Awesome. A game that basically does not add anything to the platform genre, and still manages to be original and innovative by mixing all the ingredients with mastery. Despite the extreme difficulty it is never frustrating, keeping you in front of the screen for another run, and then another one and one more, while you promise yourself the next run will be the last. Recommended for both hardcore gamers aiming for the best score, and a more casual audience looking to have fun, and who don’t mind if they will only see a small part of the game. After all, how many of us have ever finished Bubble Bobble?

Crash is back again with one of its best adventures that feels and plays like a modern instant classic. Welcome back good old Bandicoot!

Joy, cheerfulness and the gleeful sounds of carnage accompany us in the carefree fragfest that is every battle, but still Serious Sam 4 feels old: it's like going back to the nineties without anything having changed. In its simplicity, Serious Sam 4 is the very essence of old school shooters, condensed into a dozen hours of gameplay. It represents first person shooters as they were in the beginning, in the fabulous beauty of their original sin: a bloodthirsty naivety made of exaggerated weapons, alien bits and frenetic battles against unreal hordes of enemies.

There is no middle ground for BPM: either you love it, or you hate it. Personally, I feel this game crosses the line between challenge and frustration, offering a learning curve that is almost impossible to climb if you are not a true FPS lover. The soundtrack is excellent and the bundle with it is worth your money, but if you're not a very, very patient person with lightning-fast reflexes and an excellent sense of rhythm, you better look somewhere else.

Mafia: Definitive Edition is a remake done with plenty of passion, and the charisma it oozes shows it. Hangar 13 rebuilt a great classic without losing track of the original work. Lost Heaven is a shining jewel and there’s plenty of fun to be had. Character animations and the driving system can be a bit wonky sometimes, but those are minor issues in what is overall a great remake.

WWE Battlegrounds is an excellent idea lost inside way too much repetitiveness. 2K wrestling games needed a fresh new style and approach, but Saber’s game got lost due to an oversimplified fighting system and an excessive use of microtransactions. You need hours to unlock everything, but your wrestling enthusiasm is doomed to expire after the first 2-3 hours of playing WWE Battlegrounds, just when you’re gonna realize its best moments are already gone. Too bad, because I feel the need of a good old arcade wrestling game, but I also would have liked it to focus on entertaining me and not try to strip me of all my money for a useless Undertaker skin.

Vader Immortal: a Star Wars VR Series is practically a video game amusement park attraction, and I mean that in terms of length as well. But it’s still an enjoyable experience that will delight every fan of Lucas' opera omnia for a couple of hours.

Hades is an exceptional game. It’s got a fun gameplay loop, incredible visual design, good animations and a ton of story and dialogue (and it’s all voice acted!). Definitely Supergiant’s best game to date, and a must-play both for roguelike fans and newcomers to the genre.

Going Under perfectly combines the Rogue-lite genre in an irreverent and sarcastic environment. The frenetic and immediate action with a good level of difficulty without ever being frustrating goes hand in hand with a fun and ridiculously original story, a real breath of fresh air for those looking for a solid dungeon crawler without necessarily having to rescue a princess or recover fragments of some cursed artifact. A must-play if you love this genre of games, and also highly recommended if you want to give a try to a nice action game able to make you laugh between one kill and another.

Tennis World Tour 2 improves upon its disastrous predecessor, but cannot completely make us forget its flaws because it’s based on the same creaky structure. It can be fun, but you shouldn’t expect perfection.

Hotshot Racing is a rare and precious work that hearkens to the spirit of 90s racing games without being bound by it. A great title for players of all ages and backgrounds, its modern and fresh driving system provides endless joy, challenge and enjoyment. And it has both local and online multiplayer!

Crysis Remastered lives up to its name by putting even the most modern and performing hardware under pressure. All in all, the graphical makeover is pretty competent, despite some smudges here and there.

Theoretically, the idea of ​​turning this edition of PES into a simple update is a good idea. Last year’s football season went totally crazy, the two tournament seasons almost overlapped and the pandemic stopped or slowed down videogame development for a long time. Focusing on next year’s game still seems a good choice, and it would be even better if Konami tried to dedicate the least amount of commitment to this update, which it didn’t. The absence of even a partial roster update update on day one is unacceptable, as is the ugliness of the Inter and Milan uniforms, even for a game that is still the best option for any football lover.

Commandos 2 / Praetorians HD Remaster Double Pack contains two excellent videogame productions with a glorious past, but the treatment reserved for at least one half of the package (Commandos 2) leaves something to be desired.

Aegis Rim is another small, but at the same time impressive masterpiece from Vanillaware that delivers an engaging story through an incredible visual style and an enjoyable narrative-strategic hybrid. This will be remembered as one of 2020’s best PlayStation 4 exclusives.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a good collection, but more because of the games it contains than because of Nintendo's effort in making it. The absence of extras and of Super Mario Galaxy 2 are an unpleasant disappointment.

Gameplay wise, NBA 2K21 is once again an excellent product, and the best hoops videogame on the market (also due to lack of competition). While very similar to its predecessor, it is also evolved and revised. However, being a 2K title, microtransactions are inescapable.

WRC 9 is a mature, democratic and very fun rally game. A driving model suitable for everyone, with cars that finally bite the dirt and a very solid technical realization, ensure that the Kylotonn title is easy to recommend to those looking for a complete rally experience without too many of the burdens of a true simulation.

Peril on Gorgon further expands the background of The Outer Worlds and the colony of Alcyon, but focuses too much on the action parts of the game rather than on its narrative and role-playing sides.

OkunoKA Madness is an eye-catching, compelling and graphically pleasing platformer, a bigger and more ruthless version of the original game for Nintendo Switch. It is incredibly well suited for the PC as well, as long you’re playing on a joypad.

Necromunda: Underhive Wars is a disappointment on all fronts, a disaster on both the technical and the gameplay side.

The Sims 4 Star Wars: A Trip to Batuu proves to be a great Game Pack for The Sims 4, a fun themed holiday that offers fans of the franchise a pleasant break in the company of Jedi, Sith and first-rate smugglers. Do or do not. There is no try!

If even the original game wasn't able to take that extra step and stand out among its competition, you shouldn’t expect that its remastered version will be able to accomplish this task. Nevertheless, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning remains enjoyable despite its age. It is a "vintage" game, capable of entertaining for hours (and hours and hours and hours) with its classic fantasy story full of fantastic creatures, epic legends and fairy lands.

Marvel's Avengers is a strange and somehow unexpected hybrid. Considered on its own, the campaign is an excellent action adventure, able to capture the spirit of Marvel characters both in battle and in everyday demeanor with an enthusiastic cinematic approach. The forced mashup with a Destiny-like multiplayer, however, does not benefit the game as a whole: online features are just weak, to the point they partially water down the singleplayer campaign. Perhaps Avengers Initiative’s time will come, but for now the game deserves to be played mainly for Kamala Khan’s story, which is joyful and inspiring.

Pathfinder Kingmaker is an incredible game full of content, capable of entertaining for a countless number of hours, especially considering the Definitive Edition includes all expansions. The porting, unfortunately, suffers from very poor optimization, and managing combat on a pad might prove a bit of a hurdle.

Street Power Football is an underwhelming champagne football. Unpolished gameplay and the very high entry price make the game inaccessible, and the lack of a sense of progression, of a well-structured campaign mode and of online matchmaking ensures that there’s little fun to be had.

Windbound has several interesting ideas and is very nice to look at and listen to, but unfortunately the experience suffers from some flaws – for example, the procedural generation doesn’t make for particularly interesting level design. But above everything else, it lacks rhythm.

Unfortunately, Bossa Studios lost sight of what made the first Surgeon Simulator brilliant, transforming this direct sequel into a puzzle game ill-suited not only to the deliberately inaccurate control system, but also to the overall tone of the experience.

On the golf course, PGA Tour 2K21 is a fairly fun game. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the game modes. The career is way too simple, and even the online does not offer anything exciting. Graphics and sounds are decent, but could be vastly improved.

Crusader Kings III is one of the best Paradox Development Studio’s games to date. Deep and compelling, this grand strategy can entertain you for dozens, if not hundreds of hours between its intrigues, holy wars, and dynasties in the making.

For a first foray into the RTS genre, Iron Harvest 1920+ is a very good proof of competence. It’s not perfect; while it’s rich in singleplayer content, six maps is too little of a pool for multiplayer, and the gameplay could use some refinement. But it’s a solid start, and the potential for greater things is definitely there.

If you're waiting for Alan Wake to take a stroll in the corridors of the Oldest House, you might be disappointed by AWE. But if on the other hand what you're looking for is to shed a light on Alan's misadventures, face familiar foes and play an instrumental role in the writer's path to freedom, and also have an excuse to dive back into Control with new tools to play with, AWE is the right DLC for you.

Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars is one of the most shallow strategy games I have played in years, both narratively and mechanically: few units, weak AI and uninteresting maps do not make for an enjoyable package. A pity, considering the premise is interesting and tactical combat isn’t too bad. But it’s not enough.

Tell Me Why is an intriguing narrative game, an intimate story capable of discussing complex themes using the power of a story that lives between reality and fiction, and that never sounds pretentious. If you like this kind of story-based games and have followed DONTNOD since Life is Strange, you will not be disappointed.

In the name of accessibility, fun and a competitive spirit, Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions brings coin-op football back to life, embellished with that incredible array of techniques, moves and specials that have always characterized the saga. A much needed breath of fresh air.

Wasteland 3 is a good role-playing game, technically passable but enriched by a dense network of intriguing subplots that will push the most dedicated to play it several times. Watch out for the ever-present release bugs, though – best to wait a couple patches if you want to avoid unnecessary hurdles.

After each descent you want more. More speed, more show, more fun, Descenders is the classic easy to play hard to master game, embellished with rogue-like elements that exponentially increase its longevity.

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is extremely entertaining, and it’s really hard not to fall in love with it. Bringing some friends is recommended, as it can lead to hilarious outcomes – and it helps during team games, too. With updates, it could easily go from a summer fad to a real mass phenomenon.

Project CARS 3 is a good meeting point between arcade and simulation. It’s not a perfect product: there are some flaws here and there, such as for example a not too impressive audio department. But overall, it knows how to entertain, thanks especially to an impressive amount of content and to its accessibility.

The world of Metamorphosis is surprising, imaginative, intriguing and full of color, although a certain poverty of the 3D models and textures betrays the independent nature of the project. All in all, a very interesting twist on Franz Kafka’s novel.

Despite a truly intriguing gameplay formula, Peaky Blinders: Mastermind ends just when it really begins to show all of its potential.

The new Battletoads is a convincing return for the historic Rare brand, characterized by excellent art direction and writing. Some pacing issues ruin the overall enjoyment of the game, but it is still a very satisfying experience.

The success of a Total War depends on the delicate balance between the turn-based portion of the game and the real-time strategic battles. While the latter are deep and with very few smudges, the former is extremely unbalanced and presents a series of issues – in some cases quite serious – that undermine the whole experience.

Mortal Shell is an interesting soulslike, affected by some not perfectly developed background ideas, combined with an extremely derivative final product. Certainly intended for lovers of the genre.

Impressive use of proprietary Microsoft's maps and AI technologies aside, Flight Simulator is outstanding for the sheer amount of freedom we are given and how far it pushes our spirit of exploration. Sim fans will have a lot to chew on, and newcomers will love the "simcade" feeling offered by the customizable assist system. It’s also on Xbox Game Pass, so go get it.

Rainswept might be the first game to learn from Kentucky Route Zero not only aesthetically, but also in terms of direction. All things considered, it tells a simple story, but it does so in a way that shows remarkable sensitivity, a talent for writing, and above all a very uncommon attention to the overall direction of scenes. It may not be as revolutionary as its source of inspiration, but it certainly has something to say.

Milky Way Prince - The Vampire Star is unconventional, adult, bold, and aims quite high, maybe even too high for the first experiment of a one-man studio. Many elements of the plot are just sketched, so sometimes it's hard to feel involved with the two young lovers. The sections where the player choose the sense to interact with are interesting, but unfortunately followed by slow paced moments with not that much to do. If you are not afraid to be more of an onlooker than a player, this game is easy to recommend. And it’s short, so you’ll have no excuse not to finish it.

Railway Empire is already a well crafted railway management game, however this Complete Collection brings all the additional content in a single package.

Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS Maxi Boost on is an excellent conversion of a successful coin-op. The gameplay loop remains simple and straightforward, but fans of the original game will surely find themselves at home.

This version of Horizon Zero Dawn brings this great former PS4 exclusive to PC, where it can tap into the potential of a much more powerful hardware.

Relicta is an intriguing puzzle-game, full of puzzles ready to squeeze our meninges without the slightest regret. The level design proves to be up to a production on the genre, although some bugs and inaccuracies end up not making it shine as it should.

Skully has everything it needs to impose himself as a mix between a frantic platformer like Marble Blast Ultra and an original take on Metroidvania genre, but it wastes too much time before showing its true potential. The lack of enemies and situations to deal with does not help to keep you engaged until the game unleashes all its features, and it is a shame because it’s a pretty game, and also very responsive to player input. Anyone willing to bear with the first few hours will be rewarded with fascinating gameplay.

Hellpoint is a recommended game, even if not for everyone. If you are not a soulslike fan, spending about twenty hours in a less refined game than a "Souls-Borne" is certainly not a wise choice. If, on the other hand, you are a big fan of the genre, give it a chance as long as you are willing to ignore small but numerous bugs.

Much like Verdun, its predecessor, Tannenberg offers an authentic and engaging First World War experience. Those who enjoy tactical, more realistic shooters will love it; everyone else should consider giving it a chance, but be warned that the game was made on a limited budget and it shows.

Fairy Tail is too simple a role-playing game to capture the interest of genre fanatics, but it could be an introduction to the genre for the younger generation, even though it suffers from generally poor technical performance.

Deadly Premonition 2 is not Swery's gaming maturity, but it is perhaps his consecration as a screenwriter, storyteller of the bizarre, creator of unforgettable characters. His ambition, however, clashes with the limited budget and, probably, with Toybox's modest ability to create gameplay. But these are works that must be left to rest, metabolized and then perhaps rediscovered, like a nice b-movie, ready to become one of our favorites when the time is right.

Maid of Sker proves an enjoyable survival horror to play in one breath, paying particular attention to the care with which the story was developed. The presence of two different finals also highlights the intent to take it a step further, although it concerns only one choice during the final beats of the game. The fans of the genre will certainly appreciate it. Make sure you give it a chance.

Playing Destroy All Humans! is like watching an old alien movie in a summer drive-in. The movie may not be a masterpiece, but atmosphere and context play a fundamental role in enjoying the experience. So the not particularly clever mission design and the not-so-inspired mechanics feel a little less annoying when you are playing a game that makes you laugh, does not take itself seriously and does not require a month of vacation to be finished.

Both versions of In Death - VR PC systems or Oculus Quest - keep the main strengths of the game, in the form of an "otherworldly" archery roguelite which is not afraid to raise the bar of difficulty in virtual reality. As in other cases, the developers of Sólfar Studios have swapped the best visual performance of the PC edition (for Rift, Rift S, Vive and Index) with the freedom offered by the all-in-one nature of Quest, in a game where the charisma of the setting still comes before the graphic details. The exploration progresses slowly and this lacks a bit of variety, but overall fun is guaranteed.

Inspired by Carpenter and the 80s body horror, Carrion reverses the roles and puts us in the shoes of a formless and lethal creature, in a fluid, fast and extremely choreographic metroidvania. Some AI problems and a not always inspired artistic direction do not compromise the result of one of the surprises of this 2020.

Neon Abyss is a solid and hilarious roguelite. Hundreds of weapons and items, however, are not enough to hide procedural generation laziness. But all things considered, it is still one of the best roguelites currently available.

Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris is a mediocre game, ambitious but incapable of realizing its vision, plagued by an inadequate and lazy realization. Only for the most dedicated fans of Sword Art Online.

The only thing more difficult than making a revolution is to re-make a revolution. SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE is still a fun shooter, based on innovative and intriguing ideas, but no longer as effective as they had been in 2016. The roguelite approach certainly gives the game a more conspicuous length, but on the other hand ends up watering down at least part of the mechanics, making the overall experience less incisive than that of the original chapter. After all, as SUPERHOT has always taught, reality is all about perception.

Halo 3 for PC is an excellent re-release of an already amazing FPS, despite being held back by a few issues (no advanced graphics settings and the heavy changes of the netcode).

Rocket Arena has potential, it’s colorful and way more fast paced than its competitors, but at the moment the overall experience is flawed by balancing issues. Recommended if you love to be constantly under pressure and willing to forgive some game design mistakes common to every PvP in the earliest stages . Demanding players may want to wait for future updates but be careful: the more you wait, the more experienced players you will find when you get in the arena.

The Origami King is one of the most entertaining chapters in the long-lasting Paper Mario franchise and will surprise you with some fresh gameplay solutions.

Ghost of Tsushima is greater than the sum of its parts: it does not reinvent the wheel in any of its aspects, but offers an experience that will thoroughly entertain lovers of open world and oriental settings.

Death Stranding remains a fascinating experience of highly inspired post-apocalyptic science fiction even on PC. However, the porting is a bit lacking in terms of technical improvements, which are noticeable but not nearly as impressive as we hoped for.

Hunting Simulator 2 is not a game for everyone. Its slow pace makes it potentially interesting only for those who are looking for a game experience that reproduces hunting in all its phases, including extra long boring intervals.

F1 2020 is the perfect title for those who want to enter the world of Formula 1. Graphics and sounds are ok, there are many game modes and, thanks to the different settings available, the driving system can be adapted to the needs of a wide range of virtual pilots.

Catherine: Full Body is a quite perfect match on the Nintendo Switch and it's still an entertaining and original adventure-puzzle experience.

Overall, Marvel's Iron Man VR is a successful "superhero simulator" that skillfully exploits virtual reality to deliver a cinematic experience worthy of the big screen.

Trackmania is not an exercise in superfine technique but it does not matter to be, because it seduces thanks to a gameplay as simple as effective and to the unbridled competition that prods every driver to always give his best.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 is an excellent role-playing game of classic style, absolutely unmissable for the veterans of the saga. Everyone else may find themselves overwhelmed by excessive references, compromising the experience.

The concept of ​​this Oculus exclusive stealth VR action is truly intriguing and simulative, capable of justifying the "only" tracing of the head and hands directly with the structure of the game and its environmental context - a bit like it was for Lone Echo in the field of science fiction. Behind enemy lines with a military kayak equipped to silently advance and strike. If played on Rift S, the parallel design for Quest is all too evident, especially in the polygonal complexity, and clearly the variety of the action stops at some point, but the great atmosphere, the good level of challenge, the intelligent writing of the plot and a well thought out length of the storymode (one night in real time) make Phantom Covert Ops a VR title highly recommended.

A Namco-centric collection of classics, which will be interesting exclusively to ex-Nintendo owners. Not exactly a mandatory buy for the others.

Assetto Corsa Competizione on PS4 is a great game. It’s not easy at all, but it’s the perfect choice for those players who are looking for a game experience full of realism.

The "rehydrated" version of Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom is an all-round entertainment product for a younger audience, who can take the opportunity to learn about the franchise, or on the other hand consolidate it with an original and fun adventure to play. Also confirmed by my teenage double, who enjoyed playing it from start to finish.

Skelattack is a challenging platform game, which does not forgive any error but at the same time leaves no room for frustration. Skully and Imber journey counts on beautiful graphics, plenty of action and an inspired soundtrack. Some game design errors, especially when dealing with enemies, can slightly flaw the experience, and the sections you play with Imber are probably too few to justify its presence, nevertheless the game is absolutely recommended if you love platform or 2D action games.

The Hand of Glory overflows with ideas. Not all of them are spot on, but that’s a risk you have to take when you want to do something that goes a little out of the classic schemes. The first impact is alienating because everything is not very homogeneous, from the graphics to the continuous change of register in the narration, but in the long run this strange alchemical formula works, thanks to a plot that turns towards decidedly unexpected territories and leaves the player with a giant cliffhanger, raising the hype for the second part of the game.

Mimimi Games did it again. Desperados III is a love letter to a genre of a long forgotten past, beautifully crafted in every single detail. John Cooper and his friends are finally back in action, and let’s hope they are here to stay for a long time.

The Last of Us – Part II delivers exactly what you've been expecting: adult storytelling and perfectly balanced gameplay. This game will give you shivers down your spine for nearly 30 hours and something to remember long after its end.

The main problem of Beyond Blue is that, in the end, it doesn't do enough to fulfill its main task: to inspire curiosity about the beautiful Blue world of the ocean and make you want to watch all the documentaries of the same name.

It is exciting to play a shooter, it is a satisfying to play strategy game. Doing both things at the same time, it is just glorious. Disintegration is extremely balanced for being the first take at this new genre, and it is very well polished, too. The worldbuilding is fascinating, the story is not too bad, but the writing of characters and dialogues is terrible. Luckily the game is just so good.

The transposition of the Games Workshop miniature games fails to deliver a fun experience on all fronts.

As a remaster, this is as good as they can possibly get. As a game to be played in 2020, it still stands up pretty well, and its raw gameplay is so distant from today’s standards that it feels like a breath of fresh air.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor confirms the excellent premises already seen with previous expansions of the game, expanding the experience without ever seeing a real end. Zenimax does not sincerely miss a shot, bringing home the umpteenth strike not without flaws, but the game remains a must buy in the library of fans of the franchise. The vampires acquire new interesting abilities on the RPG front, pity that the rework seems a little incomplete.

Tour de France 2020 adds some new features, like a first-person view and the resistance management, but it is graphically old and too many problems cut off its wings.

Despite being one of the best RPGs of recent times, The Outer Worlds for Nintendo Switch is the worst possible version of the game. This port should be taken into consideration only if you don’t possess any other gaming platform, or if you are willing to accept the many compromises made in the name of its portability.

Song of Horror doesn't hide its sources of inspiration, the milestones of the survival horror genre. It finds some elegant ways to pay them homage, sometimes succeeding very well, especially with the creepy atmosphere and music, some other times slipping clumsily (like in the case of some of the puzzle design, way too cryptic).

It’s hard to say if What the Golf? is crazier or funnier. This game made by five guys from Denmark rebuilt the concept of golf using cows, furniture and gravity in a bunch of mini-levels that never stop to amaze. I really can’t remember a game leaving me in awe every 15 seconds, only thanks of the lovable absurdity of the ideas it introduces.

51 Worldwide Games is an excellent collection that lives up to its name, which includes fifty-one games from all over the world: although most of them come from Europe or Asia, some of them are typical of Africa and South America. The latest Nintendo game proves to be an excellent pastime both for those who want to tackle each game alone, and for those who love to have fun in the company of friends and family.

Fly Punch Boom! it's a fun and colorful smash bros like. It has an excellent online mode, thanks to the large community, but the lack of longevity undermines the fun over a long period.

VirtuaVerse is a lot of things. It is a tribute to old school point&click adventures and, at the same time, a modern take on the genre. It is also an act of love to cyberpunk and his themes. But more than anything else, VirtuaVerse is a great adventure set in a detailed world built on a great pixel graphic, fantastic music and a suggestive atmosphere.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is the best version of a masterpiece that has lost none of its charm even after ten years, recommended to both newcomers and veterans.

Between a visual novel and a strategic game, Utawarerumono: prelude to the Fallen crosses the boundaries of the oriental market to capture the hearts of western players with a well packed game.

Minecraft Dungeons is a good entry point into the world of the hack & slash games tailored for a younger audience. Too bad the loot system is abysmal and there’s no endgame whatsoever.

Saints Row: The Third Remastered faces the market as the umpteenth well-built remake, in these last few months, upgrading in a sufficient way all the technical aspects of the original title. Irreverent, reckless, armed with good intentions, the game could be easily recommended, even just for a taste of insanity madness in full swing.