Mario Ricerni

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is the comeback fans have been waiting for for over a decade: a metroidvania that is classic in structure but modern in sensibility, crafted by a studio that knows the genre inside out and proves it with incredibly rich traversal, memorable bosses and outstanding art direction.

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Well Dweller doesn't revolutionize the Metroidvania genre, but it executes its rules with exemplary precision—especially for a project created almost entirely by a single person. Exploration, skill progression, bosses, and the art style all fit together perfectly, and even the limitations of the shallow combat aren't enough to detract from the value of an adventure that captivates from the very first minutes.

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Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival deserves credit for taking a major horror icon and breaking it free from the now-tired formula of asymmetric multiplayer, building a brutal, cohesive, and completely unfiltered single-player adventure around it. The melee combat and the Genesis Configuration work well, the Cenobites are handled intelligently, and the technical aspects leave a lasting impression, despite a few rough edges. Anyone looking for a horror game that isn’t afraid of censorship will find this right up their alley.

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Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is, in many ways, the pinnacle of a series that is no stranger to excellence. Adrenaline-fueled, breathtaking, and incredibly fun, Bandai Namco Aces’ latest title doesn’t reinvent a formula that already worked perfectly well, but it takes it to its absolute peak thanks to controls that are more responsive than ever, top-notch cinematic direction, and a cast of characters capable of stirring emotions far beyond expectations. The soundtrack, once again, is spectacular. There are still some issues with PC optimization that need addressing, a few narrative elements that feel too superficial, overly verbose briefings, and a certain reluctance to innovate in the gameplay—but these are minor flaws that do little to detract from what, all things considered, is one of the most successful titles of the year.

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Lords of the End Times is the most ambitious DLC ever seen in Total War: Warhammer III and, without a doubt, one of the most generous as well. Nagash and Thanquol offer two of the most original campaigns in the entire trilogy; the Glottkin are solid without going overboard; and only Boris Todbringer falls slightly short. Between Neferata, the rework of the Vampire Counts, the new endgame content, and an access model that’s finally beginner-friendly, the End Times was truly worth the wait.

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Stick It to the Stickman demonstrates just how a simple idea—developed consistently and with the right dose of madness—can carry an entire game. The one-button combat, ragdoll physics, and unbridled corporate satire come together to create an accessible roguelite that’s rich in content and often hilarious, especially when played with a friend on the couch. A few control glitches, some repetitiveness in the main hub, and a few technical issues prevent it from reaching excellence, but it fully deserves a recommendation.

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Silent Hill: Townfall hits what is likely the most delicate target a project of this kind could set for itself: recreating the pure experience of a “Silent Hill” game without merely rehashing the usual elements. The oppressive atmosphere of St. Amelia, the patient storytelling, and the solid art direction more than make up for an action sequence that’s once again clunky, hampered by an immortal enemy that won’t leave as lasting an impression as the saga’s most iconic monsters. It’s not a masterpiece capable of redefining the genre, but it is a carefully crafted work that will win over anyone willing to give it the time it needs to reveal itself.

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SPRAWL zero hits the mark it set for itself from the moment it was announced: to recapture the feel of a PS2-era shooter, while updating its pace and gameplay to modern standards. Weighing down the overall assessment are an overly rigid map structure, missions that are sometimes unnecessarily long, and some inconsistencies in the balance of boss fights—flaws that, however, do not detract from the value of an experience capable of winning over both nostalgic fans and those simply looking for a good excuse to shoot at anything that moves.

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Mortal Shell II succeeds in what is probably the most challenging goal a sequel can set for itself: taking an original but still unpolished idea and transforming it into a fully mature experience, without betraying the dark and experimental spirit that had defined its identity from the very beginning. There are still some imperfections—including balance issues in the later stages, a few too many bugs, and design choices like the absence of a jump mechanic that probably deserved more attention—but none of these flaws seriously detract from the overall value of a game that represents an incredible leap forward compared to its predecessor.

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STALKER 2: Cost of Hope achieves a feat that was by no means a given: two years later, it brings to fruition the vision that GSC Game World had in mind from the very beginning. The conflict between Duty and Freedom finally takes center stage again, supported by mature storytelling and two characters capable of carrying its weight, while the new areas offer some of the best-orchestrated moments in the entire series. The 2.0 update accompanying the release significantly transforms the overall technical experience, making the Zone more stable and believable than ever.

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The Sinking City 2 is a classic success story in an industry that has often proven inhospitable. Frogwares shows courage in setting aside much of its detective-game identity to embrace a survival horror title inspired by the genre’s classics but decidedly more action-oriented, succeeding for the most part in achieving the desired result. The narrative is full of surprises, and the technical aspects demonstrate commendable scalability even on older hardware. There are still a few rough edges—an action pace that isn’t always well-calibrated and a monster roster that’s a bit too sparse—but overall, this is one of the most successful survival horror games of the year, capable of doing justice to Lovecraft’s creative genius without ever losing sight of the fun.

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Halo: Campaign Evolved is a restoration carried out with a steady hand and a clear love for the subject matter. The gunplay remains a masterclass in precision and immediacy, the sandbox retains its impeccable clarity, and the technical reconstruction on Unreal Engine 5 does justice to a universe that defined a generation—all backed by rock-solid performance on PC. Unfortunately, the commitment to fidelity sometimes goes too far; the three new missions are over in less than two hours, and the price remains steep for a remake that relies more on nostalgia than on ambition. An excellent re-release, lacking only the courage to take a few more risks.

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Revelations doesn’t just passively extend the life of The Dark Ages: it corrects its most-discussed “flaw” by restoring the Slayer’s speed, agility, and freedom of movement—and it does so through a Chain Lance that has everything it takes to establish itself as one of the best ideas in the entire modern trilogy. The wealth of tools requires patience and a significant learning curve, and the new pace of gameplay raises the bar considerably, but those who accept the challenge will find one of the most deep and rewarding combat systems in the genre. This expansion impresses as much for its substance as for the sheer volume of content it offers, and it reminds us once again that when id Software decides to revisit its formula, it rarely misses the mark.

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Until Then: Afterimages is an expansion written with evident love, which tastefully and respectfully expands a universe that so many of us have grown fond of. The two chapters dedicated to Sofia and Mark offer some of the most mature moments in the entire saga and confirm Polychroma Games’ narrative talent—all at a price that makes purchasing it almost a must for anyone who loved the base game. What prevented us from letting ourselves get completely swept up in enthusiasm is the game’s tendency to dwell on its characters’ suffering more than necessary, losing some of the delicacy that was the true hallmark of the original.

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007 First Light stands out as the best James Bond video game since GoldenEye, and succeeds in the far-from-certain feat of honoring the legend without merely imitating it. The origin story crafted by IO impresses with its narrative maturity and mechanical depth, leaving room for future developments. There are, however, aspects where the game could have been more daring. In fact, a certain underlying caution hangs over every aspect—a choice to play it safe that holds the game back just as it reaches the threshold of absolute excellence.

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Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II presents itself as a sequel that has chosen the path of structural expansion rather than radical reinvention, and in many respects this choice proves effective and consistent with the foundations laid by its predecessor. However, there is no shortage of elements that could have benefited from more attention. In any case, taken as a whole, Mechanicus II represents a coherent and respectful evolution of a formula that had already proven its worth, and one that will satisfy both devotees of the Omnissiah and players seeking a turn-based tactical game capable of standing out for its identity and character in an increasingly crowded landscape of offerings.

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Zero Parades: For Dead Spies makes no attempt to be accommodating, and it is in this stubborn refusal to compromise that both its most obvious limitation and its most valuable quality lie. It is a game that demands of the player the same emotional and intellectual investment that it demands of its protagonist, aware that the value of the journey is measured by the quality of the questions it poses, not by the speed with which it provides the answers. The new mechanics demonstrate a concrete desire to go beyond mere replication, to take an already extraordinary playful language and develop it in a direction that fully justifies its independent existence.

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Saros presents itself as the natural evolution of the path Housemarque embarked upon with Returnal, and in many ways it successfully builds on that foundation with great maturity and insight. The combat system remains the game’s crowning achievement: fast-paced, multi-layered, and supported by a color-coded bullet system that transforms every encounter into a fast-paced exercise in reading and reacting.

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Pragmata is Capcom’s swan song, proving that the company still possesses the talent needed to create something entirely new without relying on the proven success of its most iconic franchises. The gamble of building a new intellectual property around such a unique and risky combat system proves, in almost every case, to be a winning one, bolstered by exemplary technical execution and striking artistic direction. The bond between Hugh and Diana serves as the true emotional driving force of the experience, crafted with a delicacy and sincerity that elevate the narrative above the conventions of the genre. All things considered, there are a few rough edges that prevent the title from achieving perfection. Nothing that compromises the overall solidity of a work that deserves to be experienced and that rightfully stands among the most significant experiences of this promising 2026.

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SEGA Villains Stage is an expansion that knows where it’s going and, for the most part, gets there. It’s not the kind of DLC that redefines the core game or fills its structural gaps; rather, it’s a package built around the strength of its three main encounters—perhaps the best boss fights in the entire series.

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