The Games Machine

Brilliant idea that is not developed to its fullest potential. Still, if you are not necessarily looking for the next Portal, it will be good fun for some hours.

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Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior is a passionate and engaging video game, which expresses its best through game design, one of the most valuable and focused that I have had in my hands. A greater commitment regarding progression would have been appreciated, but the work presents vast possibilities for different choices and approaches based on the clashes. It's a hack'n slash that achieves its goal, and much more, also supported by an exciting story.

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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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What is most refreshing about Helldivers 2 is not just the fact that it's an incredibly fun game, but that Arrowhead managed to grow in scope without losing its identity: this is, without question, a game made by the same people who created Magicka so many years ago. At present state, however, Helldivers 2 suffers from some stability issues, and employs an invasive anticheat.

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Inkuinati is a rediscovery of who we were in the Middle Ages, of our long lost attitude about games event in serious context. A great strategic game full of jokes and farts diegetically inserted in the game experience.

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Not a platformer but a puzzle-platformer dating back to the now distant Game Boy Advance era, polished on Switch. This time, Mario will take you on a slightly different adventure, one that will test your jumping skills as much as your intuition and speed of execution. Over 130 levels (some of them unpublished) with secret challenges and direct clashes with Donkey Kong, an unmissable challenge for Nintendo fans.

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An excellent action-RPG that follows in the footsteps of God of War and The Witcher 3 while proposing a very different but equally fascinating setting and two really cool main characters. Net of a few technical stumbles and some design naivete, Don't Nod's most ambitious project hits the mark rather well.

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Ultros is a passionate and addictive Metroidvania, with excellent art design and level design, strong in impactful graphics and an art direction of absolute value. It is a long-lived and detailed video game, very original and multifaceted, with a game design that explores its every potential in a peculiar way. A must have if you are a fan of the genre, and if you are a beginner. It is also particularly suitable for beginners.

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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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Anomaly Agent is a debut with a bang for Phew Phew Games, which arrives on our monitors with a beat'em up with Canabalt-style endless runner elements, a charismatic and crazy protagonist, plus music to shoot at full volume that accompanies the action in beautiful pixel art. The attack and dodge combination starts with the simple press of two buttons and gradually becomes more and more complex with combos and special weapons. Sudden gameplay changes and gigantic bosses each one with its own fighting style make this game unmissable for those who love action.

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A brilliant and captivating video game with an excellent and detailed story. An original and brutal game model that shows great care in every area, from the hustle and bustle of battles to other noteworthy details such as the relationship between Crimson and the secondary characters of the experience. A video game not to be missed.

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Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a diamond in the rough, with a limited number of colossal opponents and a lot of choices and concessions that contribute to a less rewarding challenge and long-term interest. If you are a fan of (or even just interested in) the universe created by Cygames, however, it is likely that the rich and charismatic cast of playable characters may make you turn a blind eye. Definitely a game made for fans.

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Persona 3 Reload is a sensational work that is not just satisfied with being a remake but is, consequently, something that reformulates the development of ATLUS video games for an even wider audience. Choosing one of the greatest and most powerful works of the JRPG genre, thus forging a title to improve and revisit a work of the genre, was by no means an easy and immediate task. Indeed, it was something extremely complex. An incredible great return that can be summed up in the term "Masterpiece".

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Howl is a puzzle game in which planning your moves and predicting the consequences play the lion's share. Keeping enemies' reactions in mind for the next six turns can prove very challenging, although with the assisted mode or a healthy dose of trial and error you will be able to complete all sixty levels in two or three evenings. The darkly grim story, medieval setting, and distinctive graphics make this a thoroughly interesting game. Once completed there is no reason to replay it except to try to earn all the achievements, but it remains a recommended experience for lovers of this genre of games.

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It may have lost the console war, but this new incarnation of SEGA as publisher is an unstoppable force of nature: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the perfect sequel, rectifying the shortcomings and doubts that arose during a first episode that was perhaps too experimental. An incredibly satisfying combat system frames one of the most engaging stories written by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio in an adventure that stands as a serious contender for game of the year, and it's only January.

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Tekken 8 is yet another great chapter in a series incapable of making any missteps. The new mechanics change the game's skin, and while historical detractors won't find any particular reason to change their minds (the famous 'volleyball simulator' for its emphasis on juggles), everyone else will find an incredibly deep game that will stay with them for several years to come. Who knows, maybe thanks to Ghosts even those who are completely refractory to online gaming will find the courage to take their first steps into a new world.

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Recent unfortunate events led us to think that the Commandos-like genre would struggle to come up with new quality games, but here comes Stargate: Timekeepers to turn the tide, while rehabilitating the SG-1 IP that had fallen somewhat into oblivion. Vast and highly structured levels filled with enemies to avoid, overcome or eliminate by taking advantage of the environment, an AI that knows when to turn a blind eye and charismatic characters with exclusive abilities make this game a must buy for all stealth RTS lovers.

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An adorable cast that is impossible not to love, a lot of extras (including DLC) and a super-improved quality of life are further points in favor for this second Trilogy, dedicated above all to those who are discovering the series in recent years, but also recommended to those who want to relive these events after a long time. No objection, Your Honor!

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In the first decade of the 2000s, Cing was synonymous with atmospheric adventures and extraordinary gameplay ideas. Two of those now arrive on Switch with a complete graphic makeover and modernized gameplay. Slow pace, plenty of atmosphere and intriguing storylines are strengths of two productions that have kept (quite) intact their charm.

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The Cub is a good game, a good platform, a pleasure to play for the five or six hours that it lasts. It's nice that Demagog Studio is continuing to explore the same universe game after game adding pieces to this puzzle, even though in Golf Club the impact was stronger. The team has done many step forward from the gameplay perspective, but unfortunately the game is not perfectly polished. All things considered, The Cub is a really good experience.

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