Mirko Spallieri


16 games reviewed
78.1 average score
80 median score
56.3% of games recommended
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Jul 27, 2026

Halo: Campaign Evolved is far more than a simple remaster; it is a masterclass in how to modernize a beloved classic without losing its core identity. While some of the original level design choices, such as the repetitive corridors of the Library, inevitably show their age, these historical flaws are completely overshadowed by the breathtaking visual overhaul and the stellar audio restoration. The bold introduction of modern gameplay mechanics, like sprinting and vehicle hijacking, injects a fresh, dynamic rhythm into the iconic "30 seconds of fun," finding its absolute peak in the three hours of brand-new, masterfully crafted campaign missions. Ultimately, this project successfully bridges the gap between generations, standing as the definitive way to experience Master Chief's legendary first adventure.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7.1 / 10.0 - Dinoblade
Jul 26, 2026

Dinoblade takes a wonderfully absurd premise - a prehistoric dinosaur wielding an oversized greatsword - and turns it into a genuinely captivating 15-hour action-soulslike adventure. Its greatest strength lies in its mesmerizing animation work and combat choreography. Watching a massive beast fluidly weave heavy slashes, dodges, and skill combos feels extraordinarily stylish and visually pleasing. The game expands this foundation with well-integrated progression systems, including stat customization, a rich skill tree, and thrilling boss fights that demand precise parries and timing. However, Dinoblade falls just short of action greatness due to a noticeably weak hit feedback. The lack of tactile impact makes even the most devastating slashes feel somewhat floaty, disconnecting the visual spectacle from the controller. Coupled with occasional camera issues and a limited enemy variety toward the final stretch, it slightly dampens the experience. Nevertheless, Dinoblade remains a fresh, wildly entertaining title well worth experiencing for action fans.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Jun 12, 2026

LumenTale: Memories of Trey is a game that manages to carve out its own identity in a crowded genre, thanks in large part to its engaging and strategically rich combat system. By rethinking traditional monster collector mechanics with a greater emphasis on team synergy and resource management, it offers a refreshing take that rewards planning and experimentation. Combined with a solid amount of content, a varied world to explore, and a generally compelling sense of progression, the game succeeds in keeping players invested for dozens of hours. However, this ambition is not without its drawbacks. Technical issues, including bugs, performance inconsistencies, and an unpolished user interface, frequently disrupt the experience and prevent the game from reaching its full potential. Additionally, some design elements—most notably the overly convoluted and poorly balanced crafting system—feel underdeveloped and fail to integrate meaningfully into the overall gameplay loop. The pacing can also be uneven, with moments of strong engagement occasionally interrupted by slower, less inspired sections. Despite these shortcomings, LumenTale remains a noteworthy entry in the genre. It is a game that impresses more for its ideas than for its execution, but those ideas are strong enough to leave a lasting impression. For fans of monster collectors looking for something that goes beyond familiar formulas, it represents a worthwhile experience—one that, with additional polish and refinement, could have stood among the genre’s very best.

Review in Italian | Read full review

6.5 / 10.0 - Stonemachia
May 27, 2026

Stonemachia is a game that immediately stands out for its identity. From the very beginning, it builds a surreal and unsettling world, blending dark fantasy elements with a distinctive cultural flavor that feels both familiar and distorted. The premise is strong, the visual direction is intriguing, and its core idea — a sentient chess piece evolving into different forms tied to gameplay — shows genuine creativity. Unfortunately, this promising opening does not evolve into a satisfying match. While the game offers a variety of combat options on paper, in practice the system lacks impact and depth. Attacks feel weightless, defensive mechanics are unclear, and the overall difficulty rarely pushes the player to adapt or improve. As a result, encounters can often be reduced to repetitive, low-effort strategies that undermine the potential complexity of the design. The same applies to progression and level design. The lack of meaningful customization and the predominantly linear maps limit player expression, creating an experience that feels guided rather than discovered. Even boss fights, despite their strong visual concepts, fail to deliver real tension once the underlying mechanics are understood. That said, Stonemachia is far from a failure. Its artistic vision, enemy design, and atmospheric consistency remain its strongest assets, and they are enough to keep the experience engaging on a surface level. There is clearly a solid foundation here — one that, with more refined gameplay systems and bolder design choices, could lead to something far more compelling. In the end, Stonemachia is not a checkmate, but a match that shows potential without ever fully realizing it.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8.9 / 10.0 - Aether & Iron
Apr 29, 2026

Aether & Iron is an ambitious RPG that places writing, atmosphere, and choice at the center of the experience. Set in a striking decopunk reimagining of 1930s New York, the game builds a morally complex world where social inequality, personal failure, and compromise are constant companions. Its greatest strength lies in how dialogue, dice-based decisions, and character perspective intertwine to create meaningful moments, even when failure is the outcome. While the turn-based vehicular combat may not appeal to everyone and some systems show the rough edges of a debut project, Aether & Iron's strong identity more than compensates. It is a game that rewards attention and patience, offering a memorable journey rather than easy gratification. For players looking for a story-driven RPG with personality and ambition, Aether & Iron is a compelling experience.

Review in Italian | Read full review

5.5 / 10.0 - Wreckreation
Jan 13, 2026

Wreckreation is an ambitious but uneven attempt to revive the spirit of classic arcade racing. While it occasionally delivers thrilling moments of speed and destruction, its unforgiving learning curve, inconsistent handling, and heavy reliance on grind undermine the overall experience. The creative tools and sandbox structure show genuine potential, but the lack of a compelling progression system and meaningful incentives makes it hard to stay engaged for long. In the end, Wreckreation feels more like a promising foundation than a fully realized racing game.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0 - My Little Puppy
Dec 18, 2025

We have seen many products featuring animals recently, such as the recent announcement of The Free Shepherd at The Game Awards 2025. My Little Puppy manages to capture the essence of dogs as life companions. The care taken in the representation of behaviors, combined with an emotionally engaging story, makes it a must-have title for those who love these animals. Just as Stray has become the benchmark for games featuring cats, My Little Puppy has all the makings of a game that represents the world of dogs. For those who have lived with a dog—or continue to do so—this game is not just an adventure, but a little journey to that “paradise” Mark Twain spoke of. Because My Little Puppy is not just a game that tells the story of a dog. It is a work that, consciously or not, questions the way humans relate to their animals, and more generally the way they conceive of love, responsibility, and loss. Certain bonds do not need words to be eternal.

Review in Italian | Read full review

9.9 / 10.0 - Blue Prince
Dec 9, 2025

Blue Prince is not a game that seeks to entertain in the traditional sense. It asks for patience, observation, and a willingness to think. Progress comes through understanding, not mastery, and every step forward is earned through deduction rather than skill. Its strength lies in turning a single location into a living puzzle—one that rewards curiosity and persistence with moments of genuine intellectual satisfaction. This is not an experience built for everyone, but for those willing to engage on its terms, Blue Prince offers something rare: a quiet, lasting sense of discovery that stays with you long after you leave the villa.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7.1 / 10.0 - Demonschool
Nov 18, 2025

By the time the semester reaches its final day, Demonschool leaves behind a very specific feeling. It is not a game that strives for technical perfection or overwhelming complexity. Instead, it chooses personality, atmosphere, and experimentation over raw challenge. Its tactical system favors creativity rather than optimization, its difficulty remains welcoming, and its structure mirrors everyday routines instead of epic escalation. Yes, combat can become repetitive, and some side activities are more amusing than memorable. But what truly defines Demonschool is its identity: a game that knows exactly what it wants to be. Through its distinctive visual style, carefully written relationships, and a combat system designed to be explored rather than mastered, it offers a refreshingly different take on the tactical JRPG.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Oct 28, 2025

As Long as You’re Here is a quiet, intimate experience that speaks through absence rather than spectacle. By placing the player in the role of the one who remembers, it transforms Alzheimer’s into something lived, not explained. Its strength lies in restraint: simple actions, careful silences, and a story that trusts you to feel rather than react. In just one hour, it creates a bond that lingers far longer than the playtime suggests. This is not a game about winning or overcoming, but about staying present. And in doing so, it proves how powerful videogames can be when they choose empathy over excess.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0 - The Lonesome Guild
Oct 23, 2025

The Lonesome Guild is not just an action RPG wrapped in bright colors and charming characters, but an emotional journey centered on solitude and connection. Through Ghost and the companions you meet, the game explores how isolation shapes identities and how relationships can slowly heal invisible wounds. Its combat and progression systems reinforce this theme, turning bonds into real, tangible strength. Despite some technical flaws and a modest challenge, the heart of the experience remains powerful and sincere. Tiny Bull Studios delivers a story that lingers, inviting the player to reflect on loneliness not as an end, but as a beginning. When the credits roll, what stays with you is not the silence, but the connections you chose to build.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is an ambitious entry that blends familiar Atelier charm with broader systems and a more structured narrative. Its strength lies in the interplay between alchemy, city rebuilding, and character-driven storytelling, which gives Hallfein a genuine sense of growth. However, the heavy reuse of mobile assets and the dense layering of mechanics prevent it from feeling like a true evolution of the series. Combat and synthesis offer depth, but balancing issues reduce the challenge unless higher difficulties are selected. This is a game made first and foremost for longtime fans, rich in references and continuity. For newcomers, its complexity may feel overwhelming, but for Atelier veterans, it remains a warm, content-packed return to a beloved world.

Review in Italian | Read full review

9 / 10.0 - Quartet
Aug 26, 2025

Quartet doesn’t aim to reinvent the JRPG, and that’s precisely where its strength lies. By embracing turn-based combat, careful resource management, and a strong ensemble narrative, it delivers an experience that feels both familiar and thoughtfully modern. Its four intertwined stories are well written, tonally coherent, and rich with emotional weight. The combat system rewards planning and experimentation, avoiding both monotony and superficial spectacle. While exploration and music show some limits, they rarely undermine the overall experience. Quartet stands as a heartfelt tribute to classic JRPGs, confident enough to honor its roots while carving out an identity of its own.

Review in Italian | Read full review

A monumental RPG that still deserves respect, but this so-called enhanced edition does little to honor its legacy. A return made for veterans, not newcomers.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy offers a soft and whimsical take on the dungeon crawler genre, but fails to deliver meaningful depth or challenge. Its charming art anc cozy atmosphere are overshadowed by overly simple combat, shallow progression, and repetitive dungeon. A nice distraction at best, but hardly memorable

Review in Italian | Read full review

Jul 14, 2025

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a focused and elegant stealth experience that values planning over action. It doesn't try to reinvent the genre but succeeds in delivering a cohesive, immersive, and emotionally grounded game. If you enjoy tension over spectacle, this one deserves your attention.

Review in Italian | Read full review