4News.it's Reviews
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.
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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.
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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
After Us, therefore, is a product that is presented as an emotional and sensory experience rather than a video game. An experience emphasized by the stupendous and original art direction that is functional to the purpose and selling point of the product. And on this the developers have undoubtedly hit the mark. However, if the strictly play aspect had received the same amount of attention and care by now we would be talking about a little gem. After Us like this is just a good game, one that we still recommend to everyone for the underlying message it wants to communicate.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Killer Frequency turned out to be a far more interesting product than anticipated. Fascinated initially by the concept but doubtful about the inherent limitations of the chosen formula, the Team17 title nevertheless enraptured us and dragged us in front of the microphones of a mid-west American radio station inside an 80s story somewhere between comedy and horror. Between one homage to a cinematic masterpiece and another, the adventure flows quickly between interesting puzzles and a constant invitation to use your gray matter to save as many lives as possible. It's a title destined to become a small cult hit, as long as you don't expect to wield a weapon and confront the serial killer face-to-face. It wounds more with a pen than a sword, after all.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Much like all modern LEGO-branded video games, whether you are a fan of the brand or not, the fun is nothing short of guaranteed. With LEGO 2K Drive, Visual Concepts has done an incredible job of offering a product that is practically suitable for everyone, starting with the youngest gamers all the way up to the older ones.The racing/arcade title offers a lot of fun, between wild races, side quests, mini-games, creativity and an endless amount of merriment (up in the air, to say the least). The open world is very well done, the story mode is as lighthearted as it needs to be (as are its characters), the driving system is a lot of fun and easy to get to grips with, and the vehicle mechanics that automatically switch from being a race car to becoming an off-roader or even a boat are spot on. This is all supported by an impressive build/edit mode that allows you to create your own vehicles. Unfortunately, the microtransactions are hard to ignore, and although they are not as invasive as other past 2K titles, they still leave us with a bitter taste in our mouths for a product that could have done without them (especially since it is aimed at a very young audience).
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Curse of the Sea Rats marks an important maturation step for the Catalan development team. Drawing from the world of metroidvanias, the title offers a solid and entertaining adventure with a good amount of content, graced by a character design that pays homage to the world of late 1980s animation. Despite its excellent qualities, the production slips into excessive traditionalism without managing to provide that extra something that makes the difference between a good and an excellent result. Even intriguing choices such as multiple characters and the possibility of co-op adventure are not fully exploited. Nevertheless, the title remains a viable alternative within the reference genre, which we hope is only the beginning of a new path for Petoons Studio.
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The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has been a really difficult title to evaluate. Without a doubt, it’s a very varied game, but its obvious flaws and its "language", as little immediate as it is fascinating, a legacy of a bygone era (which we loved), make it hard to recommend universally. As we’ve said before, more than on other occasions, ignore the number you'll find here next to it. If you want to take a trip down memory lane, get it, even at the first price cut. If, however, you think this kind of design is outdated, feel free to move on—fortunately, the video game market has never been so full of offerings for all tastes.
Review in Italian | Read full review