So, did Housemarque dumb things down with Saros? Honestly, no. They just found a smarter way to open the game up to more players. The Carcosian modifiers let you tweak the difficulty however you want, which is a nice touch. But make no mistake, the game is still hard. It’ll test your patience, push you to the edge, and yeah, you’ll probably rage a bit. Because at its core, it’s still that same addictive loop : you fail, you learn, you try again. It’s frustrating, but also super rewarding. You quit and then come back five minutes later. Now sure, it’s a bit less brutal than Returnal. More structured, a bit more accessible. Some people will miss that raw edge, others will appreciate the balance. It does feel like it runs out of steam a bit after the credits, but overall? It’s still a really solid, intense experience. Not as groundbreaking as Returnal, but definitely a strong follow-up.

With Pragmata, Capcom comes in with a pretty bold idea, a dual gameplay system where shooting and hacking happen at the same time, and honestly, it works really well. The whole dynamic between Hugh and Diana is easily the highlight, and once the hacking clicks, the fights feel fast, tense, and really fun. The game is at its best when everything flows together, Hugh feels great to control, super mobile, and Diana’s hacking system becomes pretty natural after a while. That contrast between the two is really what makes the game stand out. But yeah, it’s not perfect. The progression gets repetitive, the game is pretty easy overall, and the bosses, while cool-looking, don’t really push you that much. Story-wise, it’s also pretty standard. There are a few nice moments between Hugh and Diana, but overall it’s a bit predictable, and sometimes a little cheesy. Still, for the gameplay alone, Pragmata is worth checking out, just don’t expect it to last more than about 10 hours.

Let’s be real: Screamer 2026 is a great surprise. This isn’t some lazy nostalgia reboot, Milestone actually took risks, and that’s something you have to respect.In a genre where Gran Turismo and Forza Horizon dominate the sim side, and arcade racers like Burnout or Need for Speed have kind of faded away, Screamer brings something fresh. The Echo System, inspired by fighting games, turns races into real mind games, managing meters, timing your moves, anticipating your opponent. And honestly, it works. The dual-stick drifting takes some getting used to, but once it clicks, it feels great, really precise, really satisfying. Visually, the game stands out too, with strong Akira vibes and a cool 2D/3D style. It’s not perfect though: the story drags a bit, and the first hours can feel repetitive. It’s not a “pick up and play” racer, it asks for patience. But if you stick with it, you’ll find a game that actually tries to do something different.

After spending over 110 hours in Pywel, there’s really no debate: Crimson Desert absolutely delivers on its promise of a massive open world. Pearl Abyss has built something huge and alive, with a real sense of freedom. You’re not constantly being guided, you have to observe, experiment, get lost and that’s honestly where the game shines. Content-wise, it’s massive. You’re looking at around 120 to 140 hours just for the main story, and easily up to 400 if you want to see everything. The combat system is also a big highlight, it’s deep, fast-paced, and pretty demanding, with tons of options. Every fight requires focus, but that’s exactly what makes it so satisfying. Visually, the game looks incredible, with a world that feels immersive and believable. That said, it’s not perfect: the difficulty can be pretty unforgiving, it takes time to really get comfortable with the controls, and the story doesn’t always hit as hard as it should. In the end, Crimson Desert is a huge game. Ambitious, sometimes tough, definitely not for everyone, but if you’re willing to fully invest yourself in it, it’s a pretty amazing experience.

With Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom isn’t trying to tear everything down and start from scratch. This isn’t a radical reinvention, but rather a highly self-aware synthesis of everything the series has experimented with over the past thirty years. It’s an anniversary entry that clearly looks back, embraces its fan service, yet still tries to move forward. In short, it feels like a best-of, but a thoughtful one, not a lazy collage. For years, the series has swung between two extremes: pure, suffocating horror and explosive, over-the-top action. Here, instead of awkwardly blending both into a single gameplay style, the game makes a much smarter choice: it separates these two energies into two complementary characters. On one side, Grace Ashcroft embodies vulnerability, fear, and constant tension. On the other, Leon S. Kennedy represents control, power, and that charismatic, unstoppable force pushing forward without hesitation. On paper, this could have created imbalance,even a rupture in the game’s rhythm. But in practice? It works surprisingly well.

With Nioh 3, Team NINJA delivers its most ambitious entry to date, and easily its most divisive. In an effort to modernize the formula and appeal to a wider audience, the studio shifts toward open areas inspired by games like Elden Ring. The downside is that this evolution comes at the cost of the series’ core identity. At its best, Nioh 3 is still a combat juggernaut. The fighting system is incredibly deep, the Samurai/Ninja duality is a smart and satisfying addition, and the sheer variety of builds, weapons, and playstyles is impressive. Few games in the genre reward skill, experimentation, and long-term commitment quite like it does. Unfortunately, the open-field structure never truly comes together. Exploration feels flat, enemy and asset reuse is hard to ignore, the story lacks impact, and the overall presentation feels dated, especially by 2026 standards. In the end, Nioh 3 is a great fit for hardcore fans who come for the combat and the challenge, but it’s unlikely to win over players looking for a striking open world, a memorable story, or a strong visual showcase.

So, what can we take away from this Nintendo Switch 2 re-release of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2? First and foremost: these games remain absolute masterpieces of 3D platforming. Eighteen years after the first installment, their level design is still a model of clarity and creativity. Every galaxy, every mechanic, every jump is perfectly calibrated to delight without frustrating the player. The magic still works, and the emotion remains intact. However, when it comes to the port itself, the disappointment is hard to ignore. This is essentially just a 4K/60fps polish, a cosmetic texture cleanup, and compatibility with both the Switch and Switch 2, nothing more. No 3D model overhauls, no new lighting effects, no significant additional content. Rosalina’s Storybook and the assist mode are nice touches, but they feel anecdotal compared to what you’d expect for a 40th-anniversary celebration. And the price, €70, is particularly steep for a duo that doesn’t include any real expansions or “next-gen” remastering. There’s a slight feeling of incompleteness, or even deliberate laziness, which the most demanding fans will notice immediately. If you’ve never played these two galaxies before, dive in, they’re pure joy. But if you already know them, it might be wiser to wait for a sale rather than support Nintendo’s new pricing approach.

After a Battlefield 2042 that left many players disappointed, Electronic Arts did what was needed to make amends. The result is a Battlefield 6 of remarkable quality, whether in its single-player campaign or its multiplayer experience. EA’s military FPS finally regains its identity, with the return of the saga’s iconic classes, massive battles, partially destructible environments that are downright satisfying and strategically meaningful, and that constant sense of intense warfare. Sure, the single-player campaign may be less scripted and explosive than a Call of Duty in terms of narrative, but Battlefield 6 excels in pure gameplay, freedom, and the feeling of total war. The Frostbite engine delivers a visual punch, maps are cleverly designed, gunplay is satisfying, and the in-hand feel of the controls is incredible. Of course, it’s not perfect: the French voice-over is uneven and mandatory (as there’s no original English option unless you change your console’s language), and some script, collision, and animation bugs still linger here and there. But compared to a Call of Duty that has started to feel a bit repetitive, Battlefield returns stronger, more intense, and more coherent than ever. You can feel the passion and dedication behind Battlefield 6, along with a genuine desire to win back the hearts of disappointed fans. As for us, we came away completely convinced.

After more than 60 hours spent on the lands of Hokkaido, juggling main missions, side quests, and endless exploration, the answer isn’t simple. Sucker Punch plays on two fronts: technical conservatism and artistic boldness. Of course, the game isn’t perfect: some mechanics feel recycled, climbing remains archaic, stealth can be frustrating, and technically, you can tell the engine has its limits. But Ghost of Yotei more than makes up for these flaws with its world, storytelling, atmosphere, and that rare feeling of truly losing yourself in a dreamed-up, poetic, and simultaneously violent version of feudal Japan. In short, Ghost of Yotei isn’t a revolution, nor a breathtaking technical leap. It’s a respectful sequel, sometimes conservative, yet one that manages to elevate the original experience through its artistic direction, immersion, and narrative. It’s a game to be savored as much as played, one that delights, moves, and, above all, reminds us why we love virtual feudal Japan: for its landscapes, its mood, and those unforgettable moments when you truly feel like a part of the story.

Sonic Racing CrossWorlds isn’t just another entry in the franchise, it’s a full-on evolution of the karting formula that finally outshines Mario Kart World. Faster, more demanding, and packed with depth thanks to its gadget system, CrossWorlds mechanic, and unprecedented vehicle and character customization, SEGA has delivered a game that rewards skill, strategy, and risk-taking. Yes, hoverboards feel awkward and the UI could use some love, but on the track, the action is relentless, the races unpredictable, and the fun absolutely infectious. There’s no contest : Mario Kart World has finally met its master, and it’s called Sonic Racing CrossWorlds.

Cronos The New Dawn is Bloober Team’s most ambitious project, heavily inspired by survival horror classics. Its post-apocalyptic Polish setting, retro-futuristic art style, and oppressive atmosphere are impressive highlights, showing the studio’s talent for building immersive, unsettling worlds. Yet the game struggles with rigid, outdated gameplay, clunky combat, and puzzles that feel too simplistic. Its reliance on Dead Space, Resident Evil, and Silent Hill leaves little room for true innovation, preventing it from becoming a genre-defining title. While not the breakthrough it aims to be, Cronos marks an important step for Bloober Team. It’s a respectful homage that will please fans of old-school survival horror, but may leave others hoping for something bolder.

Now that we’ve finished Lost Soul Aside, it’s clear that the game is far from the disaster many claimed on social media. After more than twenty hours of play, it’s obvious that Yang Bing’s project (started as a student hobby and later turned into an industrial-scale production with Sony’s support) retains all its passion and identity in its gameplay, even if some peripheral aspects aren’t as polished. At the heart of the game lies its dynamic combat system, rich in possibilities. The four weapons (longsword, greatsword, double spear, and scythe) each offer distinct approaches, which can be combined into fluid, spectacular combos, made accessible through mechanics like perfect parries and the assist system that activates after multiple deaths. The draconic companion Arena adds another strategic and visually impressive dimension, turning battles into true aerial ballets. Yet, the game is not without flaws. The graphics, while generally basic, feel like a previous-generation title, suffering from an uneven and sometimes questionable art direction, as well as occasionally repetitive environments. The storytelling and character charisma are limited, and platforming sections can be frustrating due to the hero’s slightly floaty physics. The English voice acting is also disappointing, making it strongly recommended to stick to the Chinese original or the Japanese voices, which are much better executed. Despite these shortcomings, Lost Soul Aside succeeds where many modern action games fail: it delivers immediate, pure fun, with a gratifying combat system and combos that grow richer as you progress. For fans of fast-paced hack-and-slash, it’s an experience not to be underestimated. Perhaps not worth €70, but definitely closer to €40, let’s be honest.

Shinobi Art of Vengeance is an absolute banger, both a heartfelt tribute to a legendary franchise and a smart modernization for a new generation of players who never experienced Joe Musashi in the era of 8-16-bit consoles and arcade halls. The French studio Lizardcube clearly understood how to strike the perfect balance between tradition and innovation, drawing on the fundamentals of the early games while enriching the gameplay with modern mechanics designed for fluidity, depth, and combat variety.

Nobody saw it coming, but Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has ended up being one of 2025’s biggest surprises. When we tried it out at Summer Game Fest back in June, we knew it had potential as a solid Souls-like, but we didn’t expect it to be this good. he Chinese studio Leenzee didn’t just try to copy the Souls formula, they really took the time to understand what makes the genre tick, and then built something that feels deeply rooted in Chinese culture. That unique identity is one of its biggest strengths, and it brings a refreshing brightness and atmosphere you don’t usually see in these kinds of games. Technically, Wuchang Fallen Feathers also delivers, it’s stable, smooth, and well put together. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, the game looks stunning, with beautiful panoramas and a nice variety of environments. Now, sure, it’s not perfect. Some parts can get a bit frustrating, the enemy variety isn’t always amazing (though the boss fights are seriously cool), and there are a few difficulty spikes that feel a bit off. But honestly, those flaws don’t take away from the overall experience.

With Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo brings back its iconic gorilla in a bold, fresh take on the 3D platformer. On paper, it has all the right ingredients for a hit: a core mechanic built around full-on destruction, fully destructible environments that encourage exploration, a fun set of transformations, a dash of RPG systems, and a colorful, modern visual style. At first, it works. The game makes a strong first impression, smashing everything in sight is instantly satisfying, and there’s real freedom in how you approach levels. But after a few hours, the cracks start to show. The level design, which is so important in a 3D platformer, runs out of steam pretty fast. The early zones feel fresh, but later areas tend to blur together, with lots of rocky, cave-like environments that feel repetitive. Honestly, it feels like you spend 80% of the game underground.Pacing is also a bit off. The game throws a ton of stuff at you (objectives, collectibles, side systems), but rarely takes the time to give them real meaning. You start to feel overwhelmed, and after a while, the gameplay loop gets a bit too repetitive. There's so much going on that it ends up feeling cluttered, and the experience loses some of its clarity. Still, don’t get us wrong, we had a good time. But after our preview, we were kind of expecting a masterpiece, maybe even a game-changer for 3D platformers. So yeah,we came back down to earth a bit.

You could say Death Stranding 2 is to the first game what Metal Gear Solid 4 was to MGS3: a louder, flashier sequel that tries to impress, but ends up being less moving, less inspired, and less on point. It feels like Hideo Kojima gave in to the urge for self-references, fan service, and over-the-top moments—at the cost of narrative coherence and depth.And that’s really the biggest letdown: it’s not just that the game has flaws, it’s that it gives up on being unique. In the end, Death Stranding 2 isn’t a bad game by any means (it’s actually super solid on a technical and artistic level) but it still feels kind of flat, occasionally lazy, and almost pointless. It loses part of what made the original so special: that weird, uncompromising experience that didn’t look or feel like anything else out there.Where the first one was bold enough to throw you off balance, this one plays it safe. What used to feel like a total gaming oddity now feels like a hybrid product, stuck between big creative ideas and the need to please a wider audience. Kojima probably wanted to take us on another journey, but by refusing to really go somewhere new, it mostly just feels like we’re going in circles.

Mario Kart World marks a bold reinvention of the series, introducing an open world and new mechanics like dynamic weather, aerial stunts, and grinding. While the Free Roam mode feels underused and the Battle mode lacks depth, the game shines with varied, exciting tracks and a thrilling new Survival mode. Despite a few omissions, like the 200cc mode, it’s a strong, modern entry that refreshes the formula while laying solid foundations for future updates.

With DOOM The Dark Ages, the series takes a 180-degree turn, especially with a return to a less airborne, less frenetic DOOM compared to DOOM Eternal. The game might divide players who loved that ultra-fast FPS approach, but the developers at id Software wanted to shake up the formula. Those looking for a more grounded, back-to-basics experience will be pleased, especially since the gameplay centered around the shield-chainsaw, parries, and dodges offers a new dimension. There's less verticality and fewer aerial movements; this DOOM favors close combat but with the same brutality. While the sequences inside the large robot are fun, we're less fond of the dragon-riding sequences, which aren't always that engaging. Overall, we had a great time.

It's hard not to be impressed by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, if only for the sheer ambition it displays. From its very first minutes, the game sets a strong, atypical aesthetic framework, almost disturbing in its tormented beauty. The universe, somewhere between surrealistic nightmare and waking dream, is unlike anything currently on the J-RPG scene. But Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is more than just a visual daring, for beneath its visual and symbolic layers lies a surprisingly dense, rich and, above all, dynamic combat system. Combining turn-based and real-time reflexes, the game redefines the genre's expectations by forcing it out of its comfort zone. But ambitious as it is, Expedition 33 is not without its faults. The game's overly linear structure hinders exploration. The environments, as beautiful as they are, sometimes suffer from a lack of interaction and a rather flat level design. The title isn't perfect, but it's terribly sincere, and above all it's a work that dares and often succeeds.

In 2025, Xenoblade Chronicles X is no longer just another forgotten Wii U RPG: it's a videogame manifesto brought up to date, a singular work that finally finds the setting it deserves on Nintendo Switch. Where so many modern productions rely on cinematic narrative or immediate gratification, Monolith Soft's title dares to offer something else: a truly free open world, non-linear progression, gameplay that demands investment, and above all, a vision. That of an uncompromising RPG.

The grand return of the Fatal Fury franchise, which had disappeared from the radar 26 years ago and for which NeoGeo fans had been desperately waiting, was made through the front door. This time, the game is not just for them, but also for the mainstream players, who will discover a game with a sophisticated yet accessible combat system. Even on a visual level, we're finally treated to a 3D SNK game that's obvious to look at. In short, it's perfect.

After spending 150 hours on it, finishing the main story of Yasuke and Naoe, and exploring every nook and cranny of the open world, we can tell you without any shame, we enjoyed the adventure offered in this feudal Japan of the 1500s. Everything is obviously not perfect, because the game still carries the stigmata of a license that has difficulty renewing itself, but there are positive things to be learned from it. By choosing to offer two radically different protagonists, the Ubisoft Quebec studio manages to bring together under the same banner the purists who swear by infiltration and the others who appreciate the action-RPG aspect taken since AC Origins in 2017.

Split Fiction is simply the It Takes Two formula but with the knobs pushed to the maximum. In addition to this absolute, complementary cooperation that never pretends, Josef Farès and his teams have added a frenetic pace that we owe to this approach that is much more action than in the past. With this tempo that has gained momentum and a lot of dynamism, we chain together situations and levels without ever getting bored for a single moment, especially since the game is constantly reinventing itself.

Seven years after the global phenomenon that was Monster Hunter World in 2018, Capcom finally delivers its sequel, not in its numbering that's for sure, but the spirit, it's definitely there! It's simple, Monster Hunter Wilds takes all the ingredients of the winning formula of its illustrious predecessor, while making it evolve in the right direction. The story and narration now take a more important part, with just the right amount of endearing characters, intrigue and outcome to let us be transported into this campaign that ends in about twenty hours of play. Then, Capcom gives players free rein to do what they want through an even more consistent and interesting endgame, since it knows how to renew the experience and extend the lifespan almost infinitely, especially with the DLC and other expansions to come. Between the appearance of other monsters, the climate changes that are taking place, the end of the decline and the arrival of abundance, the game then offers itself a second youth.

It's true that Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is very similar to the first episode with the same structure, the same gameplay, the same assets, the same flaws and still residual bugs that sometimes make you smile, but Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is an RPG of quite incredible depth, with a proposal so radical and so against what is done in AAA video games that it totally goes off the beaten track. I hadn't done the first episode, just watched the tester at the time play it and I didn't understand the craze. I won't hide from you that the first 15 hours were painful, sometimes painful, because once again, the proposal was so radical that it went beyond my codes, my habits. Nevertheless, we feel that behind this harshness, this almost unhealthy rigor hid a game of great richness and I am not unhappy to have persevered, because the gratification is great, but the pleasure is also total. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is definitely not a game for everyone, but if you can buy into the proposition, then you're in for a game like no other.

It's a strange feeling to play this Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. The gaming experience is both exciting and frustrating. Exciting because replaying this adventure fifteen years ago has remained almost intact. Apart from a few aspects of the gameplay that have aged badly (because the gameplay was originally built for the Wiimote and Nunchunk) and its bosses that are still disappointing (like in 2010, it hasn't changed), the game still shines with its ingenious game design, its well-crafted level design and its gameplay that is still as square. Where Donkey Kong Country Returns HD disappoints is in its basic, almost lazy adaptation. Apart from the HD smoothing, it's the same game in every way, and it's true that in 2025, some models have aged. And then, we would have also liked Nintendo to offer us exclusive content for this Switch version, as was the case when the game was released on 3DS in 2013.

We can now say it : Dynasty Warriors is a license that has come a long way, a very long way even. After a decade of going around in circles, multiplying episodes that don't care and failed attempts to do like the West with its poorly put-together open worlds, the saga ended up getting lost. But neither Koei Tecmo nor the Omega Force studio gave up, and after a good bit of soul searching, the two entities were able to identify the choices to make to make this saga shine again, which has been reborn from its ashes. Thanks to producer Tomohiko Sho, Dynasty Warriors Origins was able to take a 180 degree turn, without denying its fundamentals. We are still dealing with a massive, brutal and enjoyable beat'em all on the surface, but which has been able to refine its gameplay in order to make it more demanding and even more satisfying.

Let's be honest, we were pretty freaked out by the result obtained with Indiana Jones and the Circle of the Ancients, especially after the latest gameplay videos that were released. The issues identified with the AI and the stiff animations are there, but they manage to be hidden by the rest of the game, which are actually the heart of this adventure. Exploration, puzzles, story, narration, characters, atmosphere and even the fights somewhere, all of this takes over to offer us a gripping, captivating adventure that perfectly transcribes the Indy of the 80s. Even the view in the first video that was much criticized works well and it's a real pleasure to have gone through these 32 hours of play in the leather jacket of our coolest archaeologist on the planet. The game also shines with its technical aspect, with very rich graphics and a total change of scenery! We loved our adventure despite its flaws and we hope that a sequel will come to correct and strengthen a license that can try to do as well as Uncharted and Tomb Raider.