The Wardrobe: Even Better Edition for Xbox is a good conversion. The transition from mouse to gamepad is almost painless. Years after his first release, the game is still good thanks to its iconoclastic humor and many, many geek references.
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While being a good clone of the original MGS, UnMetal does something few other MGS-like games did in the past: it not only emulates the stealth mechanics, but it replicates Kojima's metareferential design, and it does so in a way that feels both fresh and funny. UnMetal plays with 80's stereotypes and the player's mind at the same time.
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Even if the controls sometimes just make you wanna scream, Bonfire Peaks is a nice and small puzzle game worth playing. Its compact diorama levels are brilliantly engineered, using small spaces to test the player's cleverness. Voxel graphics, more that just being nostalgic, help the game in recreating the right atmosphere of old adventure games like the original Tomb Raider.
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Coming 27 years after its predecessor, Beyond a Steel Sky inevitably lacks the originality that made Beneath a Steel Sky such an instant classic, and a strong source of inspiration for many games that came later. Union City is now a 3D world, but it's still filled of clever puzzles and interesting characters, shaped around Cecil and Gibbons' view of society. It might not be as groundbreaking as the original, but Beyond a Steel Sky is still a good adventure that tries to offer a perspective on our society and how we should try to improve it without leaving anyone behind.
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There will always be a place for games like Freud's Bones, which have some imperfections, yes, but are also daring and willing to explore new themes. Fortuna Imperatore's debut game takes some considerable risks, such as having to explain psychotherapy to the player in order for him to untangle the main mechanics, but it hits the mark and churns out one of the most interesting systems of recent times. Not everything else is at the same level, but there is always a clear sense of the desire not to go down paths already taken by others: from a forerunner like Freud, one could not expect anything else.
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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.
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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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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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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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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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It may be late and it may not be the best looking game of the year, but PUGB is still an enjoyable battle royale, that enriches the PS4 catalogue.
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It's a bit paradoxical to think that the weakest point of a remake are the newest features, but that's the case with Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn: the new abilities break that perfect balance of the original game. Fortunately, that game is still there and if you want you can appreciate it exactly as it was conceived.
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More than a "more of the same", Shakedown Hawaii improves almost everything it takes from Retro City Rampage and introduces new mechanics. Not everything works as it should, but it never lacks ambition. Moreover, his 16bit style is super cool.
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Ministry of Broadcast has some weaknesses but also a lot of style. So much it feels original even if you can clearly see Pince of Persia, Flashback or other classics inside his shell. All of this wouldn't be possibile without his strong narrarive and his on-point irony: there's nothing better than laughing to force your brain to work.
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Playing Destroy All Humans! is like watching an old alien movie in a summer drive-in. The movie may not be a masterpiece, but atmosphere and context play a fundamental role in enjoying the experience. So the not particularly clever mission design and the not-so-inspired mechanics feel a little less annoying when you are playing a game that makes you laugh, does not take itself seriously and does not require a month of vacation to be finished.
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Rainswept might be the first game to learn from Kentucky Route Zero not only aestethically, but also in terms of direction. All things considered, it tells a simple story, but it does so in a way that shows remarkable sensitivity, a talent for writing, and above all a very uncommon attention to the overall direction of scenes. It may not be as revolutionary as its source of inspiration, but it certainly has something to say.
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Despite its ups & downs, it's hard not to love Miitopia and its quirkyness. Even the most generic and basic RPG story suddenly becomes a compelling tale if you use friends-shaped Miis as characters and Miitopia adds to this formula a large amount of humor and weirdness that fills the void when the rhythm slows down. If I had a child, this would be the first RPG I'd play with him (or her).
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A Juggler's Tale tries to find its space in the wide spectrum of similar games by impressing the audience with a truly suggestive and inspired aesthetic, a gorgeous front cover for a solid game. In just a couple of hours, it tries to establish a dialogue with the player, pushing it to reflect on serious themes such as freedom and free will, at the same time being aware of the paradoxes embodied by its mechanics. A good debut for kaleidoscube.
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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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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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