Made up of highs and lows, great moments and dull ones, Eternal Strands is a real rollercoaster. Still, even its less successful moments aren't enough to drown out the tremendous fun of taking down giant foes, armed with a pocket full of spells and a whole lot of creativity. The pace of the narrative isn't always constant and enjoyable, but the amazing work of the voice cast gives it a lot of vivacity, and fortunately, Eternal Strands doesn't stretch too far to the point of losing its magic.

South of Midnight is a game with a very strong identity of its own, which prioritizes its artistic and narrative vision above all else. Its moderate length (around 10-12 hours) prevents the repetitive elements of combat from becoming tiresome. Although the narrative doesn't reach the emotional depths that its themes suggest, it makes up for it with a stunning world, a magnificent soundtrack and enjoyable movement mechanics. It's like an illustrated storybook: maybe the story isn't revolutionary, but the pages are visual delights and a window into a fascinating world. For fans of adventure games with a strong narrative and visual component, South of Midnight offers an enchanting experience through a journey full of magic. Its distinct and coherent identity makes it a good addition to any gamer's library.

Although it has some flaws, Stellar Blade is nonetheless a remarkable effort by Shift Up, which has had its biggest challenge to date here. Fundamentally, Stellar Blade is well realised in its core elements, with the only flaw being its inconsistent execution, which translates into boring open-world areas and an uninteresting story. The studio promises that Eve's story won't end here and I personally look forward to seeing what she can achieve in the future.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes has come to revolutionize the series with the gifts their predecessors gave them. Not only does it fill in the imperative requirements for a good horror game, it spreads the implicit message that it's only in reach of the bravest to conquer fear, in authentic tests of pressure and choices. In a scenario completely obscure, where you can see nothing but feel everything, the decisions must be made and the course of history changed... forever. House of Ashes is, without a doubt, the best game of the series so far.

Evil West fulfills its purpose with dignity and offers us a world full of hideous creatures, the kind that any fan of games like God of War or Devil May Cry will love. Although Flying Wild Hog has left room for improvement in the future of the game, it already has the formula for success: a good narrative and well-structured gameplay. Despite its simplicity, the producer's good taste is reflected in the artistic direction, design and gameplay structure that offers a pure and challenging combat system, as well as cinematics that make us follow another story about saving the world, in 2022.

The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf is a surprisingly solid platform game, with fun and varied mechanics, which always avoid being repetitive. Brainy, Chef, Smurfette and Hefty's adventure are sure to captivate a lot of kids, and please the adults that grew up watching the little blue beings. The true Gargamel of this title is its bad optimization for PS4 and the clear temporal (perhaps financial) limitations.

The PC version of Days Gone manages to be a superior experience. More polished and better performing than the original on PS4. It doesn't escape its sins however – a story with an uneven pace associated with repetitive and sometimes unnecessary mechanics. The game would benefit if some mechanics were simplified, but it is still a very solid option for those who like open worlds, motorcycles and zombies.

Rainbow Six Extraction aims to breach the co-op shooter genre without much fanfarre. Supported by the excellent gunplay of Rainbow Six Siege and its range of characters, it has some interesting mechanics, but they are not enough to make it stand out above its peers. Although somewhat repetitive, it is a solid game that guarantees a good amount of hours of fun among friends.

Despite all its technical limitations, there is something undeniably satisfactory in Farming Simulator 22. The stress of managing crops, inconsistent workers and visual glitches is mitigated by the pleasant pauses to watch the sunset, as we gazer upon a 2 hectar terrain that we sowed and are ready to harvest.

EA FC 26 presents remarkable improvements in terms of gameplay. Once again, it doesn't revolutionise football, but smarter goalkeepers, fluid movements, better ball control and more precise passing - all these small improvements help establish one of the best on the pitch gameplay of the series. However, with one exception or another, the changes to the other modes are conservative and don't change much, although it is clear that monetisation is becoming more aggressive.

All things considered, Crisol: Theater of Idols is a pretty competent horror game. Its AA budget means it can't escape a certain lack of polish (or "jank" in more endearing terms), but that doesn't stop it from demonstrating enormous ambition and a very distinct identity. The gloomy atmosphere of Tormentosa Island is very appealing and interesting, the combat is satisfying, and the game's story is enough to grab us, making it a fantastic proposition for fans of the genre, especially since it has an incredibly competitive price that is rarely seen nowadays: €17.49.

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.

Battlefield 2042 is the result of an attempted offensive on multiple fronts. All-out War is the major victim of this strategy with several questionable design issues that detract from the experience. Hazard Zone is a solid mode that plays it safe, without risking the formula established by other games, while Portal shines by bringing back the best moments of the old Battlefield games. Made with longevity in mind, Dice has an uphill battle with Battlefield 2042.

With Devolver Digital's seal of quality, Wizard With a Gun cleverly combines the gunplay of Twin-Stick Shooters with the mechanics of survival games. The result is a fun isometric adventure with a double-edged sword in its simplicity - although addictive, it ends up being too easy, which shortens its duration and limits the challenge. Even so, it has enough creative possibilities for a few brave forays to save the world, five minutes at a time.

Dying Light 2 gives us a fantastic world to explore and it's a delight to run around Villedor's rooftops and terraces. The game's plot is not able to keep up with the speed and quality of its acrobatic action, which, even marred by countless bugs, is still an incredibly fun and addictive experience.

Tchia is the living proof that it's possible to make a good game without complex plots or challenging gameplay features. The simple story of the people from New Caledonia is beautiful enough to contemplate and contrasts with our daily life, which is so busy and destructive. Tchia teaches us to stop and smell the flowers, admiring what we really need and valuing the things we take for granted.

Wild Hearts updates the hunting videogame catalog and proves that it is possible to create new franchises inspired by existing IPs. The only thing that separates success is the ability to create something with its own identity, and that's what Koei Tecmo did by delivering this new franchise to fans of the subgenre. Wild Hearts opts for a spiritualist theme that, properly contextualized, enriches the game world and gives a different purpose to the monsters, as well as to the playable character who has the trivial mission of saving the world. Despite the graphical and performance issues, it is always possible to contemplate the grandeur of everything, like weapons, creatures, buildings or even sights.

In short, Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection is a glamorous reimagining of a 1985 classic, which is why lots of owners of the Nintendo Entertainment System fell in love with it. The visuals are renewed and it's a challenging experience that will put the patience of any player to the test. Sir Arthur is back in a way that will make you think of the possibility of seeing new things popping up for the future.

WarioWare: Move It! has a vast and diverse range of mini-games to be enjoyed solo, with friends or family, ensuring many hours of chaotic fun. Although there are more than two hundred games and a humorous narrative to support them, the very short duration of 3 seconds per mini-game wears you down quickly, leaving you feeling like you're spending more time waiting for the mini-game than actually playing. The mini-games are easy to master, significantly reducing the challenge and replayability. Despite its poor longevity, WarioWare: Move It! oozes creativity, shining in the competitive modes, but above all in the cooperative ones, proving to be a fun team party game.

Imagine a future where Volvo found a way to make car crashes absolutely harmless to humans and, consequently, built gigantic arenas where 16 cars were pitted against each other, looking for the most aggressive and skillful driver. Destruction AllStars is the latest trend on PS5, not because of the representation of this fantasy, but rather because it's accessible and fun. I don't know how long it will last without increasing the cooperative options or if it will be able to survive outside Plus offers. What I do know is that it needs a lot more to become entrenched in the habits of Sony players. When that happens, yes, they'll be able to dream of living and prospering from cosmetic microtransactions.

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.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is a brave and accomplished charge from Activision into World War II. The intelligent way the campaign was assembled escaping from documented events but honoring the different archetypes of the piece combatants, made us sorry that we are not standing in front of a game with a heavier single player component. The core of CoD really is the multiplayer experience which seems faster and with various experiences but with the same good old feel, albeit with an MP40 in hand.

Dedicated to fans of the original World, Next Order takes the original game and builds upon it with an impressive array of content. The sluggish and basic grinding, mediocre combat, and an "open world" with no fast means of travel hurts the experience overall. Still, it grabs the Digimon fan's heart, keeping us stuck in the Digital World despite its flaws, something that gains new strength by settling better on handheld consoles.

EA FC 25 is a fickle title. For every two steps forward, EA takes one step back and one step sideways. Although it's still an improvement on last year's release, it's not a significant enough evolution to dispel the idea that it's the same game every year. That's what you get when you play to manage the score.

Avowed presents itself as a deliberately traditional RPG that, although it doesn't risk innovating, offers a well-executed experience. Its strengths - engaging characters, satisfying exploration and accessible mechanics - make up for its lack of originality and technical limitations. It's the kind of game that, without pretending to be more than it is, manages to provide dozens of hours of fun for fans of the genre looking for something familiar and comfortable.

Miasma Chronicles is another solid release from Bearded Ladies, who are quite comfortable with their fusion of turn-based tactics with a narrative element. The studio has already become an expert at playing defense, and has a case for venturing further on offense. Miasma Chronicles is a good starting step for newcomers and an interesting offering for veterans, even if it doesn't innovate, but it doesn't try either.

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.

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.