South of Midnight is exactly what I expected and, in some ways, what I hoped for: a polished, enjoyable, no-frills 'AA' experience, but rich in character. It's not a game that aims to revolutionize the market or compete for the Game of the Year title, but it represents that kind of mid-sized, artistically valuable production focused on a specific story, which I consider essential in the current gaming ecosystem. It's clear that Compulsion Games has learned the lesson from We Happy Few, choosing the path of narrative simplicity (which proved successful) rather than pursuing perhaps excessive ambition. This game is a huge improvement compared to the studio's past work. The gameplay criticisms, however, remain, and I sincerely hope the team will learn from them for future projects. Despite its gameplay flaws, South of Midnight left me with a very good overall impression thanks to its unique atmosphere, its splendid art, its very enjoyable soundtrack, and a story that knows how to strike the right chords. If you are looking for a linear, artistically inspired, and narratively engaging adventure, and you are willing to turn a blind eye to functional but repetitive gameplay, South of Midnight definitely deserves a chance when it arrives on Xbox Series X|S and PC next April 8th
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Assassin's Creed Shadows is a game of lights and shadows. On one hand, it marks a welcome partial return to the series' origins, with gameplay focused on stealth and a narrative closer to the Assassin's Creed. On the other hand, it presents some critical issues, especially on a narrative level, with a disappointing ending and sometimes uninspired mission structure. Despite these flaws, Shadows is a solid gaming experience, graphically and artistically top-notch and capable of entertaining for several hours, albeit without ever surprising. Ubisoft has certainly respected Japanese culture and the implementation of the game world works, but the sense that this could have been much, much more seems quite evident. It's a good game, that's undeniable. But this, perhaps, might not be enough anymore
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Avowed was everything I wanted from Obsidian: a role-playing game where choices truly impact the adventure, and writing plays a fundamental role in the game's structure. It’s not a perfect production—small imperfections, less impactful voice acting, and a level of polish that could have been better prevented the team from delivering a title that could have been truly memorable. But in the end, it doesn’t matter much, because as far as I’m concerned, Obsidian’s new IP is perhaps one of their best projects to date—a true RPG that, while it may not achieve immediate acclaim, could very well become one of the team’s most beloved titles in the long run.
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"Microsoft Flight Simulator 24 is an incredible simulator in many respects; from its gameplay elements to its purely technical aspects, it offers a comprehensive and top-tier experience, even surpassing what we saw in the previous installment of the series, which completely revolutionized the flight simulation genre and beyond. However, this time, Asobo's product has hit the market in a much less polished state compared to its predecessor, with a noticeable number of issues and bugs."
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is nothing short of a production miracle. Despite the well-known challenging working conditions, GSC Game World has managed to create a project born out of immense passion and love for the world of video games. From its dark and mysterious atmosphere to its well-developed shooting mechanics and a game world that is both thoughtfully designed and excellently written, the entire experience is undeniably captivating. Despite a few easily fixable bugs, the game stands as one of the most satisfying experiences in recent years. These developers truly deserve applause for what they have achieved, setting an inspiring example for game creators worldwide.
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Dragon Age The Veilguard isn’t the big comeback from BioWare we had hoped for; in fact, it seems like a project born out of countless uncertainties and shaped by an idea completely different from what we experienced in our 70 hours of gameplay. The game tries, and it would be unfair not to admit it: it seeks to embrace new elements, but it does so in a completely misguided and inconsistent way, partly due to shallow writing and an art direction lacking a true identity.
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Starfield: Shattered Space is the first expansion for Bethesda’s space epic, a piece of content that feels objectively unnecessary in the game’s overall context. Despite the fantastic new settings and the idea of focusing the story on a single moon, which makes exploration more engaging, everything else feels like a clear patchwork of the full game—almost as if it had been cut for time and then brought back a year later to add a few extra hours. If the studio genuinely intends to make Starfield a long-lasting title, they’ll need to deliver additional content that is far more focused and polished than what we’ve seen and played with Shattered Space
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Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is not just an expansion; it’s a statement of intent from Blizzard, a clear sign that the franchise is alive and continuously evolving. With the introduction of a new class, a deep and flexible rune system, new areas to explore, and a meticulously crafted story, Vessel of Hatred not only expands the world of Sanctuarium but also enriches it with new possibilities and a depth that promises to keep players glued to the screen for months to come. If this is the beginning of expansion support for Diablo 4, then we can rest assured that we’ll be playing this title for many years to come.
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All Possible Futures, in their first challenge, deliver a meticulously crafted work of art that surprises with several unexpected twists, sure to leave you smiling more than once. If you're in the mood for a light-hearted story, suitable for everyone, with highly original level design, then The Plucky Squire is the game for you: a simple adventure capable of warming your heart.
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Concord is a title with too many uncertainties. On one hand, the gunplay and technical aspects are solid, showcasing the commitment and quality of the development team. On the other hand, problematic balancing and a lack of originality in the artistic direction compromise the overall experience.
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Anger Foot can be considered a good successor to Hotline Miami, although it doesn't quite match it. It's not an experience for everyone, as it proves to be very challenging and often frustrating, especially for those not accustomed to this type of game. However, the great level design and high-profile artistic component make the production by Free Lives and Devolver noteworthy.
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What Ninja Theory has achieved transcends reality, creating a work that is practically perfect for what it aimed to be: an audiovisual adventure with a strong narrative component. Beyond state-of-the-art graphics and sound that will undoubtedly set a standard in the coming years, what truly astonishes is the maturity with which the team has taken an excellent game like the first Hellblade and molded it into something so qualitatively impressive that it becomes difficult to even describe. This elevates the medium to a new communicative level, capable of evoking emotions and surprising players from start to finish. Experiences like Hellblade 2, which leave a lasting impression on the soul, are few and far between in a generation, and we can only rejoice in seeing how the beautiful artistic vision of the Ninja Theory team has become a reality.
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Dragon's Dogma 2 is an experience that entertained and engaged us, perhaps one of the most original and satisfying RPGs you will play this year. However, the differences from the first episode are really minimal and the reduced fluidity on consoles disappointed us a bit. However, it should be specified that this is primarily designed to bring in a large number of new players.
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Helldivers 2 doesn't revolutionize anything, but it comes across as a focused production that knows very well what it wants to achieve. From satisfying gameplay to a well-delineated progression, Arrowhead's new game has fully hit the mark, giving players a solid and fun co-op experience.
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Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a bit of a culmination of everything the Ryū Ga Gotoku series has offered over the years. From the gameplay to the story to the activities and characters, the team has tried its best to present fans with a complete and level-headed experience, often succeeding and sometimes leaving a little bitter taste in our mouths due to some choices, especially narrative ones, that have not always convinced us.
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RoboCop: Rogue City will certainly not be the biggest work in this dense 2023, but it is still an unexpected surprise. Teyon comes from a very problematic product like Terminator Resistance, and we certainly would not have expected such a leap forward in such a short time. The team was able to take the essence of RoboCop and recreate it to video game, even experimenting with hybrid RPG mechanics that were not exactly functional, but at least commendable for their commitment to trying to do something different.
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Alan Wake 2 is one of the greatest adventures of this generation; a game capable of finally daring from a narrative point of view, giving us a complex, layered, peculiar story full of pathos as in the best David Lynch stories. Sam Lake and his Remedy team have packaged an authentic work of art, surrounded by stunning visual impact and gameplay, which in its simplicity, works from start to finish. Were it not for the several bugs encountered on PC, we would be talking about a virtually perfect title. But Alan Wake 2 is nonetheless destined to become a milestone that we will talk about for many years, like a fine classic book or one of whose art films is so dazzling, it appears like a dream from which it is difficult to wake up.
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Forza Motorsport is exactly what we hoped it would be: a great racing game with solid gameplay that can be enjoyed both with gamepads and finally also with a high variety of gaming steering wheels. Its sim/arcade nature makes it highly accessible for any type of gamer, from those who prefer a more immediate experience to those who want to try their hand at hard-fought races
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Reducing Starfield to a number is far from being easy. On the one hand we have Bethesda's most ambitious game ever with an overwhelming amount of content: full of secrets, quests, characters and casual adventures; on the other hand we have a title still anchored to old dogmas, with a high dose of proceduralism and some limitations that most critics will not appreciate. Nevertheless, Starfield is destined to become a new cult, capable of attracting millions of players for at least the next decade, just as Skyrim did before it, as well as being the first big star of Xbox's rebirth.
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Diablo IV is the sequel that the community desired and that Blizzard has skillfully delivered. Net of a few minor criticisms, the fourth installment in the celebrated franchise successfully regains its crown as the top exponent of the action-RPG hack 'n' slash genre and does so with a quality and quantity of content that is simply overwhelming.
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