Monster Energy Supercross 5 is a truly emotional experience, of pain, suffering, learning, and then more pain and suffering. The unforgivable mechanics, along with an erratic AI and an irregular physics system will make our helmet quickly acquainted with the dirt. However, the advancements in Career Mode and the inclusion of the new Track Editor make this the most competent entry in the franchise's history.

Martha Is Dead proves that an independent studio has the ability to develop a video game with the same graphics as a AAA with an excellent detail line. This is an intense journey while Giulia navigates through the topic of mental health, putting everything in perspective during an extremely heavy psychological drama. Martha Is Dead is not a game for those looking for a horror experience focused on jump scares, massacres or horror/spiritual activities; nor is it for those who want to see a finite outcome. Martha Is Dead requires an open mind, a strong stomach and a mighty power of reflection.

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.

Grid Legends could have been left behind, having launched at same time as another fairly big name of virtual motorsports. However, Codemasters gave us one of the best simcade experiences ever. With an impressive Story Mode, the usual variety in events and classes, and an acessible Race Editor, Grid Legends honors its TOCA origins and places itself right back on the main... grid.

Gran Turismo 7 is the prime example of a driving simulator. It doesn't offer too much in the way of sandbox options, because that is not why Polyphony created this franchise. Gran Turismo today serves the same purpose it served 25 years ago: showing that automobilism is an art form. It does so by incorporating the DualSense in the track experience and through the respect it shows for any of the cars we drive. From the heavy turning of a Fiat 500 to the incontrollable kicks of a Ford Mustang, Gran Turismo 7 is passion on wheels, this time with some neat content creation tools added.

Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream managed to captivate me as a beginner of the JRPG genre. There's a story that, though it doesn't truly stand out, left me just interested enough to be able to experience the hours of alchemy, in a sort of Next Gen Connect 4 game. The turn-based combat system is also incredibly welcoming for newcomers, and the whole campaign has this unique ingenuity about it, even when we're fighting interdimensional threats or water dragons.

With Elden Ring, FromSoftware adds new ingredients to the Dark Souls formula, creating a world that is an absolute masterpiece. Combat remains as fluid as we’re used to, providing us with even more tools to master and ignite our sadomasochistic tendencies. The game's plot is often impenetrable and requires a tremendous investment to decipher it, but they payoff is there, if have the time and soul to endure it.

The main conclusion that we have arrived at after spending hours and hours with Horizon Forbidden West is very simple, the new generation of consoles is finally here. No, this is not Playstation's first exclusive worthy of mention, but it's visually imposing, gigantic in content and production values, very well written and interpreted, and has an entertaining gameplay that sometimes touches what we call excellence. Welcome back, my dear Aloy.

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.

Sifu will age us as the main character ages, but it also gives us some of the best martial arts moments in video games, which make us say, like Neo in the Matrix, "I know Kung-Fu".

It’s hard to say anything against not one but two Uncharted games in a single volume, specially if they have been visually and technically enhanced by the capabilities of Sony’s new console. This collection is mainly directed at those who never played the games, although veterans will still take pleasure in revisiting the protagonists on the PS5 before going to the movies and see Tom Holland but of course, the console has many colossus coming already in the beginning of the year and not all pockets are deep enough for every possibility.

I have many hours on my back, and will have many more to unearth all the secrets of Legends: Arceus. It’s remarkable the care that Game Freak had with all the key ingredients they seem to have found a future model for Pokémon. I am convinced that it will earn a place of success among the franchise main hits and, more importantly, will make even the most hardcore fans fall in love, for those have been waiting, for a long time, for the true modernization of Pokémon.

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.

A must for fans and recommended for newcomers, Halo Infinite may not be the epic experience everyone's been waiting for, but there's no doubt about it - it's an incredibly solid foundation for the future of Master Chief. 343 Industries assembled the canvas and painted the outlines. Now all that's left is to fill in the painting.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

How does one innovate in what is already the best sports management simulator of this generation? Sports Interactive knows the answer: with gradual improvements and small adjustments. This translates in the introduction of the Data Center, a welcomed addition for stats enthusiasts. But Football Manager 2022 doesn't reinvent the wheel, because it doesn't have to. It's a franchise that gets deeper and deeper for players who want a true simulation, and more and more accessible for newcomers.

Forza Horizon 5 is a monument to freedom, adrenaline and arcade fun, in a Mexico whose dimension is rivaled by its breath-taking beauty. With hundreds of cars, dozens of events and an immaculate driving experience, it's by far the best arcade racing game of the year, with a surprising depth that might even surprise the sim racing purists.

Riders Republic comes with a lot to give, and one might argue that it may give too much. The Ranking and Item Unlocking systems distract from an experience that, at its core, gives us the best radical sports game since the SSX franchise. Ubisoft presented us with one of the most earnestly fun titles of the year, despite some unfortunately typical choice from the company. The biome diversity and the sheer amount of events, with Mass Races being the standout, culminate in one of the most pleasant gameplays in this genre.

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.

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.

In short, Age of Empires IV is first and foremost a throwback to the past, for a history lesson that we already know well. Anchored to the classic formulas and mechanics of the franchise that defined the genre, it bets on presentation quality to convince a new generation of real-time strategy game lovers. Veterans, on the other hand, have here a new battleground where they will certainly feel at home.

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.

As it was 14 years ago, Crysis remains a technical marvel – although at times PlayStation 4 can't handle the titanic task of 'running Crysis'.

Back4Blood is the perfect game to play with friends, if we have enough party members to make it so our team isn't filled with Bots. This title promise complex experiences, that defy the laws of physics and communication, where hope is always the last to die. In a scenario where resources are low, and the hordes are endless, the path is long until the next safe zone. In contrast, it shows some bugs that although aren't game breaking, turn the attention from which should be a gameplay focused exclusively on the mission, without any visual distraction. Still, Back 4 Blood has potential to be one of the best zombie multiplayer games of our time.