4News.it's Reviews
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is a survival horror that has taken on cult status over the years thanks to its mix of setting and atmosphere. The production by South Korean team SONNORI Corp still manages to convey strong emotions, thanks to some ideas that have since found fortune in modern interpretations of the genre. However, the fidelity of the remake also preserves the issues of the balance of the play formula, which at times is excessively unbalanced toward frustration. A cult title for fans of the genre.
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Smurfs Kart arrives on Nintendo Switch thanks to the capable guys at Eden Games. A production that proves to be ludically convincing, with solid gameplay and a traditional structure in line with the reference genre. Unfortunately, the feeling is that the title has been able to rely on too little development time, due to the scarcity of tracks and modes, as well as the inherent lack of diversification and variety. The title therefore fails to aim for the honors reserved for the sacred monsters of the genre, remaining nevertheless a pleasant title for fans of the brand.
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God of War Ragnarok is a serious candidate for game of the year. Sony Santa Monica's latest effort elevates what was the already “masterpiece” God of War of 2018 to full power, going out of its way to eliminate all its minor imperfections. And the result achieved is embellished by a mammoth amount of content and an out-of-parameter audio-visual compartment, especially thanks to the excellent art direction, despite the compromises of a totally old-gen-oriented development, which, however, we reiterate, never made us think that the game might have suffered some “cuts” precisely because of that choice. God of War Ragnarok, then, is the ultimate expression of a work that began a few years ago now with the chapter that arrived in our homes in 2018, as well as one of the best games of the year, and not only. Ultimately, God of War Ragnarok is a virtually unassailable title, dare we say almost perfect. It completely lives up to its name, “it's the end of the world.”
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Space Tail: Every Journey Leads Home is a production that is both bold and traditional. Enjoy Studio and Red Deer Games pay homage to the stories of history's first animal astronauts with a colorful and sensitive action platformer, adding some interesting ideas. Despite what good it proposes, the title stumbles in an overall realization with several smears especially on the playful balance side of each of its parts. It deserves a chance, provided you put in a few too many edges.
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Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway marks the return of arcade racing by the US broadcaster's most famous characters. A kart game packed with content and modes, supporting convincing and at times pleasantly tactical gameplay. Despite the abundance and variety of the Bamtang Games production, the title does not dare as much as it could, merely tracing the stylistic features of the reference genre, giving way to some minor smears in the playful balance. If you are a fan of the genre but are tired of Mario and Crash, SpongeBob and company might be the right choice to spend many hours of fun.
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The Darkest Tales is like a rough little gem, the beauty of which can be admired but has to contend with a few too many rough edges. Artistically and narratively inspired, the Trinity Team production makes a fun and intriguing action platformer by letting itself be carried away by dark fairy tales and surprising transmedia citationism. It is a title that pales the talent of the developers, minus a few smears in the play balance and on the technical side. Give it a chance and you will not regret it.
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Signalis is a love letter to a very specific historical period of survival horror. As such, it inherits much of its merits and flaws, while not sacrificing a vibrant personality. A multifaceted plot is married with an audio compartment that pays homage to Kubrick, in an adventure filled with stimulating puzzles and disturbing discoveries. A work about oppression on a mechanical and narrative level that cannot be missed in the play library of any nostalgic enthusiast.
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Trifox aims to be an homage to the great 3D platformers. The Glowfish Interactive production succeeds in the task for long stretches, thanks to a good personality, excellent level design and interesting customization of the protagonist. Unfortunately, some technical problems and in the play formula, as well as a below-average longevity for the genre, prevent us from rewarding the title as we would like. Do not despair, however: it is an adventure that will satisfy you.
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Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef is a sincere and genuine production that offers a handful of hours of mindless fun. The excellent visual presentation, magnificent soundtrack and solid gameplay are the calling cards of the Belgian team Rogueside. Even with some technical uncertainties found in the Switch version and an all-too-low longevity, the title is still enjoyable and suitable for both fans of the franchise and run-and-gun enthusiasts.
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Black Mermaid comes to the video game world with a product as black as obsidian and as red as the blood pulsing through its veins. Moonscars is a soulslike in which art direction and gameplay merge into a gloomy and fascinating dance, at once ruthless and exciting. A few typical early sins weigh on the production, but any fan of the genre be on guard: this is a moonlight date you will not want to miss.
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Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is not a flawless title, it has a lot of rigidity on the combat system side, but it still manages to entertain thanks to the variety offered and the level design work truly beyond expectations. The guys at Acme Gamestudio definitely deserve our kudos, bravo!
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Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is simply a triumph. The title does not merely take up and enhance every element that had made Kingdom Battle a success but goes far beyond it. With boldness and courage, the Ubisoft production embellishes the play structure with ambitious and daring choices. Sparks of Hope thus soars to new heights, thanks to the exploration of worlds, intriguing additions to the tactical system, and an abundance of content. Yet another great title in the Nintendo Switch game library.
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Foretales is a bold product. However, sometimes boldness and passion are not enough to make a project completely shine. The fusion of graphic adventure and card game is fascinating and layered, thanks in part to an inspired Disney-esque art direction. But it is precisely this mixture that hides the production's congenital flaws, leading it down the impassable road of repetitiveness and trial & error. With the right awareness, give it a chance: it might surprise you.
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F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch is proof that intelligent and passionate development can give the market (and us consumers) real gems. The guys at TiGames have taken the typical structure of the metroidvania genre in its purest essence and added a very deep and technical combat system that manages to make every encounter a pleasure to play. The result is excellent, there's no denying it.
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Prodeus gives honor and glory to the classic FPSs from which it is inspired: in doing so, it becomes a must-play shooter itself. Bounding Box crowns a long development journey with an exhilarating title that manages to mix the tradition of the most frenetic shooter with the modernity of an infrastructure open to sharing new community content. Harness your shotgun, there's some demonic heads to be blown off.
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NBA 2K23 is not much different from last year's offering, but it manages to take a definite step forward; the problem of microtransactions remains; in fact, in the long run (and specifically with reference to the MY CAREER mode) the player will find himself almost forced to play a disproportionate amount or spend money to continue competing online, but on the other hand, there are a number of juicy modes - that we are sure you will appreciate - such as the Jordan Challenges or MyNBA Eras that allow you to relive the exploits and most iconic moments of the best player of all time and several incredible legends of American basketball.
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Return to Monkey Island brings the legendary graphic adventure series back to life with a full house. Ron Gilbert and his team return to Monkey Island bringing with them a treasure trove of experience and lore, telling an exhilarating yet sweetly melancholy story. A new masterpiece for the genre, it stands as a candidate for one of the best games of this absurd 2022. If you don't believe it well. Look, there's a three-headed monkey behind you!
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The Spirit and the Mouse is the heartwarming fairy tale that you don't know you want to hear until you hear it. Development team Alblune makes a calm and serene adventure as a brave little mouse, in which exploration is a tool to convey a message of altruism and solidarity. Although the end credits come a bit early, the advice is to take a break from the modern hustle and bustle and take refuge in the serenity offered by The Spirit and the Mouse. Something that perhaps we all need, especially these days.
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FIFA 23 is the culmination of a journey that only slightly improves a formula that, while functional, has been stale for too long. Still, it remains a recommended title for all virtual soccer fans, in the hope that next year, thanks to the announced re-branding, there may finally be a bursting revolution just as there was a full 14 years ago with the 2008 edition.
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It's been too long since the last officially licensed F1 management sim, we're talking almost two decades; Frontier Developments' F1 Manager 2022 brings players back to feeling part of an F1 team and does so in an incredibly clever and immersive way. It's not just about statistics, data and charts but thanks to the superb graphics engine, cars and tracks literally come to life offering an incredible gaming experience capturing the spirit of Formula 1. If you are a fan of motorsport and management games, you absolutely cannot miss F1 Manager 2022.
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