Provocateur, Weedcraft Inc is undoubtedly. At first sight this is a very complete management game offering multiple activities to carry out your business. While the humour is very nicely tailored in the dialogues, the repetitive gameplay and excessive recycling of the same sentences over and over again are disappointing. The negotiation and social relationship could and should have been much more interesting. Still, the multi-faceted management aspect mixed with the funny moments the title has to offer, like juggling between legality and influence over individuals and society, is enjoyable enough to grab your interest.

The Surge 2 takes the premise and mechanics set by its predecessor and takes them even further with some welcome new ideas. The beautifully choreographed battles are a real success once mastered, provided the visibility problems sometimes caused by the camera — as well as the repetitiveness of the actions — are ignored. The system of crafting and customization through the dismemberment of enemies, and allowing players to create their own style of play, is still as successful as ever. Nothing new then, but rather more content and options — it's certainly demanding, but just as pleasing when we take up the challenge with an undeniable sense of power.

The studio in charge of reviving MediEvil, Other Ocean Interactive, did nothing more than the bare minimum. The graphics are beautiful and the work done on the lighting is wonderful, but we are quickly faced with a gameplay from another time. The hero's movements is sometimes erratic and the camera can be very annoying. Still, Sir Daniel Fortesque, champion of King Peregrin, lord of the kingdom of Gallowmere is one of the most lovable (anti)hero of the first generation PlayStation. Against all odds, the gargoyles jokes, the overall creativity and the brilliant music allow us to have a good time.

Although it takes up many of the mechanics of the 3rd episode, Trails of Cold Steel IV is unfortunately unable to rise to its level. The lengths in the narration and the direction break the rhythm and we fail to find the epic nature from the previous title. Despite the fan service and the diversity are not enough to erase the lack of novelty and risk-taking. Nevertheless, the very effective conclusion and the clever gameplay will surely seduce J-RPG addicts. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel has been able to offer us a great saga through these 4 episodes that deserve more attention.

Code Vein has been able to surprise by trying to compete with From Software titles but still knows how to find its own identity. Its narration allows for an accessible and complete understanding of the story, and its rich, original gameplay brings freshness to the genre. In addition, the personalization gives the player the impression of being in a shōnen, with a sense of power. The dark atmosphere of the title is clearly successful, and the world is fascinating. Unfortunately, it suffers from its linearity and technical limitations. Code Vein is a good title on which we had an enjoyable time. However, we just hope that the follow-up content will be more effective, and that the developers will be able to push essential patches to correct its defects.

On paper, Mordhau could look like any medieval brawler as we have seen for years. But in reality, it knows how to stand out with a combat system that is halfway between the arcade game and the realistic one, and a rather advanced personalization. We only regret the low number of cards and game modes, hoping that it will be completed in the near future via a few updates. However, everything is counterbalanced by a chubby humour that hits the target and will give you (at least) a few dozen hours of fun, with or without friends.

Even if the uneasy Lovecraftian atmosphere of The Sinking City can hook us with its gloomy graphics, the game is a technical mess. It's not the senseless battles that we will remember, but rather the investigative gameplay. Above all, the narrative around madness is remarkably well transcribed, both visually and acoustically. Fans of the genre will undoubtedly ignore its shortcomings and better appreciate its universe.

WARSAW has potential and good ideas. Unfortunately, it is not well balanced, and the many constraints often force the player into frustrating stalemates — sometimes simply through bad luck. The history lesson is understood, but accessibility and fun just aren't present. As it stands now, only the most hardened and persistent veterans of the genre will have the chance to progress and have fun in the long run. Providing more reasonable difficulty modes or a progression curve — rather than sending players crashing into a cliff — would have accomplished a lot, and that's a shame.

In the end, Sea Salt seems to be a passable title but it is not the case. As it stands, the game is very flawed. It's a pity because everything that shapes the game is almost perfect, and the atmosphere will make you want to stay. Basically, it would only take a change in the way you control the units, as well as rebalancing some enemies, to make the game very enjoyable. That said, for patient players, who are not afraid of being salty, you should take a look at this very promising game.

Moons of Madness manages, through the atmosphere it creates and its soundtrack, to effectively convey the oppressive isolation of this team stranded on the red star and facing paranormal phenomenons where dreams mix with reality. The graphics, although not the sharpest, are well made. However, it doesn't really give us any freedom in terms of exploration and rarely manages to startle us. And for those looking for a fight, it's essentially a puzzle-game that shows in variety what it lacks in challenge.

The Walking - Dead Saints & Sinners: Chapter 2 - Retribution still shines with its physics engine and the interactions it allows, offering a nice immersion in its universe with a successful atmosphere. Apart from new interesting weapons and night exploration, it brings very few novelties and is much more directional, putting more action on the confrontations than on its story or its characters. It is still a very good game, but it looks more like a DLC than an original title. So newcomers should rather go to the first episode before playing it, especially since it doesn't help much to understand the context if you missed the beginning.

Like its predecessor on 3DS, Miitopia Switch is an original work that will introduce you to RPGs. Filled with humor, its simplistic, non-strategic nature is nicely outweighed by its powerful Mii editor and long lifespan. Although a bit repetitive, this fun adventure will be a breath of fresh air for those who are new to this world. For the rest of us, we have to admit that the differences between the original and the remake are minimal.

Unfortunately, Avowed isn't that famous new Skyrim made-in-2025, with its vast, intoxicating universe, updated gameplay and narration worthy of the greatest games. The result is rather mediocre and dated, both visually and in terms of gameplay, taking us back a decade, and not for the right reasons.A disappointment considering the game's potential and the solid foundations on which it could have been built, and which is one of those games where you think “with X more months of development, maybe we've got something solid”. In any case, the PC version of Avowed is currently a failure, and fortunately the game is available on Game Pass day1, which we strongly advise you to take advantage of if you want to make up your own mind.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a good game on which you can have fun and spend good moments. Whether you are a new player or an old player of the license, you will find what you need. However, you will have to be patient to get through some stages. With this opus, Sega invites players to rediscover their first love of the series by offering levels from the first Super Monkey Ball. As a bonus, the addition of mini-games is a plus to have fun with your friends during parties even if some mini-games are not necessarily the most exciting. As for the small drawbacks, we regret the fact that you can't play all the characters in all the modes or the difficulty which is not always progressive.

STALKER 2 Heart of Chornobyl is a difficult, immersive and often frustrating game. Few compromises have been made, making the gameplay as brutal as the universe in which it takes place. Progress is slow and painful, especially with the many bugs present, while death can be as sudden as it is unfair. It requires a solid dose of patience, but it has to be said that exploring the area is well worth it, with all its dangers and mysteries that we try to unravel. The tools and interactions at our disposal are far too limited. This reduces gameplay and options to the bare minimum, sometimes destroying the immersion the game has worked so hard to build.

Destruction AllStars has many strong points to offer. Mainstream and approachable, the directing is quite good and the gameplay quick to learn — although it takes time to be truly mastered. We had a lot of fun throwing out violent bumper blows and jumping on platforms to change vehicles, as well as unleashing the powers of the many heroes available. However, it's hard to predict whether it will be successful in the long run, and the PS5's exclusivity and high purchase price may prevent it from reaching a large audience.

Wild Hearts doesn't just copy Monster Hunter, it also has plenty of good ideas, such as the changing environment and map installations. But the overall lack of polish and questionable balancing nevertheless proves to be unfortunate, and it still never manages to be as satisfying as its model. Whether it's the combat, the graphics, or the different systems of the game, the basics are there, but it's not quite accomplished enough to fully indulge in the pleasure of hunting big monsters.

Two years later, the same assessment can be made for Phoenix Point, even if it is an interesting tactical game with potential, it is still not finished. Some of the bugs have been fixed, and the content has been greatly enriched by the DLC included in this edition, but shortcuts have been taken, which spoiled their potential, and no effort has been made to really integrate them into the whole. Balancing is still an issue, and progression can become frustrating if you increase the difficulty. As for the console port, it's satisfactory in terms of controller controls, but you'll need to have a lot of patience to tolerate the excessively long load times.

If NFS Heat won't be able to convince with its overly easy gameplay, as well as an almost indestructible vehicle capable of shattering everything, others will be satisfied with the simple pleasure of repeated slide-downs and the sensation of speed, ignoring the simplistic side of the game. The graphics could have been better, but the rendering is quite pleasant, especially in motion. There is a whole range of vehicles and a neat soundtrack as well as extensive customization, all without loot boxes. The two sides of the game, day and night, have been successfully implemented and alternate nicely, especially since it's possible to play with the police in urban races once again.

In one sentence, Rebel Galaxy Outlaw is much-improved over the first game, originally released in 2015. The essence of these two games is ship combat against a backdrop of a space western. Outlaw improves confrontations by offering a third camera axis, and by deepening ship improvements. Although the writing is disappointing, both the ease with which fights are handled and the atmosphere — which reminds us of Borderlands but without the cynicism — mean we had a great time taking down nasty space pirates.

Atomfall is a likeable game, managing to offer an interesting adventure despite a few clumsinesses and flaws stemming from its limited resources, such as combat and an infiltration system with superficial mechanisms. Exploring every nook and cranny of the zone is at the heart of the experience, and is unquestionably the most successful and engaging aspect. The possibility of finding multiple ways of progressing to complete the story is also appreciated. This is a game worth discovering, if you're waiting for a sale or a price reduction. Waiting for future DLC and updates, which should enrich the gaming experience, might also be wise.

Maneater proves to be a good outlet if you want to feel powerful and reign supreme underwater by terrorizing and devouring humans. The fauna is very well represented and animated, but too much information spoils the charming graphics, and the camera sometimes tends to affect the clarity. The somewhat repetitive aspect of the title is compensated by regions and enemies that are regularly renewed, as well as by an offbeat and mischievous humor.

Without proposing any incredible new features, this title is a successful port, adapted to the Switch's requirements. It is pleasant to (re)discover it, with improved graphics that help dynamise the investigations. Available at an honest price, Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy is a good way to get into the license. Those who have not yet solved the mysteries of the 3DS version will certainly enjoy it.

Below Zero is not a bad game, but it is a downgrade of the original Subnautica in every way. The scenario is less natural, the map is much less memorable and the land exploration, the great novelty of this episode, is simply badly implemented. An honest trip for those who are nostalgic for 4546B, but a useless expense for those who don't know the series, who will use their agent much better by acquiring the first episode.

God of War Sons of Sparta isn't a bad game, but there's almost nothing that sets it apart from the competition. It's not very pretty, the combat isn't particularly unique, and there are clumsy moments throughout. Comparing it to Hollow Knight: Silksong or other independent Metroidvania games, which are cheaper, doesn't do it any favors. Its co-op mode could have made a difference if it weren't so poorly designed. We would recommend it more to die-hard fans of the God of War franchise than to experts of the Metroidvania genre.

Despite its substantial content and solid gameplay, Warcraft Rumble is not a game that players will be unanimous about. It suffers from a number of shortcomings, such as the fact that free-to-play progression is slowed down, that load times can be a little long, that there's no fun to be had, and that it can be frustrating. However, it will also find its target audience, who will love the universe and be able to enjoy it even if they don't spend much time on it each day.

Shadow Warrior 3 is mostly worth playing for its humoristic universe and its inspiration from Doom. Despite a limited content and an almost non-existent scenario, it offers a good moment of relaxation based on energetic confrontations requiring a little concentration. This is sometimes spoiled by a complicated readability of the fights due to a not very well placed camera. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a good fast-paced romp where you don't have to take yourself too seriously, it should be able to satisfy your needs.

Dragon Quest Monsters Le Prince des Ombres will bring back memories for fans of Dragon Quest IV, and will be convincing for fans of the license or of J-RPGs. However, it may also hold back the arrival of new players, as its technical aspects may pose a problem, despite a really advanced synthesis system, an excellent soundtrack and good ideas such as the season system. In the end, the best way to find out whether it's for you or not is to play the demo.

The Metro games preserve all their qualities on Switch: efficient FPS with a gripping atmosphere, extremely interesting lore with its share of action, survival and stealth. They also come with their flaws such as the aging graphics, a sometimes limited AI and confusing controls. On TV, the console struggles to display graphics that are far from current standards. They lack definition, finesse and detail. In portable mode, the darkness in the tunnels of the Moscow metro makes it difficult to see on the small screen. If you only have the Switch and you don't know the Metro license, go for it. If you have a PC, PS4 or Xbox One and you don't know the Metro license, choose these platforms instead.

If Sifu is not a perfect copy, it remains a very good game. Demanding but never unfair, don't be fooled by the low number of levels because you'll have to start them several times to master the game perfectly, extending considerably its life span. Sifu remains a difficult game, a kind of beat them up die & retry, even succeed and retry. If you are looking for a game that will resist you, requiring you to master its mechanics, then your expectations will be fulfilled.

Football Manager on Xbox is an acceptable alternative if we are reluctant to use our PC as a platform to play. However, control lapses, hindering the experience and making it less enjoyable. The hours of browsing through the menus that we loved become a process that we try to avoid as much as possible.

With King Arthur: Knight's Tale, the studio NeoCore Games fulfills its contract to offer a tactical turn-based game with demanding combat and RPG-inspired progression. Its exciting setting (a mix of dark fantasy and Arthurian legend) allows for multiple epic, dark and dramatic stories to be told. By omitting its classicism and focusing on its successful battles and notable difficulty.

With its solid gameplay and sinister Soulsborne atmosphere combined with some good ideas of its own, Mortal Shell could have been a great game. But a hasty release seems to have caused a lot of damage: the overall balance is weak, and there's a lack of variety in the shells, weapons and bosses. The game is quickly over, the fights hardly noticeable with no music and the unbalanced difficulty. The most relentless might find their happiness by playing without shells , and with the New Game+.

Age of Mythology was a banger for its time, and even today it remains a good game for RTS fans, especially those who appreciate a slightly slower gameplay system than Warcraft/Starcraft. Only Retold offers little more than graphical improvements and a slightly reworked campaign. The new game mode to be added post-launch may change this opinion, but today, it's hard to see a compelling reason to buy this version.

NBA 2K22 remains a very good basketball game but it rely too much on its assets and doesn't evolve anymore. It's difficult to see the differences between the 2021 and 2022 versions in terms of technology, graphics and content available to players. However, we notice the efforts made on the gameplay, which is much closer to the reality of the courts and less frustrating, as well as the care given to the My NBA mode. As far as the career mode is concerned, we're clearly left wanting more, it's just a lot of filler, to the detriment of the narrative quality of the career. To conclude, NBA 2K22 remains solid on its feet, still offering the best for a fan of the orange ball, but it's cruelly lacking in creativity and struggling to renew itself.

Dice Legacy has some very good ideas, as well as an innovative gameplay based on dices, without knocking you out with questions of probability and risk calculation. But without being too complex, this game turns out to be very demanding, and it will even challenge city builder regulars, since it requires to manage many tasks and problems in real time, leaving little room for error. Finally, the fact that its lifespan is based only on more difficult variants of the same story may quickly tire players, since it does not offer other maps, nor varied scenarios, nor easy access to the dices from previous games.

Minecraft Legends is a good multiplayer RTS that we recommend to all those who want to discover the genre. Especially since the graphics are not bad if you like pixel art and the game is fluid. Accessible while offering some difficulty, it still takes a little time before fully appreciating this new spin-off which promises wild games with friends.

Last Labyrinth is undeniably original. Sure, you need Katia to do the job for you, some puzzles lack rhythm, but Amata's rather bold approach hits the mark. It will certainly not please everyone as the story remains quite vague and diluted in the multiple paths that are proposed to us. The atmosphere, however, is effective, and the characters are quite remarkable. We enjoyed solving complex puzzles, and as long as you don't get discouraged too quickly, you're going to like failing to be able to witness the various deaths that the developers have created for you.

Without being the most exciting, original or accomplished rogue-like of the genre, Gwent: Rogue Mage nevertheless offers a recipe that works, all in the familiar universe of The Witcher. Players who like the modern recipe of CD Projekt Red's TCG, but prefer to play solo, should enjoy it for a while, especially since its price is really modest. However, the alterations made to the gameplay may put off some players, and it quickly feels like they are doing the same thing over and over again.

Hard West 2 is a classic game at heart with a progression system that is lacking. However, the fantastic western atmosphere, coupled with a neat narrative and combat that is both satisfying and varied in tactical situations, make the game a good pick up, both for fans of the genre and for those who would like to learn about turn-based strategy games.

Ni No Kuni 2 offers a nice addictive adventure with varied and original features. However, its simplicity and its little scenario make it a nice title without being a monumental slap in the genre. Without a doubt, the porting to the Switch is successful and offers a portable version that is pleasant to take everywhere.

This reboot of Alone in the Dark is mainly driven by its characters and its story, whose particularly meticulous narrative resources immerse us in an intriguing atmosphere and scenario. Fighting and puzzles are unfortunately disappointing, with only a handful of memorable confrontations and a few (too few) devious puzzles. This 2024 version of Alone in the Dark won't become a genre staple, but it will keep survival-horror fans busy until the release of the Silent Hill 2 remake.

Wario Ware Move It! is a decent addition to Nintendo's series of absurd microgames: with a concept that brings it very close to the Wii's Smooth Moves, this new episode mixes dozens of convincing challenges with other, much more imprecise proposals and sometimes very vague instructions. It's also one of the sparsest Wario Ware releases in terms of content, taking 6 to 7 hours to play through all the microgames, with no real reason to come back to them afterwards.

Nintendo does not take any risks with a Splatoon 3 that is far too close to its predecessor on many points, a predecessor that a sequel that was already lacking in notable novelties compared to the original WiiU title. This is all the more frustrating as the gameplay is still very pleasant to play and the charm of this very special formula remains intact. As far as content is concerned, if we put aside the new weapons, it's mainly the solid single player campaign full of good ideas that manages to raise the bar of this lackluster episode.

Solidly grounded, Borderlands 4 is a satisfying looter shooter, with a quest for the ultimate equipment that will undoubtedly appeal to many players. But the transition to an open world hasn't been entirely smooth, and despite all the nice new features in this installment, it's hard to get overly invested in the planet Kairos: generic activities, erratic difficulty, and an overall pace that's choppy due to too many dialogue sequences somewhat spoil the fun. Is this enough to prevent you from fully enjoying a 100% co-op game with very decent content? Not sure.

Fairly average on many points, Dungeons & Dragons - Dark Alliance is actually quite pleasant to play. The world created by R.A. Salvatore is only used as a base, the graphics could be more detailed, and the RPG side is limited to the characters' statistics, but the title is not without charm and benefits from an efficient soundtrack. The fights are also pleasant even if the targeting can be a bit difficult to handle. It benefits from some good ideas and a good replayability, but also from small recurring flaws. And the cooperative multiplayer is a definite plus, especially between friends. Still, those looking for a real challenge may be disappointed.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order could have been a good, short, but intense action game, lasting about ten hours, but instead, it swallows the player in unnecessary back and forths, artificial obstacles, puzzles and chests hunts, which burden the rhythm and fun. We come out all the more frustrated by a predictable story that goes nowhere, as well as by its combat system very close to Sekiro's, but which is far from reaching its level of refinement and control, especially on the bosses.

Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles is a fan service game, and it doesn't hide it. If you are a fan of the first hour then you will have no problem to dive into this adventure which mixes combat and narrative phases, all in the enchanting universe of the anime. For the others, the experience will lose a lot of flavor. The story mode is not always well-paced and the Versus mode is clearly not enough on its own. In the end, the game is mainly for fans of Koyoharu Gotōge's work.

Somewhere between GTA and Just Cause, Saints Row doesn't manage to match the gameplay of these two titles, and its particular humor doesn't hit the mark often enough to compensate. The realization also leaves something to be desired, with sometimes poor graphics, fights that are as superficial as they are imprecise, and exploration that gives the impression of floating in the scenery as soon as you want to climb somewhere. Fortunately, the driving and car chases compensate, especially in co-op. Saints Row still allows you to spend some good moments indulging in absurd activities, with some funny situations.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden really could have been a great game that could have made its mark on the narrative RPG genre. With an innovative concept, a poignant story and choices that make the player think and affect, there was enough to satisfy, not to mention some sumptuous landscapes, successful immersion and a well-thought-out combat system that could have been developed further. All these good ideas are ravaged by poor technique, NPCs from another decade, boringly repetitive gameplay and exploration, and uninvolving combat that deserved better. The whole RPG aspect of the game is unfortunately far too superficial and obsolete, and we're simply content to move forward in the story to find out what's good about it.

If Sonic Frontiers offers a rather simplistic open world in its conception, it is nevertheless a condensed action, fluidity and dynamism. It's a real pleasure to explore the different islands while sprinting or using the springs and other springboards to go higher and higher. Despite a somewhat redundant scenario and some ergonomic issues, this new title from SEGA is perfect to try 100% without ever getting bored thanks to the fights offering various patterns and mini-games allowing to unlock the zones. In short, an ideal adventure and platform game for the end of the year whether you are a fan of the blue hedgehog or not.

While waiting to see what season 2 of The Dark Pictures Anthology has in store for us, The Devil in Me closes the first one by bringing a few novelties and an interesting character. This episode is a little bit better, but it has a hard time renewing the series and, despite some improvements, it still suffers from the shortcomings of its predecessors, especially on a technical level. It is still attractive, with ordinary characters and a plot that is not very well written, but a serial killer and a Murder Hotel that have an effect, with, moreover, delicate decisions to be taken and jump scares that can make you jump.

Two Point Campus is an accessible management game that will delight casual players for its humor, its clear and pleasant ergonomics and especially for the successful feeling of making a university evolve. Regular players, on the other hand, will quickly exhaust the game mechanics and get bored because of the lack of challenge.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 leaves a truly mixed impression. The campaign, which is too arcade-like and too similar to Zombie mode, lacks charm, pace, and consistency. Multiplayer offers solid content for a launch, but strays into excessive futurism that breaks the readability. Fortunately, Zombie mode clearly saves the day: complete, coherent, demanding, and fun, it recaptures the spirit of the best installments. Ultimately, this Call of Duty is solid in places, but very unbalanced when you look at it in detail. It feels like there was no balance in the development of each game mode. Some modes, notably Zombie, received more attention than others.

Skull and Bones isn't incredible, but neither is it a nameless wreck. For those who didn't play Black Flag back in the day, it's still a good experience to have as a pirate, with then some pretty memorable battles and also the pleasure of customizing your ship and equipping it with the best weapons. But if you've ever had an experience with the opus released in 2013, it's clear that this title will certainly leave a bitter taste in your mouth. While the sea battles are a real highlight, the rest of the game seems bland, with redundant missions and a feeling of limited exploration. Despite this, the whole game remains pleasant to play, with a campaign lasting between 25 and 30 hours.

If you are familiar with the series, a detail will definitely jump out at you: Tropico 6 looks like Tropico 5, which was criticized for being too much like Tropico 4. A hard blow for this series which evolves too little, copying most of the game mechanics and even bringing on the issues. Fortunately, the crazy atmosphere under the tropical sun is still here in Tropico 6. It may help you enjoying your winter times, as you seek warmth and papaya.

More than a simple singing game, Let's Sing 2022 offers a multitude of varied modes making it a real party game. If it is a carbon copy of the previous opus, showing a certain laziness in its conception, the new title from Voxel is perfect for the end of year celebrations. In solo or multiplayer, Let's Sing remains a reference in the field of karaoke games.

Phoenix Point stumbles and fails its release, which has obviously been rushed. Although it's currently full of bugs and balance issues on many levels, the game has great potential that will eventually shine and make it a game of choice for aficionados of the genre. The gameplay is ambitious and deep, with a combat and management system that can be very satisfying. In addition, the diplomacy feature is a rare strength, even if the current content doesn't encourage you to take full advantage of it yet. We advise you to wait a little before buying Phoenix, as it will most likely be improved soon.

Although a short and not providing all the answers to the questions it raises, Draugen, with its intoxicating atmosphere and the taste of Norwegian countryside, offers us a good time in the company of the protagonists with their charming relationships. Soaked with a soundtrack that seduces us from the very first notes, the story, in which our role will consist in following, without being able to influence it, like a spectator, has in any case kept us on our toes.

Biomutant is a good game with a strong promise and an identity of its own, which you won't find in any other title. For this reason alone, the adventure is worth trying despite its visual and technical deficiencies. We can only advise you to take your time, to explore the world and not to follow the traditional codes of the genre. Otherwise, you might miss the game experience that the developers of Experiment 101 wanted.

Far Cry 6 is not a bad game, far from it. We have to admit that the scenery of the island of Yara is exotic and the story around Antón Castillo is rather interesting. However, the recipe is starting to run out of steam. The few new features are not enough to make up for a huge but cruelly empty map. As for the scenario, it quickly becomes a bit stale, with quests following one another without really managing to keep us in suspense. Nevertheless, if you want to dive into the heart of the guerrilla war with a friend, and not Chorizo, note that the game becomes much more fun with two players.

Though not a masterpiece, Warhammer Chaosbane is not a total failure either. Due to its minimalist design (but well implemented), the title sinks especially on its execution by proposing content that is too light and rough contrasting with well elaborated classes. The game lacks ambition, and sometimes even finishing touches, which is unfortunate for a license with such great potential. However, all its interest undoubtedly comes from its multiplayer mode, which can be played by 4 players on the same support. It is therefore advisable to opt for the multi-player experience. After all, it is sometimes nice to remember that it is still possible to sit in front of a TV with friends and pizzas, to play together and have a good evening. And that's probably all the game is about here.

The Outer Worlds looks too much like Fallout New Vegas without being able to stand out. The few innovative mechanics it incorporates don't work very well and the exploration is disappointing, with ridiculously small, uninteresting areas. Still, at the end of the day, the gameplay is rather pleasant, the story and characters that grow a little more as you go along and the replayability can make the difference, as long as the "Elder Scrolls" formula doesn't turn you off.

The first few hours might be challenging if you're new to Dungeon-RPG. The gameplay and controls are completely different from the main games in the license, but Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX is much more accessible than its original 2006 versions. Between a cute and colorful graphic redesign, and new options that make the game more dynamic, this new opus is a rather addictive success.

With its wild humor and colorful world, Journey to the Savage Planet is a game that puts fun above all else. If resource gathering, crafting and exploration are the keywords of your adventure on the planet AR-Y26, it's your fun and wacky experience that will stand out. In short, there's never a dull moment, whether it's thanks to the sound atmosphere or to your robot, which never stops making jokes in a sarcastic tone. If you want to fully explore this new world, discover the mysteries surrounding intelligent alien life or simply collect resources to repair your ship, the adventure is even better in co-op.

Asterix & Obelix XXL3: the Crystal Menhir, invites you to experience a brand new story of the two Gauls. In it, we can find what makes the soul of our heroes' adventures: travelling and slapping Romans. On this aspect, the contract is fulfilled. Each level has a different atmosphere, and the graphics add to the feeling of seeing a comic strip come to life. The sound effects and the dubbing also play a major part in the immersion. However, even if the combat phases are rather intense, the repetition of exploration/camps is tiring in the long run and we are eager to move forward. Fortunately, the co-op mode, even if not flawless, manages to reinvigorate the title. You will quickly forget the storyline and have fun, as long as you play with a friend, and a controller.

Minecraft Dungeons is an accessible dungeon-crawler that will satisfy fans and novices of the genre, young and old. With a very nice sound and graphic atmosphere, the new Mojang game is meant to be a game for everyone, and the challenge has been met. Hardcore gamers may like it a little less because of the lack of content, even if the difficulty is present. In the end, whether played solo or cooperatively, Minecraft Dungeons is a very satisfying game, but it can quickly become redundant. We'll have to see how Mojang and Microsoft will incorporate content updates and new features to make it a long-lasting game.

Overall, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is a good RPG even if it has its share of technical defects. Its universe is coherent and offers a lot of freedom, thanks to an effective combat system: pawns that are one of the best ideas of the game and a huge lifetime. Capcom has been able to pick the right ideas from the Western RPG recipe even if some of J-RPG's mechanics do not work well, especially in the interface or in secondary quests. The Switch port is good, even if some hitches are felt in handheld mode.

The Switch version of Resident Evil 5 is quite a surprise. Indeed, based on the console versions released in 2016, it has nothing to be ashamed in terms of graphics and suffers no slowdown. Very complete, it also comes with the two scripted extensions as well as the Arena and online multiplayer modes. We can however blame it for its very dated gameplay. It's heavy, it's slow and it's not maneuverable. The gyroscopic aim set up by the Day One patch remains fun at first but is really not practical. The local co-op is still as nice as ever, but it needs to be tested on a TV and with two controllers, as the Joy-Con doesn't allow all kinds of movements, especially the camera ones.

Rather modest in the end, Metal Hellsinger is a nice game with a great concept and music that accompanies it perfectly. You can spend a handful of intense hours playing it without regret, in order to experience its innovative gameplay. However, you have to be interested in the scoring based on the rhythmic aspect to linger on it, since it doesn't have much else to offer afterwards.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered is a good multiplayer game. You'll spend hours exploring dungeons and perfecting your characters. The main feature of the game is of course its multiplayer dimension, and you'll have fun whether you play with friends or with strangers. However, the experience is tarnished by incomprehensible choices such as the disappearance of local cooperation or the gameplay's lack of dynamism. In conclusion, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered is a lazy port of an excellent game.

With House of Ashes, Supermassive Games takes a more action oriented that some may regret. It is also less horrific, but still relies on effective dilemmas to guide its story. As for the graphics, they can be beautiful as well as a bit overdone and suffer from a sometimes strange facial animation. And although it still needs to be improved, we welcome the switch to free camera, as well as the 3 difficulty levels proposed for the QTEs. Still as cinematic as ever, the title offers us an adventure around a Sumerian legend with an undeniable replayability and which is perfectly suited to multiplayer games with friends.

King's Bounty 2 is an archaic game in many aspects, both in its RPG side and in its exploration. It tries to modernize itself by offering an open world progression, but it has only impoverished its former superb art direction and shown its technical limits. Nevertheless, its fun strategic aspect with a good difficulty and its addictive progression make it a pleasure to return to.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar Realms of Ruin has a lot going for it, including high-quality production, numerous game modes and a variety of factions, but it suffers from one of the worst flaws of any video game: it's not very interesting or fun. Managing your army is unsatisfying, lacking control and options on the one hand, and on the other, the game is slow, cumbersome and punishing. It takes a lot of effort to get used to its particular gameplay, and is likely to put off many players.

Youtubers Life 2 could really have been a good little influencer life simulation game if its formula had been a little better thought out. The sometimes shaky features combined with the merciless passage of time are both stressful and frustrating, as it feels like you're missing out on what each day has to offer. Having to race against the clock and make painful choices is not very relaxing. If you are not too competitive in managing your YouTube channel as well as the layout of your home, and if you enjoy the social interactions with the strange inhabitants of New Tube City, you can have a pretty good time.

Souldiers was "this close" to join the not so closed club of the great indie metroidvania, only its absurd difficulty and its finally very flat gameplay got the better of the pleasure of the game quite quickly. It's a pity, because Retro Forge's title is full of very good ideas and, damn it, it's got a lot of good looks: apart from some dubious color choices on some shots, Souldiers can at least boast of a 2D of an almost unprecedented finesse. To make it short: it's very beautiful, but really average.

Tangle Tower is above all a game carried by its characters. Zany and reminiscent of Cartoon Network archetypes, they represent — with the artistic direction — the power of the game. After the surprise of discovering puzzles, they turn out to be easy and end quickly. The game is designed for mobile devices with its short sessions, and unfortunately will not satisfy lovers of puzzle games. However, it could be a good choice for novices.

With its graphics and its turn-based gameplay, Cris Tales is very attractive, especially since it is enhanced by an appreciable soundtrack with various tracks. The dubbing in VO is also of good quality, even if it sometimes tends to break the rhythm a bit. It's a pity that the animations are a bit stiff and that the software suffers from some lags during the fights. The latter, although pleasant, are also a bit too easy and frequent, giving a feeling of exaggerated repetitiveness. On the other hand, the title has a good lifespan. The presence of unmarked enemies and the recurrent loading can also be criticized. Nevertheless, even if we would have appreciated a more mature story, it is pleasant to follow and the gameplay playing with time works very well.

Already made complicated by its niche Xbox exclusive aspect and high price despite access to Game Pass day1, Redfall and Arkane miss their opportunity to release a great game. This "most ambitious project" is also one of their least successful. FPS, RPG, single player, multiplayer, open world and other keywords, a little bit of everything for a lot of nothing and inconsistencies. This accumulation of good ideas and the few very good points of the game are ruined by the many problems (AI, optimization in particular) that tarnish it. A world, its exploration and bad guys nevertheless pleasant, with which we would have liked to get more involved and that the developers give it an even stronger identity.

Blood Bowl 3 should delight the ultra fans of the first hour of the license, or at least those whose team is part of the line-up of the game from its release. If you can get past the roster issue and the (potential) business model issue, then it's still a game that "does the job", without reinventing anything. The atmosphere is still great, beating up the opposing teams is still satisfying... Special mention to the menus and customizations which have really evolved since Blood Bowl 2.

Blue Reflection Second Light is not a game that will suit everyone, but it remains interesting on several aspects. Whether it is for the diversity of its environments, or the improvements compared to the previous game, which allow our heroines to evolve a little as we want. This second opus brings a bit of freshness with its new fighting system and it's encouraging for the future. And if you are interested, we advise you to test the demo.

The Walking Dead Onslaught has a way to immerse us in the universe of the series, but it won't be remembered. It's pleasant to play — the fights are stressful and the choice of weapons is extensive — but it lacks variety and even forces us to redo several missions to unlock the next ones. Additionally, we find it hard to feel concerned about the rebuilding of Alexandria, as it only acts as a hub to launch missions. As for the four characters, they are rather forgettable, and only Daryl's story is worth the attention.

Without being catastrophic, the result is unsatisfactory in almost all areas, and we are saddened to see so many good ideas badly exploited, and with wasted potential. The combat system is original but badly balanced. The atmosphere is intriguing and the city has a real verticality, but it is completely flooded with repetitive fights and items to collect. The narration could have saved the whole thing, but it quickly stumbles, and ends after only a few hours without giving any reason to be interested. The direction is equally inconsistent, with significant ups and downs. If instead of investing its limited resources in a failed open world, the studio had focused on the rest, maybe Ghostwire Tokyo would have been a good game.

Crimson Desert’s best moments come when you think about the game it could have been, were it not for its overabundance of clunky mechanics and its painfully sluggish controls. Riddled with glitches and systems that don’t work, Pearl Abyss’s first single-player game can rely on its sublime open world, or its core management system borrowed from BDO, to occasionally lift us out of our frustration.

While full of good intentions with its impressive hordes of mutants and some remarkable panoramas, it may be that the impression of having already played Days Gone a dozen times in the last 5 years comes to your mind very quickly.

Milestone is bringing improvements and more content to its supercross game, but it's not sure that this will be enough to satisfy fans. As for the newcomers, they should not be discouraged by the title's demands. The career mode has been effectively revised, but remains rather classic like all the other activities offered. However, the track editor is quite convincing. Anyway, the sensations are there, it's a pity that the graphics are still from another era.

While fans of the series will certainly enjoy having all their heroes back in a colourful game faithful to the original material, the others will probably be harder to convince. Except for the story and the anime side of the title, the production is rather unremarkable with regrettable inconsistencies. The turn-based combats are quite repetitive, but are fortunately compensated by the regular addition of new gameplay elements. If you're a fan of the series, you are likely to be seduced by the enchanting universe of Fairy Tail and its characters. Otherwise, you should probably wait for a more appropriate price for the experience.

In the end, despite some big design mistakes, Recompile remains a very funny title that will offer a wonderful trip in a very colorful universe to its players. The flaws and the too great facility of the title are, without any doubt, compensated by its enchanting atmosphere and its more than pleasant game feeling. Far from being a must-have Metroidvania, Recompile will nevertheless be the kind of title that, although it doesn't offer anything new, will keep a small place in the memory of the players who will have the courage to launch into its adventure.

It's tough not to consider Astral Chain something of a small disappointment, especially when you know Platinum Games' talent for beat 'em ups. We not only highly commend the fight mechanics in this latest title from Takahashi Taura, but also its universe — original and supported by a high-class artistic direction. However, the overall game is pulled down somewhat by a structure of missions that doesn't match the studio's desire to mix the beat 'em up and investigative genres, and further by large approximations and other technical problems — all of which have a significant impact on the enjoyment of the game.

Dedicated to the WorldSBK 2022 championship, SBK 22 is a lighter version of MotoGP 22. It has the same components, without the historical mode. There are fewer bikes and fewer tracks, for a slightly reduced price. If you own MotoGP 22, unless you are a Superbike championship fan, you may wonder why you should add this redundant title to your game library. But It is indeed a very good simulation with real driving sensations.

The only big new game for the Nintendo Switch this end of year 2020, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a little disappointing. As enjoyable as any self-respecting musou, Omega Force's title is technically flawed, limited in content and largely under-exploited story-wise. We may have expected too much, but this new title in the universe of Zelda Breath of the Wild was meant to cover an important part of the story, and it seems botched on many points.

Hell is Us is another title that would have been better suited to being a movie rather than a game. Rather than focusing on Souls-like action or puzzles to offer solid gameplay, it attempts to combine these two radically different genres, and the result is disappointing. Finding an audience looking for both of these experiences at once is difficult enough, but they have also been treated superficially, even clumsily, because of this ill-advised compromise. It is therefore unlikely that they will satisfy the majority of players. This is all the more unfortunate given that the overall production is of fairly good quality and the atmosphere is sometimes incredible. Hell is Us confronts us with the horrors of war in a way that few games dare to do, but its message risks being lost in the wanderings of the gameplay.

Fans of the series will appreciate to rediscover the characters and universe of Narcos, as the game will remind them of the events and places of the first season. The graphics are good, provided that you don't get too close and don't mind about strange camera angles. The targeting can sometimes be problematic, but the strategic aspect and the third person real-time actions are quite effective. We liked being able to switch sides between Narcos and D.E.A but, unfortunately, the game is too repetitive.

Full of good intentions, Soul Hackers 2 never really convinces: its limited gameplay and redundant environments make it an experience that shows its limits very quickly, and it should take you a couple of hours before you get to the bottom of it. Lovers of Japanese turn-based games can still try their luck to fill a hollow tooth, but it doesn't offer anything substantial enough to quench their MegaTen thirst.

With Youngblood, Machinegames clearly had a card to play by offering co-op alongside their excellent reboot of the Wolfenstein series. Unfortunately, this spin-off stumbles by proposing an adventure stretched to the maximum — the fault of a superficial leveling system that forces players to chain 'fetch' side quests in order to access the scripted content, which is then limited to just five missions. A few good gameplay ideas, a more open level design (thanks Arkane), and a reduced price prevent Wolfenstein: Youngblood from being a shipwreck.

Empire of Sin is a rather seductive mix of turn-based strategy inspired by XCOM and Prohibition-era thug management games. The game experience is varied enough and the city of Chicago lively enough for the player to have a good 20 hours of fun, but don't expect to invest much more in it as the situations you will face during the fights, in the management of your empire and in the relationships with other gangs will repeat themselves quite quickly, giving the feeling that you've gone around pretty quickly and not really making you want to restart a game after reaching the end credits.

Mission accomplished for Robocop: Rogue City. It's a pretty good game for fans of the license and 80s action films. Everything is faithfully reproduced and even enriched, while offering a gameplay that makes good use of Robocop's particularities, both as a cybernetic policeman serving the city and as a killing machine. In this context, it's quite amusing, even pleasant, to follow Alex Murphy and his little phrases before a big massacre. However, the game won't be of much interest to other players. Its content won't appeal to them, it's too short, too repetitive and too poorly produced to justify its price tag.

The excellent atmosphere and the cinematographic ambitions of Twelve Minutes are not enough to make it an unforgettable experience. Underneath lies a sloppy point & click game, serving a disjointed plot with far from captivating stakes. As for its time loop concept, it induces too many inconsistencies and repetitions in the course of the adventure to be fully satisfying.