The Casting of Frank Stone, unfortunately, represents the weakest link in the Supermassive Games catalog and a drab single-player debut for Dead by Daylight. An uninspired horror tale in its unfolding, with a gameplay component further stripped down to the bone to the point that it now seems little more than an interactive movie. Fans of the canadian intellectual production will be able to appreciate the lore references and the breath of the production, finding satisfaction and gratification. All others, however, may find this walk in the woods a bit too quiet.
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Visions of Mana marks the return of one of Square Enix's least celebrated series in recent years, but no less relevant. The team at Ouka Studios makes a title that is inherently classic in setting, narrative and feel, but calibrated for a contemporary audience. The result is a Mana that has never been so enjoyable to play, rich in content with a delightfully retro spirit, as well as a deep and rewarding combat system. However, precisely because of its strongly intended and sought-after traditionalism, the title may be far too nostalgic to appeal to a modern audience. For everyone else, it will be a sweet shipwreck in this sea of memories.
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Gori: Cuddly Carnage is one of those independent productions capable of entertaining us and printing a satisfied grin on our faces. The crazy premise of the production results in an inspired action platformer that mixes style, combat, humor and splatter. A proof of character for the Swedish developers of Angry Demon Studio that will especially win over lovers of stylish action titles and those who look back with nostalgia to past video game generations, even after a few technical embarrassments. A little gem that we nevertheless recommend to (almost) everyone ... also because we know that unicorns are obnoxious and you have always dreamed of slaughtering them with a cat on a hoverboard.
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Mecha Therion marks an important transition for Steel Mantis. After the success garnered with the first Valfaris, the development team decides to revolutionize its creature, abandoning a successful play structure in favor of a scrolling arcade shooter with bullet hell overtones. The courage is rewarded with a title that is once again compelling and unscrupulous, if much more contained and less dazzling. In the impossibility of comparing two such different titles, it becomes mere subjective taste to prefer one or the other but one thing remains certain: the metal continues to flow powerfully.
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Thanks to The Iron Rig, Black Salt Games' title gets a new, rich and multifaceted addition. A final adventure among the mysterious seas of DREDGE, between the specter of environmentalist destruction at the hands of capitalism to nature's violent response thanks to incomprehensible forces. A quest that will accompany the now-tried sailors to challenges old and new, dredging full nets in the title's morbid and fascinating play loop of daring fishing trips and sophisticated upgrades. The perfect complement to the production's ludic offering, as long-lived as it is exciting. Hoist anchor for the last time, there is still work to be done... and a few threats to face, with the wind in your sails.
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Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is one of the most pleasant surprises of the year. Moving away from the AAA blockbusters to which it has accustomed us, however, Capcom does not forget the requirement for the high quality of its offerings, this time surprising with a hybrid of action and tower defense that proudly pays homage to some powerful cultural aspects of the Land of the Rising Sun. Ludically layered, artistically off-par and content-wise generous, the quest of priestess Yoshiro and guardian Soh is a rare treat to savor. Not everything is perfect and a few smears subsist, let's be clear. But exactly as the Japanese tradition of Wabi-sabi dictates, sometimes it takes not only to accept imperfection, but to find in it the beauty of small things.
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Tomba! Special Edition is the definitive version of the classic Whoopee Camp, finally made available in a revised and corrected offering for a wider contemporary audience. Now as then, the title is fun and rich in detail, almost futuristic in its blend of linear and nonlinear play styles. Practically mandatory for more seasoned gamers, conversely it may be a dive into the past all too edgy for everyone else.
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Cultist Simulator: Initiate Edition is a very unique production. On the one hand, it experiments ardently by bringing together deckbuilding, roguelike and narrative against the backdrop of a story that puts you in the shoes of an aspiring founder of an esoteric cult in the 1920s. On the other hand, it decides to undertake each of his choices with an infuriating hermeticism to the point of deliberately not explaining any gameplay dynamics. The end result is undoubtedly fascinating, but also so cryptic as to alienate the vast majority of the audience if not those who are willing to immerse themselves with extreme dedication in Weather Factory's proposition. Man forewarned...
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Mika and the Witch's Mountain is a pleasant and gentle tale about a little witch chasing her dream and the difficulties she will have to overcome to make it. A light and dreamy title graced by a touching art direction as much in the aesthetics as in the soundtrack. The courage to create a title without action overtones but rather anchored solely in a simple and relaxing gameplay loop cannot be underestimated. However, the production's peculiarities are at the same time its own limitations, due to pacing (and control) problems that could compromise audience engagement. Dedicated to the youngest as well as to those who feel like relaxing without thinking too much about complex game mechanics and prohibitive difficulty.
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The Devil's Playhouse Remastered marks the culmination of Skunkape Games' excellent work on the Telltale-era Sam & Max titles. Now as then, the ramshackle freelance cop duo experiences its most paranormal and bizarre adventure, but also its most experimental gameplay side, while preserving every feature beloved by fans of the series and the genre. A fantastic title that, however, is most appreciable only by respecting its peculiar lashing humor, and only if experienced after dealing with the events of Save the World and Beyond Time and Space.
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After its debut on PC, Darkest Dungeon 2 arrives on consoles marking the return of one of the most interesting roguelike games on the independent scene. Red Hook Studios does not simply improve on the excellent foundation of the first chapter, but rather takes its best features to revolutionize others by putting us at the reins of a caravan engaged in a real journey of hope between darkness and damnation. The end result, though high-level, nevertheless has to contend with high difficulty, a significant degree of randomness and an almost endless sea of tactical possibilities among items, altered statuses and more. A summation of elements that make it, paradoxically, less accessible than its predecessor and perhaps even less enjoyable. For all those who are not afraid of a rough, complex and challenging experience, you will find bread for your teeth here.
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CYGNI: All Guns Blazing started out with a glorious purpose: to renew and modernize the bullet hell genre. It was an ambitious goal that aimed to bring enough novelty to the contemporary landscape to be able to make a ludic typology born to satisfy the masochistic desire of a few more attractive to the general public. Unfortunately, not everything went right: while the graphical and musical aspects are fully promoted, the gameplay adopts some ideas that make it not only punishing but also far too confusing. The result is a title that, instead of opening up to the general public, ends up speaking to an even smaller, Mesozoic circle of fans.
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The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is yet another demonstration of how much Nihon Falcom has worked on the series over the years. From being an extreme niche product to progressively wider audiences on the strength of irrepressible writing and progressively refined gameplay, Daybreak represents both a point of arrival and a new departure for the saga. On the one hand, it embodies the highest and fullest expression of the maturity achieved by the series, which, net of a modest technical compartment, will reward you with a great JRPG that is rich and layered narratively and ludically. On the other hand, the decision to shed some of the constraints of the past allows the title to be the best entry point to finally approach this saga, provided you get along with English. You will not regret it.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate confirms all its good qualities, already appreciated at the time of its launch on Apple Arcade. A light and fun (yet challenging) action roguelike that is clearly inspired by the top of the class, that Hades capable of garnering major recognition even at The Game Awards in 2020. The excessive similarity to the Supergiant Games masterpiece is both a virtue and a flaw of the Super Evil Megacorp production, on the one hand wise in shaping an accessible and cooperative-friendly declination of the genre, on the other hand far too conservative in ideas. Kind of like a good all-you-can-eat pizza: you never turn it down, but there's definitely something more delicious out there.
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Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an excellent return to the scenes for A44 Games, which once again proves to be a capable team in the perilous soulslike genre. The peculiarities of the title distributed by Kepler Interactive are such that they make it a recommended entry level for those who want to approach the genre, thanks also to some structural choices that make it less dispersive and more focused. On the other hand, the price to pay arises from a sometimes confusing and redundant implementation of mechanics, which end up diluting (or even hiding) some game design levity, particularly blatant in comparison with such fierce and all-embracing competitors. An enjoyable “Souls-lite” that can keep you entertained in the summer heatwave.
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SAND LAND is a complicated product to evaluate. On the one hand, there is the fascinating adaptation of one of the lesser-known stories by the late master Akira Toriyama, a manifest expression of his stylistic signature enriched by deep themes. On the other hand, there is an action RPG of an extremely classic mold, to the point of seeming to have come out almost two gaming generations ago (with all the pros and cons of the case). If each product is sum of each element, then SAND LAND is a fine adventure capable of providing many hours of entertainment. However, where you cannot get past an outdated open world setting as well as several barely sketched gameplay elements, this desert journey may not be what you are looking for.
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Another Crab's Treasure is a fun and colorful foray into the soulslike world in the shoes of a naive hermit crab who just wants his home back. The Aggro Crab development team, not satiated with proving that the genre is not just synonymous with tragic seriousness and leaden settings, goes even further by hybridizing its formula with action adventure platforming elements. The end result is definitely appreciable, although there is no shortage of ingenuities, especially in level design. Be prepared: fighting in the deep sea has never been so much fun.
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TopSpin 2K25 marks the return of great 2K-signed tennis, which has been guiltily absent from the scene for more than a decade. Gameplay in hand, the series shines brighter than ever with the enviable balance of its technical depth such that every winning point makes one rejoice. However, not everything goes right. The graphical compartment is disappointing, the content is lacking at times (especially the roster of tennis players, which at present “boasts” tragicomic defections), and some of the career choices may irk the sport's most dedicated fans. Hoping that it can become a series that can grow over time, for now TopSpin 2K25 is a must-play chapter for all tennis fans: for everyone else, the flaws present may be food for thought.
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DREDGE is a vibrant example of what can be achieved when a great idea is developed with love, passion and expertise beyond available means. The New Zealand team Black Salt Games debuts on the video game scene with a gem of rare beauty, dredged up from the deep sea fraught with unnamable dangers and pitfalls. Halfway between fishing simulator and Lovecraftian horror, DREDGE surprises and disorients with the magnetism of a ludic loop in which progression and sense of wonder constantly accompany the player. It doesn't matter if you are a sea dog or an inexperienced hubby: hoist anchor and venture into the fog.
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Pepper Grinder is like the sprinkling of your favorite spice: the one you put on the dish is fine, but you could easily have abounded. The title developed by Riv Hester is a genuine and intriguing platformer, thanks to the drill gimmick that manages to shape exploration, navigation and action at the same time. It's a little treat that will appeal especially to fans of the genre, even in the face of a rather restrained experience. But also given the meager price tag, well ... where there's taste there's no loss.
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