Gamesource Italia

Great re-proposition of the series and great debut on Switch 2

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FBC Firebreak is not for everyone. It's not for those looking for a competitive shooter. It's not for those who want a new Remedy narrative epic. It's not even for those who want deep, layered co-op. It is a light game, to be consumed calmly or in one go, without pressure. It is a product that wants to intrigue new users, not hold veterans back for dozens of hours. With this in mind, the arrival on Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus is a sensible move. It allows many to try it without buying it outright. Those who like it could then delve into Control, Alan Wake or other titles from the Finnish company. FBC Firebreak is a parallel project. It has a definite structure, a clear idea, solid execution. But it also has obvious limitations: little content, little variety, a longevity that does not go beyond ten hours. It is a cooperative shooter that stands out for its simplicity, clarity and the absence of any commercial superstructure. Remedy has chosen to take a different step, perhaps a more modest one, but one that is consistent with its own identity. It is not a revolutionary experiment, but it is a successful one. And in a multiplayer landscape where everything wants to go on forever, perhaps a game that only wants to be completed is not such a bad idea.

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In summary, Ruffy and the Riverside is a collect-a-thon that impresses with its creativity and unique visual style. Despite some technical and design flaws, and a few unfortunate choices, its potential is evident. A fun and creative gaming experience that, with greater attention to detail, would have had the potential to become an instant classic, a goal that, as it stands, eludes it. Although the 3D side may show recycled elements and certainly does not stand out for its detail, it blends beautifully with the grace and animation of the 2D sprites of the characters, which are fully successful and consistent with the humor and atmosphere of the work. This is a noteworthy and intrinsically original debut, positioning itself as a promising launch pad for future projects which, with greater attention to detail and refinement, will be able to scale even higher peaks of quality.

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Death Stranding 2 is part 2 of Death Stranding, not its sequel. The gameplay structure shifts towards greater immediacy in the use of every feature, aspect, and mechanic, particularly with a much more solid combat system—which tends to Metal Gear Solid-ize this IP—and greater ensemble playing among the characters, who are less isolated from each other and more part of a single entity fighting with the past, in the present, in the name of the future. Sam and we cross the mirror together to explore beyond memories and recollections, in a title that is a bit déjà vu and a bit therapy session, as powerful as and more than the first, with its sharp narrative but not without the usual Kojima histrionics, and a bitter but not pessimistic underlying message, because “the future is indeed the sum of all presents, but tomorrow does not belong to today anyway.”

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I'm very happy that BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster, a JRPG gem from the 3DS, has found new life now on Switch 2, but I'm not a big fan of creating a re-release of the title without touching up the negative aspects of the game or adding new content. If you've already played the original, you won't find enough new features to justify purchasing this remaster, unless you want to relive the experience of the first Bravely. However, if you've never played it and are looking for a classic JRPG experience on your Switch 2, this title could be for you.

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Scar-Lead Salvation is the perfect example of how NOT to treat the theme of time loops. The narrative turns out to be flat and unstimulating, failing to express the potential of this expedient. The gunplay is repetitive and poorly calibrated, weighing down the shooting phases. The environments lack originality, with rooms that are all the same. The enemies, then, are anonymous and constantly repeat themselves, varying only in color and the weapon they use. The bosses try to break this monotony in some way, but the path to follow to reach them turns out to be tedious, in addition to the fact that they are three in total. Scar-Lead Salvation tries to replicate Returnal, failing miserably.

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Rematch is a very fun game but also an experiment that still needs more ideas to coalesce into a greater whole.

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Monster Train 2 is a worthy successor to one of the best roguelites of recent years, seemlessly blending tower-defense elements with a deeply engaging deck-building core. This sequel builds upon a sold base, pretty much doubling the number of available clans and cards to deliver a more faceded experience, adding a deeper story, endless mode and a good number of challenge runs.

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TMNT Splintered Fate also in PS5 version turns out to be a good roguelike in Ninja Turtles style, and also among the most successful of recent years if you think about games about turtles. It is not a game for those who want to experience an exciting story, but it is mainly aimed at those looking for a satisfying gameplay experience with the possibility of playing in multiplayer, both locally and in co-op.

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In my opinion, the title remains a milestone in the open-world RPG genre. Once you blow the dust off it, you'll find it rich in content, with hundreds of thousands of lines of dialogue, memorable quests and sub-quests, and timeless magic. Are you sure you want to enter? The offer also includes the story DLCs: Knights of the Nine and The Shivering Isles, offering a truly tempting package for anyone who wants to explore for the first time or return to drive the Daedric cult from the lands of Cyrodiil. One of the giants of the past is back with a new look, and I strongly believe that anyone who wants to delve deeper into the history of the genre finally has an unmissable opportunity to learn about, appreciate, and explore one of the most talked-about and formative titles of the past decades.

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One of the best titles available for PSVR2

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In short, you will have understood that in The Alters it is necessary to keep an eye on a fair amount of options, parameters, and eventualities. As already mentioned, however, most of these are introduced as the story progresses without ever overwhelming the player. You will have noticed, however, that I wrote “most.” Yes, because on a handful of occasions, I found myself unable to perform an action necessary to save my life without understanding why I couldn't do it. Mind you, the game manual has its own section in the main menu and can be consulted at any time, but leafing through the instructions while you're in imminent danger of death is not a particularly reassuring action, especially when you realize that the information you're looking for is nowhere to be found. Another important factor to note, which could add further stress to players who are not particularly fluent in English, is that in The Alters, the entire experience is completely devoid of Italian. We are certainly not talking about a title with the quantity and complexity of texts found in Disco Elysium, but this absence could be debilitating for some or, if we want to look at it optimistically, make the experience even more survival-oriented. In any case, The Alters is designed to allow the player to partially roll back their run in an agile and extremely granular manner. The system automatically saves progress every time Jan goes to sleep, thus marking the arrival of the next day. Although I, spoiled by Xbox's Quick Resume, found it a bit limiting to have to wait until the end of the day to turn off the console, this system has the advantage of not only allowing for fairly precise reloading within your game timeline, but also triggering the virtuous circle of ‘I'll do another day and then turn off’, thanks to an articulate and extremely satisfying gameplay loop that will keep you playing The Alters for hours on end without ever getting tired of it. Take one part third-person action, two parts management, mix in survival mechanics, and blend it all together with an intriguing but never excessive narrative component. The result is The Alters: a well-balanced cocktail made intriguing by a lingering sense of unease. Sure, the geological detection phases lengthen the overall flavor a bit, and some ingredients may be a little cryptic, but these are almost canceled out by an irresistible fruity, almost cherry-like aftertaste that keeps you coming back for more.

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Mario Kart World is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best installment in the series. Even if it wasn't easy to surpass the legendary Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which had become ingrained in common thought as THE racing game, somehow Nintendo has done it again. Mario Kart World improves, reinvents, and innovates everything we were used to, and it does so exceptionally well.

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Trident's Tale is a pirate Adventure that, drawing on some well-known works in the videogame scene, presents itself as a light and at times light-hearted experience, with a quiet story without particolar depth in terms of direction and characters, and a simple and immediate gameplay. 3DClouds' work offers on the plate a half-succesful work: on the one hand there is a good exploratory component, a good progression system and nice and heterogeneous environmental puzzles; on the other hand the various technical problems regarding the camera view and the collisions stain the feeling of the combat system, which is also basically functional despite being shallow.

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Death end reQuest Code Z is certainly a brave experiment but flawed in every way. The transition to roguelike gameplay is an interesting idea, but the execution leaves much to be desired, with monotonous dungeons, poorly calibrated difficulty, and a narrative that fails to match the depth of its predecessors.

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Elden Ring Nightreign is not the triumph FromSoftware was hoping for. Even though the variety offered by the nightfarers and the known strength of the souls series' gameplay does indeed limit the damage, the game is held back by several subpar mechanics. A serverely lacking balancing, a paper thin divide between victory and defeat and a repetitive exploration prevent the first dive into multiplayer for Miyazaki's software house from hitting a perfect shot, but might prove to be a valuable lesson nonetheless.

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The Midnight Walk is by far one of the best experiences released in recent years in the indie scene. Its dark atmosphere, its intrinsic message and the company of the little Potboy, will keep you company for a few hours in an experience absolutely not to be missed.

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Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost fits well with the rhythm genre and the songs proposed are many and catchy. The gameplay works, but it really requires a lot of patience to be able to manage it on the highest difficulties. Even if the Danmaku mode is poorly done, the classic gameplay is very fun and satisfying. With a few small adjustments it could become a little gem among rhythm video games.

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In conclusion, Forza Horizon 5 is confirmed as one of the best racing titles of recent years, managing to effectively combine all those mechanics that have made the great video game series dedicated to the world of motors famous. The technical compartment is solid and well realized, capable of offering a remarkable visual impact. The audio compartment, of the highest level, also contributes to making the experience even more immersive. The gameplay, although leaning towards a style more arcade than simulative, is intuitive and accessible to anyone. It is precisely this simplicity that makes it so immediately enjoyable, while not sacrificing convincing physics that, at certain times, can really test driving precision. I definitely would have appreciated a more thorough damage system: even after rather violent crashes, the cars remain surprisingly intact, with few scratches and a few superficial dents. Looking at the whole package, Forza Horizon 5 undoubtedly ranks at the top of its genre. A boundless car fleet, a vast and eventful open world, and a well-rendered soundtrack are a testament to how much Playground Games has invested in the quality of this production. The porting to PS5 has been handled excellently: the game runs smoothly, with no noticeable frame drops or major bugs. Is Forza Horizon 5 the racing game that was missing on PS5? The answer is yes. The cross-platform policy undertaken by Microsoft seems to benefit both ecosystems, finally bringing this gem to the PlayStation audience as well.

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Blades of Fire is configured as an atypical action (RPG), capable of combining the tradition of “hardcore” titles with a metroidvania setting that represents, to all intents and purposes, its most distinctive stylistic feature. The game map, in fact, is developed around a vertical and layered, highly interconnected structure, in which exploration, backtracking and spatial memory assume a central role. This approach, far from the more recent drifts of the open world, restores an organic and coherent sense of progression, reinforcing the player's sense of growth through knowledge gained in the field, rather than through mere numerical statistics. Mercurysteam's introduction of a forging mechanic is certainly the most successful innovation, shifting the focus of progression to weapons. On the other hand, the overall gameplay experience can be too diluted, with fragmented quests and unclear objectives that can detract from the pace of the experience. Ultimately, Blades of Fire is not afraid to stray from the established canons of action to offer a certainly authorial vision. It is not an immediate title, nor is it all that forgiving, but it will know how to gratify you if you are looking for a new experience among this year's many releases.

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