The Games Machine

Thirteen years after the release of the first chapter, Remedy tries to improve itself and answer the questions that fans have been holding in for so long. Alan Wake II is another excellent step toward the ultimate maturation of the Finnish dev team, capable like few others of telling fascinating and engaging stories, surrounded by solid gameplay and a first-class cast. A few minor technical flaws and some knots yet to be unraveled (perhaps in a DLC?) are the only, small moles in a production that maintains the excellent levels already achieved with Control.

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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.

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With no major changes in the game modes, NHL 24 shows some interesting signs of life thanks to some new gameplay features. With convincing graphics and sounds, which manages to immerse the player in the atmosphere of an ice rink, the matches are quite enjoyable, with a good rhythm and a truly well-thought-out renewed control system. There are still some issues, but those who live on bread and hockey will find a way to have fun.

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Cities: Skyline II expands, refines, simplifies and complicates where necessary the legacy of the first chapter, but right now it is above all a vision. It is the vision of what could be after the dev patches for technical problems and the community mods to increase the content, the two premises on which the foundations of a fortune rest that, hopefully, will accompany the days and nights for a long time of a large group of city builder fans.

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An enveloping production, complete and well composed in every nuance. It's really a lot, a lot of stuff, something that never abandons and that entertains, taking you back in time focusing on the present and the future without compromise. It is a language that can do good, that can be essential and unique, that can set the tone for the future. There is passion, there is love, there is a desire to do and, above all, there is a desire to go against the grain. Go beyond the market itself.

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From the today's Konami you would expect a lazy port of the HD Collection and of the original Metal Gear Solid. But in Tokyo someone still love the series, and this first of volume of the Master Collection really shows some heart in reselling three masterpieces of the video games history and a bunch of the 2D chapters (including Snake's Revenge).

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Haters will say that nothing has changed in Just Dance 2024 Edition and that the few new features are nothing more than a remix – to stay on the subject – of modes already present in the more than twenty releases of this franchise. While this is true, there's actually no way to improve an already perfect format, so you can only smooth out the edges and make the experience better and better. Despite a somewhat subdued playlist compared to some previous chapters, Ubisoft churns out a complete and fun party game that offers the best of itself in local multiplayer, that is, with real friends to go wild with.

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Fast and furious fights in a cyberpunk world, this time also on a futuristic bike exploring post-apocalyptic lands – who wouldn't love that? Too bad a few too many puzzle keep the adrenaline rush at bay and distract from the most exciting parts of the game.

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Now that's how you do a remake! Virtual reality and a keen awareness of the past and new technologies has awakened Henry Stauf from a slumber that has lasted since 1993, giving a new, topical youthfulness to an unforgettable classic like The 7th Guest. The ideal companion for your Halloween.

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Crymachina is a touching tale that touches on the nuances of human details and its hidden and primitive insecurities. Speaking through a common language, already seen in the works of Yoko Taro and in the history of FuRyu productions, but nevertheless manages to find flashes of originality, especially when the three main protagonists are explored in depth. The game design doesn't shine but it doesn't disappoint either, managing in any case to stimulate the player's interest through a good skill-based combat system. It's a shame that the graphics, very dated and often an eyesore, don't offer further emotions.

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Kona 2: Brume is an exciting and engaging video game, biting and well presented. If on the one hand it offers a wonderful and solitary glimpse of Canada, to be precise the Quebec region, on the other there is a thick mystery to be solved that is as complex as the world. Strengthened by an extremely elegant, high-caliber game design, the production achieves its goal without hesitation and with the maturity of someone who wants to say "Present!" in one of the busiest months on the scene for several years now.

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Nintendo reinvents the two-dimensional platform game with the sheer power of imagination, looking to the past and using it as a basis to create something new. No one else has done it so brilliantly, but after all, everything is easy when you're the king.

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At first it is exciting to unleash the destructive fury of the Red Demon on the unfortunate enemies in the realms of the Wyrd, the first clashes are brutal and pyrotechnic to the point of predicting great things. The truth is that one punch at a time the enthusiasm wanes until it shows, under the skin of a stylish aesthetic that adheres to the original, a roguelite structure that is not very courageous and a gameplay that fails to convince.

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Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express is a timid attempt to modernize a classic of world literature. Aesthetically old with poorly implemented game mechanics I can't make this game shine.

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The Fabulous Fear Machine must have been hatched by some really sadistic people, because it is one of the creepiest games you will find around, despite being a simplified 4X with a board game structure. The concept of spreading fake news to fuel panic is portrayed with a lot of sarcasm and a graphic depiction that recalls the old horror comic books of the 1950s. Like all games of this type, it becomes repetitive in the long run despite attempts to add new features to each mission, but the particularly engaging story will motivate you to continue.

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Endless Dungeon is a very good roguelite that, while it can be enjoyed solo, shines much more brightly when played cooperatively.

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Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 - Turbacharged is what they say is a classic sequel: it enriches and expands the legacy of its predecessor by adding novelties to a consolidated game frame, without ever daring to dig deep or dare in terms of originality. Those who appreciated the first one and its gameplay will surely know how to enjoy every moment behind the wheel of the new Hot Wheels video game.

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Marvel's Spider Man 2 is a true colossal, an unmissable chapter for those who have experienced the previous adventures of Peter and Miles, and one of the most important videogame events of the year. It plays it a little too safe in a number of areas, but overall remains an exciting game and a highly recommended adventure for all fans of Spider-Man and superhero comics in general.

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Those who expected major innovations in Sonic Superstars should not have expected major innovations in Sonic Superstars. Sonic always remains Sonic, precisely because he is Sonic. New heights have been reached in this particular type of level design, which alternates sections in which the hedgehog splashes like a pinball ball, apparently without any possibility of control on our part, to almost pixel-perfect movements in which excellent timing is also required. Bosses, as always, require careful analysis of movement patterns. Everything else is a pleasant side dish, but at the base there is always the old but superlative gameplay of Sonic.

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While Lords of the Fallen has a good foundation, what is built upon it often leaves a sour taste, and not all of it can be boiled down to personal preference. Poor optimization, wonky hitboxes, poor enemy variety and a frustrating lock system are only some of the issues we encountered. This is the kind of game that could become great, but it needs patches and updates to get there.

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