Stefano Calzati

“A great motorcycle simulation with a great new arcade mode.”

“Arranger: A Role-puzzling Adventure is a beautifully crafted concept game, short, intense, full of ideas and too much fun, both for the fingers and the brain. A beautiful story (with a very likeable protagonist, like all the other characters), simple, direct, told with irony but with a strong and clear message towards our world, a high-level puzzle design and the awareness of finishing when the ideas run out. A convincing first work, with a summery, sunny mood; certainly one of the most original experiences of the year!”

“An adorable cast that is impossible not to love, a lot of extras (including DLC) and a super-improved quality of life are further points in favor for this second Trilogy, dedicated above all to those who are discovering the series in recent years, but also recommended to those who want to relive these events after a long time. No objection, Your Honor!”

“A Highland Song is yet another Inkle center. An adventure platformer capable of mixing the pleasure of trekking (beautifully rendered in 2D) with a delicate, enveloping and branched narrative like the paths that cross the highlands. An intimate story, the one that Moira constantly broods over to herself, but also a cultural cross-section of a land rich in myths, legends, traditions and history, embellished by very human characters, a little crazy, capable of becoming fun interlocutors with whom to have a chat after a long climb, resting and sheltering from the cold of the mountains. Suggestive, audiovisually inspired, playfully fluid and very centered. Now I really want to visit Scotland.”

“Summing up, The Crew Motorfest makes variety its strong point and its postcard views a perfect setting to experience everything it has to offer. An open world a bit 'stripped of significant secondary activities, which however excels for atmosphere and works as a link between the playlists, the real strength of the production. Of course, not all driving systems have succeeded in the same way, but the possibility of changing elements and gameplay so suddenly allows you to always keep curiosity and the desire to race high, simply because apart from GTA, a completely different genre and mood, there are no other series that offer such a great variety of engines. Quantity, thus, also stops certain qualitative holes. What remains is the feeling of vacation, persistent and precious.”

“I have to be honest, 3 years after the fourth episode I would have expected a more evolved fifth chapter and, instead, net of a decidedly more centered and engaging career, the competition against AI suffers from illogical behaviors that the player is forced to manage manually, while technically there is no current-gen quality leap that could be expected, without the ballast of a cross-gen development. At its best is always Ride, an almost unique game in the panorama of simulation racing and therefore a reference point for those looking for this specific type of experience. But here there is potential that goes far beyond the improvements expressed in this chapter, closer to those of an annual series than a triennial one.”

“MotoGP 23 is the qualitative leap that the Milestone series needed. We are not talking about revolutions, it would be unrealistic to think so, but about consistent improvements in all the characteristic aspects of the title, from the simulation verve through an engaging career, from a high-profile technical sector to the physical and mental sensations of the race, where the AI exhibits new behaviors although some issues still persist”

“Swordship is a great example of contemporary arcade. It does one thing, it does it well, and it's incredibly fulfilling, challenging, and exhilarating. Smugglers of the post-climate change future against corporations, pirates at the service of the least, always ready to take risks and with a great sense of entertainment. Great management of the risk / benefit component, precise controls, audiovisual remarkable, with each game over generating more sense of revenge than frustration. A truly remarkable work in its compactness.”

“Soulstice turned out to be a good stylish action game, with a solid combat system embellished with good ideas, able to tell its excellent protagonists, Briar and Lute, both through the battle and with the cutscenes. The story of Ilden's veil torn above the sky is intriguing, with beautiful twists and a well-studied mythology, it is therefore a pity that the setting is not able to sustain this charm, despite the very good basic technique, trapped in a artistic direction that is often too generic and redundant.”

“Islets is a compact, very nice metroidvania, full of ideas and adorable characters. A beautiful, hand-drawn world divided into six parts to be put together, rebuilt, setting off on an adventure that is as crazy as it is epic.”

“Shredders is a peculiar work full of contradictions. If its narrative, crazy, hilarious and embellished by the participation of some snow stars is as fresh as snow, his good gameplay (inspired by Steep) must clash with a disastrous technical performance. Still a game worth trying, especially on Game Pass.”

“The premises were there, the artistic direction is probably one of the most impactful and evocative seen in the 2D field in recent years, but GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon is lost in the execution.”

“Gear.Club Unlimited 2 Ultimate Edition has a good Career mode, with plenty of races and events and a little bit of story, but it is far from enough to rescue its incredibly sub-par gameplay, to the point that it is uncapable of conveying any emotion. And the game doesn't fare much better graphically, with poor textures and unstable frame rates. A pity, given the resume of the developer.”

“Milestone has the reins of motorcycle racing in hand, which it manages with enviable confidence, raising the level of the motocross sub-genre like never before but at the same time not being particularly interested in pushing the franchise in a new direction.”

“Happy Game rests its foundations on a solid, intriguing and stimulating puzzle design and then leaves room for the artists, free to disturb, reworking reassuring, sunny shapes, objects and creatures, in their deviated, deformed and repulsive version. A world of phobias that should reject but that instead attracts, inducing a magnetic morbidity, linked to the curiosity to see how far the developers have gone.”

“A small-scope but excellent game with very clear ideas, enjoyable, sincere and particularly exciting when the going gets tough, like during very intense boss fights. Pimping our ride to make it look even more aggressive and suited to the post apocalyptic world feels great. A Mad Max-like shoot 'em up is exactly what we needed.”

“The Silver Case and The 25th Ward are both testament to the talent of one of the most picturesque, brilliant and punk directors of the videogame scene, capable of amalgamating, no one knows how, a series of themes, influences, styles and characters that in the hands of others would have turned into a disaster.”

“World's End Club is the carefree in the midst of disaster, the light at the end of the tunnel, a journey in the company of friends to whom it is impossible not to get attached. An intriguing visual novel that plays with parallel dimensions, leading to more endings and curious "what if..." that will slowly reveal the mystery hidden under the skies of Japan.”

“Everhood is simply incredible. A carnival populated by masks that have lost their humanity, a deep, rich tale, enhanced by a gameplay that mixes rhythm game, adventure and RPG. A gem that deserves to be played by as many people as possible.”

“Monster Energy Supercross 4 is a racing game with deep sense of rhythm, fun and exhilarating. It might lack significant new features, but it's damn entertaining and its qualities are undeniable.”