UNBEATABLE is a labor of love, a game that celebrates music and wants players to love its tunes and vibe with them. The story is not always entirely coherent, but all the characters are lovely to interact with. The visual style is clearly anime-inspired but has unique touches, even if the world can seem a little empty. The game’s music is so good that even the menu tracks are bangers. Play the Arcade mode to unlock all its songs and steadily push the difficulty level up. But don’t forget to get through the story, even if it requires turning on the assist mode to get through some rhythm sequences. UNBEATABLE is a great experience for anyone who loves music and a ton of challenging fun for rhythm game enthusiasts.

Some fans will be disappointed with the limited new features that are part of the game, but FIFA 16 is more balanced than its predecessor in terms of gameplay and superior in the graphics department.

The puzzle solving aspects of the game as well as the story make Judgment one of the best detective games to grace the gaming community as a whole in recent years. Couple the epic and original story with the characters’ 3D personalities and you have the recipe for the perfect “movie that you can play”. All in all, if you love to play detective, but also have a soft spot for kicking people in their soft spots Yakuza Style, you should get your hands on Judgment right away.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition is not just a love letter to fans, but also a great gift that BioWare is making to newcomers to the series. Although some of the issues present in the original games haven't been fixed, there are so many improvements to the first two Mass Effect titles that I'm willing to overlook the minor bugs. The entire trilogy sends players throughout this amazing sci-fi universe that feels alive and vibrant everywhere you look. Perhaps these games should have been remastered separately to get the attention they deserve, but having the entire trilogy in a single bundle that's perfectly playable nearly 15 years after the release of the first game is surely convenient.

The soundtrack is still quite good and the voice acting is impressive for almost all characters.

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is a delightful experience that will appeal to any gamers who like a good mystery, humor, and some solid investigative work. The small cast of characters delivers some great interactive moments and is fully voiced. All the investigative mechanics are easy to use, and the game really asks players to think about the case to reach its solution. The world is so interesting and the gameplay engaging enough that I wanted the game to be longer, which is a rarity these days. I’m hoping that McQuacklin will take more cases in the future and will have the opportunity to enjoy many more bread slices. Play Duck Detective: The Secret Salami in two or three sessions, enjoy the humor, and try to solve the mystery without resorting to hints.

Roots of Yggdrasil is a solid combination of different genres, designed to appeal to players who want to solve problems without committing to long-term city-building. The design is tight, focused on doing as much as possible using limited resources, reaching objectives in a short number of turns using every available card. The Viking theme is re-interpreted in cool ways, especially when it comes to characters, and the game has a good presentation. Play a run or two a day, focus on a clear objective for the Holt, and test out ideas. Roots of Yggdrasil’s mechanics will take some time to master for players who are unfamiliar with city or deck building but once gamers invest the energy they will get back hours of fun, tense action.

Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef is a great action game, designed from the group up for chaos and surprising moments. The mechanics and the presentation are well integrated, and the combat mechanics are top notch. I would have liked a chance to kill members of all the races of the science fiction Warhammer universe in the game. And I hope that the team at Rogueside takes the design of Shootas, Blood & Teef and expands them to give me and other players that experience.

Given the history of Endless Space and the many post-launch updates it got, we’re bound to see a lot of support for Endless Legend, fixing bugs and tweaking mechanics and improving on the already exciting experience.

At the end of the day, Unbound is one of the best racing games this year, and the return of Criterion has proved to be the winning card for EA. It’s a fun game to play, there’s no doubt about it, and proper support for new-gen consoles means it could stay around for quite a long time.

Zenzizenzic is a fantastic bullet hell experience that manages not only to delight longtime genre fans, through its Classic mode, but also to add innovation with its Macro experience.

One of the most accessible and most fun multiplayer online battle arena titles out there. Sure, it lacks the complexity of Dota 2 or League of Legends, but the short length of matches (around 20 minutes) and the polish that's characteristic of a Blizzard product make it stand out.

Xenopurge is a solid, tense, tight experience that manages to walk the fine line between challenging and frustrating without stumbling. The game is at its best during the final sector mission, when players have to achieve three difficult objectives but can also rely on the abilities of their equipped and upgraded squad. The graphics aren’t complex, but, alongside the solid sound design, they create atmosphere even as the narrative moves through some familiar moments. Finding the path through the nodes that boosts a tactical approach is fun. Xenopurge is adept at creating tension and dread, while constantly giving players new objectives to aim for.

Far Cry 4 is a stunning iteration in the series that manages to bring forth great gameplay, superb visuals, and a pretty good story with a fabulous villain. While the competitive multiplayer may not feel all that great and there are some lackluster story missions, overall you'll have a great time with the first-person shooter.

A great improvement over the original, a fantastic journey with a distinct old-school vibe, with a lot of heart and with a glossy modern veneer. Even if you haven’t played the first one, it’s a proper standalone, self-contained experience.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is a great follow-up to The New Order, adding plenty of adventures for BJ, not to mention new enemies, weapons, and more. Throw in the Nightmare stages and you have a compelling package with great value for your money.

Emperor Edition really shows how much the title from The Creative Assembly has evolved since it was originally delivered and the way the entire experience has been updated based on the needs of the community and the cool ideas of the development team.

Meg’s Monster is an emotional journey with a lot of depth, a twisty narrative, and some great character moments. I loved spending time with Meg, Roy, and Golan. Combat isn’t very challenging but still generates tension. I actually wished that the game offered more to do because I wanted more time in its universe, even if I think it’s perfectly paced to deliver its payload of feelings. Some fans of the role-playing genre might be disappointed with the relatively thin mechanics. Others might find some situations a little manipulative. Every player should give this game a try, regardless of whether they have a connection to its genre or not. Meg’s Monster is a perfect example of how video games can be great vehicles for stories because of their interactivity.

Sekiro is a beautifully realized next step in the evolution of From Software’s staple genre, but the renewed focus on combat mechanics and increased difficulty level might prove too much even for some Souls veterans. If you keep at it, however, the game’s world, level design and story (not to mention the nicely done nods to previous Miyazaki games) make the effort more than worthwhile.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a truly impressive experience that manages to focus on the realities of World War 1 without becoming a dull or upsetting experience. It adds just enough cheerful moments to stay upbeat and you're certainly going to care and fall in love with the main characters, especially the small dog.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is the perfect Switch exclusive. The game marvelously captures the playful spirit of the Mario universe, while offering some serious tactical strategy options for those looking for fix for their XCOM addiction. All aspects of the game have been improved over the predecessor, including visuals, combat mechanics, exploration, and soundtrack. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is double the fun, thrice the charm!

Infernax uses retro elements very well, but this is not an experience that simply appeals because of nostalgia. The core mechanics are very good, the action is fun, the level of difficulty can be tweaked to suit both veterans and newcomers. This is how modern developers should approach old ideas. The game could use more info for the on-screen map and maybe a little more in the way of a narrative hook. But for anyone who has played and enjoyed its inspiration Infernax is a great experience and Berzerk should expand on it while keeping between this kind of balance between old and new.

Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova takes the best elements of the initial Epic release and adds plenty of new mechanics. It’s a great space and turn-based strategy experience that will please any fan of the series. All the featured civilizations are interesting and AlienGPT can quickly create more driven by player prompts. It might be a little too complex at first for newcomers but even failure, up to a point, is enjoyable. Don’t be afraid to experiment with galaxy creation and the number of rivals to get very different scenarios. Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova is a strategy game that can deliver hundreds of hours of fun to those willing to invest energy to learn all its systems.

Split Fiction is an amazing game, and it is akin of any kids first visit to a candy store. It is crammed full of new ideas, new gameplay mechanics, bigger and shinier levels, but somehow along the way it’s lost a part of its soul and along with it some of the appeal It Takes Two had. Don’t get me wrong, it is a very good game, and I cannot recommend it enough, but the characters and the flow of the gameplay seem to have been misplaced among all the new things the developer throws at you. For me, this is a split experience.

Crusader Kings III has good mechanics and production but what sets it apart is the way it connects to the era it depicts. The experience leans into role-playing and personalities in a way that feels true to the image that most players have about the period between 867 to 1453. Without striving to be educational, the Paradox title also manages to be an excellent jumping-off point to learn more about the period, its main characters, its social dynamics. The development studio has also done well when it comes to post-launch support. There’s downloadable content, of course, but free patches have also arrived regularly, improving systems and eliminating bugs. But more work is needed both in the balance and the immersion department. Crusader Kings III is an excellent way to tell and enjoy stories and I can’t wait to experience how Paradox will add depth to its various mechanics.

Imagine Earth is a very good title for both fans and newcomers to the building and management genre. I loved the likes of Pharaoh (when much younger) and Cities: Skylines (more recently) and really appreciate both the foundations and the quirks this game has to offer. For someone who is exploring this gaming space for the first time the difficulty ramps up gently and there is plenty of info on how to engage with the mechanics. There are times when the title seems to deliver more core ideas than it has to, possibly to add more challenge even if it does not need to. But most of the time the game from Serious Bros is both engaging and enchanting. Imagine Earth shines in both campaign and free play and I cannot wait to see how the team expands on its core mechanics.

FIFA 15 is not a revolutionary title but it has the potential to fill hundreds of hours for a football fan, be it in classic multiplayer, Ultimate Team or the classic Career Mode.

Even though this is certainly one of the games that won't let you leave the station until you finish it, what really makes Devil May Cry 5 great is how it captures all the elements that fans enjoyed in the previous games, makes them better, and removes the rest. As for those who haven't played any of the other titles, Devil May Cry 5 should be the reason to rectify the error. It took CAPCOM quite a long time, but at least they got it right, Devil May Cry 5 is a masterpiece.

The Royal Writ takes a few familiar ideas and puts a unique spin on them. Exploiting characters, the lanes, movement, keywords, and more to hit high damage numbers is fun, and the game reveals extra layers of complexity as the runs get longer and the challenge level increases. It offers enough characters and relics to make each attempt feel unique. The action is enhanced by the game’s unique world and its beautiful presentation. The character designs are great, and the music enhances immersion. The Royal Writ might be a little hard for newcomers to get into, but it will bring joy to fans of classics like Balatro or Slay the Spire.

VED takes risks in a way that only an indie passion project can. Not all of them pay out yet the end result is worth playing for gamers who like both turn-based combat and extensive conversations. The narrative involves the fate of two worlds and touches on big themes, although the writing quality is uneven. The game’s combat system, turn and tile-based, creates tense battles, especially once players unlock extra powers. The dice-focused encounters do not add much to the experience. VED isn’t perfect but has ideas that are worth experiencing.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is a solid fighting game, made unique by the way fighters can be swapped in and out of combat and by the options that various combination of characters open up.

Football Manager 2022 is a great take on the most popular sport of the world. It provides ways for both casual and obsessive fans to get more involved with their favorite club or almost any other team they want. The new animation system changes the experience quite a lot, both visually and tactically. Some transfer action might feel a little unreal and the game still generates new players that sometimes make little sense. But this is a solid game with a lot of options and plenty of incredible moments.

GRID Legends is without a doubt an evolution of the 2019 installment, even though hardcore fans of the franchise expected a bigger upgrade. The overhaul is not very obvious at first, and this is why I think you should give it some time. Try the story mode, even if it’s quite short, and pay attention to the smallest details. This is what GRID Legends is all about. It’s a more refined version of its 2019 sibling, and in many ways, it feels the racing experience even more involving. But at the end of the day, it’s essential to always know what to expect. GRID Legends isn’t by any means supposed to be a racing sim. It’s still an arcade title, and as long as you have this mind, there’s absolutely no chance you’ll end up disappointed.

Technotopia is an atypical city builder that understands what makes the genre appealing. It is turn-based and built around cards, but it manages to give players freedom while making it clear the pressures of constant development. The narrative framing is good, although the characters do not shine, and the presentation is impressive. Its run-based structure keeps things interesting, although I would have liked a slightly faster pace of unlock for new buildings. A clear list of everything players can get and hints about how they can reach their aims is also needed. Despite these small issues, Technotopia is a very good game that should attract a wide audience.

Cobalt is an instant classic for side-scrolling brawlers. The combat is varied and addictive, the mechanics sufficiently complex to satisfy dedicated players, and the competitive modes can entertain all sorts of fans. Throw in the pretty fun story mode as well as the support for the Steam Workshop, through which players can devise their own maps, and you have a great investment.

I have no doubt that Mortal Kombat 11 is the best game in the series thanks to the incredibly deep combat mechanics, customization options and addictive addictive extra activities. Not the mention that game brings new meanings to the word “bloody.”

A great reimagining of the series, delivering a fun experience to shooter fans, while bringing a good story and some solid mechanics that feel fresh but still know the roots of the franchise.

Per Aspera is a very good science fiction driven management and building game. The story will keep fans of the genre engaged and mixes well with the core mechanics. Once that’s no longer interesting a Sandbox mode introduces the freedom to build-up Mars however one wants. The twin challenges of expanding and re-building for greater efficiency are carefully balanced and truly engrossing. Just make sure to take tour time and explore as much as possible before moving through the checkpoints of the campaign. And spend as much time as possible running at the slowest speed, watching how mars can be changed from inhospitable wasteland to a new cradle of humanity. Just don’t forget to ponder whether it’s actually worth it, just as the protagonist A.I. does.

At the end of the day, if you’re a big fan of ACC and want to get the best the game has to offer, this new-gen release is exactly what it’s supposed to be. It’s one of the best racing sims ever created, and the new-gen improvements are exactly what ACC needed in the first place.

Crimson Desert is one of those games that manages to seamlessly combine elements from our favorite RPGs and open world games. While you can see some of its original MMO roots in the quest design and side activities, it’s clearly meant to be a wonderful, immersive and engaging action RPG focused on exploration and with a good, emotional story to boot. The game features satisfying combat that rewards mastery, but which can be very punishing, especially when it comes to bosses. And it has so many great activities and side content that, along with the main game, it will take you over 200 hours to complete everything, especially if you want 100% achievements. Crimson Desert makes the most out of its massive scope and even if a few of its parts are undercooked, it’s still one of the most impressive open world experiences released in recent years.

A Little to the Left is one of the most comfortable video games I have played in a while. The puzzles are good to excellent, some with multiple solutions, all with attached easy-to-use hints, complete with the options to simply move on to the next. But the game shines because it nails the presentation and connects it so deeply to its puzzles.

At the end of the day, FIFA 23 is a release that’ll probably keep many players on board next year when EA Sports FC will be thrown into the battle for the very first time. It’s a major release in pretty much every regard, and while some things are missing, such as VAR and the support for only three substitutions, this is by far the best FIFA. Ever.

Wargroove 2 is one of the best smallish-scale tactics titles I have played recently, offering a wide variety of cool scenarios in its campaigns as well as extra variety with Conquest. The turn-to-turn action is compelling, and players have space to tweak the difficulty to suit their needs. The title’s presentation is charming while also informative. It might not innovate as much as fans of the original might want, but Wargroove 2 offers tens of hours of tactical fun and gives its player community the tools to create even more.

It managed to exceed my expectations. It looks gorgeous and feels polished. Unfortunately, it’s also technically inconsistent. I died many times due to performance issues at the most inopportune moment and the cutscenes were marred by lag and freezes. But there’s a great game underneath all the unoptimized fluff.

The game is incredibly enjoyable, and if it weren't for the difficulty, I swear I’d probably give it another try.

The game engine is clearly improved and the defensive options are working almost too well for both the player and the Artificial Intelligence, which can create more tense matches and new challenges for fans to overcome.

Forza Motorsport 7 is a yuuge game, and by that, I mean that it’s massive, and by massive I mean gigantic. You get the picture. I can’t really picture myself playing it for less than half a year. With so many races in single player, with the multiplayer choices, and the option to build your own races, people are going to have this game installed for a long time. I can’t speak about replayability because you’re not going to uninstall it anytime soon. People are going to play it over and over again, with no end in sight. Surprisingly, the goal of Forza Motorsport 7 is not to win but to get credits to buy cars. If you don’t mind the presence of microtransactions, and you convince yourself that you can grind away for credits, you’re going to love Forza Motorsport 7.

Galactic Civilizations III is a great game, containing a mix of familiar mechanics and new ideas that can keep both fans and newcomers occupied for a frighteningly long period of time...The best thing about the new Stardock-created turn-based experience is that it is so customizable, and the experience of playing in the resulting galaxies creates stories that are consistently fun and filled with surprises.

The Eternal Cylinder has a cool story, interesting exploration mechanics, a good unique idea in the mutations, and solid presentation. While it starts off a little slow, once it gets going it kept me engaged and pushing forward. The trebhums might be too cute for their own good but it’s nice to see how they solve puzzles via mutations while navigating their cylinder threatened planet. ACE Team has specialized in weird worlds, but this is the first time the studio has managed to craft one that is also beautiful and immersive. Sometimes I wanted the gameplay spaces to be a little bigger, or even entirely open world. But I understand that The Eternal Cylinder needs structure and hope that the easy-to-understand mechanics and cute protagonists will allow a wide range of players to engage with the game.

Europa Universalis V is big, varied, and engrossing. Playing France is very different from starting as the Golden Horde, which poses a whole other set of challenges than guiding a Native American tribe or China through history. The game’s systems constantly challenge players to make big choices, even when they don’t engage with a dynamic events chain or ponder how to get out of a disaster. Simply managing internal politics and economics, from developing provinces to balancing the demands of the estates, is a game in itself. Diplomacy, trading, and warfare add layers of possibility and challenge. Europa Universalis V will give grand strategy fans hundreds of hours of fun, but might be difficult for newcomers to fully enjoy at first.

I would love to play a take on Mega Man that’s built with the present in mind, and not linked to the past. As it stands right now, I have no problem saying that Mega Man 11 is probably the best in the series, but it’s also showing that the series has to come up with something new, especially now that they’ve shown what’s possible.

If you’re the kind of person that enjoys story and an immersive experience over gameplay mechanics and action, you’ll surely have a blast with this game, in spite of its largely straightforward puzzles, empty world and some other issues that prevent it from being a true masterpiece.

Cairn is a game that came out of nowhere and immediately grabbed my attention with its gripping story, engaging climbing and numerous threats or challenges found along the way. It’s the type of game that you think of the entire day, trying to figure out what to do next and what route you need to take. It’s a climbing game, as it is a puzzle and exploration-focused experience. It’s nice that the game runs smoothly, there’s no pressure and it’s more about your skills and determination. Cairn mimics real life when it comes to climbing, but it also keeps some interesting ideas, and it continues to be incredibly fun. Yes, it will take a while to get used to the controls, but once you get past that, you will see it’s a very solid, albeit challenging experience. It will give you around 10-15 hours of excitement and fun, along with a reason to always come back and see all the side content or secrets.

Aliens: Dark Descent is a very good video game that takes the best elements of its franchise and finds great ways to build gameplay around them. Moving through dark corridors, paying constant attention to the motion tracker, and thinking about how to best use limited resources, is fun and immersive. The stress mechanic means that even winning battles can have steep costs, forcing players to think of alternate ways of achieving objectives. Aliens: Dark Descent doesn’t redefine its genre but its mechanics are strong, the narrative has interesting beats, and few other tactics-focused titles use their fictional as effectively.

Rhythm Doctor doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, but the gameplay that it provides is engaging, fun and very addictive. You will find yourself trying to play one more time, hoping you’ll achieve a great rating for the next level. Plus, the spin they added where you are healing patients with these beats feels very fulfilling. It seems like you’re doing something more than just enjoying your time, you’re also helping people feel better, too. The game is not meant to be difficult, instead it’s continually offering you an innate sense of fun, with a great dose of humor along the way. Rhythm Doctor made me laugh, lose my mind at times, but overall, it’s a great experience for rhythm game lovers, but also those that want to unwind and step away from life’s challenges. It’s a game where every moment is worth it, no matter if you fail and you have to start over. There’s always the satisfaction of trying to save someone, and the happiness that comes from succeeding. That’s why Rhythm Doctor is a game everyone should try, especially if you need a healthy dose of good time.

Steve Jackson's Sorcery! loves to surprise players and to thwart their expectations about fantasy worlds, creating tension by making sure that the player is always looking for that out-of-place detail or conversation line that will help him decide how to best solve a situation.

Even if we ignore the ridiculous quantity of content, and we focus only on the main storyline, we still get an amazing experience. Far Cry 5 is not the game we expected, but it’s exactly what we should have wanted in the first place.

Tekken 8 feels like a great game that with a bit more tuning could have been the best fighting game out there. The last fight of the campaign feels unnecessarily long, the Arcade Quest mode could have been made into a better fit with the rest of the game and there are some other aspects that commenting upon almost feels like nitpicking. Tekken 8 remains one of the best fighting games available, but it does not have a secret move to beat Mortal Kombat 1 or Street Fighter 6. There is no clear winner, and it all comes down to personal taste and which universe do you prefer.

Forgive Me Father 2 is a good boomer shooter that builds on the ideas of the original. The action is fast and pretty brutal, with a focus on delivering as many headshots as possible while moving constantly to avoid damage. The Asylum and its unlocks allow gamers to try out strategies and find weapons that match their approach. The game’s atmosphere is designed to appeal to players who like Lovecraft vibes, although it does not offer much in the way of straight-up horror. Forgive Me Father 2 improves on an already established formula but needs extra weirdness or one big innovative mechanic.

Some minor nuisances aside, I definitely enjoyed saving the president’s daughter once again, and the new elements made the experience feel much more than just a trip down memory lane with improved graphics.

The Ratline challenges players to find Nazi criminals using nothing more than their own brainpower, limited starting information, and the ability to chat up people and search an archive. Its mysteries are inspired by history, with plenty of details that will probably lead some to learn more about World War II and the real ratline but also have plenty of solid fictional twists and turns. The investigation action is decent but limited by the genre’s core ideas. The phone conversations add a little variety, but this is still a game about reading, re-reading, and thinking while looking at photos. The Ratline is designed for fans of titles like The Roottrees Are Dead or The Golden Idol who are looking for more puzzles to crack open.

Arto is the rare indie that impresses visually without relying on the classic pixel art style with a layer of nostalgia. Each of the deities creates its own picket universe, with a unique theme, and the idea that players are constantly spreading color while moving works well with all of them. I literally spent one full hour simply making sure that Goya’s world is fully covered in color. The spectacle only works because the game also has good mechanics. Combat is fast and Liv is responsive, able to deal with bosses without generating too much frustration. The game’s fantasy world also meshes well with its mechanics. Arto is bright and fun, a lovely experience that shows the power of a great idea combined with an impressive presentation.

Galactic Civilizations IV has a solid foundation, in terms of mechanics and presentation, but needs to add polish. I like the wide-ranging customization offered at the start of a campaign and how the early game moves. But the experience needs more excitement for the middle game and extra variety in terms of events and challenges. The title is too sculpted to suit the tastes of those who has picked up the previous two titles in the series. It rewards solid planning and careful execution; it asks players to learn the connections between mechanics and to exploit them. But to truly flourish, Galactic Civilizations IV needs to try to add a little revolution to its evolution-driven approach to turn-based strategy.

In the end, if you fancy going for better loot, fight more powerful enemies, and unlock all kinds of cool items, Warhammer: Vermintide 2 seems like a dream come true. Even with the bugs and the slightly unbalanced system, it’s a game that still tricks me somehow into playing just one more map.

Luto is definitely a great spiritual successor to P.T. and a solid horror game, all in all. Not only does it cover some incredible topics, and it can get very scary, but at the same time, it’s beautifully made and without any performance issues, at least in my experience. I am a fan of the world design, the story they are showcasing, and how weird the game manages to become sometimes. The fact that they blatantly cover serious topics like anxiety, life, depression or grief is great, and it all seamlessly connects into the story. I will be honest, I did not expect the game to end this way, and for the story to be so gripping. Also, it’s great that the game is not very long, either, since you can see the conclusion in just half a dozen hours of gameplay, at most. Luto manages to nail the emotional roller-coaster that they embark us on, while also maintaining a sense of gravitas and a visual style that’s unlike anything you will find out there. It might be a debut title, sure, but it’s an excellent one, and I am looking forward to see what Broken Bird Games will come up with next time.

Harebrained Schemes has managed to once again impress by adding a few, but only a few, good improvements to the recipe, while delivering a very interesting setting and some imaginative missions. However, it might not feel like a whole new experience, just "more of the same."

Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked brings a great D&D theme to the already popular Demeo experience, and it shines in coop. The 2 campaigns available at launch are great, fun to play, but also frustrating at times due to overpowered enemies you encounter along the way. It does become very chaotic in multiplayer, while playing single-player offers a more tactical experience. For me, Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked was a great way to delve back into D&D and it felt great to play. The battles are very fast-paced for a turn-based title, you still get to focus on tactics and strategy, while also enjoying great quests and very good voice-overs. If you want to make the most out of it, going the VR or co-op route is the best idea. But regardless, it’s a good entry in the Demeo universe, especially if you’re new to tactics and turn based games.

Between Horizons is a pretty traditional representative of the adventure game genre, with some solid modern touches. Stella’s story is affecting, and The Zephyr works well as the setting for a science-fiction mystery that features fundamental ethical dilemmas and big emotional moments. Gathering clues via scanning and discussion is mostly engaging but it can be hard to deal with the amount of evidence stored in the PDA. I suspect the game’s graphics will also be hard to engage with for some players. Between Horizons is immersive and tense, although it doesn’t massively tweak the adventure game formula.

Hunt the Night has good core mechanics and an interesting universe to explore. But this is the kind of experience that will cause frustration and players need to be ready to deal with that. A big time and energy investment are needed to master combat scenarios, especially when bosses are involved. Both the world and the presentation are good enough to keep players interested. There's also nothing better than finally winning a fight you've previously lost tens of times. Hunt the Night could have used a few extra concessions for newcomers but it's one of the best top-down combat-focused experiences for players who want to be challenged.

Black Ops 6 sets a new standard for Call of Duty campaigns, blending familiar mechanics with fresh ideas and a story that keeps players engaged throughout. The extra development time allowed the developers can create an impressive and polished experience. This is a must-play for fans of action-packed storytelling, offering a unique blend of combat and narrative that’s sure to leave a lasting impression. Whether you’re here for the story or the multiplayer, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 delivers an experience worth diving into.

The biggest potential issue with the game is that it offers too much freedom and too little structure. It might drive players away if they feel that their progress is too gated. But I love the feeling of freedom that Boomerang X offers when it is at its best and the huge adrenaline spike that a good fight against seven waves can deliver, regardless of the result.

Millennia is a good turn-based strategy experience that has the potential to become great after some updates and, possibly, expansions. The core idea of alternate historical ages is engaging but needs to be expanded on, with more options and more interactions. The rest of the mechanics are familiar but have just enough tweaks to keep turns interesting. The combat sequences need to go and the title should expand its diplomatic elements and trade system. The development team is planning to add modding support before the end of the year. Millennia isn’t a revolution for the 4X genre but has good ideas, even if they aren’t always matched by the execution.

I liked Dungeon of the Endless a lot, mainly due to the fact that it does pretty much everything right. It has the right balance to allow for longer play sessions once you start getting the hang of it, but it also pays respect to the roguelike elements at its core.

The scale of the new Mass Effect game, combined with the intense gameplay and exploration, makes this a must have. Don't be fooled by some of the issues justly reported by the community and give it a try. The trial version of the game is still available through Origin, and I'm sure that people won't need more than a couple of hours to decide if they like it.

Door Kickers 2: Task Force North is the kind of game that fans can easily put more than a hundred hours in without seeing all the content it has to offer. The core mechanics are accessible and quickly explained by the tutorials. And then the game delivers a wide variety of carefully built tactical challenges to solve, even before the Campaigns enter the picture. The top-down view will not be engaging for everyone, even with the more varied and colorful combat areas. The game’s fiction is limited and there’s little in the way of narrative, even in the campaign mode. Door Kickers 2: Task Force North is a great pausable real-time tactical simulation that can get even better if coming updates add extra mechanics to its campaigns.

Having played some of the previous Tales games, I can definitely say that Tales of Berseria is the best title in the series. What makes it even more appealing is the fact that you don't need to have played Tales of Zestiria or any other game in the same universe to be able to play the new one.

The Entropy Centre is a satisfying puzzle game with a unique idea at its center. Rewinding time to solve problems and move through spaces is a good concept and the execution is mostly solid. I appreciate how the game forces players to engage with the puzzles from ever-changing perspectives as they search for a solution. The title’s presentation is good, even if the rooms are largely interchangeable. Aria and ASTRA work as protagonists, even if their banter is not stellar. The Entropy Centre is the kind of puzzle experience that will attract both long-term fans of the genre and newcomers with its unique time-rewinding idea. But it stays a little too close to its inspirations, underlining how hard it is to improve on the classics.

Dice with Death creates an engaging combination of dice rolling and player choice. There’s no way to control the rolls entirely and eliminate the frustration caused by the lack of luck. But killing Death using just the right mix of character, relics, and dice faces is very satisfying. It helps that the old-school presentation allows gamers to focus on thinking about their rolls, the potential combinations, and the moment when risking it all is worth it. Dice With Death doesn’t transform the Balatro-like game category, but it creates tense runs and rewards players who are unafraid to take risks.

Beyond Earth is just as innovative when it comes to the mechanics of the turn-based strategy series as Civilization V was before it and gamers will need a bit of time to become accustomed to the increased customization, the tech web and the powerful challenge posed by the alien life.

All in all, A Plague Tale: Innocence will leave you empty inside once you finish it, like any good book or movie would, and like any good game should.

Dungeon Drafters delivers on its core concept of mixing turn-based tactics with card play. It takes a little time to get going and get a clear idea of how to modify the deck and what kind of cards are best suited to a particular strategy. But there’s a wide variety of approaches and the tactical puzzles are fun and challenging.I would have liked some navigational aids for the hub town and more help from the game when it comes to deck building. But Dungeon Drafters rewards players who are willing to invest time with beautifully crafted dungeons and engaging card and tile-driven battles.

Cursed to Golf is not a sports sim but it will deliver many more thrills than any careful reconstruction of real-world golf can. Getting the ball into the hole using my last shot by carefully using an Ace card and plenty of spin made me scream with joy. I almost cried when two successive shots somehow landed in the water. But players also need to be prepared for a fast escalation of the difficulty level that can lead to frustration. Practice and good planning are always more important than wild swings. Cursed to Golf is a solid puzzle experience with good presentation and some big thrilling moments.

The game has a compelling atmosphere and very good writing, and although there are some slight technical issues that pop up from time to time, they are easily cast aside by the immersive quality of the experience.

Ironcast is a small game that manages to integrate some very cool mechanics in engaging ways and the fact that, at its core, it embraces the impact of dying associated with rogue-like titles makes each campaign unique.

Golf Club: Wasteland is a good game but not because of the quality of its actual golfing experience. Putting balls into holes is serviceable. There are some well-designed levels but there are also some frustrating ones. Don’t feel any guilt if you play on Story mode and get as much of the narrative as you can, without bothering with hazards or limits. But the developers at Demagog understand how to create atmosphere and how to let the world tell a story. Radio Nostalgia is an impressive achievement, especially the songs. The team does need to find a game theme and a set of mechanics that allows them to flex their world-building muscles in more expansive ways than Golf Club: Wasteland can.

Pine Hearts is a very cute experience that tells an emotional story. I like the exploration and the way Tyke gradually gets new abilities that open up new paths and options. The memory systems deliver some big emotional moments. Characters might not talk but the world is inviting and colorful. The adventure is pretty short but some of the gameplay elements still have time to become repetitive. Pine Hearts mixes light gameplay and fun conversations with an exploration of loss while giving players a beautiful world to explore.

Minds Beneath Us is spectacular when delivering slice-of-life moments, both if they involve the main character and when it comes to ancillary conversations in the background. It’s also good at creating an interesting vision of the future while offering a core narrative that tackles modern themes in engaging ways. Its presentation adds to the immersion level, although the lack of faces will be a little disturbing. Its mechanics do not stray from the adventure game standard and when they do QTEs make an unwelcome appearance. A few conversations are over-written, especially when the game tries to focus on emotions. But Minds Beneath Us offers a good enough story that these are small problems. Play around a full day at a time and savor every interaction.

For those who love the genre, Codemasters has created a great way to interact with the world of rally racing, and this is a game that will allow them to spend tens of hours tweaking setups, choosing their favorite car and competing with friends in the multiplayer events.

OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood is a solid sequel that manages to provide quite a bit of innovation through its Manual system, while bringing more varied layouts and a slightly smoother difficulty curve. However, it still requires a lot of practice and can prove to be rather confusing when the level and visual design aren't that clear.

Weird West has a great set of gameplay mechanics that don’t always deliver the best experience. The five-character stories have great moments, although the side-quests are often more engaging. You can take down an important enemy in three ways or more, but the chaotic aftermath might be impossible to handle. Using all the money obtained from a job to replace bullets and medicine is not a way to make progress. But I appreciated the interaction between systems, the way the world reacts to player actions, and the many unexpected encounters. Weird West does have frustrating elements but it offers the kind of experience that’s rare in modern games, one filled with surprises, mysteries, and consequences.

Space Prison combines a cool science-fiction premise with some innovative twists on combat and rogue-lite mechanics. I like that players have to worry about hunger and desperation more than they have to do about hit points. Using rats as companions early on feels a little weird but a mecha version can be created toward the game’s end, which is pretty awesome. Still, the experience can be frustrating. Encounters will become repetitive while battles don’t have a lot of depth. Space Prison is a very open video game that rewards careful preparation and extensive exploration, as long as gamers do not abandon it after the first few deaths.

Earth Must Die is dedicated to fans of classic adventure video games. It is also accessible enough for players who want to see what the genre has to offer. The story feels like a fun and weird science fiction short story, more focused on launching joke salvos than being entirely coherent. The characters and the associated voice work make it worth seeing through. The mechanics are easy to pick up, while the puzzles aren’t egregiously illogical. This is an experience best enjoyed in sessions of around two hours, or shorter if the puzzles become annoying. Earth Must Die is proof that decent writing paired with classic gameplay is still a good combination for modern adventure games.

Hand of Fate is an interesting game that will certainly appeal to those who want to see how the card-based approach could be expanded in meaningful ways in the coming years.

The Troop has a strong mechanical foundation. Its ideas will be instantly recognizable for anyone who has played a World War II tactics-driven title before. But it also introduces nice tweaks that reflect how real-world battles were fought on D-Day. The computer is also smart enough to deliver some nice surprises, especially when it can achieve local superiority. The campaign is the best way to experience its ideas but there’s also plenty of variety in the Skirmish mode. Developers at Giant Flame have created the rare World War II strategy title that is both approachable and deep. The Troop is a great purchase for anyone who likes the Normandy battles and turn-based combat.

The Lost Crown deserves a chance both from new players and old-time fans of the franchise. Yes, you do not play with the prince, but that does not affect the game experience. Ubisoft managed to put together a challenging and very enjoyable experience that mixes elements from different genres into a real good end result. The first big title of 2024 is a pleasant surprise, and while it may not be the sequel many have expected, it is a game that shows the dedication of the team from Montpelier.

Sure, the story is nothing impressive. There are moments when the generated levels do not make too much sense. Progress sometimes hinges on the placement of one health chest or one group of enemies. But, despite the randomness, Jupiter Hell feels fair and there’s a lot of depth to discover in this surprising mix.

Goblins of Elderstone is a good mix of city building and strategy experience. It takes time and effort to create an efficient village, constantly checking where resources are needed and who is best suited to working in certain buildings. It’s also a pleasure to see the goblin tribe prosper and interact with the world. The strategic layer, with its raids and trade elements, adds an interesting dimension to the game but could be enhanced to make it more interesting. The narrative elements also need more variety. But otherwise, Goblins of Elderstone has solid mechanics and will satisfy any player who loves developing a city and running an economy in a fantasy universe.

A worthwhile remake of the classic Sierra point-and-click adventure game. However, big-time fans of the original will most likely dislike some aspects of the newer incarnation.