Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is a game tailor-made for speedrunners, and played alone it risks losing its appeal in a short time. It's a creature made for a well-thought-out competitive ecosystem, which with online challenges could keep the interest of its select audience high for a long time, or at least until the arrival of an eventual SNES Edition. Perhaps not for everyone, but intriguing if the challenge doesn't scare you.
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Parasol Stars is still a fun and colourful platform game, an heirloom from a simpler and more innocent era that is worth preserving. The low price and online leaderboards are a good incentive to embark on this journey into the past, minus a somewhat lazy and gritty adaptation.
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Trails Through Daybreak is a rather classic role-playing game and will delight Nihon Falcom fans, if only to inaugurate yet another narrative strand in a now endless dynasty. The combat system isn't quite as polished as the one seen in Trails of Cold Steel, however, and the plot likes to keep the pace a bit too slow, but as a start there's nothing to complain too much about, thanks also to the charisma of a protagonist like Van and an intriguing game world as only Falcom is capable of creating.
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Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance breaks the shackles that initially bound it to a far too modest hardware to finally shine on a range of systems capable of enhancing its visionary beauty. On top of that, a resounding series of additions makes the handling of demons even deeper, while an alternative story line will keep even those who lost sleep over the Switch version happy.
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Wizardry Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is yet another masterstroke from Digital Eclipse, a developer capable of breathing new life into classics with incredible talent. Apart from its fundamental historical value, however, Wizardry is a game that is now rather limited in its mechanics and cadence, classifying itself as an artefact suitable mainly for digital archaeologists eager to rediscover it. It would have been great if it had been accompanied by the wealth of historical notions to which Digital Eclipse has now accustomed us.
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: It might seem like a classic case of quantity overshadowing quality, but in reality Samurai Warriors 4 DX is a decent conversion of one of the most popular chapters among Musou fans, enhanced by a hefty dose of DLC. It shows its age in several respects but retains an exciting and entertaining soul, which will finally delight those who have been longing for the game's arrival on PC since 2014.
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Endless Ocean Luminous is not the dream sequel I always hoped for to Arika's beloved submarine series. The change of direction has favoured the co-operative component, but has mutilated the original experience of many interesting and distinctive features. The purely educational aspect remains, and the possibility of organising dives together with such a large number of friends is not to be underestimated, but I wouldn't recommend the game to those who are only interested in reliving the fascinating sensations of the original chapters on Wii.
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Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes is a good, deliberately old-fashioned JRPG with all the pros and cons. As a love letter to Suikoden it hits the mark despite some uncertainties, but the biggest problem at the moment are the bugs we encountered during the review, some very serious and impossible to ignore. Wait patiently for the bugfixes.
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Dragon's Dogma 2 is an extremely addictive open-world action game, with a combat system that is virtually flawless and has a huge map full of secrets to explore. It follows a philosophy all its own and for this it deserves to be rewarded, but the optimization problems that plague the PC version tested during the review do not allow it to achieve excellence, at least for the moment.
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Unicorn Overlord is incredible, a deep and affordable strategy game that resurrects and updates the formula of a divisive classic like Ogre Battle, dormant since the days of Person of Lordly Caliber. Beautiful to look at and listen to, magnetic and impossible to leave behind: it's all right, apart from a few minor flaws listed in the body of the review. They really don't make games like this any more, so don't miss it.
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It's a bit like being back in the company of old friends from a past that's impossible to forget: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth successfully continues the rewriting work begun four years ago, ferrying Cloud and his companions into an open world of rare beauty. A certain repetitiveness in the secondary activities and some minor flaws related to the combat system - exciting but still not perfect - are personally negligible trifles in the face of a reunion of such calibre. To recommend it is a trivial formality.
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Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a diamond in the rough, with a limited number of colossal opponents and a lot of choices and concessions that contribute to a less rewarding challenge and long-term interest. If you are a fan of (or even just interested in) the universe created by Cygames, however, it is likely that the rich and charismatic cast of playable characters may make you turn a blind eye. Definitely a game made for fans.
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It may have lost the console war, but this new incarnation of SEGA as publisher is an unstoppable force of nature: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the perfect sequel, rectifying the shortcomings and doubts that arose during a first episode that was perhaps too experimental. An incredibly satisfying combat system frames one of the most engaging stories written by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio in an adventure that stands as a serious contender for game of the year, and it's only January.
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Tekken 8 is yet another great chapter in a series incapable of making any missteps. The new mechanics change the game's skin, and while historical detractors won't find any particular reason to change their minds (the famous 'volleyball simulator' for its emphasis on juggles), everyone else will find an incredibly deep game that will stay with them for several years to come. Who knows, maybe thanks to Ghosts even those who are completely refractory to online gaming will find the courage to take their first steps into a new world.
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Radiant Silvergun is personally the best shooter written by Treasure, but it's not for everyone. The measured cadence of the action and the difficulty of handling the seven weapons make it difficult to approach for those who prefer the deflagrating action of more dynamic alternatives like danmaku, but the effort of mastering such unique mechanics is repaid by an extraordinary game.
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Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising is a fighting game that makes immediacy its strong point, easy to approach but incredibly deep. The mechanics of the first chapter have been honed to perfection, and a rich roster offers hours of fun in company. It's a pity that the content reserved for solo players is very limited, classifying the game as a feast for those who like to compete online. Those simplified controls I just can't bring myself to like.
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Journey to Foundation is a game that is greater than the sum of its parts: the absolute merit of the original work is set against the backdrop of mechanics and ideas that are limited and already seen, but when put together manage to function as pieces in the complex and fascinating mosaic that Foundation has always been. Do not, however, expect a revolutionary or particularly challenging VR experience.
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Ufo Robot Goldrake The Feast of Wolves is unfortunately a mediocre game, so much so that I would not recommend it even to the most die-hard fans of the iconic robot, except at a discounted price. Like the original material, it is a product aimed at a young audience, ironically at the antipodes of the old-timers who are supposed to represent the hardcore Actarus fans.
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RoboCop: Rogue City is the best video game dedicated to Verhoeven's character, and that alone might be enough of a recommendation for a slice of the old-timers. It is satisfying and brutal, a video game as gory and simple as those of yesteryear, and this is its trump card. What revolves around the shoot-outs is unfortunately not as exciting, but overall it remains a highly recommended game for fans of the film.
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Star Ocean The Second Story R is an over-the-top remake that comprehensively improves on the original game, bringing the best-loved chapter of the celebrated tri-Ace series up to date once again. A few improvements tend to further crack the mechanisms of a game that was not particularly balanced to begin with, but overall it's an old-fashioned JRPG experience that won't fail to thrill fans of the genre.
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