4News.it's Reviews
Split Fiction is a masterpiece of game design and another example of how the development team, in the span of three games, has managed to completely rewrite the playbook on how to develop entertaining and incredibly creative and powerful stories. Hazelight Studios, has far exceeded the already mammoth expectations we had by coming up with a game that manages to be so many things at once; Split Fiction is ultimately, yes a clear demonstration of how a cooperative game should be developed and a wonderful ode to gaming as an art form but it will be remembered in the years to come - among other things - for something that we are now perhaps inclined to underestimate and should instead carry more weight in our lives, namely: how important the power of friendship is.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land represents a potential turning point for Gust's long-running JRPG series. It is a large and ambitious production, with an emphasis on more immediate and accessible gameplay accompanied by a story with a more mature slant. Exactly like a complex alchemical formula, the developers have managed to combine the saga's identity features with the novelties included. At the same time, it is a formula that can be further refined and improved. But one thing is certain: the path is definitely the right one.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Two Point Museum is yet another triumph of a saga born out of the success of the spiritual sequel to a cult title. Building the museum of one's dreams is a rewarding and fun experience, within the reach of all audiences thanks to the perfect balance of playful features. The franchise's stylistic signature is still marked by irony and levity, which is also reflected in a tendentially permissive gameplay that may not be appreciated by devotees of more challenging management games. But beyond that, this is a title not to be missed. New loves may even blossom toward this genre, we guarantee.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a bold, must-play experience for fans of the saga. The introduction of pirate mechanics adds freshness to the gameplay, while the compelling narrative and iconic characters ensure a memorable adventure. However, the PC version needs some fixes to address performance issues. Despite these flaws, the game offers hours of fun and once again confirms Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's ability to innovate without betraying the roots of the series.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Trails through Daybreak II is a great little paradox signed by Nihon Falcom. On the one hand, the new installment of The Legend of Heroes refines and enhances the excellent achievements marked by its direct predecessor, representing for all intents and purposes a step forward. On the other hand, it presents a less flawless script than expected with the accompanying return of the related atavistic problem of the stringent and propaedeutic need to have prior knowledge of lore and characters. Van Arkride's new adventure thus experiences a dual nature: a practically unmissable product for those who loved the first Daybreak, a production hardly advisable for all those who have not had the opportunity to approach it instead.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Monster Hunter Wilds is undoubtedly one of the most complete and remarkable titles in the saga (if not perhaps the best). With a vast open world, intense battles, and stunning graphics, it succeeds in captivating longtime fans and newcomers alike. Its combination of exploration, action and strategy, together with the possibility of cooperative play, makes it an unforgettable experience. The innovations introduced in this chapter add new depth to the gameplay, while the technical quality, environment design and soundtrack are top notch. If you are a fan of the saga or simply a lover of action games, Monster Hunter Wilds is a title you absolutely cannot miss.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is an operation that succeeds in bringing two legendary games back to modern platforms with a modernized twist, without affecting their essence. The story is still engaging, the gameplay retains its charm, and small improvements make the experience more accessible to those new to the series.
Review in Italian | Read full review
PGA Tour 2K25 is a solid title that improves several aspects of its predecessor but does not revolutionize the experience. The new swing system, improved physics, and extensive content offerings make it a great simulator for fans, but some technical flaws and the handling of microtransactions may turn the nose up at those looking for a more refined experience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Sid Meier's Civilization VII represents a chapter destined to mark a new era for the legendary strategy franchise. Ambitious is the will on the part of Firaxis Games to aim toward a revolution such as to simultaneously please fans of the saga and new audiences. Not as impeccable, however, is its implementation, with some choices that risk creating disappointment and discontent especially with the most loyal users. The seventh installment of the 4X king is once again excellent, full of brilliant and intriguing insights. Beware, however: some new features may not be very welcome.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Turbo Overkill is a frenetic and unscrupulous FPS, at times exhilarating in pace and variety. It is precisely its excesses, however, that may make it less appealing than expected to more purist shooter fans. Indeed, the relentless pursuit of exaggerated escalation of violence ends up leaving some aspects by the wayside that make the title less compact than hoped for, especially in the context of the home console adaptation. And so, the control system ends up showing the side of some excessive nervousness and some features are inexplicably absent. Regardless, it remains a must try for fans of the genre and a commendable debut for Trigger Happy Interactive.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered turns out to be a “curious” but nonetheless interesting operation that celebrates the legendary figure of Lara Croft and tries to make the most controversial period of her saga usable to a new generation of gamers. Although the remastering is top-notch and succeeds in making these video games more accessible and visually pleasing without altering too much of their original spirit, the heart of the problem remains the same: The Last Revelation, Chronicles and The Angel of Darkness failed to do justice to Lara 20 years ago and certainly will not succeed now.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Avowed represents quintessential game design according to Obsidian Entertainment. While not offering a radically new experience, the return to the world of Eora is an exciting action RPG, graced by the traditional care the development team put into the script. Free to be able to create one's alter ego among a thousand opportunities for customization and to direct it indiscriminately toward the paths of good or evil, Avowed puts players within a setting that is the antithesis of the dispersive risk of an endless open world, with gameplay devoted to action and fun. It may not be a revolution, and technically some hiccups are there, but for all fans of the genre it is a must.
Review in Italian | Read full review
NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black marks the unexpected return of Ryu Hayabusa, when he now seemed to be confined only to the memories of a few video game generations ago. Instead, here he appears out of nowhere as a warrior who makes shadows his calling, with Team Ninja remastering him for us in Unreal Engine 5. Gallant and entertaining perhaps more so today than in its time, abetted by a landscape that has seen the rarification of pure action, we are faced with a perceptible step forward from Sigma 2. At the same time, however, the features that made the chapter released for the Xbox 360 unforgettable have not been reproduced, effectively materializing a missed opportunity to make the true definitive edition of the title. NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black remains, in any case, a glorious return for the franchise as we look forward to welcoming the fourth chapter at the end of the year.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Is a product inspired by niche classics itself intended to appeal to a small audience? This is an inevitable rhetorical question that Moons of Darsalon does not shy away from. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. After a long development path, the strategic adventure from Dr. Kucho! Games also arrives on consoles repurposing all the gaming charm of forty years ago (argh), enhanced by modern technologies. It won't be an experience for everyone, that's for sure. But for those who grew up on Lemmings, this could be a very tasty trip down memory lane.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, is a true wonder. Between realism and historical accuracy, without disdaining lightheartedness and irreverence, you will immerse yourself in an incredible open-world RPG that is alive and engaging (just as if you were there, right in the Middle Ages), more refined than the 2018 original, with a modified combat system that is decidedly more intuitive and functional, deep and diverse systems that provide even more incentive to seek out a certain style of play, truly jaw-dropping scenarios, and (almost) no bugs or glitches during quests (which in such a vast product is no small feat). However, it still features a slow and compassed pace (especially in the first 7 to 8 hours of play) and - in certain situations - tediously realistic and heavy-handed (on the other hand, this was exactly what attracted millions of players to try their hand at the first chapter and we are sure will attract as many in this sequel). A heaviness that you will later understand and intend in the good sense that will make you feel what you have to do and how you have to do it, just as it was done in the Middle Ages, making you experience an epic adventure. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a unique game that-although it may not be appealing to many-will delight die-hard fans of open world RPGs.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Big Helmet Heroes is a scrolling beat'em'up that makes the ironic representation of chivalric imagery its strong point. But above all, beyond the production's evidently humorous figure, Exalted Studio makes a genuinely entertaining title, capable of making people smile thanks to its likeable protagonists grappling with sizzling hand-to-hand combat. Certainly, this is not the title of the month and it is not within its ambitions to be so. Nevertheless, it does not detract from the fact that if you want to spend a few hours in merriment, perhaps with a friend on the same couch, this is a title to keep in due consideration.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is the perfect sequel. It solves all the critical issues of its predecessor and perfects even more of the franchise's distinctive element: the handling of Homunculus. However, in the name of accessibility, some of the magic that made Ender Lilies so charming has been lost. But that's perfectly fine.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Dynasty Warriors: Origins succeeds in an almost impossible mission: unhinging the most entrenched beliefs and paradigms related to the musou genre, while not disavowing its fundamental and defining characteristics. Omega Force's signature relaunch of the saga combines the best of the saga with modern insights that finally make the experience more varied, fresh and tantalizing. Some sacrifices and compromises might turn the noses of fans of the series, however, while those who have never experienced the appeal of such a unique genre will not necessarily be charmed by the novelties. In any case, Origins represents the highest point reached by the saga as well as a new beginning that could bring enormous satisfaction even to those who have never approached the battles of the Three Kingdoms.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Sniper Elite: Resistance, despite the familiar mold and a game model that in several respects seems far too derivative from its predecessors, nevertheless has a unique soul that hides little surprises and that are sought after by a great many players who love the genre: The improved AI that can really challenge the player this time, optional objectives (real objectives and not just secondary ones), alternate routes that allow you to reach the objective marked on the map in a different way, a variety of firearms (customizable and upgradable). Add to this the numerous online modes, including the much-loved “Axis Invasion” (which we found a bit unbalanced) and the cooperative player option -- net of more than a few missteps in terms of graphics (a sharp change of course is urgently needed) -- and you have on your hands a good package that will allow you to experience for the first time an exciting new sniper campaign as Harry Hawker.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Eternal Strands marks a welcome return to the video game scene for Mike Laidlaw. An action RPG that draws from the best game design lessons of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Shadow of the Colossus to create a multi-layered interactive adventure that is as galvanizing in its premise as it is satisfying in its execution. Unfortunately, this is not a flawless project, starting with an overly derivative art direction through repetitive quest design and a combat system that is acerbic in its fundamentals. In any case, it is impossible not to greet with applause the ambitious project of Yellow Brick Games, which has the incontrovertible and indisputable merit of wanting to dare something more than the majority of productions in the same genre. And this is no small feat, far from it.
Review in Italian | Read full review