The Games Machine

I didn't start out with the best of expectations, but The Smufs Mission Villeaf turned out to be a nice little game! For a few hours it brought me back to the age when I hastily dined to leave my parents to their sad newsreel, and went to watch the Smurfs on the TV in my room. The graphic rendering of the characters is commendable (certainly more rounded than that of the two recent films) and the soundtrack a small masterpiece.

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Football Manager 2022 is the kind of game that doesn't really need to change. Even if there's no revolution mechanics wise, many aspects show a finer attention to detail, and there are some new factors to consider. A more complete and more fun game, that every fan of the franchise is sure to enjoy.

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Blue Reflection: Second Light is a fine role-playing game, with a pleasing art direction that makes up for its cross-gen nature and modest budget. The storyline takes a while to get going and the multi-faceted combat system tends to drag common encounters for too long, but overall the game will surely appeal to those who don't mind the unusual setting.

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What a ride! Riders Republic gives you an amount of freedom that you can hardly find anywhere else, and lets you choose your own path within a happy community that's keen to celebrate your successes.

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Call of Duty: Vanguard clears the bar thanks to its convincing multiplayer, rich in content and with some new features such as the Battle Rhythm and wider environmental destruction, which reinforce an already solid gameplay. There is no innovation or revolution for the franchise, and those who have played the most recent games in the series already know what awaits them, but perhaps the secret of its commercial success will be precisely this.

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Forza Horizon 5 turns "more of the same" into a mark of true excellence, furtherly polishing and improving on a winning formula and making it exponentially more spectacular on a technical level and more enveloping on an environmental level, and mixing it all with its distinctive driving model, a unique mix of a simulative superstructure with an arcade heart beating beneath the hood.

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Mario Party Superstars is a great episode, so respectful of the past that it's not afraid to pay homage to it by improving the basic formula, while adding a much-needed feature like online play.

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It's November and Just Dance is with us again! And it's great news, because it's as much fun as usual. Just don't expect any innovations.

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NHL 22's gameplay is substantially unchanged from its predecessors. The Frostbite engine brings a breath of fresh air to the graphics, but the gaming experience does not differ dramatically from what has been seen in the past. The result is a fun and full of game modes title, which however would need an update in the game mechanics to be able to take it one step further.

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An official version of Super Robot Wars on our PCs is a long-cherished dream, but it's not an experience for everyone. Certainly not for those expecting a deep and challenging strategy game, as almost the entire experience plays on fanservice. Not to mention a roster incapable of giving back the encyclopaedic feeling that an event like the 30th anniversary would require.

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RPGs have been an ever-evolving genre for years, and while most developers strive to introduce some new details to innovate, Dungeon Encounters follows the path of hardcore minimalism. The result is a game that looks outdated and with rusty game mechanics, sold at a price that is everything but minimal. It offers a couple of interesting details but also wild grinding, very repetitive gameplay, and poor graphics. We should expect more than that from Square Enix.

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Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is still an intruguing survival horror experience with creepy atmosphere and engaging story, but younger audiences may not like its old-style controls and slow pace.

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Despite some relatively minor issues, especially in the graphical compartment, Age of Empires IV is an excellent new chapter in the history of one of the most beloved RTS sagas. Relic Entertainment and World's Edge kept true to the roots of the series while at the same time not forgetting to innovate the formula in interesting and creative ways.

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Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy gets back to the classic singleplayer formula, steering away from the hybrid attempt of Marvel's Avengers and piecing together gameplay elements from Tomb Raider, Mass Effect and even Knights of the Old Republic to make a quite unique choral adventure.

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A small-scope but excellent game with very clear ideas, enjoyable, sincere and particularly exciting when the going gets tough, like during very intense boss fights. Pimping our ride to make it look even more aggressive and suited to the post apocalyptic world feels great. A Mad Max-like shoot 'em up is exactly what we needed.

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Killsquad is a game that evolved significantly since it first arrived onto Early Access two years ago, and the result is a solid twin-stick shooter with looter elements. When it comes to loot drops, the balance is unfortunately a bit off, but overall the game is a fun mix of genres.

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Good writing but the rest is sub-par. In particular, the tiny size of combat arenas makes any attempt of strategizing utterly irrelevant.

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House of Ashes marks a change of pace compared to the previous episodes of the Dark Pictures Anthology, proposing a horror story that also focuses strongly on the action. The plot, which incorporates elements of films such as Aliens, Predator and The Descent – Descent into Darkness, does not shine for originality, but it is still enjoyable and sufficiently articulated.

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Finally, hand tracking has been put to good use! I love air-guitaring with Unplugged, I just wish all the songs were available from the start.

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Once upon a time there was a survival horror that stood out, at the same time, as a masterpiece and a model that would be the cornerstone of the new shooter-like spirit of the series. Once upon a time but also in this very day, again, with Resident Evil 4 VR, virtual reality port not perfect, but very enjoyable.

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