After all these years of waiting, it's hard not to consider Metroid Prime 4 a bit of a disappointment. While the core gameplay is still as good as ever and there are still some flashes of brilliance in the level design, it's impossible to ignore the scars of what we can only guess was a tortuous development process. Sumptuous on Nintendo Switch 2, Retro Studios' latest title is perfectly acceptable, but it fails to make a lasting mark on the history of the famous franchise.

Like A Dragon Gaiden plays out like the filler season of a good anime: we meet up with characters we love around an adventure that has no significant impact on the story, with the exception of two or three elements distilled along the way. This is a title that retains the usual qualities of the series, which is enough to make it a very good game, but it is unfortunately marred by haphazard combat collisions and a story that is too long for its own good.

NBA 2K23 shines this year on next-gen and positions itself as one of the best episodes of the license released so far. A gargantuan content, a neat technique, a gameplay much more faithful to the real thing, winks every 5 minutes for NBA fans, a less fraudulent My Team mode and a very positive NBA League Pass offer for the players. However, we can't ignore the differences between the current-gen and next-gen versions given the prices displayed... It is urgent that 2K wakes up and stops this unequal practice towards the players by proposing similar versions or at adequate prices according to what is offered to the players. This 2023 vintage is back on the throne of sports simulations by advocating excellence in the image of an ever more legendary Michael Jordan.

More than a mainstream game for fans, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a real hit that wasn't expected. Of course, being a fan of Star Lord and Rocket's humour will help you enjoy the game, but the single-player adventure offered by Eidos Montreal can suit anyone who likes the genre. A successful art direction, a pleasing energy, omnipresent dialogues and music plus dynamic fights make this new title an explosive condensation of good things succeeding in making us forget the few negative points such as a certain slowness in some chapters and the impossibility to embody the other guardians.

Rather short (about 10 hours to finish the main story), Wytchwood is a very good crafting game with a fantastic art direction and an excellent soundtrack promoting relaxation. The puzzles and fights present may not be complex enough, but the whole thing is lifted by finding different resources in various biomes and crafting unique items.

The long-awaited Yu-Gi-Oh! game delivers on its promise. Whether you're a novice, a hobbyist or an expert, it will be a game for you. Its single player mode which is full of tutorials to learn the basics and its mechanics while telling stories about the archetypes. On the other hand, with PvP in room or ranked with an exclusive banlist that puts all players on the same level. Especially with the possibility to craft your cards or destroy them. There are however some flaws that can be found. Apart from that, the lights are green for Konami's competitive game.

Aimed at players aged 7 to 77, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a quirky game with an original concept and undeniable charm. More engaging than its 3DS predecessor, this unique life simulation combines absurd situations with a high degree of customization. And even if boredom starts to set in quickly, you always end up coming back to see how your Miis are doing.

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.

Almost impeccable in substance despite gameplay inaccuracies, it is in the execution of My Friend Pedro that Deadtoast misses certain targets. It has a short lifespan, a lack of varied opponents, and the artistic direction is rather dull — which contrasts with the madness of the concept. Irreverent, frenetic and original, it encapsulates what publisher Devolver is all about. Each part is an explosion of fun, and that's the main thing.

We were transfixed by this adventure that is Remnant: From the Ashes. Not everything is perfect, but it is still very good. With this highly original title, Gunfire Games hits hard. We recommend strongly that you play with a friend, in order to fully enjoy this exotic adventure where death will often knock at your door.

Shady Part of Me has captivated us with its stunning artistic direction and its creativity. The puzzles are cleverly constructed and based on an efficient physics engine. The dual gameplay is used to its fullest potential and is constantly renewed with new ideas and elements that will challenge you without being overwhelming. In addition, the sublime soundtrack featuring Hannah Murray certainly won't disappoint.

Unbound's graphics are undeniably one of its strengths, but that's not all the title has to offer. It's a classic and effective platformer and puzzle game that also brings a constantly renewing gameplay based on an effective concept relying on portals allowing to exploit unique and interesting physical properties. With many good ideas to support it, Unbound knows how to be exciting and addictive.

Rogue Trader delivers everything you'd expect from an RPG set in the vast Warhammer 40,000 universe. A dark atmosphere, numerous cruel choices, excellent companions, exploration of the galaxy and its dangers, good tactical combat and even some rather successful space battles. Realization is also quite good for a game of this genre, but it's far from mainstream, with a lot of text to read on the one hand and daunting character progression on the other. Our biggest regret is that, like many other games, Rogue Trader will probably come out full of bugs that will take a while to resolve.

With Hot Wheels Unleashed, the Mattel brand succeeds in its return to video games with a dynamic title, easy to handle, fluid and really fun. Everything breathes the Hot Wheels spirit and that's good. Despite a feeling of repetitiveness linked to the use of only 5 environments, it contains a lot of good ideas and often gives you a good feeling, especially during the boss races. We would have liked a less redundant soundtrack and a more advanced story mode, but it still manages to do well. As for the collectors, they will be delighted to chase the rare pearl, even if the surprise box option and its random dimension are highly debatable.

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.

With its fantastic artistic direction, The Sojourn is a game to be recommended to fans of the genre. Even if the accompanying story and the texts of the scrolls remain rather vague, we nevertheless enjoyed following the epic tale that is told. The challenges are many and varied, with techniques that combine perfectly, and some present a real challenge. We would have liked to have been able to run, but peace of mind is a must in this game.

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.

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.

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.

Addictive and enjoyable to play, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a good game and a nice appetizer while we wait for the next generation. TPCI continues to experiment with new ways to play with trainers and their pocket monsters, and they're doing pretty well with this two-phase formula that we found hard to put down. It's a shame, however, that the story isn't a little more interesting and that the technical aspects are still lacking.

Door Kickers: Action Squad is using its predecessor as a model to divert aesthetic codes and game mechanics. Where the original Door Kickers immersed the player in top-down tactical battles, Action Squad focuses on direct battles for immediate pleasure, all in an 80's American action movie atmosphere. Fun in small doses, Action Squad will be particularly enjoyable with a second person over a beer and snacks.

Friendly as it may be, Mario & Luigi Brothership will have a hard time making an impression. Overly talkative and riddled with technical problems ranging from long loading times to poor framerate, Acquire's title never really gets off the ground. What's left is gameplay with fun combat and a sibling cast that's more animated than ever, helping to sweeten the trip to Connexia.

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.

Seeing Donkey Kong return is always a great pleasure, even when it's just the return of a 15-year-old title. Donkey Kong Country Returns was a great title in 2010, and it's still a great title in 2025: its unique gameplay sets it apart from the competition, its art direction hasn't aged a bit, and its content, though identical to the 3DS version, should quench your thirst for platforming in the new year.

Even though it's easy to see that recycling is present, Dying Light 2 pulls its weight thanks to its more vertical map than ever and the fluidity encountered when completing various parkour moves. In single player, the game will keep you going for a good thirty hours and much more to complete all the side missions. Techland has kept its promise despite the negative points and make this new opus an endless pleasure. Ah, and beware of those afraid of blood, it spurts quite a bit.

With this HD version of Luigi's Mansion 2, Nintendo allows players to have the entire license on their Nintendo Switch. The least well-known episode of the trilogy, Luigi's Mansion 2 still deserves to be discovered today thanks to its quality level design, but we expected more work from the developers for this version. It's more or less the same (good) game, with the same old-fashioned "mission-based" progression that does so much harm to the rhythm of the adventure. A good pick-up, but far from indispensable, especially at full price.

Humankind offers a fresh formula to the genre by taking the best of Civilization and Endless Legends, before adding its own personal touch. Technically, the game is robust, with nice graphics and music, and above all, it has the advantage of being relatively accessible to new players with its tutorials, its clear and accessible mechanics, as well as a limited micromanagement requirement. It should also appeal to veterans of the genre looking for a more tactical management of conflicts. With a bit of content and some additional polish, it has great potential in the long run.

We conclude with great sadness this saga alongside Clementine. Even if it is quite short, the episode still offers us a great deal of emotion and action. Produced in the same manner as the previous episodes, it still brings some innovations and does not simply end the adventure softly. AJ takes off for the worse and for the better.