Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is a great second season that makes the already beautiful Oxenfree feel like a pilot episode. An intense, exciting and playfully aware narrative adventure, capable of perfectly integrating gameplay with writing. Artistically remarkable, thematically profound, full of tense situations, where to make decisions and direct the fate of our protagonists, playing the part that seems most suitable to us, without the story ever lacking in coherence. If this is what Netflix wants to do with the video game, the future looks rosy for lovers of this genre (success permitting). Radio chills.

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is surprising: it’s extremely coherent with the setting created by Games Workshop, and the gameplay reflects the potential offered by the ability to command a cohort of the Adeptus Mechanicus. There are some undeniable flaws, but overall we are looking at a refreshing new take on the turn-based tactics genre.

An immersive, immense MMO sandbox survival game that captures the fierce and mystical essence of Dune, with a merciless and seductive Arrakis. The combat system is subdued and there are technical uncertainties that limit its potential. But what fun.

Observer is a good sci-fi horror adventure, with a strong narrative, blessed by the amazing performance of Rutger Hauer. Some less-convincing elements (notably, recycling of assets and gameplay ideas from Layers of Fear, the previous game from Bloober Team) don't diminish the value of an intriguing experience, full of love for Blade Runner and the sci-fi avantpop.

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.

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.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a game that exists in constant tension between what it is and what it could have been. It has moments where it recaptures the rarefied atmosphere of its predecessors, recovering that sense of isolation, wonder, and discovery that defined the series, but it quickly stumbles over choices that dilute its rhythm and identity. It's a chapter that's enjoyable to play and, in more than one instance, truly shines. Yet it never quite manages to shake off the feeling of having been held back, polished, and constrained by timid decisions, perhaps a legacy of an overly complicated development process. It's not the chapter that will mark a new direction, but neither is it a bitter disappointment. It's a game suspended between ambition and caution, imperfect but sincere, that deserves a chance: when Beyond finds its voice, even if only for a moment, it still reminds us why Metroid is Metroid.

Bleak Sword DX could be deceiving with its "mobile game" air, but underestimating the merits of the experience it offers would be a mistake. Frustration is real and there are some limits, but when the essential is so clearly visible to the eye and fascinating, it becomes easy to accept them and enjoy what is there.

This low-budget adventure from Daedalic, based on the uber-popular Ken Follett's novel, kicks off very slowly, but it gently gets under your skin. Don't expect too much point'n'click gameplay, but soon enough you'll find yourself engaged in a compelling story (well, congrats) and challenged by a series of choices that will impact the rest of the story.

A fitting "Yakuza" that takes the old Kazuma Kyriu and launches him into a new life - how long and happy we are not yet allowed to know. On the gameplay side Like a Dragon Gaiden relies on well-established mechanics that still work well, adding a couple of new tricks that seem to wink at what we will see in Infinite Wealth.

Visual Concepts has finally created a beautiful chapter of NBA 2K, balanced, rich in content, aesthetically true next gen.

In Other Waters caresses the senses, stimulates curiosity and hits hard with an extremely deep story. An alien ocean to explore, discovering an incredibly fascinating ecosystem, to be protected at all costs.

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens learned from the mistakes and delivers the best LEGO videogame so far, and one truly fine Star Wars tie-in. A real new beginning for the franchise, with a lot of new ideas, and the usual set of characters and unlockables that will keep the players busy for a long time.

It's not the most difficult platformer ever made, but Unravel manages to deliver a truly sweet, gentle and tender experience. It's a delicate, red ball of yarn that will twine around your heart.

Classic but stylish, Battle Chasers: Nightwar has a truly inspired art direction and tons of good ideas; unfortunately, some bugs ruin the experience of a pretty unique RPG. Airship Syndicate needs to fix this, as soon as possible, so that the game can reach its true potential.

Sonic Collection is not only a (guess what?) collection of the first games featuring the blue hedgehog and friends cleverly remastered and with an improved gameplay, but it’s also a long platformer – if we consider the Story mode which will take us by hand through all four chapters – which I would recommend also to those who are unfamiliar with the franchise and are simply looking for a fun and fast paced game with colorful graphics and an awesome level design where there’s always something new to discover. Highly recommended both for Sonic lovers and newcomers.

The Procession to Calvary is a blasphemous, cynical and rad point&click adventure set inside a collage of Renaissance paintings. Brilliant dialogues and gorgeous animations are the perfect frame for Joe Richardson’s dark humor and his funny homages to the Monty Python.

Keeping the original structure intact, Days Gone returns to PlayStation 5 in a version that — thanks also to an appealing price tag — stands out as a purchase well worth considering for open-world enthusiasts. Visually polished, lengthy without becoming tiresome, and quite entertaining, it also features a range of new game modes alongside the main adventure that add variety. The epic tale of Deacon St. John still fully deserves high praise today.

Despite the lack of variety over long playthroughs, The Persistence is a sci-fi survival horror that all PS VR owners should have.

With its gorgeous, minimalistic visuals, Forma.8 is a cool metroidvania game with something to say. Backtracking is well-implemented, while the lack of a detailed map could be considered one of the few weak points of an awesome production.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster is still an excellent FPS today, almost thirty years after its first publication. The many improvements introduced by the developers, both on the graphics and gameplay side, manage to modernize the original to make it enjoyable both by the older ones and by those who have never had the opportunity to experience the adventures of Kyle Katarn.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a game with a lot of charisma thanks to an exceptional characterization of the world and the characters that populate it. Unfortunately, the mix of turn-based tactics and stealth isn’t always working as it’s supposed to, but the game developed by The Bearded Ladies is still able to entertain for about fifteen hours. Maybe next time it would be appropriate to give to the gameplay the same care given to the narrative aspects of the game.

An almost impossible game to evaluate with objectivity and using "standard" rules: the gameplay is truly basic, and the story can be as touching as your personal sensitivity to a very delicate and serious matter.

Once Upon a Climb is the new installment of a series that started big, stumbled in the second episode, and rose again in this third episode. A few puzzles, a lot of humour, some occasions for deeper thoughts, and excellent writing and dialogues. Good work, The Odd Gentlemen.

Mass Transit is an excellent expansion, with just one problem: the content isn't that much. Everything else improves over the original, adding depth to an already rich gameplay. And the support for Steam Workshop is just the cherry on top.

Green Hell is a wild and spectacular indie survival because there is so much to do and a lot to risk at every step. It has intriguing mechanics, solid gameplay and extreme realism that blend well with the deadly Amazonian context, forcing the player to engage himself to not dying every 15 minutes. Some minor bugs and technical issues cannot ruin one of the most exciting experiences on the survival scene.

After playing Adios I felt like I did when I first saw No country for old men, and I can’t imagine a greater compliment. Graphics are definitely not its strongest suit, but they do a decent job at supporting Adios’ touching story, that shines thanks to its fantastic voice acting. A couple simple minigames add a little variety to this walking simulator. All in all, Adios lasts a little more than an hour, but it’s an hour that is totally worth experiencing.

What a ride! Riders Republic gives you an amount of freedom that you can hardly find anywhere else, and lets you choose your own path within a happy community that’s keen to celebrate your successes.