IGN

• 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.

• SWITCH
• 4 / 10
• États-Unis

My time with Endless Ocean Luminous was endlessly frustrating. Rather than providing a relaxing, undersea escape, Luminous’ repetitive tasks and uninspiring environments are boring and forgettable from the start. The ridiculous, random requirements to advance the story feel inconvenient in multiplayer and nearly impossible if you’re playing alone, and the story I was rewarded with is so brief and shallow that it fails to make any impression at all. I’ve always been mesmerized by the ocean, but Luminous turns the deep blue into something deeply monotonous.

• PS5
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Stellar Blade stands out as a gorgeous and well-crafted action game with very impressive strengths and very clear weaknesses. Both its story and characters lack substance, and some of its RPG elements are poorly implemented, like dull sidequests that very often require you to retrace your steps through previous levels with very little done to make the return trip feel unique or rewarding. But its action picks up most of that slack thanks to the rock solid fundamentals of its Sekiro-inspired combat system, a deep well of hideous monstrosities to sharpen your sword against, and plenty of hidden goodies that do a great job of incentivizing exploration throughout.

• PS5
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

I'm happy to see Sand Land get a second wind with an open-world action game, and it can sometimes adapt the series in impressive ways. But while there is the potential of an interesting expansion of the manga here, it doesn’t manage to replicate what Toriyama's panels were able to illustrate so effectively. Beneath some ho-hum dialogue and stilted cutscenes is a fun story with its heart in the right place, and Beelzebub and friends at least have the charisma to carry you through to the end alongside a quirky set of supporting characters and villains. Dialing in on vehicular combat and exploration pays off to both maintain the spirit of the original work and deliver some high points, but the quests themselves fall into repetition. Thus, Sand Land suffers the same fate we’ve seen in many other game adaptations of anime and manga – competent in several respects with a few moments of brilliance, but for the most part, a simply okay adventure that can only occasionally capture what makes the source material special.

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

Another Crab’s Treasure is one of my favorite soulslikes in quite some time. It borrows a lot from the usual genre playbook, but adds a colorful, irresistibly charming, and wholly unique veneer that makes it all feel brand spanking new. The story is well-written and filled with memorable moments and characters, the shell-swapping mechanic is unique and adorable as heck, and the unrelentingly cheerful mood is like finding land after years adrift in an angsty sea of Bloodborne imitators. Its combat isn’t the deepest ocean around and it has a bit of jank here and there, but Another Crab’s Treasure is so clever and wonderfully ridiculous that it’s absolutely worth your time.

• XSX/S
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

TopSpin 2K25’s chunky career mode may occasionally be marred by periods of grind amidst its Grand Slams, its licensed player roster is a little slight compared to its impressive stable of stadiums, and its implementation of virtual currency attributes bafflingly unrealistic values to goods and services as though they were appraised by a kindergartner with no understanding of money. In spite of these drawbacks, though, TopSpin 2K25 is an absolute blast on court, and one that I’m struggling to put down. Claiming this is the best tennis simulation since Top Spin 4 may be a bit of a backhanded compliment since there haven't exactly been any other genuine serve-and-volley contenders released in recent years, but there’s little doubt that despite its rough edges this is still the most enjoyable way to get a realistic rally going in your own home without building an actual court in your backyard.

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

How much you enjoy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants will depend on what you’re looking for in a beat ‘em up. If you just want something easy to play so you can laugh along with friends while you’re all splitting a New York pie on your couch, you’ll probably have a good time for the hour and change it takes to burn through it. If you’re looking for something more mechanically nuanced, like TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge or Streets of Rage 4, you’ll probably be hungry for more after the credits roll. What’s here feels good, but I wish there was more of it, and the lack of online co-op is a total bummer, dude. It’s like a two-dollar slice of pizza you pick up while walking home in New York City after a night on the town: it hits the spot in the moment, but it’s not gonna fill you up for long.

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

The worst thing I can say about Tales of Kenzera: Zau is that it’s platforming and level designs are fun, clearly inspired by some of the best Metroidvanias around, but don’t really produce any moments that rival those inspirations. Its combat, though also simple and familiar, manages to sing thanks to a small but meaningfully offering of different skills and enemies. And that action is ultimately just a satisfying break from the main attraction: a truly moving tale about how to go on in this world when your loved ones have passed on to the next.

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

One you get past its slow start, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes mostly succeeds in weaving the stories of multiple countries and characters together into a sprawling epic. Its turn-based combat system operates smoothly, even if other modes like its strategy RPG battles can encourage simplistic strategies over critical thinking. And while collecting and experimenting with its titular hundred heroes can be entertaining, you won’t get to know the majority of them because of how much screen time they need to share with this bloated cast. Still, there’s plenty of satisfying side quests and castle building to fill in the gaps, which makes Hundred Heroes eventually feel worth the journey.

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

It may take place at the bottom of the ocean on a distant alien planet, but Harold Halibut’s story is an entirely human one, both in terms of its carefully handmade environments and its strong emphasis on empathy towards its eccentric cast of characters. While I wish that there was a little more interactivity to be found throughout its subaquatic setting, and Harold’s shuffling run could have been boosted to a sprint to reduce the time spent repeatedly schlepping from one end of its levels to the other, I nonetheless remained captivated by his whimsical quest to unite his community and explore the spectacular surroundings of his sunken home. Consistently funny and full of surprises, Harold Halibut is a wholesome, handcrafted adventure with plenty of heart.

• PC
• SWITCH
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Like its diminutive main character, Pepper Grinder may be a little on the short side, but even this small pinch of Pepper still packs plenty of punch. Plowing through platforms feels fantastic, no two levels ever seem the same, and there are some wonderfully destructive toys to discover and employ along the way. I do wish the boss fights outside of the final encounter were a bit more challenging, and the lack of anything meaningful to buy in the in-game store meant I didn’t feel compelled to take too many return trips through each world to collect any missed currency and extend my playtime. But if you’re in the mood for a short but sweet slice of propulsive platforming action of a kind rarely seen since Ecco the Dolphin’s last adventure, Pepper Grinder is all driller and no filler.

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

Propelled by a star-studded cast and charming retro world, Open Roads' tale of family tragedy stumbles over its heavier themes, delivering an earnest but ultimately safe road trip mystery. Pottering through meticulous environments full of kitschy decor was at least enough to keep me entertained for its short runtime. However, with sharp teeth and no bite, I was left hungry for something meatier and more emotionally charged by the time the credits rolled.

• PC
• SWITCH
• PS5
• XSX/S
• 3 / 10
• États-Unis

Thanks to recent successes, we know exactly what a great South Park game looks like, and South Park: Snow Day! couldn’t be farther from it. I’m a huge fan of throwing out the rulebook to try something completely fresh, especially in this age of samey sequels and forever live-service games that increasingly play it safe, but this bold attempt at a new direction misses the mark so drastically I’m aghast at just how sideways things went. Whether it’s due to the thoroughly unenjoyable combat or the uncharacteristicly toothless and unfunny story, I can’t recommend anyone waste their time on this cooperative lost cause – even my fellow die-hard South Park fans.

• SWITCH
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Princess Peach: Showtime! is more closely aligned with Kirby and Yoshi’s simple, cheery romps rather than Mario’s polished platformers and Luigi’s haunted mansions. There’s fun to be found in the Sparkle Theater, as these delightfully simplified takes on some of gaming’s most popular genres are entertaining to blast through, and the whimsical stage play aesthetic gives Peach’s game an identity all its own. I’m also thrilled that Nintendo is finally giving Peach another crack at her own solo outing after nearly two decades, and I hope this is the start of an ongoing spinoff series within the wider Mario universe. Some noticeable performance issues and the frustrating lack of a chapter select means I won’t be returning for an encore, and I wish there were a few extra levels to lengthen the somewhat brief campaign, but Nintendo and Princess Peach at least know how to put on a good show.