Experimental, surprising and original: Alan Wake 2 is not a standard survival horror or action game, but an interactive mindf.ck that houses more than a decade of ideas. It relies more on building up tension, story and mystery than the first part, less on action, does not always keep you interested and is sometimes a bit iffy on a technical level, but you will experience things here that you have never seen in games before. Bold and mega-meta!

Mr. X Nightmare makes an already very nice game an even more extensive and fun whole, thanks to the addition of a fantastic Survival mode and three delicious, new characters. This 10 MB really offers a huge amount of fun for the few bucks it costs.

The Last of Us Part I is not an extremely extensive remake like Resident Evil 2 or 3, but also certainly not a mockery in the vein of XIII or Warcraft III: Reforged. With a lot of love and dedication, the game has been aligned with the graphics and, to a lesser extent, the gameplay of The Last of Us Part II, making the two games a perfect match. Ideal if you haven't played both yet, and otherwise only worth buying for the biggest fans and rich tattoos.

The biggest letdown of Fallout 4 is that by now the engine is almost as retro as the style of the game, because this iteration has the same technical limitations Bethesda-RPG’s have had since 2006. Thankfully the story is more vivid, the customization system that handily cooperates with the building of settlements and the Power Armor is ridiculously expansive, and slightly faster gameplay makes it feel fresh enough. Bethesda-lovers will be engrossed, totally, but this is no revolution.

Capcom seems to be going a bit too far in its obsession with attracting new players with Monster Hunter Wilds, but fortunately it recovers enough in high rank to still leave with a positive feeling. The story is the biggest blemish on an otherwise fairly familiar experience - although it is a lot less hardcore than before.

Super Mario Maker is the most accessible and fun to use level editor yet and there’s more than enough to do if you’re not the creative type.

KSP is bloody fantastic! The possibilities are endless and the feeling you get after a successful mission is the best ever. You should probably buy this video game. [Jul 2015, p.063]

NieR: Automata is not for everybody. In fact, the game looks to be aimed at the most refined fans of the medium by not caring about the regular gaming conventions, in the same way the works of David Lynch are perfect for the hardcore moviegoers.

If you play Ori and the Will of the Wisps on a PC, then you have a fantastic successor to The Blind Forest. Xbox One owners are better off waiting for major updates.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart may not be the best, most impactful or emotionally charged game, but it is one of the most beautiful and most of all the most fun ever made. Every PS5 owner should play this. You don't want anything, it's mandatory.

This is the definitive version of an iconic classic, which for a long time was difficult to play if you didn't own a PlayStation 1 or PSP. A few more improvements to the playability and difficulty would have been welcome, but Final Fantasy Tactics effortlessly maintains its status as one of the very best games in its genre.

Because a few fine features from XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Within didn’t make the cut, and other adjustments make the gameplay different, but not necessarily better, XCOM 2 isn’t the best sequel ever. Nonetheless it offers ridiculously addictive and extremely exciting turn-based tactics, which is unequaled even though the genre is becoming more and more popular lately. Accept no substitutes.

The playability of Mega Man X. The intensity of Contra. The challenge of Metal Slug. And the presentation of a whole generation of iconic animation films. Cuphead contains all these things and more, in a product that is not only an ode to a great but almost extinct subgenre, but which is also onto itself a unique work of art.

A gigantic time-guzzler that combines a lot of elements of the best open world games, from Assassin's Creed to The Witcher and from Far Cry to Red Dead Redemption; Horizon Forbidden West wants it all. Due to this enormous ambition, this has unfortunately become a less perfect and more overwhelming game than predecessor Zero Dawn, but certainly no less unforgettable.

Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake is a fantastic compilation. This is the best way to get acquainted with the founder of the JRPG.

Deathloop chooses to keep an ambitious and unique premise playable and that sometimes hinders your mental freedom of movement. However, it manages to keep a game in which repetition is ingrained, entertaining, fascinating and often intense.

Anyway, all these negatives really only stand out if you place Dread in the pantheon of previous Metroid classics and then compare very closely. Because what I mainly want to communicate is that those Spaniards have done the impossible: creating a really good, classic Metroid! And that in a world in which the term metroidvania hardly raises any question marks. With production values of 2021, wow! So make a few more, MercurySteam; I promise I will never doubt you again. And… please don't take twenty years, okay?

All the new and surprising combinations, elements and options make it that the possibilities in Mario Maker 2 now truly are limitless.

If Monster Hunter isn't your thing, then Rise won't convince you otherwise. But anyone who's not shy for bossfights, will be taken by the amazing flow and refreshing focus on speed, and will lose themselves for tens or hundreds of hours in this deep and engaging monster-mayhem.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a monument, and the Switch version a godsend. One that even brings improvements in the form of a new hint system, a partner wheel and unprecedented localization.

If you want to take a fresh step into an RTS or a Starcraft game, you can add half a point to the score and this would be the perfect moment to get Legacy of the Void. But if you’ve played all the past parts, this feels more like a DLC with a disappointing story and a too-steep price.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 surpasses its predecessor in every way. With stunning visuals, refined gameplay, and a more consistent experience, it delivers the ultimate medieval simulator—provided you're ready for Warhorse’s hardcore RPG elements.

It’s not easy to add something to a game as perfect as Bloodborne and The Old Hunters isn’t revolutionary or super original, but it definitely gives the hardcore fans exactly what they need.

I have been enjoying Hitman 3 so much that I probably won't be playing anything else in the coming weeks, to be able to discover every nook and cranny in the different levels. You do notice that at the end of this trilogy, the concept is getting a bit pale and it is time for Agent 47 to get a makeover. Nevertheless, this is a very big end to the series that will undoubtedly be in my top five at the end of this year.

Yes, Persona 3 Reload is missing some content, but it more than makes up for it with the new additions and improvements, especially to Tartarus. And the beautiful presentation, voice acting and equally unforgettable characters are also reasons enough to pull the trigger.

What a rush to be able to play a sequel that exceeds its predecessor in almost every way. Injustice 2 is in terms of looks, gameplay and the amount of (interesting) characters leaps ahead of the previous installment without losing its accessability. And then there's the loot... my god, THE LOOT. The current system might not (yet) be perfectly balanced, but it is definitely the ultimate addition to a fighter filled with super heroes. The loot fighter: finally it has returned.

Ghost of Tsushima fans need not hesitate and can blindly pay 20 euros for this Director's Cut, because the extra content offers everything a Jin fan could wish for. If you haven't played the original yet, I'd recommend playing the first two acts of Tsushima and then going straight to Iki, because that's the best interactive samurai sensation I can think of.

The Witness is an astounding demonstration of how ingenous a ‘simple’ puzzle game can truly be. Game design in its purest and most ingenious form. [jan. 2016 / page 063]