PLAY! Zine

A masterclass in hardboiled atmosphere, Mouse: P.I. For Hire perfectly blends a gritty, 1950s noir narrative with a visual style that’s as sharp as a block of aged cheddar. Jack Pepper’s journey through a corruption-riddled city is a thrilling, cynical masterpiece that proves some conspiracies are simply too pungent to ignore.

Zero Parades: For Dead Spies is a narrative masterpiece that, despite clearly drawing inspiration from its spiritual predecessor, flourishes with its own maturity and originality. Despite some inconsistencies, it is a true RPG and a masterclass in writing. It is a remarkable experience throughout, surely to provide a beautiful lens looking into its world and characters.

An absolute triumph for the franchise, Lord of Hatred serves as the definitive turning point for Diablo IV by masterfully weaving deep systematic overhauls with incredible new classes like the Paladin and the Warlock. The addition of the breathtaking Skovos region and long-awaited features like the Horadric Cube transforms the endgame into an addictive, rewarding ARPG. It is, without a doubt, the true renaissance that Diablo IV fans have been praying for.

A fresh addition to a relatively young genre, Relic Arena boasts enormous replay value and tremendous potential. Centered around historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Cleopatra, and Nikola Tesla, it radiates creativity, while its deep build-crafting systems ensure that no two matches feel the same. Its complexity and RNG elements may deter some players, but I would recommend Relic Arena to anyone who enjoys strategy games and the constant pursuit of that one "perfect build".

Despite its impressive visual presentation and strong narrative ideas, Directive 8020 ends up being one of the less compelling horror adventures from Supermassive Games. Its unconvincing characters too often shatter the immersion, which becomes difficult to rebuild after a series of bizarre moments. Unfortunately, the result is a rather mediocre experience.

Short, glitchy and uninspiring, Samson offers a solid atmosphere and a few interesting combat moments while being absolutely devastated by its flaws. If you crave a game of punching and driving no matter what, well here it is. Otherwise, it is hard to recommend Samson.

Forza Horizon 6 is the ultimate Horizon experience. It is a refined formula that reached its peak, putting players into a beautiful open world with an absurd amount of content. While it suffers a bit from lack of innovation, the atmosphere, vibes, and improved handling model it offers make up for it in the best way possible and will provide any racing lover with an experience to behold.

A definitive revival that finally fixes the original's clunky camera, transforming a gothic cult classic into a fluid modern experience. While the linear level design shows its age, the haunting atmosphere, legendary voice acting, and inclusion of the lost Dark Prophecy demo make this an essential masterpiece for fans of LoK series.

PRAGMATA blends heartfelt character chemistry with innovative dual-layered combat, delivering a consistently engaging and emotionally charged experience. At times, it feels like a game revealed six years ago, but it ultimately delivers on a long-made promise.

Saros is an evolution of the basis that Housemarque built with Returnal, positioning itself as one of the best, if not the best bullet-hell shooters of all time. Despite some story pacing issues and a bit loosened, “easier” roguelite systems, It is a remarkable game - its gameplay, level design and overall feel are one of the best and it is sure to provide many fun hours of sci-fi chaos and horror.