Horses is an important video game that aims to scandalize by working within the uncomfortable space typical of provocative art. It has no intention of being harmless: it wants to unsettle you on every level. It is a reflection on the banality of evil, on the anarchy of power, and on how dehumanizing others pushes us to commit atrocious actions. While it evokes the horrors of twentieth-century totalitarian regimes, it is a highly contemporary work that stages mechanisms power still exploits to undermine our humanity. It is a video game that does not seek approval and has the courage to remind us how easy it still is, even today, to simply follow orders.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond stands to Metroid Prime as James Cameron’s Aliens stands to Ridley Scott’s Alien: a fine sequel that, while staying true to the original spirit, shifts it toward a more action-oriented and spectacular dimension. Despite the ugly desert area, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a great game – a worthy successor to a historic saga. Given its long and difficult development, this was anything but guaranteed.

Quotation forthcoming.

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.

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.