Volition miscalculated. They interpreted that ridding Saints Row of its over-the-top nature, leaving behind only the series' essence was the right way to get to a triumphant new beginning. But in a post-GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 world, they found out that Saints Row's essence, without its excesses, simply doesn't cut it anymore.

Tower of Fantasy has great potential and its universe is just being introduced. It's a good game in terms of mechanics, but it's important that you don't think of it as a “Genshin killer”, as has been said a lot in the weeks before its release. Genshin's inspiration is clear and is present with every step you take in the world of Aesperia, and Tower of Fantasy strives to make that feeling just transitory. For me it wasn't and the déjà vu became constant. It didn't catch me up, maybe it will be different with you.

Cult of the Lamb is relaxing, fun and hilarious – some surprises that the game has in store probably will make you laugh out loud. The contrast of cuteness and macabre makes everything even more fun and unique, with quirky characters, scenarios and relaxing electronic soundtrack. Even though it’s not among the best roguelikes, Massive Monster’s title is most certainly a brilliant “cult simulator”.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 reflects all of the maturity accumulated throughout the last 12 years by a franchise that struggled to survive since its very first game, which was released by Nintendo in the West only after fan petitions. The game streamlines the action, gets rid of juvenile erotization and tells a story with heroes that talk like actual human beings, while simultaneously refining the exploration and world-building that already shone in its predecessors.

Stray draws attention, stands out and it deserves just that. Annapurna Interactive's game is far from perfect, but the impression created here is that it will take a long time for such a unique proposal to be as well delivered as the kitten simulator. The game is perfect for those seeking a different experience without leaving behind clichés that are welcome in video games of the genre.

As Dusk Falls does nothing to reinvent the genre, but playing it feels like watching a groundbreaking crime show — one of those that stays in your thoughts and makes you feel like diving back into the story as soon as possible. While it struggles to make sense as a multiplayer experience, the game nonetheless has an unique art style and brutal story about family and its influence on our lives. Being INTERIOR/NIGHT's first release, the studio deserves praise for its merits, especially in terms of plot and art style.

The roguelike charm is present in Arcadegeddon and the gameplay is extremely polished. However, while the game pleases at first glance and can be an experience to share with friends online, the repetitive objectives take some of the shine off the unique identity and strong personality given to the game and hide rich content from players who decide not to invest so much time in the game.

It's really impressive what this game manages to do with long-time fans of the survival horror genre. Puzzles scattered everywhere, a relentless pursuer, inventory management, track and wonderful sound effects. If you love survival horror, you should try it at least once.

F1 2022 is a simulator with a straight objective. Clearly, Codemasters decided to bet on what it does best and abandon some interesting features for the casual player, in exchange for possibilities and seriousness whose appeal to enthusiasts makes the game a must-have Formula 1 fans.

With far more hits than misses, Capcom Fighting Collection does what few other collections can really do: satisfy gamers who feel some nostalgia for the titles in question, while at the same time presenting titles with real potential to capture the attention of the fighting game fan.

As much as there are some modifications that might make the game more appealing to newer players, Sonic Origins is undoubtedly something designed for long-time fans, especially those who just want to have access to the classic games on the current platforms, without much concern for changes. If you, like me, can't even remember a time in your life when Sonic didn't exist, the collection can be a nice, if somewhat a simple, gift. For the rest of us, it might not seem interesting at all.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge does what it set itself to do, bring people back to the 80's with a straight to the point beat ’em up experience. Despite of that, it remains modern, with enemies bringing up proper challenge to the player, even when facing the levels with friends. Unfortunately, it fails in bringing characters with personality. With all the turtles and other fighters doing pretty much the same thing, most passionate fans will still miss their beloved heroes.

The Quarry is an interactive teen horror movie and it's not ashamed of it. With a captivating cast and focus on investigation, Supermassive's new venture into the narrative genre is less terrifying than Until Dawn, but just as rewarding in allowing the player to delve deeper into the mystery and piece together the pieces individually. This time, the experience is more relaxed and less demanding, built with the objective of reaching a larger audience than its predecessor.

Dolmen is one of the most ambitious projects in the history of the Brazilian gaming industry. The detailed world building, the challenging combats, as well as ability customization possibilities. You'll probably want to play some more even after you finish it for the first time. After years of working on the title, Massive Work can be proud of the result. There is no shortage of reasons to be excited about the future of the studio.

There's no shortage of reasons to praise Trek to Yomi. The aesthetics, the combat, the soundtrack, not-so-complex puzzles that come up in the second half of the game. We're talking about a fundamental title for fans of samurai stories, despite the fantastic elements.

Overall, the experience with Switch Sports is extremely positive and fulfills its role very well: meeting and having fun with friends and family - something that has really been missing up until now on Nintendo Switch after all its existence. And, despite having other games with the same purpose like Smash Bros., Mario Kart and Mario Party, none of them are equally accessible to people who aren't video game fans. That's why Nintendo Switch Sports is amazing and necessary nowadays.

Like any good skateboarding game, OlliOlli World has a soundtrack that perfectly matches the atmosphere of the world in which it is inserted, although I personally don't like the chosen musical genre so much, I can't deny that it worked well with the cartoonish and even bizarre visuals. OlliOlli World has everything to be one of the best indie games of 2022, which combines the single-player experience with an extremely competitive multiplayer experience, with a scoring system and that you'll want to compete against your friends to see who can score the most in each stage.

Undoubtedly, KOF XV is an evolution over XIV. But I feel like this game is too stuck to its roots of the past and abandons mechanics that were introduced in previous versions. I don't know if I would go so far as to say it's the best game in the franchise – long-time fans would hardly agree with that, even. However, it is a fact that we are talking about another fighting game that is totally worthy in this era of good fighting games in which we live. Could be better? Yes. But it's alright. Maybe next time.

Horizon Forbidden West is, above all, more Horizon. And, I would say, more refined in many ways, but still with the fundamental elements of its predecessor. And that's a good thing. The world full of secrets with many things to explore and more secrets to discover. The Forbidden West is big and wild, but finding out more about it, its people, and its past is quite rewarding.

Sifu is a challenging, brutal and, at times, extremely frustrating game. It had been a while since I screamed with anger the as I did with my TV these past few days, death after death, beating after beating, cursing the world, the enemies, and my own incompetence and lack of reaction time being knocked down again and again. But it's also an extremely rewarding game to evolve your character, not only through unlocking new abilities but also through your own understanding of its mechanics, movement, going through the different combos, and even the different ways to block and avoid the various types of blows coming your way.

Gran Turismo 7 is a saint without miracles and has Lewis Hamilton, Igor Fraga and another legion of professional players as apostles. With an iconic Formula 1 driver and the Brazilian Gran Turismo Sport world champion advocating in its favor, who would I be to say a single word against this title? Well, I have several words for what Gran Turismo could do to be a better racing game, but nothing that could tarnish the reputation of this letter to motorsport fans. It's a game with impeccable gameplay, incredible graphics, and makes an ode to the history of motorsport, with the potential to suck up thousands of hours of gameplay (playing alone or online), this year and beyond. If you're a fan of racing games, you won't regret playing it and having it in your collection. Perhaps my biggest mistake was creating expectations for this title. I swore that this was the ideal time for the Gran Turismo series to go back to being revolutionary as it was in the past, but Kazunori Yamauchi chose to just follow the teachings of your old testament.

More than anything, we must always stress that, yes, the Lands Between — the open world, therefore — is the main highlight. In an era taken by mediocre open-world games, it's refreshing to see that a company new to this concept got it so precisely right. There's no doubt about it: this is, indeed, one of the best games of recent years. If you're a fan of Open Worlds, no matter what level of challenge you're used to, give it a go. The chances of regret are almost zero. We often think of FromSoftware games in extreme ways. I love it. I hate it. It's amazing. It's unbearable. Elden Ring does bump into these dualities, but tends to be much more attractive to the public in general.

Chocobo GP is a fun game. It is, yes, "more of the same". It doesn't introduce any super elaborate or even new mechanics, it just recycles everything that the games of the genre already bring to the time. But it's fun, familiar and… cute. Of course, how enjoyable the game is can depend a lot — also — on how much of a fan of the Final Fantasy franchise you are. It's easy to be convinced by the cuteness of the characters (Chocobos!!!!) and have fun with the game. It's not a phenomenal game, but it can give you a few hours of fun, especially if you're playing with family or friends.

Grid Legends is a distinguished racing game, specially by its story in the "documentary" style - one of the best I've seen in games of the genre - despite being cliché and leaving the player in the background. This is a great racing game. It's a shame it was "squeezed" into a season with many equally excellent games vying for attention. Going head to head against Forza Horizon 5 and Gran Turismo 7 isn't easy, but Grid Legends brings its own identity and shows that the genre has much more to offer.

Tiny Tina Wonderland brings the good humor of the Borderlands universe and the chaos of crazy battles with even crazier weapons, but instead of being on a distant planet, we are in a realm of 'futuristic fantasy'. However, the story is not as funny as previous Gearbox games and the world created by Tiny Tina failed to catch me. I believe anyone who is a fan of the series will enjoy having a little more of this universe - and maybe this game is really just for fans of Claptrap's gang.

Much bolder than its predecessors, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is one of the hero's best titles, on par with gems like Planet Robobot and Return to Dream Land, and one that inspires confidence in the franchise's future.