GameBlast

It's not possible to know if Them’s Fightin’ Herds would have gained notoriety without everything that happened back then, but what matters is that the occasion's spotlight brought it the necessary attention for fighting game fans to find out about this excellent title, which manages to be just as competent as the ones from big studios. It's now time to wait for more characters and the remainder of Story Mode so the experience can be more complete.

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Potionomics has simple but multi-layered mechanics that make it robust enough to keep it interesting until the end. In addition, the characters are well developed, especially their animations, overflowing with charisma during the dialogues. The negotiation mechanics using cards is the highlight, and it is possible to devise many different strategies to increase the products' value. However, the lack of Portuguese localization is a negative point, mainly because it is a game based on text and dialogues with choices. Also, the first few hours of the campaign may interfere with the player's interest in continuing with the game due to the unbalanced difficulty. Even with these problems, Potionomics is quite competent in what it offers and is certainly one of the most positive surprises of 2022.

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Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief is a curious stealth game that seems like patchwork. Exploring its systems and seeing the consequences of your actions is fun but the complexity is unnecessary, the mechanics poorly explained, the missions end up being too repetitive and the remaster process needed a little more effort. For those who love the genre and would like an upbeat experience, it may be enjoyable as long as you keep in mind its grievances.

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I have some qualms when it comes to a few technical, artistic and character writing elements, and I feel like the level design could have been more varied and developed from the start, but I have no doubt Lost Eidolons offers, like no other tactical RPG so far a mash-up between Fire Emblem and an immersive, tragic and epic western aesthetic. I hope sequels may explore the Artemesia continent further and make it even more interesting. Ocean Drive Studio's debut game has a solid and consistent audiovisual [aspect], it's well written for its aims and its gameplay should please newbies in the genre (in casual mode) as well as veterans, playing on normal or higher and with permadeath on.

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Wylde Flowers is a good representative of farming sims that manages to offer a charming and inviting world. The effort to make the island and its people feel like something real is particularly noteworthy. It's a highly recommended game, especially for fans of the genre.

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Valkyrie Elysium, like other action RPGs, is an excellent choice for anyone who likes fast, dynamic combat with good doses of challenge. On the other hand, it's an experience that doesn't live up to the legacy of the series it represents, bringing one of the least interesting stories in the franchise, a monotonous and tiresome game progression, and a very questionable overall value. A game that, unlike its predecessors, doesn't deserve Valhalla.

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In the last title with the famous name, EA Sports FIFA 23 brought good news and kept its greatest qualities. For example, the FUT mode is still addictive, the gameplay now has a better balance between cadence and speed, and we have many ways to play football. There are still issues, such as visually and mechanically, but they don't compromise the overall experience. It remains to be in the crowd so that the next title continues to reinforce and improve the squad and, who knows, be considered a true champion.

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The mixture of visual styles of Prodeus, combined with agile and responsive gameplay, results in something that we can call modern nostalgia. If you enjoy FPS games in general, but you want to take a walk in the past to kill the desire for a title with a retro feel without appealing to the obviousness of the classics, this is the game you are looking for.

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The DioField Chronicle is a solid strategic RPG that manages to bring out the nuances of warfare on an island coveted by the ambitions of various individuals. Despite being a bit repetitive in combat design and a few hurried twists, it's a high-quality example of the genre and one that's well worth a try.

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Dome Keeper mixes mining, base defense and resource management into a simple and creative experience. The game alternates between calm moments mining resources and frantic combats to create interesting situations in which the challenge is to manage time and items. However, the game is very shallow in content, which makes the runs very similar to each other. Some options, like different upgrades and planets, try to diversify things, but they aren't enough to end the feeling of repetition. In the end, Dome Keeper is great, if only for a short time.

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The Outbound Ghost is a well-crafted project with a competent execution from a small dev team. The sceneries have a lot of repeated elements and exploration is oftentimes monotonous, but combat is a highlight due to the variety of Figments and it's fun to devise various strategies based on its elements. The story develops in an interesting way and helps keep the player engaged. It isn't an impressive game but it's worth giving it a try.

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Moonscars uses agile action to create a good interpretation of the soulslike genre. The fast-paced combat is the highlight and, as usual, the difficulty is intense, but fair. The maps are not memorable and the battle mechanics evolve little over the course of the journey, but the constant frenzy and tension manages to compensate for these imperfections. The dark fantasy universe envelops us with the elaborate visuals and bleak atmosphere, reinforcing the dark themes. The setting is cryptic and thought-provoking, but the excess of obscure dialogue hinders the pace. In the end, Moonscars is a remarkable experience.

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Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden follows an interesting product and is even worth playing — especially for the boldness of making the narrative official within the Nier/Drakengard mythology — but, by comparison, the direct predecessor ends up being superior as a gaming experience. However, this does not make a new Voice of Cards, in the near future, repeating its usual structures and within this comfortable periodicity, not welcome.

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Chenso Club can even be deceiving by its strong colors and cartoon protagonists, but it's a very well designed challenge for those who like to suffer with well-structured roguelikes, even with the increasing pace of difficulty. It just needs some gameplay tweaks to be perfect.

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SpiderHeck is a pretty cool multiplayer to spend hours on end locally. The absence of online participants is a little frustrating, and the single-player content is challenging enough, but a little tiring. Still, it's good to leave this title prepared for weekend afternoons.

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Shovel Knight Dig proves the knight's versatility in a great roguelike action title. Digging ever deeper is addicting, and the mix of platform moments, battles and exploration makes the stages quite frantic. Besides that, there's a good variety of content to explore and an atmosphere full of charisma with a great 16-bits pixel art style. Even with so many qualities, the game has really annoying issues, such as dangers that show up out of nowhere, unbalanced aspects and the camera position gets in the way of some movements. It's important to be ready to ignore those negative points, but, overall, the result is positive. In the end, Shovel Knight Dig is yet another great addition to the franchise.

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eFootball 2023 finally took the franchise out of the relegation zone, putting it in a more comfortable position. The sharper visuals, the inclusion of more teams, and the significant improvement in gameplay made the free-to-play experience adequate and fun. The thing is, some of the biggest issues remain, including limited local experience and minimally enough content.

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Jack Move is a modern JRPG that pays homage to its origins by bringing a very casual experience of a genre that usually demands a lot from players with a well-written plot, well-built characters and simple gameplay to master. It is great for those looking for a less demanding, but still satisfying, experience in this classic video game genre.

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Return to Monkey Island is a tight hug for fans of the series. The game features familiar mechanics from the original games with the addition of elements that make the adventure more intuitive and dynamic. Despite its accessibility, it will hardly be as attractive to those who don't know the details of Monkey Island's history, being a product intended mainly for older fans of the series. But that doesn't take away from its shine. All elements of the game manage to captivate the player in the story brilliantly. It's a light, innocent and funny adventure that oozes charisma in all its aspects, just like in its first games.

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Temtem is a fun RPG, but it definitely lacks originality. Without a lot of ideas of its own, it's hard not to think about the concept of a missed opportunity, especially when you consider the creators' multiplayer ambitions and the pretty stable formula. Even so, it is an adventure recommended for fans of the genre — it is enough that expectations are properly dosed, as there is absolutely nothing revolutionary here.

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