IGN

• IOS
• 5 / 10
• États-Unis

There is a devilishly fun roguelite hiding in Mighty Doom, but the way it’s been buried under all the most egregious money-making schemes in mobile gaming is hugely disappointing. I enjoyed the first few hours, when monsters posed an entertaining challenge I could satisfyingly overcome, and I would probably be happy to recommend it if Bethesda had balanced all nine levels to match. But it’s not long before a super-powered difficulty spike meant my Slayer’s defense and damage output just couldn’t keep up — at least, not without opening my wallet. Even when you do, this invisible paywall and the free-to-play speed bumps that accompany it turn Mighty Doom into a teeth-grindingly frustrating experience that made me want to delete the app entirely rather than pay to upgrade my Slayer enough to progress.

• PC
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

I feel so divided when it comes to passing final judgment on The Great War: Western Front. It's a conflict I find fascinating and one that rarely gets to shine so authentically in a strategy game. But I can't get past the fact that portraying the war with accuracy doesn't always translate into a good time. There's too much repetitiveness fighting over the same stretch of countryside with the same basic game plan. And it's easy to feel bogged down when you might go several turns without any significant changes in the overall situation, with a successful offensive in one area completely offset by enemy momentum somewhere else. Still, I enjoyed the experience overall. It wouldn't really be World War I without these elements, and I think I'd rather play through this conflict mud, guts, and all than see it gamified and sped up to the point that it's unrecognizable.

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

After a somewhat disappointing 2022, it’s amazing how far forward Sony San Diego has pushed MLB The Show 23. It seems like every element has received attention, whether its the improved scouting in the Franchise mode, updates to match the current MLB rulebook, or a vastly more helpful practice mode. This remains a gorgeous showcase for baseball, with some of the most lifelike sights and sounds to behold in a sports game. It remains to be seen if Sets and Seasons in Diamond Dynasty will frustrate in the long run, but the crowning achievement this year is the Negro Leagues mode. This playable piece of baseball history is a triumph, presented with care, grace, and attention to detail. It’s courageous and bold, like the pioneers it highlights, and it’s astonishing to experience something so affecting from a baseball game. If for nothing else, that alone makes MLB The Show 23 a must-play.

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

Whether you're a fan of the original or a newcomer with a hankering for some action-heavy horror of the highest quality, Resident Evil 4 is like a parasite-riddled Spaniard: a total no-brainer. Its combat is friction-free but no less stress-inducing thanks to its ferocious cast of creatures, its story rapidly shuttles through a series of action scenes that are diverse in structure but uniformly unwavering in intensity, and its world is rich in detail and full of fun and often snarling surprises. Its improvements over the original are too numerous to list, from simple quality of life changes to completely overhauled boss fight mechanics, and with the exception of the disappointingly diminished personality of the merchant, the team at Capcom has barely put a foot wrong. Whaddaya buying? Only the most relentlessly exciting Resident Evil adventure of all time that’s been rebuilt, refined, and realised to the full limits of its enormous potential. A wise choice, mate.

• PS5
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

It sucks that Chapter 2 on the PlayStation VR2 is still unacceptably janky despite major performance and graphical improvements, but when its bugs aren’t driving me to quit in anger, its moment-to-moment action is undeniably improved over the stealth-oriented original. Moreover, the PS VR2’s impressive detail, haptic feedback, and all-new dynamic lighting systems mixed with the low black point of the headset’s OLED panels give way to a spooky atmosphere that transports me directly into the zombie apocalypse, making it well worth the hassle.

• PS5
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR is a fun on-rails arcade shooter, even if it’s one that takes less than a day to complete. It’s also one of the first games in the PS VR2’s library to really take advantage of the headset’s eye-tracking tech in an interesting and exciting way. However, the lack of scares, weak story, and occasional performance issues keep it from being a must-buy for PS VR2 early adopters.

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

Whether you want to experience a TV-inspired story of young wrestling talent rising to glory, chop your way to the top at your leisure, take a guided tour of the most humbling moments in the career of one of the greatest to ever do it, or some other more nerdy diversion, WWE 2K23 is worth pinning down. It’s at least incrementally better in almost every way from last year’s entry in that combat feels more rewarding, flexible, and consequential. Where it overachieves, like in MyGM, it starts to finally restore the feeling that we could be on the ramp watching a new golden age of pro wrestling games make its glorious entrance.

• SWITCH
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

You know you’ve just played something special when you’re left with a bittersweet feeling while the credits roll. As I closed the book on Bayonetta Origins, I kept thinking about how it was an absolute joy through and through. From its impressive, fantastical story moments full of childlike charm to its clever platforming puzzles and satisfying battles, this is a superb action-adventure where every piece comes together to create a wondrous playable storybook. Its wild dual-character concept doesn’t really evolve much once you get the hang of it, and maybe its conclusion could have done more to leave a lasting impact. But it’s a journey I’ll cherish all the same, and one that’s been brought to life through a beautiful art style, stellar voice performances, and an outstanding soundtrack. Bayonetta Origins puts a neat little bow on an iconic franchise, and I’m glad we got to see that there was so much more to our beloved witch.

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

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s combat plays very differently from Team Ninja’s own Nioh games – more in the mold of Sekiro than Dark Souls – and yet it manages to excel and falter in just about the same areas. When it comes to the clashing of melee weapons, Wo Long is among the best in the genre, full stop. Its action is fast and thrilling, the options for taking down its ferocious enemies are many and immensely rewarding to master, and its deflection-heavy combat is one of the most satisfying since Sekiro. All of those strengths outweigh an overbearing loot system, poor storytelling, and even a disappointing lack of variety in enemies. If not for that, Wo Long might’ve been one of Team Ninja’s greatest achievements – as it is, it’s simply a great one.

• PS5
• XSX/S
• XONE
• PC
• PS4
• 5 / 10
• États-Unis

Scars Above shows a lot of potential in its third-person shooting, fun elemental reactions, and a good number of creatures to experiment with. The thrill of setting out to discover a new alien world is short-lived, however, due to the weapons and gadgets in your arsenal quickly growing so powerful that nothing poses a threat. And while there are a few excellent environments to explore, everything within them – the characters, story, and universe – feel weak and underdeveloped, giving you few reasons to stop and smell the alien roses once you’ve blasted your way through.

• PC
• PS4
• PS5
• XONE
• XSX/S
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

Destiny 2: Lightfall is a disappointing expansion with a campaign that falls flat on its face, an underwhelming new destination, and only a few new standout activities to take on. That said, Strand and the new Tormentor enemy are fantastic new additions to the sandbox, some of the endgame activities and added difficulty make for a sweaty, memorable time, and per usual, the raid is a complete blast (even if it isn’t their best). No doubt Lightfall’s shortcomings are made more painful by immediately following The Witch Queen and its strong post-launch updates, which felt like Destiny 2 had finally overcome its storytelling woes and charted out a promising future for itself. After playing Lightfall, perhaps too fittingly given its name, that future doesn’t look quite as bright.

• SWITCH
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe takes a fun but straightforward Wii platformer, freshens it up visually, and adds a new mini adventure to pad out its otherwise relatively short campaign. Kirby’s journey across Planet Popstar starts as a slow, overly easy drudge. But once the difficulty picks up and the stages become more creative, this platformer shines through to its over-the-top conclusion – even if that conclusion comes far too soon. The Magolor Epilogue is also a welcome addition that stands on its own as another brief but worthwhile story. Return to Dream Land certainly isn’t Kirby’s best or most creative outing, but if you haven’t already played it on Wii, the Deluxe version is the ideal way to see what a traditional Kirby game is all about.

• SWITCH
• PC
• PS4
• PS5
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Once again, I am smitten by Octopath Traveler and its style – but five years after the original, it doesn't hit quite as hard. So little has changed about its battles, and this sequel sticks a little too closely to the original systems without expanding on them too much. Especially now that the 2D/3D art style is an established look, the still lovely visuals just don’t stand out as much anymore. That said, the combat system is still quite fun, and figuring out the best course of action to exploit weak points, knock an enemy unconscious, and then unload on them with as much power as you can remains satisfying. I did also find myself more invested in the stories this time around, and the way it comes together in the end is more interesting and cohesive than the first. If you liked Octopath Traveler (or even any of the Bravely Default games) Octopath Traveler 2 is another good ol' fashioned 80-hour JRPG - it just feels like one I’ve played before.

• PC
• PS4
• XONE
• PS5
• XSX/S
• 5 / 10
• États-Unis

As someone who enjoys the tactical action of Blood Bowl, I can easily recommend you go pick up Blood Bowl 2 Legendary Edition and have a gorey good time with it. As for Blood Bowl 3, though, I struggle to come up with a reason it needs to exist other than that someone has bills to pay, I guess. There's less reason to recommend it over its predecessor than an especially weak year of Madden or NBA 2K. It's a sloppy, muddy, buggy rehash of a better game. Sure, the strong core mechanics can still lead to some tense, exhilarating matches, but you could have all of that with a much sharper presentation in the version that came out during the Obama Administration.

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

While its half-baked gunplay should probably have remained holstered, Like a Dragon: Ishin!’s stylish sword fighting and over-the-top Trooper card attacks successfully pair the Yakuza series’ brand of hysterical action with the historical fiction of its 19th century Japan setting. Unfortunately, its step back in time also presents a slight step down in quality for its substories and side activities, which have each been eclipsed in entertainment value by the other Yakuza and Judgment games in the years since Ishin’s original Japanese release, and the blander areas of its low-tech environment can’t quite compete with the flashy charms of Kamurocho when it comes to exploration. Even so, its high stakes story had me hooked throughout, and it was fascinating to get an insight into a period of Japanese history I knew very little about previously, albeit through a heavily fictionalized lens. No matter which way you slice it, Like a Dragon: Ishin! is an enjoyable and interesting spin-off from the Yakuza series, but not an essential one.

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

Atomic Heart is a deeply ambitious, highly imaginative, and consistently impressive atompunk-inspired attempt at picking up where the likes of BioShock left off – something it’s done with a lot of success. It certainly makes missteps, chiefly with an irritating leading man and a self-indulgent habit of using the same tired tropes it tries to make fun of, but this stern, superpowered, and stringently solo shooter has worked its way under my skin despite these flaws. Atomic Heart didn’t always blow me away, but it definitely has the ticker to punch well above its weight.

• PC
• PS5
• XSX/S
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force is using Wild Hearts to flirt hard with Capcom right now. But using a beloved game as the template for a new one isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and Wild Hearts manages to introduce plenty of fun new ideas to the Monster Hunter formula while recapturing it well enough to stand proudly alongside the series that so clearly inspired it. The way it simplifies and streamlines things makes for a slightly shallower package, but its karakuri building adds a fresh new way to interact with the map in its place. And while its lower monster variety is certainly disappointing, I’m still having enough fun that I’m excited to party up with some friends and dive back into both challenging endgame fights and fanciful karakuri decorations alike.

• PS5
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Horizon Call of the Mountain’s exciting highs elevate it just enough above its often monotonous climbing mechanics to create a fun first blockbuster-scale entry into the PS VR2 library. Through intuitive design, awesome spectacle, and gripping combat, Horizon’s first step into virtual reality is one packed with exciting encounters that its slower stretches may sometimes detract from, but never threaten to derail completely. It’s an enjoyable, if not essential, chapter of the Horizon story.