IGN

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

WWE 2K24 is clear proof that 2K and Visual Concepts have certainly hit their stride when it comes to making today’s package better on the whole than yesterday’s. While not drastically different, there are enough new little features added to every inch of this iteration that make it well worth climbing back into the ring. Old enemies still have their number, though, such as making its docuseries Showcase mode feel good to actually play, creating a more consistent tone and pacing in MyRise, and getting more of the current day roster up to the high visual bar that’s currently only hit by its most popular superstars. But even with those lingering annoyances, WWE 2K24 puts an impressive cap on a three year run of great wrestling games.

• PC
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

The Thaumaturge is a slow, text heavy caper that is often curious and sometimes captivating, weaving revolutionary labor politics and mysticism together to create a unique and charming piece of historical science fiction. It is eurojank through and through, filled with criss-crossing systems like gathering observations, Thaumaturge abilities, and combat that are all fun and engaging despite the sometimes hitchy controls, clunky conversations, and odd voice overs that make this journey a bumpy one. But if a little jank didn’t stop you from enjoying RPGs like Vampyr or The Witcher, you’ll be well equipped for this otherwise exciting ghost story.

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

As it exits Early Access, The Outlast Trials is a really enjoyable and unique cooperative horror game, but it runs out of runway more quickly than I would have liked. Each of the five stages are memorable and wildly entertaining thanks to their over-the-top horror (despite repeatedly reused antagonists), and the enemy AI is aggressive enough that I was always on my toes. But with just five levels and two main bosses, there isn’t much variety available to support all of the progression that’s in store, and even all of the neat upgrades to chase and some truly devious difficulty options that unlock after your first run through each of the stages can’t jolt life back into them. Some more meat on the bones of the story would have gone a long way to keeping my interest long term, but that’s little more than a skeleton. There are plenty of fun, grotesque memories to be forged in the first few hours of murderous bliss The Outlast Trials provides, but that novelty quickly subsides once you’ve seen everything once.

• PS5
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth impressively builds off of what Remake set in motion as both a best-in-class action-RPG full of exciting challenge and depth, and as an awe-inspiring recreation of a world that has meant so much to so many for so long. After 82 hours to finish the main story and complete a decent chunk of sidequests and optional activities, there's still much to be done, making this pivotal section of the original feel absolutely massive. Minigames, sidequests, and other enticing diversions fill the spaces of its vast and sprawling regions, painting a new and more vivid picture of these familiar locations. But more than just being filled with things to do, Rebirth is often a powerful representation of Final Fantasy VII's most memorable qualities. It does fumble the execution of its ending, getting caught up in the mess of its multiple twisting timelines, but new moments and the overarching journey manage to evoke a deeper sense of reflection in spite of that. So, for as flawed as parts of how this classic has been reimagined might be, Rebirth still stands out as something both thrilling and unexpectedly impactful.

• PC
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Last Epoch is an impressive, time-bending action RPG that combines rich customization with modern action. In the mechanical sense, it serves as an important stepping stone between Diablo and Path of Exile – but even without making direct comparisons, it competently stands on its own merits thanks to a flurry of unique, intertwining systems and a strong endgame that make it difficult to resist pouring an entire weekend into its endless loops. Just don’t let its poorly told story or the handful of bugs that have yet to be squashed discourage you from seeing this adventure through to the end of time.

• PC
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

A singular survival game steeped in an unnerving world, Pacific Drive pairs meticulous management with intense excursions that will test your motoring mettle. Balancing its symphony of systems can sometimes be an overly punishing process, but the riveting tension of each run was enough to keep me on my toes even through some repetitious pain points. And when my battered station wagon came screaming out of the portal to safety with no doors and a dead engine, I always felt compelled to fix its faults, buckle back in, and maybe play with the Laika bobblehead on the dash. That frustrating hunk of metal was mine, after all.

• XSX/S
• PC
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Skull and Bones isn’t the successor to Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag that many seem to want, and it isn’t many of things Ubisoft itself said it would be at various points in its storied history, but the seafaring RPG we ultimately got is still surprisingly good. Sailing around the Indian Ocean firing cannons, mortars, and giant ballista at your foes is a fun time, the RPG mechanics and cooperative buildcrafting is as deep as the ocean with plenty of awesome gadgets to grind for, and the economy simulator is impressively in-depth. It doesn’t quite fulfill the promise of a decade-long cruise to port yet either, with a thin endgame, almost no story to speak of, and general instability that sometimes makes the adventure feel like a rough draft. But here’s hoping some of those shortcomings can be washed away by the waves of content already planned to come in an ambitious live-service roadmap that’s fast approaching. For now, its maiden voyage is a good start.

• PS4
• PS5
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

Foamstars is at odds with itself. Its unexpectedly engaging combat mechanics, fast-paced matches, and cool music draw me in, but trudging through its flat single-player content, concerningly aggressive monetization, and horrendously slow menus has numbered Foamstars’ days on my PS5 hard drive. I also feel like I’ve already seen everything it has to offer, and its announced update plan looks glacially slow for a sink-or-swim multiplayer landscape currently full of great options. Foamstars’ ranked modes and maps may be exciting and nuanced mid-match, but the confounding time-gated queues around them don’t offer much motivation to grind up the ladder, which leaves me with very little reason to surf these bubbly waves no matter how much fun it may be.

• SWITCH
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Coming in the wake of Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s psychedelic splendour, Mario vs. Donkey Kong’s update of the 2004 Game Boy Advance version is a markedly more modest Mario adventure in scope, but I still enjoyed puzzling my way through its trap-riddled rooms while they lasted – particularly those found in its playful pair of brand new worlds that have interesting new takes on the decades-old mechanics. The lopsided difficulty of its main levels could have perhaps been better smoothed out so that it becomes more challenging as you go rather than easier, and some occasional control flaws seemed below the standard I’ve come to expect from Nintendo platformers, but its completely overhauled art is packed with personality and its two-player co-op mode puts a fun new spin on familiar gameplay. Mario vs. Donkey Kong might not be as polished as a Mini-Mario toy fresh off the assembly line, but it's just as full of charm and fun to play with.

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

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a fun action game with a solid concept and a stellar paranormal investigation system. Its story about struggling to let go of loved ones in death is worth hearing, even when its pacing occasionally gets sluggish and indulgent. The combat system also tries some interesting new things that largely work out, only dragged down by poor enemy variety and wonky controls. Still, swapping between the corporeal and ghostly planes instantaneously is every bit as cool when solving mysteries as it is during fights, and the writing and characters help carry Banishers across its rougher patches. That made saying goodbye to them fittingly difficult, decaying flesh and all.

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

The Inquisitor takes place in a fascinating, dark world, and its story often puts you in strange and interesting situations. Searching for a vampire and trying to solve murders in a medieval town is a great idea, and it's compelling to search a scene for clues, to try to puzzle out the best choices in conversations and interrogations, and to attempt to stitch the whole thing together. But it doesn't pay off its ambition, whether that’s because of action scenes that are never really challenging or choices that are either too opaque to see where they're taking you, or take you to the same destination regardless of what you pick. The Inquisitor is always holding your hand too tightly as it points you at clues and destinations, and as a result, it's a detective game that does most of the detecting for you.

• PS5
• PC
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Helldivers 2 is the rare modern multiplayer game that does almost everything right. It gives you a ton of freedom, feels fantastic to play, and has a smart progression system that doesn’t nickel and dime you or rely too much on a paid battle pass. It manages to keep its missions fresh by introducing a ton of enemies, modifiers, and objectives, and varying them in interesting ways. There are some matchmaking and performance issues that still need to be worked out, and you can only go so far by yourself or with random players – but if you’ve got a solid squad, it’s an incredible time, and certainly one of the most fun multiplayer shooters I’ve played in years. When I’m not Helldiving, I’m thinking about Helldiving, counting down the time until my next drop. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to pour myself a nice, hot cup of Liber-tea and get back at it. Those bugs and robots look like they could use some freedom, and Managed Democracy isn’t going to spread itself. For Super Earth!

• PS5
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Granblue Fantasy: Relink bucks the RPG genre’s usual trend of long and slow-paced stories, but the relative brevity of its campaign doesn’t compromise on the quality of its storytelling. Its mobile game origins don’t always translate over well, feeling a little thin in some aspects, but questing with friends in multiplayer is very exciting – even if the lack of crossplay is disappointing. However, Relink’s fun action combat and interesting cast of characters has kept me happily playing long after I beat the final boss.

• PS5
• 5 / 10
• États-Unis

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a thoroughly frustrating game to play. There are things to enjoy here, with combat that’s snappy enough to carry it through a genuinely good DC comics story artfully dressed in high production values. But everything else just falls down around it. Engaging mission design is nearly non-existent, the looter-shooter mechanics are tired and dull, and the grotesquely-repetitive postgame leaves little-to-nothing to do of interest. The result is a bit of a mess that doesn't ever impress with any of its numerous ill-conceived ideas. It's not bad, it's just disappointing from Rocksteady - pioneers of single-player story action chasing already outdated multiplayer trends. A City of Tomorrow built on the unstable foundations of yesterday.

• PC
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

A stellar visual overhaul and countless small changes and additions beyond it leave a significant impact, making Persona 3 Reload a more fully realized version of a beloved RPG. Although still dated in some respects, quality of life improvements and new features refresh its exciting turn-based combat and add depth to its touching story moments. Through an incredible new voice cast that embodies these unforgettable characters and an endearing soundtrack to reforge its identity, Persona 3 Reload tells a powerful, timeless story of tragedy and hope with sharp emotional sincerity. This is the kind of remake I’ve hoped for, and even after spending 70 hours to see it all the way to its conclusion, I still find it hard to believe it's real.

• PS5
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s overhauled combat system injects some welcome flexibility and flash into every turn, its difficulty curve has been pruned of nasty spikes to remove the need for repetitive grinding we endured in the last turn-based game, and its spectacular Hawaiian setting is crammed with enough enjoyable activities to overload even the most ambitious of holiday itineraries. A compelling, country-hopping crime story kept me on the hook like a freshly lured barracuda for the 50 hours it took to complete, and the vibrant new job classes and unique combat arenas ensured that the fighting continued to feel fresh. Sprawling, enthralling, and packed with dynamic brawling, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth isn’t just the best turn-based Like a Dragon game, it’s one of the greatest games in the entire series.

• PC
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Enshrouded will likely be an instant hit for anyone who’s ever wanted to build a castle in a fantasy world full of danger, and it makes all that building fun and easy with an intuitive set of tools. But even if you don’t care much about crafting or building, Enshrouded’s RPG systems are already solid enough to carry you through its open world for a few dozen hours – even if its vague story isn’t all that powerful, its puzzles are forgettable, and its combat and movement systems could use some fine-tuning. Thankfully, there’s usually no pressure to do anything but try to unlock the next visually-breathtaking area, and that made for a smooth 62-hour journey.

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

Tekken 8 is an amazing new entry in the long-running series. Interesting tweaks to its classic fighting systems, a full suite of fun offline modes, great new characters, incredible training tools, and a vastly improved online experience all add up to a fighting game I will be playing for many years to come. By honoring its legacy, but continuing to move forward, Tekken 8 manages to stand out as something special.