Albeit some polishing issues and some questionable design choices, Salt and Sanctuary is a nice, bidimensional variation of the "souls-like" formula, with influences from Hidetaka Miyazaki and from the metroidvania genre. If you like a challenging, punishing yet rewarding experience, you should definitely give it a try.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is not a bad game but it is disappointing, a metroidvania all too anchored in the past that doesn't really add anything new to the genre that Koji Igarashi himself contributed. Beyond the bland execution and the continuous plagiarism of Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow, Bloodstained is plagued by too many problems, especially in terms of combat and the hitbox system, preventing an enjoyable gaming experience. It hurts to say this, but there are too many better alternatives to Bloodstained on the market. We expected a lot more than this from Igarashi-san.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a work of great courage and respect for the platform genre. It is not revolutionary but manages to be a simple, but refined pastime made with all the trappings of the genre.

Even if The Last Guardian can sometimes get straight to our hearts, we cannot turn a blind eye to the frustrating gameplay. Its narrative fails to truly immerse the player, as the game mechanics lack to convey emphasis and empathy.

It might seem like a classic case of quantity overshadowing quality, but in reality Samurai Warriors 4 DX is a decent conversion of one of the most popular chapters among Musou fans, enhanced by a hefty dose of DLC. It shows its age in several respects but retains an exciting and entertaining soul, which will finally delight those who have been longing for the game's arrival on PC since 2014.

Persona 3 Portable is an unconvincing conversion of a game that could have expressed more in 2009, constrained then by limitations that current platforms do not have. It remains an important chapter for the saga with a unique aesthetic that serves as a bridge to its origins, but it is a shame that the adaptation was made without the will to dare.

Kirby Robobot relies on creativity and a "think out of the box" philosophy, adorned with jolly and light-hearted aesthetics. Unfortunately, it's almost too easy to complete the game, especially if you played your fair share of platformers. It's a game that will probably appeal the younger (and less experienced) player.

A teen drama adventure with a lot of nostalgia and a good atmosphere, but with a lazy script and boring gameplay.

Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones has an interesting art direction and a good Lovecraftian inspiration, but seems to be split in half between its nice all-around RPG mechanics and a slow and not very engaging turn-based strategic combat.

Ashen is a souls-like game with a particular focus on the co-op multiplayer. Sadly this feature rarely works as intended, but despite its flaws, the game developed by A44 is still an enjoyable variation to the formula created by Miyazaki and From Software.

Fast and furious fights in a cyberpunk world, this time also on a futuristic bike exploring post-apocalyptic lands – who wouldn’t love that? Too bad a few too many puzzle keep the adrenaline rush at bay and distract from the most exciting parts of the game.

The scars of a long and difficult development are clearly visible in the confusing plot and in the poor battle system. The game is spectacular and the open world area is well built, but it's not enough to bring FF XV to the top of JRPGs.

Plagued with technical issues partially resolved patch after patch, Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate Daemonhunters has also problems in terms of balancing and AI. The boss fights are well done, but it’s also a little monotonous as you find yourself playing the same dull couple of missions from the start to the very end of the game.

My Friend Pedro is a sequence of short, intense levels which morally oblige the exasperated spectacle, exciting like few other run ‘n’ guns. Then There is a whole outline of apathetic environmental puzzles, bizarre situations and an aesthetic between the chilling and the anonymous.

Despite being designed as a cross-over, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is an enjoyable J-RPG with a steady identity, that could have benefited from a more passionate writing and a less stereotyped cast of characters.

If you look at it from an entertainment and sheer fun point of view, the last installment from the LEGO series by TT Games is probably the best ever made. Unfortunately, this is also one of the sloppiest portings ever seen, full of bugs, crashes and hesitating frame rate. You should wait for a patch, or some summer sale.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons for Nintendo Switch is a decent conversion of a game that may not have aged very well, surpassed on several fronts by many other exponents of the same genre.

Trepang2 does nothing to hide its true nature, which is to be a decent fps, very fun in the shooting phases, but poor in all the rest of the game package.

A fluid and dynamic action-platformer with great potential, flawed by a too rigid structure, limited longevity and some annoying bugs that spoil the experience. A metroidvania with these dynamics could give an eventual sequel the breathing room this project needed.

Dicefolk is a valid alternative in the search for a good roguelike with mechanics linked to dice management that are interesting, but very unbalanced and managed by luck.

The gameplay of this action RPG is very basic, almost oversimplified (it's available for iOS devices as well), but at the end of the day it could be a pretty fun and entertaining experience. The Italian localization is excellent, and it's full of kittens.

Paper Beast is a fascinating migratory tale that highlights the power of collaboration and mutual help. Too bad its distinctive graphic style is brought down by terrible textures and the Sandbox mode is only the shadow of what it could have been.

Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes is a good, deliberately old-fashioned JRPG with all the pros and cons. As a love letter to Suikoden it hits the mark despite some uncertainties, but the biggest problem at the moment are the bugs we encountered during the review, some very serious and impossible to ignore. Wait patiently for the bugfixes.

WRC 8 has to deal with too many compromises, and it comes out smaller than its potential. It is neither insufficient nor broken but seems to evolve too slowly, without clear objectives.

Project Diva X is a good rhythm game, filled with an interesting variety of j-pop music. Unfortunately, the tracklist is limited to 30 songs and the sense of grinding is strong even after a few hours.

Little Nightmares is just blowing smoke. A wonderful and charming smoke, since the mood and the aesthetics are awesome, both for style and inspiration, but the gameplay lacks depth and the game is nothing more than a far-too-simple and linear platformer with some stealth and puzzle elements.

Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is a nice RPG, not too difficult nor too complex. This title has the best alchemy and combat systems in the series, and it's a perfect fit for the newcomers.

No empathy and no rhythm are just two of the issues that prevent Before the Storm to reach our hearts in the same way Life is Strange did, two years ago. Let's wait for Episode 2 and let's hope for a deeper friendship between Rachel and Chloe, disconnected from sexual logic only.