IGN

• PC
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Puzzles are meant to be solved; philosophy deals with something that, inherently, can’t be. That The Talos Principle 2 manages to explore both simultaneously is incredibly impressive. There are issues with the difficulty curve in spots and I wish certain things were more clear, but those complaints pale in comparison to everything The Talos Principle 2 does right. Its puzzles had me saying “I don’t know… I really don’t know,” out loud one moment and shouting “I am the smartest man alive!” moments later; its exploration of philosophy both challenged and supported my existing beliefs and made me consider new ones while managing to add a heck of a lot of books to my reading list; and perhaps most importantly, its thoughtful, heartfelt, and deeply moving story reaffirmed my faith in people, and in what we can accomplish if we are determined, to quote Tennyson, “to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

• PS5
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Thirsty Suitors’ heartfelt story of reconciliation and finding oneself offers intimate conversations that hit close to home. Its dramatic combat kept me engaged with a satisfying combination of turn-based actions and timing-based attacks, and its cooking even more so with the deep connections it earnestly put on display. It also confidently stars non-white characters in a way very few games even come close to, though it can try to say and do a little too much in this single package, making parts of the story feel rushed. But overall, Thirsty Suitors manages a great blend of hilarious antics and genuine conversations that will leave you thinking about your own relationships.

• XSX/S
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

RoboCop: Rogue City is a pitch-perfect throwback to the action movies of the ‘80s. It’s over-the-top violence with charm, largely well put together but rough on the edges. Most importantly, it's a fun way to spend time in a beloved fictional universe that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Blasting at goons as an unstoppable walking machine remains as extremely entertaining as it seemed on the big screen, thanks in part to an impressive commitment to capturing the look and feel of the original film. Mixing in elements like routine police work and side quests does a great job changing the pace, too. Even if it’s not the best example of visual fidelity, and prone to some bugs along the way, that love of RoboCop shines through. This is a solid B movie of a video game, which is exactly what the source material demands.

• PS5
• XSX/S
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

EA Sports UFC 5 is the best MMA game yet. Its next-gen presentation and refreshed mechanics are a dramatic improvement over previous games in the series, allowing for a more seamless and exciting recreation of the sport. The new damage system makes adjusting your strategy mid-fight more involved with plenty of risk-versus-reward decisions, making both offline and online modes all the more enjoyable and replayable. Career Mode has been fine tuned with welcome lifestyle improvements and a deeper story with Coach Davis. UFC 4 may have been the best MMA game mostly due to lack of competition, but UFC 5 stands a class above it, earning that title on its own merits as both an amazing sports simulation game and fighting game alike.

• PC
• 4 / 10
• États-Unis

As a big fan of both The Lord of the Rings and survival games, I was enticed by the idea that I can dive into a genre I already know and love with the rich lore of Middle-earth to keep me company (as well as a party of friends), but it’s disappointing to see such a promising concept do little more than a barely passable impression of better games. Combat is dull and repetitive, owing to overused enemy types and braindead AI, and limited mining opportunities or freedom with settlement building throws a wet blanket over the creativity that’s typically a selling point for the genre. Throw in rough technical performance and it becomes difficult to recommend Return to Moria to even my fellow Tolkien stans. There’s a decent game in here somewhere, as the compelling progression loop and chaotic multiplayer capabilities can make for a really good time – I just can’t give you many reasons to pick this survival game over the plethora of better options when it’s only ever by-the-numbers at best.

• PC
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Alan Wake II delivers one of the boldest and most brain-bending survival-horror storylines this side of Silent Hill 2, presents it with uniformly immaculate art direction and audio design, and reinvigorates the series’ signature light-based shooting as though it’s been locked and loaded with a fresh pack of Energizers. Even though its skill-upgrade systems seem a little superfluous and there were a few repeated cliches in Saga’s story that stuck in my craw, I nonetheless found both sides of this twisted tale to be endlessly fascinating, frequently fear-inducing, and consistently surprising. Alan Wake II is a superb survival-horror sequel that makes the cult-classic original seem like little more than a rough first draft by comparison.

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

Ghostrunner 2 is an electric sequel that supercharges everything that was great about the original and elevates it to a whole new level. The lightning fast, skill-heavy, one-hit kill combat is as exciting as ever, packed with even more tricks that give you plenty of new options to approach every scenario. The parkour also remains as smooth as silk, and some of the new motorcycle sequences are among the most exhilarating moments I’ve had all year. Those who didn’t vibe with the intensely reflex-heavy gameplay of the first Ghostrunner probably won’t be swayed by any of these improvements, but if the original was up your alley, I can’t imagine a better sequel than this.

• PC
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

Cities: Skylines 2 is not the best game in the lineage of Will Wright's original 1989 classic. The champion is still the original Cities: Skylines, at least for now. If Skylines 2 gets the same incredible post-launch support and additional paid and free content as its predecessor, and if the modding community is allowed to thrive, I think this sequel might come out ahead in the long run. There are so many enjoyable new systems and exciting additions, sadly encased in an awful-looking block of concrete that gets in the way of how much I know I could be loving them. It makes too many promises of realism that its most basic features like zoning can't deliver on. It feels like playing a beta, or a very early Early Access game. Frankly, Skylines 2 could have used another few months in the city planning office. For now, it's more of a fixer-upper.

• SWITCH
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Super Mario Bros. Wonder establishes a new standard for what 2D Mario platformers should look like. It is colorful, it is alive, and it is joyful. It also managed to surprise and delight me in continually more creative ways thanks to its unpredictable Wonder Effects, which transform levels into something completely different for a brief while. Like dessert in the middle of the main course of each stage, they were irresistible and always put a smile on my face – as did the absolute beast that is Elephant Mario. In every way other than advanced challenges, Wonder feels like a 21st-century successor to Super Mario World, and I’m not sure I can give it a higher compliment than that.

• XSX/S
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

An impeccably detailed and blisteringly fast racer with incredible graphics and rock-solid arcade underpinnings, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 picks up where the surprisingly excellent 2021 original left off. That is, it’s not just the best thing on the breakfast bench since Micro Machines – it’s one of the strongest and most imaginative arcade racers available today. It’s definitely guilty of forgetting to suitably cater to its wide audience at times, it’s stingy on older cars, and it would’ve been a much bigger and better package if it didn’t completely shed its previous track locations, but the last time Mattel had wheels this worthy of a whirl they were welded beneath Ryan Gosling’s rollerblades.

• PC
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

It requires an almost brash confidence to mash up a twin-stick shooter with a tower defense game, and then further mix that into a sci-fi roguelite. But somehow Endless Dungeon pulls it off, blending them all seamlessly into a great package that strikes just the right balance of action, strategy, and rewarding progression. It can occasionally be frustrating when the random elements stack the deck completely against you, but strong persistent upgrade options make each run still feel like you’ve accomplished something. With a great cast of heroes, a deep roster of monsters, and stellar co-op, Endless Dungeon is an audacious blend that’s worth opening that next door to find.

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

Missed opportunity haunts every inch of Hellboy Web of Wyrd. Its faithful adaptation of the striking look and sharp wit of Mignola’s classic comic books is excellent, but the focus on action above all else comes at the cost of any real resonance that goes deeper than monster-of-the-week-style pulp. As a brawler, it's simple and fun to dive in and play, but all too soon you reach the bottom of its shallow gameplay, without any room for unique play styles or mechanical discovery and a complete lack of challenging enemies that would demand that you up your demon-slaying game. As a roguelite, I appreciated the short runs that were just long enough not to overstay their welcome, because spending too much time in maps that felt so similar with nothing all that interesting to see and do in them besides slap underpowered bad guys around would be a real purgatory.

• PS5
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

I started hedgehog over heels for Sonic Superstars, but the more time I put into it, the easier it was for me to see its Eggman-sized flaws. The decision to focus more on exploration was a great idea on paper and creates a unique dynamic to each level, but I wish it hadn’t sacrificed speed in exchange. The boss designs are creative and clever, but often wear out their welcome with long periods of being untargetable and occasionally frustrating one-hit KO mechanics. The soundtrack may not have anything as iconic as Hydro City or Spring Yard Zone, but it features some excellent additions to an already long list of Sonic bangers – if only the sound design was up to the same quality standard. And while the campaign is still enjoyable, Superstars’ multiplayer components are far worse options than anything in past Sonic games. Like digging Emeralds out of the rough, Sonic Superstars’ new ideas end up feeling like a mix of both interesting and ill-advised, making it an amusing Sonic game but not exactly a Super one.

• PC
• 3 / 10
• États-Unis

Skull Island: Rise of Kong is ugly and full of bugs, but the real trouble is that, at its core, it’s just boring. It makes no meaningful attempts to do anything new or clever, with mindless combat and pointless platforming that make it feel like a worse version of every action game from the last 20 years. This isn't the kind of bad game you can play to laugh at, or that took some cool swings but missed them, or that creates weird combinations of technical snafus that lead to unexpected but entertaining results. It doesn't even rate enough to be called frustrating. Rise of Kong is fundamentally disinterested in itself: a giant ape game that doesn't even care enough about what it's doing to make the ape feel giant.

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

Wizard with a Gun does what it says on the tin, but not much more. There are tons of cool guns and spells to craft, elemental enemies to defeat, and neat areas to explore. But poor balance in almost every aspect of combat and an unsatisfying ending make a lot of the time spent not seem worthwhile. With some updates and improvements where it counts, Wizard with a Gun could be all that its first few excellent hours set it up to be — but right now it feels incomplete.

• PS5
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

As a sequel in a spectacular series, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is both blessed and cursed. Its story of two Spider-Men is a great time and a Spidey fan’s dream to play through as comic book pages are brought to life, elegantly walking the tightrope between light humour and heavier themes. Meanwhile, Insomniac refines a successful formula of combat and web-swinging without revolutionising either in major ways, making them comfy and familiar with just enough new tweaks and abilities to elevate them to fun new heights. The part that feels like it actually needed a radical rethinking is the open world of New York City, which has been made bigger but not better, with an exhausting checklist of mostly repetitious side activities. But it’s safe to call this another thrilling Spider-Man adventure that delivers Insomniac's best tale yet, and despite its open world falling short, it's a reliably fun superhero power trip. And, you know what? Screw it. It really did make me feel like Spider-Man, too.

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

Lords of the Fallen is a great soulslike, and its killer new idea of swapping between two versions of the world to solve puzzles and slay enemies is an excellent twist to set it apart from the pack. That concept is unfortunately hamstrung by numerous, highly annoying technical issues and weak boss fights, but awesome explorable areas and fantastic buildcrafting more than make up for those shortcomings. If, like me, you’re a sucker for a quality action-RPG even amid a clear overabundance of them, then this reboot is well worth your time.

• PC
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Total War: Pharaoh looks incredible, with diverse and interesting battles complemented by an uncommonly deep and rich campaign layer. The focus is firmly on Egypt, and the experiences available outside that region don't really match up in terms of content or quality to what is on offer to the civilizations of the Nile. But when I'm sailing up and down that majestic river, fending off invasions from hostile tribes, politicking my way to the top of the power pyramid, and sending my besandaled soldiers to spill blood across the shining sands, I feel confident in saying historical Total War is back, baby. Creative Assembly Sophia has refined every part of its take on this franchise since Troy, and the results are just shy of glorious.