Claudio Magistrelli


103 games reviewed
76.9 average score
79 median score
47.6% of games recommended
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8.9 / 10.0 - WWE 2K24
Mar 4, 2024

As time has passed, producing one game a year bigger and better than the previous one has become increasingly complicated and expensive. The path taken by WWE 2K24 is therefore logical, with many small adjustments that overall improve the experience across every mode, and a good deal of additions spread across every department. A more than worthy celebration for Wrestlemania XL.

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Feb 19, 2024

Although it undoubtedly belongs to the trend of retro games, the relationship with the nostalgia of Casper Croes' game is different from the most widespread one. In Alisa's case, the past is not understood as an unattainable era, but as a model whose limits can now represent a challenge and no longer an obstacle. The challenge is to recreate a game today that is not only inspired by Resident Evil, but also shares its technical characteristics, but is appealing to modern players. The challenge can undoubtedly be said to have been won, also thanks to the use of a good dose of (self-)irony reminiscent of Lynch's.

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You can't think of combining the irreverent spirit of the Suicide Squad with a formula plastered around what are considered the most marketable fashions at the moment. The risk is twofold, that of creating a game that dresses badly around the protagonists, but also that of arriving out of time, to fashions that are now deflated. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League stumbles into both of these mistakes. Yet here and there flashes of funny situations emerge, the characters have charisma, the writing is good with excellent quality tips and Rocksteady know how to do their job technically. Let's hope the live service experiments with superhero groups are over here.

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8.5 / 10.0 - EA Sports UFC 5
Oct 27, 2023

UFC 5 is a significant leap forward from the past and a game that holds the discipline it tries to simulate in high regard. The approach is deep and requires both effort and concentration even in the less simulative mode. On the other hand, it can be very rewarding once the mechanics are mastered. The transition to Frostbyte has been positive, not so much in the graphical leap, which is evident, but in the animations and links that concatenate them.

Review in Italian | Read full review

5 / 10.0 - eFootball 2024
Oct 11, 2023

The credit Konami has long enjoyed because of its indispensable role in the modern conception of soccer video games has now been exhausted. And you have to recognize eFootball 2024 for what it is, a very slight improvement on the previous version, still plagued by the same, huge problems. The music is still the same: decent gameplay, Dream Team limited by the database, other modes none to be had, cumbersome menus. The time has come for a breakthrough, because the alternative is rather bleak.

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9 / 10.0 - Forza Motorsport
Oct 4, 2023

Like a Formula 1 car, Forza Motorsport has more radically rethought its set-up to narrow the gap on rivals. The new career introduces RPG-like components designed to increase the bond between the player and their vehicles: the fleet of cars is still large, but the focus has shifted to performance customization. Manual calibration of difficulty and aids makes it suitable for any type of player, while still offering an intriguing challenge thanks to the AI of the drivatars. Visually it is impressive, but something is still missing to get to the realism of GT.

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6.8 / 10.0 - Days of Doom
Sep 26, 2023

Days of Doom tries to do something new by fusing together turn-based strategy and roguelite. The end result, however, can only be said to be partially successful. Both the battles and the growth are characterized by slow times that end up diluting the fun: in the short run you have fun, but the risk of getting tired soon is real. The art direction is nice, though derivative at times. Overall a good pastime, but one that risks slipping away without leaving a trace.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8.4 / 10.0 - Chants of Sennaar
Sep 20, 2023

Chants of Sennaar is a game that uses language in a unique way, putting it at the center of its bizarre puzzles. Midway between graphic adventure and puzzle game, it sports rarefied and evocative settings, populated by mysterious figures speaking unknown languages. Beyond that, however, it does something very few other games do: it displaces the player, disorients him or her, and urges them to pursue the discovery of knowledge, instead of replicating already seen mechanics. That is why it is even forgiven for stealth phases.

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Aug 23, 2023

Mediterranea Inferno, from a gameplay point of view, is a solid visual novel in which the choices left in the hands of the player lead to radical turns, really giving the impression of being in control of events. However, the quality of the writing and the ability of its young author to deal with complex and multifaceted themes with great maturity, awareness, and courage in taking clear-cut positions (which should be common ground in 2023, but that's another matter) should be even more emphasized.

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Jun 26, 2023

Stasis: Bone Totem is a point-and-click graphic adventure that exploits the classic mechanics of the genre in a modern and appealing technical setting, although the game was made almost entirely by only two people. Its strength lies in its horror-tinged sci-fi atmospheres and in its narrative which presents interesting reflections on ethics and corporations. The writing style is verbose: this might be a limitation for some, but it is an indispensable ingredient in the creation of a world that winks at cosmic horror.

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8.7 / 10.0 - Humanity
Jun 12, 2023

Elegant and minimalist, Humanity is an excellent puzzle game. Its philosophy, effectively represented by the constant stream of humans to be led to safety, is supported by excellent technical realization and over-the-top design. Despite levels lasting dozens of minutes, the trials it subjects the player to are al-ways challenging and entertaining thanks to a number of solutions designed to enhance the player's ex-perience, such as the ability to repeat the scenario with given commands, speed up the passage of time, and actual video walkthroughs.

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7.8 / 10.0 - Road 96: Mile 0
Apr 26, 2023

Road 96: Mile 0 will appeal to those who enjoyed the previous chapter. Instead of taking up the formula in its entirety, Mile 0 introduces a variation in the form of musical sections. The combination works conveying anxieties and concerns of the teenage protagonists. From a technical standpoint, the game is a bit backward, but it does feel acceptable.

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Apr 24, 2023

Formula Retro Racing - World Tour is exactly what it sounds like: a sunny arcade that makes simplicity its strong point, yet without sacrificing a fair amount of depth. The world tour promised by the title takes shape in a series of tracks rich in detail, albeit reproduced from crude polygons. The simplicity of the driving model is offset by the presence of muscle cars that introduce drifting, turning the tables and adding a dash of variety. A great game for moments of nostalgia and mood enhancement.

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7 / 10.0 - The Last Worker
Apr 12, 2023

The Last Worker is as much a satire of the work environment in this phase of capitalism as it is of those video games that seem to be more about work than fun. Overall, this is an interesting and artistically sound production that lacks something to leaves its mark.

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8 / 10.0 - WWE 2K23
Mar 21, 2023

WWE 2K23 builds on the excellent foundation laid with the last edition of the game and moves forward a small step. The new features are limited, but they go a long way toward filling the gaps in WWE 2K22, for example with a significantly larger roster (nearly 200 wrestlers in total). The show stealer is undoubtedly the Showcase mode focused on John Cena and his (rare) defeats The experience overall is good, but the feeling is that little has been done to offer anything really new, merely tweaking the winning product of 22.. Like WWE's TV shows, 2K wants to pleasure to everybody, but that's simply non possible.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Gomorrah
Mar 7, 2023

34BigThings visual novel is a very interesting experiment, especially with that budget price and because of the excellent writing that succeeds in offering a more informed approach to the organized crime narrative. However the game struggles to convey the weight of choices and activity: this is a less influential element, but it risks depowering at least some of the impact of the narrative.

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8 / 10.0 - Backfirewall
Feb 8, 2023

Backfirewall_ is a simple but effective idea that Naraven develops with intelligence and taste. The puzzle component is witty, well balanced and lightened by a hint system that averts the risk of frustration. The most interesting part, however, is undoubtedly the narrative.

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7 / 10.0 - Togges
Dec 9, 2022

Togges makes no secret of his sources of inspiration: Super Mario Galaxy above all, but also Katamari Damacy and Pikmin. While Togges does not have all the qualities of its benchmarks (particularly in controls and cleanliness in design), it knows its strength points and focuses on those: smooth, colourful graphics on which rests a relaxing, carefree gameplay. All in all, Togges is an average-value game that nevertheless took on a huge challenge, confronting himself with the masterpieces of the genre, without being destroyed by the comparison. But ambition and bravery should be appreciated, and rewarded too.

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Nov 15, 2022

The Case of the Golden Idol is an excellent debut. Color Gray has learned the lesson of Return of the Obra Dinn and reinterpreted it with its own style. The cases to be solved are well thought out and to come to grips with puzzles that require deduction and intelligence rather than skill with the classic mechanics of the genre is quite satisfying. The Latvian developer duo in his first game shows they have personality, including in the graphic style that does not mind being disturbing and in the appropriate background music, all of which conveniently mystery-themed.

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8 / 10.0 - LEGO Bricktales
Oct 15, 2022

LEGO Bricktales does only one thing, but it does it well: it allows you to play with LEGOs as you would do in your room, without placing constraints on your imagination. Its main limitation is a somewhat stubborn control system and a camera that is not easy to handle, but the final result repays the effort. The added value is a really appreciable technical compartment, which recreates small dioramas with enormous charm, based on historical LEGO sets that will lead to tears anyone who was young in the 80s/90s. It could mark the beginning of a new era for LEGO games, and that would be great news.

Review in Italian | Read full review