Daniele Cucchiarelli

“This Nintendo Switch 2 version of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is as excellent as the original game and brings a few new features: support for mouse mode, which is useful in navigating menus but a little awkward in the actual game, GameShare, and an extremely chaotic and fun multiplayer mode. The offering is excellent and plentiful but not particularly appealing to those who have already played the original title.”

“The peculiar gameplay of Into The Restless Ruins combines familiar but only seemingly incompatible game elements. Dungeon crawling, deck-building and roguelike blend to perfection in Ant Workshop's title, which rewards skill as much as daring and curiosity. Longevity is not its strong suit, but the experience is undoubtedly worth it.”

“An action cop game that winks at Miami Vice, Hill Street and other historical detective series from the 80s. The game structure is interesting, the chases intense and challenging and the tasks to be performed quite varied, but in the long run repetitiveness makes itself felt and a few technical glitches break the magic. Technically we are close to average, but a few corrections are needed to put right the less than perfect fluidity and a few too many glitches.”

“A sci-fi adventure characterised by light tones and fresh gameplay, capable of providing satisfaction... as long as you are a curious gamer. Curiosity is essential to fully appreciate the multifaceted exploration component of Revenge of the Savage Planet and discover all its secrets. If No Man's Sky and Outer Wilds had had a relationship, this would have been their legitimate child.”

“A 'puzzle platformer' with a strong personality, an excellent cast and an intriguing story. In terms of gameplay, there is no shortage of ideas, but the game's potential is almost totally destroyed by a large number of bugs and glitches that 'dirty' the gaming experience, making it MUCH more complicated than it should have been.”

“Hoverboards and rock music made the fortune of Back to the Future and the formula works quite well also in Star Overdrive. The game developed by the Italian team Caracal presents an aesthetically pleasing sci-fi adventure, with a setting that is not particularly original but fascinating and full of activities. Some 'stiffness' problems in the walking phases, small technical stumbles and a bit of repetitiveness in situations, however, prevent it from taking off.”

“Monster Energy Supercross 25 represents a step forward from previous titles. The progress due to the adoption of UE5 is evident and has brought the series even closer to a true simulation. Some adjustments are still necessary to better balance the difficulty level, correct sporadic problems with the opponent AI, and improve the navigability of the UI.”

“25 years have passed since the release of this JRPG by Square, which proves, however, that it still has something to give thanks to an intriguing combat system, a 'dual-track' story, and restorations and enhancements that include new game modes, novel narrative elements, and streamlined gameplay that is very enjoyable to play.”

“An horror adventure with a strong cinematic flavour, with aesthetics and themes reminiscent of the works of Lynch, Cronenberg and Nolan. The gameplay is reduced to a minimum and there are a few too many bugs, which however do not compromise the enjoyment of an extremely 'atmospheric' experience with adult content.”

“PGA Tour 2K25 arrives after a two-year hiatus, which 2K and HB Studios used to improve the aesthetics and enhance the gameplay offering. Both single and multiplayer options have been expanded and existing ones refined, and three major tournaments have arrived as well as a few new courses, while the roster could certainly have been more substantial. There are still some navigability issues in the menus due to some minor bugs, and the new control system, alongside the existing ones, requires a lot of patience and training.”

“Eternal Strands is an action-adventure with a rather generic, if enjoyable, aesthetic and gameplay that takes a while to get going. However, when you manage to uncover its best cards, you'll find yourself immersed in a well-conceived, well-written and damn entertaining title.”

“A traditional metroidvania with a fascinating setting that mixes Japanese folklore and cyberpunk, brought to life by excellent pixel-art. The classic gameplay is enhanced by a mechanic that allows you to manipulate time and matter. A couple of bugs and a few minor technical stumbles, as well as an imperfect difficulty balance, however, prevent Blade Chimera from aspiring to the Olympus of the genre.”

“With nine worlds of fantastic action-platforming, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD has aged rather well and is still a pleasure to play, despite its sequel Tropical Freeze remaining the series' high point.”

“Nintendo cares about our health and to prove it brings us a new chapter of the Fitness Boxing series, urging us to get off the couch and follow the workout routines of inflexible virtual trainers. The playful streak of titles like Ring Fit Adventure and Boxing Fist of the North Star disappears in favour of more serious training based on the fundamentals of boxing. Worth considering if you're looking for an excuse to burn off those Christmas calories.”

“An old-school point-and-click adventure with a detective storyline full of twists, out-of-the-box humour and a superbly characterised cast. The development team should work a little more on the fair amount of bugs that plague the gameplay and the enjoyability of some puzzles that cross the threshold of illogic.”

“A classic beat 'em up lacking any particular flare of originality, but enjoyable to play and quite rich in content. The combat system is simple but sufficiently articulated to make the fights varied and appropriately challenging. What is missing for now is an online co-op mode, promised in future updates by the development team, and some intervention is urgently needed to correct a few technical issues.”

“Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello, aka the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, are back on track. Mutant Unleashed is a game that remains in the comfort zone of third-person action, trying to offer a minimum of depth in the off-stage phases but falling into repetitiveness when it comes to taking the field, play the hard way and above all entertaining.”

“Light-hearted as the flight of a butterfly, refreshing as water raised by the dart of a fish and relaxing as a sunny summer afternoon. Shiro and the Coal Town is an old-fashioned title that requires no special skills, but if played with the right spirit can awaken sweet emotions, welcoming you into a typically Japanese rural atmosphere.”

“A survival horror with strong stealth elements, which forces the player to live the game in absolute silence. The gameplay mechanics are well-rehearsed and work quite well, the tense atmosphere is there, but some questionable design choices and situations that tend towards repetitiveness undermine the player's involvement rather quickly.”

“A multi-discipline sports title starring the Looney Tunes is a good idea... in theory. Unfortunately with only nine characters, four disciplines and two modes Wacky World of Sports translates it into a game poor in both content and depth”