Incredible and aesthetically striking, Nobody Wants to Die offers a deep and brutal story, which uniquely details the criticism of alcohol and antidepressant abuse. It also details a character who tells his existence in detail, through a gameplay that is exposed in a unique and well-defined way, demonstrating a lot of personality. A video game to have, both for those who are passionate about similar scenarios, and for those who need a breath of fresh air.

An Hades-style roguelike action game with the immortal Ninja Turtles... what could possibly go wrong? Nothing, in fact Super Evil Megacorp's take on the genre is definitely fun and accessible, with with an unmissable 4-players couch-coop mode. Splinter Fate reiterates (almost) all the right formulas already seen in similar titles, without daring anything new and proposing a tech compartment that could have been decidedly more ‘pushed’.

The Operator, developed by Bureau 81, is a video game of very good quality due to the many options it offers in solving the various puzzles it puts into play, also demonstrating a remarkable attention to discovery and reading, which Bastien Giafferi himself has never hidden as his great passion. The title, capable of engaging, could lead you to reflect on society and what really matters.

Since no one else can take advantage of the official license, it's not like Frontier Development has to make its way among a thousand competitors, but in any case the developer has worked hard this year too. The innovations introduced in F1 Manager 2024 improve the gaming experience substantially, offering important innovations both during the actual races and in the more strictly managerial phases. Now that we know that the level of this management system stands at high quality levels, it would be appropriate to also focus on the performance, to make it less aseptic and more in line with the motorsport it simulates.

I'm glad that Gestalt: Steam & Cinder has made significant progress compared to the demo I tried a long time ago, because it would have been a shame to waste such beautiful pixel art on a mediocre game. At the same time, however, what we have in front of us is a "only" good Metroidvania: a valid product, therefore, for fans of the genre and also for those who are simply intrigued by it, but it certainly won't make you forget about Silksong.

A survival horror inspired by the classics of the genre, Resident Evil above all, but with a rather original setting. The sources of inspiration can be felt from the very beginning, which will make long-time fans happy, but the strong setting and some little gameplay variations manage to give Conscript its own dimension.

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is a game tailor-made for speedrunners, and played alone it risks losing its appeal in a short time. It's a creature made for a well-thought-out competitive ecosystem, which with online challenges could keep the interest of its select audience high for a long time, or at least until the arrival of an eventual SNES Edition. Perhaps not for everyone, but intriguing if the challenge doesn't scare you.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is a very tasty hybrid, not without flaws, but for the operation set up, it proved to be extremely fun and well packaged. The artificial intelligence of the enemies needs to be reviewed and a whole long-term structure regarding weapons, armor and skills is missing, but for the hours that will keep us glued it is that completely made game, which runs too fast with the plot and makes it almost a 'appendix, but in the end the fun is elsewhere.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is an original and exciting video game, capable of captivating through its game design and showing a pleasant and touching story. It might be challenging for those who are unaccustomed, but that's the beauty of deep video games, with a playful expression that reaches its peak through a fantastic approach.

All in all, SCHiM tells a story that could be ours. The bad luck, the disappointments, having to carry on anyway and discovering that somehow you can do it. Sometimes along the way we get lost and repeat ourselves, but in the end this too is part of the experience and ultimately we can say the same about ourselves.

Anger Foot is the game that many of us wanted, but no one had the courage to develop until now. A first-person Hotline Miami with enemies to kick in Duke Nukem's Mighty Foot style, hyper-saturated colors, pounding soundtrack and different shoes to try on, each with their own unique powers. There is also space for firearms, with the right degree of devastation, to cross the levels without leaving survivors. The indoor action is much more frenetic, getting a little lost in the outdoor sections where parkour takes over the shooting, but it remains a tremendously fun shooter/brawler.

Kaku: Ancient Seal is sub-par in every aspect of the action-adventure genre. Stay clear.

Parasol Stars is still a fun and colourful platform game, an heirloom from a simpler and more innocent era that is worth preserving. The low price and online leaderboards are a good incentive to embark on this journey into the past, minus a somewhat lazy and gritty adaptation.

Beyond Good and Evil turns 20 and returns to our screens with the inevitable signs of time, which however have not totally spoiled the freshness of its gameplay, a still valid story and a cast among the best ever created by Ubisoft.

Nuke Them All is a variation on the usual RTSs that focuses all on action and confrontations with opposing troops, sometimes interrupted by zombie apocalypses or alien invasions. Base building and resource management are barely sketched out, and complicated scientific research trees are not even present. All we have to do is capture the flags on the battlefield as quickly as possible and then launch the final attack on the enemy. The maps are large with multiple biomes, although elevations and depressions in the terrain do not seem to offer any particular advantages or disadvantages. If you are looking for a casual approach RTS with furious shootouts, this is your game.

Dystopika is a relaxing city builder without any of the ambitions typical of management video games. It's a pure sandbox game with which to unleash your creativity and build your dream cyberpunk megalopolis.

Trails Through Daybreak is a rather classic role-playing game and will delight Nihon Falcom fans, if only to inaugurate yet another narrative strand in a now endless dynasty. The combat system isn't quite as polished as the one seen in Trails of Cold Steel, however, and the plot likes to keep the pace a bit too slow, but as a start there's nothing to complain too much about, thanks also to the charisma of a protagonist like Van and an intriguing game world as only Falcom is capable of creating.

In conclusion, The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road stands out for its attempt to deepen the lore of the Daedra through the enigmatic figure of Ithelia. Although the expansion offers intriguing narrative moments and a new mechanic with Scribing, which allows for deeper customization of abilities, it also presents some dissonances, particularly in the side quests that sometimes feel less engaging. Nevertheless, Gold Road proves to be a significant chapter for fans of the saga, offering new challenges and insights into the vast universe of The Elder Scrolls Online.

Fun, light-hearted, stimulating, ghostly and adorable, Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is a great game that mixes joy, brilliant ideas and ghosts with expert craftsmanship. It's not perfect because the original wasn't perfect, for example the level setting can make you turn up your nose as can the repetitiveness or the resulting rhythm, but there's no doubt that those who appreciated the chapter on 3DS will also love this revisitation. Those who have never played it before can finally fill the gap with a game suitable for adults and children, full of passion, attention to detail and curious ideas, both in single player and multiplayer. As usual, when Nintendo is involved: if we had more video games like this, the world would probably be a better place.

The Riven remake makes its return to the scene with absolute pomp, proving once again how much the journey is more important than the destination. The graphic modernization is illustrious and of absolute caliber, as well as everything else, elevated to the asymptote of wonder. It could involve both long-time enthusiasts and newbies.

There are games that do not necessarily have to innovate or dare to propose new mechanics because they are simply already perfect as they are. Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble fits into this category by offering the classic Super Monkey Ball gameplay while introducing nothing more than the spin dash to add further speed to an already frenetic racing. This seems to be the franchise's fate: to occasionally offer hundreds of new levels until gradually interest fades, but so far we have a fun racing game that is easy to complete yet requires a lot of practice to find optimal paths and trajectories. Good.

Chornobyl Liquidators offers a poignant and intimate story, presenting a real playful structure. It entertains and engages for the entire five hours it takes to get to the end credits, also reinforced by brilliant writing and memorable dialogues capable of transporting you to another brutal reality. It could move those who, impressed by the television series, have left their hearts in the story of the most tragic nuclear power plant in the world.

An exciting and enjoyable multiplayer video game, which knows how to give lightheartedness and beauty to its interior, while maintaining a bright and crackling appeal. Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game is a title that can offer several hours of gameplay in total harmony. It presents itself and is managed well, net of a certain repetition of events, which, however, do not weigh down the experience too much. In short, a good test.

Three new stories set in the Alan Wake multiverse, starring alternative versions of familiar faces. Survival horror, unlikely love stories, caffeinated zombie-cultists and meta-humour condensed into three hours of multiverse gameplay, a condensed distillation of Remedy's signature madness.

Fields of Glory: Kingdoms is the Sword in the Rock of strategists, the Hammer of Thor of 4X games. To use it properly you have to be worthy, you have to be the Chosen Ones. How much time are you willing to invest in learning the gameplay mechanics? If the answer is “as much as it takes,” you have on your hands the most complex and comprehensive grand strategy game around, capable of engaging you for months, if not years, thanks to a painstaking simulation of all aspects of running a kingdom, from politics to religion, from lineage to warfare. If you do not feel like devoting your full attention to the game, it’s not your cup of tea.

You will never look at ants the same way! The small team at Slug Disco has not revolutionised the RTS genre, but they offer us a unique perspective on it, where the quality of world-building plays a huge role in how fascinating this game is. It almost make me forget there is no multiplayer.

An horror adventure with a strong 'Carpenterian' flavour that delivers some interesting ideas and awakens ancestral fears, but in the end leaves the taste of a missed opportunity. An excessively linear gameplay, limited longevity and some technical issues prevent it from reaching the level of The Chinese Room's best productions.

Shadow of the Erdtree might have some flaws – reusing certain enemies, inconsistent boss balance, patchwork world design – but even so, it’s still Elden Ring at its core and it’s still leagues ahead of most other high-profile open world games. Definitely a worthwhile addition, and for a fair price, for any fan of the base game. Just make sure you look up how to get to Mohg first.

The Final Shape is one of Destiny 2's best expansions and a worthy conclusion to the Light and Darkness saga. Lots of content, all beautifully crafted, including an outstanding campaign and exciting endgame activities, are matched by a new subclass and the introduction of some brand new enemies. The latter are not very inspired, to be honest, but in some specific situations they require changing approaches to confrontations to get the upper hand. All in all, a big yes for The Final Shape and for Bungie, which can thus redeem itself after the débâcle of Lightfall.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance breaks the chains that initially tied it to too modest hardware to finally shine on a range of systems capable of enhancing its visionary beauty. In addition to this, a sensational series of additions makes the management of demons even deeper, while an alternative narrative line will make even those who lost sleep over the Switch version happy.

Wizardry Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is yet another masterstroke from Digital Eclipse, a developer capable of breathing new life into classics with incredible talent. Apart from its fundamental historical value, however, Wizardry is a game that is now rather limited in its mechanics and cadence, classifying itself as an artefact suitable mainly for digital archaeologists eager to rediscover it. It would have been great if it had been accompanied by the wealth of historical notions to which Digital Eclipse has now accustomed us.

F1 24 is a definite step backward for the Codemasters and Electronic Arts series. Many of the new features introduced in this new iteration are not only unconvincing, but in fact go to the detriment of a game formula that is admittedly old but at least works. With less content than last year and an outdated graphics compartment, the 2024 edition of the official Formula 1 video game is nothing more than a homework assignment. While waiting for a revolution that may never come, unfortunately this remains the only alternative for fans of the top motorsport championship.

On the streets of Heading Out, there is some confusion. Serious Sim's game tries to combine racing and storytelling through some micro-management mechanics, but the balance between the parts does not hold for the entire game, and every now and then the narrative path seems inexorably shaped by the availability of resources. Heading Out, however, shows his best to eyes and ears, as the gray roads of North America flow beneath the wheels and the cassette tape in the stereo blasts a perfect travel soundtrack into the speakers.

Astor: Blade of the Monolith is an action game with a nice combat system, but unfortunately it tends to repeat game situations a little too often during the approximately 15 hours needed to reach the end credits.

Apart from the "30 fps" issue, which in no way detracts from the overall quality of the experience, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is, today as yesterday, an extremely enjoyable, fun, perfectly calibrated and absolutely unmissable title. Whether or not it's right to entrust a remake with Nintendo Switch's swan song is not our concern, play it without asking too many questions and you won't regret it.

Dread Delusion is an homage to the open world RPGs of the past, in which many times intuition and correct interpretation of texts were worth as much as skill with swords, bows and fireballs. A question arises, however: does this still apply today? Certainly not for everyone. Low-resolution textures and models with very few polygons certainly work well in boomer shooters, slightly less in games in which the environments are key components of the experience. Still, the story is very interesting to follow, and if you get past the overly basic combat system it can engage you for a fair amount of hours.

An action-adventure that repeatedly quotes the old Resident Evil games and uses their mechanics to offer the more nostalgic audience an experience very close to the survival horror of the PS1-N64 era. A hint of modernity in the controls makes it palatable even to less veteran gamers, but a few balancing problems and a fairly short longevity take it away from the pinnacle of the genre.

This new revival, in addition to engaging and exciting, details the talent of Tekla and Jonathan Blow. It is a new look that, in addition to involving and impressing, embellishes the journey, making it pleasant and much higher than it appears. The work is absolutely valuable, so much so that the vote below, exactly in line with the value of the work and the past, remains unchanged or almost unchanged.

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is one of the masterpieces of the year, a title that stands out in the already large Annapurna stable and yet another confirmation of Simogo as one of the most talented teams around. A puzzle game, a graphic adventure, a detective story, even a simple dungeon crawler, chameleon-like and always surprising, but above all a cursed, engaging, disturbing story, which starts from a psychological thriller and ends up thinking about art in the broadest sense of term. Obsessive level design, extraordinary atmosphere, incredible moments for a work that I have no illusions about being commercially successful but which, perhaps, like certain arthouse films, could become a cult.

Capes is the perfect game for those looking for a level of challenge similar to that of any XCOM. Fun, complex and colourful, at times the game becomes very difficult, requiring more and more attention from the player, but if taken calmly, Capes can offer many emotions and hours of fun.

Continuity with the past has always been part of Men of War’s modus operandi, but this makes the absence of half the factions all the more jarring. The campaigns also seem to prioritize quantity over quality, and this is especially obvious in the voiceover department.

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.

Ghost of Tsushima is surely not a revolution in the open world panorama, yet Sucker Punch managed to craft a must-play hit much more meaningful and interesting than other similar experiences. There’s no need to re-inventing the wheel if you are confident of your idea. Ghost of Tsushima is this.

A uniquely styled adventure, with game mechanics that are not new but used in a constructive and entertaining way. Narration, direction and soundtrack contribute to a rich experience that will steal your heart away.

Songs of Conquest is a turn-based strategy game that fits into the mold of Heroes of Might and Magic, trying to fill the void left by the latter, now missing from our screens for almost a decade. Despite a few flaws in the single-player campaign, Lavapotion's video game features a near-perfect balance of the four playable factions, all of which are well characterized, as well as a huge amount of content, including full support for community-made stuff.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is the crowning achievement of a team that has been able, over the last few years, to devote itself to every aspect of its work with particular and affectionate intensity, succeeding in the complex attempt to surpass what has been done in the past and outlining a production of great cultural depth. The production is touching, violent, brutal and physical, complete and brilliant. A must have.

It’s a shame that Homeworld 3’s plot seems to completely miss the point of the story in the older games, focusing too much on Imogen’s hyperspace superpowers rather than on the Kushan’s struggle as a people, because gameplay and presentation are otherwise top notch and prove once again Blackbird Interactive’s competence and skill as a versatile RTS developer.

Die by the Blade works in its video game mission that pays homage to Bushido Blade. for the rest, it is a huge wasted opportunity given that the title lacks all the contents.

Developing a Battle Royale in pace with the times starting from the gameplay of Pac-Man, released in 1980, without disrupting its nature, must have been very difficult indeed. PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle Chomp Champs partially succeeds, offering a very interesting formula in the first few game sessions, which gradually reveals all the limits, with no additional modes to keep the momentum going. In a couple of hours you get to see all that the video game has to offer, after that it is only a matter of time before the fun begins to fade. If you are looking for fast-paced and colorful competitive multiplayer, however, it might be for you.

Animal Well is an atypical metroidvania that exploits many of the genre's tropes to give birth to something different, almost completely eliminating the entire action component to focus exclusively on the puzzles. The end result is a fascinating, mysterious and at times mesmerizing video game that does not end once the credits are rolling, since reaching the ending represents only a new beginning for Animal Well. As long as you really want to escape the well, of course, but why do it? It's so good down here.

Sker Ritual is a classic horror cooperative shooter (also playable in single player) in which you'll find elements already seen in similar games, from Call of Duty's Zombie mode to Left 4 Dead and Killing Floor. Technical issued highlighted the need for updates to make the gaming experience smoother and more satisfying. We also hope that the developers will get busy releasing new content in the near future because the four maps now available quickly tend towards repetitiveness.

The Land Beneath Us looks like a classic turn-based roguelite with pleasing pixel art and very tiny levels full of dangers, in which every move must be carefully weighted. The weapon equipment system, however, grants a great variety of scenarios, making our hero sometimes very powerful only when moving upward, sometimes stronger in lateral movements, forcing us to adjust our strategy according to his position and the direction in which it would be most appropriate to engage enemies. A good variety of monsters, bosses and power-ups should keep roguelite lovers entertained for quite a while.

Robobeat is an original production that winks persuasively at POST VOID but follows a completely opposite structural line, succeeding in the overall but fantastic task of proving to be well mature and engaging. It's complex, but it's not a problem: you need to practice, learn the right moves and manage, of course, to get more than one note right. You need to kill.

Fabledom is a truly remarkable city-builder. The game formulas remain the classic ones, but the fairy-tale context significantly enriches the game structure. relaxing, fun and engaging.

Forcing us to live one second at a time, MULLET MAD JACK pays homage to the golden years of anime with contagious passion, the same that gushes from the small details that are difficult to see given the crazy speed of the gameplay. In a crowded landscape like that of old school FPS it's not easy to stand out, yet Jack manages to do so easily thanks to an out of the ordinary personality and mullet.

A highly atmospheric text adventure, with well-characterized characters despite some clichés and a plot that we can shape, one choice at a time. Cooper's development doesn't involve much furthermore, between rhythm and gameplay, there are several ups and downs which, together with the bugs, don't allow the game to shine like the neon lights of Terrahive.

For reasons of time (the game is quite large) I dedicated myself almost exclusively to solo play, and from this point of view V Rising is certainly a very successful title, which alternates fights that are always on point with that sense of progression that never fails to provide a powerful stimulus. Every now and then you'll have to take a trip into the mine, though.

A classic and enjoyable metroidvania, which does not offer any particular creative ideas and delivers a challenge in line with most games in the genre. Platforming, combat and environmental puzzles alternate through scenarios inspired by African culture, in which an important story comes to life, well told and punctuated by a well-shaped cast of characters.

It's really not easy to recommend a roguelite with classic gameplay at this precise moment in history, yet Shadow of the Depth manages to entertain and offer a good level of challenge, so why shouldn't we consider it? The various classes offer distinct gameplay, and the ability to equip a warrior with a mage's items and successfully field test them opens the door to different builds to explore. Skill trees are lacking, and perks are not as crucial, but the growth of heroes run after run is evident and invites one to throw in the classic "last try." Nothing new, but all well implemented.

The Forgotten Kingdom is the classic excellent DLC for Remnant II: a budget price for an important amount of content. in the future, however, something more will be needed to keep the game alive for a long time.

At face value, Nordic Ashes offers a lot of content, which makes it feel even more weird when you realize that build variety is one of its issues, due to how character progression works during a run. Overall, it’s not a bad enemy hell kind of game, but it doesn’t make top of the class.

Generally, the fun curve of managerial games starts to go downhill when we have learned to gather resources, build facilities, and research technologies in the right sequence. At that point everything becomes routine and we are no longer surprised by anything. Undead Inc. manages to keep the interest a little longer thanks to various unlockable content but mostly because it touches on a hot topic in recent times, and earning billions on the lives of patients proves sadistically fascinating. Those who enjoyed Fallout Shelter will love this variation set in the cruel world of speculative medicine.

The faces and animations after the fall are out of place, some bugs or inexplicable maneuvers still occur, however the tweaks and innovations give us yet another must have for MotoGP enthusiasts, a vigorous, dynamic world motorbike simulator with adrenaline-pumping gameplay, welcoming to novices yet challenging to veterans.

INDIKA’s gameplay is at the service of its narrative, so as to tell an allegorical and satirical story about religious institutions and the power they have over people. It is a story that deals with existential themes in an often surreal way, taking advantage of a staging that thrives on contrasts and dissonances, managing to convey a message while always keeping the balance between the serious and the irreverent (and at times even blasphemous) irony.

Endless Ocean Luminous is not the dream sequel I always hoped for to Arika's beloved submarine series. The change of direction has favoured the co-operative component, but has mutilated the original experience of many interesting and distinctive features. The purely educational aspect remains, and the possibility of organising dives together with such a large number of friends is not to be underestimated, but I wouldn't recommend the game to those who are only interested in reliving the fascinating sensations of the original chapters on Wii.

Phantom Fury is a classic FPS that manages to engage and entertain. It is a simple but well-finished evolution of its predecessor, to whom it owes a lot and which can still be an excellent yardstick in the panorama of boomer shooters. The new production, while not shining for originality, knows how to be a remarkable follow-up.

Botany Manor is a dense and emotionally charged work, designed to bring the player to live in the shoes of Arabella, a young woman who rediscovers her career, finding her own affections. It is a well-crafted and time-conscious production, with well-thought-out and satisfying puzzles. In short, a really convincing test.

A light and light-hearted but no less interesting ARPG, Sand Land. It doesn't have deep gameplay nor the slightest revolutionary ambition, several game elements are so canonical that they make it appear flat to those who are more accustomed to it, yet it can still be played with a certain gusto. The vehicles give an extra something to the journey of Beelzebub and his companions, not only from the point of view of traveling in an unfortunately unexciting open world. The rest is taken care of by the pleasant touch of the late artist who many of us, from an early age, have learned to consider as a loved one.

Stellar Blade is a video game that simply takes the best of many works, expanding the concepts in its own way. It's a warm and long-lived production, satisfying and with real action, which could certainly do its best with a second chapter. SHIFT UP Corporation, carefully packaging its work, has given life to a new series and created a character that could surprise in the future.

With TopSpin 2K25 Hangar 13 did a good job there where it was needed, in recreating a realistic but not frustrating tennis experience, very technical but at the same time challenging and fun. The content is canonical and technically there is still some work to be done, but if you love "non-televised" tennis and believe that with the right training you could beat even Federer, it's time to give it a try ... at least on a virtual tennis court.

Let's be frank: an evolution of Lunar Lander must do Lunar Lander's job, and Lunar Lander Beyond fulfills its task. Do you find the gameplay too simple and repetitive? This is a 1979 game repurposed in a deliberately faithful manner, for better or worse, adding some features typical of modern productions but aiming above all to preserve the spirit of the original. Nothing to object to in this respect then, but more effort could have been made in terms of aesthetics, with some elements looking too amateurish that almost makes you regret the vector graphics of the old arcade.

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.

One could easily define Lotus Lantern: Rescue Mother as a reskin of Hades set in Chinese mythology, and trash it upon seeing that it does not touch the qualitative heights reached by Supergiant Games' work. The gameplay, however, is captivating, and the roguelite structure coupled with a good handling of the difficulty curve entices you to jump into another run to field test the newly achieved perks and the new character build. Each enemy has its own movement and attack pattern to learn, and the bosses are challenging enough. It doesn't innovate the genre, but it gets the job done.

A VERY particular adventure, both in aesthetic and narrative terms. The story starts slowly and with very little explanation, but as the game progresses it becomes more and more interesting and does not disdain touching important chords. The mechanics are the classic ones of a graphic adventure but the gameplay presents a few too many rough edges due to a bit of "dirt" in the code. Finally, the total lack of localization in Italian could represent a significant obstacle given that the tone of the dialogues is well above classic school English.

Headquarters World War 2 is a seemingly poor strategy game, which opens up to beautiful gameplay as soon as you start a new game. A title to try if you love games similar to XCOM.

Broken Roads looks from Australian shores toward some even recent classics of the CRPG genre and reworks a rather known formula through the lens of philosophy. The juxtaposition is a not so obvious success: in fact, philosophy is not used as a mere label to offer a re-brand of something already seen, but a g that moves both the game mechanics and the narrative progression.

Turbo Kid could have played dirty and stuffed in an endless barrage of citations for their own sake without caring too much about the content, sure to win over a large audience of nostalgic gamers anyway. Instead, it has been created with a genuine love for the metroidvania genre, adding to the typical skills such as jumping, crouching and climbing, also a large set of stunts typical of the BMX world, with a level design that takes full advantage of them. The result is interesting and successfully distracts from a look that has been seen many times before and from a main quest that adds nothing new.

The production, which tells of a world governed by megacorporations, involves and strikes in an unexpected way, leveraging complex themes and situations, while expertly detailing the story of Ayana, a young woman in difficulty on a razor's edge. Eraban: Shadow Legacy, a story characterized by many positive elements, is a work that does its job, committing itself to creating good gameplay.

Children of the Sun is a puzzle game disguised as a first person shooter, in which it seems that the protagonist is The Girl when in fact it is The Bullet. The difficulty of the levels increases gently, without placing insurmountable barriers on the players, but it is unfair not to have a complete overview of the situation from the beginning, which usually happens in this genre of games. Exploding the heads of enemies in super slow motion guarantees double satisfaction, first of all because a kill is always a kill, secondly because it is proof that our strategy works. The pulp atmosphere and the tragic story greatly increase the charm of the game.

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.

Truly, a game of paradox (pun intended). The concept of Ages is exciting but the way it is implemented forces players into science-focused gameplay. The system of resources is meant for hardcore player, but others like diplomacy and international economy are half-baked to say the least. This game wasn’t ready for release.

Death Noodle Delivery is a fascinating project in theory but the magic ends after a couple of hours of completing the game. Few mechanics, a constant vulgarity in the script and a general feeling of having an incomplete game in your hands.

Open Roads is an extremely classic narrative adventure that nevertheless offers a mature and passionate story. The game design focuses on the key engines of the many productions of this type and succeeds in the complex attempt to prove pleasant and surprising. A production that, without a doubt, has its own personality. Exactly like that of Annapurna Interactive, one might say.

What if during the jump from mobile to PC you lose some attractiveness and do not try to remedy it in any way? Slice & Dice's formula, perfect on smartphones, is a bit poor on the desktop, and there is nothing to do but decide which dice to roll and which enemy to attack, hoping for an interesting drop or the arrival of a stronger character. The strategic component would be interesting, thanks to gameplay that allows us to know the moves of monsters in advance, but it is all too simple and too tied to luck. The multiple options and situations make it a good game, but not the expected masterpiece.

Terra Memoria confirms itself to be neither more nor less than what the trailers and images suggest: a truly cozy Western JRPG. It's an RPG with a modern feel that is an ode to the great classics of the past and, at the same time, to the importance of the journey even before the destination, a cute and cuddly indie work just like its furry protagonists.

One Last Breath is a puzzle platformer with a very good narrative idea and a satisfying realization. Unfortunately the puzzles are very banal and some maps are made with very little care.

MLB The Show 24 could almost be called 23 ½. The new features are more quantitative than qualitative, with a gameplay that follows the path of the last edition without the slightest deviation. What changes are mainly the contents, among which the excellent second season dedicated to the Negro League and the section starring Derek Jeter stand out. Little to report on Road To The Show, Franchise and Diamond Dynasty, which remain at fair/good levels without the addition of extra details that have a considerable impact on the gaming experience. No particular flaw in the graphics/sounds, which however would require some global cleaning and modernization, with particular attention to the player models.

Horizon Forbidden West for PC is the best adventure starring Aloy, even on not the most powerful configurations. All the magic of Guerrilla Games' game has been delivered uncompromisingly and will engage you for several hours as you explore, fight and experience a beautifully narrated and wonderfully portrayed story, accompanied by a soundtrack worthy of a top-notch film production. By forgoing some detail, which is moreover compensated by the smaller screen size, even Steam Deck – or similar consoles – owners will enjoy this excellent production.

Highwater is an effective and essential video game, well written and with a confident plot and a context capable of hitting the mark. It is a prequel that manages to fit uniquely into the experiences of the past, with the team having embraced a turn-based combat system that is excellently implemented but not so deep. It is a dynamic adventure that bases its total focus on narrative.

Empty Shell is a twin stick shooter with a horror-themed top down view, similar in gameplay to Hotline Miami but with a less frantic pace and a completely different look, here entirely in grayscale with various filters to simulate the nowadays ancient CRT monitors. The variety of weapons and enemies is quite good, and when life points begin to run low there is a definite anxiety in opening the next door without knowing what we will be fighting. The gameplay is simple and the story takes up the classic experiment where everything went wrong, yet the dark, claustrophobic atmosphere will manage to catch even the most demanding players.

Despite appearances, Bears In Space is an FPS that knows what it's doing. Bullet hell and platforming, weapons to upgrade and secrets to find, madness galore, infernal boss fights and gameplay deviations, there really is a bit of everything in this bizarre Australian title which may not be perfect, but where it is written that a video game necessarly have to be one to be fun?

Rise of the Ronin is a sort of amusement park for samurai, an open world adventure with an excellent combat system, in which the abundance of activities could distract you from a compelling and well-told plot. It's closer to an Assassin's Creed than a Souls-like or one of Team Ninja's previous games and could have been even better if it had been less technically problematic.

Princess Peach gives proof of great transforming talent in this her second "solo" adventure. Ten transformations take turns in levels filled with mini-games and secrets. A colorful and fun game marked by a low level of difficulty, which penalizes longevity and targets it mainly at a very young or novice audience.

Slave Zero In fact, this is what the project bases its roots on: the player's learning to strengthen themselves and improve their skills. It's a shame for the absence of an endgame, which could have really brought the score you see further down even higher.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is an extremely engaging open world action game, featuring a combat system that is practically flawless and a huge map full of secrets to explore. It follows a philosophy of its own and for this it deserves to be rewarded, but the optimization problems that afflict the PC version tested during the review do not allow it to achieve excellence, at least for the moment.

Last Epoch is an isometric hack and slash RPG that is graphically well crafted but most importantly accessible to a non-hardcore audience. You can progress without much difficulty and dying does not bring particular penalty as seen in soulslike. The few trivial starting classes can generate thousands of different builds through specializations, crafting, perks, and talents to be assigned in the skill tree. Story as always plays a marginal role, but the introduction of time travel will make wandering through the same regions in various eras interesting. Endgame management will determine long-term success, but at the moment it is an RPG worth trying.

We are not at the mythical levels of the first episode, it is evident. Outcast – A New Beginning is a sequel without infamy and without praise, net of a nostalgia effect which inevitably has its weight but cannot justify every shortcoming. Strengths and weaknesses are almost equal when it's time to take stock, appreciating it or not depends a lot on how much importance you give to both. This is one of those cases in which the price doesn't play in the work's favor, however with a discount it might be worth giving it a chance because there is only one Cutter Slade.

Alone in the Dark is, unfortunately, a missed opportunity. Despite an absolutely fascinating aesthetic and artistic structure, the game encounters terrible technical problems, so much so that it affects the performance of the game itself in terms of gameplay mechanics.