IGN

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

Resurgence does an admirable job of capturing the spirit of Star Trek. This is a series that fundamentally believes in doing the right thing and treating others with compassion, and that’s reflected by the many well-written decisions you’re presented with here. The choices are almost never easy, but the lack of a morality system or any indication of what you’re “supposed” to do creates a sense of freedom to act how you imagine these characters would. I wish certain storylines had more closure, and I would love some version of a chapter select, but by the time the credits rolled I was satisfied with the choices I’d made and entertained by the wide variety of Trek-flavored minigames, and already thinking about what I’d do differently next time. And that’s what Star Trek is really about: choice. The choice to be better today than we were yesterday, to accept one another, to try and do the right thing. Resurgence gets that. As Jara Rydeck remarks, “As we take our next steps into the unknown, the greatest insights that lie ahead are what we learn about each other.”

• PC
• PS4
• PS5
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Humanity is a beautiful, modern reimagining of Lemmings that feels as esoteric and artsy as Enhance’s previous games, while ambitiously stepping onto new terrain for the action puzzle genre with the pitter-patter of countless little feet. It somehow manages to intermingle platforming, action, and real-time strategy elements with mind-bending finesse, and its open-endedness means I could be sitting here and tinkering with it for years – much like I have with other games with great level creators like Dreams and Little Big Planet. Humanity bursts out of left field with something so unexpectedly brilliant that I can’t help but recommend it to everyone who’s ever enjoyed a puzzle game.

• PC
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Interesting turn-based RPG combat keeps Darkest Dungeon 2’s roguelite progression fresh for hours – if you can push past the early, intentionally punishing humps and like it for what it is, rather than the close retread of Darkest Dungeon that it isn't. Its structure may be frustratingly random at times, even so much as to feel meaningless or pointless, but a gambler's spirit can see you through those weird patches of bad luck or directionlessness. Besides, this game would have to be really bad to drag down the vibes of the moody lines and grumbling narration that live at the heart of Darkest Dungeon 2.

• PC
• XSX/S
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

The Last Case of Benedict Fox features a wonderfully unique supernatural setting that’s full of interesting ideas, but mixed execution and control issues meant that I could only enjoy its morbid mystery in patches. While I derived great satisfaction from completing its genuinely taxing puzzles, my progress with the main case too often stalled thanks to ambiguous objectives and poor navigation tools that had me retreading sections of its sprawling map to an exhausting degree, routinely stalling the story’s momentum for prolonged stretches at a time. Many of its flaws are of the type that seem like they might be remedied via post-release patching, but in its existing state The Last Case of Benedict Fox is like one of its protagonist’s bungled double jumps – it reaches for greatness but falls a bit too short of the mark.

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

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor takes what Fallen Order achieved and wall-runs with it, then double-jumps and air-dashes straight into an epic lightsaber battle. Rather than taking us back to square one to begin Cal’s journey as a Padawan again, we’re trusted with control of a full-fledged Jedi Knight who we can grow into a master of superhuman mobility and fantastic and challenging combat. With a new set of larger, more diverse, and densely packed worlds to explore and a memorable cast of returning characters, Survivor tells a story that may be predictable but is still fun and at times emotional to watch play out. Launch performance issues aside, it’s a sequel that does virtually everything better than the original – which was already an exceptional Star Wars game. If Respawn makes one more like this it’ll complete the best Star Wars trilogy in 30 years, hands down.

• PC
• IOS
• ANDROID
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Honkai: Star Rail is the best free-to-play game of the year so far. Its stellar storytelling and satisfying progression systems offer dozens of hours of content that a HoYo newcomer can enjoy, even without paying for gacha items or having played Honkai Impact 3rd or Genshin Impact. Combat boasts layers of strategy for those willing to dig into details without barring more casual players from enjoying it. Its worldbuilding also expands outside of the main story into the side missions and interactable objects, making an already captivating world even more lively. It surpasses even Genshin in my mind, and I can see myself playing even months from now.

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

Dead Island 2 is a hysterical Los Angeles-infused satire that does most things well enough, but feels like a stroll down the Walk of Fame of celebrated zombie games I’ve already played without adding many new ideas of its own. In fact, aside from the stellar comedy bits, I can think of very few things that Dead Island 2 does better than last year’s Dying Light 2. Still, if you’ve ever wanted to put your Wolverine claws straight through a zombie’s face or knock someone’s head off with a golf club, Dead Island 2’s got you. Its bloodsoaked melee combat and memorable characters are a lot of fun, especially when accompanied by friends in co-op multiplayer. The somewhat generic crafting weapons and upgrading your skills as you lay waste to armies of spray-tanned undead is entertaining enough on its own, but the strong writing and completely irreverent tone are the true stars of the show.

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

Dredge erupted out of the left field as 2023’s most unforgettably creepy fishing simulator. Without spoiling anything, its slow dive into Lovecraftian horror intermingles with subtle elements of seabound thrillers like Jaws and Moby Dick, and yet despite its twists, its fishing and sailing mechanics are simple enough to be relaxing – just as long as you don’t stay out past dark. Its colorful graphics, intelligent story, and seafaring sound design are alluring, but calling it a management sim betrays how simple and approachable it is. Though it still may not excite anyone in search of abyssal depths, its world map, upgrade tree, and story offer more than enough interesting decisions of their own to make a 12-hour fishing expedition feel concise. At the same time, a lack of combat and meaningful customization give little weight to its excessive grinding, and these are clear opportunities for improvement on the next voyage.

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

• PS5
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Horizon Forbidden West’s Burning Shores DLC is a worthwhile addition to this acclaimed action-heavy sci-fi series. Fun new challenges and enemies are introduced and cool new ways to dispatch them are presented with regularity. The story is more concerned with developing character than it is working towards dealing with the imminent world-ending threat, and it’s Aloy at her most personal and believable yet. A couple of poor boss battles aside, it’s a great new chapter with enough creative new bells and whistles to keep fans more than happy.

• SWITCH
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

With nicely redone graphics and excellent music bringing the classic turn-based tactical action up to modern standards, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a great return for this long-neglected series and gives me hope for a follow-up that includes the DS games. While there isn’t much variety in the game modes, Advance Wars’ depth comes from the number of variables you can adjust to make every match feel unique. The biggest miss is the lack of multiplayer matchmaking, which makes it harder to get into a game than it ought to be in 2023, but at least you can play online. Playing against the AI will keep me interested in the short term, but I predict the inability to play against random opponents online will limit my spontaneous play sessions. However, the sheer number of maps, playable COs, and options for each match means that when I do, it's sure to be a unique experience.

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

Minecraft Legends is an engaging strategy game that does a great job streamlining a notoriously complex genre without sacrificing the ever-important element of choice and consequence. That said, some genre staples like assigning custom groups of units are casualties of this simplification, which is too bad because it does limit your strategic options a bit in the heat of battle. But Legends uses other recognizable elements like its worker unit Allays to great effect, and it nails the iconic Minecraft aesthetic with some of the best looking blocks around. The difficulty curve does have the potential to make the late game frustrating, but stellar cooperative and PVP play still make this RTS very worthwhile.

• 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.