The top-down tactical shooter Thunder Tier One offers a realistic and engaging singleplayer campaign, unfortunately ruined by AI partners who are too prone to ignore orders and cause havoc. The multiplayer is fun and shootouts are hectic, but there’s also a distinct lack of modes and the progression system isn’t too exciting. We don’t doubt Krafton will keep the game patched and updated though.

Although I am convinced Red Solstice 2: Survivors will find its niche fanbase, I can’t really say the hybrid action/strategy gameplay impressed me. The single-player campaign is nice to have but it doesn’t stand out - the core experience here is definitely the multiplayer co-op.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 is a title that continues the path started by its predecessor, placing the thrill of a mercenary sniper’s life in a simple, linear and somewhat bland story. A rather predictable but all in all enjoyable experience, with some limitations (and some oddities) in artificial intelligence and an average graphics/sound department.

Deliver Us the Moon manages to amalgamate the sci-fi thriller concept with a third-person adventure in an entertaining way. The gameplay structure is too basic and almost chained to the usual stylistic elements seen and revised. Unfortunately, this penalizes the final result.

Crackdown 3 comes directly from the past, from an era in which the open-world action games focused mainly on the number of things to do, to the detriment of the overall quality and variety of situations. This does not mean that the formula proposed by Sumo Digital doesn’t work: far from it. But it’s linked to a now anachronistic concept of a genre that has evolved over the last couple of years into something that goes beyond the simple repetition of the same tasks throughout the duration of the campaign.

The Guest is a somehow fascinating adventure, despite a short playtime and a story not on par with its excellent puzzles, reminiscences of the great classics of the past.

Despite the excellent work done by FieldSENSE, Madden NFL 24 fails to solve some of the issues that have plagued the EA Sports saga for years. Adding poor menu navigation to predictable game modes and imperfect AI, the final result is a game that has some good moments, but has no chance to win the Superbowl.

The Beast Inside is a walking simulator that tries to make the most of the horror setting to create a good but not perfect videogame.

Ghost Blade HD is a pretty good old-style bullet hell (the original version was published on Dreamcast two years ago), albeit a little too derivative and not so original. You'll have probably already played something better in the past, but there are not so many games like this on the PSN, and the 2-player mode is really fun.

A "Layton-esque" detective game in which Pikachu is obviously the undisputed star. Light and somewhat repetitive gameplay make it suitable for a fairly young or inexperienced audience in this genre of titles. Those looking for a deeper, more complex and challenging experience should look elsewhere.

NHL 26 delivers a mixed experience. The game shows flashes of brilliance, thanks to a solid gameplay rhythm and a fair amount of on-ice spectacle, but it's still weighed down by a range of persistent issues. These flaws, while sometimes minor, can become increasingly frustrating over the course of a full season, especially for dedicated players. The revamped Be a Pro career mode is a welcome improvement, addressing several weaknesses from previous iterations. However, the rest of the game modes offer little evolution, largely recycling content and features from last year without introducing meaningful innovations.

Double Dragon Revive isn't a complete disappointment, but it doesn't completely captivate either. It's a prime example of a project that works just enough to entertain, especially when the action heats up and the combat system shows its potential, but never really pushes the envelope. Arc System Works has crafted a respectful and reasonably solid beat 'em up, but it lacks a clear vision: a comeback that doesn't know where to look, torn between reverence for the past and a fear of fully modernizing itself. The result is an honest title, even enjoyable for fans of the genre, but inevitably destined to fade away without a trace, especially when compared to far more successful experiments like Neon or Gaiden. Perhaps wait for a price drop before giving it a chance.

The Cruel King and the Great Hero combines an excellent storyline and an exceptional art-style with a significantly simplified gameplay, which wouldn’t be an issue if not for the tons of very repetitive fights that end up constantly interrupting the narrative flow. Perhaps more exploration and less combat would have served the game better, but unfortunately that’s not the case.

Invader Studios has packaged a survival horror experience with a good atmosphere and decent pace, adding small but interesting new features and significantly improving the technical compartment. A sequel that represents a good step forward but still has a long way to go to walk side by side with the best exponents of the genre.

The Falconeer is an interesting aerial combat game which, however, is weighed down by several burdens that do not allow it to shake off the monotony that arises from its own ambition as an open world.

Speaking purely in terms of content, NHL 23 feels more like a (modest) update to NHL 22 than a new chapter in the EA Games series. The changes made to the gameplay and game modes are very limited, and do not significantly affect the overall experience. On the other hand, positive steps forward in graphic/sound, which continues along the lines of last season showing further improvements. Skates on your feet and stick in hand, even with some issues in artificial intelligence, the games are quite fun, but the few innovations make it difficult to justify the purchase for those who already have NHL 22 in their collection. Or rather, they make it justifiable only for those players who focus on those modes that require extensive use of online (Ultimate Team and World of Chel above all).

Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot has a lot of potential and a lot of very good ideas, but it’s a very short experience and doesn’t have any replay value.

Gex Trilogy reintroduces the three original chapters of the famous 90s platformer, with accurate emulation and some modern features such as quick saves, rewind, trophies, widescreen support and CRT filter. The first episode, in 2D, is notable for its wall and ceiling walking mechanics, while the two sequels in 3D chase the Super Mario 64 model, losing some of the originality. The constant, dated humor may be repetitive, but the collection remains a solid product for nostalgists and completists, enhanced by extra content such as concept art or interviews with the developers.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is a good collection plagued by a couple of mistakes. I wouldn't recommend it to newcomers (for them, the right game is clearly Drum 'n' Fun), but if you don't have enough of Don-chan and Ka-chan it can be a good way to get the band on the road again.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope - 4K & Full HD Remaster is a decent new version of a decent game: the graphical options are good and allow to have a beautiful experience on the more modern screens. The combat system is still intriguing, but everything else is pretty dull and predictable, without any new features to justify the buy if you already played it seven years ago.

A decent arena shooter, but the lack of PS Move support is somewhat inexplicable.

Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is not a bad game per se, there are no real flaws or problems, but the overall experience is a little bland and generic. Things get a little (but just a little) better if you play with some friends, even in PvP. It's your typical product that will only please the hardcore fans of the original material, nothing more.

ADR1FT on PS4 confirms its nature of highly spectacular orbital exploration experience, but also remains limited in length, plot and game's mechanics. And the lack of a virtual reality console version will be a pity, in the near launch of PS VR.

You can see sparks of an excellent game here and there, but the full potential got lost along the way. Still, not so many tactical action games around – beggars can’t be choosers!

Super Soccer Blast: America vs Europe is a small, arcade soccer game that is super entertaining to play, at least for the first hours. As almost every other arcade sport game, when you learn to master all of its mechanics it gets a little less entertaining, but you can always use it as an old-style 1vs1 couch game with friends. Few rules, a fast pace and hilarious names are everything the Euro (or Copa America) summer needs.

SpongeBob once again stars in a 3D platformer that rests its gameplay on well-established stylistic features, offering few surprises but still providing a fun and enjoyable experience.

Sam “Serious” Stone is back in a new top-down shooter with roguelite elements that delivers a thin-like-paper crazy story and some entertaining (but repetitive) bite-sized gameplay elements.

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.