Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is the new effort from the team behind the excellent Shadow Tactics and Desperados III, confirming their great capabilities. Mimimi Games makes yet another fantastic action stealth strategy, this time drawing from pirate imagery and enriching it with supernatural powers. The focus on coordinated actions and almost total freedom of action is tempered by gameplay ideas that make the experience both more varied and accessible, without ever losing the feeling of gratification for each well-executed plan. Even with a few minor smears.... let's toast in joy with rum!
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Gord bids to be a link between colony sim and city builder, geared toward survival management. The developers' care is evident in the narrative refinement, based on the lore of Slavic mythology, and in the play structure, in which macro and micro management of layered systems are constantly intertwined. However, it is in the overall atmosphere that the Covenant.dev production leaves a distinct mark, conveying (ludically and morally) the absolute precariousness of one's tribe in an inhospitable, cold and gloomy world. An inevitably niche title, but one that will appeal to lovers of the genre and dark fantasy.
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In a way that was totally unimaginable until a few months ago, the historic Lee brothers' series re-enters the video game landscape with Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons. Although the levels recently achieved by competitors are still out of reach, the chapter developed by Secret Base Pte Ltd surprises with magnetic gameplay and ingenious introductions borrowed from the roguelite world. What emerges is a gangly and highly entertaining scrolling beat'em'up, even at the expense of some glaring issues (above all, the level design and the absence of an online mode). With that in mind, Gaiden will bring a smile (finally and after so many years) to fans of the saga and beyond.
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Gimmick! Special Edition represents a small victory for fans of the NES era, who can finally get a feel for (and physically own) one of the great little titles lost to time and localizations. A painstakingly crafted platformer that is still enjoyable today, even in the face of a decidedly high difficulty that could deter many players. New content and countless QOL tweaks allow this version to be the best way to approach a title that is historic in its own way. Of course, those who do not appreciate such hardcore retrogaming may not enjoy the youkai adventure.
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Pikmin 4 encapsulates all the best of the Nintendo strategy series, a summa that represents its highest point ever. A masterpiece capable of vastly expanding all the mechanics dear to fans, putting an incredibly generous content offering on the plate. An over-the-top production (despite some minor flaws here and there), which makes even more special a year destined to remain impressed in gamers' memories for a long time. Let's just hope we don't have to wait another decade for the next chapter in this great saga. While waiting, hone the art of Dandori: you will need it!
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Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara succeeds in its stated goals: to offer a relaxing platforming experience within the reach of all abilities, from toddlers to speedrun lovers. Despite this, it is good to be aware of the production's limitations: the level design is rather ordinary, the camera suffers from worrying lapses, and the overall difficulty is calibrated downward. With this full awareness of merits and limitations, Koa and Napopo's pirate adventure can be a nice pastime on hot summer days.
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Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE fully realizes what its creators, the same ingenious (and somewhat twisted) minds behind the Danganronpa saga, hoped for. In taking up that legacy, Yuma and Shinigami's adventure is a gripping detective story, full of charm and food for thought, aided by the eccentricity of some (several) of its ideas. The end result is a fascinating and peculiar blend that draws as much from Phoenix Wright as it does from Persona, while preserving a very specific identity even at the expense of some technical uncertainties and verbiage that is significant at times. A rare and shining example of exquisitely Japanese creativity and flair: probably not a product for everyone, but invaluable precisely because of its proud uniqueness.
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Frictional Games achieves, with Amnesia: The Bunker, a true horror masterclass. In a recent landscape resuscitated by stupendous but perhaps all too classic horror video games, the Swedish team reminds everyone why they represent one of the benchmarks for the entire genre. Despite a rather restrained longevity and the abandonment of elaborate themes, the new Amnesia is an agonizing odyssey within the claustrophobic walls of a World War I bunker, constantly hunted by an invincible creature that forces us to improvise and adapt thanks to an incredibly interactive game world. It may even be too anxiety-provoking for some of the audience, but for everyone else: don't miss it.
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It happens a few times in the span of a video game life to come across a masterpiece capable of redefining, to some extent, an entire genre. Street Fighter 6 is one of these rare and fleeting occasions. With the new chapter in the historic saga, Capcom not only certifies once again that it has regained the polish of its best years, but also makes a fighting game destined to become a striking yardstick for the entire genre. A monumental production, as gargantuan in its single player offering as it is in its online proposition, it succeeds in triumphing in also being an incredible example of didactics, layering and depth. With a learning curve that has never been so clear and expository, capable of both pandering to veterans and training novices to ferry them toward improvement, the return of Ryu & co. is simply the best fighting game around.
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Bloober Team reworks its debut title in the psychological horror landscape with a new awareness. Layers of Fear does not simply re-present, in a modern technical guise, the original title, but rather the entire series (and related DLC) in a new narrative context, for a project somewhere between remaster and remake. A package therefore capable of giving suggestions and thrills, while preserving the extremely reduced gameplay of the original versions. This is precisely the key that could lead you to appreciate (or not) the production: if you love psychological thrills, the project will know how to win you over. If, conversely, you appreciate something more concrete and palpable (both ludically and narratively), the title may miss the mark.
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HUMANITY is a serious candidate among the best independent surprises of the year. The Japanese development team, with an abstract and minimalist Pindaric flight, puts players in the shoes of a daredevil Shiba Inu grappling with saving humanity. It does so by offering a modern version of the classic Lemmings full of inventiveness, variety and daring. The very audacity may make the title unappealing to the general public, who may feel alienated by some of the game design choices as well as by the overall presentation. With these due considerations, HUMANITY remains a little gem in the world of puzzle games.
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Super Mega Baseball 4 confirms, once again, the quality of the Electronic Arts sports series. Somewhere between the lightness of arcade gameplay and the depth of refined game dynamics, Metalhead Software's baseball wins and convinces. With a generous play offering and addictive modes, the title is a good choice for both fans of the genre and those who want to approach a virtual version of the sport. Especially for the latter, do not fear in the face of initial embarrassments: the rhythm of the diamond may win you over.
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Killer Frequency turned out to be a far more interesting product than anticipated. Fascinated initially by the concept but doubtful about the inherent limitations of the chosen formula, the Team17 title nevertheless enraptured us and dragged us in front of the microphones of a mid-west American radio station inside an 80s story somewhere between comedy and horror. Between one homage to a cinematic masterpiece and another, the adventure flows quickly between interesting puzzles and a constant invitation to use your gray matter to save as many lives as possible. It's a title destined to become a small cult hit, as long as you don't expect to wield a weapon and confront the serial killer face-to-face. It wounds more with a pen than a sword, after all.
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The Curse of the Sea Rats marks an important maturation step for the Catalan development team. Drawing from the world of metroidvanias, the title offers a solid and entertaining adventure with a good amount of content, graced by a character design that pays homage to the world of late 1980s animation. Despite its excellent qualities, the production slips into excessive traditionalism without managing to provide that extra something that makes the difference between a good and an excellent result. Even intriguing choices such as multiple characters and the possibility of co-op adventure are not fully exploited. Nevertheless, the title remains a viable alternative within the reference genre, which we hope is only the beginning of a new path for Petoons Studio.
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More than thirty-five years after its debut, Puzzle Bobble still represents one of the best puzzle games in the gaming landscape. Everybubble! is no exception, presenting itself as a colorful and fun chapter in keeping with tradition. After VR experimentation, the series returns to the classic while nevertheless winking at even the most savvy gamers (with EX Stages) and offering pleasant play alternatives (the crossover mode with Space Invaders). An excellent addition to the series, which we hope will continue to follow the intent of improving and enriching the ludic offering in the next chapters as well.
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Zool Redimensioned is an honest and respectful “nostalgia operation” of the original work. The team at Sumo Digital Academy pays homage to an Amiga-era masterpiece with a work capable of speaking to fans of the original. Not only that, Redimensioned also manages to appeal to today's audiences, allowing them to experience a classic with a modern twist. It is not, however, a title for everyone. The game system is, for obvious reasons, rather outdated, and the difficulty fluctuates quite noticeably between the permissive ease of the updates and the luciferous strictures of the original formula. Despite this, the ticket price is far too tempting not to give the old ninja from “yet another dimension” a chance.
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Tin Hearts is why independent productions should never be underestimated or, worse, judged by their cover. What, at first glance, might seem to be a modest title dedicated to young children, instead hides a clever and rewarding puzzle game, inexhaustible in its ideas and desire to surprise. As if that were not enough, Rogue Sun also gives us an emotional story, capable of dealing with profound themes and movingly touching chords in the soul. Despite an acerbic technical aspect and a revisable control system, Tin Hearts is an experience that every player should have on his or her skin.
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With Strayed Lights, the developers of Embers make their debut on the video game scene with a production full of personality and interesting ideas. Inspired art direction and intriguing gameplay constitute obvious points of merit, as bold as they are ambitious, such that allow the title to stand out from the competition. Unfortunately, however, the price to pay is significant: an almost linear level design, a bland narrative compartment and a sense of progression that is rarely incisive. Son flaws that prevent the production from ascending to greater heights, but do not affect its enjoyability.
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Omen of Sorrow represents, unfortunately, the most classic of “dead on arrival” projects, now as well as way back in 2018. AOne Games decides to bring to unreleased platforms their undoubtedly interesting and content-rich fighting game, but still lacking the necessary polishing that in this genre makes the difference between meteor and surprise. In a year that will see the return of the genre's heavyweights, Omen of Sorrow attempts to carve out a small and modest space for itself, failing in the (very difficult) attempt to carve out a fan base that will give the title longevity.
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After a year of early access, Have a Nice Death bursts onto the scenes in full release confirming the goodness of the Magic Design Studios project and its development path. An action roguelite with exhilarating gameplay enriched by an inspired artistic vision, it nevertheless shines in its being an allegory (and indictment) against contemporary working society. Despite an all-too-waivering procedural level design and some balancing issues, Have a Nice Death represents a centerpiece for the development team: give them a raise (and a few weeks off).
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