Risk of Rain 1 was already a very good roguelike, and this is an improved and expanded version of it, so what’s not to love? Wish Hopoo added the ability to save during a run, though.

The first Mario RPG is still damn fun. Even almost 30 years after its original release, it offers a fun, fresh adventure full of many little surprises. A difficulty level that is not particularly high allows it to be playable even by an audience not particularly accustomed to the genre, but veterans may find it a little too forgiving.

Persona 5 Tactica is a passionate and better work in every light and nuance. Enriched by a detailed game design, defined at its best by many approaches that can be performed as desired, its greatest advantage is being linked to the original title and involving, at the same time, with a particularly successful strategic vision à la X-Com . It's a video game not to be missed, full of many nuances and things to do, as well as enriched by a touching story.

Mix the madness of a blind date, the unknown of returning home and the slipper on your mother's teeth, and you get Thirsty Suitors, a video game that overturns the rules and follows its own vision, defining with awareness and maturity an enveloping and engaging game design. It is above all strong in game design that mixes with real life events and a number of events that follow one another, nevertheless outlining an extremely scholastic exploration. Worth a try if you are in a mid-life crisis (now in your thirties), if you have lots or lots of exes ready to take revenge and if, in a certain sense, you have finished Alan Wake 2 or any other work published in the last six months. In that case, you would understand why someone left you.

Ufo Robot Goldrake The Feast of Wolves is unfortunately a mediocre game, so much so that I would not recommend it even to the most die-hard fans of the iconic robot, except at a discounted price. Like the original material, it is a product aimed at a young audience, ironically at the antipodes of the old-timers who are supposed to represent the hardcore Actarus fans.

Wandering Sword is a journey into an ancient China to be explored from top to bottom, meeting wonderful characters and engaging in pitched battles in which tactics, party members and character build are crucial. Progression is quite fast-paced and debunks the cliché that would have Eastern games to be based on grinding. The main campaign is fairly linear, but there are enough side quests that provide variety to the adventure, meticulously narrated with plenty of text. The HD-2D graphics are particularly well-chosen in this genre of games and are another selling point.

A new League of Legends spin-off that tells a story of friendship through well-established gameplay but lacking any particular creative flourishes. The most "Disney-esque" of Riot Forge's products to date, it is a game unsuited to discerning palates or experienced players, but it can become an excellent pastime for younger audiences or for those who crave something well-told but undemanding.

RoboCop: Rogue City is the best video game dedicated to Verhoeven's character, and that alone might be enough of a recommendation for a slice of the old-timers. It is satisfying and brutal, a video game as gory and simple as those of yesteryear, and this is its trump card. What revolves around the shoot-outs is unfortunately not as exciting, but overall it remains a highly recommended game for fans of the film.

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.

Slay the Princess is a deep narrative adventure with the sole goal of telling a story, in a sort of big, deep What If? which succeeds in the complex task of surprising. To reach total completionism, you could even need six hours of play. It's a rich, deep and literally flawless title. A big, small and unexpected evolution for graphic adventures.

Lunacid is certainly an intriguing action RPG with plenty of old-school charm, but audiences more used to modern games might find some of its quirks – and its balance that heavily favors magic builds – a bit annoying.

Shattered Heaven takes inspiration from Darkest Dungeon and Slay the Spire, and does so without adding any particular innovations to the game formula. There is nothing wrong with this, especially if the end result is good. Besides, it manages to bring a mature narrative, including multifaceted characters and a well-written story. There are some flaws here and there, but all in all Leonardo Production's video game is well made.

While waiting for the revolution promised for the next chapter, Football Manager 2024 confirms all the qualities of Sports Interactive's game.

Gothic Classic Switch is a cleaned and revised edition of Piranha Bytes' classic masterpiece. The innovations around camera and inventory management are just a plus in front of a title that, despite being twenty years old, still works like it used to.

The Talos Principle 2 is the perfect combination of puzzle game and RPG phases. A philosophical story that starts from the game but reaches out to touch the player and the history of the human being. The Talos Principle 2 is one of the most complete gaming experiences of this year.

When you don't put all your eggs in the frenetic action, focusing on story and atmosphere, you absolutely must capture player attention to avoid falling into the walking sim trap. The Invincible succeeds in this task right from the first few minutes, immersing us in a situation in which the last thing we want is to run crazily into the unknown, preferring to move with circumspection knowing that each step could be our last. This is due to a superlative narrative technique combined with perfect graphic representation. It is not a survival horror but rather a novel written in the guise of an adventure, and lovers of the genre will love it.

Achilles: Legends Untold is a good mix between RPGs with hack and slash action like Diablo and souls-likes in which every checkpoint is an achievement. The wide range of weapons, each with unique characteristics and combat styles, invite experimentation even to just see the animations of the protagonist as he crushes, kills and rips apart enemies. The story set in Greek mythology could only be interesting, and the fights are fun, even if some enemies appear out of the blue due to the absence of zoom. There are no classes - Achilles is Achilles! - but quite different builds can be created.

Star Ocean The Second Story R is a superb remake that improves the original game all round, making the most beloved chapter of the famous tri-Ace series current again. Some improvements tend to further undermine the mechanisms of a game that was not particularly balanced at the start, but overall it is an old-fashioned JRPG experience that will not fail to excite fans of the genre.

EA Sports WRC manages to bring the sensations and essence of rallying to our screens, revealing itself to be an engaging, at times overwhelming, racing game. Some details are less refined than others and there is various room for improvement, however if a good day starts in the morning I would say that, as regards the future of the series, fans can celebrate.

Jusant is a courageous, intense and detailed work. Full of originality, with a brilliant and intelligent plot, it tells of a cross-section of the world that is explored through long crossings and climbs that are always different, but still complex. Strengthened by an exciting, engaging and well-implemented game structure, it is proof of the passion of Do n't Nod, who is preparing to leave his mark in a panorama that he has known for seventeen years.

Thirteen years after the release of the first chapter, Remedy tries to improve itself and answer the questions that fans have been holding in for so long. Alan Wake II is another excellent step toward the ultimate maturation of the Finnish dev team, capable like few others of telling fascinating and engaging stories, surrounded by solid gameplay and a first-class cast. A few minor technical flaws and some knots yet to be unraveled (perhaps in a DLC?) are the only, small moles in a production that maintains the excellent levels already achieved with Control.

UFC 5 is a decisive leap forward compared to the past as well as a game that takes the discipline it tries to simulate into very high regard. The approach is profound and requires both commitment and concentration even in the least simulative mode. On the other hand, it can be very rewarding once you have mastered the mechanics. The transition to Frostbyte was positive not so much in the graphic leap, which was still evident, but in the animations and the links that connect them.

Cities: Skyline II expands, refines, simplifies and complicates where necessary the legacy of the first chapter, but right now it is above all a vision. It is the vision of what could be after the dev patches for technical problems and the community mods to increase the content, the two premises on which the foundations of a fortune rest that, hopefully, will accompany the days and nights for a long time of a large group of city builder fans.

With no major changes in the game modes, NHL 24 shows some interesting signs of life thanks to some new gameplay features. With convincing graphics and sounds, which manages to immerse the player in the atmosphere of an ice rink, the matches are quite enjoyable, with a good rhythm and a truly well-thought-out renewed control system. There are still some issues, but those who live on bread and hockey will find a way to have fun.

An enveloping production, complete and well composed in every nuance. It's really a lot, a lot of stuff, something that never abandons and that entertains, taking you back in time focusing on the present and the future without compromise. It is a language that can do good, that can be essential and unique, that can set the tone for the future. There is passion, there is love, there is a desire to do and, above all, there is a desire to go against the grain. Go beyond the market itself.

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.

Haters will say that nothing has changed in Just Dance 2024 Edition and that the few new features are nothing more than a remix – to stay on topic – of modes already included somewhere in the more than twenty releases of this franchise. Although this corresponds to the truth, in reality there is no way to improve an already perfect format, so one can only smooth things over and provide a better and better experience. Despite a somewhat underscoring playlist compared to a some previous chapters, Ubisoft delivers a complete and fun party game that offers its best in local multiplayer, that is, with real friends to go wild with.

From the today’s Konami you would expect a lazy port of the HD Collection and of the original Metal Gear Solid. But in Tokyo someone still love the series, and this first of volume of the Master Collection really shows some heart in reselling three masterpieces of the video games history and a bunch of the 2D chapters (including Snake’s Revenge).