Alessandro Barbosa's Reviews
Pulling on emotional strings throughout, Journey is every bit the masterpiece on PS4 that it was on PS3. It's an emphatic example of art, sound and design working in complete harmony together, creating a piece of digital art that just begs to be experienced. Journey is nearly flawless, and will remain so until the end of time.
It’s impossible to pinpoint a fault in Super Mario Odyssey, which both elegantly and eloquently surprises and calls back to its storied history. It’s a game full of surprises; one that plays with your expectations and supersedes them in almost every way. If you have a Switch (or are yet to get one), it’s simply essential.
God of War reinvigorates an ageing series with a Kratos you can care for, a host of new characters that are both exceptionally acted and wonderfully written with action and exploration that sets new standards for games of this ilk going forward. It's a triumph in storytelling and design, making it one of the most exceptional experiences gaming has ever seen.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an impeccable role-playing game, and one of the finest games ever created. Whether it's as large as tracking the Wild Hunt or as small as delivering a love letter, The Witcher 3 makes Geralt's actions count in the most incredible ways - creating a world begging to be explored for countless hours on end.
Inside is a game that simply has to be experienced. Its mystery filled dystopian world is brought to life expertly through tight, thoughtful design, masterful art direction and sublime sound design. Inside isn’t like many other games, because not many others can do so perfectly what it does regularly.
Crystal Dynamics have effortlessly done the impossible with Rise of the Tomb Raider, crafting a sequel that is superior to their reboot in every single way possible. It's a bigger, more expansive experience that has a captivating narrative, engrossing gameplay loops and an absolutely stunning presentation. Rise of the Tomb Raider is one of the best action games ever crafted, and a generational leap forward as the series looks towards the horizon. Lara Croft is in good hands.
Hollow Knight's sprawling world, precise combat, and wealth of content make its trip through Hollownest engrossing and rewarding.
Thronebreaker's strong writing and compelling characters accent a strong re-imagining of Gwent and a gripping single-player story.
Outer Wilds is a poignant space explorer with an emotionally engrossing tale set across a condensed but wildly surprising solar system.
Satisfying puzzles and cathartic painting mechanics support Chicory: A Colorful Tale's strikingly relatable story about self-doubt.
The Forgotten City is a deeply satisfying puzzle adventure that will have you questioning what it means to sin.
Forza Horizon 5 continues the upward trend of the franchise, providing an open-world racing experience that stands unrivaled.
Stray expertly embodies the abilities of its feline protagonist to create a captivating puzzle adventure in an engrossing post-apocalyptic world
Viewfinder stretches its entrancing central mechanic in delightful ways, constructing an engrossing, yet brief, puzzle-adventure that shouldn't be missed.
Forza Motorsport is a triumphant return for the simulation racing series, and it has never been as approachable or rewarding.
Balatro's ingenious combination of poker and roguelite gameplay creates an intoxicating combination that's hard to pull away from.
Hades II is an ambitious expansion of all the ideas that came before it, balancing them beautifully to create one of the best roguelites on the market even in its incomplete state.
In a few ways, Inquisition feels like a soft reboot of the Dragon Age series. Combat is different, Thedas has changed and the story has never been more about you as a character. It's still Dragon Age at heart, retaining some of the series' defining features, but it's hard to overlook some of the new, brilliant design choices that BioWare have made. Inquisition exudes ambition, and it's one of the very best RPGs you could ever hope to lose yourself to.
Grand Theft Auto V is at home on PC, with Rockstar pouring an incredible amount of effort and work into their long overdue PC port. There is simply no better way to experience the branching story in Los Santos - setting a new benchmark on what we can expect from the highest tier of visual fidelity in gaming.
Quantum Break is another example of Remedy Entertainment sticking to what they know, and doing it better than anyone else. An engrossing adventure with a captivating story. experimentation with new mediums for telling stories in games and refined third-person gameplay to match. Quantum Break isn't optional, it's essential.