Rafael Mendonça

“Wander Stars is a turn-based RPG that heavily pays homage to 80s/90s shonen anime, featuring a simple and charming story presented in an episodic format. Its combat is innovative and fun, based on strategic word combinations to perform attacks. Although the game is charismatic and the management of your word arsenal adds depth, the repetitiveness of the gameplay loop (walking and battling) can drag on during long sessions.”

“Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage is the definitive version of the nearly 20-year-old classic, adding Rollback Netcode and crossplay, as well as an excellent offline journey mode. Despite the overpriced DLCs and a shallow, mostly empty online matchmaking mode, the gameplay remains one of the strongest aspects of the 3D fighting game genre. The game is now more accessible to newcomers thanks to the offline journey mode, but Sega needs to focus on improving online-offline integration to address long wait times and player inactivity in ranked matches.”

“The House of the Dead 2 Remake is a disappointing reinterpretation that fails — and badly — to capture the spirit of the original. While it retains the classic gameplay, it presents an inconsistent aesthetic and a level of polish inferior to Megapixel’s previous remakes. The company’s lack of investment and care results in generic graphics, stiff animations, and an art direction that shows no understanding of what made the original such a classic and fun experience. Despite some accessibility options and the nostalgic appeal of the original content, the remake tarnishes the franchise, standing out as yet another lazy and disrespectful effort toward a beloved classic — something that has sadly become a pattern for Megapixel.”

“Antro is a musical platformer that blends rhythm and puzzle levels, set in a dystopian underground in Barcelona. Its greatest strength lies in its soundtrack, integrated into the gameplay, and its visuals inspired by urban peripheries. The story addresses themes of oppression, revolution, and inequality, but superficially. Despite the bugs and short length, it delivers a good sensory experience, but its short length lacks depth in the narrative and themes portrayed.”