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The duration of the campaign stands at least half a dozen hours, so not bad, but in the face of an experience that I feel I recommend only to the most cheezy fans of Warhammer 40,000, moreover with some remora for the most demanding. Final chiosa for multiplayer: I would have liked to try horde mode in co-op, but at the moment it is not available, you have to wait until January. Will it be the turning point? It would take one of the Sisters' miracles.
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Jurassic World Aftermath is limited to the exploratory part, with the classic character remotely indicating the objectives while a beastly unscripted IA, a Velociraptor specifically, hunts us down. A mix however capable of intrigue and push the player forward, provided that he respects some fundamental prerogatives of the subgenre. And yes, Jurassic World Aftermath makes it.
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Even with a reduced resolution and half the frame rates, it's hard not to consider this port on the Nintendo Switch as a small miracle. Once again, Panic Button has proven to be able to do the impossible: recreating the experience of a triple A shooter in portable format.
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Myst is a title deeply dropped in its time. In the 1990s the concept of tutorials was almost unknown, as was the idea of a video walkthrough: at most you could find some textual guide in the reference magazines, but more often it was necessary to hope that some friends had discovered by the back ways how to solve that particularly difficult puzzle. The market wasn't inundated with the amount of video games now, and we users had a different predisposition to spend days and days trying to progress to trialand error , trying to click on every point of interest until something was unlocked. This long premise seems fundamental to me to frame the type of experience that Myst offers us, since its incipit.
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It's not Worms. With that out of the way, let's talk about what it actually is: an easy-to-get-into Battle Royale with fast matches, fun and quite casual as there isn't that much to do in the way of unlocking stuff: you'll just play, and play, play. This could be an issue in the long run: for how long will Worms Rumble be able to keep its players entertained? But do we really need to have an answer right now, or should we still be able to play just for fun, without worrying about seasons, events, tournaments we'll never take part and prizes we'll never win?
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What a surprise Call of the Sea was! Out of the Blue's debut title shows off its own well-defined personality through a very accurate artistic direction and attention to details. All puzzles have their own logic and the idea of proposing them in blocks, separating the adventure into sealed chapters, helps to focus attention on a limited number of elements. With its crazy atmosphere and an eight-hours duration, which prevents any kind of fatigue, Call of the Sea is a highly recommended game for adventure's (and Lovecraft's) lovers.
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Haven is a great comfort game. Relaxing music, pleasant color palette, dialogues that are often light but never empty. Yu and Kay's adventure on source never fails to be entertaining, and if the combat seems a bit shallow at first, it will certainly put you to the test as you progress. Some things could be better, of course; but after the excellent Furi, Haven is another proof of The Game Bakers' competence.
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Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is a good collection plagued by a couple of mistakes. I wouldn't recommend it to newcomers (for them, the right game is clearly Drum 'n' Fun), but if you don't have enough of Don-chan and Ka-chan it can be a good way to get the band on the road again.
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Respawn Entertainment nails everything that makes VR so special and wraps it in a fun shooter with a narrative style that doesn't take itself too seriously and offers simple but solid multiplayer options. Add to the mix a true gem with real historic value like the Gallery, and you can hardly ask for more.
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Pistol Whip is an excellent and original VR Rhythm FPS, now even more unmissable with the free 2089 DLC. Great on PC VR, but even better wireless on Oculus Quest or Quest 2.
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With plenty of quality content, a revamped progression system and many intriguing features like Torgast and Covenants, Shadowlands is an artistic triumph and one of the best expansions ever. It doesn't revolutionize World of Warcraft and the leveling phase doesn't really develop the character that much, but who cares? The Afterlife is fun.
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Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 expands the previous game in every single aspect with new modes and a delightful RPG twist.
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Monster Sanctuary merges a complex turn-based combat RPG we are used to see in big JRPG productions with metroidvania-style exploration and succeeds in both genres. Pixel perfect jumps alternate with tactical battles down to the last hitpoint, and we'll need the help of our monsters to overcome difficult areas and solve puzzles. Meanwhile, an interesting storyline compels us as we catch enemy eggs, Pokémon style. So many genres mixed in one game, and such a pretty one to boot! Highly recommended.
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After 30 years, the original Fire Emblem gets a Western release, an English localization and some new features meant to smoothen the experience. It's a neat history lesson, but gameplay wise Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light shows its age.
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Cyberpunk 2077 is a wild journey within an incredibly fascinating setting; some technical uncertainties destined to disappear and a partial repetitiveness limit its glory, but overall it is an adventure worthy of William Gibson himself. Cyberpunk 2077 allowed me to finally feel immersed in that pen & paper RPG I discovered in 1988, pouring rain clouding my view in a kaleidoscope of neon signs, just as I had imagined while leafing through those pages. Some may not consider it a perfect game, but I do.
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Twin Mirror is a good adventure, albeit with its flaws. Even without infusing its new IP with the same depth of character development shown in past works, DONTNOD still managed to create a well done self-contained story and enrich it with interesting additional mechanics. But despite all this, Twin Mirror's story feels like it could have used a few more hours.
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Ringfit Boxing 2 is a strange mix between WiiFt and Just Dance, but it works. Since you can't get out a lot nowadays, if you like training having a fitness app you can use and enjoy everywhere may be a good idea. Motion detection is quite accurate and the daily training program has a good variety of exercises. It won't last forever, but it should do its job until the lockdown ends.
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Immortals: Fenyx Rising is much more than a simple Zelda: Breath of the Wild clone. Ubisoft's open-world epic adventure delivers a compelling and fun game that we hope will become a new, successful franchise.
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Empire of Sin is a competent hybrid that borrows mechanics from tycoon games, turn-based tactics and RPGs. Unfortunately, the game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches that risk compromising the experience.
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Chronos: Before the Ashes arrives too late to the party. Years ago, the main character's aging mechanic would have been enough to grant it attention and praise. Today, it's barely a spark of light in a technically dated game. The fact that the controls aren't terribly responsive and the narrative is a bit confused don't help either. Souls-addicted players might find its ten hours of length an enjoyable diversion, but that's about it.
Review in Italian | Read full review