The Games Machine

Samba de Amigo: Party Central is the classic game you'd hardly start to get a solo game, but it's a must-have at a New Year's Eve, birthday, or any house party. You'll challenge each other to see who's the best dancer, mock whoever gets all the steps wrong, laugh, have fun, and sweat. Then, when the fiesta is over, you'll probably put it away until the next opportunity. Virtual maracas work very well and do not suffer from any input lag, and the only perplexity at the moment concerns the playlist, which includes neither many Latin hits nor many famous songs.

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Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case is a game that is better looking, bigger and more fun. The developers use the same formula as the previous title, for a game that confirms all the excellent production qualities.

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Despite the excellent work done by FieldSENSE, Madden NFL 24 fails to solve some of the issues that have plagued the EA Sports saga for years. Adding poor menu navigation to predictable game modes and imperfect AI, the final result is a game that has some good moments, but has no chance to win the Superbowl.

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Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is an almost perfect comeback for the mecha series by FromSoftware. Despite some frankly incomprehensible slip-ups, like the presence of invisible walls and uninspired stealth missions, this is one of the most hectic and satisfying mecha action games, as it offers heart-pounding boss battles and an incredibly deep customization system.

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Mediterranea Inferno, from a gameplay point of view, is a solid visual novel in which the choices left in the hands of the player lead to radical turns, really giving the impression of being in control of events. However, the quality of the writing and the ability of its young author to deal with complex and multifaceted themes with great maturity, awareness, and courage in taking clear-cut positions (which should be common ground in 2023, but that's another matter) should be even more emphasized.

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A fantasy FPS not the most original in storytelling and themes but still fun, moderately challenging and technically appreciable. The combat system based on the use of three different types of magic and a decent variety of customization make for a solid and well-balanced experience.

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Fort Solis is a satisfying and simple narrative video game, with few real innovations but many themes and points of reasoning that thriller lovers might like. It's not a horror movie, so don't expect scares of any kind. It is not even approachable to works like Dead Space and The Callisto Protocol.

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I have to be honest, 3 years after the fourth episode I would have expected a more evolved fifth chapter and, instead, net of a decidedly more centered and engaging career, the competition against AI suffers from illogical behaviors that the player is forced to manage manually, while technically there is no current-gen quality leap that could be expected, without the ballast of a cross-gen development. At its best is always Ride, an almost unique game in the panorama of simulation racing and therefore a reference point for those looking for this specific type of experience. But here there is potential that goes far beyond the improvements expressed in this chapter, closer to those of an annual series than a triennial one.

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Quake II Enhanced is the definitive, improved and updated version of the second iteration of idSoftware, one of its most important historical IPs belonging to another generation. An accessible, unique price that could be useful for anyone, especially newbies, above all ever-enthusiasts and those looking for a unique experience. To have everywhere, even on a toaster.

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A dungeon crawler that delves a little deeper into the "ruolistic" elements of the first Hammerwatch while still remaining too much on the surface and offering no particular creative flourishes. If you plan to play it alone be prepared for a fair amount of repetitiveness, but if you have a few friends on hand the fun rate is bound to go up quite a bit.

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Baldur's Gate 3 is incredible, proof that in 2023 it is still possible to be amazed by a video game. It is deep, flexible, and engaging, but most importantly, it is able to tell an immersive story dictated by the player's smallest choices. Pioneers like Richard Garriott or Robert Woodhead can finally breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy a well-deserved retirement, because their legacy is safe in the hands of Larian Studios.

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Adore is a smart and addictive videogame with important messages at its core. Even if it's nothing new, it's still an experience to be had. Must have absolutely.

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Blasphemous 2 is an incredible dark journey within Christian mythology, but it's not just that: it's the evolution of a brilliant and satisfying play structure, capable of involving and exciting. A metroidvania to have.

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What's up, Quantum: Recharged? Did you absolutely have to be released in these days without some final tweaks? The game is fast-paced and fun, making it perfect for a score attack, but there are a number of shortcomings that soon end up spoiling the experience. Controlling the spacecraft with the mouse is frustrating, but fortunately the pad does its job very well. The additional challenges are more or less all the same and represent no real added value. With a little more attention to detail it could have become a must-have hyper casual, instead it is little more than a weekend game.

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En Garde! It focuses the entire experience on the charismatic protagonist and the spectacle of the fights, which are truly reminiscent of the swashbuckling movies that were so popular in the last century. It therefore offers a lot, but at the same time offers only this: a hack and slash that in the end is little more than a beat'em up. Definitely a welcome surprise for those who love action-packed games with a light and fun story in the background, but those looking for depth in gameplay, exploration or character growth will find this game too simple. In any case, I am sure we will still hear the name of Adalia de Volador.

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The fantasy setting of Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew plays a decisive role in breathing new life into the Commandos-like genre, providing a series of new skills that will surprise newbies and fascinate veterans. The complete freedom of approach to the missions and the possibility to decide almost immediately with which character to face them makes this game unique, certainly the best of its kind and among the most interesting real-time strategy video games appeared lately. Charismatic protagonists and a superb level design complete the offer making it unmissable for those who want to be quick of mouse and quick of mind.

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A sequel that improves the gameplay mechanics of the first Moving Out by heading in new directions, and that expands the amount and complexity of the challenges. In some cases, some immediacy is lost, but the fun is guaranteed, thanks also to the possibility of four-player play in both local and online modes.

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Finally, an open world in which moving from one part of the map to another is no longer problem. It is definitely one of the strengths of Atlas Fallen, along with the numerous builds we can continually experiment with by playing with glove upgrades, and the combat system against the huge monsters we encounter, unfortunately not as frequently as I hoped. The gameplay does not add anything new to the RPG genre, but action and variety of settings, combined with a fast paced progression, make it engaging and enjoyable from start to finish. To be played in one go.

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30XX is a compelling upgrade from 20XX. No longer a clone of Mega-Man, but a game with a convincing and fun structure. Too bad for the usual problems with the online.

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Venba could have been my story. Or your story, if you know what means to be the son (or the daughter) of a couple who moved to give you a better future at the cost of giving up to pass on their roots. And it's awesome a video game could tell this very thing in about two hours of gameplay and stay in your memories forever.

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