Far from being a childish little game, Monster Hunter Stories 2 is an excellent spin-off that skillfully takes the universe and the mechanics of the license before adapting them brilliantly in a very different genre. The story is easy to follow, the art direction is not lacking in charm, and the fights are satisfying. Exploring the world in order to get your hands on all the possible monsters, then tinkering with their genes in order to make a great team is very satisfying, even if there are some clumsinesses in the interface and it can be a bit repetitive. We highly recommend it, both to Monster Hunter fans and to those who are looking for an alternative to Pokémon.

The Coalition continues to pursue its goal of maturing the Gears of War series. With more lightness in the gameplay, a slightly harder tone, and a deeper expansion of the universe, Gears 5 could well be the best in the series. It's beautiful, it's fluid, and it tries to say something than just 'another war'. There's no doubt that even the most skeptical fans will be won over by this new episode, while new players to the franchise will also find what they are looking for — as long as they like a style of gameplay so particular to the series. If the story is not enough, the game can be played with friends — whether co-op or competitive, there's plenty to do in Gears 5.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a treat for action gamers, with visually stunning sequences and a great feel. Unfortunately, the game's frenetic pace is punctuated by a few slow moments and can become repetitive at times due to a lack of variety in the enemy roster. But the main gameplay loop remains ultra-addictive and the bosses are so enjoyable that the game is still a pleasant surprise, both for newcomers and veterans of the franchise. We recommend it, and it's available on Game Pass from day one.

What makes a good LEGO game? A good dose of humor, varied levels, brick collecting and flawless local co-op. Obviously, this Skywalker Saga meets all these criteria with flying colors and more. Of course, we enjoyed the return of some of the typical TT Games foundations, but it was the novelty and the risk-taking that attracted us. Stunning graphics for a game with bricks, more dynamic fights than ever and a huge open world full of secrets and puzzles. In short, an ambitious compilation confirming that this is the best LEGO game of all time. Can't wait to see what's next with other adaptations.

GrizzlyGames offers a vision of city building with Islanders as rarely seen before. Forget the management of the population, the economy and all the cumbersome settings, the game starts with the bare minimum to travel and appeals to your optimization skills. Building a city has rarely been so pretty and satisfying, and you'll probably end up your games thinking "Come on, I can do better". We will simply regret the music being a little too repetitive.

Overall, Tales of Graces F Remastered is the best version available for this title. However, the fact that it's a game from 2009/2010 still makes itself felt in terms of gameplay, environments and graphics, even if this doesn't prevent you from enjoying the game. In particular, combat is dynamic enough, and the game's comfort level has been greatly improved, allowing us to modulate numerous parameters to follow the story as we wish.

Let's be clear: Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore isn't a game for all. Its gameplay, very close to Shin Megami Tensei, is rather complete and interesting enough to catch the Japanese RPG lover in you. The nature of its scenario and the themes it explores may surprise you. Approaching J-Pop without complex, #FE goes completely wild with a sharp universe and a story so absurd that they end up generating more awkward laughs than empathy: if Japanese culture isn't your thing, move on. On the other hand, if you've always dreamed of saving humanity with your idol talents, you can go for it without hesitation.

With its rich emotional proposal, Life is Strange: True Colors managed to arouse our empathy on many occasions. Even if it is not free of flaws (repetitions, invisible walls, long loading times...), it knows how to create the right atmosphere by relying on melancholic music and good acting. Its concept of auras works perfectly and allows for some very nice sequences. With its neat graphics, its excellent voice acting and its endearing characters, it is a great Life is Strange.

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.

Hunt: Showdown delivers a tactical FPS that blends PvE and PvP in a cooperative and competitive way. Even if the console version remains a little below the PC version in terms of graphics, it's still an original and efficient game. If you're bound to repeat the same actions over and over again, the concept of lineage, with the permanent death of the hunters, allows to compensate a bit for that. In the same way, we would have liked more maps and bosses, or even more game modes to get our hands on. The tense and oppressive atmosphere is really pleasant, as is the soundtrack and the spatial management of the game. We can play one game after the other without being too reluctant about these little details.

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.

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a pleasant, if not unforgettable, adventure. While we're always happy to find Majima and his gameplay, the storyline of this episode isn't up to scratch, just like its particularly empty and under-exploited maritime zones. Nonetheless, the game boasts solid side content: crew management, side quests, mini-games galore... There's plenty to do.

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.

Some will say that the pleasure is short-lived, but Untitled Goose Game is a real laugh from start to finish. It offers fun infiltration gameplay, a very neat art style, and excellent animation — all against the backdrop of Debussy's Preludes, which adapt to the action on the screen. In short, the experience is simply divine. Few independent developers who have risked making a 3D game can boast of having achieved such an outstanding result. You will certainly not regret the few hours it takes to complete Untitled Goose Game.

Samurai Shodown is the breath of fresh air the saga has needed. The visual style immediately adds to the atmosphere, helped by an immersive soundtrack and fluid animation. The addition of the dojo and the game's accessibility make you want to dive in and master everything. In terms of gameplay, it's in these games of defence and subtle counter-attack that Samurai Shodown shines. It's not the best game out there, but we highly recommend it to fans who want a different fighting game experience.

Although many elements of Rune Factory Guardians of Azuma remain fairly classic, this spin-off is perfectly suited to players who want to discover the universe of this franchise. And it doesn't forget the fans of the early days, since they'll be able to discover village management or the changes made to make the experience more enjoyable, even if many of the codes you're already familiar with are still present. After all, it's worth mentioning that it comes at a hefty price, which may put a damper on your desire to buy it.

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth is a nice curtain closing for the license on 3DS. The gameplay is solid and the production is full of personality, both visually and musically. As long as you have done the Persona, interactions that should never have and could have taken place between the characters are pleasant and fun. The story progresses without a hitch and it is not too Manichaean for once — it even ends with a hint of emotion. So, it's almost all good — a solid conclusion to Persona and a good gateway to trying out the Etrian Odyssey series.

Catherine: Full Body is a game you have to experience if you missed the original. Very few games tackle the problems of people in their thirties so fiercely and brazenly, as well as the clichés that separate the two sexes. All this comes with a layer of humour and a touch of eroticism. Otherwise, the new character and story may not be enough to justify the Full Body's high price, especially if you aren't a fan of infernal cube-based puzzles.

A solid FPS with hack-and-slash mechanics that are just as strong, Borderlands 3 is a devilishly effective game, one ideally enjoyed with friends. Its four distinct character classes and consistent content are both arguments for this third canonical episode being a highly recommendable title. However, the experience is ruined by the many bugs, glitches and other wild issues that currently plague the game, although an inevitable first patch should ease all that. Finally, the overabundance of 'fart jokes' makes the game's endless conversations even more painful, even if a few quest threads make up for it.

Skydance Interactive hits the mark with Saints & Sinners, a VR survival game featuring zombies and different factions of survivors under The Walking Dead license. In addition to the tough moral choices it poses, the title shines with its physics engine and its truly immersive and enjoyable melee combat. Even if we regretted some repetitions, the limited freedom and survivors with very low IQ, we felt deeply involved in this apocalyptic New Orleans.

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.

Warhammer 40 000 Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters is without a doubt one of the best games of the license, it's beautiful, with a neat art direction, and a fantastic atmosphere that pays tribute to the brutality of its universe. The gameplay elements are well thought out, from managing the ship, to preparing the troops, and especially the turn-based combat. It should satisfy fans of tactical games with its myriad possible approaches to commanding its Grey Knights. Not everything is perfect, there are a few clumsinesses, and it becomes quite repetitive at some point, but it didn't spoil the experience.

Compared to its first version on Wii, Zelda Skyward Sword HD is not a revolution, but it offers good improvements. The title may not convince players who have already completed it, but it has adapted perfectly to the hybrid console. This is an opportunity not to be missed if you want to discover this important opus of the Zelda saga.

Even if it remains rather childish and won't blow your mind as much as the other Playstation adaptations, Sackboy also takes advantage of all the potential of these machines in terms of graphics. The challenge is not very high, but the gameplay is fascinating, and the levels are efficiently designed. The fact that you can use DualSense for even more immersion, and the charm of the game's artistic direction and its enchanting soundtrack, makes it a must-have platformer for fans of the genre.

Blue Byte beautifully manages the return to the roots of Anno. Many things are reminiscent of 1404, but it still adds significant value by adding inspiration from the last two episodes, and adapting it to the industrial revolution. The return of the sandbox mode is more than appreciated and ingeniously designed. Of course, the game is not perfect and there are a couple of small problems here and there, but Anno 1800 is a frank success on all aspects and can easily rise to the rank of best game of the series.

Frontier succeeds in doing what we all wanted with Planet Zoo: to offer Planet Coaster's freedom of expression and creation, paired with a worthwhile management game. Icing on the cake, they also bring a game full of caring messages and pro-animal activism, contrasted with a cold observation about the capitalism involved in the animal rehabilitation. Despite some problems related to the construction or the interface, it's beautiful, it's complete, and we can spend dozens of hours perfecting our park or taking care of the sad little fur balls.

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.

With Atelier Yumia L'Alchimiste des Souvenirs and La Terre Rêvée, Gust shows us that the choice of appropriating a formula that works elsewhere can also be beneficial for a franchise like Atelier, taking it into a new era. Admittedly, not everything is perfect, as there is a lack of optimization in certain locations, but overall, the journey that awaits us is well worth the detour, whether for the trinity (combat, exploration and synthesis) or the story of our heroes, which is accompanied by a quality soundtrack.

Age of Empires 4 is a real-time strategy game of a scale we haven't seen in years. While it doesn't revolutionize the genre or the license, it does give them an excellent modern representative. The execution is almost flawless, the content is satisfying, the handling is fast, and the gameplay is satisfying. Novices and veterans alike should find something to enjoy, whether playing single or multiplayer. There is even an educational aspect, which helps to renew the interest and the look of battles and wars that we have already followed, or even fought in other games. Apart from a few minor flaws, as is often the case with very good games, we would simply have liked to have more.

Despite a certain imbalance where basic textures and other simplistic models rub shoulders with polished graphics, such as realistic VR manipulations limited to objects that have a use, Wanderer is overall a high quality title. Thanks to its concept of intertemporal puzzles, it makes us efficiently cross time periods and rack our brains to come to the end of what looks like a huge escape game. However, you'd better hang on to some of the more difficult puzzles. Wanderer will offer you an enjoyable adventure in which you will enjoy playing with time.

One of the biggest surprises of this final part of the year. Immortals: Fenyx Rising is fun, beautiful, with lots of things to do and plenty of battles to fight. It may get a bit repetitive over the hours, but still worth it. And you'll laugh a lot with Zeus and Prometheus.

Company of Heroes 3 is the continuation of the second opus: a well-made, well-packaged and complete real-time strategy game. The active pause and the dynamic map are two novelties that refresh a formula that unfortunately has not changed deeply in ten years and does not bring any great upheaval in the small world of real-time strategy. Nevertheless, Company of Heroes 3 remains a refined strategy game, more accomplished than the previous opus, which we recommend to specialists of the genre.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair has reinvented the franchise where it was needed. We are not witnessing a revolution of the platform genre, but the beginning of its transformation. Even though this title has some flaws, it also tries to introduce new things. It explores many mechanics, and seems almost irreproachable in pure gameplay terms, controller in hand. We were charmed by this title, although it can be frustrating at times. Speedrunners and collectibles fans will be served, while the others will have a cute little game to get their teeth into.

Stellar Blade is a great success, with some serious arguments to give you good reasons to play it. It's beautiful, with top-quality production on every level, and the highly satisfying combat is at the heart of the gameplay. The confrontations are as numerous as they are demanding, and players looking for a challenge should only be disappointed by the somewhat limited number of bosses. The world is also interesting to explore, and lasts a long time. In the end, it's the small hiccups, particularly in the story, that break the immersion.

The French duo Asobo Games and Focus Home Interactive confirmed all the good thoughts we have about A Plague Tale, with a truly fascinating and touching story that kept us on the edge of our seats from the beginning until the end. Despite a lifespan of about ten hours, the title remains very intense despite the absence of important moral choices and some summary game phases. A Plague Tale: Innocence remains a perfect embodiment of the past, which has succeeded in capsizing us thanks to its own history, that of the De Runes family.

By returning to the fundamentals of the series, the developers of Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince made the right choice. Frozenbyte delivers a particularly attractive game with a neat atmosphere and inspired artistic direction. Even though the story ends a little too abruptly and we would have liked more challenge in the fights, we cannot deny being pleased with the game. Environments, gameplay and puzzles know how to stay fresh in order to hold our interest and desire to go further. The possibility of having up to four players and riddles that adapt accordingly are also to be welcomed.

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.

Overall and to be quite honest, Lost Ark is truly an excellent game. Very complete in most aspects, the game from Smilegate RPG doesn't skimp on details and promises many hours of play to those interested in the MMOARPG style. However, it is important to mention that Lost Ark suffers from some serious defects due to its condition as a Korean game: the exploitation of the player's irrepressible need to spend money to compensate for a possible backlog and its affiliation with gambling games, two factors that should be seriously considered, especially by those players who are serious about committing themselves. Nevertheless, aside from these defects, Lost Ark offers Western gamers a new way to approach both the MMORPG and Hack'n'Slash styles. By taking the time and enjoying the game without rushing to get the credit card out as soon as possible, the average gamer should enjoy Lost Ark without too much trouble, and that's probably the most important thing in the end.

An epic adventure awaits you if your machine can run Black Myth Wukong properly. It's one of the best-looking, best-realized games we've ever had the pleasure of playing. Battles are nervous and intense, but the gameplay is easy to master, with enough tools at your disposal not to get bored with the dozens and dozens of bosses awaiting you. Finally, it's a shame that the story is difficult to understand for the vast majority of players, and that the immense potential of the level design is ruined by the invisible walls, which are placed haphazardly.

As a singular, contemplative experience, Hellblade 2 perfectly fulfills its contract: visually dazzling, Ninja Theory's title can only be fully experienced with a good pair of headphones screwed on your ears. As a "video game", on the other hand, it's immediately more complicated: between repetitive combat from the second encounter and poorly calibrated, uninteresting puzzles, Senua's Saga is easy to follow but never enthralling. There are a few intense scenes, but they don't make up for a conclusion that comes as a bolt from the blue.

Despite its flaws, Gears Tactics should manage to satisfy tacticians and fans of the license, pushing players to be aggressive while showing some finesse. It's a pleasure to play this campaign, which has a correct lifespan. Unfortunately, the strategic dimension is almost non-existent and replayability is really lacking. It's a great game to play on occasion via Gamepass, but probably not one that many will choose to dwell on.

With its dense gameplay and its numerous progression mechanics, Fire Emblem Warriors 3 Hopes really has everything it takes to make Fire Emblem and mass beat them up fans enjoy themselves. However, it can be criticized for clogging the player with menus, with endless end-of-battle screens and maybe too many things to manage outside the battles. Nevertheless, FEW3H remains one of the most solid and complete musou of the last years, you would be wrong to miss this return to the world of Fodlan.

If we are obviously very happy to see this spin-off episode in Europe, it's hard not to see it as a step backwards for RGG Studios. The game is very well written and the city of Kyo is exotic, but the dated gameplay brings us back to the time of Yakuza Zero, while the efforts made to flesh it out are not enough to give a boost to the whole. Moreover, the wacky side missions and mini-games are far from being at their best in this episode, which is quite correct, but far below Yakuza Kiwami 2.

In their eagerness to streamline the original experience, Square Enix and Hexadrive have gone too far with this new version of the cult classic Dragon Quest VII, stripping away some of its charm. Its concept and effective gameplay remain intact, but it's hard not to grimace when you realise that the game has removed all form of challenge and the need for exploration. A remake that is a little too effective, then, but one that will at least allow as many people as possible to discover this monument of Japanese RPGs with a big heart.

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.

Fire Emblem Engage is a very unbalanced title, on the one hand, it is very affordable for all players, and we loved the challenges it offers at high difficulty levels. But on the other hand, its story and characters made us roll our eyes all the time. Fortunately, the quality realization, at least for the Switch, makes up for it. Also, real efforts have been made to improve the gameplay, and the interface is well thought out. It's a real pleasure to play and watch the fights, which are always accompanied by good animations and music. This can be a great game, if you can ignore the bad parts of it, and focus on the tactical battles.

The gameplay is more satisfying than ever, the new semi-open world format works like a charm, and yet Halo Infinite fails to make its campaign the unforgettable moment we were expecting. The obvious lack of ambition in the storyline, which feels like a prologue, and too many repetitions of locations and objectives in its final third, prevent 343 Industries from reaching the firmament. However, it remains a particularly solid FPS, which should keep you busy for a good fifteen hours of fun and to which you will certainly return with pleasure once the co-op mode is available.

Digimon Story Time Stranger is a good game that can serve as a gateway to discovering this universe, offering an interesting story to follow, comprehensive gameplay with diverse and varied environments, and substantial content ranging from simple routine missions to card or creature collecting, as well as battles that sometimes require a certain amount of preparation. Not to mention fans who will find their favorite digital monsters from all generations, as well as the progression system that is the strength of this title. So, is it worth the price? If you're a fan of J-RPGs, yes, but if you're not, we recommend trying the demo first.

Amnesia: Rebirth is intended for players who want to take part in an old-fashioned horror adventure, with all its quaint and disorienting features. But behind these aspects — which can be discouraging for some — lies a truly mastered adventure game with an exotic and terrifying atmosphere that depicts a deeply human and intimate story.

F.I.S.T. is a very solid metroidvania, with a neat universe and fights that keep you glued to the pad. Rather difficult and rich enough in content, TiGames' soft only suffers from a few clumsinesses, such as regularly misplaced checkpoints or a few lunar collisions, but nothing that can really spoil the pleasure of playing.

Reanimal is a satisfying horror experience, especially in local co-op, plunging you into a waking nightmare from which you will clearly not emerge unscathed. But while it shines in terms of visuals and staging, it's difficult to be fully satisfied with the gameplay, with a game that strings together situations that are difficult to understand and a camera that sometimes struggles to position itself correctly.

Similarly to its predecessor, the only thing Ys is missing is a budget in line with current standards. Many might be repelled by the aged graphics and the crude direction, but those who manage to get past that will find the very best of old-school A-RPG. Thanks to explosive fights, very generous content and heroes whose powers give a good boost to the exploration, Ys is a must-have for fans of modest but lovingly made Japanese productions.

Football Manager 2023 is a step in the right direction. It adds eye-catching new features such as UEFA licenses, as well as gameplay and match engine tweaks. You can still ask for a little more to a game that is already excellent, such as improvements to press conferences, or even women's football, but it is undoubtedly worth playing if you are a fan of the saga.

Pokémon Sword and Shield provides new sensations even for the most experienced trainers who have finished all versions. New Pokémon, new features, breathtaking graphics and music... Game Freak is offering us a complete renewal of its emblematic license. If a few details need to be reviewed, if the game remains a little simple and the scenario leaves us a little hungry, there is no doubt that the developer is now offering us the first game of a long series for Nintendo Switch.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a lazy game, devoid of ambitions. It copies and superficially applies the Souls' recipe, in a way unworthy of the studio to which we owe Nioh. It is a generation or two behind graphically, and its poor gameplay, unbalanced on many levels, doesn't make you want to dwell on it. There are some interesting ideas in the package, but they were so under-exploited that they might as well not exist.

Expeditions: Rome is in the line of the previous episodes. It's a tactical-RPG with hard battles, a good tactical depth and which gain in complexity as you progress. The secondary elements, such as the conquest phases or the improvement of your headquarters, which seem to be secondary in the end, still give a sense of progression and something to do between battles.

Pokémon Sword and Shield provides new sensations even for the most experienced trainers who have finished all versions. New Pokémon, new features, breathtaking graphics and music... Game Freak is offering us a complete renewal of its emblematic license. If a few details need to be reviewed, if the game remains a little simple and the scenario leaves us a little hungry, there is no doubt that the developer is now offering us the first game of a long series for Nintendo Switch.

Octopath Traveler 0 offers a different structure from its predecessors, with gameplay that sometimes stands out significantly, usually in a good way. Even though there are many clichés of the genre and no real freedom is offered, the story manages to be touching when it needs to be. It doesn't shy away from tackling difficult themes that you wouldn't expect given its artistic direction. It's another successful addition to the series, although it's a shame that various overlooked aspects detract from the overall result, such as the lack of French localization and slightly inferior graphics.

Perhaps a little too close to its predecessor, Remnant 2 remains an excellent co-op experience, at the crossroads between TPS, hack & slash and souls-like. An explosive mix that quickly comes into its own, with demanding boss battles, randomly generated maps full of surprises and an RPG aspect with a plethora of build possibilities. We do regret, however, that the number of new worlds is a little low, and that collision masks are sometimes clumsy, leading to unjustified deaths. Nonetheless, there's nothing to spoil the enormous pleasure of playing what is sure to be one of the best games of the summer.

After 3 hours, Ruined King: A League of Legends Story becomes enjoyable to play, with combat and exploration phases that flow really well. The balance between "puzzles" and fighting is quite good, and if you add to that a lot of side quests, crafting and lore, you get a game that should please dungeon crawler, turn-based RPG or League of Legends aficionados. On the other hand, the complexity of the combat interface can be a bit daunting, especially at the beginning. Connoisseurs and those who played Battle Chasers Nightwar will not be disoriented and should have a good time.

Pokémon Sword and Shield provides new sensations even for the most experienced trainers who have finished all versions. New Pokémon, new features, breathtaking graphics and music... Game Freak is offering us a complete renewal of its emblematic license. If a few details need to be reviewed, if the game remains a little simple and the scenario leaves us a little hungry, there is no doubt that the developer is now offering us the first game of a long series for Nintendo Switch.

With a tedious grip that clashes horribly with the relaxing nature in which Infinity Nikki excels, I wonder whether the choice to turn it into a Genshin Impact-style “gacha game” was a wise one. Fortunately, the sheer number of menus and the difficulty of mastering them, in addition to the annoying style contests, are the only major negative points to highlight. For the rest, the latest addition to the Nikki saga is probably one of the best cosy games I've played in recent years. Graphically very pleasing, with rich gameplay and a more than honest lifespan for a free game, I can't wait to discover what the next updates have in store.

Diablo 2 Resurrected has a stunning graphical overhaul as well as satisfactory controller support, but it's really not a remaster for the masses: it's primarily aimed at fans of the original title. Nostalgia won't necessarily be enough to make you forget the lack of modernization of many interface or gameplay elements. So it struggles to compete with the many newer games in the same genre on many levels. Let's hope for more changes in the future. Even if it doesn't impose itself as a modern title, we still recommend it to players looking to discover this great classic in good conditions, knowing that it offers an almost unlimited life span to those who are hooked on its old formula.

Old and new players will enjoy this new Mario Party on Nintendo Switch. With its graphical improvements and its back to basics, this Superstars version finally offers a strong gameplay on the home console. The big positive point is of course the presence of online from the start of the adventure and for all game modes, but also the stickers allowing you to communicate with other players. More lively than ever, Mario Party Superstars may not be the best of the series, but allows you to forget the disappointment of 2018.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is the A-JRPG that many gamers have been waiting for, and which will delight fans of Monster Hunter, Tales of, Kingdom Hearts or Genshin Impact with its depth of content that can keep you playing for hundreds of hours if need be. With addictive gameplay, an interesting cast of characters, a satisfying story mode and an endgame that holds you hostage for long hours, alone or with others, Cygames' game is one of the pleasant surprises of the new year. Despite its frustrating shortcomings, which we hope will soon be rectified.

Nier Replicant is one of those games that we will forgive a lot of things for what it manages to bring us. Yoko Taro's title has that special "aura" that many gamers are looking for, something that makes it unique and unforgettable despite its flaws. With this remake, ToyLogic does not distort the original work in any way and even dusts off its gameplay with talent: if you have never dived into the world of Nier, this is clearly the best entry point available to date.

Last Epoch is the perfect game for you if Diablo 4 has disappointed you and you're wisely waiting for PoE 2. After 4 years of early access and listening to the community, Eleventh Hour Games has succeeded in creating another great Hack'n'Slash, a perfect blend of the genre's ARPGs, Lost Ark and Dr.Strange. A well-stocked endgame content and thousands of items to farm follow an interesting but not memorable campaign. The game will easily hold you hostage for dozens of hours and more if you're a fan of the genre, and will suit veterans and neophytes alike, even without being as accessible as a D4.

There is much to be said against Judgment, a title in the vein of Yakuza that nevertheless fails to match its illustrious forebear. Clumsy and with a more choppy rhythm than ever, we still recommend it to lovers of police intrigue and Japanese detective stories. Thanks to a successful atmosphere and well-crafted plot, this new offering from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios often manages to make you forget the scattered nature of its gameplay.

Even if it looks rather sober at first sight, Wartales is a rich and interesting game, with a neat content. Leading your mercenaries around the world, taking advantage of local opportunities in your own way, and fighting freely is addictive. There's also enough variety in exploration and encounters to keep you on your toes. The combat system is well thought out, with solid fundamentals and innovative elements. While a lot of effort has been put into making it accessible, it still rewards observation and experimentation, which may appeal to players who don't like to be held by the hand, but others may feel a little lost.

While Star Wars Squadrons will delight fans by giving them the opportunity to fly the saga's iconic ships in majestic space settings, both the storyline and the characters are a little too superficial and the collision system is poorly handled. However, the pleasure experienced stick-in-hand is still there, especially in virtual reality, a pleasure that multiplayer battles manage to enhance.

While the gameplay and graphics of Immortals Fenyx Rising aren't really innovative, Ubisoft's new franchise brings a fresh new twist to the open-world genre. And with good reason: everything is simplified in the right way to appeal to a very wide audience, and the story is told with a great deal of humor. A perfect mix that makes the adventure very addictive and could surprise you for the end of the year 2020.

Yoshi's Crafted World finally became a game for children. The best way to enjoy it for an adult is by playing with a young child. The recipe works then, with its excess of cute things and some ideas that should please all those who like to pull stuff to reveal hidden things. Still, the gameplay and the general atmosphere of the title tend to make the set very slow, like the soundtrack made of a single piece recycled on the forty levels of the game.

Dynasty Warriors Origins is a new formula that dares to take risks, and we think it's going to pay off! To reach a wider audience, it was certainly necessary to break with the codes that kept the series somewhat stuck in the past. Here, new players will have the opportunity to discover the world of the 3 Kingdoms and the advantages of a “Musou”-style game, while fans will rediscover what made the series so strong: its story, its satisfying gameplay and its generosity. Technically, the title is very solid, packed with content, beautiful at times and, above all, generous. We regret the absence of the free mode, which didn't cost much to install, and the uneven graphics. Origins is a great new departure for Koei Tecmo, and 2025 is off to a great start with a game that's sure to be one of the best action games of the year!

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 offers a very nice campaign that will reconcile players who were unfortunately disappointed by Call of Duty: Vanguard. On the program, a lot of action, endearing characters, and of course a bit of betrayal in all this. If some may find that its lifespan is not long enough, it must be admitted that in this case, it is nevertheless sufficient. And as we have said, the end of the campaign announces something crazy for those who would not have enough yet! Besides, there is something for everyone: from hardcore missions to those that require more discretion, you will be served no matter what your taste is. This opus marks more than ever the return of Call of Duty. [Campaign Score = 85]

With graphics that will make other games in the franchise jealous, New Pokémon Snap succeeds in following the line of successful spin-offs. More than a revival of the episode released on N64, this new opus is a breath of fresh air offering us a colorful journey in a new region. Let's admit it, New Pokémon Snap has everything to please and has very few flaws that could spoil its potential, even if its lifespan remains a bit short.

With its sublime open-world and highly complementary character duo, Assassin's Creed Shadows is a good addition to Ubisoft's flagship saga. Unfortunately, all its good ideas are scratched in the medium term by an overload of content and combat that shows its limits halfway through. The journey is worthwhile, but it would have benefited from being shorter.

Very enjoyable and more pleasant to play than Dying Light 2 in some respects, thanks in particular to its highly satisfying parkour and no-frills adventure, Dying Light the Beast remains a minor episode in Techland's series. Despite a smaller play area and a very short campaign, the game still ends up becoming repetitive after a few hours, due to uninteresting side activities and a poorly constructed map. The basics of the gameplay are there and they're still as good as ever, but that's not enough to make it a memorable experience.

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.

Despite all the love we have for the original material, it is unfortunately impossible for us to recommend this remaster of Shin Megami Tensei 3 at full price. If some efforts have been made to make the experience much more accessible, the graphical lifting is almost non-existent. The game still has great qualities, with its unique universe and its very strategic monsters fights, but we can only advise you to wait for the price to go down a notch before trying the experience.

To conclude, Riders Republic is clearly a good game that will certainly delight gamers who love thrills and extreme sports. We'll put aside the aspect of microtransactions in a game sold at a high price which darkens the picture a bit, because it remains a very good game experience. Technically, the game is not as good as Forza Horizon, even if it is strongly inspired by it in its gameplay structure, but the map is simply brilliant, large and full of surprises for the ingenious players who like exploration. A very good end of year surprise to be consumed without moderation, but while wearing a helmet.

If The Quarry suffers from some obvious technical problems, especially during the first chapters, they quickly fade away in favor of an engaging plot, credible relationships and logical interactions. Aware of its origins (Until Dawn), it doesn't rest on its laurels and offers a new interactive teen-movie, much less cliché than its predecessor, which will undoubtedly delight fans of the genre. The Quarry is contemplative. Get involved, get interested in what it offers, and it will probably give you back. And remember: what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Elden Ring Nightreign is aimed at the most dedicated of FromSoftware's titles, as it condenses the best and the worst into a new, original format. At last, a Soulslike designed for true cooperative play. It's an intense, non-stop race, requiring you to concentrate for 45 minutes, while taking on difficult bosses and having to avoid making almost the slightest mistake. It's very addictive and you literally can't see the time go by, but it's exhausting and clearly not for everyone. It's a lot of fun, but you can't help but be frustrated by the studio's bad habits: an archaic interface, missing features, dubious balancing, but also a massive amount of recycling from previous titles, without offering the rich content we'd expect in return.

TOEM is an exquisite expedition into a minimalist black and white world without being simplistic. With a ton of objects to collect and puzzles to solve with your camera, the small independent game offers a variety of charming activities, all in a relaxing atmosphere. Far too short, we would have liked to spend more time on it.

Resident Evil 3 version 2020 works very well. The adventure will delight action fans without sacrificing what makes the soul of the series, its survival horror side. The atmosphere is amazing, oppressive and reinforced by the constant pressure of the Nemesis, which benefits from a much better AI than Mr. X. The RE Engine is more precise and the music plunges us into a nightmarish universe. However, the adventure is quite simple in its confrontations, thanks to new gameplay mechanics, and won't put your brains to the test. The few puzzles are very basic and the weapons and accessories aren't really hidden, making the single-player adventure very short. Still, we're having a great time with Jill and Carlos, and Capcom proves once again the quality of the Resident Evil license.

Kirby's Air Riders veers off course and never rises above the status of ‘good game’, even though it has enormous potential. Its gameplay, which is easy to play but difficult to master, is really well done, as is the track design, which lends itself to unlikely turnarounds. But despite the ton of things to unlock, you quickly get through everything it has to offer, especially since its additional modes aren't entirely convincing.

Nobody Saves The World is a nice action-adventure game set in a colorful cartoon-like universe. The game knows how to pace the player's progress by alternating dialogues and funny scenes with satisfying and pleasant fights. Despite its disappointing dungeons and its overall lack of challenge, it offers many fun characters to play with and its progression system that encourages experimentation and renews the pleasure of playing.

If it doesn't revolutionize the VR experiences mixing exploration, combat and narration, Horizon Call of the Mountain offers one of the most beautiful executions of all the best VR games have brought in recent years. From its movements to its action phases, Firesprite's title knows how to make itself interesting: the fights are precise and demanding, the climbing phases are well done and the graphic quality is crazy for an experience on this support: what more could you ask for?

Hyrule Warriors: Legends is a solid musou game set in the world of Zelda TotK, perfect for switching off your brain after a busy day. A good way to let off steam, marred by the limited interest of most of the battle maps and the bestiary of the game it is inspired by, but which manages to come out on top thanks to a well-constructed story and compelling combat.

The similarities between the 2001: A Space Odyssey and Observation are numerous. The only big difference is that while the first may seem long, the second is much less so. For the rest, everything is present: the universe of course, the atmosphere, the lengthening scenes, the calm rhythm with a few more intense moments, the metaphysical side, and all the codes of Kubrick's film. Apart from the moments when you find yourself a little lost without really knowing what you have to do, you can have a really good time playing Observation. Regarding gameplay, the title is limited to exploration and puzzles in the form of simple mini-games, but this has the credit of being original and the enjoyment is here! We get caught up in the story that we follow with great pleasure and it is not uncommon to have your hair rising looking at certain scenes. And that's a lot.

What a pleasure it is to welcome back Frank West for this luxurious remaster of the best episode in the Dead Rising saga! Thanks to its high-quality graphic overhaul and adjustments designed to make the experience more accessible and comfortable, Capcom's almost 20-year-old title is back in 2024 at its best. We'd have liked to see the boss battles revamped, or the character designs given a little more attention, but nothing that detracts from the game's enjoyment.

As you can see, Overwatch 2 isn't really Overwatch 2; it's more of a big content update or upgrade. The license will get a new game when the story mode is released in 2023 (which will require an update of this test by the way). However, despite the economic system that is very surprising and not looked upon favorably, the competitive games are still very exciting. The new heroines are excellent and the maps are just as good, and it's still fun to watch the talented designers at Blizzard. We hope that the developers will continue on this path and offer their very committed community a game that will meet their expectations.

Civilization 7 strikes the right balance between retaining everything that has made recent titles so successful and innovating. It's not just another game in the license, the age system revolutionizes the way the game is played, encouraging new ways of thinking and playing. Each age is unique, with its own challenges. Add to this the efforts made to reduce micromanagement and make progression simpler and more intuitive without detracting from its depth, and it could well appeal to new players. However, not everything is perfect: even on PC, there are technical problems to be noted, and the usual AI and interface issues to complain about. Some popular features and options are also missing. As always, Civilization 7 will probably need a few years to reach its full potential, but that won't stop us spending hundreds of hours on it right now.

This remake manages to bring the 2002 hit back to life while improving it at the same time. Not only does it offer detailed graphics with good lighting effects, but the animations are very high quality. It's not state-of-the-art technology, but it's very close to it. There are a few synchronization problems and Lost Heaven might be a little small, but it fits Hangar 13's model like a glove. We enjoyed rediscovering the atmosphere of such a well-executed scenario, with its very high quality soundtrack and varied gameplay that gives a real rhythm to the game.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands remains in the same line as Borderlands and you won't feel too out of place if you have played the previous titles of the license. Especially since old acquaintances are back, but in a medieval environment. The gameplay remains the main asset, as it is fun, dynamic and very satisfying to play thanks to a well balanced mix of spells, firearms and hand-to-hand combat. Not to mention the multi-class system that opens up the field of possibilities and allows for a great deal of freedom in gameplay. The areas are beautiful, varied and well thought out, even if the world map could have been better exploited.

Descenders is a great surprise. As we see too many dark Rogue-Like games in an heroic-fantasy style, Ragesquid offers a dramatically different approach with a biking game that will remind us of the best moments of the PS2 era and its extreme sports games, offering something modern and adapted at the same time. This game is hard, punishing even the slightest mistakes and making you sweat. On the other hand, you will get a welcome sense of achievement by succeeding. Descenders is an interesting piece for Rogue-Like and biking amateurs, with nice graphics and a killer soundtrack.

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.

Scarlet Nexus succeeds in hooking you from the very first minutes. A dense universe coupled with an efficient artistic direction and above all a gameplay that borders on the exceptional, make it a title not to be missed during this summer 2021. Kenji Anabuki, director of the title, offers us a refreshing game with a coherent world on all points, despite the weaknesses that can be the secondary activities or the few environments sometimes too empty. The will to immerse the player in a Shonen is palpable and more than pleasant, as the bet is successful. We can only congratulate and encourage this risk-taking which has more than paid off.

Lost in Random is without any doubt the independent nugget of this end of the year. The creativity is at its peak and everything makes it a title not to be missed. Tim Burton-like art direction, an engaging story and above all an original and very addictive gameplay. Card game, chess game, board game, dice game... One could think that all this mix is a bit messy but everything is, on the contrary, well measured.