The Games Machine

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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DNF Duel is an 2.5 D Fighting Game with an excellent core and a very interesting roster but very little to offer to new players in terms of contents. In its current state, it can be an easy suggestion for anyone more interested in playing in a more competitive way rather than for a casual player.

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Sonic Collection is not only a (guess what?) collection of the first games featuring the blue hedgehog and friends cleverly remastered and with an improved gameplay, but it's also a long platformer – if we consider the Story mode which will take us by hand through all four chapters – which I would recommend also to those who are unfamiliar with the franchise and are simply looking for a fun and fast paced game with colorful graphics and an awesome level design where there's always something new to discover. Highly recommended both for Sonic lovers and newcomers.

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Outriders Worldslayer follows in the same vein of Outriders, quite literally: one year later, both its strenghts (tight gameplay, loot management) and flaws (poor enemy variety, lackluster boss design, weak plot) have stayed exactly the same. Very likely you'll enjoy this expansion if you liked the base game, but if you didn't this won't make you change your mind.

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F1 22 manages to improve on last year's game by evolving its driving model based on the new Formula 1 regulations. Unfortunately this happened to the detriment of the amount of content present in this iteration. Right now we have a foot in the new era, but the other is still in the past.

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Players beware: it is really hard to stop playing Redout 2. It's more a simulator than an arcade, but it will still keep you hooked and wanting to race again and again on amazing tracks located in beautiful environment. It would really need a training mode, because damn it's tough.

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A quality fighting games collection with some of Capcom's best beat 'em ups, including Red Earth (which makes its debut on PCs and consoles!), the complete Darkstalkers saga and lots of customization options

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Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes may initially seem like just another musou, but it possesses some elements that serve as a link to the illustrious Fire Emblem series. This gives it a distinct identity, but at the heart of the combat, the mechanics of the series will inexorably feel like something already seen. Great for fans, a little less so for others: if you're not afraid of a challenge, play by enabling the permanent death of fallen warriors. It will help you better enjoy all the possibilities the game offers.

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If brainless fun is what you are looking for, look no more. Starship Troopers: Terran Command is light on strategic elements but delivers the feeling of being part of the mobile infantry, as made famous by Paul Verhoeven's movie and Robert Heinlein's novel.

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The Quarry is a worthy heir to Until Dawn. It's a classic teen horror, with a good amount of high-tension moments and an impressive number of branches that will push the most curious to return multiple times to Hackett's Quarry in search of the truth, dodging death on their own or with a group of friends.

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TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is a sensational belt scroller, created with both passion and respect for the classics. The folks over at Tribute Games must really have loved their work, and it shows every second you spend playing. If you love this genre of games and are nostalgic for the old days when the Turtles dominated the arcade ecosystem, Shredder's Revenge is your game of the summer. Or maybe of a lifetime.

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Postal Brain Damaged is a bomb! Fun, fast, ferocious and punishing. A Postal spinoff that breathes new life into a franchise that seemed to have lost all ideas.

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles brings on Switch the same flavor we savored at the end of 2021, bringing to the table the free updates released on the other platforms, and the promise of new playable characters coming in the future. The portable experience is surprisingly faithful to the home console one, but some extent of exclusive content or at least an updated story mode would have turned a simple "switch port" into a much more welcomed return.

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Mario Strikers is back. Like Smash Bros. Ultimate this is an "easy to play, hard to master" game in which you'll find different levels of engagement and entertainment: from fast and furious rapid matches to seasonal multiplayer challenges... and that's only the tip of the iceberg of things to come.

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One scam at a time, the (mis)adventures of an XVIII century apprentice cheater are transformed into the chapters of an unmissable tale in which the deceptions at the table are intertwined with political intrigues. Recommended even for those who are not that into card games.

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Lots of games, but not all stars among Pac-Man's birthday guests. The essential emulation gives a no-frills experience to the old glories in a context tailor-made for chasing the online leaderboards, but the absolute lack of extras is a great disappointment.

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Sniper Elite 5 marks the new entry point for tactical shooters, and although it's not a big revolution for this kind of games, thanks to a refined and engaging stealth and sniping approach, as well as the interaction with many elements of the scenario, it offers a fun gameplay in which there isn't a single way to complete missions that require multiple objectives to be fullfilled, all while offering a robust challenge. It's a pity that the game is not especially daring, but it's a fun single player and the online should grant it a lenghty lifespan.

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Touken Ranbu Warriors has a combat system that would virtually allow you to complete all missions using, in addition to the directional stick, a single button. However, you would lose the soul of the entire musou and its myriad of attacks one more lethal and spectacular than the other, with enormously charismatic characters to watch kidnapped as they dance breaking lives.

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The Serpent Rogue focuses all the experience on resource gathering and crafting, relegating every other aspect of gameplay to the role of a co-primary.

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Dolmen, in its current state, is a game that seldomly works. Not very consistent and with poorly conceived mechanics. Frankly, what was published looks more like an early build that still needs months of optimization and polish.

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