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Ninja Gaiden 4 is a powerful return, imperfect but full of character, capable of making us forget the years of silence with a combat system that borders on perfection in its fluidity and ferocity. The union between Team NINJA and PlatinumGames works: the action is brutal, visceral, and visually stunning, with an art direction that transforms Tokyo and its nightmares into a kabuki theater of soft lighting and blood.
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With no text or death, no challenging challenges or elaborate puzzles, Keeper focuses entirely on atmosphere, metamorphosis, and visual appeal. Creatively speaking, it's the intersection of art and video games. It doesn't speak, leaving the player to figure out its meaning. It's not for everyone, but rather for those seeking a strange and chill experience, not action or challenge.
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A worthy spiritual sequel to Strange Horticulture, in Strange Antiquities we run an esoteric shop as an apprentice thaumaturge. Customers arrive with vague requests, and it's up to us to identify the correct item among relics and amulets. Gameplay revolves around observation and deduction, analyzing objects, exploring maps, interpreting symbols, and consulting manuals in search of clues. Progression intertwines complex puzzles and narrative choices, influencing events and endings. Challenging puzzles, a relaxed pace, and a dark atmosphere define the experience.
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Battlefield 6 arrives in grand style to remind us that all-out war, when it's virtual, can be magnificent. EA, Battlefield Studios, and the community were eager to move on from the disappointment of Battlefield 2042, and we can finally say it: Battlefield is back!
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I can't stop playing this game! Great as a beat'em up, great as a roguelite, Absolum is just wonderful as a combination of the two genres. The cherry on top – but maybe is the foundation below – is a glorious lore and a brilliant narration that will keep you wanting more.
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Bye Sweet Carole is a delightful marriage of classic Disney films and the best horror adventure games of the past. Some maps have a punishing level design, and a few bottlenecks pop up, but the execution is consistently excellent.
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Chaotic, crazy, rich, explosive. Sonic Racing CrossWorlds is the best kart game outside the Nintendo universe and, in some ways, it is even more compelling than Mario Kart World. The only thing missing is that final spark that would allow it to definitively emerge from the shadow of its rival.
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Sworn is a Hades-like game that's aware of its limitations. It's entertaining for hours thanks to its four selectable characters, but the maps are repetitive and the initial difficulty curve is truly inaccessible.
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Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & The White Guardian marks a return to the series' roots, abandoning recent experiments in favor of a more traditional, alchemy-focused approach. With a solid and relaxing crafting system, a charming cast of familiar faces, and a light yet engaging story, it delivers a comforting and enjoyable experience for long-time fans. However, a very low difficulty level, outdated exploration design, and uninspired dungeon layouts keep it from standing out, making this a solid but non-essential entry in Gust's beloved franchise.
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We're looking at a solid and engaging sequel that expands on the Hades universe without any major revolutions. A conservative second installment, therefore, that builds on the successful formula of its predecessor without overhauling it. Supergiant changes the protagonist, introduces new biomes, deities, and supporting mechanics, but remains faithful to the action roguelite gameplay that was already highly appreciated in 2020. Despite its lack of flaws, however, Hades II fails to shake off the feeling of being "just" a major expansion, rather than a truly new video game.
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Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is a fun and light-hearted action platformer full of little surprises and mini-challenges that will delight fans of Namco's popular mascot. The excessive ease and speed with which the main adventure concludes are its most notable flaws, which could deter players looking for a real challenge.
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Digimon Story Time Stranger is finally a great Digimon-themed JRPG. While it looks a generation older, it makes up for it with a really well-crafted battle and evolution system and a huge catalog of Digimon.
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Super Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2 are coming to Switch (and Switch 2) without major extra content compared to the originals, but with graphical improvements above expectations.
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Deep Rock Galactic Survivor is easily one of the best game in the bullet heaven genre, thanks to an impressive amount of content, to the quality of its presentation, and to the fact that blowing up bugs never stops being fun. A bit of a shame that there's no coop, though.
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Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is a faithful and polished re-release of the classic tactical RPG, combining deep, strategic combat with modern quality-of-life improvements like faster load times and AI-controlled units. The high-definition visuals enhance the original pixel art, and the re-recorded English and Japanese voice casts bring its mature, politically charged story to life. While some PSP-exclusive jobs are missing and the English localization can feel archaic, the game remains highly accessible and engaging, offering a rich experience for both longtime fans and newcomers.
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We had high expectations for this new instalment in the Konami series, and for once we can say that they were not disappointed. Silent Hill f is one of the best "classic" horror titles ever made. It manages to revamp the original formula by enriching gameplay that has very few flaws and delivering a deep, multifaceted, painful, unfiltered story that is worth experiencing more than once.
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