The arrival of this remastered version of Ni No Kuni: The Revenge of the Celestial Witch on PC, PS4 and Switch is good news. It's a joy to (re)explore the landscapes of 'The Other World', and to admire the artistic direction of Studio Ghibli. We sometimes forgot we were in front of a game, and not in front of an anime, yet the gameplay from Level-5 is as deep as it sounds. The possibility of having your pets fight offers multiple combinations. Whether you are a fan of JRPGs or Ghibli in general, you have no excuse not to dive into an adventure to help Oliver save his mother!

If you experienced Crash Team Racing first time round, then this remake will surely make you dizzy. It may alter your vision or judgment of the game, given it's so rich, subtle, captivating, catchy, generous and beautiful. CTR is a fairly typical game in the genre and doesn't reinvent anything, but it does perform like a beast in everything it does offer. It's an excellent carting title with a strong personality and gameplay that is perfectly balanced, but not enough to scream 'revolution', either.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the worthy sequel the fans have been waiting for. Without revolutionising the formula of the first opus, it improves and adds to it in many ways. It's bigger, more complete, more challenging, while preserving the visual identity and narrative style of Ori and the Blind Forest. Although the difficulty is quite high, it's well balanced by the other game mechanisms. It's a good sequel for the fans of the first one, and the opportunity to discover the license for the others.

For this first episode in The Dark Pictures Anthology, Supermassive Games has fulfilled its mission — to provide us with a game that effectively reproduces horror movie tropes. The quality of the graphics and sound is undeniable, even it sometimes looks more like an interactive film than a game, and it gives little freedom. It achieves its goals by effectively and intelligently managing to frighten us — it's just a shame that the QTEs sometimes make us angry.

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.

Amid Evil is the logical continuation of games such as Dusk and Strafe, inspired by the classics of the genre. It achieves everything in a convincing way — complex level design, varied and original artistic direction, agreeable combat, and a minimalist narrative which sublimates the exploration of worlds. Amid Evil is a game for arcade FPS players, who have not stopped performing rocket jumps since the original Quake.

The port of Civilization VI on PS4 and Xbox One is clean and meets our expectations. It's beautiful, and the functionalities, as well as the interface, are quick and easy to handle. The performances are close to those on PC, as long as you're not too demanding. The real problem lies mainly in long loading times, but you should not get them often. The extensions are sold separately and thus the price is too high, which is regrettable given the game was released 3 years ago. For those who don't have a decent PC, however, this is a good opportunity to get into this excellent title, or simply to discover the under-represented genre on consoles. You'll spend hundreds of hours playing, solo or multi, without even realizing it.

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.

Nioh 3 adds its own contribution to the series, with gameplay that is richer and more demanding than ever, and formidable bosses that require players to make good use of all the mechanics available to them. The more open and free structure of the world also allows players to explore and progress at their own pace, mitigating the difficulty. It's a shame that the level design tends to suffer as a result, while the clunkiness of previous titles tends to get worse, with an unsuitable interface and equipment management that is far too time-consuming in our opinion. This sequel should appeal to fans, but it may struggle to win over a new audience, especially with its increased price tag.

Unsurprisingly, Nioh 1 and 2 PS5 remaster is more of a Next-Gen patch. The result isn't amazingly beautiful, but it's responsive enough in 4K that we can no longer blame frame drops for our numerous deaths. If you haven't tested the license yet and are looking for a challenge, this is a good opportunity.

If you're looking for a game to keep you busy while you wait for the next Animal Crossing, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar might be just what you need. It's a game that lets you live a relaxing life on a farm without any stress, taking your time to achieve your goals. However, it may also bore you if you don't like doing repetitive tasks.

With 8 interesting destinies to follow, an HD-2D aesthetic more charming than ever and a divine OST, Octopath Traveler 2 has absolutely everything it needs in its bag to make old school Japanese RPG lovers have a good time. Beware, however, of this particular structure, character chapter by character chapter, which can still put you off, despite the developers' efforts to make the whole thing much more pleasant to play.

Gotham Knights is a game that offers what you would expect from it, especially in terms of atmosphere, but it is still a bit light in terms of content. Fortunately, the combat system is solid, and the open world offers an alternative to a recipe we've been fed for a long time. Riding through the streets on a motorcycle or in the air before beating up criminals with class has its charm, and you almost never get bored. It's very beautiful, if not fluid on consoles, and there's a healthy dose of variety in the activities and characters. So you have a good time with this Batman without Batman game, especially in co-op.

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.

It is obvious that players will ask for small adjustments and additions to be made on New World, but let's not forget that the game is making its premiere and that it is already very satisfactory for its debut. It has mechanics that will appeal to players who are tired of classic MMOs and they will find a variety of elements that are very relevant. Crafting is no longer useless: it is now necessary to have professions to have a viable game experience in late and end game. The world of Aeternum will be able to take players on a journey in a new MMO that should continue to grow in beauty over time.

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown is a pleasant surprise at the start of the year, with a satisfying gameplay offering everything that's best in the Metroidvania genre, without forgetting to innovate. The cartoonish art direction, clichéd story and extravagant action scenes may be a quality or a flaw depending on your sensibilities, but that shouldn't discourage you from playing it, as it's so much fun to explore, fight and perform incredible acrobatics with disconcerting ease.

It's been a long time since we've been treated to a tactical RPG with such original, well-thought-out combat mechanisms. It's a breath of fresh air. Although very classic, the main story also innovates in its own way, letting us tackle its content with great freedom, via the open-world map. Add to this a large cast of colorful characters, with pleasing art direction, and you've got a memorable time in Unicorn Overlord.

It is a game designed to be played multiplayer, but not all levels work equally well with company.

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.

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.

Classic but effective. This is a good overall description for Nioh 2. With its intense battles and an unprecedented level of customisation for the Souls-like subgenre, the latest addition of Team Ninja has a lot to offer to fans of tough challenges. Special mention to the Yokai abilities, which come to refine a gameplay that opens the door to tens of hours of build experimentation. A very generous and pleasant content, which compensates for outdated graphics and a level-design without any real breakthrough.

Hob has obvious inspirations and an overwhelming originality. The Runic Games's title is a tale of adventure mastered as rarely seen before. Classic in its approach or progression, it offers a high-end artistic direction and a dream soundtrack. The impression of "déjà vu", inherent to the genre, is sometimes present but does not affect in any way a smooth and pleasant progression. The ten hour longevity of Hob is well worth the investment.

Little Nightmares 3 follows in the footsteps of its two predecessors. An adventure in dark and disturbing worlds designed to reflect the nightmares of Low and Alone. The formula is identical, with the only difference being that this time, the adventure is experienced by two players. This twist isn't necessarily executed in the best way, as the co-op aspect doesn't make a huge difference to the game, with puzzles that are fairly easy to solve. But overall, this new episode is still an enjoyable adventure that fans of the first two episodes will appreciate just as much, with two players if necessary.

The idea is absolutely brilliant and brings to life the childhood games of many players. If the execution lacks a little something to make the experience unforgettable, we must still praise the ingenuity of this new use of the Nintendo Switch. Perfect to gather the family around the elaboration of the craziest possible circuit, MKL struggles to convince on the long run. The limitations of the concept are quick to show.

Overall, Mario vs Donkey Kong is good, even very good. The remastering work is clearly perceptible, and it's a real pleasure to (re)play these levels, which have been redesigned to suit the videogame standards of modern Mario games. Unfortunately, we can only regret that this overall success has been sabotaged by some really annoying flaws, giving the impression that we're being wasted. Mario vs Donkey Kong is therefore, in our opinion, a good game to play from time to time to relax, provided you're not too much of a stickler for detail. A good game for the young, the very young or video game neophytes, who won't pay too much attention to the small details we've pointed out, and who will especially frustrate regular players accustomed to more accomplished optimization.

Master Detective Archives Rain Code offers players a rich investigative game that keeps them on their toes throughout. Whether thanks to its story or its gameplay mechanics, it will bring beginners and experts alike into a universe where the cards are shuffled in order to uncover the dark secret of the town of Kanai Ward. However, not everything is rosy, as it also has a few shortcomings, such as the graphics, which may bother some of you, or the fact that the queries are not particularly interesting. If we had to sum up this title in a few words, it would be: A real pleasant surprise.

If The Forgotten City is based on a mod initially designed for Skyrim, it knows how to detach itself from it to become a work in its own right. It is not an action game, even if it offers some, but a game of reflection and rhetoric. It offers us an interesting story that relies on the exploitation of a time portal and philosophical questions that are not without meaning. Even if the charming graphics sometimes lack depth and suffer from insufficiently detailed textures, the faces are neat and the soundtrack is good.

Samurai Warriors 5 is a successful return to the basics of the license after a Dynasty Warriors 9 that had completely disappointed the players. Koei Tecmo offers a game that will not leave fans of the genre unmoved, while proposing interesting new features, a very complete roster of playable characters, a wide range of usable weapons, two very solid game modes and a lifespan that exceeds 100 hours of play. We will forgive its technical inequalities, even if it is time to move to the Next Gen and to offer a game with big ambitions while keeping what makes the essence of Musou games.