Those who’ve been playing the recent releases will find NBA 2K23 more of an update to the previous version rather than a completely new iteration of a popular franchise. And they wouldn’t be wrong. 2K has tried to polish the best parts of the game, while also reducing the focus on the ones that don’t seem to be praised as much as others. Eventually, NBA 2K23 is a game that will still keep you entertained for some time, though the lack of a more massive overhaul will probably upset way too many fans of the franchise.

Broken Pieces has a decent narrative and puzzles that mostly make sense, with a camera system designed to evoke nostalgia. But the combat sections, few as they are, are mediocre and players need to quickly become invested in the story to keep moving forward, finding puzzle solutions, and returning to their home before 8 PM. The experience would have benefited from less reliance on cassette tapes. I also wanted to get more of a sense of how Elise is emotionally affected by everything that’s happening. Broken Pieces shows that a small team can deliver an engaging, tight experience but the game needs better integration between its narrative and gameplay.

In between silly remarks, turn-based combat and puzzle solving, Sunday Gold provides enough entertainment to keep you going until the end, which is probably around 12-15 hours if you figure out the puzzles and finish the boss fights faster. Sunday Gold is a hybrid of two genres, point & click adventure and turn-based RPG, that simply works. It doesn’t make everything perfect, but at least it comes up with some interesting ideas that could be refined in a future title. BKOM’s game is trying to do something different and, partly, it succeeds. I enjoyed many parts of the game and some of the mechanics, and the story, while pretty generic, it did make me feel like I’m playing in a Guy Ritchie movie. Ultimately, Sunday Gold is entertaining and that’s what I expect from a game, so I consider this a successful experiment.

Unfortunately, limited player involvement is much clearer on the PC. I liked the concept, I liked the setup, and I was looking forward to seeing what the hollow Earth had to offer. But I never felt involved in the action and failed to connect with the universe. Little Orpheus has solid production values but needed more and better gameplay to link player and character, to drive a feeling of accomplishment into the experience.

Betrayal at Club Low might not the best-looking game and its gameplay might sometimes feel limited or unfair. But the game has plenty of weirdness, a clear goal, great moments, and the ability to get players to explore, take risks, and deal with failure. A small universe and well-defined mechanics make this one of the first titles I have played through three times (with another run planned) in quite some time. The title could benefit from a decrease in the difficulty of the first sequence before gamers actually get into the club, but its other limitations are clear and well-communicated. I encourage players who like a good narrative and dice-focused gameplay to get past the limited graphics and potential initial failures to see as much as possible of what Betrayal at Club Low has to offer.

Steelrising is an interesting take on the soulslike formula. Exploring the French Revolution in the body of an automat is definitely something that I never thought I’d enjoy. However, while things look promising on paper, the execution is quite poor. Although I did enjoy the combat and level design, I can’t get past many of all the technical issues the game still has on PlayStation 5. Even after two patches, the game still crashes after a few hours and there’s nothing you can do. There are a few other minor bugs present that don’t really take away from the experience, but it does make it clear that Steelrising needed more polish before release.

Lovecraft’s Untold Stories 2 has an inspired mix of narrative and presentation, with decent gameplay but somehow it is constantly under-delivering. There’s not enough madness to be found, players spend too much time picking stuff up rather than investigating weirdness, and the world is too normal to keep players moving forward. The developers at Blini Games need to find ways to tweak the familiar action RPG formula in surprising ways. A player who really loves Lovecraft or the game’s mechanics will have fun with it. Lovecraft’s Untold Stories 2 needs to be friendlier to newcomers and more engaging to draw in players.

Foretales manages to be both innovative in its gameplay and deliver an engaging story, a rare combination in the world of card-driven video games. It’s fast-paced, asks players to think about actions and consequences, and deals with the fate of the world and with more personal relationships. The combination of systems might be a little overwhelming initially, but it only takes about an hour before the game reveals its depth and variety. The developers at Alkemi have created a deep game that encourages players to think outside the box and minimize casualties as much as possible. Foretales will reward players for giving it their time and energy.

It’s hard to judge NHRA Speed for All based purely on the gameplay experience, pretty much because this would make it one of the most disappointing releases of the year. So while the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired, let’s applaud the well-built career, which aside from the lack of an option to skip the dialogues, actually comes with lots of tutorials to introduce beginners into the world of NHRA. But at the end of the day, NHRA Speed for All feels like a half-baked game that’s still in development, and which is currently out for beta testers only. Well, it’s not, and if you want the PS5 version, you need to pay $79.99 for the Ultimate Edition.

Legends of Kingdom Rush is a competent if unimaginative experience. The universe has some quirks, but most players will be able to instantly tell the inspiration for each character or enemy. The mechanics are decent and deliver some tense battle moments, but there’s nothing inherently new to engage with. The gamer looks pretty good and makes sure players have all the details they need to make the best tactical choice but there’s not much personality for characters or bosses. The genre Legends of Kingdom Rush is working in is a very crowded one and, while fans of the series will certainly appreciate what the title has to offer, the lack of innovation means that other players don’t have too many reasons to play it.

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.

Hard West II, just like the predecessor, is the living proof that there’s life after XCOM too. Although the game could do with a bit more weapons, in between the multiple abilities and poker cards system, it offers enough variation to warrant a full playthrough. If you’re a fan of turn-based strategy games, Hard West II is a no brainer. The game does what it sets out to do, despite lacking deeper RPG elements and some balancing issues. I also loved the voice-acting and the overall presentation of the game. I’d like to see more of the latter in small budget titles, it shouldn’t be that hard to achieve. Play this if you love XCOM, but don’t play it like XCOM!

Everything from characters, soundtrack, story and voice acting is absolutely stellar. If you can get past the outdated graphics, all I can promise you is that this game hits like a truck and charms like a beautiful sunset. There’s no doubt about it, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is truly a masterpiece, and I’m very curious where the folks at Monolith Soft will be going next with the series.

XEL is a game that understands its genre, but the development team fails to see that solid innovation is required to compete, given how crowded it is. The basic exploration and combat work well and the time stuff is an interesting addition. But much more is needed to get players interested and to keep them playing. But the biggest issue with XEL is the fact that it has bugs and glitches that force players to replay already uninteresting sections of a level. Getting stuck on a bit of geometry and having no solution but to reload kills interest in a title faster than the lack of inspiration. Once the technical issues are fixed and for a player who is a major fan of action and exploration and has finished other titles in the genre, XEL might be worth picking up on sale.

Scathe is a good first-person shooter for anyone who loves the genre and appreciates a challenge. The story is good enough and the combat feels visceral. Moving through the same rooms can become repetitive but the FPS mechanics are good enough to keep players engaged. I would have liked for the game to offer at least another difficulty level. Frustration can also appear if the re-spawn puts the player in the middle of a big fight, with no way out. But, overall, Scathe understands what makes an FPS tick and adds enough new ideas to keep fans engaged.

Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed remains a good example about how a remake should look and feel. Although part of the PS2 era, the game has aged well, and it remains largely entertaining. The new elements do not feel out of place, but they also do not overhaul the game experience. If you loved the original, the remaster will be a pleasant stroll down memory lane. If you are a newcomer, I recommend starting with the remaster of the first game to understand the story and fully appreciate the evolution of the gameplay.

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.

Saints Row raises mixed emotions: on the one hand it has its moments when it is fun and manages to engage you in its criminal empire building fantasy. But for each high you have at least one low, that turns the game into a technical mess and makes you feel like you are playing a not so pretty GTA clone. The new direction, both visually and gameplay wise show a lot of promise, but the execution is severely lacking. With the so necessary bug fixes and some quality-of-live improvements, the new Saints Row can be a nice experience that won't innovate upon the formula, but at least it will offer fun moments.

Cursed to Golf is not a sports sim but it will deliver many more thrills than any careful reconstruction of real-world golf can. Getting the ball into the hole using my last shot by carefully using an Ace card and plenty of spin made me scream with joy. I almost cried when two successive shots somehow landed in the water. But players also need to be prepared for a fast escalation of the difficulty level that can lead to frustration. Practice and good planning are always more important than wild swings. Cursed to Golf is a solid puzzle experience with good presentation and some big thrilling moments.

Krut: The Mythic Wings is a competent game that never manages to become more than the sum of its parts. The gameplay loop is decent but fails to develop in any interesting way. The narrative is solid enough to push players forward but never impresses. The game does look good, especially during boss engagements. But the decision to use the same currency to get upgrades and unlocks checkpoints adds a layer of difficulty that was not required (always go for the save point). And the combat fails to grow in complexity or coolness as the game progresses. Krut: The Mythic Wings is worth playing for fans of the action platformer space but does not manage to innovate in any significant way.

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.

Endling - Extinction is Forever is a warning signal about humans that should pay more attention to their environment and avoid it being ruined by the pollution born out of greed. At the same time it is also a truly engaging and immersive game with well thought out mechanics. It manages to combine the social message with a fun experience. It is the perfect example of games that challenge your intellect while leaving a lasting impression due to the emotional load they carry. It has both heartwarming and extremely sad moments, the atmosphere of the game accompanying you for some time after you have seen the end credits.

South of the Circle is barely a video game and would have probably worked better as a movie. Players who don’t quickly become engaged with the story will have a tough time finding reasons to push on. And even for those who want to see how the narrative ends, some sequences drag on with limited payoff. Titles in the walking simulator space can make for impressive video games but they need to establish a solid emotional connection quickly. South of the Circle does have great moments and narrative threads that coalesce in an interesting way. But the development team at State of Play needs to work on pacing to make sure that players stay engaged.

Bright Memory: Infinite has its moments, but in the end, it feels like a project that could have been great if it was developed by an entire team with all the necessary resources at their disposal. Unfortunately, the moments that disappoint are amplified by the hype that was created around the game. Although it has potential, Bright Memory: Infinite does not live up to the expectations of those were waiting for this game. It is way too simple, empty and short, with only a few moments of fun.

Cartel Tycoon goes all in on the drug cartel leader fantasy and mines the setting for as many concepts as possible. The management game is good, with a mix of mechanics and with clear challenges for players to work through. I like the look of the game and most of the writing fits well with the ‘80s Latin American world it is evoking. The mix of two narrative-driven campaigns alongside a sandbox and survival modes is a solid one. But the development team at Moon Moose could have been less classic in their approach to core game concepts. There’s nothing here that the management game space has not already tried. Cartel Tycoon is well-suited for anyone who already likes the genre or the setting but it does not innovate in any meaningful way.

Neon Blight has a clear gameplay loop that can become addictive. Kill enemies, explore the wilderness, make progress on some quests, find guns, take them back to the store and see who wants to pay to become the new owners. More depth would have been appreciated but the game mechanics mostly work as they should. Unfortunately, the game really spikes the difficulty when it comes to boss encounters, and constantly dying to their overwhelming abilities isn’t very fun. The developers at Bleeding Tapes channel some cool influences into their title but I feel that a little more balancing work and extra ideas are required to make it stand out from the crowd.

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.

Loopmancer is a good game for gamers who want a very specific experience: a mix of action and rogue ideas that tells a cyberpunk-themed detective story. The combat mechanics require time to master and there are solid challenges to engage with. The rogue aspects are a little underdeveloped and it feels like unlocking weapons requires too much money. But the game never tries to innovate in any of the spaces it is working in. It has no ambition other than to deliver a good mix of ideas that can keep players engaged. I wanted to see a cool twist on the cyberpunk future or combat mechanics that expands genres. Loopmancer is a solid experience that never becomes more than its parts.