Dyscourse is a short and approachable game, offering a replayable experience featuring a branching narrative and a ton of meaningful choices to make, putting you in charge of a group of survivors stranded on a desert island.

Confidential Killings - A Detective Game is a well-plotted experience with murder cases that grow in complexity at just the right pace. The first few can be solved quickly, basically while looking for the words needed to fill in the solution. Then the number of characters and clues grows significantly, and it takes time to identify everyone and discover exactly what actually happened. The writing is solid, if sometimes designed to deliver clues rather than enhance the atmosphere. The mechanic of picking up words is accessible, while the lack of any hint system is regrettable. Play Confidential Killings - A Detective Game one case at a time and savor its quirky characters and carefully constructed mysteries.

Styx: Master of Shadows is not a great game and the timing of its launch is somewhat unfortunate as many gamers are probably still enjoying the stealth approach in Shadow of Mordor, but for old school fans of the genre it does offer a solid experience with some nice level design and cool character abilities.

Possessor(s) is a bit of a departure from the developer’s signature style, but the gameplay is great and the entire experience is very polished. It’s not overstaying its welcome, and the story they share here is quite interesting, albeit short in my opinion. I wish we spent even more time in this world, but in the end, this is a very polished, high-quality game that everyone will enjoy checking out, especially if you are a fan of metroidvania titles. Not every moment in Possessor(s) is intense, there are sometimes when you unwind and relax, and also explore the world rather than engage in constant battles. Additionally, there were a few bugs at launch, but those were solved by a few, subsequent patches. At the time of this writing, the game runs great, and I didn’t experience any crash. I wish the map was easier to manage and you had more guidance, but overall, it’s an interesting platformer with nice twists, and it stays creative without burdening players with a complex story. Instead, it seamlessly blends good story with fast-paced action, making it a solid experience even if you don’t really play this genre.

Out of Line is a very short experience (it took me two hours to finish it), and while the length of a game shouldn’t define a game’s quality, I would’ve expected Out of Line to be at least a bit more fulfilling. That being said, I would recommend the game to those who aren’t looking for overly complex puzzles and a deep, meaningful story. Out of Line is one of those games that won’t challenge puzzle enthusiasts nor appease players looking for an appealing narrative.

Tyrant's Blessing is an interesting title with clear limitations. The combat mechanics are engrossing and create very cool moments, with the various difficulty levels carefully designed to draw in new players but also to challenge veterans. It’s very fun to think ahead, consider enemy moves, put together a plan and then finish a battle with no damage taken and all objectives accomplished. The rogue elements aren’t as interesting as the tactical battles, but they serve the game well. Unfortunately, neither the universe nor the presentation is good enough to keep players engaged if they fail to connect with the mechanics in a deep way. Tyrant's Blessing is initially charming and delivers good tactics puzzles but might lack staying power.

ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree is a great experience, driven by a strong story, a good mix of mechanics, and impressive atmosphere. Puzzles make sense and are satisfying to solve and combat never becomes the core mechanic. The Nordic-inspired universe is both intriguing and filled with good characters. The relatively slow pace of the experience might be an issue for some players and a more robust hint system should have been included. But these are relatively small problems when compared to the charm and immersion it creates. Play it in small chunks, don’t be afraid to walk away from a puzzle for a few hours, and allow ATONE to provide a spark of magic with its mix of story and gameplay.

Rogue Spirit’s unique idea is great, enhancing the action game with its fun implementation. It’s a pleasure to move from body to body, discover their capabilities and then create a deadly chain of attacks, shits, and abilities. Bosses pose a clear challenge but are not unfair. The rogue layer doesn’t tweak the familiar formula in any way and requires some grinding to get the big permanent upgrades. The world looks good and the narrative is decent. Rogue Spirit is a great example of how a well targeted new idea can make some classic genre ideas feel fresh again.

Arcana of Paradise – The Tower might not be the best roguelike deckbuilder out there, but I have to commend the developers for taking the risks and adding their own twists to the formula. Even if some of these innovations don’t seem to fit the genre, at least it’s a breath of fresh air from the traditional roguelike deckbuilding recipe. Overall, this is a decent game that needs a bit more variation when it comes to cards and enemies. Character progression is another aspect that needs more work too because right now it’s quite uninteresting.

Teslagrad 2 is both a rewarding and frustrating experience and how players feel about it will depend a lot on their tolerance for failure and repetition. Most of the movement puzzles look easy but, especially later in the game, take almost perfect execution to solve. Boss fights break up the pace and offer some great moments but also ask players to repeat the same moves to win. It’s often hard to stick with such a demanding game and the relative lack of narrative does not help. The game’s world is intriguing, with its mash-up of Vikings and electric powers. Teslagrad 2's minimalist approach creates a certain purity for gameplay but might make it hard for players to care about Lumina and her journey.

Blooming Business: Casino is a good tycoon management game and will satisfy gamers who want to create attractive gambling rooms, keep them in tip-top condition, and find the best ways to satisfy customers and VIPs. The title’s mechanics are good and the presentation and narrative offer a laid back atmosphere. Given these strong foundations, I’m a little disappointed that the developers at Homo Ludens didn’t include at least one big twist to the genre. The VIP focus is about half an innovation and I wanted a bigger new idea to work with. Blooming Business: Casino is a perfectly pleasant game with strong core concepts but should have aimed for more.

Overall, I had a great time with KIBORG. It has good melee combat, along with parries, dodges and intense shooting. It’s also not very expensive, which makes it even easier for me to recommend it. And yes, it has a lot of replay value, thanks to its roguelite approach. I think it does a lot of things right, and while it won’t win any awards, it’s definitely one of those titles that you come back to over and over for one more run.

Supported by an enticing story and shocking, gory scenes, Gray Dawn ticks all the right boxes to be categorized as a true psychological thriller. The feeling of anxiety and dread is masterfully instilled throughout the game without making use of any elements of the horror genre. The only downside to the formula adopted by Interactive Stone is that they have clearly exaggerated with the religious iconography. Apart from that, and a few design issues, Gray Dawn is a short but deep immersion into the human subconscious, an exposition of the endless battle between good and evil.

Overall, Urban Myth Dissolution Center offers a lanky narrative-driven experience, blending eerie folklore tales with the gameplay familiar from other visual novels. The investigative aspect is very discreet. The painfully slow pacing combined with repetitive dialogue, and localization issues result in a not-so-great overall experience. While the game successfully immerses players in the unsettling world of urban legends, it struggles with execution. Those who enjoy visual novels and Japanese ghost stories may find it worthwhile, but players expecting a more interactive detective experience will be disappointed.

The Supremacy map pack for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare brings quite a few interesting additions. Some, like the Parliament or Kremlin maps, work quite well, while others may not delight every fan, such as the Compound map or most parts of the Carrier Exo Zombies adventure.

Warhammer is the sort of universe that fits well with 4X games, and I wish there were more of it. Even if I never played the board game version, I was still able to enjoy it. And let’s not forget that it’s well optimized and has low system requirements, so it should be ideal to play on slower hardware, such as laptops, for example.

It still has technical issues and the story may not be for everyone, but its multiplayer mode is a blast and, so far, isn't suffering from the many technical problems that affected past titles.

Trek to Yomi makes a great first impression. The black and white, combined with the first uses of the combat system, suggests an experience that will allow players to step into the sandals of a samurai. The story might not be extraordinary but there’s enough sentiment in it to keep players engaged. But combat quickly reveals itself to be repetitive, with little need to experiment or to use all the combos. And the presentation does not enhance the gameplay, even if it delivers good screenshots. Trek to Yomi has some good ideas but never uses them to their full potential, which is a shame given its initial promise.

Astor: Blade of the Monolith is a project that clearly has potential, and it shows that it was developed with dedication, but it feels like more attention was invested in how the game looks rather than how it plays. The combat system and the game mechanics feel a tad archaic and too repetitive. By no means is the game a bad one, but it cannot be called remarkable. It offers fun moments, stylish visuals and an interesting story, but the repetitive gameplay makes it best played in limited doses.

Trash Goblin is a very interesting game, I am not exactly into shopkeeping games, but it piqued my interest early on. I like the game’s cartoony style, the character design, along with the gameplay loop they created here. On top of that, uncovering gifts and trying to repair stuff feels like Christmas morning over and over. Is Trash Goblin a game for everyone? Realistically, we all like a cozy, fun game that helps us unwind and relax. I feel that Trash Goblin does that very well, and it feels very satisfying to unearth and clean items in this game. Yes, it can get repetitive, and that’s the pet-peeve for this game. Yet thanks to randomly generated items and customers, you can get dozens of hours of fun from the game and even uncover new stuff often.

I didn’t expect to revisit/replay Syberia in 2025, but I am happy I did. The game’s story is unaltered in the remaster, and it’s just as charming as it once was. What changed with the Syberia – Remastered version, however, is the overall presentation, collectibles, puzzles and a whole lot of other things. There are still improvements to be made, but as a whole, Syberia – Remastered is certainly worth exploring once again, especially if you love this amazing world and always wanted a reason to come back.

DriveClub is a great racing experience which includes enough content, both single-player and social, to keep fans of the genre occupied for months, especially if they are determined to always be better than their friends.

Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo is a game about mud, traction, frustration, snow, barriers, time warping and frustration, the kind of racing experience that a lot of players will decide is much too hard to master to be fun at any point.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remaster is worth playing it again, or for the first time, thanks to its story. It is a good example of the good in the Call of Duty series. But, you also have to curb your enthusiasm and accept the fact that the remaster yanks the graphic in 2020, but not the gameplay. It is not continuing on the path of the reboot from last year, it is merely a remaster, but one that you should not miss.

At the end of the day, NHL 22 just feels like a transition to a kind of gameplay that would eventually feel even more real, probably not this year but in the upcoming releases. It’s still fun to play, and the graphics are clearly the best improvement on new-gen consoles, but otherwise, those who want to get the game on old-gen wouldn’t necessarily notice a massive refresh.

Spirit Mancer is a perfect example of an action platformer that nails the mechanics and the old-school feeling. The narrative is decent but not impressive, the presentation is colorful and bubbly, and the two main characters are heroic but also goofy. The action is fast and the monster capturing and summoning work well and gives players a way to boost their combat power when needed. This is a game designed for fans of this genre who aren’t looking for a lot of innovation. And players should be ready for long boss engagements with some significant difficulty increases. Spirit Mancer is best in coop, as long as at least one player is experienced, and its capture and summon mechanics are solid.

If you like city builders and you want to test yourself as you create the ultimate city, Memoriapolis has it all cut out for you. Yes, there are a few performance issues, and the learning curve is steep at times, but the game is a very competent city builder that carved its own niche, and which (I hope) will continue to grow with more maps, buildings and new features. But even now, with the 1.0 version, the game is totally worth checking out, especially if you enjoy city building and urban planning.

Legends of Eisenwald will certainly offer tens if not hundreds of hours of fun for those who are willing to understand its world and mechanics, and it will be interesting to see how the team at Aterdux expands the formula of the game in the future.

A Void Hope has a good narrative hook, deviating just enough from the real world to keep players interested. The platforming and puzzle elements are well-designed, with a focus on giving players tools to make progress rather than delivering complex and difficult challenges. Unfortunately, the mechanics do not evolve significantly, and the repetition is not engaging enough. The underdeveloped combat does not help and can be frustrating. A Void Hope is a good indie project that needs more variety to keep players immersed.

Elemental Exiles has good card-driven battles, although there’s not much that fans of this genre have not seen before. It is important to investigate card synergies and decide how to shape a deck to deal with big groups and bosses. The game gives players all the info they need to make good decisions and always feels fair. The shared map that all characters explore is a good one and it offers a good mix of narrative encounters, normal battles, and boss engagements. The unlockable heroes might take some time to find and defeat but all have interesting associated playstyles. Elemental Exiles has strong core mechanics and will satisfy anyone looking for variety and tense battles.

If you like walking simulators and deep stories, this game is right up your alley. The atmosphere and the visual style will engulf you completely, making it feel natural to ponder the philosophical questions raised by your trek through Regis III. But I can’t forget or forgive the deliberately snail like pace and cheap shots meant to extend a 4-hour experience into one that take 8 hours to finish. Despite the short length, the experience would have been much more enjoyable if it wouldn’t have been so diluted.

To End All Wars is a complex experience designed for an audience that has played AGEOD titles before and is familiar with the intricacies of warfare during World War I, and it can deliver some very satisfying variations on the real outcome of the conflict.

Normally, I’d say that Dawn of Ragnarok is just more Assassin’s Creed, but in a different environment and with different enemies. However, I do believe it’s time for Ubisoft to get rid of the Assassin’s Creed naming scheme from everything related to Eivor’s Viking saga. I think this is just piggybacking on the Assassin’s Creed franchise without bringing anything new into the mix. Despite all of that, Assassin’s Creed fans will find Dawn of Ragnarok an enjoyable experience. There are plenty of new activities and the main story is decent for the most part. The new powers look more impressive on paper rather than in-game, but props to Ubisoft for trying. My advice is to play this like a brand-new game rather than an Assassin’s Creed expansion, although it will be hard to get past the series’ dull grind mechanics, which are quite present in Dawn of Ragnarok too.

Sublevel Zero is a really good take on the genre pioneered by Descent. The roguelike mechanics are a bit punishing, but the gorgeous visuals and the procedurally generated levels manage to keep things fresh and get you to come back.

Sludge Life 2 takes the best ideas of the first game and improves on them all. There are more interesting characters to have conversations with, more hotel rooms filled with small but effective narrative moments, more spots to tag, and more ciggies to collect. There’s plenty of dark water under the hotel and weird vistas to photograph. The game’s presentation serves it well, although I wished the world changed as players tag and find new secrets. Sludge Life 2 doesn’t have the deepest gameplay in its genre or the most complex story, but its anarchic-punk-nicotine vibe is immersive and fun.

Despite its shortcomings, the story and the oppressing atmosphere of The Sinking City recommend it as one of the best Lovecraft inspired game to date. If you can get past the clunky combat and technical issues, there's much to like in The Sinking City.

I was really curious about Deliver Us the Moon on PS5, but after finishing it I am struggling to find anything good about it, beyond the obvious passion of the developers. It is not a bad game, but it is just flat, and it does not have anything memorable about it. It can be looked at as an interactive movie, but even then, I would not recommend it since there is nothing really thrilling about it. I would not recommend it even if you don’t have anything better to do on a weekend afternoon. You will get much more out of staring at the moon using a telescope than playing this flat game.

Tennis Manager 2022 is a solid entry into the sports management genre, but it needs to refine its mechanics to become a good fantasy fulfillment vehicle for tennis fans. The development team has put in the effort to gather and present information in useful ways, giving gamers plenty of ways to tweak tactics and motivate their players. Tournaments are well simulated, with stars reacting naturally when they hit a good or bad streak.

Blades of Fire might not revolutionize the genre, but it doesn’t need to. What it offers is a polished, confident, and deeply satisfying action experience grounded in clear design principles and executed with purpose. By drawing inspiration from giants of the genre and combining those ideas into a streamlined, compelling whole, MercurySteam has crafted a surprise that deserves attention. Whether you come for the satisfying weapon crafting, the intense yet accessible combat, or the story of rebellion and divine legacy, Blades of Fire delivers a memorable journey. It’s not bloated, it's not pretentious, it’s just good game design, executed with passion.

Sniper Elite 3 is a relatively fun niche shooter experience that improves some of the faults seen in its predecessors, particularly in regards to mission design and the open nature of levels. It's still weighed down by bugs, erratic AI, and a shoddy story, but it will certainly entertain fans of the franchise and those looking for a thinking man's shooter experience.

The locations and the puzzles of Rubble Without a Cause also feel a little uninspired and fail to match the exuberance of the previous modern adventures of Graham.

Knuckle Sandwich is clearly a love letter to classic 8-bit role-playing games but with a twist. Bright City has some interesting characters and interactions (I particularly love the washing machine save points). The story goes places. And the core mechanics are easy to learn and varied. The biggest issue is how difficult and repetitive combat can be, even with the many mini games thrown in. I genuinely think players should activate the Skip option as soon as they hit a roadblock and then use it liberally. Knuckle Sandwich is weird enough to be worth experiencing, even if its battle sequences aren’t always worth playing through.

If the idea of fruitless exploits and praying to RNGesus doesn't scare you, Crowntakers is a really pleasant experience, marrying exploration with tactical combat, all set in a lovely-looking world.

Sonic Frontiers tries too hard to please everyone and this is its biggest downfall. It can be completed in around 10-15 hours if you skip all the dialogues that feel like filler anyway. The rhythm is all over the place as is the difficulty level, but somehow the game manages to be fun. It is an open world game that has flaws and strengths equally but is fun, nonetheless. What's even more painful is Sonic Frontiers is far even from an AA game, even though it pretends to be much more than this. Despite all the fun, I can't help but feel that Sonic would deserve more, just like his fans. That's not to say that some won't enjoy Sonic Frontiers, it's just that the franchise doesn't seem like it's going into the right direction.

Starship Troopers: Terran Command shows how hard it can be to use a cult status intellectual property and make a good video game out of it. The core mechanics are solid, but the narrative is mediocre, and the presentation fails to impress. There’s fun in finding new ways to kill bugs but there’s not enough variety. The game lacks multiplayer. The development team at The Artistocrats played it too safe. The idea that unit positioning is crucial should have been explored in greater depth, alongside the combined arms elements. Terran Command offers a solid strategy experience but I would not recommend it to anyone who is not a fan of Starship Troopers.

If you're looking for a turn-based strategy game set in a dystopian world where you won't feel attached by your characters and don't need to pay attention to the story, Deep Sky Derelicts has a lot to offer. Keep in mind though that while it's easy to pick up, Snowhound Games' title is hard to master.

Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny does a great job at updating a rather old game with an outdated gameplay. They don’t mess up the things that made this game amazing at launch, instead they focus on modernizing and enhancing it as much as possible. And it shows, the developers used a lot of care and attention to update the game for new audiences, while also keeping the original intact, so even old school fans will enjoy it.

Batman: Arkham Knight is a decent entry in the series that, while innovative in some areas, is weighed down by the cumbersome Batmobile. Once the huge PC performance issues are solved by Rocksteady, it certainly has the potential for an enjoyable experience. Until then, though, our verdict is to skip it.

Haunted House is a very challenging roguelite game, that needs a lot of patience, not just for the gameplay mechanics, but also to stomach the bugs and start all over again if needed. It is a great upgrade over the original game, that emphasizes stealth and a tactical approach, but can feel grindy. If you are looking for a game to entertain you for Halloween or for a roguelite that will test your mettle, Haunted House is a great choice. But if you do not have the patience to try over and over again, many times not because of your fault, you will only experience frustration.

I’ve always wanted to play a tactical Viking-focused game, and NORSE: Oath of Blood manages to bring that idea to life. Creating a Viking settlement, embarking on missions and slowly expanding the story are all things that the game does very well. The same thing is valid when it comes to combat. The battles are engaging, there’s plenty of tactical depth, and you also have enemy variety as well. It’s not as long as many other turn-based titles, and it’s more story-focused, which can be a great upside for many players. Unfortunately, at least at launch, NORSE: Oath of Blood suffers from performance problems, including cutscene stuttering and issues like pop-in. Hopefully, these issues will be fixed soon, because the game shows a lot of promise.

Ronin is a good, engaging and often difficult game that will certainly appeal to those who are intrigued by the mix of stealth, sword killing, and impressive jumps.

Road Not Taken might not have too much in common with the Frost-written poem with which it shares a name, but it does manage to deliver a meditation on the value of choices and the importance of making the right ones, while also offering the player a complex layer of actual game mechanics to explore.

Super Galaxy Squadron is a solid shoot'em up/bullet hell hybrid that manages to feel welcoming to newcomers but also challenging to veterans. The variety of ships, the great endless mode, and the interesting story campaign make its downsides fade away.

Dungeons 2 is nowhere near the level I wanted it to be. It would have been nice to see an evolution of the dungeon management genre that takes things to the level of complexity of city-builders like Pharaoh or Zeus...Instead, the title is a low complexity strategy game with some real-time strategy mechanics, providing a fun experience if you’re looking for something that could be described as a modern day Dungeon Keeper.

Garden Story is not actually about gardening, in the Stardew Valley sense, and that’s great. The story is about growing friendships and the organic development of communities. The mechanics are good enough to keep players engaged with the world. The stakes are never high. Concord doesn’t shine as a protagonist but the world around him is colorful and fun, a good reason to spend 15 minutes at the end of the day doing a little work to make it even better for everybody else. But longer sessions with the game tend to reveal that there’s a lot of repetition, especially when it comes to the action parts. And if the friendly spell of the world-building breaks it can be hard to go back and pick Garden Story up again. The team at Picogram has a good instinct for universe development and cuteness hooks but they do need to put some extra time into creating a better gameplay loop for their unique universe.

I did not love the experience of playing this Subliminal title. The game is too focused on backtracking through the various areas to complete quests and side activities. Button City is, probably, a good game for younger players who might not have engaged with the genres it replicates in the arcade. Play it with a kid if you are a parent and tell them there are better versions of everything they see here out there to try and master. But the developers are good at creating a game world that draws evokes nostalgia. Their characters are fun and whimsical, although they do need more depth. Button City is a limited video game but, if the studio focuses on its strengths, it can surely create a world where the gameplay and the world are better synchronized.

Mothmen 1966 is the first of three interactive adventures called Pixel Pulps, and it certainly makes me want to check out the other two whenever they’ll be out. The writing is good, the characters are decently fleshed out, and the sound adds to tension. Although the soundtrack is a mixed bag, it's by no means bad. If you’re looking for a short sci-fi story with some horror elements and good writing, Mothmen 1966 is more than serviceable. Even though some choices lead to different outcomes, these are too minor to warrant another second playthrough, unless you want to know every bit of lore.

The Executive - Movie Industry Tycoon is a good movie-making business simulation that doesn’t do anything particularly original. The setup is simple, and the movie-making progress has been distilled into a loop that gives gamers crucial decisions to make. The experience isn’t turn-based but manages to successfully create the same feeling of “just one more” movie. The presentation, with its bright colors and easy-to-understand interface, adds to the immersion. Over time, the mechanical limitations and the repetitive nature become clearer. The Executive - Movie Industry Tycoon works best in small doses and as long as players see the process of making a movie as more than a series of choices to repeat until they get the expected result.

Super Meat Boy Forever is not a bad game but it feels like a regression from the original, which was just as tough but offered more options for players willing to try and get past the many obstacles the game threw at them. Fans of the concept will appreciate the unyielding difficulty and the lack of ways to tweak it. But given the changes to the mechanics, it would be nice to see Team Meat make their new title easier to appreciate with less frustration.

The graphics style, soundtrack, general direction of the story and the crude and extremely politically unfriendly dialogue makes the game stay true to its intentions. While the controls may not be the best, the story and dialogue stay the same, and if that's what you're in for, then that will just be a minor oversight.

Anomaly Defenders is a good final hurrah for the tower defense series from 11 Bit Studios. It has gorgeous maps, fun and hectic gameplay, and a lot of strategic opportunities via the deployable powers and the complex tech tree. What's more, the difficulty modes that affect the layout of the maps are quite impressive.

Overall, Strayed Lights is an enjoyable experience as long as you’re not expecting another challenging soulslike game. The eerie atmosphere, gorgeous visuals and outstanding soundtrack make it stand out from the plethora of action-adventure games. Its only fault is that character progression and combat are too simple, so the gameplay can quickly become repetitive. Despite having built a beautiful world, there’s really no exploration incentive and most of the landscapes are empty and devoid of life.

The clunky controls, the camera control of the alien ship, the overcomplicated UI along with the already mentioned shortcomings are the heritage of a long-gone era. Destroy All Humans! to be considered truly a remake would have needed updated gameplay, not just graphics. Despite these issues, Destroy All Humans! keeps its charm and unique appeal. If you can overlook the obsolete mechanics and level design, the adventures of Crypto are actually fun. Thanks to the budget-friendly price tag, the game can be recommended to those who finished games like Maneater and are looking to a new dose of mayhem.

Highwater could be the dictionary example of an indie game: it is based on a trending topic with social implications, it marches to its own tune without trying to fit into one specific genre, it has a distinctive visual and musical style that build a great atmosphere, and the developers cannot be bothered to fix the bugs they left in the game. It is an artistic production and a social statement that would badly need some polishing and fixing to be a completely enjoyable video game. By smoothing down the edges it can become the atmospheric trip the developers imagined, and the magic wouldn’t be broken by the hiccups.

Atomic Heart has all the premises for a great game. That is why so frustrating that Mundifsh dropped the ball by trying to do too much, and botching up some gameplay mechanics, and also by releasing a game that desperately would have needed more time for fixing the bugs that poison the experience. And while the latter can be solved through patches, some peculiar game design choices and compromises take away from the overall value. The vibes of the game are great, but when you look beyond the atmosphere you will find flaws that are much more than simple nuisances. Still, despite the disappointment, Atomic Heart is worth playing and hopefully marks the start of a new franchise, that will give the developers the chance to produce a sequel that rises to the level of expectations.

Ultimately, Gex Trilogy feels like a product designed more to honor the past than to ignite a new future for the franchise. It’s a loving archival effort that will undoubtedly please those who grew up with the sarcastic lizard, but it’s unlikely to convert new fans unfamiliar with his antics. With platforming having evolved significantly since Gex’s heyday, these titles feel more like relics — albeit entertaining ones — than evergreen classics. Gex Trilogy isn’t a reinvention; it’s a digital museum exhibit. Polished just enough to be playable by today’s standards, it offers a fun — if dated — experience for retro enthusiasts and collectors. But outside of nostalgia, its appeal is limited. A charming preservation effort, not a platforming revival.

Game of Thrones - The Ice Dragon is a good closing chapter for the first season of the video game, managing to deliver some satisfying final moments for the main protagonists and to confound the expectations of players to some extent.

The sense of exploration is the main draw, although the downtime between action sequences might be a little annoying to many.

Ultimately, Vampyr is definitely a game worth playing, even if just for the moral choices and the fine character building Dontnod managed to achieve. Don't get this one if you're expecting a combat-heavy RPG with your favorite vampire character.

It cannot be denied that Spellforce III was launched more than five years ago and the new release while not bad at all shows its age. The good news is that with the DLCs included, the countless patches have been implemented as well, so the Reforced edition offers the best experience. The new crafting system is also a welcome addition, just as the possibility to upload your own maps into Journey mode. The main issue remains the control scheme. That said, if you are curious about the result of mixing RTS and RPG, I can only recommend the console version of Spellforce III Reforced only if you don’t own a PC.

Is Architect Life a game that can be used by real-life architects? Obviously, many aspects pertaining to an architect’s job are simplified, but the framework is there, and you can build some amazing places. I like the interface and building toolkit, not to mention the visuals are delightful and fit the game’s vibe and atmosphere. I think comparing this to “The Sims” is fair, but here you just focus on the building aspect, and Architect Life excels at it. Unlike games such as House Flipper or The Sims, here you don’t focus on buying/flipping houses or simulating people’s lives inside a home. Instead, Architect Life gives us some insight into how architects work, while allowing home designers to bring their craziest home ideas to life. The building tools are awesome, and the art style is stunning, not to mention you can play the career mode to challenge yourself or just go full-on creative mode for some relaxing builds.

The Create-A-Sim and Build Mode systems are much more accessible yet offer a lot of depth for those that desire it. Sims are smart, can multitask, and interact in lots of nifty ways. However, there are still plenty of missing core items while the existing set of options are limited, to say the least, no doubt to ensure that the upcoming expansions bring lots of highly desirable things.

Unity is a good step in the series, managing to successfully overhaul most of the core mechanics. However, a lot of polishing is needed in terms of freerunning or stealth to make it all work as intended. The co-op is pretty fun, but be careful of the pretty common frame drops, errors, and annoying missions, as they can really pull you out of the experience.

The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales relies on an intriguing concept, and for the most part is quite enjoyable. The adventure sequences are immersive and motivate you to push forward and discover more. The game becomes even more remarkable if we take into account that it has been developed by a team of four people. However, I believe that instead of investing effort in building the combat system, the studio’s time could have been better used to polish the story. Nevertheless, The Boolkwaker: Thief of Tales is a solid adventure that will most certainly keep you engaged from start to finish.

Despite its shortcomings, the game remains a well put together jump and run that can be finished in a weekend if you want to find all the collectibles, or in around 10 hours if you’d rather focus only on the main story. The costumes are the best example of the game trying successfully to be a fanservice experience, and it works for the most part.

The developers of Ad Infinitum seem to have spent too much time on developing the atmosphere and the game itself. It is a completely linear experience, with plenty of bugs that often make progress impossible, if things do not happen according to the script. Because of that, it becomes increasingly frustrating to explore the levels in order to puzzle together the story. Also, once you pique behind the curtains and understand the mechanisms that break down so often, the magic is gone. The plenty of bugs and concept errors ruin what could have been a memorable experience.

I enjoyed TRON: Catalyst a lot, as it feels like a great successor to older titles like TRON: Evolution, while still being able to stand on its own. The story is clever, it has many twists and turns, and the gameplay is simplistic, accessible, with some challenges sprinkled here and there for good measure. Plus, there’s plenty of stuff for completionists to find, if you can get past the lightcycle controls and other issues. TRON: Catalyst manages to deliver on its promise, while offering an enthralling, visually striking and story-focused adventure through the Grid.

Affogato mixes two ideas that don’t normally belong together. The puzzle-style, card-driven reverse tower defense is pretty unique as an idea but suffers from a lack of variety and some difficulty spikes. The developers need to consider a sequel that focuses on this side of the game to explore its potential. Unfortunately, the coffee-making fails to deliver the same excitement level. All the character moments and conversations could have existed without the drink-making part. The game’s story doesn’t have many surprises but the relationship between Affogato and Mephista has enough charm to power the game.

Clandestine takes a great idea, the fact that spying is a two-man job, and delivers carefully balanced gameplay mechanics, both for the field operative and the hacker, that are easy to understand but hard to master.

I enjoyed my time with Star Overdrive, I think this is the best hoverboarding experience I have found in a game until now. The controls are very slick, and being able to customize the hoverboard is a lot of fun. Combat is ok, not too complex, but enough to keep you interested as you focus on finishing the game. When it comes to the story, I liked it, but I know it won’t be for everyone. However, chances are that if you play this game, you’re most likely doing it for riding a hoverboard and killing enemies. I am sure that for a lot of players, hoverboarding will take center stage, with the story being just an excuse to progress and upgrade your hoverboard. Star Overdrive has its shortcomings, but as a complete package, it’s a nice adventure for 10-12 hours, and a great excuse to peruse a beautifully designed alien world with a hoverboard.

All in all, Wolfenstein: Young Blood is by far the most disappointing of the series, and it disappoints as a game in general. More so, if you’re a fan of the series, don’t force yourself to try it for the sake of nostalgia, as it has almost nothing “Wolfenstein-ish” left in it.

A solid debut of this spinoff mini-series.

Darkestville Castle is an overdose of nostalgia and pointing and clicking. It is far from being a remarkable production, but it can be fun for the fans of the genre. It presents no challenges, but it can fill a rainy afternoon when you need a quick and easy way to improve your mood.

Crime O'Clock offers a great time-traveling detective experience and shows what skilled developers can achieve while re-inventing a classic mechanic. All its five era locations are attractive, packed with interesting characters, tons of details, and some truly weird ideas. The black and white look and the colorful case touches complement each other well. The point-and-click gameplay is simple to understand, and there’s a solid hint system that will ensure fans never get frustrated when they simply cannot locate someone or something. Some of the mini-games do get repetitive. Crime O'Clock is an excellent game, relaxing, respectful of the player’s time, and stunning in its attention to detail.

Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a memorable game, maybe the best produced so far by Frogwares. It is not a classical adventure game, rather an open world Victorian tour de force in the early days of the most famous detective. As such it is not easy, mainly because the developers decided to let players figure out how a detective’s mind works. You must have patience and pay attention in order to figure out the Holmes family secret. But it is a rewarding journey, one that will make you feel invested in it. It might not be a perfect game, nor a AAA title, but it is fun and well crafted.

Overall, Cris Tales is a charming tale, a great JRPG, and a memorable experience, with plenty of replay value. The characters are endearing, while the story is based on the innocence of childhood. It is almost like a time travel experience taking you back to when your parents used to read you bedtime stories. You can feel that the team poured their heart and soul into the game making it a game that will convince everyone willing to try it, even if they usually do not like JRPGs. It has some issues and for some, the visuals might be too colorful or cheerful, but it is an adventure worth playing through.

Kingdom of the Dead is the work of a developer who understands what makes classic first-person shooters so fun and captivating. The game is unafraid to be a little unfair. It takes skill to chain headshots, it is hard to deal with big groups of mixed enemies, especially on the higher difficulties. But it feels very good when you ace a boss fight with just a bit of health left over.

Freaking Meatbags is a fun combination of the tower defense and real-time strategy genres. Throw in the witty dialog, the lovely visuals, not to mention the crazy combinations possible when it comes to DNA splicing between humans and aliens, and you'll be quite entertained with it.

Despite its many shortcomings, the few interesting ideas that the game brings up, as well as the beautiful art direction and surprisingly good soundtrack, save Rebel Cops from mediocrity.

Pro Cycling Manager 2021 is not a game I would recommend right now, especially given the recent history of the franchise. Wait for a few patches and one big community mod delivery. The core gameplay has not evolved in any major way and the additions feel half-baked. The presentation is pretty much the same, with minor tweaks.

Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles is a great showcase for its world and has some nifty mechanics for both tower development and exploration. I once invested an uninterrupted 20 minutes simply placing foundations and balconies for a stone tower that served as the anchor for a couple of ports, simply to improve the architecture of that island. Unfortunately, the beauty of all these spires and walkways cannot compensate for a certain sense of aimlessness. The three campaigns don’t feel too different, and combat is too automated to feel interesting. Like its massive towers, Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles has good foundations but it doesn’t offer something engaging to build towards.

Sword of the Necromancer is a game that will scratch a very particular itch for fans of rogue-lite experiences that feature more narrative than the genre is known for. The gameplay mechanics deliver one cool idea, the monster resurrection, but fail to make full use of it, especially when players need to deal with bosses or the more capable enemies of later levels. I wanted the game to give me more reasons to use the monsters I revived, to understand them, to build strategies around the ones I chose to carry around. The development team clearly understands how important is to ground players into a narrative. But they need to make sure that there’s deeper integration between the world and the gameplay to create a successful rogue-lite. Right now Sword of the Necromancer is like one of its monsters, intriguing at first but quickly dropped when it no longer seems useful.

Reveil is a walking simulator, but it is a remarkable one. Yes, the puzzles are simple, but they are balanced by the game world full of things to explore and find. There is no monotonous pace, and the stealth and chase sections are more than just tense or strained, featuring a few truly scary moments. It may be short, but the story with its unexpected twists, the multiple settings and the constant questioning of what is real and what can you believe from what you go through, makes it a worthwhile experience for all the fans of adventure and horror games.

Batora: Lost Haven is a competent and mostly enjoyable action game. It has one big idea, the two natures of both Avril and her enemies, but never uses it in any truly unique ways. After a few hours, only the boss battles manage to break up the monotony. The puzzle element of the game is mostly filler. Avril and Mira make a good pair of protagonists but the rest of the narrative is not as exciting. Batora: Lost Haven needs to be more daring with its unique idea when it comes to both combat and puzzles.

The Invisible Hand could have been a great if simplistic stock trading-focused game, if it dropped the satire elements, choosing to focus on how the market can be manipulated and on how rivalries develop between traders. The title could also have been a solid satire of modern wild capitalism and the way it lacks morals or compassion if it allowed itself to invest more in relationships and good dialogue and less in the actual stock-based gameplay. The problem is that the development team wants to deliver on both concepts and fails to reach the potential of either of them. The limited appeal of the presentation does not help with either of them.

Slave Zero X is a deep brawler that rewards players who take the time to understand all its systems and then mix and match attacks and abilities depending on the situation. Bosses are difficult and the game has no difficulty toggles, although investing in biomecha upgrades can help. The game’s presentation is designed to take players back to the 90s and the narrative has both great bombastic speeches and touching moments. Slave Zero X can be overwhelming but I like spending time with it in short sessions, clearing one level, pondering whether to unlock a costume or actually buy an upgrade.

Although the developers are still tweaking the game, the steep learning curve and initial frustration at not being able to kill opponents in a timely manner, while at the same time seeing someone simply one-shot you are still things that need to be taken care of for the long-term health of Minimum.

The inclusion of all DLC tracks and customization features, as well as new exclusive ones, make the game even more desirable since you have a lot of terrains to explore. Overall, MX vs ATV All Out Anniversary Edition is a worthy way of celebrating one year since the original launch of the game, and fans of the genre will squeeze quite a few hours out of this title.