KonsoliFIN

Warzone 2.0 refines the original formula with fresh updates like a revamped Gulag and expanded vehicle options, enhancing the overall experience. However, despite these improvements, it remains a cautious iteration rather than a true innovation, leaving some players wanting more groundbreaking changes.

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Crisis Core was always an outlier, even if it was the best of the expanded Final Fantasy 7 gaming universe. 20-plus years later, it stands out as a decent, if oddly-paced and often poorly-written prequel that you won't miss if you decide to skip it. Only for the fans, this one.

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Gungrave G.O.R.E isn't big, novel, or even new, but it is damn fun for the short amount of time that it lasts. You probably shouldn't pay full price for it, but fans of this particular style of shooter will be in gory, blood-soaked heaven.

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Tactics Ogre: Reborn doesn't reinvent the wheel, but even as a light remaster it's among the best of its genre. For fans, this is a must-buy. For everyone else, it's a fine introduction to one of the original classics that continues to set the standard.

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When I got to test Sonic Frontiers at Gamescom 2022, I already had a feeling that something truly unique might be at hand. When reviewing the final product, it was a joy to realize that my initial positive impressions didn’t fade—in fact, quite the opposite. At this time of year and in this state of mind, the new Sonic fits incredibly well. And best of all: if this is the direction Sonic Team wants to take the series, fans can finally be hopeful about the future of the blue blur.

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A janky, broken nightmare that nobody should have to experience.

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While I appreciate the wild swings and big ideas that Nier: Automata presents, the simple fact remains that it's just not engaging enough as a game or as a story to warrant as many playthroughs as it demands. It could probably work better as an OVA. But as a game, it's just a frustrating work of repetition and dire plotting.

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Bayonetta 3 isn’t the best entry in the series, but it’s still an incredibly powerful action spectacle that easily outshines games like Soulstice, which I reviewed recently. Rumor has it that PlatinumGames’ top boss, Hideki Kamiya, is already hard at work on the fourth installment, so we definitely haven’t heard the last from the universe’s toughest witch.

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A Plague Tale: Requiem, the sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence, is a visually stunning but technically flawed stealth-action game set in medieval southern France. The story follows siblings Amicia and Hugo, who are again on the run as Hugo’s mysterious illness, the "macula," unleashes a plague of rats. Gameplay expands on the original with more combat options, open level design, and skill progression. While the environments are impressive and the gameplay deeper, the experience suffers from frequent crashes and repetitive sections. Despite these issues, Requiem delivers a longer, richer, and more ambitious adventure—now with rats that can climb.

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The difficulty in Atari Mania often feels downright unfair, making retries more frustrating than fun. Mediocre instructions, unclear hitboxes, input lag issues, and occasionally odd control mechanics ruin the experience far too often. There are some good microgames — plenty, in fact — but progress is halted far too frequently for all the wrong reasons. This is a true shame: Atari Mania has a fun and interesting concept, and I really wanted to like it more.

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Visually, Splatoon 3 has a childlike aesthetic, but its vibrant worlds are charming and pleasing to the eye. As a big bonus, matches run at a silky-smooth 60 frames per second, proving that Nintendo truly knows how to squeeze every drop of power from aging hardware. The sound effects are fairly standard, while the music hits the player with a full blast of speed metal, disco, trance, polka, and just pure chaotic madness. Surprisingly, all these elements come together seamlessly, creating a truly unique experience. So: now is the perfect time to dive into the world of Splatoon!

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Victoria 3, developed by Paradox Interactive, is a complex and richly detailed grand strategy game set in the industrial and Victorian era. Unlike its more war-focused sibling titles, this entry emphasizes industrialization, trade, social reform, and global diplomacy. Starting in the 1830s, players manage the economic and societal development of a chosen nation, navigating challenges like class struggle, colonialism, and rapid technological change. While the game’s interface has improved, it remains intricate, requiring time and patience to master. Despite an aging engine and occasional AI shortcomings, Victoria 3 offers a deep simulation experience with nearly endless replayability. It’s a standout title for strategy fans interested in the transformative power of the industrial age.

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Unfortunately, Soulstice is a forgettable hack-and-slash that also overstays its welcome. This is a shame, because at its best, it can be quite stylish and mechanically competent, especially during boss battles. The challenge level feels well-balanced, but a completely uninteresting story, bland characters, repetitive environments, occasional camera problems and ultimately shallow combat drag the experience down into an abyss from which it never recovers. Even its overall vibe seems primarily aimed at underage goths. That said, Soulstice does have some solid foundations, and the hack-and-slash genre is far from outdated. Perhaps in a sequel, the pieces will fall into place more effectively?

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Live A Live is a delightful, if unsurprising, remaster of a classic that received barely any attention in the West when it was first released. Now, it's finally here, and somehow still feels as inventive and fresh as the day it first came out.

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Gerda: A Flame in Winter is a Nordic narrative adventure game set in Nazi-occupied Denmark during World War II. The player takes on the role of Gerda, a nurse caught between loyalty and resistance after her husband is arrested by the Gestapo for his ties to the local resistance. As a Danish-German, Gerda navigates a web of tense relationships, smuggling plots, and moral dilemmas in her village. The gameplay centers on tough choices, limited resources, and managing Gerda’s emotional energy, with branching dialogues and consequences that encourage replayability. Featuring a minimalist watercolor art style and no manual saves, the game delivers an intimate and emotionally impactful experience rooted in real historical events.

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Immortality is an ambitious and enigmatic FMV (Full-Motion Video) game from indie auteur Sam Barlow, known for Her Story and Telling Lies. The game follows the mysterious career of fictional actress Marissa Marcel, who starred in three unreleased films. Players explore over 200 film clips—ranging from rehearsals to behind-the-scenes footage—uncovering a layered narrative involving industry intrigue, personal drama, and a haunting supernatural thread. The core mechanic allows players to click on objects within scenes to jump to other clips featuring the same item, gradually revealing the story in a nonlinear fashion. While the freedom and depth are remarkable, the experience can feel aimless at times, as progression often relies on random discovery. Still, Immortality is a deeply artistic fusion of film and interactive storytelling—rewarding, challenging, and uniquely unforgettable.

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Pac-Man World Re-PAC reveals that old 3D platformers have aged worse than their 2D counterparts. Throughout the playthrough, it became clear that what was cool and original in 2000, no longer feels that way in 2022 unfortunately. Unlike Super Mario 64, Pac-Man World simply doesn’t have quite the same timeless magic. But then again, Pac-Man World Re-PAC is a solid remake and in a nutshell: If you’re familiar with the original and want the same experience with updated graphics — just like on the original PlayStation — then go ahead and grab it. If you have kids in the family, I’d still recommend Pac-Man’s adventure, as the levels aren’t too large, and there’s an easier difficulty mode available if needed. However, if you’re an adult and completely new to the game, keep my earlier warnings in mind.

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As Dusk Falls is a gripping, branching narrative drama from Interior Night, a studio founded by former Quantic Dream developers. Set in the Arizona desert, the story follows two families—one on a road trip, the other on the run—as their fates intertwine during a tense motel hostage crisis. Told from multiple perspectives over six chapters, the game transitions from high-stakes standoffs to long-term consequences that span decades. With a unique motion-comic art style and excellent voice acting, the experience is emotionally intense and deeply replayable. Choices significantly shape the story, often determining who lives or dies. While gameplay is simple and accessible, the moral weight of decisions makes the experience richly engaging. A haunting cliffhanger and stylish presentation make As Dusk Falls a standout in the interactive drama genre.

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Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is a superlative expansion that feels like a miracle when you play it on the Nintendo Switch. There's no reason for it to work this well, yet it does, and it's a joy from beginning to end.

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Stray is a stunning work of art. While it’s primarily an atmospheric journey, it offers enough meaningful activities, intriguing characters, and beautiful locations to explore, making it stand out clearly from the crowd. Additionally, the adventure as a whole is so cohesive, beautiful, and memorable that it can be recommended to just about anyone — even those who aren’t particularly fond of cats.

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