IGN

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

Overwatch 2 breathes new life into what was once the sharpest multiplayer shooter around, before it had its edges severely dulled by Blizzard’s attention shifting away. The switch to smaller 5v5 matches ushers in a new brawler age for Overwatch where individual duels take precedence over tactical team play, and crucially, all but a handful of shields have been thrown out of the arena. The new heroes and maps hit the mark, while Push is one mode that could develop into a fan favourite over time. The fundamentals are all set for Overwatch to shine as it once did in the multiplayer shooter scene once again, and the future definitely looks bright with what is set to come over the following months. I can’t review Overwatch 2 on what it could potentially be though, and instead can only judge what’s in front of me at launch – and that is a very fun team-based FPS, packed full of charm and love for the world it takes place in, and one that I can’t wait to lose hundreds more hours playing in.

• PC
• PS4
• PS5
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

While Valkyrie Elysium is certainly not the next coming of the beloved PlayStation JRPG Valkyrie Profile, there are parts that shine. Sure, it's not a visual powerhouse, it suffers from some occasionally aggravating camera issues, and the tale it weaves doesn’t leave you and your friends with much to discuss and dissect. But Elysium’s new take on combat does eventually grow into something fun and satisfying to play, and that’s enough to carry it through – just not to stand out.

• SWITCH
• 2 / 10
• États-Unis

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

FIFA 23 is a bombastic swan song for the series (under its current name, at least) with a welcome focus on theatrical flair. FUT Moments, action replays and viral-friendly gameplay revisions like Power Shots make it a more considered, memorable game of simulated football with intentional defending and plenty of drama and goals. But EA's Spartan approach to the modes that don't make money ensures FIFA 23 is an all-too-familiar beast to previous years, and Ultimate Team’s offensive focus on microtransactions continues to take much of the fun out of it.

• PC
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Shovel Knight Dig is yet another treasure dug up by Nitrome and Yacht Club Games that successfully turns the series’ signature 2D side-scrolling action into excellent 2D side-falling action. The procedurally generated levels are expertly designed, and though the roguelite progression elements leave a bit to be desired when it comes to motivating further runs after you’ve completed one, the focus on risk-and-reward choices make for a supremely satisfying experience the whole way through. It’s a short delve (albeit with a very well hidden post game) and it’s not quite as groundbreaking as either of the Spelunkys as far as spelunking roguelike’s go, but Shovel Knight Dig is still a gem.

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

Session may be reminiscent of the similarly hardcore 2020 skateboarding simulation, Skater XL, but it picks up where its rival stalled by arriving with a far more substantial map selection, plus a simple campaign that stitches it all together. I also can’t deny the addictive charm of seeking out a spot and having dozens of attempts at sticking a slick trick sequence, for no other reason than it looks cool as hell when you nail it. Despite its unfinished feel and the unflinching precision it requires to play, I really am finding it rewarding and relaxing. However, while Creā-ture Studios’ unapologetically difficult-to-master ode to skateboarding is packed with a palpable love for the sport, it’s also packed with a few too many frustrating bugs – and its unsympathetic tutorial and mission design severely undermines its approachability.

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

If you just can’t get enough of the style of action-slasher that Hideki Kamiya made popular in the United States over 20 years ago, Soulstice might help scratch the itch – at least while you’re in combat. The setting and story, even with its strong pair of main characters, are largely just a bland backdrop for its generally competent and challenging hack-and-slash battles against some deviously fun and interesting enemies. So long as you have the stomach and willpower to trudge back and forth through its tedious, linear levels and wrangle its unruly camera in the midsts of colorful, screen-filling chaos, those fights are the light at the end of the tunnel.

• PC
• SWITCH
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

After decades of believing that we’d never see Gilbert get to make his Monkey Island 3, I was in no way disappointed with Return’s conclusion. In fact, it moved me, and made clear that Gilbert cares as much about these characters as we fans do. I expected Return to Monkey Island to be funny. I expected it to have good and often-zany puzzles and hilarious puzzle solutions. You can see that in its writing, its acquired-taste art style, and its delightfully upbeat music. But I didn’t expect it to have such heart. Monkey Island has been known almost solely for its comedic prowess over the past three decades, but Return reminded me of why I first fell in love with Guybrush Threepwood in a way that will have me thinking about it for a long time. What longtime fans get out of it is definitely going to be markedly different from what newcomers take away from it, but I can say that Return to Monkey Island meant a lot to me before I ever clicked to start a New Game, and it meant far more after the end credits rolled.

• X360
• 6.5 / 10
• États-Unis

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

Isonzo is an eminently approachable World War One game. The firearms and technology might be ancient by modern standards, but anyone who's played a modern first-person shooter can easily start storming the Dolomites and picking off headshots as soon as they boot it up. Developer Blackmill keeps it fast and loose with its historical touchstones, to the point that you can swig from a canteen to give your warfighter a quick stamina buff. It’s more historical fantasy than recreation, and most of its turn-of-last-century touches are revealed to be skin deep. That’s fine, since it allows you to fully participate in battle without knowing who killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand or being able to find the Austro-Hungarian Empire on a map, but it’s all too easy to forget about the time period you’re in and focus on popping off headshots to climb the score board.

• PS3
• 5.6 / 10
• États-Unis

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

Metal: Hellsinger is an enjoyably rhythmic riff on the metal-propelled mayhem of modern Doom, but its short length and modest variety in weapons and boss fights means it feels more like an energetic but unfinished collection of garage demos than a fully fleshed-out album. Hellraising high score-chasers will no doubt get the most mileage out of replaying the eight story missions, but it falls short of id Software’s heavy metal masterpiece when it comes to providing a truly meaty first-person shooter campaign, and the absence of any other major modes or multiplayer makes it feel a bit on the slim side when compared to similarly priced games. As a result, Metal: Hellsinger might not be the greatest demon-slaying shoot 'em up in the world, but it's certainly a stirring tribute.

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

Steelrising is a competent action-RPG with an unforgettable setting, but it’s dragged down by its humdrum soulslike formula that doesn’t do anything to make its combat or exploration stand out. Despite having some memorable weapons and enemies, combat often feels imprecise or sloppy, and boss fights are largely forgettable. That said, even if the story is fairly straightforward, the recognizable faces from history you meet and the beautiful French vistas you find them can still help make fighting robots in an alternate history somewhat entertaining.

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

Disney Dreamlight Valley is an awesome life simulator that flexes its iconic characters to riveting, satisfying effect. Adding these instantly recognizable villagers to your magical kingdom and forging friendships with them through quests is a blast, even when many of those amount to mundane village errands. Even with a ton of bugs and a missing final act in this early access state, spending 40 hours running around with the gloriously beefy Maui from Moana and cooking meals with Remy from Ratatouille was a consistently delicious treat.

• SWITCH
• XONE
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Everything in Ooblets is downright adorable, from the cheeky dialogue to the unique dance battles to the well-designed creatures themselves. That charm was enough to draw me in from the get go and keep a gleeful smile on my face for most of the 30-hour story. But while I could easily see myself going back to improve my farm, home, and Ooblets collection a while longer, the actual mechanics behind those tasks don’t have much to dig into past their skin-deep sense of style. That means Ooblets is an amusing farm battler, just not a very exciting one.

• PS5
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

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

The entire TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection has clearly been crafted by a team that loves the TMNT – not just the games, but the shows and comics as well. It’s not only full of some of the best Ninja Turtle games ever made (and also the other ones), but the team at Digital Eclipse has gone above and beyond by adding a treasure trove of unique Ninja Turtles art & other creations. They’re also chock full of options, cheat codes, new features, and behind-the-scenes images. It’s truly unfortunate that the online component makes it so hard to find a match, and when you do get into a game it’s often woefully laggy. The input delay could also be improved. That said, this is still the most complete TMNT game collection available. If you’re feeling nostalgic for this era of Turtles gaming and don’t feel like spending nearly $550 on eBay to get the originals – plus all the time and effort of getting a retro gaming setup up and running – this is one shell of a collection.

• PC
• XONE
• XSX/S
• MAC
• ANDROID
• IOS
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Immortality is a thoroughly mesmerizing mystery and one of the most surprising video game stories I’ve played through this year. Its image-based search tool might make its actual investigating feel noticeably dumbed down compared to that of Her Story and Telling Lies, but the credibility of its faked film productions, the powerful performances of its cast, and its regularly confronting, David Lynchian discoveries kept me captivated for its nine-hour duration. Immortality might not live forever in my mind, but it's likely to linger there for quite a while yet.