Nicolò Rovegno

“Castle of Heart Retold is certainly a step up compared to the original Nintendo Switch release from 2018, fixing some of the knight's clunkiness and greatly improving the visuals. Unfortunately, it is not enough to make this fast-paced action-platformer shine on a much, much larger library compared to its original release.”

“Sacred 2 Remaster is an odd one. When the original was released in 2008 it felt like a huge wasted opportunity, a game with an enourmous amount of content marred by just as many bugs and technical problems, and yet I ended up falling in love with its endless exploration and janky combat. Seventeen years later, this remaster should have been the perfect occasion to fix as many technical flaws as possible while mantaining what already worked. It manages to do so, but to a far lesser extent than expected, and the addition of new problems makes it hard to justify the purchase for reasons other than nostalgia or curiosity.”

“Wild Hearts S is a testament to the Nintendo Switch 2 potential, as it runs well enough in handheld mode despite releasing so early in the console life cycle, especially for a third party title. It can't be considered a threat to Monster Hunter's throne in this genre, but it certainly could be a good choice for those who prefer handheld gaming, especially if they haven't played it on other platforms.”

“Somber Echoes is, by all means, a good metroidvania and a good game, bringing the player into a well designed world that combines sci-fi elements with Greco-Roman mythology. It's just that, after exploring the halls of its doomed spaceship and meeting gods and reality-bending entities, it cannot seem to take the final step to excellence.”

“Chains of Freedom is a well-rounded tactical-RPG, sporting an excellent turn-based combat system and a surprisingly good story that only shows some hiccups nearing the end of the game. The level of difficulty is quite high, mainly because of the resource management necessary to even reach the later stages, bringing depth and a rising sense of tension to the whole experience.”

“Gal Guardians Servants of the Dark is undoubtedly a good metroidvania, capable of offering a complete gaming experience and even a few hours of fun in local co-op, a type of game the industry seems to have forgotten. Unfortunately, while it improves on its predecessor in virtually every aspect, there remains the feeling of being faced with a title that handles usually more complex aspects well, such as the excellent boss fights against some bosses, only to fall on seemingly simpler and more straightforward issues such as inventory management.”