The Banner Saga 2 is a very solid sequel, improving both on the story and the gameplay mechanics of the first title in the series, with the only major downside being the fact that newcomers will have to play or read about the first title to have a clear idea about the narrative and the choices that they will have to make.

PowerWash Simulator 2 is a game that’s definitely suitable for those who want a soothing, relaxing time when playing games. It’s colorful, it’s fun to play, and it gives you a way to unwind after a long day. It doesn’t have challenging gameplay, tons of monsters or a plethora of quests, like many other games do. But don’t get us wrong, it knows very well what it wants to be, and it caters to the right audience for that. The visuals are great, the multiplayer aspect they have here is exceptional, and the game continues to offer interesting places and items for you to clean. It’s, overall, a mesmerizing, very enjoyable and downright fun experience that everyone should try out for themselves. Yes, it might not be for everyone, but those chill gamers looking to unwind will find this their go-to. I can see people spending dozens or even hundreds of hours cleaning stuff, just because PowerWash Simulator 2 is so fulfilling and rewarding.

Expelled! might be built on the bones of Overboard! but it manages to improve on it both mechanically and in terms of story. Verity is a great protagonist, and the many mysteries linked to the characters and the school itself are a pleasure to unravel. A run can end in 15 minutes and in utter failure but still feel like progress. The idea that turning more towards evil opens up new options is a good one but simply choosing the red option to get results sometimes feels artificial. And the characters are strong enough that I wanted to interact with more of them. Expelled! doesn’t innovate mechanically but the narrative is engrossing and fun, with a great heroine at its core.

Playing SUPERHOT is fun even when I constantly fail because I know the game is now cheating in any way and that next time I have a chance to be more stylish, better prepared, smarter and faster to reach a new high score in Endless Mode or deal with another of the challenges.

Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions has an emotional premise and some charming character interactions, although the narrative is not very deep. The turn-based combat scenarios move fast, which is great given their repetitive nature. Boss characters are well-designed and create some interesting tactical puzzles. House exploration is disappointing, with very limited interactions that only yield stickers and short comments. The developers should have also found ways to add more innovation to the combat, especially when it comes to character moves. Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions is a fun adventure for anyone who knows and likes the featured companions but has limited appeal for non-fans.

I had an excellent time playing Hell Clock, especially as a fan of Diablo, Titan Quest and other ARPGs. The fact that it also has a Hades-like gameplay makes it even more interesting, and the Brazilian-focused story and characters certainly help the game stand out. It’s definitely a one-of-a-kind roguelike, and one where you want to continue progressing through the story as much as possible. Aside from that, the gameplay is intense, and the level-tiered system where you have a boss every 3 major levels is incredibly addicting. Plus, you can start collecting gear and artifacts, which for me was a delight. It’s certainly a lot of fun, especially if you like the ARPG loop. I always wanted a good combination between Diablo and roguelikes, and I think Hell Clock nails that. It’s fun, intense, you have tons of loot, great music and an interesting story, so for me, it feels like the complete package, if you’re into this genre.

The story is masterfully crafted and it's complemented by very well thought out game mechanics, very detailed graphics, and challenging gameplay, that never feels like a chore. This is maybe one of the greatest merits of Desperados III, even when it makes you sweat and go back to the drawing board, it remains fun and never becomes a dull repetition of the same actions. Although it's priced as a triple-A game, the content it offers makes it an experience you should not miss. If you were a fan of the original game, Desperados III is the sequel you have been waiting for since 2001.

Howl is very good without being too complex. It’s turn-based tactical gameplay has depth, designed to satisfy fans of this genre, but is accessible enough for newcomers. And the narrative elements are strong enough to keep both groups engaged, trying to collect as much confidence and skulls to open up new options. If a battle becomes frustrating, try as many different approaches as possible first but don’t hesitate to activate the Assist mode before frustration sets in. Howl is a great experience because it blends strong narrative and engaging combat in interesting ways.

As a whole, I found Crashlands 2 to deliver that quirky, beautiful and engaging isometric survival experience I always wanted. I enjoyed the first one quite a lot, but I can happily say this new one blows it out of the water. The plot is great, the game is easy to get into, and there’s plenty of replay value, along with some cool end-game activities you can do over and over. Knowing how the devs continually updated the first game, I am expecting great things to come for Crashlands 2 in the future as well. Even if it would remain in this state, this is the quintessential survival experience that everyone should try. I guarantee you’ll die laughing, while also feeling the need to explore this eye-catching alien world for at least 1 more hour.

Backfirewall_ has a unique premise and uses it pretty well, creating a variety of puzzles linked to the smartphone as a world. The game’s many quirky characters and moments create a weird universe and manage to generate emotions. But the puzzle-driven gameplay is what will keep players engaged. The game will never deliver the highs of something like Portal but it tries to move the first-person puzzle genre forward. It achieves that by mixing puzzles and narrative efficiently. Backfirewall_ is enjoyable and I especially appreciate the variety of puzzles it can pack in relatively small spaces.

Achilles: Survivor adopts a relatively safe approach, adopting most elements of the survival action genre with no tweaks and adding one big new concept. The idea of gathering stone to set up turrets is interesting and creates some cool tactical possibilities. Depending on their chosen hero, players can create a variety of builds and then deploy turrets to keep the monster hordes at bay. But this new idea isn’t enough to make the rest of the mechanics less repetitive. It doesn’t help that the fictional universe doesn’t do anything interesting with its Greek inspiration. Achilles: Survivor will give fans of its genre hours of combat fun, but might struggle to appeal to anyone who hasn’t played Vampire Survivors or its many clones.

Hero’s Hour shows how compelling and fun the Heroes of Might & Magic formula can be when a developer gets the core mechanics right. It takes a little time to get used to the real-time battles and the limited direct control, but the formula works well and delivers interesting choices and solid challenges. There’s a lot of variety when it comes to both maps and setup options, while the AI knows how to play to win. The only thing I feel is missing is a core campaign that uses the mechanics and the factions. Even without it, players who love the genre will spend a lot of time exploring the variety on offer and finding the best strategic approach for each side. Hero’s Hour might seem derivative at first but it is a joy to play.

Aether & Iron is one of the most atmospheric video games I've played in recent memory. Even characters who show up for a scene or two seem to have an inner life, and the aether-powered New York is an excellent example of alternate history. After a while, I started playing in shorter sessions, completing only two or three quests at a time, to extend my time with the game. Car combat is a good gameplay system, adding variety and tension, but the mechanics do not match the storytelling. The vehicle customization is a little fiddly, while the idea of environmental dangers for flying cars is a little incongruous. These are minor issues for Aether & Iron, which is impressive in its ability to marry a cool world and strong characters with decent, if not innovative, gameplay.

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

There is no doubt The Outer Worlds is almost a masterpiece. Sure, it could use some work here and there, but it's a perfect delivery system for the hungry human imagination that longs for the stars.

Cult of the Lamb has all the elements it needs to succeed in the modern action and rogue space. All combat mechanics are tight, the premise is weird but easy to grasp, and almost every action the player engages in has a clear payoff. I like the way being a good cult leader makes it easier to deal with combat sequences, powering a cool feedback loop. The biggest issue is that, for all its wealth of ideas, the game emphasizes spectacle over substance. And it’s a good and fun spectacle but many fans of this mix of genres might find it shallow. Cult of the Lamb makes a great first impression but it’s left to the players to discover whether it has staying power.

Children of Morta is one of the best rogulite games I played in a while, so I can't recommend it enough to those who love the genre. It's easy to pick up and the story, even though it's a bit on the generic side, will keep you hooked till the end (yes, there's actually an end to the story).

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

For what is worth, The Banners Saga 3 is a fitting end for a great adventure that's meant to highlight the qualities and downsides of the human spirit: sacrifice, love, heroism, friendship vs. malice, hate, thirst for power, cowardice. The story and the objective in The Banner Saga 3 doesn't change, it only becomes bleaker and more intense. On top of that, the sense of hopelessness and despair is present now more than ever, making The Banner Saga 3 a journey full of angst and melancholy.

The game does justice to the franchise by not changing any of the mechanics that made it so loved by fans, while allowing you to delve deeper into the protagonists murky past. The new missions, game modes, and replayability will have you glued to your console for hours on end, and when you'll finally earn that last achievement, you'll still feel like playing some more!

Sam and Max Beyond Space and Time Remastered targets the same audience as the Save the World Remaster. The same developers, the same recipe, the same heroes and references. So, there was little chance for things to go off-track. Still, Sam and Max Beyond Space and Time Remastered is a precious lesson in how a remaster should be put together. Without altering too much the original content, the developers managed to make the game feel relevant and modern. Just as the previous remaster, this one is mandatory for the nostalgic and the point and click fans.

The Last Spell is a great package, integrating great core combat mechanics with both management and plenty of progression opportunities. Trying to take down mutant waves by using the minimum amount of resources, while pondering what upgrades can improve character performance never gets old. The title’s mix of chaos and control delivers plenty of tense moments. The meta-progression also works, although there were times when I found the pace a little slow. The Last Spell is polished, fun, and challenging, offering hours and hours of tough decisions and difficult yet enjoyable battles. [Early Access Provisional Score = 90]

The Lullaby of Life is pleasant and relaxing, a perfect game to unwind after a long day of trying to learn complex mechanics or tackle massive bosses. Its setting and its characters are colorful while the story is mostly suggested. The sound-driven puzzles gently increase in complexity, but the focus is not on difficulty.

Synergy puts an interesting new spin on some well-known gameplay mechanics. I like how alien the world feels and the way the systems encourage players to pay attention and discover ways to exploit the environment without destroying it. Sure, sometimes water is needed fast and gourds should be ripped out of the ground, but that doesn’t translate into a solid production chain. The game also looks great, with a unique art style and a lot of attention to detail. Tighter integration between the environmental analysis and the expeditions would have been cool. Synergy’s systems have depth, the scenarios are challenging, and the mechanics offer just the right mix of familiar and innovative.

Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping is a nice detective game that plays everything a little too safe. The idea of taking the hero out of the city is a good one and I like all the characters. Some very high stakes emerge later in the narrative that feel unearned, but I mostly like the light tone and the way characters interact with each other. The investigation process, with its focus on getting the words needed to fill in a sentence, is well-structured. But I wanted to see at least one new way of interacting with the environment to pick up clues. Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping will deliver new fun mysteries for those who played the first title in the series.

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

Crown Gambit is one of the rare video games that effectively combines a gripping story and engaging gameplay. The premise is a little familiar but the title, while borrowing from popular culture, focuses on three very likable characters and spins plenty of narrative threads smartly. Choices matter and replaying to test different paths is viable. The card-focused battles are fast and varied. The many boss engagements and the artifact fights ask players to carefully consider each hero’s abilities and when to dip into artifact use. Crown Gambit has only one slightly annoying idea, the chases, but all its other ideas work together beautifully to tell a good story using solid mechanics.

When all is said and done, we can only marvel at what Konami is doing with PES, despite being the underdog. The latest eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 is fun and great to play, and that’s always what people truly want.