Victor Vitório

“Combining ingenious ideas with practical simplicity, Lovish has dozens of short stages that need to be played multiple times to uncover their various secrets. The vibrant music, the cynical comedy of playing as a petty knight, and the many references to the video games universe add extra charm to an adventure that is charismatic, silly, and will appeal to fans of retro action platformers.”

“As the second Christmas title in the series, Hidden Cats in Christmas has different settings from its predecessor's and expands to all the scenes the mechanic of gradually coloring the completed sections. This has an ambivalent effect: it can be helpful in difficult moments, but it also ends up making the game too easy overall. In the end, Nukearts maintains the standard we already know and delivers another fun, relaxing, and well-made example in the unpretentious world of hidden cat games.”

“Big Hops is a welcome addition to the 3D platforming genre, taking us on a long, cartoonish adventure with creative mechanics, tools for traversal and entertaining narrative. The overall experience offers a pleasant level of freedom and experimentation, making it accessible to the general public and appealing to speedrunners.”

“Without direct combat, Auridia focuses all its efforts on exploration, platforming, and Lovecraftian-inspired narrative. The result is a game that excels in cohesion, without any dead weight or loose end. Everything in it has its place and fits perfectly, a sense of unity and fluidity that is greatly enhanced by movement mechanics, such as the rope, obtained early on. A true unassuming surprise that reveals itself to be a hidden gem full of bright colors amidst the surrounding darkness.”

“Zexion is an exemplary case of genre maturity. Made by a single person, this Metroidvania draws inspiration from the early 8-bit era in several aspects, such as aesthetics, level of challenge, and the confidence that letting the player find their way is an important part of exploration. Behind all this, however, lies a refined body of knowledge about how an adventure of this type should be put together, how to turn boss fights into spectacular action sequences, and how the modern experience is enriched by giving its audience options for adjustments to suit their different needs.”

“Now it's the cats' turn to hide in Turkey. Hidden Cats in Istanbul travels to the border between Europe and Asia in another edition with hundreds of hidden cats to find in eight scenarios - an experience that, however simple and casual it may be, is well executed and relaxing.”

“Randomice does a good job of gradually deepening the chaos of randomness in this fast-paced and hilarious Metroidvania. Sooner or later, the loop-based campaign through a scrambled house can get tiring, but the great nonsense charisma of the characters, dialogues, and music, along with the mind-puzzling confusion, sustain all the fun we need from a game like this.”

“With a short but engaging interactive narrative, the four-hour campaign of The Berlin Apartment showcases a century of transformations in the namesake city. The journey through time in Berlin is seen through the windows of an apartment and reflected in the lives of the people who inhabited it. There are many details to contemplate and some creative interaction mechanics that enrich its stories, although the superficiality of others leave something to be desired.”

“Possessor(s) has attractive visuals and a well-presented story, but is hampered by its Metroidvania structure, which doesn't offer enough rewarding exploration to justify itself. The uninteresting exploration and the fast-paced but unvaried combat prevent the game from standing out in the crowded action-platformer genre, making it recommendable only to those who appreciate the aesthetics and theme of a race of demons.”

“Lone Fungus: Melody of Spores is a Metroidvania that packs a lot of content and secrets into a very well-planned adventure. The art direction and the brevity of the ten-hour campaign aren't impressive, but they don't detract from the elegance of this greatly designed world and the wealth of quality-of-life options it offers.”

“At first glance, Gigasword might seem like just another retro-style Metroidvania, but the way it integrates the greatsword with exploration and puzzle mechanics makes the experience stand out on its own. The combat isn't thrilling, but the well-done audiovisuals and world-building efforts help make the adventure worthwhile.”

“Windswept goes literal in its inspiration from Donkey Kong Country, offering a platforming adventure very similar to those in the classic trilogy. The difficulty is high, and repeating certain sections over and over is frustrating, but the accessibility options ensure that no one is prevented from progressing in the game. Even if it doesn't do anything to stand out, it's good fun for those who enjoy retro mascot platformers.”

“Hidden Cats in Rio de Janeiro consistently maintains both the quality of the series and the unpretentious tendency of the hidden cats game genre. It's a lovely well-made and fun pastime, quite engaging in its detailed scenes and references that, for the most part, serve not only to represent the city of the title, but also various aspects of our Brazil.”

“Probably the word that best describes Islets is "pleasant," which applies to everything this game offers. Even though it's a metroidvania without any major innovations or risks, the experience is always lovely and enjoyable, with humorous writing, competent and well-paced exploration, and good boss fights with bullet hell elements.”

“Playing the metroidvania Plus Ultra: Legado, it's up to individual preferences whether the refined historical setting and great comic book aesthetics make up for the basic gameplay and imprecise controls. For me, the balance manages to be somewhat positive, but the unintuitive exploration and unbalanced boss fights remain the biggest drawbacks of this Spanish colonialist adventure.”

“Cats and Seek: Kyoto takes two steps forward with its coloring mode and prettier art than its predecessors. Having only two stages is a step backwards that makes the enjoyable experience even more fleeting, and even the low price isn't well-proportioned in comparison to similar games from the same publisher. In the end, it's pleasant and relaxing enough to make me hope the follow-up, Cats and Seek: Tokyo, already available on PC, also comes to PlayStation.”

“Hidden Cats in Tokyo is the best title in the series, featuring the illustrations of playful creativity and much more content than its predecessors. It's lighthearted and simple fun, packed with interesting details that make it great for relaxing or enjoying with children.”

“With varied gameplay in its minigames and alternating perspectives, Makis Adventure is a pleasant and entertaining first game from a solo developer, but it doesn't reach its potential and ends just when it could have deepened its good ideas. The three-hour running time is worth it for those curious and enthusiasts of compact adventures with metroidvania elements.”

“Boxville 2 is a charismatic, relaxing, 3 hours point-and-click adventure to fire up your brain and have fun for an afternoon. The beautiful, hand-crafted visuals and variety of puzzles are the highlights of the experience, but it fails in some quality-of-life aspects, especially the lack of chapter selection and hint system.”

“Viewed only as a puzzler, Mind Over Magnet is casual, fun, enjoyable, and polished — but don't expect it to be memorable, surprising or even long. Those qualities will only be appreciated by those interested in seeing the game from the perspective of a solo developer's project tracing winding paths of learning, and problem-solving. This is the audience that will benefit most from exploring the game along with the creator's commentary contained in it, and the videos that portrayed the three-year development process.”