DOOM: The Dark Ages has the extraordinary ability to find that balance, impossible on paper, between the nostalgic appreciation of the past typical of boomer shooters and the need to innovate a gameplay that would otherwise risk being repetitive, or in any case unappealing for those who rarely or never approach this genre. It succeeds with ideas that are only apparently banal, such as the management of difficulty or the clever gameplay loop made of gunshots, parries and melee attacks, in a dance that immediately becomes satisfying and visceral to the point of creating a great addiction. And it is therefore a shame that id Software has tried to force the hand by also introducing variations on the theme that quickly become mere fillers that, unfortunately, dilute the action and flatten the experience, also showing its flank to some limitations in the level design. What remains is a game that will drive crazy those who have devoured the previous DOOMs and love spending quality time with first-person shooters. And that's saying something.

The Forgotten City is a great game, even more if you think it's built by 3 people. They deserve more credit and more money, because this game is full of good ideas and a very interesting lore.

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.

Frostpunk 2 is a brutal city builder with a marvelous political system.

With an improved look and no loading times at all, Spider-Man Remastered brings a beloved adventure and one of the greatest superhero games on PS5.

Hotline Miami is visionary, frantic and full of personality. The game is slightly improved on console, and the Vita version looks absolutely brilliant.

Isaac and his mother have come to terms and now divide the money in equal parts, staging with great class a conflict in which they no longer believe.

An excellent narration and a first-rate horror atmosphere, in association with a great value for money, live down little bugs and a translation not so accurate. Probably one of the best independent games of 2010.

Forza Horizon is a great spin-off for the series, great variety and gameplay, gorgeous landscapes, massive soundtrack and nice free-roaming structure. It's hard not to fall in love with. Those who love racing games can't go wrong with Playground Games effort.

Chaos Reborn is the next masterpiece signed by Gollop, one great turn strategy game to play alone or online.

A small masterpiece for the nostalgia of the 80s.

Ubisoft Montreal's game is a cornucopia of every idea and mechanic seen in the series, inspired by many other games of its ilk and reinforced by its splendid historical background, thus representing a strong step in the right direction. Still, it's an imperfect game, partially plagued by the simplicity of some of its parts and the underdevelopment of some systems.

Batman: Arkham Shadow is a VR game by Camouflaj that builds on the concept of Batman: Arkham VR. It’s considered an outstanding addition to the Arkham saga, a top-tier VR experience, and a title that might encourage purchases of Meta Quest 3 or 3S, especially as it's bundled with these headsets. Although VR might not appeal to all Batman fans, the creators of Iron Man VR have crafted a compelling game that’s essential for enthusiasts of the Dark Knight.

Final Fantasy IX is one of the best Final Fantasies ever made, hence it deserved a better porting than what we got here. We are used to Square Enix's lackluster portings and that's why nowadays it's hard to accept some trivial mistakes.

The fusion between Arkanoid and Space Invaders results in a structure so simple and intuitive that make you think how this hasn't come out before. Maybe it's more Arkanoid than Space Invaders, but the overview is solid and enjoyable.

Solium Infernum is a unique, complex, 4X that deliver a great experience for the genre lovers.

Despite the changes to the UI introduced by the past year episode, Football Manager 2011 remains one of the most complex game on the market, with an infinite number of different possibilities, options and hundreds of hours of gameplay. A must buy for any football fan.

The Stick of Truth is a hilarious journey, an all-around excellent RPG and one of the best tie-ins of all time. A few shortcomings held it back from a higher score, but do not misunderstand us: to South Park fans this really is a masterpiece to brag about.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a precious gem. These are precisely the games we sorely miss: the ones that made a console shine between one blockbuster and another, the ones that the general public should respect. The mere existence of a game like this is a success, but Kunitsu-Gami is also a fantastic video game. We couldn’t ask for more.

Badland is easily one of the best iOS games of the year so far; an atmospheric, beautiful, cruel little gem that really shines and shows the quality of this talented 2-guy team.

Still an outstanding game, however the new features introduced to take advantage of the GamePad are generally superficial and really add nothing to the experience.

A gorgeous sandbox with a plethora of things to do inside it. The series has reached new peaks in terms of quality and quantity, it's a pity that Ubisoft didn't manage to improve the combat system and the AI at the same level, preventing the game from becoming a true masterpiece.

It is sad to play a port so requested from the fans and so badly realized from the developer. It is sad because in terms of gameplay Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition remains a rude RPG everyone has to play.

NBA 2K13 for Wii U is the same, excellent game we saw on PS3 and Xbox 360, plus it comes with some interesting GamePad features. What a pity the developers didn't redesign the UI for the touch screen.

Forget-Me-Not isn't just a tribute. The charming twist to the Pac-Man mechanics is simply brilliant and the last update adds some kind of variety to the mix. It's a shame that swipe controls are so slow in the hardest moments of the game.

Tunic will appeal to all fans of The Legend of Zelda series, even if it lacks a bit of personality.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is the Commandos serie heir, with some camera problems but great mechanics.

Super Smash Bros. hit handheld gaming after fifteen years, and it's as great as usual, even without a bulletproof single-player mode. This isn't a [90] just because offline multiplayer - with only one cartridge - has been omitted.

This last iteration in the Bejeweled series goes straight to the point and gives you sixty seconds to get a high score, earn coins and buy power-ups to get another high score. And another, and another.

The Sandbox delivers an original and fresh experience, packed with a simple but effective touch interface and some interesting social elements. What a pity the story mode is so poor and uninspiring, while you're forced to buy some mana once you complete a bunch of missions.

DmC Devil May Cry is a great reboot and an excellent action game. Its PC version can run at 60 fps, and shows better graphics!

Two games and a good amount of extra, Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD Remaster is a good value for fans of the series and those who like jRPG games.

Take a shovel. Take a knight. Sum them up. Shake with a NES cartridge. The result is probably a masterpiece.

Smart, innovative, well balanced and beautiful: Framed is a gorgeous debut for Loveshack, and easily one of the best games of the year on iOS.

Magic Touch: Wizard for Hire is a welcome remake and a great mobile game, with simple mechanics, good controls and lots of fun.

It probably won't blow your mind, but Silly Sausage in Meat Land is a funny and original free mobile game, and another good release from Nitrome.

The League of Explorers cards bring all new archetype decks for Hearthstone and is very fun to play.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

MUL.MASH.TAB.BA.GAL.GAL proves that even an idea as old as the medium itself can be quite original with a right attitude.

It’s not the first time that a mobile game tries to capture that LocoRoco feeling, but The Big Journey does the job pretty well, thanks to charming visuals and a gameplay suitable for all ages.

The PS5 version of Warframe is a perfect upgrade: resolution, frame rate and loading times are better. The real star here is the new lighting simulation, that makes every corner more beautiful, sharp, deep and realistic.

Once Upon a Jester is a good narrative adventure, which captures for the time that lasts and which manages to thrill with joy and lightness.

Deconstructeam packs an excellent narrative adventure in the sign of a deck of cosmic tarot open to the creativity of the player. If the mechanics of creation remain too hermetic in its results, you can be sure that The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood will have, always and in any case, something interesting to say, thanks to the excellent level of writing and the interesting plot premises created by the team. Perhaps Jordi De Paco and his associates could have been more incisive on some occasions, but the stories of Fortuna and her sorcerer’s coven remain fascinating and entice to play much more than a game in the deep cosmos.

Wargroove 2 takes what was done by the first Wargroove and improves and expands it, building an epic adventure and providing fans of Japanese strategy games with quite a few hours of splendid gameplay.

Mixtape is a narrative video game about the power of friendship, the inevitable wave of adulthood that overwhelms and separates you, but also the strength of the bond that unites you forever to the people you love. All of this is underscored by an exceptional soundtrack, spanning decades of music, shifting seamlessly between different genres and moods. The progression is somewhat schematic, a product of the "song" structure that characterizes the video game: you drift in and out of memories, playing small fragments made up of expedients that always function in conjunction with the narrative and the canons that accompany them. An interactive musical that reminds us why friends and music were so important to us at a certain point in our lives.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is the perfect sequel to a great experience.

Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of the two Worlds is definitely a great beat'em'up, with gorgeous visuals and a deep and frantic combat system, good for casual or hardcore fans of the genre. Sadly is not a perfect game, single player mode is virtually missing, and the training mode is completely useless.

With shallow level and game design, Oceanhorn fails to deliver an experience that can justify the premium price point.

Assetto Corsa is the Stradivari, the lasagna, and the Ferrari 250 GTO of video games: pure, crystalline Italian excellence. A new milestone for driving simulations.

We have the chance to take part in a journey that for style and atmosphere has not been experienced before; not in the videogame industry.

Nioh 2 is a more of the same, but capable of amusing all lovers of the first chapter and the souls-like aRPG players.

Frozen Synapse widens the concept of gaming turns and brings tactics so close to chess that players can easily become addicted or flee screaming.

Junk Jack's clearly lack of direction can be a great flaw for some kind of players, but Pixbits' debut game is probably the best crafting game on iOS. Way better than Minecraft: Pocket Edition.

More a puzzle game than a strategy game, the PC version of Valkyria Chronicles is a good port of an old PlayStation 3 game.

The Witcher 3 on Nintendo Switch is a miracle. Despite some technical limitations and a "cinematic" frame rate, playing in portable mode seems almost hard to believe.

We're getting used to it, but Capcom deserves our praise once more: Sunbreak is an exceptional expansion that brilliantly tackles most of what was criticized by the community in the base game. We loved every minute of it.

Quotation forthcoming.

Octopath Traveler II is a step above its prequel in virtually every way.

Simply one of the best twin stick shooter available on Steam, fun and artistically inspired.

Some great graphics and an excellent gameplay can't hide the lack of content of Reckless Racing, a game that simply won't last enough. More courses and some kind of structure in the single and multiplayer would really have changed everything.

EA Canada makes the first true NBA Jam sequel since the old-school arcade games appears so far. And it is still frenetic, fast and funny, but most of all: SO HOT!

The Wolf Among Us Episode One: The Faith opens a new season in an exciting world rich of possibilities, but lacks those moral choices that force characters to face their worst inner demons and that made of The Walking Dead such an intense and poignant series.

Galactic Civilization III: Crusade is the perfect expansion pack, with a lot of quality content for the base game fans.

Part Time UFO is a great debut for Hal Laboratory on mobile platforms, delivering a charming and fun experience that could easily have been a very good eShop game on 3DS.

Quotation forthcoming.

The new data center and the new animation engine are really welcomed in Football Manager 2022.

Tentacles is an original way to create a game: just one tap, and the fate of Lemmy will be in your hands. One of the best Windows Phone games stands tall on the App Store.

CastleStorm - Free to Siege is not only a very good tower defense game, but it's also a blow of fresh air in the whole strategic genre thanks to its unique approach. What a pity the developers chose a questionable freemium model for the game instead of a simple premium price.

Chameleon Run is a smart and challenging platform with some great level design.

With so much action, drama and narrative twists, Long Road Ahead is the most powerful episode so far.

Football Manager Classic 2015 is the mobile managerial experience that series fans asked for a long time to Sports Interactive: the touch interface is not as good as the other aspects of the game, but it's still the best of its genre.

Yakuza 0 is a terrific game, packed with a simple structure but extremely rich in content. The campaign tells a long, deep, violent story, with two charismatic characters and a whole lot of enemies to fight.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for Nintendo Switch 2 is a port that feels miraculous in many ways, managing to stand out clearly in the handheld space and delivering truly impressive visuals even when docked, although the 30 fps of Quality Mode undeniably represent a compromise. Packed with options and features, this edition of CD Projekt RED's action RPG benefits from the many improvements made to the experience over the years, and the end result is once again a rich, engaging, and captivating adventure.

Gameplay, graphics, game modes: everything in MLB The Show 17 gets improved compared to last year. If you love baseball you'll have a lot of fun playing this game.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 also arrives on Nintendo Switch with a good porting.

Death's Door is a game where the journey counts more than the destination: a fine experience overall, despite some minor flaws here and there.

An incredible gunplay at your service. Destiny 2 is a better game than its predecessor from any point of view, starting from the more complex universe to the most rewarding experience. If you loved the previous chapter this is a must have.​

Remnant 2 marks a great milestone for Gunfire Games. Improving on every aspect of the past chapter, the studio hasn't ever been so close to the ideal formula of its recent IP. The mixture of soulslike mechanics and the soul of a third person shooter works like a charm, not to mention it further intertwines with deep exploration and a huge progression system. Once the last uncertainties in the mechanical backbone will be fixed, the Remnant saga will be able to stand above its competitors. It's not the perfect game, but one of the most fun experiences in the whole year.

Mario Kart 7 is good enough to continue the success of the series and it's original enough to be played with satisfaction from who has played the previous chapters.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a whole saga immediately within our grasp. Four big campaigns, many memorable multiplayer maps, Martin O'Donnell's perfect scores, multimedia contents, new services and an open windows on the future of Halo.

Thanks to its engaging atmosphere, brilliant gameplay and unique visuals, Incoboto is definitely one of the best games available on iOS.

Gesundheit! is a small gem, a truly unique and fascinating game that should be bought even just for its fairy tale atmosphere.

The Wii U conversion has several technical flaws starting from the bad framerate during the fights. At the same time it uses the GamePad in a perfect way and the game is still one of the best action adventure of the last years.

If you have already played Pikmin 3 on Wii U, you can skip this conversion: Olimar’s new missions aren’t as interesting as we hoped. Otherwise, this is a must have: the best episode in the series, with improved controls.

The Alters is a simply splendid and original project that the team at 11 Bit Studios has managed to bring to market after already astonishing the world on multiple occasions. It's a title that offers a unique and distinctive take on base-building management games, thanks to its survival elements and the brilliant narrative premise that permeates the entire gameplay experience with a constant system of cause and effect. However, there are several rough edges and gameplay issues that could have been smoothed out with more balancing and polish, and these weigh on the overall pacing of the experience, leading to repetitiveness and occasionally some frustration. The Alters is not a game we come across every day, and for that reason alone, it still deserves to be acknowledged and recommended—despite its flaws.

Rogue Legacy succeeds in both being a difficult title and a compelling role playing game. Quick, deep, satisfying: that's how all roguelikes should be alike.

An excellent platform puzzle by The Behemoth team and one of the best Live Arcade offerings of 2013. Lots of fun with multiplayer modes. If you like the genre, don't miss this game.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a brand new chapter for the saga in both mechanics and atmosphere. It's a competent third person action/adventure with a lot of things to do and great graphic, it's a shame it cannot be considered a masterpiece due to same oddly design choices and some sections made only to improve his length without any real gain.

Out There brings a great and melancholic journey in deep space, but the extreme reliance on luck can be frustrating.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is an outstanding remake which takes the original game and revolutionizes its visuals by using new generation assets and the latest version of the Dragon Engine, in order to deliver incredibly rich locations, awesome characters and a compelling story.

The Rise of the Golden Idol is the direct sequel to Color Grey Games' remarkable investigative video game, a title capable of evolving every situation and mechanic encountered in its predecessor. After ensuring that the writing maintained a very high standard, the developers have enhanced almost every aspect of the point-and-click gameplay, offering an impressive variety of situations and making the solution to each investigation feel like a hard-won victory. While the artistic and sound elements have also evolved toward excellence, the slightly weaker characterization and overall impact of the narrative have kept it just a few steps away from masterpiece status.

General Knoxx is exactly the kind of DLC that the fans of Borderlands were hoping for: a brand new set of missions with new enemies, locations and loots. The high difficulty setting, especially on the second run, makes this DLC perfect for those who reached the previous level cap.

The Pillars of the Earth isn't focused on puzzle design, so you can't expect a traditional graphic adventure from this game, but it's a perfect example of compelling narrative in videogame form​.

UFC Undisputed 3 is the new edition of THQ's popular franchise dedicated to mixed martial arts. The improved combat system, the simplified and fun career mode with a huge roster make this game the best MMA simulation of all time.

Rogue Legacy is a difficult title but a very entertaining game. A very peculiar old style Roguelike, with a lot to see and a lot to play.

The gameplay of Robo Surf is simple and intuitive, but unfortunately not so addictive, while the lack of variety and unlockable contents might discourage the player. Anyway, it's still a fun game and the cameos from Iji and Blueberry Garden are two nice touches.

Football Manager 2014 comes with hundreds of new features, related to all the aspects of a game that each year makes its players feel more and more like a Special One.