IGN

• PS5
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is an exciting new start for the series. With a fresh cast of characters joined by a handful of familiar faces, it’s a welcoming point for potential new fans to jump in while also rewarding veteran players for returning. Daybreak’s updated hybrid battle system still has a few kinks to work out with its real-time elements, but enhanced movement options and other impressive tweaks make the turn-based aspects better than ever. Wrap that up in an engaging story full of political drama and a compelling new setting, and Daybreak is exactly what the Trails series needed to reach new heights.

• IOS
• ANDROID
• PC
• PS5
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

By leaning into early 2000s nostalgia and then blending it with a stylish vision for the future, Zenless Zone Zero crafts an inimitable world that is easy to get invested in. Exploring New Eridu and getting to know this charming cast both in and out of combat was a thrilling ride I was keen to keep at for hours on end. It’s not necessarily as deep as many of its gameplay inspirations, and momentum-killing hacking puzzles can sometimes sour the mood slightly – but with exhilarating, approachable combat and so many extracurricular activities to take care of, it was always easy to turn a corner and get swept back up in the captivating culture of Zenless Zone Zero.

• SWITCH
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

With its substantially enhanced graphics and more flexible twin-stick control setup, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is undoubtedly the definitive version of Luigi’s second apparition-filled adventure. If you’re a newcomer to the series – or perhaps you only came onboard with Luigi’s Mansion 3 and are working your way backwards – then there’s plenty of ghostbusting and puzzle-solving fun for you to find in Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD’s five haunted houses. However, if you’re a fan of the original Nintendo 3DS version and you were hoping for more dramatic gameplay changes or additions, then you may well be a touch disappointed. What’s more, playing this remaster in the wake of the third game may put its limitations in an unfavourable light. All told, though, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is a great installment in Nintendo’s spectre-snaring series, even if it’s not the best one you can play on the Switch.

• PC
• 10 / 10
• États-Unis

FromSoftware says Shadow of the Erdtree is the only expansion Elden Ring will get, so it’s fortunate that it’s hard to imagine a better DLC than this – as long as you’re not hoping for it to do anything radically outside the box. Everything I loved about the original has been condensed into an incredibly tight package – one that’s the size of many standalone games all on its own, and can only be considered “small” in comparison to the absolutely massive world of Elden Ring itself. Erdtree’s absolutely jam-packed with secrets, valuable treasures, challenging boss battles, and horrific monstrosities to face off against, as well as cool new weapons, spells, Ashes of War, Spirit Ashes, talismans, and more to play around with and use to find even more novel ways to tackle its memorably brutal battles. Add on some very interesting lore revelations, not to mention the same spectacular visual design and stellar music that accompanies its larger-than-life bosses, and you’ve got what is certainly one of the best DLC expansions I’ve ever played.

• PC
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

With a slick presentation and an incredibly fun combat system, all the right pieces are here for The Rogue Prince of Persia’s success. But while running on walls and zooming through enemies are fast-paced joys, the repetition you’ll face and the faint whisper of a story that loosely ties things everything together wear thin far too quickly as of its Early Access launch. It will undoubtedly be fascinating to watch The Rogue Prince of Persia fill out as time goes on, but both bug fixes and more of pretty much every good thing need to be equal priorities in its upcoming updates to move the needle to something great. Some of that has already arrived, so I’m at least optimistic The Rogue Prince of Persia could have what it takes to one day become the next major roguelite favorite, but it’s pretty far from that goal where it sits now.

• PC
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

I want to give Still Wakes the Deep all the credit it deserves for its fantastic art, dialogue, voiceover work, and setting. But it's frustrating to play with its nearly on-rails structure that actively scoffs at the idea of exploration. And as much as I wanted to be freaked out by it, I almost never was, trying as I might to set the mood as best as possible. It's the kind of game where I think watching someone else play through it and playing it yourself would be nearly identical experiences, and that doesn't make it easy for me to recommend.

• SWITCH
• PC
• PS5
• PS4
• XONE
• XSX/S
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

I was more than happy to revisit Shin Megami Tensei V, one of my favorite games of 2021, through this definitive version. Vengeance doesn't necessarily make drastic improvements per se, but I enjoyed the new twists, content, and quality of life upgrades it does bring all the same. And while the storyline and route exclusive to Vengeance are a bit better than the original, their appeal as a returning player is really just in how they shake things up at certain points. Don’t get it twisted, though – there’s never been a better time to play this hard-nosed RPG, if not for its satisfying turn-based combat, then for its masterful execution of a uniquely demonic world. There’s a certain attitude that comes through vividly in its art style, character design, and music that you just don’t get in other games. So, if you're simply looking for more SMT or have yet to experience Atlus’ devilish RPG series, Vengeance is absolutely worth seeing through.

• PC
• PS4
• PS5
• XONE
• XSX/S
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Destiny 2’s potential was clear from the first time I blasted my way through The Red War seven years ago, but Bungie never actually realized much of that potential until The Final Shape. This finale expansion’s story largely succeeds at delivering a satisfying ending, the raid is brutal and epic, the Prismatic subclasses breathe fresh life into combat, and the new enemy faction adds some much-needed variety to the things you’ll spend hours shooting in the face. None of that makes Destiny’s avalanche of confusing RPG systems, currencies, and storylines any easier to digest – but for the first time in a long while, I can wholeheartedly recommend pushing through that darkness, because there’s now a bright and beaming light at the end of the tunnel.

• PC
• IOS
• ANDROID
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Wuthering Waves combo-heavy action, mobility, and monster taming enhance combat and exploration enough to respectably distinguish it from competitors. Its combat is polished and sophisticated, rewarding reactivity and pushing me to carefully consider my builds and teams. On top of that, the Echo equipment system ties your character progression into the environment in a way that encourages exploration, which can be satisfying despite the repetitive process of fighting overworld mobs. Unfortunately, the story is a bland, exposition-heavy slog, with dull writing and voice acting that rarely kept me interested. But while the quests may not be what’s pulling me along, I’m still looking forward to checking back in with the next major update to see how Wuthering Waves evolves.

• PC
• PS4
• XONE
• PS5
• XSX/S
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

In isolation, F1 24 remains a slick, deep, and marvellous motorsports experience. If you’re a racing gamer who’s just getting into F1 (or an F1 fan who’s just getting into gaming) it’s terrific stuff, packed with options, assists, and various other tweakable toggles to make it hugely approachable to F1 fans of all skill levels. However, if you’re a returning player of F1 23, and F1 22, and so on, it’s hard to deem F1 24 essential. Despite its refurbished career mode and handling overhaul, it’s basically a neck and neck finish with the last few years’ versions. And when you have a head start, that’s kind of a loss.

• PC
• PS5
• XSX/S
• PS4
• XONE
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game is as silly and entertaining as the movie that spawned it, and that makes for a surprisingly compelling asymmetrical multiplayer game to boot. The back-and-forth between the wacky, murderous Klowns and the whiny teens is a blast no matter which side of the equation you find yourself on, and unlockable classes and abilities add some much needed variety… for a little bit, at least. After a handful of hours, once you’ve tried out all the human and Klown options and learned the layouts of the small number of maps, that competitive loop can get pretty stale. Here’s hoping developer Illfonic has some tricks up their baggy, checkered sleeves and can deliver updates to keep the clown car chugging along beyond that, but for now Killer Klowns makes for at least a dozen hours of really enjoyable hijinks.

• PC
• XSX/S
• PS5
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

XDefiant joins the free-to-play shooter crowd as a respectable competitive FPS built around various Ubisoft franchises, but little makes it really stand out. Its shooting mechanics generally feel great, and even dying doesn’t kill the momentum since you're dropped right back into the action within a few seconds. Some of its issues, like weapon balance, are relatively minor elements that we can expect Ubisoft to adjust over time. Tougher to solve, however, is the clash between its main ideas: fast time-to-kill makes a lot of its class abilities feel difficult to make the most of because you’re usually dead before you can use them. It’s also lacking a defining mode, leaning on samey point-capture ideas and tried-and-true but tired concepts like Payload and Kill Confirmed. On the other hand, excellent maps keep things interesting longer than they otherwise would be, so hopefully it’ll have the time it needs to carve out its own niche.

• XSX/S
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II delivers a spellbinding adventure packed with cinematic spectacle and story surprises that maintains a surging sense of forward momentum and never wastes a second of its slender run time. Its combat manages to feel consistently intimidating and immediate despite its mechanical simplicity, and its perspective-based puzzles regularly scratch cerebral itches even though they largely rehash or rework concepts from Senua’s previous story. A journey as brutal as it is beautiful delivered with hardware-pushing visuals and persistently absorbing audio, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is another Viking-worthy feast for the senses that meets the high bar set by its predecessor, even if it never really manages to clear it.

• SWITCH
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Paper Mario has finally returned to its RPG roots with an amazingly loyal and visually dazzling remake of The Thousand-Year Door. Everything fans have been begging Nintendo to bring back is here, including a delightfully varied turn-based battle system with satisfying real-time elements and unique, lovable party members who are essential to both the story and gameplay. Rogueport and its surrounding areas are bursting with personality thanks to writing that’s just as sharp and funny today as it was in 2004. It also introduces a host of modern improvements that streamline (but don’t eliminate) the original’s backtracking issues, easily making this the best way to experience Mario’s quest to gather the Crystal Stars. There’s a reason The Thousand-Year Door has been considered one of the greatest Nintendo games for the last 20 years, and this brilliant remake ensures it will maintain that reputation for at least a thousand more.

• PC
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Little Kitty, Big City is an undeniably cozy and mechanically minimal game tailor-made for cat lovers. Its small but inviting sandbox can provide a few hours of ticking objectives off a list before any repetition sets in, allowing this feline adventure to stretch its exploratory legs before wearing out its welcome. Its graphics are cute and delightful, especially for people who just like to watch their pets leap into boxes or trot along when they realize they are not supposed to be in the kitchen. What’s missing are a few layers of polish on its movement and camera controls, which can make climbing around this city more frustrating than it needs to be. And while the campaign may be brief, being a street-level cat discovering the world a few blocks at a time easily holds up across it.

• PC
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

When all the pieces fall into place, 1000xResist paints a beautifully messy, often cruel, but brutally honest picture of who we are. It’s an invitation to see a deeply personal and mature reflection of the Asian diaspora, dissecting the immigrant experience to show something much greater than simple representation. It’s profound without ever being pretentious, unapologetically sentimental without excess, and bittersweet in intimate moments without losing sight of its radical politics. While all that is a testament to its impeccable writing, its artistic vision creates a striking sense of place for its characters to become more than just their functions. 1000xResist is a revolution in storytelling, forged by the things that have shaped our lives, and in turn, one that shows us what it takes to shape our future.

• PC
• SWITCH
• PS5
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Animal Well is a veritable feast of brain teasers that’s far more concerned with twisting your mind into knots than any grueling platforming challenges. It’s lovely to look at thanks to gorgeous pixel art and dynamic lighting, and an excellent use of haptics and well-tuned physics systems make it fun to touch, too. Animal Well’s steadily unlocked toybox of tools thoroughly rewards play, curiosity, and experimentation for hours upon hours after the credits roll. Though that late-game maze of mind-teasers might grate once in a while if you’re reluctant to ask for help, the massive onion of Animal Well’s secrets remains dense, clever, and thrilling even when you’ve peeled back as many layers as you think you possibly can… and then peeled a few more beyond that.

• PC
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

V Rising has been nicely polished up during its dark slumber in Early Access, allowing it to fully rise to the occasion with its excellent boss design and challenging ARPG combat. Keeping the killing rays of the sun and your dwindling blood supply as ongoing concerns is effective and evocative in selling the vampire fantasy, as is the ability to craft the sprawling, spooky estates of my nightmares. And the huge amount of customization available when setting up your own private server practically eliminates the need to do chores that are timed to real-world days in a way that only really makes sense for playing with a larger clan and having those timers going even when you're not online. Arise, ye children of the night, and sink your teeth into one of the best ARPGs – and one of the best vampire games, in general – of this moonlit age.