4News.it's Reviews
If you love titles that make originality and madness their hallmarks, we have no doubt that you will love Deliver At All Costs. The debut from Studio Far Out Games is an action title as fun as it is absurd, capable of combining unpredictable situations with a mysterious story, against the backdrop of a setting to be torn to shreds thanks to incredible interactivity. It is a product proudly different from the crowd, proving once again that the future of the industry should perhaps aim more at intriguing game design philosophies, as opposed to the bewitching and risky chants of big budgets.
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Capcom Fighting Collection 2 represents yet another must-have collection of classics signed by the legendary Japanese software house. Drawing directly from the glorious (and ill-fated) Dreamcast era, the selection ranges from some of the best fighting games in history to iconic arcade action games via great little forgotten gems. Once again, this is a must-see for every retrogaming fan and anyone who wants to savor tasty pages from this sweet video game past.
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The Precinct takes advantage of a brilliant concept to deliver a title with great, at times unexpressed, potential. Playing law enforcement in a fictitious American city of the early 1980s is a challenging experience, yet one that lends itself to some oversights and game design levity. The life of a police officer may not be for everyone, but Averno City remains a destination with definite appeal: get your handcuffs and badge ready, there's a city to clean up.
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Doom: The Dark Ages marks a definite and conscious turning point for the franchise, offering a more mature, visceral and atmospheric dark fantasy/fantasy single-player experience. Abandoning the ultratechnical frenzy of Doom Eternal, the game draws on dark, Lovecraftian medieval imagery, resulting in a slower, but no less brutal or satisfying shooter. The introduction of new parry mechanics (thanks to the incredible shield saw), melee weapons, new and devastating mouths of fire, and sections aboard mechs and dragons makes the gameplay surprisingly varied and consistent with the setting. Despite some risk of repetitiveness and the absence of a multiplayer segment, The Dark Ages succeeds in revamping the formula without betraying the identity of the Doom Slayer and making it-thanks to the many accessibility features-accessible to any player. It is a different Doom and, for that very reason, damn fascinating!
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The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is exactly what we expected: a shiny new dress for a timeless classic. However, just as a beautiful dress does not alter the signs of time on the skin that wears it, the Bethesda title ludically is and remains a product of 2006. Even the unprecedented graphical reworking provided by Unreal Engine 5, although it marks a marked improvement over the original title, shows the uncertainties now inherent in Epic Games' graphics engine. All that said, the remastering of Oblivion represents the best way to venture into the lands of Cyrodiil and appreciate one of the most important titles in gaming history.
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The very existence of Revenge of the Savage Planet is a small miracle after the unfortunate events involving the original development team. Happy with this unexpected return among crazy alien ecosystems, the title made by Raccoon Logic offers a new adventure that recovers the same sarcasm that had decreed the success of its predecessor. While the writing remains unchanged, what has changed, however, is the play structure that embraces third-person, encourages cooperative play and winks at sandboxes. The final product, while rich and fun, is nevertheless less balanced and cohesive than the first chapter. Some fans may love this new course but others may miss the spark of that crazy 2020 adventure.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a fascinating and engaging RPG that offers an intellectually stimulating experience. With a solid, unique and original narrative, innovative gameplay - especially with regard to the combat system - and functional graphics, the game succeeds in keeping the player glued to the screen, leveraging the combination of exploration, mystery and combat. Despite some minor flaws related especially to the ending - a bit choppy and seemingly lost in its own ambition and some technical uncertainties - the title stands out for its ability to deliver an immersive and memorable experience. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is - in our opinion - the most impressive debut role-playing game we have ever had the good fortune to play.
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MotoGP 25 is the perfect entry point for those who want to get closer to the world of MotoGP, but it is also a title that longtime fans can squeeze in for hours. The new features introduced are well thought out, the riding is enjoyable but deep, and the Career is finally alive. Those who love motorcycles will find all the passion of the paddock in it. Those who love video games will see in it a technical but accessible simulation. I saw both, and raced it like I was really there. “Look out guys, this is a great title.”
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With StarVaders, development team Pengonauts presents itself with personality in the landscape of independent productions. After tastefully mixing Star Invaders with grid-based strategists, the roguelike deckbuilder made by the Montreal-based software house was able to engage and entertain us. Simple to approach and difficult to master, fighting extraterrestrial visitors offers a magnetic loop gameplay that is tastefully varied and deep. If you are a fan of its sources of inspiration, StarVaders is the exact definition of “one more game and then I'll quit...maybe.... maybe not.”
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With its characteristics resulting from a roguelike hybrid of old-school fighting game and shooter, KIBORG proved to be a compelling title full of surprises. Tense and violent combat mingles with a steady pace, where the sense of progression is assured and the content knows how to prove generous. However, the experience proves to be imperfectly balanced making Lee Morgan's brutal journey all too rough at times. Nevertheless, the allure of creating an unstoppable cybernetic fighter is a real cool thing not to be underestimated.
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Steel Seed is yet another demonstration of the talent of Italian software houses. Storm in a Teacup realizes a wide-ranging sci-fi adventure, combining a top-notch graphical presentation with a deep narrative as well as an absolutely exuberant gameplay mix of fast-paced combat, dynamic platforming and tantalizing stealth. This is a genuinely amazing product at times, but one that in its current state is flawed on the technical optimization front and the unevenness of some interactions. Get ready to help Zoe and KOBY: humanity's survival is at stake.
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FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves marks the dazzling return of the legendary SNK fighting game to the greats of the genre. If the production values are already evident from the title's aesthetic presentation, the depth of the combat system and the exuberant cast are exactly the reasons why all fans of fighting games will love it with vigor. However, we are faced with a product that is contradictory at times: the menus are dated and cumbersome, the modes present could have been more polished, the online is not always stable, and the tutorial is excessively sparse. It is precisely this last aspect that should point us to the title's greatest limitation: its high complexity, the result of a veritable sea of mechanics. With patience and dedication, the new journey to the city of wolves takes on the connotations of a galvanizing if not mystical experience. But the price to pay may not be for everyone.
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The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- is the perfect fusion born of the collaboration between Kazutaka Kodaka and Kotaro Uchikoshi. The result is a title that draws on the best features of their major productions (Danganronpa and Zero Escape, above all) to create a unique and incredibly ambitious product, especially on the narrative side. Kaleidoscopic, sprawling, and surprising writing makes it essential to play and replay a title equally challenging in its tactical RPG component. There are some structural limitations of game design and, inevitably, its thick verbiage may not make it a product for everyone. But if you have loved the previous works of the two Japanese designers, we warn you: this may be their magnum opus.
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MULLET MADJACK is a little masterpiece that draws on ideas already traveled over to create a magnetic experience with an overwhelming personality. A shooter that rides the wave of 90s anime cyberpunk, throwing into the mixer adrenaline-fueled, ultraviolent gameplay that exudes a visceral and authentic charisma. Part classic arcade and part modern roguelite, the title developed by HAMMER95 is a sinful fruit that is impossible to resist.
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Tempest Rising is an honest product. It doesn't try to please everyone, it doesn't try to revolutionize anything, it doesn't make unrealistic promises. It does one thing, and it does it well: it reintroduces the classic RTS experience in all its glory--and in all its rigidity. It is a game that respects the times of those who lived through the golden age of strategy games, but one that risks seeming anachronistic in the eyes of new generations. Its lack of compromise is fascinating, but it may also be its greatest limitation.
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Rusty Rabbit represents an interesting experiment, not so much for its specific features as for the background of its creative team. Putting aside visual novels, Nitroplus and Gen Urobuchi bring to life a classic-style metroidvania with an intriguing narrative bent and some interesting game design ideas. The overall experience proves to be quite intriguing and unexpectedly relaxing, although it has several naiveté issues that prevent Stamp's adventure from being truly memorable or at least capable of being able to stand out among the vast and ruthless competition.
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Indiana Jones and the Ancient Circle is one of the most interesting and comprehensive titles of the year, managing to capture the essence of the character and the charm of his adventures to great effect. Despite some technical imperfections and a slight drop in pace in the final part of the game, MachineGames has packed an experience that fans of the genre will be unlikely to forget.
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Star Overdrive is an ambitious project from Caracal Games, boldly taking cues from some of the best game design lessons of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The result is a product of great personality, a wide-ranging sci-fi adventure of acrobatics, challenges and puzzles. However, the desire to include a great density of play mechanics clashes with their not always well-defined implementation, resulting in an overall experience that is less fluid and dynamic than hoped for. Nevertheless, get ready to strap on your trusty hoverboard and plow through the dunes of Cebete: an amazing journey awaits you.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Tempest Rising is an honest product. It doesn't try to please everyone, it doesn't try to revolutionize anything, it doesn't make unrealistic promises. It does one thing, and it does it well: it reintroduces the classic RTS experience in all its glory--and in all its rigidity. It is a game that respects the times of those who lived through the golden age of strategy games, but one that risks seeming anachronistic in the eyes of new generations. Its lack of compromise is fascinating, but it may also be its greatest limitation.Monster Energy Supercross 25 is a solid but flawed evolution. Milestone has refined the formula, introduced new ideas, and tried to open up to a wider audience without distorting itself. The result is a game that can be punishing and technical, but also exciting, especially for those looking for a real challenge. However, some structural limitations remain: lackluster social modes, AI that can still be improved, slow progression and a few technical stumbles that break the immersiveness. For Supercross fans, it is a title to have. For everyone else, a good chance to get in the saddle -- but with a helmet strapped on.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The main success of South of Midnight lies in its unique identity. The new work from Compulsion Games showcases a modern stop-motion fable with dark overtones, drawing from the mysterious (and often tragic) charm of the folklore of the Deep South of the United States. The painstaking care taken in the artistic presentation (huge kudos to the marvelous soundtrack), however, does not find a similarly scrupulous realization in the game system. Although the linear structure is reassuring and welcoming, unfortunately the title never decides to explore its full potential, often leaving you with a bitter taste in your mouth. Net of its limitations, South of Midnight is a rich and meaningful experience that deserves to find a small place in the hearts of gamers.
Review in Italian | Read full review