Hardcore Gamer

• PS5
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Grim Guardians: Demon Purge is an enjoyable romp through a demon-infested castle. It’s not without its shortcomings as the gameplay is simply good but not exceptional and the story seems like a generic anime demon-hunting affair. Its shorter playtime works in its favor, though, as it never gets a chance to overstay its welcome. It can be completed in roughly six hours or so, but completionists will be able to get more time out of it by exploring every nook and cranny and unlocking all three endings. Shortcomings aside, this is still a well constructed tribute to Castlevania and scratches the itch for fans wanting a new entry in that series.

• PC
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Relic has taken everything that makes the first two games great and made sufficient additions to help Company of Heroes 3 succeed in this renaissance of RTS titles. While the visuals are improved and more detailed effects are there, the overall look still feels dated and the lacking performance hampers the experience. Having two campaigns is an awesome direction and while one is more streamlined than the other, the Italian Campaign revolutionizes the way to do a single player campaign for an RTS. The AI in skirmish is downright frustrating and the trouble with online multiplayer is unfortunate. What makes Company of Heroes 3 great is the growth within the actual gameplay and the subtle details experienced along the way.

• PS5
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Exactly what fans of the series have come to expect, whilst still providing one or two interesting deviations in gameplay along the way, Like A Dragon: Ishin! fuses familiar traits with a delightfully-versatile combat system to great effect. Those worried that a game both spin-off in nature and far-flung from the series’ present day roots would feel too isolated should take comfort from the fact this year’s remake of a pre-0 entrant remains quintessentially Yakuza in all the right ways. And while the take on style-switching, combo-chasing combat this time round is admittedly imperfect and far from the most fluid system to engage with, some occasional scuffs and rough edges aren’t enough to deter Like A Dragon: Ishin! from coming away as one more worthwhile and thoroughly-entertaining spin-off in the Yakuza series.

• PC
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Atomic Heart is an “everything and the kitchen sink” type of adventure that feels like it should explode from the weight of its ambitions, yet keeps it together through a combination of good pacing of new elements and a deeply likeable world. The Major actually comes across as a decent person, upset at hearing about people dying and loyal to those who have helped him, and Granny Zina owns any scene she shows up in. The Utopian retro-future turns out to have its secrets, of course, and a giant gap in the Major’s memory is a flashing neon sign for narrative shenanigans, but that’s OK because we came here for a roller-coaster ride after all. Atomic Heart keeps on going and throws everything at the wall, from large set-pieces to quiet moments of exploration, packed encounters or tough single enemies, stealth areas that you can bull on through if sneaking isn’t your thing, and plenty of little puzzles to add more variety to a game that already had plenty. Whatever lies at the heart of Facility 3826, whatever the project ends up meaning, Atomic Heart is an incredible adventure into the retro-future history of a Russia that never existed.

• PS5
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Wild Hearts offers a fresh take on the monster hunting formula. The nature infused Kemono are an original approach to monster designs and some of them look so majestic you almost feel bad about killing them. Azuma is a gorgeous location, and using the different forms of the Karakuri to travel gives exploration a unique quality. The Karakuri in general really what sets Wild Hearts apart from other monster hunting, as its myriad functions add a new dimension to both exploration and battling Kemono. There is a bit of a learning curve and steep difficulty but learning the intricacies of Karakuri make overcoming the challenge a very rewarding and fun experience.

• SWITCH
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Tales of Symphonia is still one of the biggest highlights in the series with a fantastic assortment of characters, some simple but enjoyable combat and great story to keep players invested throughout. What hurts is that this remastered version has glaring issues that need to be fixed. It’s far from making it impossible to recommend, in fact we still absolutely would for those who haven’t ever played it before, but without autosave and with multiple recorded crashes experienced, it’s hard to tell people to run out and pick it up immediately without proper patches to work out the bigger issues here. With fixes to address the problems, Tales of Symphonia Remastered could easily be considered another fantastic port on modern systems that we hope to continue to see more of from Bandai Namco.

• PS5
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Wanted: Dead is a punishingly-difficult bloodbath that’s a joy to play. The stages are a brutal mix of swordplay and gun battles with a combat system that’s rewarding once the timing is mastered. In between stages there are several minigames that offer a sense of levity to help break up the violence against the corrupt corporate overlords, whether it be through karaoke, an eating contest or a good old fashioned arcade game. The style of gameplay feels like a modern take on third-person action games from the early 2000s which isn’t a bad thing at all. Wanted: Dead pulls no punches when it comes to challenging the player, but that’s what makes finally completing it feel so satisfying.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

The Theatrhythm series has always been a celebration of Final Fantasy and the iconic music associated with each title. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line continues that tradition by bringing together more titles, songs and characters onto consoles for the first time. The transition is nearly flawless, allowing Final Fantasy fans to experience some of the most iconic songs from each title in a fun, easy-to-play gameplay experience. It’s not perfect, though, with some titles getting more favor over others. Some exclusions are odd, particularly the absence of the critically-acclaimed Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker and the fact that a good number of iconic tunes are trapped behind premium deluxe editions is simply not OK. Past that, this is a successful transition from handheld to console with tight gameplay, plenty of content to unlock and a beautiful presentation backing it up. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line isn’t the perfect celebration of Final Fantasy, but it’s a great one.

• SWITCH
• 5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS5
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Motive Studio has done the unthinkable with Dead Space. It has turned this iconic, incredibly memorable survival horror game from fifteen years ago into an even more immersive and engaging experience. This isn’t just a simple graphical upgrade, but an overhaul on a significant portion of the mechanics and storytelling, crafting a better and more gratifying universe to dive into. It perfectly straddles the line of nostalgia and feeling new. Whether it’s the new puzzles, additional ways to approach a combat scenario or simply the added storytelling elements to expand what happened on the mining vessel, Dead Space has never felt so complete. This is in addition to the Ishimura being an interconnected ship where players can go from one end to the other while exploring new areas with the metroidvania-esque keycard system. Whether you’re new or a longtime fan, there’s a lot here for you. Dead Space is up there with Resident Evil 2 as one of the best remakes ever made.

• XSX/S
• 5 / 5
• États-Unis

What likely started out as an Xbox and/or Bethesda executive thinking “Hey, wouldn’t it be neat if we kept this game a secret and launched it during a special event?” has led to what could easily wind up as one of this year’s GOTY contenders exploding onto the scene in spectacular fashion. Hi-Fi Rush is classic video game action that blends amazing combat in a unique hybrid of genres in with memorable characters, a wicked sense of humor, terrific gameplay that’s accessible for all players and mind-blowing visuals and music. It’s an instant classic, even without the shadow drop, and delivers a candy-coated blast of chaos that conceals a clear labor of love and a weird purity to it all that you need to experience.

• PS5
• 2 / 5
• États-Unis

Where Forspoken should’ve been a striking and appealing fresh start for Luminous Productions, the end result sadly is a game not only bland and unpolished, but deprived of a reason to care for its unfolding mystery. A bevvy of technical inconsistencies, lackluster open world design and most disappointing of all, a handful of systems with genuine enjoyment at times that don’t see their potential fully realized. Bad enough that both the plot and the writing barely fashions anything remotely interesting or easy on the ears, it’s what excuse Luminous have for a world to explore that ends up the true let-down across a sub-twenty hour adventure. Underwhelming, at times shockingly so, for all its emphasis on parkour, traversal and the brisk pace magical abilities can bring, Forspoken seems stuck in a kind of regressive, backward-thinking form of game design that ultimately it has no answer to.

• SWITCH
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PC
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator is a thoughtful, intelligent crafting title that offers deeply-robust gameplay that’s well worth the time. The unique crafting system of navigating potions through a sea of recipes is fun and enticing. Interacting with ingredients to see what combinations are most effective is the heart of the crafting system. With no punishment for failure, Potion Craft encourages natural curiosities by rewarding players that experiment. The title upholds that failure is a feature, not a bug, as players must ultimately figure out how to create the Philosopher’s Stone. Learning from failures can help influence business practices and planning in ways that feel balanced. It’s a game that’s easy to get into and also rewards committed play. With even more content to come, the title holds hours of gameplay and mystical secrets for the potion sellers of the world. Smart mechanics, witty writing and cozy aesthetics make Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator a must-play title helping to wrap up 2022.

• PS5
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion walks a tightrope between a remake and remaster. Most elements of the PSP version remain unchanged, including the story, DMV system and mission progression. The voice acting was done with a new cast, many visuals have been completely rebuilt and the combat mechanics have been redone where it plays like a modern action RPG, which may be the single biggest improvement over the PSP original. The story remains the same so Zack’s tale is still the emotional gut punch it was fifteen years ago. This remaster improves on what needed to be updated such as graphics and gameplay mechanics, but realizes the story and pacing were fine how they were. Crisis Core is still a fifteen-year-old game originally designed for a handheld platform and as such the improvements to this version can’t erase all reminders of its origins. Even with game elements that show their age, however, this is the best way to experience Crisis Core.

• SWITCH
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Dragon Quest Treasures offers a glimpse into the early years of two intriguing Dragon Quest XI characters. The world of floating islands is a wonderful setting for open-ended adventure, where hunting for treasure and monsters can become equally addictive pursuits. The numerous callbacks to other Dragon Quest titles are sure to bring a smile to longtime fans, whether it be familiar pieces of music or the fan service treasure items. This is not only a brand new adventure, but a love letter to the franchise. Dragon Quest Treasures is enjoyable from the start and only becomes better as the story gradually unfolds and players gain access to new areas and monstrous companions.

• PS5
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Despite having an original story and setting, many elements of Samurai Maiden bring about a feeling a deja vu. Watching the relationships develop between the four heroes over the backdrop of slaughtering endless legions of the undead feels similar to a few other games. Nevertheless, despite some of the flaws mentioned like the dialogue not being the greatest or combat mechanics being too loose, this is a good execution of the formula. Hacking through the undead soldiers and the more-powerful demons and blobs can devolve into mindless button mashing, but the various assist commands from Tsumugi’s companions keep things from ever getting too stale. Nothing about Samurai Maiden is particularly exceptional, but everything comes together well enough where it’s a still a worthwhile title for fans of the genre.

• PS5
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

The Rumble Fish 2 has developed a cult following since its release and it’s no surprise why after finally being able to play it. It can go toe to toe with any of the other fighting games of its era. The multiple gauge system brings another element of strategy to each match, but getting past that feature, The Rumble Fish 2 delivers a polished fight experience that includes the requisite staples of the genre. The roster of fighters features several interesting designs and varied fighting styles. As with any game being available seventeen years after its original release, it may not appeal to everyone, but this is one of the top contenders viewing it through a lens of 2005 gaming.