4News.it's Reviews
The work done on Dead Space Remake, by Motive, is incredible. A complete remake that, in addition to doing even more justice to Visceral Games' 2008 masterpiece, goes to offer the player a more adrenaline-pumping and exciting experience. The gameplay turns out to be solid, though not without slight flaws: shots that go awry, polygon interpenetrations, and a slight woodenness in movements. Graphically, we were, to say the least, ecstatic with the excellent use of the Frostbite Engine, a graphics engine with a thousand resources and potential that allowed the developers to update every element of Dead Space Remake: textures, polygonal models, animations. In short, if you have never played the 2008 title and especially like sci-fi survival horror themes and settings, this remake is one to buy with eyes closed.
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Trenches is a gritty title that aims to terrify the player with suggestions born of one of the most painful pages in human history. The Steelkrill Studio title borrows some great ideas from illustrious exponents of the survival horror genre, replicating them, however, with mixed fortunes due to the modesty of the production. A poor technical compartment, an imprecise control system and a very short duration prevent Trenches from aspiring to more flattering results. Nevertheless, the title remains a disturbing journey into the agonizing futility of war and its tragic consequences.
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Clunky Hero is a title that finds its greatest strength in its bold identity. Despite a derivative and flawed play structure, Chaosmonger Studio's title is solid and thoughtfully designed, satisfying and challenging. Admittedly, in some cases even due to the artifice related to the aforementioned approximation, but that's okay. To whom do we recommend it? Everyone, even those who are not fans of the genre, because of the competitive price at which it is sold and the charisma with which the product is imbued.
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One Piece Odyssey is a potential turning point in the history of video game adaptations of Eiichiro Oda's masterpiece. Drawing on the more traditional characteristics of JRPGs, the ILCA development team pours into the title an obvious love for the source material, enriching it with interesting ideas especially in the intriguing combat system. However, the production is not exempt from some problems related to pacing management, which is excessively flat in some phases, as well as an all too modest difficulty curve. Despite these considerations, the Bandai Namco title is a good JRPG but above all a dream come true for fans of the opera, which we hope will be just the beginning of a new, promising saga.
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Tactics Ogre: Reborn allows one to approach a classic tactical role-playing game with a long list of improvements, ranging from overall presentation to playful balance. A neatly packaged re-release, albeit with some minor levity, that opens up usability to a wider modern audience. Despite the decades that have passed, the epic of Denam, Catiua and Vyce still proves to be a total masterpiece, thanks to a deep narrative, rich gameplay and stellar replayability. A must-have title for fans of Yoshitsuna Kobayashi and Tomoya Asano, but not only.
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Children of Silentown is a precise, solid, timely graphic adventure that manages to keep the player glued to the screen thanks to the unsettling atmosphere that the developers have managed to recreate. This is also and above all thanks to the title's audio-visual department, which is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the production. It’s just a shame about the narrative structure, which, despite its excellent premise, fails to resonate with the player due to a too-random twist in the final stages of the adventure.
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GRIS confirms itself, years later, as a small gem in the landscape of independent productions. Nomada Studio takes us on a synaesthetic experience in which art and music wrap themselves around a mysterious and melancholy story. A meaningful and touching journey through the stages of grief, from heartbreaking sorrow to heartwarming rebirth. If from the standpoint of presentation and themes GRIS excels, ludically the experience is unfortunately all too linear, simple and essential. A definite choice on the part of the development team, however, that may alienate some of the audience: for everyone else, it is impossible not to still cherish Devolver Digital's classic.
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Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is undoubtedly one of the best collections ever produced, primarily due to its nature as a historical and cultural compendium of those years. The omissions, which are not due to negligence but rather to licensing agreements and/or copyright issues, although they slightly affect the encyclopedic nature of the collection, do not diminish an admirable work carried out with passion. Digital Eclipse deserves praise, especially for their efforts in preserving the materials used, and we can only recommend the collection to all video game enthusiasts.
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Sable surprised us. Its dreamlike, at times auteur-like atmosphere captivated us, and the skillful blend of various game elements ironically trapped us in what is a completely free and customizable experience. Sable rejects all the overly inflated tropes of the more "open" titles of the moment, such as constant markers and indicators, with great mastery. The indie market reaffirms itself once again as a furnace of undisputed gems. Thankfully, more and more creatives are choosing to wear this brave mask. As video game players, we can only be grateful.
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The Beast Inside finally arrives on consoles bringing with it the undeniable appeal that has made it so successful on Steam. A charm due to a presentation that aspires to photorealism, with a compelling story somewhere between thriller and horror through two different historical eras. An excellent variety of situations and a very good longevity are further winning elements of a production that at the same time fails to hide a simplicity of structure and mechanics. This is a little gem from a small development team, which we recommend to fans of the genre and those who want to try something different and genuinely engaging.
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Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are extremely difficult titles to evaluate. We are faced with a production that has evident issues, especially concerning world-building and technical aspects, yet it manages to captivate the player in a mesmerizing vortex, despite all its gameplay limitations, thanks to the immense sense of freedom provided by its open world. Had they been released 20 years ago, our reception would have certainly been much more positive. In 2022, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are "only" a haphazard realization of a dream for a generation of thirty-something kids who deserved more, but who, all things considered, can still feel somewhat satisfied.
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Hilarious jokes, incredible combat, and a revised mission structure mean that Darktide represents the most complete iteration of Fatshark and their cooperative combat: fast and fluid. However, the various bugs that plague the game hold us back from recommending it immediately to fans and non-fans of the genre; surely it will be in better shape in a few months. And perhaps, in a year or two, after a couple of expansions and numerous updates, it could be something nothing short of amazing to look forward to. As things stand, it is a good game and nothing more.
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After the sinking of Google's console, Wavetale finally lands at other shores. It does so full of hope, to make known its own fascinating plot full of melancholy suggestions set in a watercolor world. If narratively the title has won us over with the delicacy of the story and ludically it has entertained us with its simple mechanics (for some people probably even too basic), unfortunately the technical compartment is to date embarrassing. A tsunami of problems that we hope will be fixed as soon as possible.
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Super Kiwi 64 is the latest effort by Marcus Horn, a game developer who over the years has set himself a goal with his own Siactro label: to offer gamers nostalgic experiences at affordable prices. The goal is once again met: the production is a tribute to the era of Nintendo 64 classics, from which it inherits both the gameplay and technical aspects. With a price tag of just €2.99, it is almost impossible to discourage, unless you are completely refractory to low-poly aesthetics. For everyone else, you can give it a chance with the knowledge that it will be a short but enjoyable experience.
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The Chant demonstrates how the indie world is fertile ground for experimentalism in the survival horror theme. Brass Token inaugurates its debut with a bold product, somewhere between the suggestions of a taut, well-structured plot and openings toward a more action-oriented balance at the expense of survival. Paradoxically, the title's resourcefulness prevents it from fully focusing on its playful components, ending up as an enjoyable but not unmissable experience. A fluctuating technical compartment and an all too modest duration make it a title suitable primarily for horror fans who are nevertheless open to the more “eventful” hybridization of the action genre.
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Evil West is an extremely honest product. Unlike other titles that promise to bring smoky innovations, the Flying Wild Hog title simply wants to be a fun action adventure inspired by typical AA productions of previous video game generations. An accomplished goal, thanks to a sparkling combat system and a proudly B-movie horror appeal. Unfortunately, the excessive linearity of the level design and a technical compartment on which the crossgen nature weighs excessively prevent the project from reaching higher levels. With these understandings, buckle up and adjust your hats: the hunt for monstrosities in the Wild West has just begun.
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Jitsu Squad arrives on consoles bringing with it exaggerated and excessive fighting with an equally explosive visual presentation. Tanuki Creative Studio treasures the years of development by churning out a reckless beat'em'up that is beautiful to look at and fun to play, thanks to influences taken from the best classics and Capcom and ArkSys fighting games. Unfortunately, at present it is complex to recommend the title except to fans of the genre. The absence of online and a sometimes challenging readability are aspects that add to the title's meager play offering, which awaits the arrival of the promised free content for 2023. If the prospect does not deter you, give it quiet confidence: this team of warriors will win you over!
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We confess that we have a soft spot for independent productions carried out with courage and ambition, especially if they are proposed by a handful of developers. Togges is the fruit of the brave love of two brothers, who want to try to infuse new ideas into 3D worlds. A goal fully achieved, thanks to a charismatic narrative premise and, above all, original, fresh and fun gameplay. More puzzle game collectathon than classic 3D platformer, a circumstance that might alienate one part of the audience (and perhaps bring another closer), the Regular Studio production is one of the last great little surprises of this 2022.
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Kukoos: Lost Pets is a very good 3D platformer that, thanks to a clever alternation of game situations and an intelligent and challenging level of difficulty, manages to entertain the gamer from start to finish. Although the price does not constitute an element of evaluation, the price tag of €29.99 (for both the digital and physical editions) is, in relation to the content offering, an additional incentive to purchase Petit Fabrik's title.
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New Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja is an acceptable remake, but with a few small adjustments, it could have become a little must-have for all gamers. A remake that remains in an unfortunate limbo. On one hand, the work done on the original game is commendable, but on the other, more could have been done. There isn’t even an Extra section with concept art or curiosities, for example. Most importantly, if the developers had offered more customization options for the experience, we’d be reviewing what, in a short time, could have become an unmissable cult classic. As it was released, however, we fear many gamers will be left disappointed by the title, and this is a real shame because, at its core, the game is very solid. In summary, "bello e impossibile", as said by an old italian song.
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