Gaming Professors

Given its design, Tour de France 2022 is primarily intended for die-hard fans of the sport. Other players, especially those who enjoy racing simulations, won’t find this title particularly exciting, and with its repetitive gameplay and below-average visuals, it ranks among the worst games of the year. Unfortunately, a few new features and changes don’t help much, and the continued lack of support for PC peripherals is a glaring omission. Personally, I give Tour de France 2022 five out of ten points.

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Achilles: Legends Untold does a fantastic job of working with the legend of Achilles and seamlessly integrating it into an isometric, Souls-like RPG. The graphics are appealing, the story is engaging and keeps you hooked, and at the same time, the game gives you the freedom to explore beautiful locations and enjoy battles against mythological creatures. The variety of enemies is truly diverse, as is the range of weapons and equipment. It’s a real shame there’s no map in the game, because the locations are very well-designed with seamless transitions—but wandering around blindly just isn’t the same. But if you use the hint to tell you which way to go while completing a quest, you’ll miss out on a lot of fun and great battles. You can tell the game is in early access, as there are a few technical bugs and occasionally some odd AI behavior—mostly with weaker enemies. Mythological creatures and bosses behave as expected and in line with their nature, and they are really well-designed. Given that the developers are very active and communicate with the community, they fix reported issues very quickly while also adding new content. The game will definitely entertain fans of solid Souls-style RPGs as well as lovers of mythology.

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The demo I got to play certainly didn’t reveal all the wonders the developers have in store for us. But I can already say that if you’re a fan of the Souls games, Dolmen is a must-play for you. The combat is intense, and there are several weapons and pieces of equipment available that you can further customize. The Reactor feature adds a unique twist to the game, though it takes some getting used to. We can look forward to the title sometime in 2022, and it’s coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and of course PC.

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Jurassic World Evolution 2 is a fantastic building game that you’ll never get tired of. What I like most about it is that it’s not designed exclusively for fans of the series, so even players who aren’t familiar with the movies can fully enjoy it.

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TUNIC is a picturesque game with an ideal playtime of around ten hours, during which you’ll sweat blood, lose your cool, and wander the map—but you’ll also discover an amazing world, uncover its secrets, fight relentless battles, and have fun from start to finish. While the game doesn’t bring any groundbreaking innovations to the market, relying on well-established mechanics and feeling more like a return to older titles, it does all of this exceptionally well. The breathtaking world is practically begging you to uncover its secrets and find a massive treasure… or perhaps something else?

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Despite how simple Jump King looks, the game isn’t all that easy. It takes a lot of patience, discipline, trial and error, and above all, self-control to reach your desired goal. Nothing comes for free here, and the game won’t forgive you for almost any mistake. That’s why we recommend it to anyone who loves a challenge and isn’t easily flustered. And if you meet only one, or even none, of these criteria, we still recommend the game to you. Maybe you’ll discover hidden qualities and enrich yourself culturally. For us, the game certainly enriched our vocabulary, adding brand-new gems to our collection of swear words to express our frustration every time we slammed ourselves into the ground.

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Trigon: Space Story is a well-crafted rogue-like set in a space setting. You play as the captain, commanding the crew of your spaceship as they strive to survive in this hostile galaxy at all costs. It’s entirely up to you which path you take and what tactics you use to destroy enemy ships. Every action here has a reaction, and every decision will have consequences. You can go from being the galaxy’s darling to having a hefty bounty on your head in the blink of an eye. The game currently features a total of four distinct races, each with different specializations and additional perks. Combat takes place in split-screen mode and is quite dynamic, though sometimes heavily unbalanced. There’s also a wide array of weapons and equipment, all presented in a nice 3D isometric style complemented by a great soundtrack that perfectly enhances the atmosphere. Compared to the aforementioned FTL, there is definitely a greater emphasis on the crew here. However, this well-made game is let down by significant imbalance and the need for a lot of grinding for resources so that, over time, you’ll be able to upgrade your ship and survive at all. But if you save up enough, you’ll make it to the end of this space story.

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Magic: The Gathering Arena is currently the most successful digital adaptation of the popular card game Magic: The Gathering, appealing not only to complete beginners but also to experienced players who occasionally like to take a break from physical cards. The user interface is intuitive, the audiovisual presentation is certainly impressive, the pleasant pace ensures fast-paced action, and the biggest plus is, of course, the zero purchase price. So definitely expect microtransactions, but fortunately, you can get by just fine without them and accumulate in-game currency on your own. Unfortunately, even so, you’ll notice some significant differences between fair-play players and those who don’t hesitate to spend a large chunk of their monthly paycheck here.

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Mario Strikers: Battle League is a top-tier example of game design. While the game lacks more gameplay options and characters, the promise of future updates gives us cause for optimism. If arcade sports games aren’t your thing, this probably won’t affect your opinion, but if you have even a passing interest in this genre, Mario Strikers: Battle League is currently a very impressive sports game on the Nintendo Switch.

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Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is exactly what fans expected from this installment in the series. Once again, you’ll get your hands on a well-crafted aerial arcade action game that will delight longtime fans. Thanks to the selection of control difficulty levels, the game is also accessible to absolute beginners, though they might not enjoy the same repetitive missions that have been a hallmark of this series for years. For the PC version, it would be good to work on optimizing keyboard and mouse controls in the future. Even so, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a great title that earns a seven out of ten from us.

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Despot's Game: Dystopian Army Builder will delight fans of turn-based battles who are looking for a bit of randomness and some ugly pixels in their lives. As with other tactical rogue-lites, you'll probably feel a bit lost at first, but once you get the hang of it, it starts to get fun. If the game has caught your interest, I recommend buying it as soon as possible, because the developers have made no secret of their plan to raise the price of the full version.

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Teacup is a laid-back, casual game for kids that features very nice graphics and simple tasks. Definitely don’t look for it if you prefer more challenging games or puzzles. The short playtime, average story, and basic controls didn’t particularly appeal to us. The value for money here is really uneven, and we’d recommend buying the game on sale. On the other hand, the visuals create a relaxing atmosphere, and the portrayal of emotions works perfectly. If you need to unwind and take a break, we recommend brewing a nice cup of tea and diving into this fairy-tale adventure.

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Cruis’n Blast is a simple arcade game for casual players that won’t impress you much if you’re looking for something more sophisticated. At first glance, you’ll be drawn in by the varied environments and the vehicles you can play as, but ultimately, everything feels quite repetitive, and these gimmicks don’t save it in the long run. However, it’s ideal for an occasional playthrough with a group of friends who might appreciate the unique settings and fast-paced races.

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Unfortunately, Road Maintenance Simulator failed to impress me in any way, or even surprise me. As a result, it’s yet another significantly below-average title that I can’t recommend to anyone in its current state. While it’s a slightly smaller disaster than Alpine – The Simulation Game, none of us wants to compare bad games and choose based on which one is the lesser evil. There’s probably nothing more to add—I’m giving it three out of ten.

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Aircraft Carrier Survival is a pretty entertaining game that gives you a lighthearted taste of the tough life of an aircraft carrier commander. However, it’s more of an action card game with management elements than a simulator. The game’s action sequences are often provided by enemy attacks, during which you have to quickly prepare your defenses. At that moment, you’ll often find yourself not knowing where to click first. Managing aircraft, crew, and supplies is enjoyable, though the user interface could be a bit more intuitive. The World War II theme, viewed through the lens of life on an aircraft carrier, is quite original, but some mechanics and elements could use a rework or a bit of improvement. Graphically, the game lacks depth and polish. The requirement to use cards for attacks can feel a bit clunky, and the controls could be less complicated. You’ll also often have issues with the camera—when you want to look at a specific part of your ship, the camera either doesn’t respond or makes an unpredictable movement.

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Power to the People is an electrifying strategy game where you build an electrical infrastructure that even ČEZ would envy. You aim to satisfy customers and make as much money as possible. Simplicity is the game’s strong point, and it provides a fun distraction for a short while, even if the gameplay isn’t particularly thrilling. It’s more of an average gaming experience that didn’t do anything wrong, but didn’t offer anything extraordinary either.

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Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 didn’t set the bar too high, but it still has the potential to be an interesting concept. I’d like to see a bit more simulation and realism. On the other hand, the gameplay is accessible to less experienced players who aren’t expecting a hardcore simulator, allowing them to—at least figuratively speaking—get their hands dirty with oil and grime. The Polish developers are taking a slow approach to growing their brand. I expect a shiny new car straight from the factory, but instead I get a well-used vehicle—nice and functional, but nothing that would blow me away.

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Lumote: The Mastermote Chronicles is a visually stunning puzzle game that starts off slowly but later escalates into creative puzzles that will have many players racking their brains. The ending itself conveys a profound message about an endless journey, at the end of which a completely new, blank page awaits you. Beautiful visuals alone aren’t enough, however, and the game suffers from a few shortcomings that the developers will hopefully address in future updates. The game certainly offers a Zen-like experience… as long as you’re not tearing your hair out over yet another baffling death or clunky controls.

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What Lies in the Multiverse is a truly interesting and, in its own way, unique pixel-art platformer that offers an engaging story full of humor, colorful levels, and, above all, a great feature that lets you switch between two versions of each level. However, its stylization will primarily appeal to an older group of players, as it features certain aspects from the 90s that may not resonate with today’s generation. Even so, What Lies in the Multiverse is a great game that every platformer fan should try. I give it seven out of ten.

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After a long time, I can say with a clear conscience and my hand on my heart that I truly enjoyed this survival game in every way. The developers came up with an original concept, graphics that I found charming, and plenty of fun. The constant unlocking of new items and machines keeps you hooked on the game, as does the joy of creating your first lake or seeing a tree grow. If the developers keep their promises, they’ll bring The Planet Crafter to perfection.

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