Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon takes Bayonetta into Wonderland with 'Burtonesque' tones to tell the origins and formative years of the most badass witch of today. Judging the book by its cover, this prequel spinoff might seem like a cute game. And it's true that the poorly filled narrative and a combat system that's afraid of being challenging are flaws that interrupt the experience and may push away the franchise's most demanding fans. However, it's very rewarding to see the little Cereza take on the personality traits that are familiar to us and shape her adult version, something provided by the exploration of the beautiful Avalon Forest, by the interactions and growth of her relationship with Cheshire, and by the challenges and fights they overcome.

The innovation that Metroid brought to the platforming genre, in each and every aspect (gameplay mechanics, power system progression, synergy between exploration, combat and narrative development, among many others), inadvertently turned it into something bigger than the game itself. The unexpected remaster reinforces this argument, through impressive visual and gameplay improvements that push it to the border between remaster and remake, thus inviting not only veterans, but also new players to visit and explore the delicious biomes that Talon IV holds in store.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is undeniably an improvement over the Wii original. The new features in the remaster may not be enough to convince veterans, but it's still a fantastic and fun experience for those who like to play in the company of the young and inexperienced.

Dedicated to fans of the original World, Next Order takes the original game and builds upon it with an impressive array of content. The sluggish and basic grinding, mediocre combat, and an "open world" with no fast means of travel hurts the experience overall. Still, it grabs the Digimon fan's heart, keeping us stuck in the Digital World despite its flaws, something that gains new strength by settling better on handheld consoles.

Wo Long: The Fallen Dynasty is a truly gritty challenge. Team Ninja's game puts players' skill, patience, and sadomasochism to the test, rolling out a red carpet for aggression while harshly punishing all and every mistake. The combat systems are complex but work quite well with each other, with the exception of the loot, which is unnecessarily complicated and not very impactful. Wo Long: The Fallen Dynasty will not convince newcomers to the genre, but it will certainly please fans.

Atomic Heart stands out for its remarkable art direction and unique theme, in a retro-futuristic world dominated by the Soviet Union. It suffers from repetitive fetch quests, which intensely slow down the game's pace, becoming a barrier to the enjoyment of this virtual world. The story has to be approached with a touch of irony and sarcasm, but that doesn't always excuse some dubious voice-acting. Mundfish's debut has a few rough edges, but a lot of promise for the future.

Horizon: Call of the Mountain is the best looking VR game to date, benefiting from the beautiful world previously created by Guerrila Games. The climbing sections provide a beautiful scenery, but lose their lustre through repetition, and leave you wishing for more combat sections, which despite being on-rails, manage to have good tactical depth. All in all, it seems to be more of a tech demo than a AAA title, but it is a very good experience for those who want to return to this universe and take their first steps in Virtual Reality.

Wild Hearts updates the hunting videogame catalog and proves that it is possible to create new franchises inspired by existing IPs. The only thing that separates success is the ability to create something with its own identity, and that's what Koei Tecmo did by delivering this new franchise to fans of the subgenre. Wild Hearts opts for a spiritualist theme that, properly contextualized, enriches the game world and gives a different purpose to the monsters, as well as to the playable character who has the trivial mission of saving the world. Despite the graphical and performance issues, it is always possible to contemplate the grandeur of everything, like weapons, creatures, buildings or even sights.

Wanted: Dead falls short of the reputation of Ninja Gaiden's developers. Not only it doesn't bring anything new, but it also demeans everything that already exists, adding elements that detract from what is essential in a video game, regardless of genre. The characters are hollow, the story is superficial, and the combat, which should be the strong point, is a complete mess. In the middle of 2023 and with a resume of weight, it was expected a different result from Soleil.

Blanc immerses us in a beautiful and exciting journey through a black and white hand-drawn world. This interactive narrative, without life or mana bars, without battles or complex mechanics, whose adversity is based on the circumstances dictated by a natural disaster and paths that always seem to have no exit, proves to be relaxing and fresh. Each puzzle solved is an achievement that opens the way for the little Wolf and the young Deer, deepening the unlikely relationship between these two and finally shortening the distance until the potential reunion with their respective families.

Masterpiece, Meisterstück, chef d’œuvre, Magnum opus. It is a word with a broad meaning, whose origins are not well defined. It may be an apprentice's first noteworthy work - 'first work'. It can be a work of art of exceptional value. In the case of Hogwarts Legacy, it's both. The best compliment you can give Hogwarts Legacy is: I want more. I want more of this world, and I want to see other universes I enjoy (like Star Wars and Dune) get this kind of treatment. Rarely does an RPG manage to remain not fresh, expansive and frankly surprising from start to finish, but Avalanche Software did it. Hats off – but not the Sorting Hat, as I'm already starting a new save.

If memory can be an anchor and the future an unknown, then Season: A Letter to the Future asks us to be mindful of the present as we explore the beautiful world it has created. Armed with a camera, a recorder and diary, riding a bicycle trough gorgeous sceneries, we dive in a story about memories and new eras to unravel. To say it's not for everyone is to belittle both the game and those who play it, so it's really best to recommend it to everyone. Change is scary, but maybe Season will help us find some answers.

Dead Space Remake is the new benchmark for what a successful remake should be. Motive Studio has shown that the right formula is one that treats the original content with courtesy, adding only the strictly necessary elements to adapt the experience to the current technology. Once again, Dead Space takes the crown of the sci-fi horror genre, with a gameplay experience that is absolutely fascinating and gripping across the board. The care and respect invested in this remake is evident at all times, making it it a strong candidate for the GOTY title.

Without ever completely abandoning the franchise's defining elements, Fire Emblem Engage leaves behind Three Houses' web of friendships and relationships to focus on the battlefield. The result is a somewhat uninspired story and an absolutely brilliant, fluid and extremely engaging combat system capable of being both accessible for beginners and profound for fans of 'min-maxing.'

One Piece Odyssey has some pacing issues, and doesn't do anything tremendously innovative in the JRPG genre, but it will be indispensable for any fan of One Piece and gaming in general. It allows players to visit four previous arcs of the anime, relive iconic battles, and even reunite with some long-lost characters, all while keeping each character's personality traits very much alive. There are several hours of exploration and nostalgia waiting for Luffy and company.

For every well done aspect of Need for Speed Unbound, there are two or three that leave something to be desired. The narrative doesn't have to be the main focus, but it's lazily done, via offscreen dialogue that takes place while you're in the menu. The new Takeover events don't deliver the fun they promise, and the police chases leave much to be desired, but the core gameplay, along with the soundtrack and vehicle customisation, is so good that there are moments when you forget all about it. At 300km/h, it all gets a bit blurry, doesn't it?

Evil West fulfills its purpose with dignity and offers us a world full of hideous creatures, the kind that any fan of games like God of War or Devil May Cry will love. Although Flying Wild Hog has left room for improvement in the future of the game, it already has the formula for success: a good narrative and well-structured gameplay. Despite its simplicity, the producer's good taste is reflected in the artistic direction, design and gameplay structure that offers a pure and challenging combat system, as well as cinematics that make us follow another story about saving the world, in 2022.

The latest game in Supermassive Games' horror series does not live up to the evolutionary line that the studio has drawn over time. After House of Ashes, this new experience was expected to follow the same formula. Unfortunately, The Devil in Me is a step backwards, where the characters don't arouse our interest, even though the scenario are meticulously thought out. This could have been an excellent game but ended up having an extremely negative impact due to narrative and performance problems.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet takes two steps forward and one step back, much to blame for its performance on Nintendo Switch. Still, the new formula is solid and could very well serve as the basis for the next games in the franchise, with plenty of room to grow. With a whole new generation of Pokémons to meet and novel mechanics to master, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will please new and old fans, casual or competitive alike.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet takes two steps forward and one step back, much to blame for its performance on Nintendo Switch. Still, the new formula is solid and could very well serve as the basis for the next games in the franchise, with plenty of room to grow. With a whole new generation of Pokémons to meet and novel mechanics to master, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will please new and old fans, casual or competitive alike.

Obsidian already has its name established in the market, but Pentiment came to present a new talent from the producer. The game explores an impossible-to-ignore narrative and a progression scheme that captures the attention of any player, even those who are not fans of the genre. This is an invitation to Celtic music, rural landscapes, medieval habits and ancient arts such as illuminations and woodcuts. The story of a murder becomes the perfect excuse to explore the disturbing streets of Tassing, a city full of secrets to be revealed.

Sonic Frontiers has finally figured out how to evolve the franchise in the 3D era, with gameplay mechanics that break away from the usual on-rails hyper-velocity of past editions, ironically giving a sense of speed like very few video games have managed. It's fun, deep and full of little surprises. You can shout to the heavens: Sonic is back! But don't shout too far, or the game won't render.

Football Manager 2023 wanted us to gawk at the new licenses, but it forgets that the franchise has become immortalised by the authenticity of its gameplay and not the logos of teams or competitions. The Champions League and Europa League have a new look, but it is through the new Squad Planner and recruitment system that FM23 truly stands out from its predecessors, although some tactical systems still have a clear edge in the game.

Santa Monica did it once again. God of War Ragnarok offers us pretty much everything, relatable characters, the evolution of the combat that won us over in 2018, epic and stunning settings and a huge world to explore, with a guarantee of dozens of hours of gameplay and a set of characters of curious characterization, something that we know will be widely discussed. Until November 9, stay away from spoilers and enjoy, Ragnarok could be just around the corner.

The Winters Family saga has come to an end with Shadows of Rose, a DLC that is a sort of epilogue to Resident Evil Village. The new content is brilliant and gives to Village a full gameplay experience. It's a perfect third person game for all fans of the franchise and also for all those that are waiting for Resident Evil 4 remake.

Bayonetta 3 is a brilliant feat of video game design. It makes a commitment to absurdity from its very start, and makes that commitment its greatest strength. The Demon Slave abilities give us the largest-scale battles in the franchise, and the introduction of Viola is like an homage to the purest hack and slash games of the past. Everything about this title screams passion, competence and personality.

Gotham Knights is no Arkham, not by a long shot. Competent enough, it takes us into a fantastic recreation of Gotham City, unfortunately marred by activities that become recurring after a while. The combat starts off interesting, but becomes a repetitive waltz, stuck in a shallow crafting and loot system. Helped by a solid storyline, Gotham Knights is fun in short doses and can be an enjoyable experience in multiplayer.

FIFA 23 tries new things and doesn't quite get them all right. It's not a bad game, but it's also not the best we've ever seen, not even close. It brings slower gameplay, a more patient passing game, but patches will surely change this over the coming months. Career Mode threatens to score a banger, but gets lost with repetitive cutscenes and some bizarre bugs in the Artificial Intelligence's behaviour. Ultimately, EA Sports and FIFA won't be saying goodbye with grand ceremonies, but rather with a timid exit from the pitch.