4News.it's Reviews
Gimmick! Special Edition represents a small victory for fans of the NES era, who can finally get a feel for (and physically own) one of the great little titles lost to time and localizations. A painstakingly crafted platformer that is still enjoyable today, even in the face of a decidedly high difficulty that could deter many players. New content and countless QOL tweaks allow this version to be the best way to approach a title that is historic in its own way. Of course, those who do not appreciate such hardcore retrogaming may not enjoy the youkai adventure.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Expanse: A Telltale Series represents a new beginning for the California-based studio. Never before has the numerical rating accompanying the review been little more than a "decoration," especially considering the circumstances we explained at the beginning. However, the premises are more than decent, and if they are upheld, the new project could represent a new dawn for the studio.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Pikmin 4 encapsulates all the best of the Nintendo strategy series, a summa that represents its highest point ever. A masterpiece capable of vastly expanding all the mechanics dear to fans, putting an incredibly generous content offering on the plate. An over-the-top production (despite some minor flaws here and there), which makes even more special a year destined to remain impressed in gamers' memories for a long time. Let's just hope we don't have to wait another decade for the next chapter in this great saga. While waiting, hone the art of Dandori: you will need it!
Review in Italian | Read full review
Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara succeeds in its stated goals: to offer a relaxing platforming experience within the reach of all abilities, from toddlers to speedrun lovers. Despite this, it is good to be aware of the production's limitations: the level design is rather ordinary, the camera suffers from worrying lapses, and the overall difficulty is calibrated downward. With this full awareness of merits and limitations, Koa and Napopo's pirate adventure can be a nice pastime on hot summer days.
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Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is undoubtedly a remaster we needed. Capcom has brought back a small cult classic from 13 years ago, doing an almost flawless job. The only "limitations" of this new version lie in the design peculiarities of the original release. A small gem, both then and now, that is absolutely worth playing.
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Viewfinder is a damn original puzzle game. The basic idea is excellently developed, thanks mainly to the enormous variety of situations we will experience in the course of the adventure. Nevertheless, we would have preferred something ludically more ambitious, while recognizing the huge design implications closely related to the game concept itself.
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Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE fully realizes what its creators, the same ingenious (and somewhat twisted) minds behind the Danganronpa saga, hoped for. In taking up that legacy, Yuma and Shinigami's adventure is a gripping detective story, full of charm and food for thought, aided by the eccentricity of some (several) of its ideas. The end result is a fascinating and peculiar blend that draws as much from Phoenix Wright as it does from Persona, while preserving a very specific identity even at the expense of some technical uncertainties and verbiage that is significant at times. A rare and shining example of exquisitely Japanese creativity and flair: probably not a product for everyone, but invaluable precisely because of its proud uniqueness.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Final Fantasy XVI is a game with some structural issues and a lack of situational variety, but with an excellent combat system, thoughtfully designed with balance and layering in mind. While it wouldn’t have taken much to resolve the initial issues, it is also true that the gameplay and narrative peaks of Final Fantasy XVI will set a new benchmark—not just for the genre, not just for the series, but for the industry as a whole. For this reason, we consider Final Fantasy XVI a masterpiece and are confident it will make history in our favorite medium, despite its flaws and its less "immediate" choices.
Review in Italian | Read full review
AEW: Fight Forever is a faithful tribute to the wrestling games at the turn of the 90s and 00s -- foremost among them WWF No Mercy -- and you can tell this from the gameplay -- clearly arcade -- going through (or rather navigating) the (old style) menus, all the way to the wrestlers, with their uncertain, angular and funny features. Unfortunately, more than two decades have passed since the various No Mercy, WWF SmackDown and the unforgettable SmackDown VS Raw and WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain and the world as well as wrestling has moved on and to have stubbornly wanted to bring a wrestling video game that basically goes to honor what came before makes AEW: Fight Forever an acerbic, soulless and damn low budget title, even if the asking price is that of the biggest AAAs on the market. The hope, considering that it will not have an annual release but rather will be updated on a cadenced basis, is that the product can improve. As it stands, it is difficult to recommend AEW: Fight Forever except to the most die-hard fans of All Elite Wrestling AEW.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Frictional Games achieves, with Amnesia: The Bunker, a true horror masterclass. In a recent landscape resuscitated by stupendous but perhaps all too classic horror video games, the Swedish team reminds everyone why they represent one of the benchmarks for the entire genre. Despite a rather restrained longevity and the abandonment of elaborate themes, the new Amnesia is an agonizing odyssey within the claustrophobic walls of a World War I bunker, constantly hunted by an invincible creature that forces us to improvise and adapt thanks to an incredibly interactive game world. It may even be too anxiety-provoking for some of the audience, but for everyone else: don't miss it.
Review in Italian | Read full review
F1 23 is an immersive and, to say the least, impressive solid racing experience that is well suited - thanks to the many content offerings - to any type of player, from the more “casual” to those seeking a challenging and rewarding driving experience. The story mode, Braking Point, returns (somewhat chiaroscuro) after a full two years, while the introduction of the new F1 World mode - Ultimate Team style - makes it clear how popular the sport has become by now, so much so that it receives the same care and attention as many other sports titles on the market.
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Greyhill Incident from Refugium Games and Perpetual-Europe, is a Survival-Horror story-driven title with good potential that unfortunately ended up badly wasted. A vibrant, dark, anxiety-inducing setting (with frightening moments to say the least) is contrasted with problematic and poorly engaging (let alone fun) gameplay. An adventure game of this type, requires a mix of several elements, and unfortunately if gameplay and plot are missing at all, it means that something didn't go as it should. The user interface is also bad, uncomfortable and at times unusable. Considering the price, about 35 euros, and the duration, really so short that it feels more like a demo than a full game, if you really are a fan of the genre, we recommend buying it only when it gets a substantial price reduction; until then, forget it!
Review in Italian | Read full review
It happens a few times in the span of a video game life to come across a masterpiece capable of redefining, to some extent, an entire genre. Street Fighter 6 is one of these rare and fleeting occasions. With the new chapter in the historic saga, Capcom not only certifies once again that it has regained the polish of its best years, but also makes a fighting game destined to become a striking yardstick for the entire genre. A monumental production, as gargantuan in its single player offering as it is in its online proposition, it succeeds in triumphing in also being an incredible example of didactics, layering and depth. With a learning curve that has never been so clear and expository, capable of both pandering to veterans and training novices to ferry them toward improvement, the return of Ryu & co. is simply the best fighting game around.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Toodee And Topdee is a title that is perhaps a bit presumptuous because it decides to “step on the gas” not realizing that it has given the gamer a Fiat Panda. But beyond that, it remains a brilliant mix of 2D platformer and top-down puzzler graced with impressive playful variety. And for that we recommend it.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Stray Blade is a more than decent third-person action-adventure, blessed with a level design and exploration-reward loop that is very satisfying. The combat, despite the developers' efforts to diversify encounter setups with a wide variety of weapons, could eventually become monotonous. However, despite these flaws, Stray Blade remains one of the most interesting AA productions we've had the pleasure of exploring in recent years.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Bloober Team reworks its debut title in the psychological horror landscape with a new awareness. Layers of Fear does not simply re-present, in a modern technical guise, the original title, but rather the entire series (and related DLC) in a new narrative context, for a project somewhere between remaster and remake. A package therefore capable of giving suggestions and thrills, while preserving the extremely reduced gameplay of the original versions. This is precisely the key that could lead you to appreciate (or not) the production: if you love psychological thrills, the project will know how to win you over. If, conversely, you appreciate something more concrete and palpable (both ludically and narratively), the title may miss the mark.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Afterimage is one of the most surprising titles of the first half of 2023. We unexpectedly found ourselves facing a 2D action-adventure game with a metroidvania structure and some soulslike elements, content-wise massive, developed with care and intelligence. Derivative and perhaps lacking the personality that elevated titles like Hollow Knight to the Olympus, but when holding the controller, it’s so satisfying, thanks to the successful mix of combat and exploration, that we truly consider it a game we’d recommend to everyone.
Review in Italian | Read full review
HUMANITY is a serious candidate among the best independent surprises of the year. The Japanese development team, with an abstract and minimalist Pindaric flight, puts players in the shoes of a daredevil Shiba Inu grappling with saving humanity. It does so by offering a modern version of the classic Lemmings full of inventiveness, variety and daring. The very audacity may make the title unappealing to the general public, who may feel alienated by some of the game design choices as well as by the overall presentation. With these due considerations, HUMANITY remains a little gem in the world of puzzle games.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Nightdive Studios has done a really good job of recreating most of the elements of the iconic System Shock with modern standards, especially the game's user interface -- made more streamlined and appealing -- and the graphical rendering. Although the artificial intelligence does not convince - the combat system entertains just the same - and will push you to test new ways to deal with the varied threats of the space station “The Citadel.” Whether or not you have experienced the experience created by LookingGlass Technologies we guarantee that the remake is absolutely worth playing!
Review in Italian | Read full review
Super Mega Baseball 4 confirms, once again, the quality of the Electronic Arts sports series. Somewhere between the lightness of arcade gameplay and the depth of refined game dynamics, Metalhead Software's baseball wins and convinces. With a generous play offering and addictive modes, the title is a good choice for both fans of the genre and those who want to approach a virtual version of the sport. Especially for the latter, do not fear in the face of initial embarrassments: the rhythm of the diamond may win you over.
Review in Italian | Read full review