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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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