The map design is particularly well-crafted and intriguing, contributing significantly to the gameplay. On this front, however, one criticism must be raised regarding the limited quantity: currently, only five maps are available—all of them rather small in size. Given that there is also only a single game mode, it is essential that Double Fine introduces new content soon to keep interest in *Kiln* alive. The first post-launch updates have already been announced and include at least three new maps and a new game mode; however, it remains unclear whether true long-term support is planned—something that will likely depend on the game's online performance during its first few months.

From a technical standpoint, however, Invincible VS fails to particularly distinguish itself. The 3D character models lack detail—a shortcoming that is especially evident in Story Mode, where the transition between animated cutscenes and gameplay segments highlights the disparity in quality. The animations, too, are not always up to par; some attacks appear unpolished and lack fluidity. Finally, the special effects do not exactly dazzle with their spectacle; while generally pleasing overall, they remain inferior to those found in many other titles within the genre—a sentiment that ultimately applies to the entire graphics package.

Aphelion is the most classic of DON'T NOD's games. On paper, but also in practice, it lacks everything to be a good title, but at the same time it lacks the magic, the originality, the quality necessary to shine. While Remember Me and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden undoubtedly represent two of the French studio's finest achievements, not to mention the usual Life is Strange, this sci-fi adventure falls behind those titles. While there are no major flaws, and while the game strives to offer sci-fi fans an experience comparable to Interstellar, Solaris, or Deliver Us Mars, for a game primarily focused on story, it lacks a twist, a completely convincing and engaging level of writing, and the digital direction and top-notch sound are all missing. The gameplay is just okay, completely lacking in depth and even repetitive over long periods, especially in the sections where you play as Ariane. With Pragmata and Saros vying for the attention of sci-fi fans, Aphelion risks coming away with more broken bones than it deserves. It's not a bad game, but it certainly chose the worst time of year to try to win over genre fans with its slim, yet undeniable, qualities.

Broken Arms' game delivers exactly what it promises—designing golf courses and turning them into a profitable business—but a single, extended Sandbox session is sufficient to see everything the title has to offer.

It's impossible not to perceive Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes as a huge wasted opportunity. This is because, despite the project's solid foundation, it never manages to capture the attention of the player, even becoming boring during the two hours it takes to complete. Altered Echoes reflects the current VR gaming industry. An industry that, after innovating the language of video games, has reveled in the same gameplay mechanics for years, hiding its flaws behind famous brands or iconic comic book characters. Yet, this time, it wasn't enough. Bandai Namco's franchise wasn't enough to create a title worthy of attention, destined to end up in the generic melting pot of VR horror games. This, however, shouldn't be seen by software houses as an "end," but as a "new beginning."

The results are evident, and there is no doubt that the game features some truly evocative sequences—as well as several particularly strong artistic vistas—yet at the same time, one notices minor frame rate inconsistencies on PS5, a few too many reconstruction artifacts, the limited scope of the explorable environments, and, above all, animations that are often stiff, thereby highlighting the production's limitations.

People of Note sets out to accomplish something almost impossible: merging the expansive pacing of role-playing games with the brisk rhythm of musicals. At its best, it nearly succeeds, but its compartmentalized structure soon becomes apparent. The musical identity of its characters and their performances truly shine only in the cutscenes, staged like music videos that punctuate the narrative. However, when the game returns to being a game, the centrality of music starts to feel more like a narrative pretext, an excuse to build a kind of theme park that lacks the very energy and sonic richness it promises. It’s a shame, because People of Note ultimately fails at what it sets out to celebrate: the joy of seeing two genres blend almost seamlessly. What remains is a decent RPG, accompanied by some excellent musical performances.

Life Is Strange Reunion is a high-quality title, but it is also too conservative and shows how the series' formula has been used to the point of exhaustion. Life Is Strange itself will certainly have a future, but it is now necessary to rethink its mechanics even before introducing new characters. Time has been rewound far too many times; now it must be allowed to flow. Only then can Max and Chloe be truly remembered with affection. Otherwise, by constantly being reminded that life is strange, even strangeness risks becoming normality.

The first new entry in the Legacy of Kain franchise in over twenty years is, unfortunately, a total flop. If it didn't carry the weight of such a legendary name, it might be considered a simple and somewhat enjoyable 2D action-platformer, despite its short runtime. The real problem is that it chooses to interfere exactly where it shouldn't: the story. The changes to the original lore, combined with the introduction of a poorly written character like Elaleth—who is, for all intents and purposes, the game's true protagonist—and several questionable narrative choices, will be hard for long-time fans to swallow. Even on the gameplay front, despite a few good ideas, the title feels extremely basic and lacks variety in both its platforming and combat sections. Furthermore, the 3D sequences feel superfluous and barely relevant to the overall experience. The final impression is that of a low-budget product that, at best, could have worked as a fan-made project. Seeing it as an official release published by Crystal Dynamics makes the end result all the more disappointing.

World of Warcraft's new expansion speaks of courage, but has very little of it of its own. It suffers from all the limitations established in the middle chapters of the trilogies but Blizzard has limited itself to refining the tried and tested dynamics, adding content and features with little impact on routines that haven't changed a bit. The game still works wonderfully, mind you; those who enjoyed leveling up their characters or collecting all the collectibles now have new reasons to return, but while we were following familiar stories in familiar areas, we missed the sense of novelty and discovery we experienced in previous expansions.

Screamer is a hero racer with combat elements and a strong focus on storytelling that overturns the arcade approach of the 1995 original, in an attempt to build something new and different. Does it succeed? In some respects yes, in others less so: the gameplay makes bold choices that can sometimes feel puzzling, giving the impression of overcomplicating what is ultimately a fairly traditional structure, where drifting and boosting alternate to win races. Meanwhile, the lengthy campaign unfolds as a four-act narrative that works well (also thanks to some impressive animated sequences) until a certain sense of fatigue starts to set in. There’s a noticeable lack of a more substantial surrounding framework, one that would better capitalize on the compelling characters crafted by Milestone and their vehicles. Perhaps something that will be expanded upon in the future?

Crimson Desert is not a game that leaves you indifferent. It’s certainly not a masterpiece of the genre, nor is it a complete disaster. It shows as much potential as it does flaws. The game doesn’t set any new standards, but those who were expecting a grand, long-lasting adventure can set off for Pywel confident they’ll find what they’re looking for.

1348 Ex Voto has proven to be a largely disappointing project. Not everything should be discarded, and some enthusiasts of medieval history might even find it interesting. However, none of the aspects of the production fully manages to convince.

WWE 2K26 is without a doubt the most content-rich entry ever produced by 2K Games for the series, thanks to a massive roster, new match stipulations, and a robust set of modes that could keep you busy for hundreds of hours. The Showcase dedicated to CM Punk is genuinely enjoyable and entertaining, while MyRise can't rely on a storyline as compelling as last year's. Meanwhile, The Island once again highlights the issues of a scenario that proves surprisingly difficult to manage for a game that continues to experience ups and downs, both on a technical level and - above all - in terms of gameplay.

Styx: Blades of Greed is a game recommended for fans of the stealth genre, despite several rough edges. The story is not particularly engaging, the control system is far from flawless, and frame-rate drops are frequent. And yet, Styx proves to be a sufficiently charismatic protagonist, and the level design is genuinely compelling.

iRacing Arcade is a fascinating experiment with solid foundations but a slight identity crisis. It offers great licensed content and surprising strategic depth, yet the handling feels too simplified, often rewarding aggressive 'door-banging' over precision. The career mode is perfect for quick, casual sessions, but veterans might find the challenge a bit bland and repetitive long-term. A fun diversion for experts and a great entry point for newcomers.

The Reigns formula is applied in an interesting way to the world of The Witcher through a curious narrative device that actually features Dandelion more than Geralt. The result is an adventure full of choices that does not sacrifice the irony typical of the Nerial series and manages to entertain with its unpredictable narrative, except that this randomness often becomes almost excessive.

SpongeBob: Patty Assault 2 is a colorful, solid, and entertaining platformer, especially if you play it with a controller. Unfortunately, the touch controls work rather poorly and likely pushed the developers to lower the overall difficulty of the experience, slightly trivializing gameplay that is certainly traditional but benefits greatly from physical controls.

Tales of Berseria was one of the most innovative titles in the series, if only for its cynical narrative that challenged the player's perspective with far from trivial themes and twists. But already in 2016, Bandai Namco's game suffered from technical limitations that a remaster can only partially address. That being said, we obviously recommend Tales of Berseria Remastered to fans of action-packed JRPGs who have never played it or who feel bereft of the series, awaiting better times.

God of War: Sons of Sparta is a very traditional metroidvania, enjoyable for those who appreciate the genre but unable to bring anything truly compelling to the screen, as one would theoretically expect given the use of such an important intellectual property. As it has been put together, the project feels somewhat peculiar and inevitably suggests scenarios in which the decision to move forward was driven more by the need to fill a production gap than by the genuine merits of a project defined by these particular values.

Unemployment Simulator 2018 is a very unusual interactive experience. Its gameplay is limited and its narrative is confusing. It’s not a game for everyone, nor is it a game designed purely to entertain the player. Yet it remains a distinctive and original adventure, even enlightening, thanks to the many themes it explores.

Atmospheric, intricate, absolutely unhinged: there are many terms that come to mind to describe Romeo is a Dead Man, but the most appropriate is "what a shame". It would have been fantastic to see Suda bring his vision to life with the support of adequate resources, rather than having to improvise a thousand workarounds and emergency solutions to make the numbers add up for a work that fights hard and shows commitment, yet starts from far too disadvantaged a position.

I Hate This Place is an interesting isometric horror adventure. The open-world level design creates an intriguing setting to explore, where players can encounter different quests. Hiding from the monsters that patrol each area fills the experience with tension and anxiety. Unfortunately, an imperfect control system and a few bugs slightly lower the overall evaluation of the game.

RIDE 6 confirms itself as an extremely solid racing game in terms of gameplay, technically convincing and backed by impressive numbers, even though the new career mode falls short due to some balancing issues that end up undermining the enjoyment of progression, trivializing tuning and failing to meaningfully differentiate between the two available riding styles.

While taking several steps forward compared to its predecessor, My Hero Academia: All’s Justice is not without its flaws. The Story Mode follows the anime and manga very faithfully, but grinds to a halt during an excessively long and lackluster final boss fight. Other modes increase the game's longevity and variety, offering some hints of an RPG-like structure, though they fail to make the side activities truly engaging. The combat system works well thanks to an extensive roster and diverse playstyles tied to the characters' Quirks, but it still suffers from legacy issues such as imprecise collision detection and a frequently problematic camera. For a fan of My Hero Academia, this is undoubtedly one of the most complete and well-crafted titles based on the franchise (though it must be admitted that the bar was set quite low), yet it remains far from the best arena fighters currently available on the market.

Ebola Village is an unsatisfactory survival horror, with far too many limitations and flaws to be recommended to fans of the genre. However, those very same limitations and flaws also make it an entertaining product, one that could provide plenty of laughs for lovers of trashy games.

Although the first Code Vein was not a memorable title in the Soulslike landscape, it was still able to hold its own. For this reason, the disappointment is even greater to see how this sequel fails to evolve the original formula and, in some aspects, even ends up worsening it. The combat system remains solid, and the progression system, complex and deep, allows for a good amount of freedom in creating builds, even if it sometimes gets lost in excessive and unnecessary complexity. The narrative, too—less cryptic than the genre's standards and closer to Japanese animation tropes—is pleasant, without leaving a lasting impression. Where the game truly fails, however, is in its world-building and technical department. The result is a Soulslike with good foundations, but today these are no longer enough: in a now rich and competitive landscape, we would have expected a much bolder evolution from this sequel.

The concept behind Borderlands Legend is interesting, but the execution is lackluster and the game ends up being a repetitive and unresponsive mess.

Kejora visually draws inspiration from the works of Studio Ghibli and offers a primarily narrative-driven adventure, with few puzzles to solve and some light stealth sections. While the game is aimed at less demanding players, the overall experience feels bland and far too limited in every aspect. Recommended only if you are a fan of Studio Ghibli’s works and are looking for something light and undemanding.

Unbeatable is an extraordinary game to see and to hear: the animations, the style that looks like it came straight out of a ’90s anime, the colorful imagery of a world where music has no right to exist. And yet it does exist: loud, punk, rock, rebellious, coming from deep within, and at other times it embraces you, gently and warmly. However, the sum of its parts is far below what one would expect. It is too imprecise to be a good rhythm game: the note charts are confusing, input windows are off, and the feedback from the notes leaves much to be desired. On top of that, even after such a long wait and last month’s delay, the bug and glitch situation is still far from ideal. With a heavy heart over this missed opportunity, we hope that Unbeatable can at least serve as a foundation for something greater, through continuous updates, additional tracks, and new options.

RuneQuest: Warlords is a turn-based war strategy game with solid, well-tested gameplay, but it ultimately lacks the tools it needs to truly shine. The mission design never really surprises, and the game never quite reaches a suitably epic pace. On the audiovisual side, there are too many rough edges as well, especially when it comes to sound effects and voice acting. An opportunity that was only partly realized.

SFxT is a smaller and reduced version of the console game, with less content and only 10 characters, imprecise controls and a new "tag system".

In Moto Racer 15th Anniversary, only the MotoGP mode can be considered interesting; SuperCross and FreePlay are in fact just two extras, without the same accuracy and with gameplay limitations that it's not possible to accept in a modern game.

Quotation forthcoming.

Resident Evil: Survival Unit is a mash-up of different mechanics, with Capcom’s characters thrown into semi-automatic strategic battles, city-builder-style sections, invasion or PvP missions, and a very scaled-down representation of Resident Evil’s exploration phases and puzzles. The experience is decent and flows smoothly during the first few hours, but it becomes immediately clear that the monetization system is lying in wait... and its fierce bite may end up being far more frightening than that of a zombie.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a serviceable scrolling beat'em up which marginally exploits some popular characters in a much more comprehensive collection of stages, bosses and easter eggs. It feels a little bit more unpolished than Tribute's previous attempt with Shredder's Revenge and lacks additional content but co-op and some nice DLC may increase its value in the long run.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Sonic Rumble is a Fall Guys-style battle royale that makes perfect sense within the many productions dedicated to SEGA’s iconic character, and it launches with a remarkably rich offering of game modes, rulesets, stages, and characters. The gameplay is designed for immediate pick-up-and-play appeal, though at times it lacks precision and solidity, resulting in somewhat chaotic sequences.

A roguelite like you’ve never seen before, combining the grotesque vision of The Binding of Isaac with some of the mechanics from creature-collecting games like Pokémon. Morsels are fascinating creatures that evolve, grow stronger, and then die in a very short life cycle, perfectly reflecting the syncopated rhythm of the runs in this irresistible and unfathomable ascent to the heavens against the hedonistic cats who have taken over the world. Morsels is an indecipherable creature, speaking a language all its own, but if you make the effort to understand it, it can be a lot of fun.

The best Nintendo games are famous for being both immediate and deep at the same time. Kirby Air Riders is too chaotic to be immediate, and too superficial to be deep. Everything else, however, is excellently executed.

Demonschool is a peculiar tactical RPG that draws on many different inspirations: Japanese role-playing games, strategy titles, and, finally, the Italian cinema of Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci. Even so, the whole thing feels more like a season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In fact, its refusal to take itself too seriously, its school setting, and its humor-filled characters end up creating a narrative that is more amusing and ironic than unsettling. Its crown jewel is undoubtedly the combat system, at times so interesting it almost feels like a puzzle, though unfortunately it gets squeezed dry as an interlude between one dialogue and the next. Despite all its limitations, Demonschool remains an enjoyable debut work, with a rich cast and a very appealing artistic identity.

Winter Burrow is a gentle survival game that shares many traits with far more demanding titles, but softens them in favor of an experience with a warmer, more welcoming soul. One might even say it’s suitable for younger players. The story of this little mouse, who must restore his parents’ burrow, teaches us the value of a caring community. The cozy aspect of decorating and customizing the burrow isn’t particularly successful, and there’s no truly original idea that sets it apart from its inspirations. Still, it remains a pleasant fable about the value of simplicity.

Lumines Arise brings you way back in years, to a time of audiovisual ferment like we never saw after. With it, though, comes an entire set of forgotten memories that shine a deeper light into what we remember and how we do it. We tend to remember only the best or the worst, but not the in-between, which is where most of the unsatisfactory experiences reside, and this game resurrects exactly those. Unlike any other Mizuguchi game, it stagnates in a nostalgic field, so far away from reality that it lives completely outside of our time. It can capture you for hours, but it feels more like some sort of prison within the self than an exchange between user and videogame.

Painkiller is the namesake song by Judas Priest — but sung by Blanco with autotune. It pretends to have the same toughness, but it’s really just the voice of an off-key kid propped up by an algorithm. What it truly is, is a generic co-op FPS with little content, not even saved by a few decent shootouts. In short, it’s better left in Purgatory — along with its cast of characters constantly cracking embarrassing jokes. Skip it and move on to something else; you won’t miss a thing, because there’s very little “Painkiller” here at all.

Wreckreation is a more than decent open-world arcade racing game. The driving system works well, as does the editor that lets players create custom events and tracks. Unfortunately, the game feels somewhat bland in terms of visuals and, beyond the editor, does very little to set itself apart from its competitors.

There's an undeniable charm to Mai: Child of Ages, which manages to offer a sweeping adventure with temporal implications while still being immediate and simple in its execution. Perhaps at times, the scope feels a bit too broad, and the game gets a bit lost in its vast empty spaces, slowing the pace.

Angry Video Game Nerd 8-bit is a good Mega Man clone, designed with Nerd fans in mind.

Keeper begins as a sensory experience of immense artistic value, an adventure concerned more with filling your eyes with beauty (and weirdness) than with the satisfaction of what you actually do. The walks are, indeed, just that; the puzzles are simple, but they seem to hint at something more ambitious for the future of the adventure. Unfortunately, the culmination of this build-up comes after barely an hour of play, in a highly engaging section that never returns, because Keeper is eager to transform itself. At that point, Keeper starts chasing a different goal: to become an ever-changing experience designed to surprise the player. A candy with a filling, containing many different flavors. The element of surprise is always welcome in a video game, but what follows must be more stimulating than what came before; otherwise, as in this case, you reach the end with a bittersweet taste in your mouth.

Quotation forthcoming.

Baby Steps is a deliberately provocative video game. Its goal is not to challenge you to master the physics that governs Nate's movements, but to speak to your gut, triggering reactions of frustration, anger, and visceral emotion. After all, that's its nature: it's a rage game. It will surely be the subject of thousands of angry reactions from those who play it with an audience behind the screen, and its most extreme moments will rack up millions of views. This is the fate it has chosen. But, outside the context of online entertainment, is it fun to play? Baby Steps is, at times, one of the most irritating gaming experiences we’ve ever had: its cringe humor is annoying, and the most extreme obstacles often give the impression that success is just a matter of luck. If you're masochistic enough, it can provoke a strange and irresistible pleasure. For everyone else, the answer to the question posed in the title is no: there’s little beyond the meme.

As beautiful to look and listen to as it is, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a very Japanese take on Hades with some clever gameplay twists but fails to capture the snappiness and and immediacy that the roguelite genre requires to be actually engaging.

Formula Legends has style and ambition, but stumbles where it matters most. The driving model feels erratic, the career mode fizzles out fast, and the complete absence of multiplayer is baffling. A nostalgic concept wasted on shallow execution.

Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra is a compact and accessible MOBA, very enjoyable once you grasp the mechanics of this specific subgenre (and especially when playing with friends!), but characterized by simplifications that at some point could limit the experience. Being a free-to-play title, and one that is thankfully free of pay-to-win dynamics or overly aggressive monetization systems, the good news is that nothing will stop you from trying it out and getting a sense of what Ganbarion is attempting with this game, which is still only at the very beginning of a potentially long journey full of new characters and content.

LEGO Voyagers is a tender and well-crafted adventure that tells a story about friendship and the value of the time we choose to spend with someone else. It does so through a narrative conveyed by images, whistles, and small gestures of love and camaraderie, without ever putting a single word on the screen. The feeling it seeks to evoke, rooted in the Danish concept of hygge, is one of warmth and wholeness, the kind of completeness that only this type of bond can bring. Unfortunately, the control system lacks precision and reaches its most frustrating point precisely in two of the most important aspects of the LEGO universe: building and creativity. Players’ inventiveness is never truly celebrated; in fact, over the five hours it takes to complete the adventure, stacking bricks often feels more like an obstacle than an opportunity.

The Order of the Giants is a painfully missed opportunity. A DLC that is undoubtedly well put together, consistent with the style and tone of Indiana Jones and the Ancient Circle — at times even daring, with a darker, more unsettling atmosphere — but one that suffers from a very short lifespan and a chronic lack of truly memorable moments. The new puzzles are enjoyable and well designed, the new areas are excellently crafted (though many are unfortunately underground and thus feel rather closed-in), and there’s even a solid final battle, but it’s all over in just a few hours. And MachineGames is asking €20 for it. Perhaps a bit too much for so little. Hopefully, a second DLC will come along that can elevate and build upon this first attempt.

DC Worlds Collide offers a pleasant experience for fans of Batman, Superman, and the other iconic DC heroes, once again adding a touch of depth to the traditional mechanics of a genre that has become quite saturated on mobile platforms due to its flexibility in adapting certain systems to the demands of the free-to-play model.

Hot Shots reminds us what makes this franchise so timeless, with every release: it is a cheerful, colourful golf game, sometimes bizarre but also technically and athletically accurate in its transposition, not overly technical but not inconsistent either. It is a container of seemingly distant worlds brought together by a realisation that does justice to golf, while conveying all the Japanese flavour typical of the saga. Nothing new under the sun, or almost nothing if we consider the extravagant mode: Hot Shots remains competently on that path, careful to follow, at times with excessive caution and redundancy, that typical but probably somewhat tired stylistic approach, at least for those who have been following it for almost 30 years.

Metal Eden is a good game plagued by development problems. It can be a valid alternative to DOOM Eternal.

There are two souls fighting within Lost Soul Aside: the first is that of a small project created by solo developer Yang Bing and painstakingly nurtured over many years, while the second is that of a PlayStation-branded title sold at a triple-A price. It’s a “stylish action” video game inspired by the formula of Devil May Cry and the aesthetics of Final Fantasy that — not always for the right reasons — recalls the structure of old PS2-era hack and slash games. The combat system starts off with the handbrake on but steadily grows into something solid and challenging. The gameplay manages to stay fun throughout the adventure, but as soon as you step away from this core, a number of weaknesses start to surface: in addition to bland, impersonal storytelling and art direction, there are many rough edges, both in terms of presentation and mechanics. In short, it shows all the flaws and inexperience you’d expect from a small debut team, but these are inevitably magnified by a price and positioning that don’t reflect its true nature.

Drag x Drive is a confusing and unfocused project that fails to offer a lasting and deep experience. Fun for a few games with friends, it lacks a sufficiently structured design to maintain user interest over the long term.

Stormgate is both a classic and an innovative RTS which mixes the old and the new, it still needs some work but the foundations are strong.

Echoes of the End is a very interesting action-adventure, characterized by an evocative setting and solid writing, despite a few oversights. In terms of gameplay, it is blatantly inspired by God of War and other entries in a genre that has long since stopped producing truly original experiences - though in this case, it often leans more toward outright imitation rather than passionate homage. Now, if the framework put together by Myrkur Games worked as it should, we wouldn’t be lamenting its derivative mechanics, but unfortunately the game lacks polish and reaches launch saddled with some significant issues that will inevitably take time to fix.

Although quite simplified, Blood Line: A Rebel Moon Game is a rather enjoyable action game with twin-stick shooter elements, which can be a good complement to watching the films. The mechanics can become repetitive over time, but for a few hours it's entertaining enough to recommend it to anyone with a Netflix subscription.

Dear me, I was… is a very short narrative experience, affordably priced, where player interaction is stripped down to the bare minimum, just light touches that move the story forward. And yet, the storytelling is outstanding, despite not using a single word. It’s the images that speak instead, the extraordinary art of Taisuke Kanasaki, returning to illustrate a video game after a long time. His mastery of the rotoscope technique reaches new heights here, gifting the characters with moments of exceptional visual intensity. It’s certainly not a game for everyone, and not the kind of comeback fans of Another Code or Hotel Dusk might have expected. But it is a bittersweet portrait, capable of stirring emotion with great subtlety. It’s worth the price of admission for the hour of beauty it offers alone.

Pokémon Friends might be fun until it lasts for very young fans looking for a cute quick puzzle game but the repetitive gameplay and annoying cooldowns drag it down.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is an effective reimagining of a genre that has become increasingly underrepresented. The Game Kitchen has found an ideal compromise between the immediacy of the past and the complexity expected from modern video games, creating a fast-paced, layered hack ’n’ slash built entirely around a simple gameplay solution. It’s an experiment that doesn’t fully succeed: the game alternates between overly simple and somewhat frustrating sections, though never truly challenging, and it runs out of surprises within just a few minutes, ultimately becoming too predictable — though still devilishly fun.

Tales of the Shire is close to everything a fan of The Shire would desire. So close. But it ultimately falls on some major technical issues and an overall lifeless town, the complete opposite of what you would expect to find in a game based on the merriest and calmest population of Middle Earth, hosts of the biggest feasts from this side of the Brandywine. There is potential, though. Let's hope Weta Workshops will sharpen this really precious but uncut gem.

Mecha Break is a great hero shooter and a terrible extraction shooter with a predatory monetization system that, luckily can be avoided entirely.

At the core of Hunter X Hunter: Nen Impact lies a rather solid and fun tag system, which might have been enough to make the title appealing to fans, even though it doesn’t really reinvent anything. Unfortunately, all the other aspects of the game are seriously lacking—from production values to content—culminating in one of the most unstable online experiences we’ve tried in recent years. In its current state, Eighting’s game simply can’t compete with the ruthless competition. It’s a pity for long-time fans of the series, who have been waiting for a quality game dedicated to Gon and company for a long time.

The first part of DAIMA: Adventure Through the Demon Realm serves as an enjoyable expansion for fans of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, featuring some quite emotional sequences and a solid, fun combat system. However, these strengths get somewhat lost within a desert-like setting that offers few interesting ideas and thus pushes players to rush toward an inevitably incomplete ending - which, on top of that, comes a bit too quickly.

Edens Zero is your usual low budget tie-in with a twist: it actually had a huge potential thanks to a few brilliant features and combat systems that Bandai Namco wasted with outdated visuals and clunky controls.

There’s no doubt that Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a game unlike any other, since it’s hard to find anything quite like Cygames’ bizarre creation on the App Store or Google Play. It can potentially offer long-lasting entertainment, aside from the inevitable paywalls, but if the characters, stories, and overall design of the Umamusume don’t speak to you, you can safely give this one a pass.

Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition does the bare minimum to improve on the original.

It’s not entirely clear who Tamagotchi Plaza is aimed at. For younger players, the colorful creatures provide a reasonable and varied challenge, especially in short play sessions. However, the inspiration from Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop (which was never a masterpiece to begin with) is now just a faint memory. Due to its repetitive gameplay, lack of real incentives to continue, and a stylistically justified yet technically lazy presentation, Tamagotchi Plaza ends up as a forgettable title—engaging only in its first few minutes. That said, it connects to the latest physical Tamagotchi model, so dedicated fans might still want to give it a try.

At least, this trilogy confirms a good trend: preserving old works, even iconic ones in their own small way, without distorting them. Good for the preservation, a little worse for the taste: in the end, it seems almost like putting some soup in the freezer in 1995 and taking it out in 2025. Gex is one of those mascots buried by history and it's only right that he enjoys his quarter of an hour of fame again, but it wouldn't have hurt to have done some work on cleaning up the original code, at least in the second and third episodes, the three-dimensional ones, which today are quite out of time and out of context to be fully enjoyed. In any case, let's applaud the attempt to provide new bread for the nostalgics of that golden era called the 90s.

Marvel Mystic Mayhem is a highly enjoyable tactical RPG, pleasing both to look at and to listen to. It takes the typical formula of the most well-known titles featuring auto-battles and elevates it through a few simple yet effective solutions that add engagement and fun to the gameplay.

Quotation forthcoming.

After a few hours in Welcome Tour's company, we can finally answer a very important question: is it a Nintendo game or not? The answer is yes, definitely, because of a whole set of parameters of history, biography, insanity, self-referentiality beyond all limits and a pinch of minimal genius, that '80s soap-and-water video game halo that has no purpose other than to challenge you to do better. The problem, though, is that Welcome Tour's depth, in its never wanting to scratch the surface, is shallow and consequently not very replayable. Part manifesto, part quiz book, part sticker album, snippets of quotes from the past, Welcome Tour is a video game, one of those educational softwares that entertain without ever going overboard.

FBC: Firebreak unfortunately fails to impress: despite the undeniable talent of the team at Remedy Entertainment, this co-op shooter set in the Control universe has very little in common with Jesse Faden’s gripping adventure, opting instead to deliver an experience that feels not only underdeveloped but also poorly presented. There are certainly enjoyable moments, and with the right team (you can invite friends via code, by the way) everything becomes more fun, but the content is undeniably sparse, the progression far too slow, and the action quickly becomes repetitive.

By the time it reaches its conclusion, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage feels like a missed opportunity. What begins with such a compelling and intriguing premise is rooted in a mystery that, over the course of the hours needed to complete the adventure, never becomes truly engaging, fails to surprise, and gradually loses its edge as the story unfolds. The game's real intention lies elsewhere: to tell the story of a friendship, a drama that is sadly human, and to explore a dual timeline, where past and present ultimately never truly connect. It could have been a powerful tale of coming-of-age and friendship, had it been written with more honesty.

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Date Everything! is certainly a perfect game for those who enjoy dating sims and want a huge number of potential lovers. It is unfortunate that it suffers from an extremely repetitive structure and an overall plot that is satirical and sympathetic but struggles to pace the work. Certainly, the core of the game-the personified objects-is undeniably excellent, with beautifully crafted designs and perfect voice acting, among other things with various interactions that help give precisely the impression that our home is a living micro-world in which the characters interact with each other even without our intervention. In short, it is not a revolutionary game or one that will be remembered for a long time, but it is a good way to get hard laughs with the thousandth pun on objects.

What Survival Kids really lacks are two things: one is depth, the only thing that could push you to replay the levels or find new ways to complete the missions (but you just have to do the same things over and over again to escape from the islands, and these things most of the time must always be done with the same sequence). The second is danger: real danger, which provides that minimum of tension that can really give meaning to the "survival" present in the title. Too much simplicity is not necessarily a good thing, especially if it is not compensated by a wealth of situations and alternative possibilities to reach the goal of escaping from the island.

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is an excellent free-to-play action RPG for iOS and Android, capable of bringing the locations, characters, and music of the TV series to our smartphone screens, thanks to a fairly expansive open world structure that is likely to grow even further over time. However, when it comes to PC the game suffers due to some inevitable limitations, as well as a monetization system that eventually becomes more aggressive, gating progression behind the usual paywalls.

Quotation forthcoming.

to a T is a narrative video game with a bizarre premise that, over the hours it takes to complete it, becomes increasingly elusive. It wants to be a colorful adventure and at the same time a story designed to raise awareness of the protagonist's disability, through many small minigames that try to make us experience his condition firsthand. However, as the narrative progresses it takes a surreal turn and distances itself greatly from his humanity. Even on a playful level, the game lives on expedients, on small activities that are never truly explored in depth. What remains, once completed, is certainly its unique style, the coarse humor and the fantastic songs that Takahashi wrote for the theme songs of each episode.

Dino Path Trail is an interesting mix between a roguelike and a survival game, with an original setting and all the grit of the wild American frontier inhabited by dinosaurs. With a well-executed rhythm based on very intriguing shooting, dodging, reloading and collection times, Void Pointer's video game suffers from the excessive length of the individual runs and an interface that is sometimes unnecessarily complex even for the simplest operations. In the long run, some typical survival mechanics become tedious, but when you hit the right match the feeling of being unbeatable is very satisfying.

Deliver At All Costs is a loud and fun game that draws its main stylistic traits from eccentricity and lightheartedness. Even considering that it's a true debut title, it proves to be solid, immediate, fresh, and accessible. That doesn’t mean it’s without flaws. Its arcade soul quickly exposes a certain underlying repetitiveness and a lack of meaningful content — or at least content substantial enough to justify some of the gameplay’s potential, which largely remains untapped. Vehicle upgrades, a large cast of characters, and environmental puzzles are all present in their simplicity, but often (aside from a few brilliant sparks) remain in the background or are only used to a limited extent. Too much talk, you might say. A courier, after all, has to run.

Revenge of the Savage Planet is a fun game like we haven’t seen in a while, but it holds a great deal of untapped potential. The shift from first-person to third-person perspective brings many promising ideas, yet it turns out to be a double-edged sword that makes the gameplay feel less precise and less challenging than before. From a game with such a wild universe, a similar gameplay foundation, and so many years since the previous title, we expected something more — perhaps a standout concept or a weapon you'd never forget. It loses momentum along the way, but chances are you’ll finish it in just three evenings. Playing solo doesn’t diminish the experience, but if you’re looking for a new co-op adventure — and it even supports split-screen for close-quarters fun — you might just have found the game for you.

Empyreal feels like a completed checklist rather than a full artistic expression of what an action RPG can be. some of its good ideas, however, may appeal to an audience of dedicated players.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Thirty years later, Lunar and Lunar 2 are still excellent old school JRPGs on their own but this remastered compilation by GungHo is lackluster at best.

Quotation forthcoming.

Steel Seed didn't entirely convince us. The plot is certainly the weakest side of the adventure: it's a mix of low-impact and predictable scenes that fail to really make us feel like humanity's last hope. The gameplay is certainly better, especially the stealth side. If you plan to play it as pure action, we recommend avoiding it, but if you enjoy a bit of reasoned action that is never too difficult, we recommend it. The platforming sections and the power-up system are also good. Steel Seed shows us that Storm in a Teacup clearly has the ability to say something of its own, but it will take some more time.

It is not easy to catch a glimpse of Yu Suzuki's touch in Steel Paws, which appears as a rather formulaic action RPG roguelike that fails to distinguish itself from many other similar titles. The characterisation can be interesting, between the strange architecture, cute creatures and the almost "Miyazakian" design of the robots, but the obsessive repetitiveness of the gameplay strains goodwill.

Quotation forthcoming.