've seen so far on PS5.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is an epic journey through the identity of the saga. Ubisoft Montreal achieved to merge the old urban assassin gameplay with the new RPG system thanks to a dense, vivid and handcrafted open world. It may be a little bit clunky in terms of visuals and optimization and not very original in its mechanics, but the experience is overall very solid, entertaining and astonishing in terms of scope.

Falconeer is able to reach extreme heights. Blasting airships in a thunderstorm is nothing short than epic... but more often than not you are doing mundane jobs in lackluster locales.

Much more than a simple tech demo: Astro's Playroom is a bite from the future and an exceptional way to understand what the new DualSense is capable of.

The second coming of Insomniac in Spider-Man’s universe translates into a convincing ’standalone DLC’. Nothing really new in the structure of Marvel’s Spider-Man, but some interesting new actions are surrounded by an impressive technical achievement.

Some games age better than others, and this is the case of Need for Speed Hot Pursuit: this new version shows an Autolog that still works and the fun in the pursuits is still there. There is some visual glitch, but overall, this remaster is perfect for anybody who never tried one of the best game in the series.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a bet won by Sega. It's hard to propose such a radical change to the game structure, and as games tend to switch turn-based to real-time fighting, it must have been hard to go the other way. Equipped with a strong identity, an unforgettable cast of protagonists and a narrative that strikes straight to the heart, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a game full of ardor and passion. The new Sega’s game is so rich in content that you can fill up to three games with it and have a more to spare for DLCs. Prepare to lose yourself for over a hundred hours in Yokohama's glossy nights: it’s an experience all JRPG fans - and maybe not just them - should live.

Similar in terms of structure to your typical Pokémon game, yet with less-than-interesting plot and a not very clever combat system.

A competent entry in the Spellforce universe. Fallen God offers a new race and treats it with respect, allowing a player to involve himself or herself in their culture and world.

Codemasters takes the fun road for its new Dirt: it’s not the best in the series, but it’s exciting to play, even considering some technical issues on current-gen consoles.

The Dark Picture: Little Hope is a good step forward from the first chapter. The implementation of more responsive controls and greater clemency in QTE make the experience more correct and enjoyable, although in the end the game structure remains essentially the same. Despite the splashy story in a few too many clichés, the tension remains high, as does the involvement, thanks to a superb technical department. Unfortunately, the naivety of some narrative choice, the introspective smallness of almost all the characters and the longevity reduced to the bone do not let the title fly beyond the discreet. It does not betray the expectations of those who expect a couple of evenings in horror sauce, but it really goes no further.

One unforgettable experience, that unfortunately comes to an end too soon. But still, this is one journey everyone should embark on.