The remastered edition of Quake 2 is how every remastered edition should be: respectful of the original, inexpensive (even free for those who owned the original on Steam and GOG), yet at the same time filled with new content substantial enough to justify the return to the game even for those who know the title inside out. Nightdive Studios, in collaboration with Machinegames and id Software, has truly done an excellent job, confirming itself as one of the most suitable studios for such operations, to the extent that we go so far as to define Quake 2 as one of the best remasters ever. We hope that others take this as an example.

It's surprising how this has come together to be a quite good game. Animal Crossing is clearly the model here, but Hello Kitty Island Adventure turns out to be a pretty peculiar game with a distinct identity.

Moving Out 2 is a more-of-the-same that really shines when played with the right group of friends. Its deliberately corny jokes and crazy scenarios, here pumped up by the multiverse trope, are capable of delivering one of the best cooperative experiences you can find out there, even if it has to face the fact that it is, indeed, a sequel.

Quotation forthcoming.

Atlas Fallen has plenty of neat ideas but the execution is mediocre at best.

Maybe there wasn't really a need for a remaster/remake of Vlambeer's Classic, but Ridiculous Fishing EX can still be enjoyable for new and returning players, perfectly fitting inside Apple Arcade's catalogue.

Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes - Definitive Edition is still a good game. The Definitive Edition lacks some quality of life improvements that would have been appreciated after 15 years.

Venba is a particular gaming experience, able to give voice to Tamil culture and, at the same time, to transmit a universal message. If you have had the luck to have a grandmother who has left you her notebook of recipes, at the end of the game you will run to take it in tears. Venba goes beyond the often rather narrow boundaries of the videogame medium, fully realizing the requests of those who would like space for more intimate and personal stories, also able to trace paths in places, cultures and themes usually not beaten.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart proves to be a spectacular and exciting adventure on PC as well, thanks to a porting that may not be perfect but is pretty damn solid, especially considering how many problematic day ones we've seen this year on this platform.

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.

Space Cats Tactics is clearly a project of a passionate person, but one who was unable to provide a sufficient product. The Kickstarter page shows how there were many other ideas that would perhaps have made the game a little deeper and more interesting, but the funds did not come through. The end result is a dull strategy game at the best of times and at the mercy of the randomness of enemy AI at the worst of times. Add in a few technical problems, an ignorable storyline, and an amateurish graphical presentation at various junctures, and we have on our hands a game that we just cannot recommend even to the biggest fan of the genre.

We were quite skeptical, but Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons has definitely something to say when it comes to enhancing impacts, handling contents and adding depth to such a classic and overused gameplay.

Disney Illusion Island is a competent metroidvania with tons of collectibles for family and kids to look for.

Sticky Business is a simulator of the life graphic designer want us to believe the have, and it's pure bliss.

Dragon Quest Treasures is an OK game which runs far better on PC than Switch.

Full Void is a game that offers the same kind of experience as Limbo and Inside, Playdead's two masterpieces. The gameplay is equally divided between platforming stages and puzzles. Unfortunately, the game lacks originality and underlying quality. Full Void is fun, but in the three hours it takes you to complete it never surprises.

Arena Breakout is an interesting take on the Escape from Tarkov formula, but one that is not well suited for mobile gaming, especially when the developers have done little to optimize its mechanisms and lighten its structure so that the experience would be more immediate and enjoyable for the players.

Exoprimal is a fun and spectacular co-op shooter, featuring a very solid combat system and an interesting strategic balance, tied to the specifics of the Exosuits and the ability to switch freely between them during a match. Clearly it does not possess the narrative depth or personality of a single player experience like those Capcom delivered in recent years, and the retail price could certainly have been tweaked downward considering the current content, but if you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription and enjoy the genre, the download is definitely recommended.

Synapse is the new industry standard when it comes to virtual reality telekinesis and it's also a very enjoyable first person shooter roguelike.

For many players, Pikmin 4 will be the best entry in the series. It's the most fast, dynamic and action-based of them, and even the most long and rich. For the players who loved the artistic part of Pikmin, however, it's the less refined one.

At its debut, the small Scottish team Sad Owl Studios hit the mark by offering a puzzle game like rarely seen before, where the solution to each enigma is a point of view. The decision to focus the entire formula on photographs and perspective exposed Viewfinder to various risks, but the studio managed to create a puzzle-based adventure with very few flaws, all of which revolve around its short duration and the difficulty of the puzzles, which only in some cases truly put us to the test.

If it weren't for the combat system and all the other systems connected to it, Testament could have been interesting. It's a pity that fighting is the core of the experience (it will occupy more than 80% of the gameplay time), so you'll understand that we're not talking about a secondary issue that can be overlooked. However, resources don't seem to be lacking, in the sense that if it were modulated differently, it could have been an excellent independent title. It just needed to aim lower, avoiding getting entangled in trying to imitate models that are simply too advanced for it.

Gylt is an entry level horror video game. From puzzles, to combat, to stealth phases, everything is deliberately simple and easy to understand. Never too scary, nor in any way gory it is a game suitable for newcomers to the genre. For this reason, as well, do not expect particularly brilliant and original ideas and features.

If you loved Oxenfree, you can't not play this Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, especially because it carries on (and ends?) a story that still has several things to say and several mysteries to reveal.

Jagged Alliance 3 is an excellent game, better than all the more recent installments. Let's say that since 1999, the year of Jagged Alliance 2, we haven't had this much fun with a game from the series. We're talking about an engaging title with a campaign that can last for dozens of hours and certain aspects of the experience that are truly deep. If it weren't for the entry difficulties and some absurdities on the battlefield, it would have been a masterpiece. As it is, though, it's still a great game that can provide a lot of satisfaction.

Noob - The Factionless is a very generic JRPG that mimics an MMORPG, based on a semi-obscure web series in Italy. It's long but very superficial, never really delving deep into its storytelling or the game structures it parodies. In some cases, it even feels outdated, considering that the series dates back to the end of two decades ago and the gaming world has changed tremendously since then. It's only worth it if you're looking for a light experience with a weak meta-narrative.

Doom & Destiny Worlds is a cute open world gar with survival elements lots of crafting and a simple but ingenious combat that is a victim of its own terrible humor.

Dave the Diver is much more than the sum of its individual components. It lacks originality and is never particularly deep in its various mechanics, but the end result is a game with excellent pacing, fun, dense with content and continues to come up with new ideas even after hours and hours.