The Games Machine Outlet Image

The Games Machine

Homepage
2087 games reviewed
79.5 average score
80 median score
61.7% of games recommended

The Games Machine's Reviews

6.8 / 10.0 - Tron: Catalyst
Jun 17, 2025

TRON: Catalyst is sitting in a grey area: Bithell Games are competent in telling us a story, but it's not enough to be a narrative-driven game, and the combat system is way too poor to make their latest creation a combat game.

Review in Italian | Read full review

9.2 / 10.0 - Split Fiction
Jun 17, 2025

A Way Out might have been a lucky shot, but It Takes Two confirmed the talent of Josef Fares and his team in making highly entertaining games often marked by true strokes of genius. Split Fiction remains at the same high level as its predecessors, and even on Nintendo Switch 2 it proves to be an unmissable one... unless you've already experienced it on other platforms due to the lack of any kind of added bonus.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8.3 / 10.0 - Dune: Awakening
Jun 16, 2025

An immersive, immense MMO sandbox survival game that captures the fierce and mystical essence of Dune, with a merciless and seductive Arrakis. The combat system is subdued and there are technical uncertainties that limit its potential. But what fun!

Review in Italian | Read full review

The combat system, with the Brave/Default dynamic, remains one of the most successful inventions of the genre, while the writing and the sekaikan manage to enhance even a story with initially familiar traits.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Jun 13, 2025

After more than 8 years Yakuza 0 is still one hell of an action game and the best chapter in the series. Deep narrative, exceptional cast and multi-faceted gameplay. The Director's Cut version for Switch 2 improves on the original in every single aspect, elevating the tech and adding more meat around the bone with a brand new multiplayer mode.

Review in Italian | Read full review

The Games Machine
Emanuele Feronato
8.8 / 10.0 - The Alters
Jun 12, 2025

The Alters blends 3D survival, resource management, and base building with a strong narrative core. As Jan Dolski, we must explore a hostile planet, manage a space base, and create alternate versions of ourselves to survive. Each Alter has unique skills, but also memories, personalities, and unresolved conflicts. Managing tensions between clones, assigning the right roles, keeping morale high, and coping with extreme environmental conditions becomes the heart of the gameplay. A deep challenge that mixes micromanagement, psychology, and sci-fi human drama, told through branching, multi-choice dialogues.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Jun 11, 2025

A fishing-themed adventure with RPG elements that brings the characters of a web-com that has become very popular worldwide to PC and consoles. The fishing mechanics are unexpectedly funny and a few small variations on the basic theme manage to keep a gameplay full of humour gags inspired by video game stereotypes, which nevertheless suffers from a certain repetitiveness in the long run.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Jun 10, 2025

Stormteller Games' Lost in Random: The Eternal Die fights, dodges, stings and hits hard to try and knock out rival Hades. It comes close to doing so thanks to convincing and compelling gameplay, but less deep and eclectic than Supergiant Games' masterpiece. Still, it remains an excellent product that fans of the genre should seriously consider.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Street Fighter 6: Year 1-2 Fighters Edition arrives on Switch 2 with a surprisingly solid porting, keeping the 60fps fluidity intact and making the experience extremely enjoyable on the go. With all the characters from the first two seasons already included, and a truly convincing pad in hand experience, it proves to be a worthwhile purchase for those who want to train or have fun anywhere, albeit with a few technical stumbles in the World Tour and unsuccessful secondary features.

Review in Italian | Read full review

9.5 / 10.0 - Mario Kart World
Jun 8, 2025

Mario Kart World evolves the iconic series with interconnected tracks, expanded multiplayer chaos, and a thrilling mix of exploration and competition - all while staying true to its fun, frantic roots.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Jun 8, 2025

Part adventure horror, part digital representation of Tim Burton's dreams, The Midnight Walking must be played to be truly understood. Possibly wearing a VR headset, so that it can express the best of itself, involving and deeply moving, because in a flat version it loses effectiveness.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Jun 8, 2025

This Nintendo Switch 2 version of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is as excellent as the original game and brings a few new features: support for mouse mode, which is useful in navigating menus but a little awkward in the actual game, GameShare, and an extremely chaotic and fun multiplayer mode. The offering is excellent and plentiful but not particularly appealing to those who have already played the original title.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition is a superfluous remaster. While it features slightly sharper textures, revamped audio, and updated 3D models, the changes are marginal compared to the original game, which is already playable in 4K and enhanced by the 2021 Anniversary Edition. Furthermore, the renewed UI partially undermines the user experience, while the changes to the control scheme make it less flexible. Despite all that, the qualities of the original game are still there.

Review in Italian | Read full review

The Games Machine
Emanuele Feronato
7.2 / 10.0 - Dragon is Dead
Jun 6, 2025

Dragon is Dead is a solid, challenging, and technically well-crafted action roguelite. The combat system is responsive and rewarding, with wide room for customization thanks to an articulate skill tree and elemental builds that reward experimentation. Persistent progression between runs encourages you to improve, while well-characterized bosses offer intense challenges. However, those hoping for complex levels or deep exploration may be disappointed: maps are simple, repetitive, and structured as arenas, more functional interludes than true worlds to discover.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Jun 4, 2025

JDM: Japanese Drift Master is the result of boundless passion, and as is often the case this leads a bit to overdoing it. The driving model is very good and overall the experience is fun and evocative. However, the game could have used a bit more refinement: it is still rough in some parts. Overall, however, JDM: Japanese Drift Master is spectacular arcade racing and definitely recommended.

Review in Italian | Read full review

The fast and fluid gameplay, combined with a decent customization of the Mobile Suits and a large roster of mechs, constitutes the beating heart of a title capable of entertaining for hours. However, the sparse and fragmented narrative, aimed almost exclusively at long-time fans, and above all a frustrating and poorly calibrated lock-on system, significantly slow down the potential of the game.

Review in Italian | Read full review

The Games Machine
Majkol "Zaru" Robuschi

Fantasy Life I successfully expands the laid-back, colorful formula of the original, bringing it to modern platforms with a vast world, flexible class system, and tons of side content. While the story clearly targets a younger audience, the overall experience is rich and rewarding-especially in multiplayer. Combat remains simple but effective, and the excellent localization adds charm. A few camera issues pop up during fights, but nothing game-breaking. Perfect for players looking for a cozy blend of RPG and life sim with a whimsical, fairy-tale vibe.

Review in Italian | Read full review

The Games Machine
Emanuele Feronato
May 28, 2025

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is a metroidvania with art direction reminiscent of 1990s handheld games and a huge map packed with puzzles, secrets, and backtracking. The system of upgrading via contracts is original and introduces significant strategic choices, while yoyo tricks offer a variety of approaches to exploration and combat. The level design is precise and the badges allow you to deeply customize your play style. A brilliant game, with attention to detail and full of nerdy humor, it doesn't revolutionize the genre, but enhances its features.

Review in Italian | Read full review

May 28, 2025

Nightreign offers hours of entertainment, frenetic battles, and spectacular boss fights to all players who are lucky enough to visit Limveld with two friends by their side, as well as the experienced Elden Ring veterans looking for a good challenge. The same cannot be said for those who have to find their allies through online matchmaking, due to an in-game communication system particularly inadequate for such a complex and punishing game.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0 - F1 25
May 27, 2025

F1 25 marks an improvement over the previous installment, featuring new content and a more in-depth My Team mode. The LIDAR scanning has made some tracks much more realistic, though the disparity with those that haven't been updated is noticeable. As for Braking Point, once again, the developers have opted for a highly dramatized approach to Formula 1, resulting in a simplistic and somewhat unrealistic narrative. The driving model remains largely unchanged, offering a good balance between arcade and simulation.

Review in Italian | Read full review