REPLACED is a beautiful, narrative driven experience, and that’s where the game is at its best. It tells a very interesting, gripping story, and I found myself fascinated with the great locations, mesmerizing backgrounds, but also the intricate characters found within the game. Sad Cat Studios hit it out of the park here, the game is not only visually impressive with its pixelated art style, but also the well-written story. REPLACED also brings excellent social commentary, making us think twice about our society and its path forward. It’s certainly not without its small issues, like combat being repetitive and platforming not shining that much. But it’s definitely one of those games that will make you pause and look at the scenery often, while pondering about your life and your role in society. Plus, if you are a completionist, there’s plenty of lore and extra info to be found here. All in all, it’s a delightful game, but keep in mind that it’s all about the story rather than action.

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.

Kaiju Wars is the sort of video game that understands that huge monsters make for incredible threats, which in turn allows players to derive a lot of satisfaction from stopping them in their tracks. The game has the narrative, the mechanics, the scenario design, and the presentation to keep gamers always engaged, guessing how they can pick up an extra medal or tackle a mission on Hard. The development team has been quick to react to player feedback, adding more options. And I hope that they will also introduce more scenarios and, maybe, a few extra mega-monsters to deal with. Kaiju Wars is not revolutionary, but it delivers a tight strategy package that celebrates its inspirations while spoofing them.

Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed is a pleasant surprise and just as much a love letter to Warren’s Spector game as that creation was to the Disney Universe itself. The ability to change the surrounding world and see the consequences of your actions still feels fresh and engaging. The new addition might not be groundbreaking, but they help leave behind the shackles of the Wii and turn the game into an experience without frustrations caused by certain limitations. And even better news is that in the future we might see a remake of the sequel, making the story whole.

Sins of a Solar Empire II is a great space-based real-time strategy game. It is designed to primarily appeal to those who liked the original, splitting factions into two, introducing variation to the star systems, and adding to the tactical complexity. The game does not offer a campaign, but each match generates its own unique stories. The multiplayer infrastructure is solid and there are plenty of options to work with. And the game offers quite the visual spectacle, as big fleets clash with energy beams and missiles striking targets everywhere. Sins of a Solar Empire II could have used an entirely new faction, like the threat the Vasari are running from, and a few more innovative ideas but I like its mechanics and every match feels unique.

World Splitter has a killer core mechanic. The dimensional rift introduces a wide array of possibilities even in a relatively simple level. I spend a lot of time moving it around, seeing how it affects enemies and the environment, trying to see the best way it can help me get from left to right. The game also knows when and how to introduce new elements and twists to keep the gameplay fresh through the six big worlds. The problem is that discovery and experimentation are directly linked to failure and frustration. My rabbit dies repeatedly and sometimes I don’t exactly understand why, so I kill him some more to test out theories. After some time I understand what and how to do and finish a level with a decent result (the targets the game sets are for much better players). I only wished the development team offered more ways to cut down frustration to make more gamers enjoy World Splitter for longer periods.

Green Hell is a console port that unfortunately does not manage to rival its PC counterpart. What can accomplish is to stand out from the relentless wave of survival games, as a title with personality, with both perks and flaws. The gameplay manages to keep its edge, but the challenges are even more frustrating because of the technical issues. If you are in your element when facing impossible odds, Green Hell is right up your alley. The abuse on players is relentless and creates an almost Stockholm syndrome-like experience. All the survival enthusiasts will keep coming back for more and more punishment.

Outshine is a difficult and unique experience that mixes arcade-style elements with typing-powered combat. The game wants to make the player as comfortable or as challenged as he wants to be. For the player who brushes up on his typing skills and wants to feel the adrenaline of a high-score chase, this is a great title. It also offers a good way for people trying to learn one of the supported languages to improve their skills, especially when played with some of the aids turned on. The sometimes over-cluttered visual space can be frustrating, as is the fact that it’s often hard to make progress without dropping the difficulty. Outshine gets bonus points for its innovative mixing of ideas and will certainly make any player much better at typing after some sustained sessions.

The game isn’t perfect, it definitely has its shortcomings. Forcing a character loadout onto you at times does make the game harder, and moving around is not as fast as some people might like. The voice acting is also an acquired taste, I enjoyed it, but I can see some players not enjoying it. But in the end, as a complete package, I think that Skygard Arena is well-worth checking out. The gameplay is extremely fun, I had no crashes, nor any disconnections while playing online, either. It’s a fun romp in the tactics genre, while also being beginner friendly.

Imperator: Rome is an example of how hard it can be to reconcile gameplay and history. On launch, the game failed to deliver the mix that players expected from Paradox. The Marius update, especially with the tweaks to warfare, is closer to the historical record while also offering gamers plenty of agency. Heirs of Alexander is a good paid expansion, even considered apart from the free update. The Diadochi wars are fascinating and complex. I played quite a bit as the Antigonids and I still have options to explore. The other successor kingdoms have the same amount of content. For anyone who exhausts the stories of the Diadochi, there's more to discover and more places to conquer when playing as Rome, Carthage, and the rest, making Imperator a joy to return to.

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.

Wolfstride is an obvious labor of love that manages to be much more than the sum of its gameplay and presentation parts. The mecha battles and management would have offered a very solid loop on their own. The game could have easily been a mostly narrative-driven game with a relatively small number of repetitive mini-games. The combination of both creates an emotionally charged adventure that immerses the player, makes him care about relationships, and drops in cool mechs engagements. Think of it as heavily inspired by Cowboy Bebop but with more mech brawls.

At the end of the day, Agent Intercept is a fun game to try on a rainy weekend day, but I don’t think too many people would play it again after completing the story mode. And unfortunately, this doesn’t take more than a few hours once you learn how to be a lethal agent.

Luckslinger is a charming platformer that puts luck in center stages and backs it up with some pretty good secondary mechanics. While it takes a bit of time to get used to its innovative features, it's certainly worth it.

Pharaoh: A New Era is a great remake of a classic city-building title. The first three Caesars might have established the formula for the historic side of the genre, but the first Pharaoh refined it and impressed with its pyramid and other monument building. A New Era captures that magic and brings it up to modern standards.

A bit more text would have been nice, as the possibility to maybe study some archives and extract more about the backstory of the game universe would have made the wait for the next installments much more justifiable and pleasant.

Knights of Honor II: Sovereign is a good historical strategy game. It gives players lots tools to affect their world and quickly produces results that bear little resemblance to the real past. Kingdoms fall in spectacular fashion and players need to carefully play their hand to gain new lands without attracting the attention of powerful neighbors. I do think the knights from the title should have more ways to interact with each other and the world around them. But the mix of interactions, classic development mechanics, and tactical battles offers a strong mix of ideas. Knights of Honor II: Sovereign will be fun both for long-term grand strategy fans and newcomers to this genre.

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.

Overall Mafia Definitive Edition is a solid remaster, that despite its numerous flaws should be experienced by the original gangsters and the new wave of players as well. We can comment about the technical errors, about the holes in the revamped story, and other shortcomings, but all in all, Mafia still proves to be am immersive experience, even after 18 years. This Mafia is not the same as the original, but it is better because you can enjoy it in 2020. The hardcore fans of the original will find a lot to nit-pick. But they can return to the original, to remember how archaic it is, or can they try to beat the game in classic mode, “enjoying” the quirks of the original recipe. Despite the criticism, we have to admit that Hangar 13 managed to take an 18 years old game and make it work in 2020, without crushing its soul.

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.

Serious Sam Collection is the most complete console edition ever released, but these games feel more natural and appropriate on PC. There is no better alternative if you want to experience Serious Sam on consoles, but if you have a PC, and you don’t need the most modern or expensive one, you are better off enjoying Serious Sam with a keyboard and mouse, as it was intended. Still, the console version remains a fun experience and despite its dated looks, Serious Sam immerses its players completely, transcending them in the middle of the action. You don’t need strategies or tactics, just the controller and the mood to blow up everything alien you encounter in the game world. Technically there are no improvements, the fun is still as mindless as ever, and the price of the package is a fair one.

Tinytopia is a good entry point into the city management genre. Its ideas are sound, and the mechanics are simple yet engrossing, especially for the player who wants to see the highest tier for all the buildings he can use. The levels, both real-world and gimmick-based, are also good and varied. The biggest issue I have with the experience is that it does not evolve too much once the core concepts are established. My Pharaoh and Caesar-dominated childhood probably makes me want more complexity in city-building and bigger projects to work on. But the development team at MeNic clearly understands that there’s space in the genre for an entry-level title with clever twists and delivers on this premise well.

I’m not sure that the narrative element of the game works as well as the presentation and the focus on choices. But Trolley Problem, Inc. is a quick, enthusiastic, and very different experience, compared to what the medium mostly delivers, and I encourage players to take a few hours out of a week to see what it has to offer.

Beyond the Long Night is a fun, focused experience that makes good use of both the time loop and the associated rogue-lite structure. Combat might not seem hard but it’s very easy to lose a heart focusing on enemies rather than their actual attacks. The universe is filled with discovery potential but some players might struggle to invest in that. My biggest issue is the time limit, which feels too tight to allow gamers to become fully engaged with a successful run. There were moments when I hit on a good superpower and the rooms were manageable when it comes to combat and then, suddenly, the red force was chasing me. Beyond the Long Night mixes twin-stick action and time loop mechanics well but it needs a few more gameplay hooks to be among the best in its genre.

Dr. Fetus' Mean Meat Machine creates an interesting combination of platforming and puzzle elements. The gameplay is easy to understand and the levels deliver a stream of interesting new challenges. Fans of Meat Boy’s adventures are the obvious target audience but the mechanics are interesting enough to draw in players who don’t love extra-hard complex action. The presentation helps especially the very good soundtrack. The game’s choice to offer an invincibility option means that it’s actually possible to eliminate any kind of frustration linked to a lack of progress. Simply knowing that it was there made me actually try harder to get through Dr. Fetus' Mean Meat Machine's more challenging sections.

Land of the Vikings is a decent to good city building and survival experience. The narrative elements are not very engaging, and the Nordic theme exists mostly for visual flair. All the gameplay mechanics will be familiar to gamers who have tried other entries in the genre before. But there are some nice touches, like the boat building and the way statues and decorations improve the village and its inhabitants. The game needed more innovative elements for both its core concepts and its story. Land of the Vikings is engaging and creates a nice sense of progression and the developers are saying they are planning to add more ideas in updates, while also squishing bugs.

For the King II is entertaining for fans of tabletop RPGs who want to play with a group of friends despite not being in the same room. Battles can be difficult and require some solid tactical thinking. This fantasy world won’t win any points for originality but offers a nice space for adventuring. Every mechanic is better when groups play cooperatively. For a solo gamer, gameplay can become repetitive enough to frustrate. For the King II is a good expansion of the first game’s ideas that might need a few updates to deliver on its full potential.

SUMMERHOUSE is a small building game that isn’t interested in scores, sprawling cities, or complex zoning. It just gives players the tools to create homes using a relatively varied array of parts, with some unlocks. It’s a relaxed approach that makes it equally fun to create weird buildings that cannot exist in the real world or to try and replicate memories of places one really visited during the summer. The lack of structure will be immersive for many gamers, but others might have problems staying engaged. The city-building genre offers a ton of options for anyone who wants deep systems and complexity. SUMMERHOUSE, a title created by a solo developer, is for anyone who just wants to put pieces together and build something in serene landscapes.

I found Clutchtime to be an interesting, fun deckbuilder that successfully implements the idea of having a sports-themed card game. Yes, it does take a little bit to figure out how to use some of the cards and how to play, but once you get the ball rolling, this title is a lot of fun. I do see the game becoming very repetitive in the long run, since it only has 2 main game modes. But if you like the game loop, I am sure you will get a lot of fun out of it. Clutchtime might not appeal to everyone, but if you’re into card games and sports, it’s totally worth considering. The gameplay is addicting, and I found myself spending a couple of hours in the game, not knowing when the time has passed. Yes, it’s not the most visually impressive game, nor does it have a Grammy-worthy soundtrack. But as a package, it’s one of those timewasters that are worth a short, who knows, maybe you can become the next Jordan.

Minos continues the long-term video game trend of finding new mechanics that work well with a rogue-lite structure. Scanning a new labyrinth layout, evaluating enemy ingress routes, deciding which traps will work best on the enemies, and then watching as they die before reaching Asterion is satisfying. The extensive array of traps and challenges helps keep things fresh. But the game fails to find anything new and innovative to do with the rogue elements. And as the difficulty ramps up, it can take half an hour to puzzle out the best way to deal with one enemy wave. Minos’ trap and labyrinth shaping mechanics are solid, but the title sometimes struggles to keep players engaged with them.

At the end of the day, NBA 2K22 feels like it comes with two separate modes: offline for those who just want to have fun and aren’t necessarily NBA superstars and multiplayer for people willing to spend real money and get their high-rated players overnight.

Minutes is an innovative experience that manages to capture your heart through the clever premise. However, it’s way too challenging for its own good and becomes downright punishing as you progress through the levels.

Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown was a positive surprise for me. Few of the latest Star Trek games were great, but this one is very exciting to play, and it uses the sense of exploration to its benefit. It remains faithful to the source material, while also allowing you to nurture, level up characters and manage the ship to your liking. The gameplay doesn’t get stale, and exploring planets always feels very satisfying. It's also nice to see that the story has some great, unexpected twists and turns. Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown also encourages you to make different choices, and those will affect your gameplay. The combat is engaging, the ship management part of the game is rewarding, and you always feel that you’re progressing in some way. The developers are also committed to solving core issues like saving problems, so that’s a good sign. Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown is a hidden gem for sci-fi fans, and you will find yourself pouring a few dozen hours into this, as you explore planets, follow the story and embark on treacherous missions.

Despite its shortcomings, Heaven's Vault is a delightful experience that's meant to discover your inner archaeologist. Even though it brings forward a repetitive puzzle system that encourages you to translate as many inscriptions as you can get your hands on, the loop remains fresh until the end of the game, and quite addictive I might add.

The quality of the overall experience is impacted by the limited appeal of the presentation. Combat can also become repetitive, with the dice system somewhat restrictive later on. Curious Expedition 2 is a good run-based title that will show-off the series to a wider section of gamers than the original, allowing them to go on complex resource-constrained adventures.

If you want to bring a piece of ancient Rome into the 21st century, and live out your fantasies as a grand strategist, I find it hard to recommend any other game than this.

Despite the optimization issues, the network problems with the Shift servers that cause momentarily framerate drops, the fact that there are some unexplainable crashes and various bugs, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a truly wonderful experience for all Borderlands fans. It is different enough, so veterans won’t see it just a reskin, and familiar enough to get lost in the game world. The voice acting is the best up to date, with a tremendous performance from actors like Will Arnett. Tina’s voice is Ashly Burch, who gives a very different performance here compared to Horizon’s Alloy. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands has plenty of issues and there is room for improvement, but it is a good game with plenty to keep you entertained.

The game’s narrative and presentation enhance gameplay without keeping players away from it for too long. The humor adds to the atmosphere and immersion. There are moments when too much is happening in Mr. Sun's Hatbox at once. But this is a game where even failure is entertaining while success opens up more variety and potential strategies.

Audiosurf 2 is a worthy successor to the original experience. While Mono mode is, of course, the main star, you can find quite a few other interesting modes that provide a change of pace. While on its own the game is quite good, by factoring in the user-created modes and skins, Audiosurf 2 becomes even better.

En Garde! offers a tight core idea and executes on it well, although in some predictable ways. It’s fun to constantly scan the battlefield and evaluate incoming enemies to decide how to use the environment and Adalia’s superior fencing skills to separate groups, stun some enemies, and, finally, take all of them down. The unlockable reveals even more options to spice battles up and create interesting scenarios. The title’s platforming and exploration are limited, which will limit its appeal for anyone who doesn’t quickly enjoy the combat. En Garde! is a happy adventure dedicated to fans of pulp and complex battle situations.

Stirring Abyss is a very good indie take on the modern XCOM formula that will make tactics fans happy, although it is not really a spiritual successor to Terror from the Deep. The campaign itself, on Normal difficulty, offers a solid challenge by itself and the game also has an Endless mode for even more replayability. Yes, there are difficulty spikes, especially the boss battles, that can frustrate. But the tension between preparedness and speed that the mechanics created is something that more modern tactics focused titles should try to replicate.

After seeing the Cold War the hardcore fans will keep their preferences aiming towards the episodes developed by Infinity Ward. Although a fair effort, the latest Black Ops struggles to come out from the shadow of last year’s Modern Warfare and fails. On every level, it feels like a step back compared to the previous iterations. Moreover, the visuals are outdated, and some technical issues should have been fixed before launch. We expected more from Black Ops Cold War, but I am sure that Activision will rake in enough money from the players to have another Call of Duty next year.

Simon the Sorcerer Origins is a great experience if you want to enjoy a wonderful story. There are lots of gags in there, and they don’t shy away from adding some creative gameplay ideas. Sure, there are small frustrations, like stiff animations at times or bad inventory management, but that didn’t push me away from the game. If anything, it’s a solid game that certainly earns its spot as one of the best adventure games in the past few years.

Wavetale remains a hidden indie jewel that could have benefited from more QA before being released on console, even though that would have certainly involved pouring more resources into a game that was initially launched on Google Stadia. For starters, fixing the music issues and the freezes would be mandatory in order to prevent discouraging people from trying it. For what is worth, Wavetale does a single thing well and that's the sliding mechanic, which is probably the only true selling point of the game. From the beginning to end, surfing the waves remains the main charm of Wavetale. It is a remarkable first effort, and one can only hope that it is enough to make people notice Wavetale and grant the developers the chance to make a sequel building upon the existing formula.

ANTHEM#9’s combat innovates in some interesting ways, taking some cues from match-3 and some from turn-based role-playing battles to create something new, fast, and mostly fun. I like how the two decks, their skills, the blessings, and unique character traits interact to allow players to deal huge amounts of damage and cancel out incoming attacks, if everything goes right. The world-building is limited, and there’s not much in the way of story to uncover as players push through the mission. And the presentation seems to be directly aimed at bringing in gamers who like the Persona franchise. Players who pick ANTHEM#9 looking for good tactical puzzles and strong core mechanics, will not be disappointed.

Tin Hearts has clever puzzle design, interesting ways to interact with the environment, and a good ramp-up for its difficulty level. The time manipulation system makes it easy to try out new ideas and see how they play out. There are no difficulty spikes and the level of frustration is kept to a minimum. The title’s presentation works well with the mechanics but the narrative never made an impact. The focus on toys makes the game well-suited for younger gamers, even if they might need help when it comes to figuring out solutions. Tin Hearts is a carefully calibrated puzzle experience and offers a great way to unwind.

Legend of Keepers is a good mix of ideas that could use some more variety. For the first 10 to 15 hours it has the pace and content to throw new ideas and new options out. It’s very fun to take down new groups of more powerful heroes and see what’s the best combination of monsters and traps to sap their spirit or to destroy their health points. The game also has plenty of long-term goals. But once I learned more about the monsters and the enemies I found it hard to get excited, even when I got a new powerful creature or when a powerful hero dropped in. Goblinz Studio understands the two genres it is mixing but it should have added a pinch more innovation to make Legend of Keepers into a long-term fun experience.

Chicken Police: Into the HIVE! is a fun, often funny, and sometimes touching experience. It knows how to work within both the noir and the adventure game genres. The cast of animal characters is well-chosen, and Sonny makes for a great protagonist. Play the game in short sessions, soak in the atmosphere, and don’t be dissuaded by the more frustrating mini-games. There are a few moments when conversations feel out of sequence, depending on player choices. The puzzle elements rarely feel like they belong. Some locations feel too small. But these are limitations of the adventure game genre and Chicken Police: Into the HIVE! works hard to push past them and manages to give fans a good plot, great characters, and cool interrogation scenes.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical isn’t for everyone. There’s not a lot of actual gameplay, although everything the player does is important. The premise and universe are well-executed while the presentation enhances the experience. More importantly, the songs are good, and the way gamers can shape them is unique and engaging. One has to like musical numbers that express big feelings to enjoy this deity-featuring murder mystery. Grace’s three approaches should have delivered more variety in terms of reactions, and I really wanted some extra character development for the gods. Still, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is a unique game and features a unique blend of choices and musical moments.

I fell in love with Tomb Raider the moment I played the first episode on my PC a very long time ago. That is why the ups and downs of the series hit me on a more sensible and emotional level. I was hyped about this remaster, and I have to admit I got what I hoped for: the original three games, with new shiny graphics and controls that are closer to the standards of 2024. But after playing through the remastered trilogy, I have to admit that my memories about the game were romanticized compared to reality. The gameplay and level design that worked over two decades ago, today feel dated and clunky. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is hard to recommend for anyone but the hardcore fans of the series.

Armello shows a lot of promise and its mechanics work well in a virtual environment while still keeping their tabletop feel. However, the lengthy AI turns, not to mention the sometimes-unfair RNG and erratic AI behavior, weigh it down.

The Star Named Eos is a short adventure game with some interesting puzzles, which ultimately fails to stand out. At best, it flickers in some moments, but it does not shine. The pacing, the low-res cutscenes, the repetitive pattern of the level design, and the lack of real connection with your character make the experience a rather forgettable one. Fans of the genre will have some fun with the game, but I’d recommend to pick this one up when it’s on sale, so you avoid feeling bad for not having your expectations met.

Modern Warfare II is almost a perfect game. But the almost part is more significant than you’d be tempted to believe, and unfortunately, it sometimes makes the game a work-in-progress. If you’re buying the game specifically to play the campaign, there is both good news and bad news here. The campaign is insanely awesome, and you’ll have a lot of fun playing it, but on the other hand, it feels way too short. Each mission feels like a different game, and it can be completed in a different way every time. On the other hand, the multiplayer side of Modern Warfare II is what seems to disappoint most of the fans. The bugs, the crashes, the lack of multiplayer options, and the behavior of some players ruin the experience. In case you’re wondering if the new anti-cheating system works, it looks like it does, though you may still occasionally come across players that kill you with a single shot in the very first second they spot you.

Saviorless shines when players control Antar, evaluating a puzzle that might stretch across a few screens, then testing possibilities and contemplating how to reach a collectible. Combat isn’t as engaging as the platforming or the puzzle solving, and checkpoint placement is pretty bad. Thankfully, the world is intriguing enough to counter potential frustration. The impressive art style is another draw and it’s worth playing through the narrative, even without getting all the torn pages, simply to see how the developers bring this fantasy universe to life. Saviorless is a solid debut title from an indie developer and its mix of ideas is good enough that I look forward to seeing what Empty Head Games delivers next.

The shooting is fun, the low gravity and oxygen ideas are nice, the story still does not impress in many ways, but overall the experience is engaging and a good way to get the adrenaline flowing.

Star Control: Origins perfectly combines exceptional writing, total exploration freedom, satisfying space combat, excellent voice acting and hypnotizing music. Although I felt intimidated by the importance of the journey ahead, the well written, humorous dialogues gently transitioned me into a state of pure excitement. No words can better describe Star Control: Origins than actually playing it. It's a masterpiece.

While it’s not going to blow you away, Katanaut manages to surpass expectations, and it stands right there with some of the best in the genre. The gameplay and combat are very good, the visual style is stunning, and I am a huge fan of how you can easily customize every run. Katanaut feels very fulfilling, and there’s plenty of fun to be had, even if it’s not a long game.

Unlike the first game where multiplayer was kind of a mess, the sequel offers a pretty solid multiplayer experience. Playing Watch Dogs 2 co-op is definitely a blast, especially if you're experiencing the game with a friend.

Let Them Trade has quickly become a favorite of mine when it comes to city builders. It’s a lot of fun to play, and you can easily try it in sandbox mode or in excellent campaign mode. With that in mind, trading is what sets it apart from other city builders, along with its minimalist aesthetic. All of that blends together very beautifully, and it provides a compelling, enjoyable trading experience. As someone that likes city builders, I enjoyed Let Them Trade and its gameplay. It’s easy to get into and it also has plenty of depth for strategy game enjoyers. Yes, it might not be the largest and most expansive strategy game out there, but it definitely has a lot of heart, and you feel right at home in this minimalist, yet stunningly designed world.

Paper Trail is an indie game with plenty of soul that mixes successfully the narrative and gameplay parts into an immersive experience. While the story is interesting enough, what will keep you most invested in the game is figuring out how to fold and slide in order to solve the puzzles. There are some aspects that could use fixing like the repeating soundtrack and maybe a more precise hint system, overall, Paper Trails is a fascinating journey in a modern fairy tale, worthy of the attention of puzzle fans.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition is a better release for 2021 than it was ten years ago. The gameplay does not push past the limits of the genre but the presentation, the music, and the setting are good enough that it does not need to. The extra featured content does not justify a new purchase for those who have already gone through the adventures of Scott Pilgrim. But for anyone who knows the comics or the movie and has not played the game the new version is a good way to have hours of fun, preferably with a group of friends in coop mode.

Rebel Galaxy is clearly designed to appeal to those who played and loved Elite and Freelancer when they were popular but I suspect that the game also has the potential to attract classic RPG lovers who are looking for something more than classic fantasy.

I want to say what type of game it is, but Man of Medan doesn’t fit into a particular genre. At its core, it’s a cinematic experience, but that doesn’t explain much. I could say that it’s a horror adventure game, and I would be a little bit closer to the truth. The alternative is that The Dark Pictures Anthology is part of a new genre, for which we don’t have a proper name yet, even if it’s not exactly the first one in the series. With that said, I can only recommend The Dark Pictures Anthology, despite the control problems. The way the games makes people feel when playing is worth it, even if you’re always talking with the characters, trying to keep them on a straight path through the levels. And the best part is that Man of Medan has so many choices that I can go back, and play something completely different.

Satellite Reign offers a very solid set of mechanics and the four specialists are clearly designed to allow players to approach almost all situations in a variety of ways, able to create big gun battles or to always move without altering anyone to their presence.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is definitely an improvement over the previous title, and it would have been much better without the loot boxes. While it can be argued that it makes life a little bit easier for people that don’t have time to invest in the game, it ultimately detracts from the goal and that it to be fun. On the other hand, the loot boxes won’t stop me from replaying this game at least one more time, and to go through all of the expansions. I’m inevitably drawn to it, and I have to say that at least for me, the presence of loot boxes is not enough to stop me from enjoying it, probably much more than it should.

In the end, the looney atmosphere is what makes the game feel unique, and if you’re a fan of comedy where nothing makes sense, then you shouldn’t think twice about trying this title.

Master of Magic is an interesting remake of an old game that defined a genre. It’s clear that the development team loves the original and wanted to keep as much of it unchanged as possible. But the result feels old and might struggle to attract the attention of players who have not enjoyed the 1994 title. I grew up playing a ton of Heroes of Might & Magic, so I had a clear reference point for the mechanics and pace. For newcomers, the entire experience can be a little slow and somewhat bewildering. But for those who have a history with strategy and RPG mixes, Master of Magic will deliver well-executed classic ideas and tens of hours of spell-enhanced fun.

Lunar Lander: Beyond is difficult, the kind of video game that appeals to players who believe repeated failure means more opportunities to learn and who get a rush when finally conquering a challenge. The game evokes the classic Atari title but updates its mechanics in neat ways. I didn’t expect to have to deal with my pilot’s mental health and actually feel bad for getting them back in the cockpit. The core challenge of exerting control over the lander is well-implemented. Some of its purity is undermined by the unlockable upgrades and some of the level design. Lunar Lander: Beyond offers an interesting modern take on a classic but its audience might be limited by the focus on difficulty.

Without reinventing the recipe, Sherlock Holmes The Awakened offers a compelling gameplay experience even if you’re not a good detective. The wide variety of environments in each location that you can explore and the many characters that you meet along the way make this a very enjoyable ride.

Ambition: A Minuet in Power aims to be a graphical novel with a difference and comes very close to realizing its goal. The problem is that the game does not manage to keep up the quality of its writing or make its encounters unique enough. The developers do have good ideas. I like the fact that players can start to explore a historical situation (or a big political incident or the state of a country) through the mechanics of this genre. I appreciate the mix of serious subject matter and sometimes silly romance encounters. But Ambition: A Minuet in Power needed a little more focus to convince me to play through it more than one time, even if I appreciate what it is trying to achieve.

Star Wars Outlaws is not a masterpiece or a major innovation, but it is a fun experience, and it shows that it was developed by people passionate about the Star Wars universe. It is a somewhat typical Ubisoft game that was better put together than most of the productions we have seen from them in a while. It is not perfect, but it is entertaining and immersive, with an overwhelming amount of content. Some of it can feel tedious and is repetitive, but it is up to you of much you want to grind. There are plenty of ways to earn credits, and the game allows different gameplay styles. The only major problem at the moment are the bugs that need to be fixed ASAP to be able to fully enjoy this experience.

The best part of the game remains the atmosphere, every element of the game being purposefully conceived to contribute to the gloomy feel, that will grow heavier as you advance through the narrative. We cannot say that Rebirth is revolutionary, despite bringing several new gameplay elements, but it is still a solid horror game, recommended for both old-time fans and newcomers alike.

Field of Glory II: Medieval is a great game for anyone who already has an interest in the genre or the historical period. The core concepts work well, the presentation does not get in the way of gameplay and the computer fights well. Byzantine has a great track record when it comes to delivering free patches and extra content for their titles. In the coming months, they will tweak the mechanics for the better and deliver more nations and army lists to improve variety.

Classified: France '44 delivers a good mix of turn-based tactics, strategic choices, and personnel management. The narrative is familiar, but the characters are well-drawn and there are some touching moments around the campfire. Both the stealth and the morale-centered battles are tense and reward careful planning and good use of weapons and abilities. The strategy layer is the weakest part of the game, and I would have liked extra options to interact with the three Resistance factions. Maybe players should not be in charge of what their commandos wear. But these are minor issues and Classified: France '44 is a great game for anyone who likes killing Nazis using stealth and superior firepower in a variety of scenarios.

Beyond Blue is a commendable effort and project, but it is too short to manage to fulfill its purpose. Also although educational, the game does not present any information which you didn’t already see in all the docuseries available. The information about most of the animals resumes to short trivia like information, the only details being offered only about the whales. Despite these shortcomings, Beyond Blue is a game everyone should experience. It is ideal for younger audiences and can be the perfect family activity. The price tag is a bit steep compared to what the game offers, but after a discount Beyond Blue should be considered by everyone who wants to relax and escape into a beautiful world for a couple of hours.

Grow Home is fun and innovative experience that, unfortunately, gets weighed down by bugs with the climbing system, the iffy camera, and the repetitive audio effects. It's still a blast to play but it could've been much more.

Ascendance brings plenty of good new elements to Advanced Warfare. While most maps are fun, Chop Shop is by far the least interesting and most generic. Fortunately, the Exo Grapple ability and playlist make up for it.

The Reckoning DLC for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare offers a decent experience. While not all of the maps manage to live up to expectations, those that do offer a great time and are certainly going to keep fans busy until Black Ops 3 rolls out in November.

Airscape: The Fall of Gravity is a tough but entertaining platformer experience that throws in quite a few interesting concepts and mechanics and makes them work quite well. There is plenty of trial and error, and sometimes the cute octopus might not seem so loveable, but you'll have a pretty great time with it either way.

Overall, The Falconeer: Warrior Edition remains the very same game with an excellent atmosphere, beautiful visuals, but a gameplay that is not as engaging as we would have hoped. It is still a remarkable achievement for one man, and the game while not perfect it is definitely worth trying. Despite the fact that sometimes the pace is a bit off, due to the big empty traversal sections, and that the difficulty level can be inconsistent, soaring to the skies on the back of your trusted mount is a unique experience.

Grotto is an interesting experience that might lose many of its players around halfway through the first play-through. The idea of telling a small number of characters what to do, from the small to the big questions, is an intriguing one. The universe that the developers create is intriguing. I like the way the game moves towards a deeper plot and begins to show the player something deeper than the first few interactions. But everything is too repetitive, and the core narrative needs more variety. I truly wanted to be as careful as possible for each interaction, getting just the right constellation for a supplicant’s needs. But I found myself losing patience at times and simply moving as fast as possible to get to new story bits. Grotto has a solid core concept that never delivers on its promise but I still think that everyone who picks it up should play through it once to see what it has to offer.

Heavenly Bodies is not your average cup of coffee, not even for indie games. It has a very specific audience it set its target on and delivers on its promise of challenging players through the control system. Visually and atmosphere wise it is clearly inspired by the classic, realistic sci-fi movies. The game itself is pretty short, but due to the control scheme, you will spend quite a lot of time even on the simplest tasks. Heavenly Bodies is not for everyone, but those who enjoy this kind of games will have a blast with it.

I didn’t have high expectations from Lost Eidolons, which is why I’m pleasantly surprised and can’t wait to see what’s coming next from Ocean Drive Studio. Despite the fact that it starts very slow, there’s a lot of enjoyable content hidden under the guise of a standard turn-based strategy game. If you love the Fire Emblem series or just looking for an XCOM-style strategy game, Lost Eidolons is well worth your time. With a little additional polish when it comes to presentation and more weapons/armor variety, I think this could have been close to a masterpiece.

Tiny Thor is a nostalgia-powered experience that takes the best ideas of classic action platformers and adds its own spin to them. The gameplay is tight and challenging, designed to give players opportunities to improvise while also rewarding careful planning. It’s exhilarating to nail a tough sequence on the first or second try. The title’s story is engaging enough to keep players immersed and the presentation enhances the entire experience. Any gamer that loves handcrafted levels, the thrill of figuring out solutions on the fly, and a high level of challenge will be satisfied with what Tiny Thor is offering. I only wished for the game to also offer more difficulty and accessibility options to open up the experience to a wider group of potential players.

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.

Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic may be a casual game, but it offers a hardcore experience for the fans of the hidden-objects genre. It is a puzzle game that has a catchy visual style, it is full of details and offers many hours of fun. The lack of replay value of the basic levels is balanced out by the level editor, that hopefully will be embraced by the community. All in all, Hidden Through Time 2 is a good example of how to implement a simple concept in an engaging way.

Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator feels like an unfinished project or one that was rushed to meet a deadline and some parts have been left out. Somewhere in the rush to make the coziest experience possible, the fun took a backseat and as a result the basic idea backfired. It is cozy, but after a point it is hardly engaging. There is no real motivation beyond designing and building your dream garden using a limited variety of plants and decorations. Still despite all the shortcomings, the game delivers exactly on the promised atmosphere, that is completely cozy, but can hardly be called a simulator.

Beat Slayer’s core mechanic is good. As long as players stay on the beat and mix and match their attacks, kicks, and dashes, they can deal with a wide array of enemy combinations. The game also has a good variety of upgrades for Mia and two extra weapons to unlock. This futuristic version of Berlin is interesting, although her sidekicks can be a little forgettable. The title’s rogue-lite implementation does not impress, which is disappointing considering the opportunities for innovation its universe offers. Boss battles also lack the excitement of normal arenas. Beat Slayer has good music, a strong main concept, and is welcoming to newcomers while delivering a challenge for action-rhythm fans.

Maliki: Poison Of The Past is a fun, cozy game with a great story and some funny characters. Not everything lands perfectly, especially since some of the gameplay mechanics can be difficult to understand from the get-go, and they aren’t explained very well. On the bright side, I didn’t encounter too many bugs, although there are some things like the lack of a map, which can make finding ways to progress onward a bit difficult. Yet despite that, I think Maliki: Poison Of The Past is worth a shot, especially if you’re into old-school JRPGs. It has a lot of charm, it’s very fun to play, and it does an excellent job of introducing the new time manipulation mechanic. If you enjoy JRPGs or just want a good cozy game with an appealing story, definitely consider giving Maliki: Poison Of The Past a try.

Creating a boss rush game can go different ways, but fortunately for UNYIELDER, it’s a very engaging and fun game with a great core loop. The fact that you focus on getting loot, improving your character, while also learning the boss’s attacks, it all feels very satisfying. And honestly, the quiet times in between boss battles are quite productive, too, since you can switch weapons, unlock/equip perks and so on. UNYIELDER removes all the clutter that comes from a lot of roguelike games. Instead, it pits you against powerful bosses, and it’s a delight to play. The game ran great during our review, and the loot we acquired after battling bosses felt rewarding and satisfying. It’s a roguelike game, so naturally you can get bored after you saw all the content. But then again, the Endless mode offers an excellent way to continue your session, with random bosses. It’s a cool boss rush experience, and it never overstays its welcome.

The Last Hero of Nostalgaia will be a solid experience for any gamer who has a passion for the souls-like genre. The core mechanics as very close to From Software’s finest and there are plenty of challenging boss fights to go around. Fans might also appreciate the newly introduced concepts, even if they don’t revolutionize the genre. But the entire experience stays so close to its inspirations that it leaves limited room for newcomers. The story is not interesting enough or ironic enough to draw players in. The presentation only works fully for fans who accept the premise and like the mechanics. The Last Hero of Nostalgaia is a good game designed for a limited group of players.

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.

The story is there just to make you mildly interested in the game, which is kind of disappointing. Such an interesting world truly deserves much more exposition and deeper characterization of the cast, but if you’re looking for these traits in Ghostwire: Tokyo, you’re not going to find them. What you’ll find though is an interesting eerie world and lots of Western-like gunplay where you’ll be using your fingers to spit out psychic abilities rather than bullets, and that’s perfectly fine.

So at the end of the day, it’s hard to call Farming Simulator 22 a perfect game. It could be, and I’m pretty sure the mods will once again improve this great franchise in a way that Giants Software should study closely and keep in mind before the next version is launched. Yes, it’s just a matter of time until modders end up delivering this must-have polishing, but of course, this isn’t the right way to go for such a popular franchise.

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.

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.

AK-xolotl is a solid action rogue-lite mix that might struggle to stand out. Sure, its protagonist is an axolotl, and you get to save young members of the species but there should have been more weirdness to the world. The combat mechanics are good, with a focus on movement, but I wanted more weapon variety. The experience works best as a way to cleanse the gaming palate. Get into a run, try a new approach, and see how well you’ve learned boss patterns. The developers of AK-xolotl understand the genre well and I really want to see what they try to create next.

Hitman - Episode One is a great video game for fans of the series and offers the freedom that they have long requested from IO Interactive, with Agent 47 once again offered multiple ways and means to take out his targets.