Spirit Mancer represents a convincing debut for the Thai team Sunny Syrup Studio. An intriguing production in aesthetics as much as in gameplay, it mixes such ludic concepts as hack & slash adventure, deck-building and monster taming with stimulating ideas. The end result is a fun and tasty indie, capable of engaging through the compelling loop of combat. Not all the mechanics are perfectly calibrated and there are sometimes minor concept naiveté, but it matters little: Sebastien and Mary's quest may win you over.
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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is a monument to aviation in its broadest and most all-encompassing form. Asobo Studio restarts from the excellent base of the previous chapter to make the Redmond-based company's historic simulation even more vast, majestic and outsized. Stemming the difficulties of the early days related to the cloud infrastructure, the production now opens up with its unparalleled offering, for the first time smiling at the audience that is also looking for a more traditionally playful facility in addition to simulation as an end in itself. With the knowledge that the title will only get better with time (and become even more technically stable), there is no doubt about it: get ready to fly the skies around the world... for real.
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Farming Simulator 25 is the new iteration of the popular series developed by GIANTS Software, even richer and more complete than in the past. Complex and rewarding, if incredibly peaceful and relaxing once the mechanics are assimilated, the farming and livestock simulation reaches new heights with brand new biomes and crops, as well as a number of interesting updates and improvements. This is not a title for everyone; however, those looking for a different and relaxing experience will find a true bucolic paradise.
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Goat Simulator: Remastered is the best version to enjoy the iconic 2014 indie experience. A complete package that includes all DLC and a new look, it nevertheless stumbles clumsily in a technical realization that omits to pay attention to crucial factors that undermine its enjoyability for the general public. The remaster thus becomes a cult product exactly like its progenitor, intended for fans of the unscrupulous Pilgor goat as well as for all those able to overlook the graphics engine's performance embarrassments.
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Mario & Luigi: Brothership is yet another little gem in the impressive Nintendo Switch lineup. Acquire takes the helm of a saga born over twenty years ago on handheld consoles and successfully ferries it into 2024. Fun and multifaceted in its play proposition, the colorful new installment of the RPG adventures of the video game media's most famous plumber brothers is a must-have experience for Nintendo fans. There may be little in the way of ruolistics (apart from perhaps far too verbose dialogues), but one thing is for sure: it's really nice to experience a new odyssey with Mario and Luigi.
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The Veilguard is an incredibly complex title to evaluate, in the throes of a particularly electric launch context. On the one hand, there are the objective sacrifices made by BioWare towards some features beloved by fans of the series. On the other, one cannot fail to highlight the validity of the work done by the development team, capable of rescuing a product that over the years has been one step away from eternal oblivion. It may not please, it may infuriate longtime fans, and it may disappoint those who were looking for a title similar to the never-replicated splendor of Origins. However, for those who can appreciate the good things present, the latest Dragon Age will be an enjoyable and long-lived adventure with one of the best crescendos in the history of the Canadian software house.
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Rogue Flight is the most classic of love letters. Truant Pixel's dedication is toward the rail shooters that so raged at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s. However, the end result proved to be much more concrete than a simple nostalgia operation. As frenetic as it is explosive but always and consistently galvanizing, Nadia's adventure is a little gem of game design thanks in part to an art department that pays homage to great classics of Japanese animation. Let yourself be enraptured by the pure arcade experience: it's worth it.
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Sonic X Shadow Generations is a package simply not to be missed. In addition to giving new luster to one of the most appreciated chapters dedicated to the blue hedgehog, the SEGA operation also conveys a darting, never-before-seen adventure dedicated to the charismatic black hedgehog. An outstanding ride at times, showcasing the full potential, as yet uncertainly explored, of the series in its three-dimensional incarnation. Two titles for the cost of one (actually less, given the budget price) for one of the best platformers of recent years. Unmissable.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 manages in one fell swoop to erase the bitterness left by the last chapters in the series. A far from trivial achievement, achieved thanks to a surprising campaign (in a good way, thankfully), a wide-ranging Zombie mode and a solidly reliable multiplayer package. Perhaps it is precisely this last part that shows some intolerance, thanks to a less than exciting launch offer on the side of the available modes as well as the initial maps strangely less inspired than what Treyarch has historically proposed. For all fans of the series as well as especially for those who have put it aside over the years or have never approached it, rest assured. Activision's covert operations have hit the jackpot.
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Dreams confirms, once again, how much the real videogame dimension of The Smurfs is in platforming. The talented developers at Ocellus Studio produce a fun, colorful and idea-packed title suitable for both the very young and more seasoned gamers. The sources of inspiration are obvious, but instead of being lazily repurposed, they are instead paid homage to with creativity, sagacity, courage and expertise. A little fall 2024 surprise, as well as another great production dedicated to the little blue men born from the imagination of Belgian artist Peyo.
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The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication is a well-structured horror game that builds on the lessons of its predecessor to deliver a concise but intense experience. While not shining in particular playful solutions accomplice to a basic gameplay, the night of terror inside the mysterious Taiwanese Wen Hua University is nevertheless graced by a well-conceived and structured plot. An engaging and anxiety-provoking experience that confirms the potential of this series.
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Revenge of the Seven is the unexpected remake that allows contemporary audiences to enjoy one of the most peculiar and futuristic JPRGs of its time. Romancing SaGa 2 returns in this new guise in fine form, thanks to an operation that improves and clarifies the more refined and complex mechanics of the original title. Its particularities make it unmissable for fans of the genre, who cannot fail to appreciate its audacity. Beware, however: those looking for a traditional experience (ludically and narratively) may find themselves faced with a complex title to decipher and appreciate.
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 returns to the contemporary video game landscape with an unexpected remake that aims to be both a gift to fans of the series as well as a potential entry point for everyone else. The content offerings are generous, as is the care taken in the packaging of the product and the traditional depth of the strategic experience, which has been appropriately modernized thanks to some forward-thinking updates. Some features of the historic KOEI TECMO series, however, could make the experience far too tiring, especially for those who are not insanely fond of the genre. A commendable operation but one that ends up appealing mainly to a narrow circle of aficionados.
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Super Mario Party Jamboree is the perfect summation of the series' recent journey. Drawing on recent experience as well as fan feedback, Nintendo packs the ultimate party game for Switch. An incredibly full-bodied content offering, thanks to hundreds of mini-games and a sea of different modes that know how to appeal as much to solo players as to lovers of multiplayer experiences. If you have never yet tried a chapter in the series, this is your best chance.
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In no uncertain terms, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a masterpiece. Studio Zero has poured every lesson accrued from the main Persona chapters into its first medieval adventure, crafting an experience that is both fresh yet familiar. Some of the most famous features of the ATLUS series can be found here as well, however placed in a quite different context and with an unprecedented flair capable of making them relevant and magnetic. It is impossible not to celebrate the boldness of the art direction, as well as the rich soundtrack or the kaleidoscopic and multifaceted combat system. A title of absolute excellence that impresses even more thanks to an astonishing writing that sets no limits in dealing with sensitive and topical subjects. In a word: unmissable.
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Europa is a little dream come true for Helder Pinto and Novadust Entertainment. The android Zee's adventure on a lush terraformed moon is a gentle, bittersweet tale that echoes inspirations and suggestions from the imagery of Studio Ghibli. The end result is a fleeting experience that sweetly entertains through its calm rhythms and meditative atmosphere. Precisely its most distinctive features, however, make it a title not for everyone, especially those who demand more structured gameplay, a more punctual control system, and less automatism in the pacing. With the right premises, the production published by Future Friends Games will know how to leave something in you.
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Nikoderiko: The Magical World stands to be one of the most unexpected entries in the “Surprises of 2024” category. Cypriot studio VEA Games signs off its debut on the video game scene with a splendid platformer that has nothing to envy vis-à-vis the top of the class. The celebratory intent towards great sagas of the genre is evident, as is, for the record, the essentially derivative nature of the work. However, the average quality is so high, the pace so sparkling and the challenge so well calibrated that it is impossible not to be thunderstruck by the end result. Do not let it pass you by for any reason.
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SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game turned out to be exactly what we were waiting for. A colorful reinterpretation of Goat Simulator, a sandbox adventure with no real purpose other than to sow chaos and revel in witty activities. Compared to its source of inspiration, PHL Collective's work brakes on the side of insanity and leans toward a very young audience. A hoot, however, that proves to be within everyone's reach, provided one accepts the modesty of the aspirations as well as the restrained nature of the experience. If you have always dreamed of driving the chaotic Patrick through the streets of Bikini Bottom, this is your chance!
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Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best version with which to enjoy the initial chapter in the Capcom horror series. New graphics, revamped controls and quality-of-life improvements serve an excellent remastering that preserves the best play features of the 2005 title. In this sense, some might criticize, now as then, some choices related to the inexorable timer that punctuates objectives and sanctions fates. Likewise, the reintroduction of the sandbox structure without novelty might weigh especially heavily on those who had viewed the missteps of the last chapters with discontent. If you love Dawn of the Dead, don't disdain a crazy streak and perhaps didn't play it nearly two decades ago, the return to the Willamette Parkview Mall might be an experience not to be missed.
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Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire left us with a bit of a sour taste in our mouths, we must admit. On the one hand, the desire to pay homage to the great RPG classics is palpable, with homages and inspirations that fans of the genre will appreciate accompanying a product with several intriguing ideas. On the other hand, however, the claudicant technical realization, pacing problems and a combat system that lends its side (or rather, its sash) to too much criticism make the experience overly nerve-wracking at times. A product that probably needed a little extra time to be improved and that unfortunately, in its current state, can only be recommended to the hard core of nostalgics and fans... also accomplice to the tremendous direct competition in October.
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