Gamesurf

RetroSpace brings back the philosophy of classic immersive sims inside a bizarre, satirical and distinctive retro-futuristic universe. Its freedom works because weapons, stealth, Mutamods and environmental interactions remain genuine options rather than mandatory solutions. Exploration is also its most divisive element: finding your way without waypoints can be genuinely rewarding, but the minimal map and deliberately vague directions can sometimes turn discovery into frustration.

Crisol: Theater of Idols is an old-school survival horror game with a truly brilliant core concept. The blood-based mechanic is original and effective, the setting is captivating, the level design is impressive, and the sound design is excellent. Unfortunately, the experience is marred by occasionally clunky gameplay, inconsistent enemy variety, some technical issues, and the lack of Italian localization. It is an imperfect debut, yet one brimming with ideas and personality; it looks to genre greats like Resident Evil and BioShock without merely copying them. With more experience and some technical polish, Vermila Studios could well make the leap in quality that just barely eluded them here.

Minecraft Dungeons II intelligently expands on its predecessor's formula without sacrificing the immediacy that made the original so accessible. Its more cohesive world, greater emphasis on exploration and deeper equipment system allow players to create genuinely personal builds, although an effective setup can become powerful enough to reduce the incentive to experiment. The campaign kept us engaged for roughly ten hours without ever becoming repetitive and, if anything, ended just when we would have gladly played a few more missions. The endgame offers additional room for progression, but its appeal will largely depend on how much players enjoy refining their character after the story is over.

Wings of Theve is a gem, a culmination of everything that has made Ace Combat so beloved, with an extra edge. It may not do much to evolve the formula, but it refines and expands it, delivering the biggest and most complete entry in the series to date. A love letter to longtime fans and a fantastic starting point for future aces. Subpar optimization is the only reason to hesitate right now, but otherwise, this is an outstanding game.

Well Dweller is a magnificent game. It doesn't reinvent the Metroidvania genre, but it executes it with surprising confidence. Gameplay, exploration, boss fights, story, and art direction all work in harmony, with no single element overshadowing the others.

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 is, without a doubt, the best version of the game available on Nintendo's console. The technical improvements are noticeable: the smoother 60 fps is especially pleasant, the 1440p mode delivers a sharper image, and faster loading times make the overall experience more comfortable. Still, there's a slightly bitter aftertaste when you consider the decision not to offer a simple upgrade to owners of the previous Switch version. Since the content is the same as the already packed Definitive Edition, a paid upgrade would probably have been a more welcome solution for those who had already bought the game. But once you pick up the controller, all of this inevitably fades into the background. Dragon Quest XI remains one of the best JRPGs ever made. It's huge, engaging, fun, and moving, and it still shows just how effective a classic formula can be when it's crafted with extraordinary care. On Nintendo Switch 2 it shines even brighter, and for anyone who has never played it, this remains one of the best opportunities to discover one of Square Enix's great adventures.

Even on console, the world of Dune is incredibly well suited to being the setting for a game where the goal is to survive, whether you want to play in an MMO environment or prefer to take advantage of the new single-player mode. Dune: Awakening manages to take gamers to Arrakis, into a huge, well-crafted game world capable of conveying that constant sense of danger that makes us feel, especially during the early stages, almost helpless in a desert where the terrifying sandworms roam. If the atmosphere wins you over, the crafting system does not disappoint, and the PvE, although not as varied as the PvP, is still entertaining. The gameplay falls short when it comes to combat, which can feel somewhat clunky, but it has to be said that Funcom has managed to find suitable, if not perfect, solutions for using a controller. Although the early stages of the game may lead to some unintended mistakes, over time you will get the hang of the various controls. One thing is certain: at its core, this is a huge survival game that requires commitment if you don't want to fall prey to the many dangers you will have to face. Both graphically and from an audio standpoint, Dune: Awakening delivers plenty of satisfaction, helping to recreate an atmosphere that Frank Herbert himself would have appreciated, although he probably would have complained about the on-screen text being written in characters that are far too small. If you love Dune and survival MMOs, Dune: Awakening could be the right choice to add to your video game collection, knowing full well that, beneath the sand, a huge worm could always be lurking.

Lily's World XD weaponizes the cringeworthy nostalgia of a 2004 desktop to lower your defenses before delivering a relentless psychological horror experience. Emily Pitcher’s indie title explores the disturbing manipulation of teenage insecurities by predatory cults, brilliantly breaking the fourth wall through ARG mechanics that drag the player directly into the nightmare. However, the immersion is occasionally derailed by a frustratingly cluttered UI that refuses to let you minimize windows, dialogue choices that prematurely spoil puzzle solutions, and aggressive visual glitches that warrant a strict photosensitivity warning. Despite its mechanical shortcomings and lack of polish, it remains a claustrophobic, deeply unsettling digital descent that effectively blurs the line between investigator and prey.

Silent Hill: Townfall is a fascinating yet uneven experience that shines brightest in its first half. The game masterfully builds a suffocating psychological horror atmosphere, bolstered by phenomenal sound design, clever perspective shifts, and solid puzzles. However, the second half stumbles under the weight of a convoluted narrative that abandons the intimate, personal trauma characteristic of the franchise in favor of broader, poorly resolved socio-political themes. Combined with a highly frustrating final act plagued by an artificially omniscient stalker enemy, the game unfortunately loses its initial momentum. Despite these noticeable missteps, its genuinely terrifying early hours make it a flawed but worthy journey for survival horror fans.

Control Resonant changes a great deal without losing what makes the series distinctive. The Aberrant and the new melee-focused combat are strong enough that the Service Weapon is rarely missed, while the Resonants deliver some of the game's most compelling encounters. Manhattan offers greater freedom and verticality, although it does not always match the density and character of the Oldest House. Dylan is also a less charismatic protagonist than Jesse, but Remedy has built a confident, ambitious sequel that still feels unmistakably like Control.