DeVuego

The return to the Colony turned out to be a profoundly dichotomous experience. A journey of the mind and heart that leaves you with a sweet, conscious, and almost heart-wrenching melancholy. Alkimia Interactive has performed a veritable philological miracle in terms of atmosphere, demonstrating immense courage in its determination to preserve at all costs that ruthless ecosystem and that sense of isolation and total immersion that made Piranha Bytes’ original work so successful. The title’s main problem, however, does not lie solely in a technical implementation that drags too much baggage along with it—including unstable frame rates, crippling tearing, sudden freezes, and bugs that risk compromising the gameplay experience and progression. The real knot to untie lies, in reality, within each of us. Gothic 1 Remake acts as a mirror that forces us to come to terms with our own evolution as gamers. And, in a broader sense, as human beings. It is a work we cannot help but love for its moving conceptual integrity. Yet at the same time, we struggle to digest it because of that very structural slowness and ruthlessness that clash violently with the syncopated rhythms of our lives. For those who still have a deep desire—and, above all, the “luxury of time”—to be able to “slow down,” the Valley of Mines offers one of the most visceral, authentic, and rewarding adventures of recent years. For everyone else, the encounter with this glorious, rugged, and uncompromising relic of the past may prove difficult to handle.

Anima Gate of Memories: I&II Remaster is a collection that deserves credit for re-releasing two unique titles in the most solid and consistent way possible. It does not attempt to modernize the formula or reinvent it, but aims to provide a more stable experience that is less prone to the original technical issues. The two narrative perspectives contained in a single package emerge today with greater clarity and continuity, representing the true added value of this new edition. It is a recommended collection for those who have never played the series, and a useful opportunity for those who wanted to replay it without the limitations of the past.

Neva è un nuovo centro per Nomada Studio (e per i mai troppo lodati "osservatori" di Devolver Digital). Il nuovo titolo dello studio spagnolo riesce a spingersi "oltre", aggiungendo un layer di complessità ludica che risulta appagante e coerente con la narrazione e la presentazione audio-visiva del titolo, fiori all'occhiello della produzione. Un gioco davvero consigliato a tutti, apprezzabile su, appunto, "diversi" livelli. Riprendendo il sottotitolo della recensione, Neva è un fiero esponente dell'armonia tra arte e videogioco.

Enchanted Portals is a title that doesn’t make the grade because, quite simply, it’s not fun to play. We regret being so blunt, especially since the game was developed by only two people, but during our ten-hour playthrough, we genuinely enjoyed ourselves for only one-tenth of the time spent. And, unfortunately, this is more telling than any analysis or consideration we can offer.

Blasphemous 2 è la versione rifinita e corretta del primo capitolo che tuttavia perde un pizzico del suo fascino a causa delle scelte fatte in ottica accessibilità. Ma se il compromesso deve essere un titolo di questo calibro, possiamo accettarlo di buon grado. Anzi, vogliamo altri Blasphemous 2!

After Us, therefore, is a product that is presented as an emotional and sensory experience rather than a video game. An experience emphasized by the stupendous and original art direction that is functional to the purpose and selling point of the product. And on this the developers have undoubtedly hit the mark. However, if the strictly play aspect had received the same amount of attention and care by now we would be talking about a little gem. After Us like this is just a good game, one that we still recommend to everyone for the underlying message it wants to communicate.