Coming 27 years after its predecessor, Beyond a Steel Sky inevitably lacks the originality that made Beneath a Steel Sky such an instant classic, and a strong source of inspiration for many games that came later. Union City is now a 3D world, but it’s still filled of clever puzzles and interesting characters, shaped around Cecil and Gibbons’ view of society. It might not be as groundbreaking as the original, but Beyond a Steel Sky is still a good adventure that tries to offer a perspective on our society and how we should try to improve it without leaving anyone behind.

Evil Genius 2 on PS5 is as enjoyable as it is on PC, mainly thanks to the great work on adapting its controls for the DualSense and for the ability to use mouse and keyboard on console.

Curious League of Legends spin-off, this Hextech Mayhem. It’s a simple but solid rhythm game that could use some variety to spice up the gameplay and the level design.

I don’t know whether to recommend Ruined King: A League of Legends Story for the interesting story set in the League of Legends universe or because it's one of the best turn-based RPGs I played since quite a while. I’d stick towards the second reason, leaving the first one as the icing on the cake. An engaging storyline, beautifully characterized and customizable characters, and a combat system that will test your tactical skills await you, especially if you dare to play at higher difficulty levels. Will Runeterra’s champions become the new Avengers?

While it isn’t without merits, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy Definitive Edition is also plagued by many technical problems. You might relive some nostalgia if you’re a fan of the classics, but new players should wait for Rockstar to release some patches before diving in.

The PC version of Sherlock Holmes Chapter One avoids the frame drops and other glitches that some PS5 owners experienced with the console release, and gives us a fairly good detective game, with several culprits to find in a beautifully crafted turistic island. Fans of Sherlock Holmes might discover a quite different hero from the one they are accustomed to, but the overall experience of Chapter One is absolutely pleasant.

Shin Megami Tensei V manages to improve on a supposedly perfect combat system by introducing new options that offer a welcome extra level of complexity. The storyline is a little less convoluted than usual, and the graphics engine struggles at times, but the end result is a truly impossible-to-drop RPG and one of the most successful exponents of the genre on Switch.

Farming Simulator 22 re-proposes the formula that made the Giants Software series famous, with all its strengths and weaknesses. The new features (new crops, cross-platform multiplayer, new build mode, seasonal cycles) are interesting, but the frequent graphical glitches should be addressed.

Gunfire Reborn has great gunplay, huge variety in builds, and a formula as simple as it is immediate: you get in, you shoot, you hope to get to the end. It might not sound like much, but it’s more than enough to make Duoyi’s game incredibly compelling and almost addictive.

Tempestfall is better as an adventure into the grim world of Age of Sigmar than a dual-wielding weapon, spell-casting combat game as a Stormcast Eternal. Confused? Me too.

From a certain point of view, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond is a remake that doesn't like to take too many risks, improving on the original experience without making any major changes. Yet this is also its greatest strength, especially for those who never played the original chapters on DS. The result is an authentic recreation of a historical title, polished and cleaned up from outdated game design elements.

Battlefield 2042 is a brave new chapter in the history of the series, full of interesting elements and very well done in many respects. Between the evolution of total warfare, the addition of Hazard Zone and the innovative Portal editor, DICE has done things big, and big is the passion that lies behind this new, monumental shooter.

Football Manager 2022 is the kind of game that doesn’t really need to change. Even if there’s no revolution mechanics wise, many aspects show a finer attention to detail, and there are some new factors to consider. A more complete and more fun game, that every fan of the franchise is sure to enjoy.

I didn't start out with the best of expectations, but The Smufs Mission Villeaf turned out to be a nice little game! For a few hours it brought me back to the age when I hastily dined to leave my parents to their sad newsreel, and went to watch the Smurfs on the TV in my room. The graphic rendering of the characters is commendable (certainly more rounded than that of the two recent films) and the soundtrack a small masterpiece.

Blue Reflection: Second Light is a fine role-playing game, with a pleasing art direction that makes up for its cross-gen nature and modest budget. The storyline takes a while to get going and the multi-faceted combat system tends to drag common encounters for too long, but overall the game will surely appeal to those who don't mind the unusual setting.

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.

Call of Duty: Vanguard clears the bar thanks to its convincing multiplayer, rich in content and with some new features such as the Battle Rhythm and wider environmental destruction, which reinforce an already solid gameplay. There is no innovation or revolution for the franchise, and those who have played the most recent games in the series already know what awaits them, but perhaps the secret of its commercial success will be precisely this.

It’s November and Just Dance is with us again. And it’s great news, because it’s as much fun as usual. Just don’t expect any innovations.

Forza Horizon 5 turns "more of the same" into a mark of true excellence, furtherly polishing and improving on a winning formula and making it exponentially more spectacular on a technical level and more enveloping on an environmental level, and mixing it all with its distinctive driving model, a unique mix of a simulative superstructure with an arcade heart beating beneath the hood.

Mario Party Superstars is a great episode, so respectful of the past that it's not afraid to pay homage to it by improving the basic formula, while adding a much-needed feature like online play.

An official version of Super Robot Wars on our PCs is a long-cherished dream, but it's not an experience for everyone. Certainly not for those expecting a deep and challenging strategy game, as almost the entire experience plays on fanservice. Not to mention a roster incapable of giving back the encyclopaedic feeling that an event like the 30th anniversary would require.

NHL 22’s gameplay is substantially unchanged from its predecessors. The Frostbite engine brings a breath of fresh air to the graphics, but the gaming experience does not differ dramatically from what has been seen in the past. The result is a fun and full of game modes title, which however would need an update in the game mechanics to be able to take it one step further.

RPGs have been an ever-evolving genre for years, and while most developers strive to introduce some new details to innovate, Dungeon Encounters follows the path of hardcore minimalism. The result is a game that looks outdated and with rusty game mechanichs, sold at a price that is everything but minimal. It offers a couple of interesting details but also wild grinding, very repetitive gameplay, and poor graphics. We should expect more than that from Square Enix.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is still an intriguing survival horror experience with creepy atmosphere and engaging story, but younger audiences may not like its old-style controls and slow pace.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy gets back to the classic single-player formula, steering away from the hybrid attempt of Marvel’s Avengers and piecing together gameplay elements from Tomb Raider, Mass Effect and even Knights of the Old Republic to make a quite unique choral adventure. The player is asked to act like the team leader, taking decision and managing the resulting contrasts between the other members. The strength of differences is the big theme of the game, and Guardians of the galaxy is great in telling it both through narration and gameplay.

Despite some relatively minor issues, especially in the graphical compartment, Age of Empires IV is an excellent new chapter in the history of one of the most beloved RTS sagas. Relic Entertainment and World's Edge kept true to the roots of the series while at the same time not forgetting to innovate the formula in interesting and creative ways.

A small-scope but excellent game with very clear ideas, enjoyable, sincere and particularly exciting when the going gets tough, like during very intense boss fights. Pimping our ride to make it look even more aggressive and suited to the post apocalyptic world feels great. A Mad Max-like shoot 'em up is exactly what we needed.

Killsquad is a game that evolved significantly since it first arrived onto Early Access two years ago, and the result is a solid twin-stick shooter with looter elements. When it comes to loot drops, the balance is unfortunately a bit off, but overall the game is a fun mix of genres.