Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is the most difficult title to review not only of 2024 but perhaps, who knows, of the entire generation. After nearly a decade of waiting since Batman Arkham Knight, Rocksteady finally returns with a project greeted more with a heartfelt funeral requiem than a bit of cold detachment. Judged through the lens of the fan disappointed by what this title could have been, it would be easy to speak of disappointment, going on to hyperbolically mark (existing) flaws and narrative merits. But striving to judge the title for what it sincerely wants to be, we cannot help but recognize its obvious production values, the courage of the change of course, and, ultimately, the fun and entertainment it can deliver. Because Kill the Justice League is primarily that: a title that offers genuine entertainment, driven by a compelling and unpredictable plot. Not everything works as it should and the specter of repetitiveness hovers as over any other looter shooter. But one thing is certain: Suicide Squad is not as bad as branded by general opinion. Give it a chance: this rowdy squad might surprise you and, who knows, maybe a year from now we can find ourselves here talking about its journey.
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Almost two decades after the legendary first chapter, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has the flavor of both a point of arrival and a dazzling new beginning. Far from revealing too much, what we can say is that Ryu ga Gotoku Studio's new title is not only, in all likelihood, the best chapter in the series. It also represents one of the best JRPGs in the recent video game landscape and, we go further, one of the first serious candidates for the 2024 GOTYs. A must-buy for practically everyone, but especially for those fans who bought Yakuza back in 2006 for the PlayStation 2: all of this was also possible thanks to you!
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Immortality is an extremely difficult project to evaluate, to make understood, and, above all, to recommend. Taken as a video game, it has obvious limitations to the point where it can hardly be compared in the same way as 99.9% of what the market offers. However, it is precisely in its being an exponent of this reduced 0.1% that it asserts its uniqueness. An FMV adventure as a restorer, grappling with a mystery that can transport you into a magnetic story. Undoubtedly not a product for everyone, but for those few it may be unforgettable.
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Turnip Boy Robs a Bank is another hit target for Snoozy Kazoo. The small Western Massachusetts development team puts us back in the shoes of a jovial thug, this time grappling with a light roguelite based on robberies and ramshackle escapes. It's a short, lighthearted experience that embodies the development team's DNA and their own mission in wanting to create products to detach the brain. Robbing a bank has never been so much fun (!).
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DreadOut 2 marks the return of the talents of Digital Happiness to the world of survival horror. Compared to the past, the formula has been expanded: however, technical ugliness and a game design that is at times darker than the story being told persist. Linda's adventure is full of interesting and mournful insights, but it labors and stumbles with an ambition that is out of parameter with respect to its means and achievements. In a landscape, such as the independent scene, where sometimes sublime results can be achieved that can combine resources and aspirations, the Indonesian production remains an encouraging experiment but still far from the right balance to be remembered by the general public.
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Marvel's Midnight Suns is a genuine success story that obsequiously respects the reference material and puts deep, tactical gameplay on the plate in the Firaxis tradition. It is a major project for the development team, content-wise huge and bringing the gameplay experience closer to that of classic Western RPGs. Despite the openness to a wider audience, some aspects of the production could, however, discourage part of the audience such as the management of the dynamics inherent in the Abbey and a technical compartment that is not always flawless. A new certificate of excellence for the legendary development team, which proves that it still has many arrows in its bow.
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Cookie Cutter is a bloody, splashy metroidvania that makes aesthetic presentation, combative exhilaration, and narrative anxieties its trump cards. As a debut title, Subcult Joint's work knows how to distinguish itself, thanks to an overall care that is evidently over the top and a marked and clearly visible authorial trait. Ludically, however, Cherry's adventure is much more ordinary, but although fun is always assured, it often falls into youthful errors such as an all-too-spaced camera, a difficulty that is not always balanced and excessive chaos in some battles. Nevertheless, the path of revenge to make Garbanzos pay will be a very satisfying experience.
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SteamWorld Build is yet another success for the intellectual property created by Image & Form. The sparkling liveliness of the series has brought us this time a curious hybrid of city building and dungeon crawling, elements that taken individually would not be particularly original, but that combined give rise to something peculiar. The presence of an ultimate goal to pursue and the need to cope with two different ludic realities make Build a decidedly interesting product, even net of a few too many levity and facilitation. Precisely in this sense, lovers of the aforementioned genres might be most critical of the production. For everyone else and for fans of the post-apocalyptic world of steam-powered robots, there will be bread for your teeth this time as well.
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Football Manager 2024 is the usual and immense sports management that has delighted football fans for years. While waiting for the announced revolution next year, the current edition is confirmed as a chapter of mere transition: as always, there is no lack of content and the small changes are extremely precise and timely. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that the series has arrived at the long-awaited moment of turning a new leaf. While we wait to find out what's cooking in the Sports Interactive studios, the 2024 edition will satisfy all aspiring coaches.
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Persona 5 Tactica is yet another Atlus experiment, again playing with some of its most beloved characters by jumping this time into the world of strategy games. The end result is once again an excellent title, skillfully blending paradigms of the genre with the series' classic twist. Mature themes, thoughtful art direction and fun gameplay are the calling cards of the production, which nevertheless features a difficulty curve that is far too friendly to fans of tacticians, dialogues that are perhaps too verbose and a decurbed exploration. Despite the inexperience, therefore, P-Studio succeeds in the big score: Phantom Thieves wins again.
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The Pale Reach is one more chance to spend some time among the perilous waters of DREDGE. The expansion offers a new biome, a mysterious predator, equipment to exploit and mysteries to solve... In short, everything we loved the Black Salt Games signed production for. Some may complain about a certain redundancy with the launch content or the presence of some mechanics that are not fully exploited. Or even the poor longevity of the DLC. However, we find very few reasons to criticize a work of this quality, offered at a decidedly honest price tag. Cover yourself well, the icy currents could be fatal.
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NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS is a complex title to analyze. It represents an encyclopedic production of Kishimoto's work, with one of the largest rosters seen in the fighting genre, plentiful content, and an obvious focus on fans. If it is compared to the previous chapters, however, it unfortunately inherits the same criticisms as its predecessor with an even more risque and drab story, further simplified gameplay, and an atavistic lack of novelty. Those who have never approached the series might see the latest CyberConnect2 effort as an interesting package. Paradoxically, however, fans of the leaf ninja in particular might be left with a bitter taste in their mouths.
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Teardown, needless to deny it, is a decidedly fascinating production. The ability to integrally shape the game world with one's actions is a concept that is the preserve of very few other titles. Tuxedo Labs thus marks, in this sense, a great milestone for independent productions by giving a rewarding and layered experimentation. At the same time, the more exquisitely playful components are not as captivating partly because of an immediacy that is not always ideal. The result is a title as entertaining as it is susceptible to quickly becoming boring depending on your answer to the question: how much do you like destruction?
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Jusant left us with mixed feelings. On the one hand, Don't Nod's work is a breath of fresh air with magnetic gameplay, fabulous art direction, and an equally splendid soundtrack. On the other, however, it shows obvious shortcomings in the final part, where there is a strong suspicion of an unfortunately rushed development. A real pity, because with the right timing and more homogeneity in the expansion of the game design we would be talking about a small masterpiece. As it is, however, Jusant remains a diamond in the rough, to be enjoyed even at the cost of a bittersweet taste arrived at the end credits.
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Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name once again confirms all the skills of the Ryu ga Gotoku Team, which is capable of delivering great titles at an astonishing pace and without quality drops. The return of Kazuma Kiryu as Agent Joryu constitutes an unmissable new chapter, at once memorable and poignant by virtue of a high-level script. Despite a below-average longevity for the saga (but still keeping you busy for at least twenty hours), the care put into each piece of content will delight any fan. A title to absolutely grab.
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Rather rarely do licensed titles based on cartoon IPs manage to push their conceptual boundaries and become something more. Fortunately, The Smurfs 2: The Prisoner of the Green Stone is a pleasant exception. OSome Studio makes a fun, generous and lighthearted action platformer that is as suitable for the very young as it is for more seasoned players. Not all elements turn out to be flawless and some structural oversights exist, but one thing is certain: the Smurfs have found a very interesting road to travel, which hopefully can be further explored and expanded in the future.
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Almost ten years after its illustrious predecessor, Croteam manages to outdo itself. The Talos Principle 2 is a wonderful adventure, elegantly blending intricate puzzles and philosophical themes. The resulting play experience is of great depth, taking players by the hand through the satisfaction of puzzle solving and reflection on big existential questions. A great little masterpiece of the genre, which perhaps precisely because of its peculiarities (and the absence of an Italian translation), may lose appeal to the general public. Trust us, however: the riddles of Prometheus are well worth the effort.
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Star Ocean: The Second Story R is not just the return of a great classic in JRPG history. Nor is it merely its definitive version, which revolutionizes the visual presentation and enriches the play system with great little finesses. Above all, the work done by Gemdrops is a true manifesto of what should be done to make a work-of-art remake that preserves the original spirit while embellishing and modernizing every single element. If you are a fan of the genre, you have no excuse not to play it. If you are not, well, it may be the right opportunity to get closer to this fantastic world.
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WarioWare: Move It! has unquestionable merits. It can be hilarious, the activities are at times ingenious and in company it will know how to give you moments of genuine desecrating degradation. However, the brand's return does not solve some of the series' own limitations, chief among them an atavistic lack of content (especially over distance) as well as a virtually nonexistent longevity for those who will want to play solo. Aware of all this, the new Nintendo production is, in all likelihood, one of the best choices for a goliardic evening with friends as well as a wonderfully crazy party game.
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There are titles that sometimes fly so under the radar that they end up showing up with an exclamation point on their date with audiences and critics: such is the case with SUPER CRAZY RHYTHM CASTLE. Seemingly little more than a party game, the Konami title is instead a crazy rhythm adventure capable of blending good music and irresistible puzzles, providing many hours of fun and surprises. It doesn't matter if you plan to play it solo or with friends: the production always manages to rise to the occasion. A few smears and a difficulty that is not always perfectly balanced persist, but rest assured: if you are looking for a rhythmic and unpredictable title to experience while smiling, this is the right title to consider.
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