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.

If you’re looking for a card battler that looks gorgeous and has a captivating story, Ash of Gods: The Way is a must play. Just make sure you have graduated with a master’s degree in strategic turn-based battles and puzzle-solving.

This Bed We Made is a pleasant crime mystery game, maybe a bit short and not as polished as it could be, but a solid experience overall. The atmosphere and the story are great, and I encourage every fan of adventure games to try it. It is refreshing to see that we can still meet story driven games that do not get complacent offering a walking experience with minimum puzzle content. And this time around you can see the real outcome of your choices, without reaching the same inevitable conclusion.

Trinity Fusion is built around a combat system that’s easy to understand but hard to master. I like the focus on picking the best mix of weapons and Amplifiers, creating synergies that make handling both groups and individuals easy. The rogue-lite elements are not very deep, but they offer players extra options to tweak their playstyle. Choice matters and there’s plenty of space for experimentation. The narrative is just interesting enough to keep players engaged in the long term. The apocalyptic theme should have been used to increase the weirdness level of both worlds and enemies. Trinity Fusion has good mechanics and i8t will welcome both newcomers, thanks to the Hyper system, and veterans.

Inkbound is mechanically impressive. Despite its depth and the complexity of its engagements, the game is snappy and rarely feels stuffy. The featured classes play very differently and there’s a ton of variety, making it easy for players to test out strategies and find one that fully fits their approach. The rogue elements are familiar, and the fantasy world offers plenty of lore but lacks a strong hook. But the turn-based combat is good enough that I can see myself spending tens of hours with one class, trying out ideas to find the build that suits me best. Inkbound’s mix of tactical puzzles and power and upgrade variety makes it a worthy successor to Monster Train.

Edge of Sanity features an interesting mix of ideas that will appeal to players who like management and appreciate careful planning and execution. The story has a good mix of personal drama and Lovecraft-inspired terror, enhanced by the art design and voice acting. I felt tense as I sneaked around the creatures, considering whether I wanted to risk and get more rations or if I should get out as quickly as possible. The camp job system is not very deep, and some character conversations feel unnecessary. The core loop can also become repetitive and frustrating. Edge of Sanity has great ideas but struggles to make them shine.

Nordhold takes the core ideas of the tower defense genre and executes them with care and attention. The game doesn’t aim to innovate but its core loop is rock solid and will be engaging for anyone who likes the concept. Even better, the developers at StunForge have a clear idea of how they plan to expand their game and looking for extra input from the community. The management side of the game has plenty of depth but doesn’t overshadow the combat. The game successfully creates a “just one more run” feeling that basically makes time disappear. Nordhold doesn’t revolutionize its genre but its rock-solid gameplay will appeal to both newcomers and long-term fans of tower defense.

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.

I grew quite fond of Endzone 2 and its world, the building design, but also the innate feeling of helplessness that the game brings at times. It’s definitely one of the go-to titles in the strategy-survival genre for me, alongside Frostpunk and Banished.

Icewind Dale isn’t a perfect game, but it’s one of the best RPGs of all times. Obviously, the Enhanced Edition is also among the best in the genre, but it only brings minor improvements into the mix.

Nikoderiko: The Magical World is a reminder that indie games can achieve greatness even without the resources of big studios. With its endearing characters, beautiful visuals, and inventive level design, it offers a well-rounded platforming experience that will appeal to both longtime fans of the genre and newcomers. There are a few rough edges, but overall, the game is brimming with charm, creativity, and a sense of nostalgia that makes it hard to put down. With a few refinements in future updates or installments, this game has the potential to grow into a beloved indie franchise.

Broken Arrow is the game for anyone who wants good RTS mechanics focused on modern-day military hardware. Combat, while centered around the classic concept of point control, is fast and fun, with plenty of tactical options. Players get a lot of choices when building their unique force for multiplayer or skirmishes against the computer. The campaign has some great missions with unique setups but also suffers because of its cast of characters and inability to save during a battle. Broken Arrow is a great experience for players who want to engage in multiplayer with a group of friends and aren’t too annoyed at having some limitations when other game modes are involved.

I’ve had a lot of fun with Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and the game certainly has a lot of charm. It revises the Fatal Fury series, brings back a lot of cool characters, and you can also improve your fighting skills quite a bit. There’s also plenty of variety when it comes to the game modes, with the story mode being my favorite. It can take a little bit to master a character, and sometimes the game doesn’t always explain how to perform all the moves. But in a game like Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, it always comes down to discovering stuff for yourself and trying things out. All in all, this is an excellent way to revive Fatal Fury and breathe new life into the series, while introducing it to modern audiences. If you have the itch for a good fighting game, I am sure you’ll find a lot to like in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, I surely did!

Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy is a remake with real heart, showcasing the care and passion put into revitalizing this classic. Far from a cash grab, it’s a project aimed at polishing a forgotten gem, giving it a new life while preserving its original charm. This is the kind of remake that will resonate with both veteran players who fondly remember the original and newcomers discovering its adventure for the first time. I can’t recommend this game highly enough. It’s a shining example of classic adventure games, perfectly blending exploration with creative problem-solving. A true stroll down memory lane, Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy offers beautiful visuals and modernized gameplay mechanics that enhance the experience without losing its nostalgic charm.

Planet of Lana is sure to capture players'attention with its visuals and music, which are on par with those of modern big studio animation movies. The game’s world is shrouded in mystery and players will have to work to find all the shrines to get a full picture of what’s happening. At times, finding a kidnapped friend seems too flimsy a motivation for Lana to continue her adventure. But gameplay is good enough, with limited reasons for frustration and some very clever puzzles, to keep players engaged. Planet of Lana has heart and engaging gameplay sequences, although these could have used extra variety.

The Division is an ambitious game when it comes to the world it creates and its mechanics, for both cooperative play and Player versus Player, are solid and engaging but much of its future will depend on how Ubisoft caters to the needs of the community and to the unique ways in which players come to enjoy this beautiful and derelict world of New York.

Ghostrunner 2 managed to evolve while keeping all the fan favorites in place. It is not perfect, and it is not for everyone, but those who can get through the extremely fast paced action will have a very good time parkouring and fighting along the cyberpunk themed levels. It is a must play for fans, and the best way to start the series for those who are curious about the game but were turned down by the high difficulty. search Ghostrunner 2 is just as hard as the original, but at the same time it is more accessible and most of the quirks have been ironed out.

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.

Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is a good update for a classic real-time strategy experience. Players can experience an updated take on the core content as well as new campaigns and trails, all designed to appeal mainly to those who already know and love the core gameplay. The game offers a variety of modes and plenty of challenges to master. The game looks good, given it’s 20 years old at this point, and the historical campaigns are good jumping-off points to learn more about the period. Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is a great package for fans who want to play the best version of a classic and a good one for newcomers who like real-time strategy. It also shows that the series needs a modern installment with new approaches to its classic ideas, a better user interface, and improved graphics.

Scarlet Nexus does a lot of things right, but it fails to offer a cohesive gameplay experience. I think it would be best described as a visual novel with action-RPG elements rather than vice-versa. While the story is compelling enough to keep you going until the end, the game is full of bloat that needs to be cut. Despite its shortcomings, Scarlet Nexus is one of the better action RPG titles coming from Bandai Namco. I just wish it would have more respect for the player's time, and do away with all the uninteresting fluff that doesn't tie in the story.

Not only does it respect the huge legacy but it also brings the franchise to the present day. It offers a lot of content and, while it's generally enjoyable, there are some sequences that might leave players frustrated.

In the end, Revenge of the Savage Planet doesn’t pretend to be a groundbreaking epic. Instead, it knows exactly what it is — a compact, weird, satirical space romp that pokes fun at genre clichés while delivering a solid gameplay experience. The mechanics are simple but polished, the humor outrageous but purposeful, and the world design vibrant enough to keep you wandering just a little longer than you intended. It may be a “metroidvania lite,” but in a sea of overly complex open-world titles and self-serious sci-fi shooters, Revenge of the Savage Planet stands out by refusing to take itself too seriously — and in doing so, it delivers something genuinely memorable. Not revolutionary, but certainly worth the trip.

The Land Beneath Us is a good game for anyone who likes fast action, quick but thought-out decisions, and a rogue-lite structure. It doesn’t do much to innovate in any of these spaces, but the mechanical implementation is strong. The idea of wielding four weapons, one for each movement and attack direction, creates interesting tactical possibilities. There’s also plenty of variety for both relics and weapons, which keeps runs fresh. The presentation and story are competent, although nothing special when compared to other titles in this space. The Land Beneath Us delivers a fluid and fun experience as long as players don’t mind some runs that simply go nowhere.

As Dusk Falls is fair experience, but compared to the other representatives of its genre, it manages to stand out only as being the closest to a tv series, rather than a videogame. The plentitude of choices creates numerous ramifications that will encourage the fans of the genre to go through multiple playthroughs in order to discover every outcome. Still, compared to other relatively recent games like The Quarry or Detroit: Become Human, As Dusk Falls feels like an indie production that had to cut several corners due to budget restrictions. It is a commendable effort, but there is still a long way to go to reach the level of the best interactive dramas.

The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered remains a good game after all these years. In fact, having received a paint job, it’s even better. I’m happy that one of my favorite RPG series is getting one title remastered and modernized so that players who haven’t yet “violated the law!” Oblivion is the kind of game where you play as someone in a big world overcoming odds and ends. You get to shape your destiny and become whoever you want through multiple playthroughs. It’s an Elder Scrolls game that stands the test of time and has the potential to turn more gamers into fans of the series.

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.

Decarnation is one of those rare video games that’s more than the sum of its parts. The story it tells is both important and carefully plotted. Gloria is an exceptional character and the game offers full access to her inner life. The gameplay is varied enough to keep players interested, although not all the mechanics are good by themselves. All these elements come together to deliver a great tale of discovery, resilience, and survival. Play it in two or three sessions, absorb the unique atmosphere, and try to push through the more annoying gameplay sequences. Decarnation is a very good game with a great main character and a unique twist on familiar ideas.

Tavern Talk delivers on the coziness front, with a relaxed attitude and plenty of interesting stories to engage with. All the characters have something unique, and the game does a good job of blending fantasy elements with classic themes. Actually, creating the potions isn’t very hard and I like how they influence the outcomes of quests. Anyone who loves stories and does not care too much about gameplay will have a good time, especially if they only play one or two in-game days at a time. But the title will struggle to attract players who might want more control over their potions and their effects. Tavern Talk isn’t interested in changing the narrative-driven coffee-making experience but understands what makes it tick.

Planet of Lana II is designed to improve on the original’s ideas and give fans more of what they loved. The game’s core, both in terms of story and gameplay, still lies in the connection between Lana, adventurous as ever, and Mui, now capable of engaging with puzzles in new ways. The game is well-balanced, with only a few situations where it was hard to intuit how to advance. The title’s voice acting is impressive, and I appreciate the effort to offer more biome variety, even if Lana’s animations aren’t always great. Anyone who loves the protagonists and the immersive use of an alien language should play the sequel. Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is a good sequel that still impresses with its atmosphere, even as some of its new gameplay ideas don’t fully deliver.

All in all, Wartales offers enough variation and strategy layers to make the journey not just enjoyable, but also challenging and rewarding. If you liked Battle Brothers, you’re going to love Wartales.

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.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake is another example of how remasters should be put together. Unlike the latest Tomb Raider remaster, the loving tale of the two brothers aged well and remained just as impressive as it was in 2013, serving a tale full of emotion. It is a brilliant story that combined with simple gameplay makes it accessible also to those who do not play video games on a regular basis. It is an experience that is worth playing through for the first time or relieving it with the updated graphics.

The game might be too gory and violent for some players but it is rarely gratuitous and playing through it is a great way to get a scared, explore a cool story and then sit back and think about how one might react when a cryosleep trip turns into a nightmare.

Trepang2 is a solid first-person shooter that has plenty of FEAR vibes and will deliver hours of fun to any fan of the genre looking for challenging battles, supernatural elements, and boss fights. The game is filled with interesting tactical scenarios, tense moments, and plenty of over-the-top violence. The lore is decent and the revenge story is pretty basic, although it goes places. The graphics and sound design elevate the combat. The difficulty level can be changed if a section is too hard. Both veterans of the FPS and newcomers will have fun with Trepang2 and its impressive combat sequences.

Terra Nil is an optimistic and well-designed reverse city builder. Its gameplay ideas are easy to understand and each scenario poses specific challenges that take attention and care to solve. Gamers will love the feeling of hope that infuses the painstaking process of taking a barren landscape and getting it to a point where flora and fauna are in harmony and no human presence remains. The mix of levels that are procedurally generated with a variety of biomes also keeps the challenge fresh. Greening the levels seems relatively easy at first but there’s a lot of mechanical depth to explore. Terra Nil never reaches the complexity of some of its city builder competitors but has a unique angle and innovative gameplay.

The combat, especially the close quarters engagements, feel both exciting and perilous and only groups that work well together will be able to reach the end of the level and get a chance to try out for cool loot.

Despite not being groundbreaking or innovative, Immortals Fenyx Rising blends a couple of winning formulas from other games that work together almost flawlessly. The resemblance to Breath of the Wild is uncanny, but I'll take that any day over another Assassin's Creed rip-off. It might not be on par with Nintendo's masterpiece, but combat is solid and the puzzles and mini-games are a lot of fun. I also loved the light-hearted tone and colorful visuals, something that I've rarely seen in a Ubisoft game. A little bit of a warning though, if you're not into dry humor, you might want to skip Immortals Fenyx Rising since this is a big dad joke.

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is a mellow experience with an intriguing world. The actual quality of the coffee in story mode is not that important because the main attraction is the various character narratives and the bigger subjects they touch on. It’s nice to try out different combinations of ingredients, see what emerges, and then think about whether you would take a chance on each of those concoctions in the real world. But Coffee Talk needs to tighten the bonds between its story and its gameplay to keep players engaged in the long run.

City of Beats mixes a good set of gameplay mechanics with atmosphere and some great music. Dashing across the rooftops, noticing a sound at the last second that lets you avoid an attack, and striking back at the perfect time, is very fun and engaging. The rogue-lite elements are very familiar and deliver a sense of progression but don’t add much otherwise. Despite the spareness of its classic cyberpunk narrative, I felt immersed in this universe. City of Beats has an innovative idea that’s very well implemented and will satisfy anyone who loves fast-paced combat, cyberpunk worlds, cool beats, and rogue elements.

Pathologic 3 is the most approachable title in the series, offering a good mix of narrative, carefully crafted atmosphere, management elements, and tense infected district sections. Players need to diagnose patients correctly to stand a chance of keeping the population alive, which in turn earns the time needed to discover all the town’s secrets. Still, individual quest chains can be confusing, and running through miasma-affected districts can become a chore. Gamers should always conserve resources and look for good trades. Pathologic 3 can frustrate at times, but it will reward players with great story moments and well-crafted interactions.

The Horror at Highrook is one of those games that has a unique mechanic, and it harnesses that very well. Yes, it might not be for everyone, but if you enjoy Lovecraft’s storytelling and visual style, you’ll find yourself right at home here. It also appeals to card game lovers, because you can find task cards, tertiary/buff cards, along with cards that have random effects. It can be a challenge to make the most out of all these cards, but that’s what sets the game apart. At the end of the day, The Horror at Highrook does a stellar job at carving a great niche for itself. In a world filled with games that copy each other’s style and mechanics, The Horror at Highrook is a breath of fresh air. Yes, it takes a bit to understand its mechanics, but once you do, you’ll find yourself spending hours trying to keep the investigators alive and unlocking more of the story. It’s a worthwhile journey, one that will require patience, yet it’s totally worth it.

Dicefolk puts an interesting twist on classic ideas. Controlling both dice sets in combat creates cool challenges and gives players options to deal with powerful enemies. There’s also plenty of variety, powered by tokens and items, to create personalized strategies and find novel ways of engaging with bosses. While the chimera idea is interesting, the game failed to draw me into its universe. Dicefolk knows the genre it's working in and has the innovation required to draw in veterans looking for new ideas but it might struggle to keep them interesting in the long run.

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.

The Last Cube is a solid puzzle and platforming mix, with a focus on solid planning and careful execution. I like the pure nature of moving through the levels, constantly trying to keep in mind which face of the cube can interact with what element of the environment. But this is an experience enjoyed in small doses before the drabness of the universe gets to you. The narrative is the weakest part of the game, which would have been overlooked a few years ago. But the genre is getting increasingly crowded. The Last Cube can have good ideas and implementation but it also needed an interesting universe and better presentation to stand out.

Until Dawn is a video game that should jump to the "to-play" pile for those gamers who love classic horror and want to see the high-quality that the PlayStation 4 can deliver when it comes to faces and character interactions.

LittleBigPlanet 3 is the greatest installment in the series so far, bringing not just a complex toolbox for imaginative players but also a great story campaign that delights and amuses practically all the time.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion features a very intricate story, with multiple twists and some memorable characters. I like the fact they don’t shy away from offering many cutscenes, in fact most bosses will have a custscene where they explain their reasoning. It’s also nice to see that they bring in lots of side quests to bring you more lore and introduce different characters. What’s great about Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is that it helps the franchise evolve by introducing a large open world, great customization features and faster-paced combat. The world they made is beautiful, but also scary to live in, and you will hold on for dear life through every combat encounter. Then again, that’s what makes a game like this fun, you always need to be prepared, experiment with weapons/armor and find the best ones to give you an edge in combat.

As a fan of the cartoon and someone who already played Cosmic Shake, the Patrick Star game and the other previous 3D games in the series, I was looking forward to SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide. And the game does not disappoint. It delivers the best platforming gameplay in the series until this point, and the world design is excellent. That SpongeBob SquarePants music is very memorable, too, and it’s stuck in my head already. While the game’s story has an awkward pacing at times and some cutscenes feel forced, that didn’t deter me from the overall experience. The game promises great platforming and a funny story, and for me, it delivered on those fronts. You can also unlock a lot of costumes and even find lots of collectibles. It might be on the shorter side, but SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is an excellent 3D platformer, especially for kids or families.

Ocean’s Heart is a good game with a specific audience in mind. The overall atmosphere and the presentation will capture the attention of anyone who has had even a casual relationship with the classic Zelda releases. But the game has more to offer than a simple homage and adds humor, cool levels, solid combat, and a quirky look that make it unique. Using the sword, bows, and bombs to get through enemies and puzzles is simple and engaging throughout. There are moments when the difficulty spikes a little too harshly but that’s compensated by the simple continue system. The map can be unhelpful and the borders between spaces a little hard to always detect. But Max Mraz knows how to make the player feel welcomed inside the world he builds and I cannot wait to see what he can deliver next, after Yarntown and Ocean’s Heart.

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.

Afterimage feels like a very well-crafted Metroidvania with spectacular vistas, solid combat, and deep character progression system. The only minor issues, like the colliding damage, that I had with the game are just design choices that probably can’t be addressed. I really enjoyed exploring the world of Engardin, searching for new weapons, fighting interesting bosses and trying to find the best weapons for Renee. I can’t say that the story was truly captivating, but it was serviceable enough to keep me going.

F1 22 is without a doubt one of the best titles of the year in the racing sim world. Excellent graphics that take full advantage of the PS5 hardware power, the updated regulations, the new Immersive feature that makes it possible for gamers to control their cars when the Safety Car is on the track, and the pit stop experience overall, all make the game provide an even more realistic Formula One experience.

There’s no doubt that Dying Light: The Beast is best game in the series, but that doesn’t make it the perfect zombie game. Taking the signature elements from both previous games, enhancing and wrapping them up in a much nicer package was the best decision Techland could take. The Beast Mode is a new gameplay mechanic that perfectly blends into the Dying Light formula, so that’s another positive change the series has gained with Dying Light: The Beast. The story is strong and there are no longer average or boring side-quests. Also, Kyle Crane is a more believable character than Aidan Caldwell. He perfectly fits the gritty tone of the game, and it elevates Dying Light: The Beast to the best entry in the series.

In a time when many game studios are playing it safe, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii proves once again that the Like a Dragon series thrives on reinvention. With its engaging pirate theme, deep mechanics, and classic Yakuza charm, this is an adventure that will keep players hooked for countless hours. Whether you're sailing the high seas, brawling in the streets, or belting out sea shanties at karaoke, one thing is certain—this is one voyage you won’t want to miss. Fair warning for hardcore fans though: while still fun and over the top it still feels like the lightest and thinnest entry in the series.

Midnight Protocol is one of the best experiences in the newly ascendant hacking simulation category. Its biggest asset is the simple, yet solid set of mechanics and the way success can only be achieved by carefully balancing aggressiveness and planning, with some guessing thrown in for good measure. The narrative also works well, sketching an immersive world while delivering twists and revelations. Plenty of players will have issues with the decision to only control the game using the keyboard. It feels annoying at first but adds to the immersion and it’s relatively easy to learn. The development team at LuGus knows how to blend mechanics and story in cool ways and Midnight Protocol is the kind of hacker-centered experience that no other medium can deliver.

Kaya's Prophecy has an intriguing mix of ideas. I like the idea of using combinations of cards to create a thriving village and build the tools required for villagers to then fight enemies and earn special rewards. All the game’s ideas are easy to understand and even gamers who aren’t familiar with card-driven experiences will quickly feel at home. Unfortunately, the combat system is limited and repetitive. And the village development suffers because actions take long, even on the highest speed setting, and the booster pack randomness can be frustrating. Kaya's Prophecy struggles to find ways to make its two core systems interact in cool ways.

Even if the developers made great strides from 2018, they still don’t have enough time to fix all of the existing problems. And that’s too bad because, above all else, Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 is really fun to play. If you can ignore some of the minor issues I laid out, I’m sure that any football fan will be more than happy to give it a go.

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.

Elden Ring Nightreign impressed me with its clever gameplay, stunning game world, but also numerous nightlords and enemy design. Sure, there were some issues at launch, but those were mostly ironed out, and matchmaking now runs very well. Of course, you can still choose to go on solo expeditions, if playing with others is not your cup of tea. However, Elden Ring Nightreign is clearly designed as a multiplayer-first experience. It’s very intense, fun to play, and there’s a reason to come back and do more expeditions. The roguelike approach might not seem great for everyone at first, but you slowly get engulfed in it and want to do one more expedition. I found myself spending hours and hours in Elden Ring Nightreign, switching between solo expeditions and coop. I hope the devs will continue supporting the game beyond its forthcoming DLC, because we have a great foundation for what could become an excellent soulslike live service game.

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.

Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide is a solid package, and in many ways, this is how the game should have been delivered when it first arrived last year.

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.

We feel like the decision to substitute player freedom with scripted scenes is questionable, even if it was done to maintain the pressure throughout the game. Overall, Resident Evil 3 Remake feels solid, being worth of the time both of the newcomers and old fans alike.

Pillars of Eternity: The White March - Part 2 takes gamers back to the snowy mountains of Eora, giving them a chance to revisit the mechanics of the party based RPG experience while introducing a story that's more engaging that the one in the first part and has higher stakes for the entire universe.

Windy Meadow - A Roadwarden Tale is a short video game designed for players who liked the fictional the main game established. The Ten Cities are only mentioned, and the threats are much smaller but the focus on just three characters allows the game to tell a more emotional story. It has interesting characters and some great moments. But the mechanics are very light and the branching paths for the protagonists are limited. The game manages to create a sense of place and flesh out the village. But, going forward, the franchise needs to take Windy Meadow – A search Roadwarden Tale as a baseline and aim for more ambitious targets, both narratively and in terms of gameplay.

While it may not please everyone and might even cause anger amongst longtime Borderlands fans due to a pretty big moment, it tells a great story and manages to set up the final chapter in a solid way.

Cozy Caravan offers a very fun time, especially if you like slower, cozy gameplay. Not only is the experience charming and very cute, but the gameplay is deep enough and interesting to keep you going for hours. You can easily spend 10-15 hours in the game, exploring the world and crafting stuff or upgrading your caravan. However, Cozy Caravan’s gameplay is not meant to be very complex or too challenging. That makes it great for kids or people who just want to unwind and relax. The downside is that any player who wants a challenge might find the game too easy. It’s one of those games that you can easily get back to, spend a few hours chilling and relaxing, and then move on to more complex games. But rest assured, every minute is going to be worth it.

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.

Star Wars: Squadrons is a well-balanced game, that manages to offer quality single-player experience and an immersive multiplayer part. There is still is for some balancing, but the game works pretty well. Every aspect of the game seems to have received the same amount of attention and as the result, the story actually is important, not just an appendix. The multiplayer is not earth-shattering, but it is fun at least for a while. Despite all the initial reservations, Squadrons turned out to be a good game, with intense action, plenty of room to personalize the experience, and lots of fun. Squadrons is not a trap, but a rather pleasant surprise.

Fury Unleashed is one of those pleasant surprised where you never expected much from a game, but then had a blast while playing it. While the trailer may make the game seem all exciting, even it fails to do the title justice as far as how thriling it is. With that being said, grab your guns, strap on your axe, suit up your hero just the way you want him / her to, and become a comic book legend all over again! [Early Access Score = 80]

Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel is fast and mostly good fun, especially for anyone who’s looking for a new survival action experience that understands the genre’s core appeal. The heroes play very differently, and the game features a ton of godly powers to choose from, leading to many builds, some of them impressively overpowered. The Norse theme fits the mechanics well, although the enemy designs, other than the bosses, are relatively uninspired. Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel doesn’t try to be revolutionary in any way, but its mix of atmosphere and gameplay is solid, and it’s very easy to spend hours testing build ideas and learning boss patterns.

F1 Manager 22 is a great way to create alternate narratives for fans. Pick your favorite team, try to find ways to push it to ever-increasing performance, despair when races don’t go according to plan, pump your fist when you create the perfect strategy, and manage to get past Leclerc and Hamilton on the final two laps of Bahrain. The game will draw in fans who simply want to see if they can do better than real managers and obsessives that aim to tinker with the setup during each practice session. The biggest drawback of the experience is that it requires patience and time for the gamer to enjoy everything it offers. Yes, you can simply simulate everything else and engage with the races. But true joy lies in exploring all simulated aspects of Formula 1. Give F1 Manager 22 your attention and it will deliver a wonderful racing experience.

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is a good mainstream real-time strategy title that offers a solid prequel story and shows that the core ideas of the series can easily be adapted for planet-based warfare.

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.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 is the best football simulation experience that Konami has delivered in years, and next year the series might actually be a challenge that EA Sports needs to take into account as it develops its own FIFA series.

Overall, Beyond Good and Evil 20th Anniversary Edition is a pleasant surprise and it was a pleasure to finish it for the third time. It is a nice fan service and the best way to experience an excellent game by those who missed it or were too young to try it when it was first released. Nonetheless, it is a remake that will scratch the itch while waiting for the second instalment, but it will also make the wait that much harder. It is a game that is worth trying for the first, second or third time since it aged very well and is still an enjoyable experience to this day.

Ultimately, Journey to Un'goro manages to excite even the most hardcore Hearthstone players, which is no small feat these days. I believe Blizzard has outdone itself with the new expansion, as Journey to Un'goro is not just fun to play but also extremely versatile.

Europa Universalis IV continues to be one of the most complex and immersing titles on the market, especially for strategy lovers, and long-term fans will certainly find the new concepts interesting, while those who have not played the game yet are better served by getting the core package before trying the expansions and the DLC.

F1 Manager 2023 is a good simulation of a complex sport. All circuits are carefully re-created, and fans will have a lot of fun choosing their favorite team and trying to get them as close to a championship as possible. The title’s presentation allows gamers to experience the racing from the cockpit of a car or gather info and make decisions on a strategic layer.

Capes is clearly designed to appeal to anyone who has played and liked X-COM and its tactical puzzles. The game successfully moves the action to a universe featuring superheroes. I liked the theme, although the developers don’t do much new with it. Unfortunately, the presentation, especially the graphics, isn’t as good as the mechanics. This is a video game that emphasizes a thorough understanding of one’s team and a desire to execute a mission as well as possible. Revisiting levels to get more skill points is expected. Capes is challenging and complex and offers fans of the tactics space plenty of options to experiment and optimize.

The system does not feel oppressive, and Ubisoft clearly hopes that most gamers will spend actual currency at some point during their career, but for some fans, its very existence is a problem, given that they already have to pay full price for the core package.

Civilization VII is a great 4X experience and every gamer interested in the genre should give it a try. The turn-based mechanics support a wide variety of playstyles and there’s a ton of diversity in leader and civ combinations. The eras system comes across as limited at first, but it basically allows players to play three potentially very different games of Civ in one campaign. A few systems, like religion and internal politics, are limited but will probably get fleshed out in expansions. The end-of-era crisis moments aren’t challenging enough, even on the higher difficulty levels, especially if players pay attention and min-max their cities. Civilization VII changes the formula of the series in interesting ways, although it needs balancing and a better user interface as quickly as possible.

Thanks to Battle for Azeroth, World of Warcraft doesn't feel like an obsolete MMORPG any longer, on the contrary, it's fresh, fun, surprising, and … addictive. Of course, the new expansion is not without its problems, but the overall feeling is that World of Warcraft is on the right path. And for those sitting on the fence about whether or not to jump into the action again, there's only one thing I can say: Battle for Azeroth is the perfect opportunity to come back to World of Warcraft. I have to give the folks at Blizzard credit for pouring their hearts and souls into the game once again, it definitely shows.

Druidstone is pretty great but not without flaws. Fortunately, the unforgiving strategic combat, charming art style and light puzzles sprinkled in between the fights, far exceed the balancing issues. You just need to keep playing it beyond the first 5-6 missions, you'll find that Druidstone is a hidden gem.

The Knight Witch is a good game with well-executed familiar mechanics. Combat, especially in the bigger and more open areas, is a joy, even when it’s against a tough boss with some dirty tricks up his mechanical sleeve. The narrative is interesting enough, even if some of the fourth-wall-breaking might be hit or miss, and the game looks impressive. Play it in short sessions, with a clear goal in mind and a willingness to tweak approaches on failure (don’t forget about the cheat options). The Knight Witch offers a good mix of action and exploration, even for players who have little experience with the genre.

MechWarrior 5: Clans brings the series’ mech combat formula closer to perfection. Players have access to a wide range of Smoke Jaguar mechs to customize and take into battle as they take on Inner Sphere tanks, complete lances, SOKOLs, and even a dropship. The action looks and sounds good and even the story, built around Jayden and his four comrades, is solid. Gamers who can find four friends can tackle the entire campaign in coop. MechWarrior 5: Clans could use some extra encounter variety but it nails the tension and excitement of pitting a Timber Wolf against an Atlas.

The action feels satisfying, combat is fun, and there are also a few nice surprises when it comes to gameplay, both as far as boss fights are concerned and in the presence of puzzles, particularly in the levels involving Athena, making the whole package even more attractive.

Zen Pinball 2 - Balls of Glory is a solid collection of tables for Zen Pinball 2 that can deliver tens of hours of gameplay for a gamer who is a fan of all the featured television animated series included.

Obliteracers is one of the most fun combat racing experiences I’ve had in years. It’s hectic, fluid, a blast to play and a treat for the eyes. The fact that it can easily support unusual control inputs, as well as the online multiplayer makes it even easier to recommend.

Rarely have I ever played a JRPG that was so faithful to the source material you felt like watching an anime with brief moments of gameplay. You get to relive the same epic story that has yet to be finished, but this time you see it from the point of view of someone who was actually there, and not just a spectator. As such, if you’re a hardcore Attack on Titan fan, or you want to play something that will ease your introduction into the series, then I recommend Attack on Titan 2 wholeheartedly.

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

If I were to make a list of games that people should play, the remake of System Shock would definitely be on that list. The folks at Nightdive Studios did an excellent job at breathing new life into the cult game, so if you’ve been holding back from playing System Shock due to outdated graphics, check out the remake. Despite the fact that some mechanics have been modernized, I believe that the presentation, new visuals, as well as the quality-of-life improvements fully make up for it. The blend of modern and retro graphics in the cutscenes and some of the environments are absolutely gorgeous.

Metal Slug Tactics is a tight turn-based tactics video game that gives players a lot of toys to play with and asks them to carefully plan and execute battleplans. Sync moves are cool, especially once the three-man team picks up some solid upgrades, and the Adrenaline mechanic encourages players to move and find efficient combos. Fans of the franchise will probably connect more with the story bits, which can seem a little under-baked. But I like the pixel-driven look and the booming announcer. Metal Slug Tactics successfully delivers the “just one more run” feeling of a good rogue-lite and solid tactical engagements.

Rough Justice ‘84 has a very good core idea and impresses in terms of atmosphere. The music, the character portraits, and the design of the cases, all work together to immerse players and keep their interest level up. I would love to see a TV series that uses some of the featured agents. Unfortunately, the gameplay mechanics let the rest of the experience down. The elements that are centered on dice, clever use of energy, and good choice of items can be fun, even if they become repetitive. The mini-games are the big problem. Rough Justice ‘84 is worth trying out as long as you love the boardgame-inspired action and the setting but I hope incoming updates improve gameplay.

The game admirably blends dark Warhammer motifs and a wide array of tactical and strategic decisions on the battlefield. Although Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is not without faults, it's one of the few games in the Warhammer sci-fi setting that I wish it had a sequel. The high amount of customization, the appealing story and narrative, as well as the deep turn-based strategy elements make Mechanicus a must-play title for all Warhammer and TBS genre fans.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is an amazing game. I had a lot of fun with the new stances and the story is enthralling. If not for the performance issues, this game could have been easily among the best released this year.

Bleak Sword DX is dedicated to anyone who wants a Dark Souls-like experience in 2D, delivered in small chunks, with good mechanics, hard difficulty, and a grimdark setting and presentation. Fights are very quick, which means it’s easy to play a few in a session just to decompress, without the pressure to make progress or explore some complicated narrative thread. The two new modes added to the game's PC version are good, offering a challenge to anyone who manages to complete the full campaign. But I still believe that any modern video game that emphasizes combat should offer the options to draw in more than just dedicated genre fans. Bleak Sword DX impresses with its minimalist, bite-sized combat but all its other elements could be improved.

Overall, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is an awesome game and a must-have for any Ace Combat fan, as well as a great game for players who enjoy fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled thrill rides in short doses.