As a dominant genre, 3D platformers have become increasingly rare these days, and perhaps thanks to this situation, SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is particularly enjoyable. It revives the genre in its most classic form, focusing heavily on the typical characterization of the series from which it is taken. A well-made tie-in, obviously aimed at big SpongeBob fans but which could appeal to anyone looking for a light-hearted game, especially younger players.

News Tower is a tycoon game that puts you in the shoes of a communications magnate running a newspaper in New York’s roaring Thirties. The player is offered countless possibilities: you can choose an editorial line that highlights certain topics, or even try to go where the wind blows by aligning yourself with the interests of the city’s political forces, such as the mayor and organized crime. As in any job, routine eventually starts to weigh on you, and the sense of instability becomes palpable. It’s hard to stay afloat without turning to the banks, which sooner or later will come after you to collect their interest. Worth noting is the excellent historical reconstruction based on real news stories from the months, weeks, and years in which the game is set as a result of Sparrow Night’s careful and elegant research.

Marvel's Deadpool VR is exactly the virtual-reality videogame dedicated to the Merc with a Mouth that we expected. Varied, fun in both dialogue and gameplay, and pleasing to see and hear. It's a work that convinces, yet at the same time doesn’t innovate in any way and will therefore mainly appeal to the many fans of the character from the House of Ideas. While we can say we’re satisfied with the final experience, we also feel compelled to express our disappointment at once again seeing so little courage in a medium like VR—a medium that should thrive on the “wow” effect. On that sense of wonder visible on the faces of those who try a VR headset for the first time, yet which unfortunately seems a bit neglected here. Sometimes it would be better to strive to create a less polished but more surprising title, rather than an excellent product with a more classic feel. In any case, Marvel's Deadpool VR is a work we feel confident recommending to superhero-comic fans and to anyone who has ever dreamed of wearing the red suit of the Merc with a Mouth.

An episodic story that, through its characters, tells the tale of one of Europe’s symbolic twentieth-century cities: Berlin. It moves back and forth through time while remaining firmly rooted in a single place, an apartment in the very heart of the city. Within its walls, people have witnessed a century of history that the German capital has lived through, marked by a series of key dates which, from 1933 onward, saw it become the stage for wars, cultural revolutions, and events that changed the world. Each of these moments, with its own small gameplay idea, guides us for about four hours on a journey to discover how our presence always leaves a trace behind in the places we inhabit.

Dispatch proves that there is still plenty of room for narrative-driven adventures, especially when they are written and directed as masterfully as in this case. There are inherent limitations to this type of “game,” but Dispatch does everything it can to ensure that they don't weigh it down.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is a shooter packed with content. While its campaign focuses entirely on action and doesn't quite reach the narrative quality of the previous chapter, the emphasis on co-op play, the shared progression system, the spectacular new Endgame mode (which will continue to evolve over time), the most substantial Zombies mode yet, and a competitive multiplayer offering an impressive number of maps and modes right from launch - with Absolute Movement shining brighter than ever and further refined - all stand as strong points that are sure to thrill longtime fans of the series.

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.

Quotation forthcoming.

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.

Rue Valley is an investigative adventure about a man trying to escape a time loop. To do so, he must open himself up to the world, talk to the people living in that remote desert town, and learn about the history of the families and events that have shaped it. It’s clear that the main point of reference is Disco Elysium, and while Rue Valley doesn’t reach the same level of interpretive refinement or mechanical complexity, it still offers an interesting, fresh, and entertaining approach. Like all loop-based narratives, it can sometimes become frustrating - especially when transitions and events start to repeat without any apparent progress -but the “mind map” system is very detailed and holds all the answers within it.

Anno 117: Pax Romana is a sequel that really delivers — which wasn’t easy, considering how good Anno 1800 was. The game feels more modern overall, and the new setting brings in fresh mechanics that don’t completely change the formula, but definitely make it feel different and exciting again for longtime fans. The land battles aren’t super deep strategically, but they’re fun from a management point of view — and that’s what really counts. As a city builder, this is the best Anno so far: you can finally build diagonally, and your citizens now react to shortages in a much stronger and more dramatic way than before.

Syberia was an excellent graphic adventure, and its Remastered version remains an excellent game; this is probably the most important detail. That said, as a remastered version that is somewhat of a remake but not quite, Microids' effort was not particularly bold. There was definitely room for the changed puzzles to be more interesting, and there was scope for greater attention to detail and remastering of the cutscenes. We recommend it, but we admit we were hoping for a little more effort.

Arc Raiders is pure fun — a smart and engaging product on which Embark Studios can build years and years of additional content. However, the long-term goals offered to players still feel a bit too vague, the monetization system has yet to reveal its true nature, and the inventory management could use some reworking or evolution.

Europa Universalis V expands on every single aspect of its predecessor, drawing inspiration from the best and most modern Paradox grand strategy games. It’s a true colossus that can easily steal hundreds—if not thousands—of hours from your life. There’s still plenty of work to be done in terms of fine-tuning and balancing, but the overall vision is crystal clear, the amount of content is remarkable, and the level of interaction is at its peak. Equally impressive is its engaging pace and the excellent tutorials. Europa Universalis V is a vast, ever-changing experience—an essential title for anyone who loves history, complex games, or, best of all, both.

Age of Imprisonment looks like an improvement through and through of the Hyrule Warriors formula, however it lacks on diversity and uniqueness: it feels like it sails on safe waters by taking away the most convoluted features of its predecessor for a more streamlined narrative driven experience while never shaking the divisive musou roots off.

Tormented Souls 2 is a pure, old-school survival horror, complete with all the classic strengths and weaknesses of the genre. It brings plenty of ideas that keep the player’s tension constantly high, but you need to be ready to endure its hardships without flinching: few save points, very limited resources, no checkpoints, stiff controls, and constant friction with a less-than-excellent game interface. In return, the experience feels authentic, one of those rare ones you can count on the fingers of one hand today. It’s not a game for everyone; it has a very specific and slightly masochistic audience that probably doesn’t even think about making things easier by playing on the lowest difficulty. For those who love this kind of game, Tormented Souls 2 is among the least compromising titles you can find.

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.

Football Manager 26 is the new entry in the FM series — for better or worse. After skipping a year, Sports Interactive used the time mainly to migrate its massive database and core systems to Unity rather than to revolutionize the game. The result is a solid installment with a few interesting additions — most notably off-the-ball formations — and plenty of familiar strengths, especially its ability to captivate players for hours. Match graphics have improved but still fall short of excellence, menus are clearer yet not perfect, and the inclusion of women’s football expands the managerial options even further. If you love this kind of experience, nothing else on the market comes close; but if you’ve already conquered everything from Lega Pro or simply don’t care for football, this won’t change your mind.

To be completely honest, Dragon Quest II is practically worth the whole package on its own: it’s the game in the Erdrick trilogy that Square Enix has refreshed the best, thanks to an already solid foundation — particularly in terms of narrative and character development. By overcoming the limitations that plagued Dragon Quest III last year, this new release delivers a more complete and satisfying experience, even considering a first installment that remains somewhat raw — yet brave — despite its new HD-2D makeover. Will it change the minds of those who dislike nostalgic revivals and the inherent anachronism of Dragon Quest? Probably not. But it will definitely please anyone who loves diving into the history of the genre, surrounded by vivid colors and unforgettable music.

Ball x Pit has haunted our console for days, like a ghost that refused to leave, claiming more and more space, more and more time. It’s one of the most ruthless examples of those games that make you say, “just one more round and I’ll stop,” except you never actually do. Every match is engaging, every bit of character building grabs you by the hand and drags you into perfectly timed sessions that almost always — even when you lose — leave you with something useful for the next attempt. It’s a Machiavellian mechanism. The credit goes partly to the tried-and-true roguelite formula, but also to the creativity shown in designing power-ups, special balls, and characters. Ball x Pit is pure joy... as irresistible and alluring as a siren’s song.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 is gorgeous to look at and fantastic in the freedom it offers for customizing your own park. Moreover, this time the campaign is much more engaging and longer than before. There’s plenty to play, and on PC—if you know what you’re getting into—it’s unlikely to disappoint. However, the gameplay remains the weakest part of the package: mesmerizing as it may be, it’s still quite shallow and far too similar to the previous title.

Overall, we decided to give Simon The Sorcerer Origins a high score because we genuinely enjoyed it — but rarely has it felt more important to properly contextualize what that number actually represents. We wanted to reward it as a clear signal to fans of LucasArts-style adventures and similar titles that this game was made specifically for them. It stays true to that vision to the point of making design choices that might not sit well with players who aren’t very familiar with the point-and-click genre. But Smallthing Studios clearly defined its audience, leaving no room for misunderstanding, and stripped away all the elements alien to the genre that other studios have added over the years in an attempt to attract people who barely know what an adventure game even is. It’s a radical choice, of course, and some may even see it as a flaw — fair enough. So make your own judgment, but hopefully our reasoning here is clear enough.

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.

Powerwash Simulator 2 is precisely what you would expect from the sequel to such a simulation: an evolution that does not alter the unique original gameplay but adds a few details, refines some mechanics and improves the quality of life by offering a new and abundant dose of the same elements. If you loved the first one, you cannot miss this one, but its addictive mechanics could still make unexpected conquests.

The Outer Worlds 2 is a classic role-playing game from Obsidian Entertainment, as well as the excellent sequel to a series that we now hope will continue further. What most satisfies in this new adventure among the stars is the freedom of action offered to the player — both in character management and in the variety of approaches allowed in missions, dialogues, combat, and virtually every other aspect of the game.Like many other titles from the Californian studio, it’s not an experience without flaws, which are especially noticeable from a technical standpoint. Nonetheless, the overall quality of the adventure is such that any issues easily fade into the background. Ultimately, The Outer Worlds 2 is a role-playing game — and a remarkably well-crafted, rewarding sci-fi adventure. It will satisfy both those who simply wish to complete the main missions, taking around thirty hours, and those who prefer to dig deep, uncovering and savoring every fine detail of the elaborate role-playing system crafted by the studio.

Once Upon a Katamari takes the simple, brilliant idea at the heart of the series and rolls it through time, offering a hilarious snapshot of human history. It’s packed with clever twists that shake up a formula which, at its core, stays the same — and yet it never stops being fun, thanks to its absurd creativity, irresistible soundtrack, and a presentation that’s unapologetically, wonderfully Japanese. If you’ve loved this franchise in the past, this comeback will have you cheerfully humming for days. And if you’ve never played it before, now’s a perfect time to give it a shot and discover just how fun it can be to roll over a bunch of Greek philosophers or barrel through a pack of velociraptors.

Persona 3 Reload on Switch 2 is exactly the same game we played more than 1 year ago but the frame pacing took a heavy hit and it's in strong need of a patch. That being said, Persona 3 Reload is still an amazing JRPG through and through that fans of the genre should definitely play.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is exactly what we expected - nothing more, nothing less: an action game that focuses on combat and does so with great authority, showcasing all the power of an iconic franchise and the talent of a development team (actually, two) that needs no lessons from anyone.

With CloverPit, Panik Arcade has followed the contemporary trend of offering titles with a simple concept at a very affordable price (it costs €9.99, without discounts) — much like Vampire Survivors or the often-mentioned Balatro. It’s a striking game in its own way, precisely because of its limitations, and an excellent one to showcase on Twitch or YouTube — which, these days, is always a plus for ensuring strong sales.Its blend of mechanics based on both luck and skill, along with the satisfying sense of progress from match to match, does the rest — making it the kind of addictive pastime you’re always happy to come back to for one more game.

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.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is an excellent game from a narrative standpoint, surrounded by other systems of varying quality — some justified by the pursuit of consistency with the setting, others clearly the result of production issues during development. Overall, it’s better than we expected and turned out to be an engaging and deep experience, certainly worthy of the first Bloodlines in how it portrays the vampiric world.Be aware, however, that the role-playing aspect is expressed more through dialogue than through the rest of the gameplay, and those looking for a title where combat is the most polished part have come to the wrong place.

If you’ve loved Pokémon but the latest releases have left you disappointed for various reasons, Pokémon Legends: Z-A won’t change your mind — yet it proves that Game Freak still has a ton of super-effective moves in its arsenal. Despite some rough edges in the story and balance, and a technical side hampered more by design choices than by execution, the new Pokémon Legends entry is fun, immediate, and engaging — though it could have been much, much more. The Japanese developer is still experimenting, adding and removing elements in search of the perfect formula, but continues to do so with the nonchalance of a studio that knows it can sell millions of copies with minimal effort. And that’s a shame, because Z-A is probably the best Pokémon game in years. With just a bit more effort — and the hardware potential of the Switch 2 — Game Freak could truly get back on track.

Double Dragon Revive was a real surprise — one of those games we didn’t expect much from, only to realize we had unfairly underestimated it. Yuke’s work is a smart evolution not only of the series it belongs to, but of the entire beat ’em up genre as well. It’s a genuinely satisfying title in its core elements, falling short only due to the lack of extra modes. Apart from that, it’s truly an excellent Double Dragon — one to be experienced, one punch at a time.

Beautiful to look at, powerful to listen to, highly optimized, and with gameplay that takes us back to the glories of the best games in the series, Battlefield 6 is the unexpected return we've been hoping for for years. The campaign is a concentration of explosions and uncertainty, but multiplayer is where you'll spend most of your time, and it's here that things take a turn for the better. The nine starting maps are a tasty appetizer for what's to come in the coming months; the feel of the weapon in your hand is just right, and when everything falls apart around you, you've definitely fallen in love. With the usual flaws, but also with strengths we almost forgot, this is, finally, Battlefield.

Absolum is a side-scrolling beat 'em up of exquisite craftsmanship, almost perfect, one might say, enhanced by a roguelite structure that still has some balancing issues, likely due to Guard Crush’s lack of experience with the genre. Most of the time, however, it manages to find its footing, also because in terms of scale and content it's not overwhelming, in fact, it can be completed in around fifteen hours. It must be said: when it comes to throwing punches, nothing else compares. The satisfying way power-ups synergize with one another, along with the impact and thrill of juggling enemies, makes progressing through the levels a sublime experience. Even after reaching the end, you’ll want to keep brawling, stacking upgrades just to feel increasingly powerful. A little gem to play and replay, after cracking your knuckles, of course.

Little Nightmares III is the usual small, exquisite nightmare built around the fears of two children escaping from a world of repulsive “grown-ups.” The most tangible novelty is the online co-op mode, which allows two players to work together by using each character’s unique abilities. However, in trying to find a balance between a game that can be completed solo and one where cooperation truly matters, Little Nightmares III never pushes this feature too far, it’s enjoyable, but never essential. Beyond that, it’s a repetition of moments and situations we’ve already experienced in the previous installments. We would have liked to see more of Supermassive Games’ own touch on this universe, rather than the reaffirmation of established formulas.

Quotation forthcoming.

Fire Emblem Shadows is not only a poor Fire Emblem game, but also a game that isn’t very fun. The strategic possibilities during matches are reduced to a minimum, and even the investigative component, meant to uncover the team’s traitor, fails to trigger engaging dynamics.

Quotation forthcoming.

Digimon Story Time Stranger isn’t perfect, but it’s undoubtedly the most ambitious entry in the franchise to date — both in terms of content and the depth of its gameplay mechanics. It offers an intriguing narrative, excellent longevity, and the chance to meet and collect over four hundred Digimon (some of which can even be ridden), all while exploring, in alternating moments, both the real and digital worlds. That said, it’s undeniable that this isn’t a flawless title. From a technical standpoint, despite the refinements and overall visual appeal, its origins as a last-generation project are apparent at every turn. Moreover, despite all the new ideas and innovations introduced, dungeon exploration remains rather static and repetitive, and the combat system doesn’t reach the depth that fans might have hoped for — even if it is, admittedly, more technical than in the past. In short, there’s still work to be done — but the direction is the right one. “All together,” then, “all for the Digimon,” as the old anime theme song once said.

The two Super Mario Galaxy games are so beautiful and imaginative that they transcend their own series. They are the dream of a child broken down into its basic elements, explorable through fantastical and extraordinary gravity-defying acrobatics, framed by Rosalina’s melancholic tales and those leaps toward the sublime, supported by symphonic outpourings—so rare for Super Mario and Nintendo. They are two masterpieces, and it is no coincidence that they marked the childhood and imagination of the first members of Generation Z.

With EA Sports FC 26, the Canadian development studio takes an interesting path, but the final result doesn’t fully manage to convince. The two gameplay presets are a smart addition, Career mode gains momentum with Manager Live and Unexpected Events, and Ultimate Team receives a few useful tweaks that help refine the experience. However, between a still spotty defensive AI, a midfield sacrificed on the altar of spectacle, a Realistic mode that is intriguing but far from brilliant, and a monetization system that permeates every mode, there’s still a long way to go.

Dying Light: The Beast marks a return to simplicity and straightforwardness for Techland’s series, a shift that also comes through in the comeback of the original protagonist. Angrier than ever and literally able to turn into a beast, Kyle Crane will lead us through a somewhat clichéd and predictable revenge story, fortunately enriched by a host of side missions, characters, puzzles to solve, and secrets to uncover within a map that alternates between urban settlements, forests, and mountains, all in an effort to best express the formula that made this franchise so successful.

Hotel Barcelona is unfortunately a big disappointment. Technically, it needs improvement, the plot and characters have nothing to say to us, and there is never that madness or strangeness that one would expect from Swery and Suda51. The gameplay is banal and gets in its own way with poor design choices or choices that cancel each other out, resulting in a linear roguelite that can be completed in 5 hours.

We already knew it from the announcement trailer, and playing it for forty hours only confirmed our first impressions: Ghost of Yotei is exactly what everyone expected from a sequel of this scale, backed by a Sony that needs to strongly focus on some of the trademark elements of its biggest works. Sucker Punch doesn’t try to overdo it, doesn’t attempt the path of innovation, and has no intention of straying from those defining aspects that made *Tsushima* a success far beyond the rosiest expectations. Yotei refines the mechanics, increases variety, enhances attention to detail, and better defines certain narrative dynamics. The result is simply a game that works well and does exactly what it’s supposed to: entertain all those players looking for a new open-world, free-roaming action adventure in which to invest a few dozen hours. Clearly, this isn’t the place to look for a new benchmark or that extra something that boldly sets it apart from any other title in the genre, but five years later, anyone who wants to relive the Tsushima experience will feel right at home here, before the crackling of a warm and reassuring fire.

Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is the second chapter of a broader recovery operation, one aimed at reviving the main installments of the franchise in three dimensions and making them accessible once again, enriched with a technical sector worthy of modern times and enough additional content to spark the interest of a wide audience (or at least not to disappoint it, since the comparison with contemporary video games arises spontaneously). In this case, the developers at Now Production have done a good job, introducing into the main structure a whole series of improvements, variations, and aesthetic additions that, in most cases, have benefitted it. The game itself remains what it was back then, with its strengths and weaknesses (among the latter, mainly a not-so-exciting level design and a constant sense of déjà vu). However, thanks to a fair price and the success of the modernization itself, we can’t help but recommend giving the yellow ball a chance.

By leveraging a wonderful creative process in close contact with their community, Supergiant has created an extraordinary title, capable of soaring above all others in its genre in terms of overall quality, structural brilliance, balance of its parts, and beauty. Hades II is an impeccable work, and we've been unable to find any real flaws in it, game after game. Perfection may not be of this world, but Supergiant has come very close.

Final Fantasy Tactics aged like wine and the improvements to the story department show love and passion. Retail price might look expensive for a remaster that adds almost no content to a 1997 game except for a few QoL features but it's worth every penny if you never played it before or love tactical JRPGs.

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.

Silent Hill f is a bold and strikingly timely video game: a political horror with a powerful message, unafraid to be provocative as every true work of art should be. At the same time, it carries within itself the spirit of folk horror: having left behind Judeo-Christian iconography, it is the Japanese tradition that casts its long shadow over both the aesthetics and the narrative, at times through choices that bring it closer to fantasy than to the urban horror the series is known for. Tradition and modernity clash in a work that feels suspended between what Silent Hill once was and what it could become. The balance doesn’t always hold, yet its voice remains strong, with no fear of offending longtime fans or alienating purists. Many will not like it, and some will not even recognize where Silent Hill lies within this story. But those willing to listen closely to the narrative crafted by Ryukishi07 will discover that Silent Hill f knows how to take root. And how to bloom.

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.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds stands out as an excellent arcade racing title, arguably the finest in Sega’s mascot-driven series. Boasting a wealth of content, it delivers engaging experiences in both single-player and multiplayer modes, supported by a truly impressive track design.

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.

When it comes to gameplay, aside from the gunplay, this fourth game is probably the best Borderlands yet. That said, it clearly needs to find the right balance on the narrative side, along with some fresh tricks to give more personality to the huge supporting cast — who, as of now, feel more like a nuisance than an asset. If you’re into shooting, Borderlands 4 is a safe bet, but when it comes to everything outside of gunplay, Gearbox’s game still lags behind.

Destiny Rising has so much content and features that there's something for every Destiny fan, but there's a lot of gacha monetization to dodge before getting to it.

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.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is, quite simply, a video game that shouldn’t exist. No publisher on Earth would ever fund the production of a colossal two-dimensional Metroidvania over the span of seven years, and no independent developer could realistically afford to turn such an immense ambition into reality. And yet, Hollow Knight: Silksong does exist, and it exists solely because a group of creators - deeply in love with their own work but above all blessed with extraordinary talent and the resources to make it shine - chose to invest seven years of their lives in the project. There has never been a Metroidvania so vast in content and so profound in its systems, nor one that marries such sheer scale with such painstaking artistry. On one hand, it is an experience of staggering proportions; on the other, it is enriched with the kind of craft and care one usually finds only in artisanal workshops. In the industry, it’s often said that this genre carries a fragment of the medium’s very soul. Playing through Hornet’s adventure is a reminder, plain and simple, of how beautiful it is to experience a video game made with love.

Hell is Us is a video game unlike most others: it is bold in addressing current and brutal themes such as the war ravaging the Middle East, showing the atrocities of conflict without compromise, and in giving players both the honor and the burden of keeping track of their own progress in the story, completely removing from the equation any markers or indicators that might point out the path or highlight elements of interest. At times, perhaps, it overestimates the player’s attention span, perceptiveness (and memory!), forcing connections that aren’t always immediate, but it’s flattering that it dares to try, and that it succeeds most of the time. It’s a pity, then, that the combat system clashes with the rest of the game: it feels uninspired, simplistic, and never tries to reinvent itself to provide the same kind of mental stimulation that the rest of the experience strives for. Not everything holds together as it should in this title, but we are certain that some of its elements will stay with us for a long time.

NBA 2K26 confirms itself as one of the most complete basketball games ever made. The graphical improvements, refined gameplay, and variety of game modes make it a title that can satisfy every type of player, from casual gamers to hardcore fans. MyCareer and MyTeam remain the cornerstones, but multiplayer options and management modes also offer deep and engaging experiences. Microtransactions remain a sore point, yet despite this, NBA 2K26 represents one of the most polished sports experiences available. It’s true that there’s still no real competition, but once again, Visual Concepts has delivered a quality package this year.

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.

It was certainly no easy task to get the player's empathy to penetrate beneath the steely layer of the space diver's suit. It's difficult to feel sympathy even for the unfortunate Travelers who preceded us, and at times the dialogue exchanges between characters seemed less interesting than the written notes we found while exploring. Those, indeed, are full of humanity. And yet, despite all their limitations, we must give Bloober Team credit for having once again succeeded. Maybe even to have started a new franchise that, in a few years, could be among the great titles of science fiction horror.

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.

Sword of the Sea is a splendid journey that uplifts the spirit and concludes at just the right moment.

Gears of War: Reloaded represents a very important step in Microsoft’s current strategy, marking the beginning of a path that will inevitably lead to a multiplatform launch for the highly anticipated prequel Gears of War: E-Day. Most notably, it signals the debut of an iconic Xbox intellectual property on PS5, a franchise that has meant (and still means) so much to a large number of fans of the green brand. This new edition takes the excellent Ultimate Edition released ten years ago and refreshes it just enough to make it feel current, relying on the depth of a gameplay that remains devilishly fun.

Shinobi: Art of Vengance is a vibrant reimagining of the beloved SEGA franchise. Lizardcube developed a masterpiece 2D platformer featuring metroidvania exploration and a solid, engaging combo based combat system.

The Rogue Prince of Persia may be a strange take on Prince of Persia, but it’s definitely one worth playing. It does just about everything well and makes a real effort to stand out from the competition, offering unique gameplay mechanics that create dynamics completely different from those of Dead Cells (the game it’s most often compared to). If you can get past the prejudices surrounding it, you’ll find an excellent title in your hands, full of ideas that we hope will be carried forward in the future.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a faithful remake that brings Hideo Kojima’s masterpiece into the present with the power of Unreal Engine 5, focusing primarily on aesthetics while only lightly touching the framework of the mechanics. It’s an exceptionally complete edition, packed with extra content, whose purpose lies in its contemporary presentation, the modernization of its core dynamics, and a host of quality-of-life improvements. Its only real limitation stems from the reverence the publisher feels toward the original — and it’s a justified reverence, since Snake Eater was and remains a sensational video game, a magnificent spy story brimming with the brilliant ideas of its Japanese creator. The remake can be considered a success: there’s room for some flair and a few welcome surprises, but Konami ultimately lacked the courage to fully reconcile modernity with the game’s more classic soul, opting instead to satisfy those who desired blind fidelity to the original and daring only when it was certain there was no real risk.

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.

Luto is a horror of the soul. It inherits the form of P.T., but changes the substance with intelligence, building a reflection on our connection with personal ghosts. It does so by exploring non-Euclidean spaces and drawing on many works that have deconstructed the house as a place of memory, reimagining it as a mental labyrinth. Intangible and uncanny when the domestic hearth becomes an inner prison. Luto is a loop that must be broken not necessarily through logic. It’s a deconstruction of the genre, but also an intriguing celebration of it. It manages to be frightening while also sorrowful and melancholic, even with the flaws of a debut work.

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.

Quotation forthcoming.

Dead Take is a decent puzzle game, an enjoyable horror title, and an excellent narrative adventure that intrigues us with its characters, all perfectly portrayed in high-quality FMV sequences, and captivates us with a parable about the world of cinema and the pain felt by those who create art, which we all feed on, crying out for more and more, regardless of the cost to those behind the cameras. It's a shame that the puzzles don't hit the mark and that the horror sometimes takes the wrong direction, but considering that it only costs €14 and a few hours of our time, we suggest that anyone who is intrigued give it a try.

The Enhanced edition of Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 marks yet another PS5 debut for a former Xbox exclusive that sparked plenty of debate and can now be experienced by Sony console owners as well. Senua’s journey remains gripping and spectacular, ruthless and violent, masterfully directed and enriched by binaural audio. At the same time, however, it doesn’t strike as hard as it should have, leaving much of its gameplay potential largely untapped. The 60 fps? Great to finally have them, but they come at a significant cost in image quality.

Mafia: Terra Madre is a clear return to the roots of the series, crafted by the skilled and inventive hands of the team at Hangar 13. It’s a linear action-adventure, built on open-world foundations that aim to strike the best possible balance in every aspect of its gameplay and technical performance. There's nothing truly innovative in its mechanics, nor anything particularly original in its mafia story, which leans heavily on cinematic overtones and is enriched by the classic clichés of the genre. That said, there’s no doubt the full package works: it offers exactly what one would expect from a production of this type, especially when you consider its production values and, most of all, the price it's being sold at. You run, you shoot, you hide, and you experience a solid, parabolic tale of a poor miner who climbs the ranks of a Cosa Nostra family over a dozen intense, enjoyable, and ultimately fun hours—even if never truly memorable.

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.

Minami Lane lets us manage a road, transporting us for a few hours to a dreamy Japanese-style city. Far from being limited by its narrow scope, Minami Lane is a solid and deep management game, capable of posing interesting challenges while still maintaining a welcoming atmosphere.

The Wandering Village is a unique yet familiar feeling city builder with a Ghibli style story, an almost cozy pace and a very enjoyable game loop.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles 2 stands out as a clearly superior sequel compared to the first game. The credit goes to the greater amount of source material available, which allowed CyberConnect2 to craft a much richer and more engaging Story Mode, bringing to the screen some truly impressive sequences from both a technical and artistic standpoint. Moreover, the game benefits from a series of improvements related to its structure and content, which appear significantly more substantial and compelling.

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.

Killing Floor 3 reiterates the formula of the series, delivering an experience that brings no substantial innovations to the gameplay front but remains thoroughly enjoyable in co-op, with the added bonus of crossplay support which appears to work very well.

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.

Le Mans Ultimate is an excellent driving simulator, perfect for those who want to experience the excitement and adrenaline rush of the WEC championship. The driving model offers a very high level of realism, with a good degree of difficulty that is nevertheless very satisfying. In terms of content and modes, it may not satisfy those who prefer to play offline alone. For multiplayer lovers, however, there will always be online drivers ready to take to the track and battle it out with you. Le Mans Ultimate is already a very good title, well worth its price on Steam. There is still room for improvement, but we are sure that the development team will continue to work on improving it in the coming years.

Back to the Dawn is a prison RPG with great in-game time mechanics, a good story and a lot of replayability. Some of its narrative choices, however, are a little too stereotypical.

The Edge of Fate has an amazing story and a revamped progression that works, but the new mechanics and the raid's difficulty prevent it from shining as bright as it could.

Super Mario Jamboree arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 in its definitive version: improved from a technical and gameplay perspective, the base game is enriched by its television counterpart, a set of more movement-oriented mini-games that take advantage of the new technology offered by Switch 2. More quantity, with the same high quality thanks to a Jamboree that less than a year ago established itself as a great episode, a grand return of the 1998 saga. If the goal of Jamboree TV is to sell cameras, Nintendo has chosen the ideal exponent: the ability to actively engage the player in a colourful and fun party game is unique and only possible through video capture of the room and players. It works, creating truly hilarious moments, with the microphone and mouse completing the picture of innovation, allowing for the execution of well-designed mini-games that are never too difficult and perfect for integrating non-players or casual players.

Wheel World perfectly captures the joyful feeling of pedaling with the wind on your face and in your hair. While, on one hand, the decision to focus on a more relaxed and open-minded setting transformed the game into a splendid bike ride simulator, punctuated by races, on the other, we felt that narrative and progression were pushed to the sidelines. The story remains a fun, background story, and the system for obtaining new bike parts gradually becomes less central due to a lower-level challenge and some components that, once obtained, make our ride nearly unbeatable. It remains a very enjoyable experience lasting about five hours, accompanied by a high-quality synth-pop soundtrack.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is simply a must-play video game for any fan of the soulslike genre, especially for those who enjoyed FromSoftware's classic "soulsborne" titles. The developers at Leenzee have captured nearly all the core principles of the original Dark Souls, crafting a Chinese mythology-inspired world reminiscent of Lordran and Yharnam. They’ve delivered challenging level design and a solid action combat system in an atmosphere that is cryptic, dark, and packed with bosses, secrets, and quests that are anything but straightforward. In terms of philosophy and structure, it might just be the best soulslike ever made outside the stewardship of the genre’s original creators. However, it remains deeply rooted in the past—and not always for the right reasons: beyond being technically outdated and at times rough around the edges, it’s a game so “old school” that it can even feel archaic. The execution may be unpolished but it manages to capture the most authentic, classic essence of its inspiration like no other before it.

Persona 5: The Phantom X is a fascinating compromise: on the one hand, it aims to bring the extraordinary artistic direction of the Atlus series, its strategic combat system, and its unique vision to a potentially vast audience; on the other hand, it introduces slightly more aggressive gacha mechanics compared to its direct competitors, which might raise some eyebrows among players familiar with these dynamics and unable to overlook them. Beyond banners and pulls, however, the developers at Perfect World have crafted a remarkable spin-off, and it will be interesting to see how it will be supported over time.