IGN

• WIIU
• PC
• PS3
• X360
• VITA
• 9.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Rayman Legends is a delightful platformer, and one of the best I’ve ever played. Thanks to clever level design that toys with genre conventions, it gets incredible mileage out of four basic moves. And with great local co-op and dozens of unlockables – including stages from Rayman Origins, special character skins, and mini-games – there’s a lot to do. The difficulty is so smoothly balanced that it can be played with with kids or adult friends and still have a great time.

• PC
• 7.8 / 10
• États-Unis

At its best, Teleglitch hurts good. Sometimes it just hurts. When it was difficult in service of a horror mood it was trying to create I had a really good time with it. When it was difficult for difficulty’s sake I felt like Teleglitch was urging me to give up, which I eventually did. It may end in frustration, but its worth playing just to see how it masterfully hits all the survival horror notes with its distinct presentation and vicious design.

• X360
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Charlie Murder is a competently made and often funny brawler that has fun with a wide range of inspirations. But when you're not battling evil IT engineers or grotesquely illustrated zombies it can descend into a repetitive slog of mashing the X button, particularly when played solo. Dull minigames don’t do the Charile crew any favors, but the RPG elements give us something to fight for.

• X360
• PC
• PS3
• 5.8 / 10
• États-Unis

Unfortunately, whilst competent in execution and steeped in nostalgia, this remake of the 1992 classic Flashback doesn’t quite have the firepower or ingenuity to measure up in its own right against the current standard in platformers. It lacks the combat variety of a Shadow Complex or the distinctive art style of a Deadlight, and while its story still manages to intrigue there’s not enough moment-to-moment gameplay payoff to sustain it along the way. Flashback will certainly bring back some good memories, it just won’t create any new ones.

• PC
• PS3
• X360
• 5.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Don't call this XCOM. While its tactical combat works well enough to prevent The Bureau: XCOM Declassified from being straight-up bad, everything else is fumbled so often and so bizarrely that I can’t recommend it. Hell, this prequel can’t even manage to explain where the name XCOM comes from even as it shows it being coined – it’s simply pulled out of thin air. That shoddy storytelling and poorly thought-out mechanics become the most memorable thing about it, and that’s not worth much.

• X360
• PS3
• WIIU
• WII
• 8.7 / 10
• États-Unis

Ostensibly toys are brightly coloured pieces of plastic – that’s true of the three bundled with Disney Infinity – but I’ve always regarded them as something more. They’re catalysts of imagination, letting children picture new worlds with the help of an initial spark. At its very best, Disney Infinity fuels that process but introduces the added fun of video game tropes and genres into the mix. In fact, it’s an excellent primer for kids embarking on a life playing games – it’ll teach them everything they need to know about barrel-rolling in a third-person shooter, power-sliding around corners, or judging line of sight in stealth games, and so much more too. It’s an enchanting experience that succeeds in adapting one of the richest fictional universes into a surprisingly rich game.

• PC
• PS4
• XONE
• 9.5 / 10
• États-Unis

When Thomas Wolfe wrote "You Can't Go Home Again," the mere idea of Pong would've wrecked his fragile mind. But nearly a century later, Gone Home presents us with a game that both embraces that melancholic notion while simultaneously exploring the roots, secrets, and artifacts of a family that feels as real to me as my own. Stepping foot inside of the Greenbriar home and discovering the things they left behind is a powerful experience. Gone Home is a remarkable achievement, and piecing together its poignant story will stick with me forever.

• PC
• 8.9 / 10
• États-Unis

Europa Universalis IV is easy to recommend to anyone interested in historical strategy – it’s the best game in the series, which can now take its place, with no caveats, among the giants of the genre. Very few strategy games manage to show the grand sweep of history as something that can be directly influenced and made fun, and only EU4 manages to do it with both a level of complexity that creates historical plausibility and a learning curve gentle enough to be welcoming and satisfying.

• PC
• PS3
• X360
• WIIU
• 9.2 / 10
• États-Unis

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is a sweet middle ground between the Panther-like action of Conviction and the Ghost-like stealth of Chaos Theory. The delightful improbable success of this compromise is a testament to game design that always has choice in mind. It’s well worth replaying the campaign with an alternate playstyle, a different set of preferred gadgets, and/or on Perfectionist mode. And, like the series’ Chaos Theory peak it can’t help but be compared to, Blacklist’s also packing a pair of multiplayer modes that could stand proudly on their own. Splinter Cell is back on the right shadowy track.

• PC
• X360
• PS3
• 7.3 / 10
• États-Unis

With its recycled map and wildly overpowered abilities, playing Saints Row IV feels like a lot like enabling god-like cheat codes in Saints Row The Third and going nuts. Its ridiculous story, goofy characters, self-aware humor, and amazing character editor make it all work, especially for those of us who’ve played the previous games and can appreciate its in-jokes. But its appeal is shortened by the ludicrous speed at which we can zip across it and grow tired of its lack of challenge.

• PC
• PS3
• X360
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Played as intended with a group of friends, PayDay 2 is much like one of its heists: things can get a little sloppy, but the potential payoff is big. Parts of its presentation are lacking, and the state of its single-player is criminal, but overall, it's a deep, addictive co-op shooter that tickled my inner burglar.

• PC
• 8.7 / 10
• États-Unis

Papers Please is a fantastic idea, beautifully executed. On the surface, stamping passports is the dullest job in the world. Wrapped up in Cold War chic though, it’s more than that from the start, with enough personality soon emerging from the greyness to keep it interesting even after foiling the hundredth attempt to sneak something nasty across the border. It’s not necessarily "fun," especially as you watch your family wither and die in the name of efficient immigration control, but it’s certainly compelling. Very few other games have so perfectly encapsulated just how being trapped in this kind of dehumanising role can be, in the best possible way, and both inside and out of the dreaded grey booth. If only there could be an achievement for reaching the exact moment you turn someone away for no particularly good reason, only to quietly tell yourself that, as ever, you were just following orders.

• PS3
• WIIU
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

The DuckTales cartoons might not be hot anymore, but DuckTales: Remastered is, in most ways, as good as Capcom’s legendary NES platformer ever was. It comes packing a few twists, some better than others. Refreshed boss fights are a nice touch, but Remastered’s confounding emphasis on its story is disruptive and annoying, even if it comes packing some great voice acting. Like the original, DuckTales: Remastered should be all about the action, not spending a ton of time in menus skipping cutscenes you already watched ten times. Still, DuckTales: Remastered is a worthy purchase for those who have experience with the original and are looking for a nostalgia rush. Just temper your expectations, because DuckTales simply isn’t as good as you probably remember.

• X360
• 8.2 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS3
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

The Tales series has a long history, and some games in particular – think Phantasia, Destiny, or Symphonia – hold a special place in my heart. Xillia isn’t better than any of those entries in my estimation, but it certainly is a worthy addition to the storied Tales franchise. Indeed, it’s no surprise that its sequel was so quickly green-lit and released in Japan (with a western localization coming in 2014). Xillia’s ability to nurture Tales’ traditions while adding its own flavor to the mix is perhaps its greatest strength, and while it suffers from occasionally corny moments and a subpar graphical look, its weaknesses are overwhelmed by its complex systems, fun combat, interesting stories, and a compelling party of characters, not to mention its dueling protagonists. Tales of Xillia is a must-play for Tales fans and JRPG freaks alike.

• PC
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Spelunky is a game that takes experts 10 minutes to complete, but it will take you hours before you’re remotely ready for that challenge. This is a superb 2D platformer that’s as easy to hate as it is to love, and your patience for punishment will be the determining factor. Players who live to overcome abusive challenges and obsess over discovering new things will hunger for Spelunky's deeply rewarding exploration.

• PS3
• VITA
• 8.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Dragon’s Crown is about to put Vanillaware on the map. Whether on PlayStation 3 or PS Vita, it’s an enjoyable and deep old-school romp with an incredible amount of charm and an even higher amount of replay value. The experience is virtually identical on PS3 and Vita, but if you absolutely, positively only want to buy one, I’d go for the PlayStation 3 version, as its chaotic action is more readable and better appreciated on the big screen. While it’s puzzling why Dragon’s Crown is only cross-save and not cross-buy or cross-play, that doesn’t reduce its astounding production values and addictive gameplay. It’s incredible that something this good almost never came out, but it was absolutely worth the wait.

• PS3
• PC
• X360
• WIIU
• 7.4 / 10
• États-Unis

As a love letter to platformers past and an open invitation to most hardened gamers out there, Cloudberry Kingdom succeeds admirably. Creative features inspired by classic influences help foster a hyper-addictive experience and thwart potential repetitiveness. While its technically impressive level generator ultimately doesn’t add a great deal, the intense, straight-ahead gameplay demands to be played and replayed for hours on end. It’s a shame the developers couldn’t find a unique and distinctive voice for Cloudberry.