A The Sims 4 expansion always seems to suffer from the base game limitations, and they are a lot. But Cottage Living goes where few expansions from this edition have gone before. Beside the return of the lore and some dear characters, it also seems to symbolize a change in the way EA and Maxis look at this game, with more and more attentiveness to player feedback.

Football Manager 2023 wanted us to gawk at the new licenses, but it forgets that the franchise has become immortalised by the authenticity of its gameplay and not the logos of teams or competitions. The Champions League and Europa League have a new look, but it is through the new Squad Planner and recruitment system that FM23 truly stands out from its predecessors, although some tactical systems still have a clear edge in the game.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy surprises with a remarkable, true and emotional story with excellent performances, all in a unique graphic style, full of effects and color that give strength to the game and above all to its message. The gameplay is not at the level of everything else that is presented, but that doesn't make it a truly negative element. An ode to books, movies and fans, with a team that goes back to giving it all, something that the player won't forget, taking us to moments of laughter and sadness like no other Marvel game has ever done.

After a game that captivated a healthy community of fans, but that was largely ignored by the mainstream, Gunfire Games returned to the fray with Remnant 2, a sequel that doubles down on first game's strength, while improving it's rough edges. The result is an unlikely soulslike looter shooter that wastes no time in showing what it's made of. Fun and addictive, it's full of well-conceived systems that make for a fun experience that takes on new dimensions with friends.

The King of Fighters XV doesn't try to appeal to a wider audience, giving us interesting and complex mechanics which aren't really presented in an accessible manner. Long-time fans of the franchise will find some genuine enjoyment and improvements, especially regarding the graphical upgrade, which truly gives new life to these 3D models. It's just about enough to keep SNK's franchise competing for the title.

Mario Party Superstars reworks much of the content that helped shape the series, which has more than 15 iterations, introducing features long requested by fans, such as online mode and the ability to play in portable mode. These decisions formulate a game with countless details to enjoy, but which limits it by trying to appeal to everyone. Still this is an essential title for all those looking for a Party Game for family and friends gatherings, compiling some of the best and funniest minigames ever in the series.

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 is an extremely well-thought-out remaster that puts our resilience to the test, with a fantastic story and captivating characters. It does not completely let go of its origins, which at times are somewhat painful. It's a difficult love affair, it demands a lot of our time but it rewards us with one of the most curious and interesting stories of its genre.

EA SPORTS WRC is a notable improvement in the saga of World Rally Championship games. The introduction of the builder mode, along with a well-structured career mode, makes the single-player experience fun, motivating and immersive. The driving system caters for all types of players, from those who play with controllers and in a more casual way to those who prefer a simulation environment. Codemasters presents a robust game, with a few rough edges but a truly fun driving experience. Now it's time to get behind the wheel and tear up the gravel.

Last Epoch is a fantastic ARPG that cleverly introduces interesting new features to a genre that tends to get stuck in its roots. Deep and at the same time accessible to less experienced players, it has a surprising diversity of gameplay, anchored in ingenious gameplay loops that will keep you hooked for days.

Lost Judgment is more of the same, which isn't a particularly bad thing. Although it presents improvements compared to the previous game, it remains too faithful to a formula with a solid base and a lot of room for improvement, especially in the investigative department. Even so, it’s still a fun experience, especially for fans of the first game.

Wartales offers a fantastic sandbox to explore. The nature of this system implies a rather insipid storyline and uneven pace, but in the end, the real treasure is the mercenaries you meet along the way. For those looking for a strategy sandbox with good depth in which to invest many hours, this is a choice that is hard to ignore.

Far Cry 6 is the ultimate exponent of Ubisoft's open world formula. It’s a great pleasure to explore the island of Yara and all its corners, where we have enormous freedom and options to face all of its challenges. Giancarlo Espostio shines as Antón Castillo, a villain that will go down in Far Cry history, even if the other characters in the narrative are not up to him. A must for fans of open world games.

Terra Nil has no ambitions to be the next big city-builder game, nor to set off a revolution in the genre, but it is concise and focused enough in its mission to be considered successful. Above all, and contrary to what is usual, it does not want to lock players in an endless cycle of expansion and construction, but rather to show how easy and necessary it is to let go of our creations and let nature take its course.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is undeniably an improvement over the Wii original. The new features in the remaster may not be enough to convince veterans, but it's still a fantastic and fun experience for those who like to play in the company of the young and inexperienced.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins gives us back the strongest and most basic premise in videogames: it's a kind of fun that makes you want to pick up the controller and invest hours in it. On top of that, it fulfils one of the promises made by Koei Tecmo, to present something new from a series that was already well known for a formula that became more boring and stagnant with each iteration. It does, however, fail to deliver on some quality elements for players, and the pace of the game is often overwhelmed by a slow story that takes its time to develop. But make no mistake, once you've finished the campaign, there’s enjoyment to be had as many times as you have enemies to face.

New Pokémon Snap offers dynamic environments and memorable meetings in a winning journey that brings back the best from the past, and restructures it to the current generation. Bandai Namco delivers us a respectful reinvention of the 99 classic, brimmed with multiple secrets to discover throughout delightful expeditions, while giving the player all the necessary tools to capture every moment. The weird scoring system and some auxiliary problems are not enough to spoil the moments of calm, beauty and surprise.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is a visual spectacle that captures the essence of feudal Japan, but fails to realise its potential. Despite stunning art direction and historical detail, the game is held back by its own ambition to appeal to different types of players. The duality of protagonists, which promised innovation, ends up creating more obstacles than opportunities, with stealth and combat mechanics that don't evolve significantly from previous titles. While the open world invites exploration due to its beauty, it quickly reveals the repetitiveness of its missions. For fans of the series, there are rewarding moments, but Shadows leaves the feeling that it doesn't intend to change the Assassin's Creed formula, remaining hostage to a design that shows signs of fatigue.

EA Sports F1 22 is simply the best possible virtual experience of Formula 1. From Free Practices to the Chequered Flag, it remains as responsive and balanced as the last few entries, nailing down the authenticity through additions such as the manual warm-up lap and new graphics and cutscenes. What stops it from being a truly great game is the awkward inclusion of F1 Life and some technical issues that require urgent fixing.

Dying Light: The Beast refines the best elements of Dying Light, with a more concise, frightening, immersive and challenging world, without the chaff we saw in the previous one. The combat is visceral and bloody, and even with a monster inside Kyle Crane, you never feel invincible, thus maintaining a palpable tension from start to finish.

Wo Long: The Fallen Dynasty is a truly gritty challenge. Team Ninja's game puts players' skill, patience, and sadomasochism to the test, rolling out a red carpet for aggression while harshly punishing all and every mistake. The combat systems are complex but work quite well with each other, with the exception of the loot, which is unnecessarily complicated and not very impactful. Wo Long: The Fallen Dynasty will not convince newcomers to the genre, but it will certainly please fans.

MLB The Show 21 is the king of the market when it comes to baseball. It has all the weapons to please newcomers as well as the most demanding players, with multiple accessibility and game mode options, although with very scarce updates in relation to its predecessor. Even though the version used for this analysis was the Playstation 4 one, visually it becomes identical to what we have seen in the past, maybe having the next generation “at fault”, but it is still a very enjoyable experience.

Elden Ring: Nightreign swaps the expansive and striking world of Lands Between for a shorter, more intense experience designed with multiplayer in mind. While the combat remains as incredible as you'd expect, the roguelike nature upsets the balance of Elden Ring, not always in the best way, thanks to an underwhelming meta progression. Some performance problems affect the PC version, but when you're in the company of friends, it's hard to resist the Limveld's appeal, even when you taste defeat.

Kirby Air Riders immediately earns the merit of standing on its own, putting to rest the fears of those who thought it might try to compete with Mario Kart World. It’s not a technical triumph, but rather a creative manifesto from a designer who continues to challenge conventions within a company known for playing it safe. Not everyone will have the patience for its disorder, but those who let themselves be carried away will find a genuinely free-spirited game, more interested in provoking smiles than in ensuring stability.

Horizon: Call of the Mountain is the best looking VR game to date, benefiting from the beautiful world previously created by Guerrila Games. The climbing sections provide a beautiful scenery, but lose their lustre through repetition, and leave you wishing for more combat sections, which despite being on-rails, manage to have good tactical depth. All in all, it seems to be more of a tech demo than a AAA title, but it is a very good experience for those who want to return to this universe and take their first steps in Virtual Reality.

With Pacific Drive, Ironwood Studios has achieved a game with an intoxicating and mysterious atmosphere, which introduces something new to a rather saturated genre through a fresh approach, anchored in systems that complement each other in an extremely intelligent way. Apart from one frustration or another, Pacific Drive is a highly recommended experience for all Survival fans.

Alan Wake Remastered is an example of what can be a good remaster of a videogame without an abusive price, it fixes some of the main issues that prevented a good game to make sense in today’s standards. Its ideals and the writer’s story would easily fit in any period of the gaming history so if you haven’t played it, this is an ideal opportunity to do it and the best way to fuel the hope for a potential sequel.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII is a fearless evolution of a formula that risked becoming static over the years. The result is undeniably positive, but the idea remains that the studio has kept a couple more weapons in its pocket to stretch out the experience with DLCs and expansions. Even so, and despite a few bugs, Civilization VII is an unmissable experience and is more than ready to stand the test of time, turn after turn.

Digimon Time Stranger has, at its core, almost everything a Digimon fan could want. A huge range of over 400 Digimon with the best 3D models ever, gameplay mechanics that celebrate the franchise's history, depth in the digivolution system, and even the possibility of improving the relationship we have with our Digimon. I don't believe, therefore, that the uninspired story, generic characters, and lack of real challenge will deter hungry Digimon fans from Time Stranger, which remains one of the best and most promising entries in the franchise.