Vengeance Is Now Complete One year after the release of Ghost of Yōtei, Sony brings us a Complete Edition that combines the original experience with a new narrative expansion and a range of additional content. The main campaign remains exactly as we remember it, following Atsu on her quest for vengeance against the Six of Yōtei, but now we have a new opportunity to learn more about the protagonist and explore other moments from her past. The Complete Edition is primarily aimed at players who have not yet experienced the game or those who wish to return to Atsu's journey with all the available content. In addition to the new expansion, Echoes of Sekigahara, this edition brings together previously released content and introduces new items, cosmetics, and trophies, creating a more comprehensive package for anyone looking to experience everything the game has to offer. COMPLETE EDITION Beyond Echoes of Sekigahara, the Complete Edition brings together a range of content that has been added to Ghost of Yōtei since its release. This includes the content from the Digital Deluxe Edition, which is now part of the package, featuring the Mask, the Snake Armor, the Digital Deluxe Armor Dye, the Digital Deluxe Horse and Saddle, the Sword Set, Traveler's Maps, the Amaterasu Charm, and the Hokkyokusei Charm. New content related to New Game+ has also been added, including cosmetics exclusive to the Complete Edition, as well as new photo mode designs. For players who enjoy completing everything, there are also new trophies tied to the expansion and the edition's additional content, expanding the list of achievements beyond those available in the base game. It is important, however, to distinguish what is truly exclusive to the Complete Edition from the free updates that have arrived in the original game. Features such as Yōtei Beauty, new music tracks for Watanabe Mode, accessibility improvements, and the ability to retain one armor set's appearance while using another set's attributes were also made available for free to players who already owned Ghost of Yōtei. Therefore, these improvements should not be treated as exclusive advantages of the Complete Edition. Ultimately, this edition serves as the most comprehensive way to experience Ghost of Yōtei, bringing together the original game, its additional content, and the new expansion in a single package. For those who have yet to play it, the Complete Edition includes virtually everything released since launch, while for existing owners, the main reasons to return are Echoes of Sekigahara and the new content added to the experience. Expansion:Echoes of Sekigahara Echoes of Sekigahara introduces a new part of the campaign directly connected to Atsu's past and, in my opinion, is one of the most interesting additions in this edition. The story manages to fill in some of the gaps hinted at in the base game, deepening important events in the protagonist's life and, above all, her relationship with Nagato. The narrative uses flashbacks to depict moments from Atsu's past during the Battle of Sekigahara, revealing more about what happened between them and helping contextualize events mentioned throughout the main campaign. The main drawback lies in how we access this content. It would have been interesting to have the option to play through Atsu's past independently, but we must progress several hours into the main campaign before embarking on the expansion. Players must complete The Old Inn, The Dual Katana Path, The Tale of the Oni, and The Fate of the Kitsune. Depending on the path chosen and how much the player explores, this can amount to approximately 20 hours of gameplay or even more. Fortunately, completing the entire main story is not necessary. After these missions, when we find the letters related to Nagato the Handsome, we are led to the Foothills of Ashoro, a new region of Ezo. The new region is not merely a backdrop for the story. Echoes of Sekigahara introduces new enemies, heavy weapons, abilities, armor sets, dyes, and other equipment, along with new Mythic Tales. This allows the expansion to enhance the gameplay as well, rather than functioning solely as a sequence of narrative missions. Even so, the story remains the main highlight. Ghost of Yōtei already has a fairly self-contained main campaign centered on Atsu's quest for vengeance against the Six of Yōtei, and the expansion manages to add meaningful information without simply repeating what we have already seen. Learning more about the protagonist's past and her relationship with Nagato provides new context for some of the things Atsu mentions throughout the campaign, making her story feel even more complete. New Mode: Most Wanted The new game mode is essentially a roguelike experience within Ghost of Yōtei. With each run, we gain new advantages and can choose different bonuses that alter our progression and make it easier to advance through the hunt. The structure feels like a natural fit for the franchise, as each attempt allows us to experiment with different combinations and become progressively stronger. One of the most interesting aspects is the hunter unlock system. Instead of having to save coins specifically to unlock each character, progression feels more organic. By spending coins in shops to purchase techniques and other resources, we also make progress toward unlocking hunters. As a result, practically everything we do during a run contributes to our development, without forcing players to save resources for a single purpose. The mode also features its own player progression system, allowing us to improve attributes such as attack, defense, and survivability. We can unlock upgrades ranging from improved parrying to increased health, as well as specific enhancements for each hunter. It is precisely this combination of general progression and individual abilities that makes the runs interesting. Each character has unique traits and abilities that significantly change how they play. Atsu, for example, can use Wolf Pack Call to summon a wolf during combat, while Jin Sakai returns with Dance of Wrath, which allows him to unleash a devastating series of attacks. Jin also has the Ghost Gambler ability, which allows him to enter Ghost Stance after completing a series of eliminations. The different hunters also specialize in different weapons, meaning that character selection directly affects combat style. Switching characters is therefore not simply a matter of using a different model, but of adopting a different approach to overcoming challenges. During hunts, we can also encounter merchants offering resources that can change our experience, including meals with bonuses, new weapons, armor dyes, and charms. These elements add another layer of strategy to progression, as we must decide which upgrades are most useful for a particular run. Hunter Offerings follow the same logic, providing bonuses that help with progression during a run or contribute to overall advancement. This means progression is not limited to what we unlock permanently, but also directly influences how each run unfolds. Ultimately, the mode's greatest strength lies in transforming Ghost of Yōtei into a more dynamic and replayable experience. The combination of different characters, abilities, weapons, and upgrades ensures that each attempt has its own rhythm, while constant progression provides an incentive to keep playing and experiment with new combinations. TROPHIES The Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition expands the experience with two additional trophy sets, Echoes of Sekigahara and Most Wanted Mode, adding 23 new objectives for players seeking to complete everything the game has to offer. The first set combines narrative progression, exploration, side activities, and challenges involving recipes, customization, minigames, and new combat opportunities. The second is more straightforward, focusing on hunts, battles against powerful enemies, the use of specific abilities, and objectives that require players to meet certain conditions during combat. For those who enjoy earning every trophy, the main thing to keep in mind is the specific requirements of each challenge, especially those involving particular abilities or conditions that must be fulfilled during a single activity. TRAILER OFFICIAL FINAL THOUGHTS Ghost of Yōtei is undoubtedly one of the most visually impressive games of its generation, and the Complete Edition arrives to cap off an experience that was already remarkably complete. The Echoes of Sekigahara expansion deserves particular recognition for exploring Atsu's past and her relationship with Nagato, adding new layers to the narrative without relying solely on the events of the main campaign. Although having to progress several hours into the story before accessing this content is a drawback, the expansion justifies its existence by filling in important gaps and providing new reasons to return to Ezo. The Most Wanted mode is also a very welcome addition, particularly because it transforms combat into a more dynamic and replayable experience. The ability to experiment with different hunters, skill combinations, and upgrades makes each run interesting, but its greatest strength lies in encouraging players to better understand the combat mechanics. It almost serves as a training ground for anyone looking to improve their skills, experiment with new strategies, and prepare for higher difficulties, including a new journey through New Game+. The inclusion of Digital Deluxe Edition content and new New Game+ items also makes this edition more appealing, bringing together much of what has been developed for the game since its release in a single package. It is important to remember that some improvements were made available for free to all players, but the combination of the narrative expansion, Most Wanted mode, and additional content makes the Complete Edition the most comprehensive option for anyone looking to experience everything Ghost of Yōtei has to offer. Ultimately, Atsu's journey feels more complete than ever. The new expansion adds depth to her story, while Most Wanted broadens the possibilities of combat and provides a compelling reason to keep playing even after completing the campaign. For those who have yet to experience the game, this is the ideal opportunity to embark on the adventure with virtually all the available content. For those who have followed the journey since launch, returning will largely depend on their interest in discovering the new chapters of the story and exploring the possibilities offered by the additional mode. The Complete Edition does not reinvent what already worked, but rather builds on its strengths and delivers a more complete experience, reinforcing Ghost of Yōtei as an adventure worth experiencing to the very end. SCORE: 9.2/10

Pixel Art, Destruction, and Casual Fun ROLLA is an indie action and destruction game that puts players in control of a monstrous creature capable of consuming people, growing larger, and turning entire cities into wastelands. Developed by Tyrmä Games and published by Pantaloon, the game follows a concept reminiscent of Katamari Damacy, but replaces collecting objects with an experience centered on devouring humans, destroying structures, and surviving against the forces trying to contain the creature. With its retro aesthetic and exaggerated approach to horror, the game builds its identity around a simple idea, with much of the fun coming from discovering just how much chaos we can unleash. Throughout each run, we must devour humans, vehicles, houses, buildings, supermarkets, and practically anything within reach. The creature grows as it consumes elements of the environment, while the police and military become increasingly dangerous threats. Progression revolves around specific objectives that vary from stage to stage, encouraging different ways to explore each environment. There are eight distinct stages, each offering enough variety to spark curiosity, although the number of tasks required to advance directly affects the overall pace of the experience. The gameplay combines free movement, bursts of speed, and the ability to consume nearby targets in an accessible arcade structure. We use WASD to control the creature, the spacebar to perform dashes, and the mouse to consume nearby humans. During each run, we can find temporary power-ups that allow us to reflect projectiles or automatically absorb nearby people, providing useful advantages during more dangerous encounters. Growth also changes how we deal with threats, as human forces deploy increasingly dangerous weapons as the creature gets larger. This dynamic keeps the action moving without requiring complex systems or lengthy learning periods. Progression is organized around objectives that resemble the structure of the Tony Hawk series, where completing specific tasks is essential to unlocking new areas. In ROLLA, we must accumulate a certain amount of damage, collect letters scattered throughout the stages, destroy a percentage of the available objects, or consume a specific number of humans. The challenges vary across the eight stages, which feature urban environments and other locations with distinct characteristics. The presentation also deserves attention: the isometric perspective follows the creature's movement, while a fictional television broadcast reports the situation as if we were watching live coverage of an unfolding catastrophe. The pixel art reinforces the game's retro identity, and the synth-based soundtrack complements the destruction. MY IMPRESSIONS The most enjoyable aspect of ROLLA is watching the creature grow as we turn the environments into scenes of complete destruction. Its inspiration from Katamari Damacy becomes apparent in the way size affects our interaction with the world, but the game establishes its own identity by placing humans, vehicles, and buildings at the center of the experience. There is immediate satisfaction in seeing objects that once stood in our way become easy targets, expanding our destructive capabilities. Since the controls are simple and the concept becomes clear within the first few minutes, the game quickly delivers what it promises without relying on complicated systems to keep players engaged. The individual objectives also help give each run a sense of direction. Rather than simply moving through the stages and destroying everything, we must pay attention to the requirements for completing each level and unlocking the next ones. The variety of tasks, from accumulating damage to finding specific items and meeting consumption targets, encourages small changes in how we approach each run. This structure works particularly well because it provides clear goals without making their execution unnecessarily complicated. The problem becomes apparent when we consider the unlocking pace: the number of required objectives is relatively high, forcing us to replay the same stages several times before reaching new environments. Since the later stages are among the game's most interesting features, making them easier to access could improve progression without removing the importance of the challenges. The art direction contributes significantly to the game's personality. The combination of pixel art, a grotesque creature, and urban environments creates a contrast that fits the dark humor of the premise. The presentation, inspired by a news broadcast, is another interesting touch, turning the player's destruction into an unfolding event covered on television within the game itself. This choice helps establish the context without relying on lengthy narrative sequences. The soundtrack complements the visual identity and works well during gameplay, although the music becomes noticeably repetitive after spending more time with the game. It does not ruin the experience, but a greater variety of tracks would help preserve the impact of the presentation throughout longer sessions. During my tests, I also encountered some unusual behavior while loading stages. At certain moments, my computer appeared to freeze while the next level was being prepared, even though my system was considerably more powerful than the published minimum requirements. Once loading finished, the game ran normally again, which made it difficult to determine whether the issue was specific to my hardware or related to how the loading process is presented. Even so, a clearer visual indicator showing that loading is still in progress would help prevent players from thinking the game has stopped responding. It is a relatively minor issue, but worth mentioning because it affects the perception of stability, especially when players cannot tell whether they should keep waiting or something has actually gone wrong. Another important aspect is how the experience changes as we progress. ROLLA is enjoyable when we want to spend a few minutes completing objectives and causing destruction without committing to a lengthy session. Over time, however, the repetition of activities and the need to revisit the same stages begin to reduce the initial excitement. I do not consider this a flaw that invalidates the experience, since arcade games can serve an important purpose by offering casual entertainment during moments of downtime. The point is that ROLLA works better in short sessions, with breaks in between, than when we try to play for extended periods. This does not diminish its merits, but it helps define the type of experience the game offers and the kind of player most likely to enjoy its mechanics. ACHIEVEMENTS ROLLA features 13 achievements covering progression, exploration, and different objectives completed throughout the game. The list fits the arcade structure well, encouraging players to experiment with the mechanics and pay attention to aspects they might otherwise overlook during their first playthrough. For achievement hunters, these goals add another layer of objectives beyond simply unlocking every stage. The relatively small number of achievements also makes progress easy to track without turning the list into an excessively lengthy checklist, keeping the focus on activities that are already part of the main experience. On the other hand, completing the entire achievement list can require a level of repetition that is not always rewarding. Some cumulative requirements and specific conditions encourage additional runs, but when combined with the pace at which new stages are unlocked, they can make the pursuit of 100% completion excessively demanding. The problem is not asking players to explore different possibilities, but prolonging activities they have already completed several times without offering anything new in return. Those who simply want to enjoy the campaign do not have to worry about this, but completionists should be prepared to invest more time than the game's simple premise initially suggests. A better balance between the requirements would make the list more enjoyable, preserving the incentive to explore without turning full completion into a tedious task. TRAILER OFFICIAL FINAL THOUGHTS ROLLA delivers an enjoyable arcade experience built around an easy-to-understand premise, accessible controls, and a good variety of objectives spread across eight stages. The creature's growth, environmental destruction, and increasingly dangerous human forces form a gameplay loop that works well, particularly during the first few sessions. The pixel art and presentation inspired by television news broadcasts help establish a distinct identity, while the stage objectives provide reasons to explore the environments and experiment with different approaches. The game finds its value in immediate fun and the freedom to cause destruction without requiring a major time commitment to start enjoying its mechanics. Its main limitations lie in progression, repetitive activities, and the time required to unlock all the content. Having to complete numerous objectives before accessing new stages slows the pace, while the repetitive soundtrack and some demanding achievements can make extended sessions tiring. The unusual loading behavior observed during my tests is also worth mentioning, although I could not determine its cause. Overall, ROLLA is an interesting option for anyone looking for a casual experience, particularly when played in short sessions. Its strengths are clear, but more balanced progression and a greater variety of gameplay elements would help sustain the fun for longer without requiring players to return to the same activities so many times. SCORE: 8.0/10 Review by Gamertag: SCOULZ

A fast-paced, highly diverse magical roguelite! Game Astral Ascent is a roguelite developed by Hibernian Workshop, set in a modern fantasy world. You begin the game as Ayla on a quest to find and defeat an entity known as "The Master," who previously sent armies to wipe out the inhabitants. Upon arriving, The Master appointed some of the best among them to guard specific sanctuaries; these guardians are known as the Zodiacs—individuals or creatures representing the 12 signs of the zodiac. Ayla, along with three other playable characters (Kiran, Calie, and Octave), must overcome a wide variety of challenges to ultimately defeat The Master. There are also two additional characters unlockable via DLC: Yamada and Arven. The story unfolds gradually, including every time you embark on a roguelite run (referred to in-game as the "Escape Plan"). As you progress, you unlock various NPCs on the main map—or hub area—who can help boost your stats, provide new spells, and more. At the start of an Escape Plan run, you can immediately choose a new magic ability (from your four starting options) to swap in, if you wish. Each "stage" features a difficulty level that gradually increases. At the end of each stage, you choose between two paths: one typically leads to the next difficulty level (e.g., moving from level 2 to 3), while the other jumps up by an additional level. Furthermore, each new stage lets you see the type and quantity of items you will encounter—such as Quartz fragments (to trade for abilities later on) or Auras (general modifiers not directly tied to specific spells). Building on the topic of auras, there are also Gambit modifiers that can be attached to spells, granting special effects and properties such as ice, poison, fire, and so on. In addition to these, one can find "Fool's Feathers" that enhance spells, as well as stones that boost general stats like strength, health, armor, and critical hit chance. Insane strikes and combos by acquiring new spells and modifiers. At the end of a set of "stages," the player enters the Andromeda bar, where they can replenish their health-restoring crystals (in exchange for a few stars...), have a drink, and use collected Quartz to purchase new spells, abilities, or "gambit slots" to augment those spells. On the next screen, the player faces a boss—one of the guardian Zodiacs. Typically, the first group of Zodiacs encountered belongs to the Earth element (Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo). After defeating the boss, the player earns some items and proceeds to the next "world," which is randomly selected (Fire, Water, or Air). Battle against one of the bosses, Capricorn! At certain points, the next stage might feature encounters with "Void Bosses"—mini-bosses based on minor constellations outside the Zodiac, such as Pegasus. But don't be fooled: while the difficulty is slightly lower than that of the main bosses, defeating them can still be a real challenge. Stay sharp! As players progress, they gradually unlock characters and unravel more of the story, with each character featuring unique dialogue with NPCs and bosses. Another interesting feature is the ability to play co-op with a friend, either online or via Remote Play Together (on Steam). The game also continues to evolve through new DLCs and collaborations with other titles, such as Dead Cells, Ravenswatch, Children of Morta, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. My Impressions Astral Ascent is a superbly crafted roguelite featuring a wealth of nuances and a massive amount of information—ranging from lore and customization options to spells, combos, and in-game achievements. Despite belonging to this genre, the game offers surprising depth, thanks to a rich narrative and diverse, character-focused dialogue that unfolds gradually throughout the gameplay rather than being dumped on the player all at once. This makes the experience all the more engaging, compelling you to keep playing to unravel each character's story. The story unfolds through dialogue that is by turns tense and amusing. Regarding difficulty, things are always a bit tougher in the early game—including the first boss fight. However, as the game progresses and you not only figure out how spells and combos work but also boost your base stats, the experience becomes a bit more manageable (though "a bit" doesn't mean "significantly," as it’s far from becoming a cakewalk). Early on, I got the impression—based largely on my experience in the first world—that the boss would change every time I encountered it; it seemed like defeating a boss meant a different one would appear on the next attempt (only repeating the lineup once all of them had been beaten). However, when I revisited the Fire World, I ended up facing the Sagittarius Zodiac twice in a row. I found this disappointing, as it holds back the other bosses right out of the gate, forcing you to play through and return to that world multiple times. It might seem odd, but some of the Zodiacs—or rather, elements of them—are somewhat reminiscent of Saint Seiy* (and why not draw inspiration from one of the world's most famous anime, right?). Conclusions For roguelite enthusiasts, Astral Ascent is a must-play title; it embodies the genre's core concept—advancing without suffering a definitive defeat—while adding a host of charms and features that enrich the player experience and prevent it from becoming overly repetitive (not to mention that the layout of each stage, as well as enemy placement, changes completely). The setting and soundtrack are also excellent, making the game increasingly addictive and compelling players to explore its world and every intricate detail. Various possibilities for improvement Achievements In addition to the aforementioned in-game achievements (which can yield points to exchange for spells, for example), regarding the platform—specifically Steam—the game currently features 89 achievements (though I believe this number could increase if new DLCs are added). Score: 9.0/10.0

Latin America's biggest Gaming Convention Is Back Brasil Game Show returned for another edition, reaffirming its position as the largest gaming convention in Latin America. Between October 9 and 12, Distrito Anhembi in São Paulo hosts thousands of visitors, publishers, developers, and industry professionals at an event bringing together top market brands such as Nintendo, SEGA, Square Enix, and Devolver Digital. In its 17th edition, the event offers demos of highly anticipated games, interactive experiences, promotional booths, and opportunities to get an up-close look at upcoming market releases. During our visit, which took place during a period reserved for badge holders, content creators, and special ticket holders, we had the opportunity to try out interesting titles, including Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2, Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000, Heave Ho 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, and Crazy Taxi: World Tour. Despite the variety of attractions, the experience was also marked by organizational issues, mainly regarding the capacity of certain booths. Queues grew significantly, making it difficult to enjoy games with limited demo times and tricky to balance all the available experiences. On the other hand, the accessibility infrastructure deserves recognition, as do the services provided to press members. BGS 2026 has enough attractions to capture the interest of diverse audiences, but our visit left the feeling that part of this potential was compromised by the struggle to manage demand. SEGA SEGA was one of the big positive surprises of BGS 2026, both for the variety of games and the size and relevance of its attractions. Among the available titles were Alien: Isolation 2, Crazy Taxi: World Tour, Persona 4 Revival, STRANGER THAN HEAVEN, SONIC PICO PARK, and Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000. The main highlight for the public, however, was Alien: Isolation 2, one of the most anticipated demos of this edition. Unfortunately, it was precisely at this spot that we encountered one of the largest problems of the convention. When we went to the booth, the wait time was close to two hours, while access to the demo queue was closed at 6:00 PM. Since the experience offered approximately half an hour of gameplay, capacity was naturally limited. We chose not to stand in line, but we recommend that anyone planning to try the game over the next few days arrive early and keep an eye on closing times, which can make all the difference. Our alternative was to try Crazy Taxi: World Tour, which revives the franchise's classic premise, putting the player in control of a taxi driver who must transport passengers within a time limit. The game also offers specific challenges after certain runs, including activities that involve launching the passenger as far as possible. The visuals are impressive, respecting the series' identity while delivering a more modern look, and the soundtrack helps maintain the fast pace of the gameplay. Kenji Kanno, creator of Crazy Taxi, alongside writer Giovanni. We also tried to arrange an interview with Kenji Kanno, creator of the original Crazy Taxi and producer of Crazy Taxi: World Tour, but we were unable to make the conversation happen this time. Even so, we had the opportunity to take a photo with him. Kanno was very friendly during the meeting and was wearing a special shirt related to his own creation, making this interaction one of the memorable moments of our time at the booth. Os redatores Lucas Santos e Bruno de Souza Bom Another interesting game was Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000, which showed a small part of the campaign and its battle systems. The proposal seems very promising, and the cinematic cutscenes caught our attention for the quality of their presentation. However, the version provided for testing still seemed to need a few tweaks, especially considering the importance of a demo at a convention of this scale. We also missed Brazilian Portuguese localization in that version, as the lack of translation can make it harder for newcomers to understand the mechanics and narrative. This does not mean the final version will launch without localization, but the demo could have been more accessible to the Brazilian audience. Overall, SEGA brought highly interesting attractions, although the experience with its main highlight was hampered by queue management. Another point that caught our attention was the quality of the hardware used at the booth, which featured Alienware computers alongside a giant themed mousepad for the game. NINTENDO Nintendo also maintained a strong presence with a large booth and various experiences for visitors. Among the games we found were Donkey Kong Bananza, Mario Kart World, and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. The official selection also included titles like Pokémon Pokopia, Star Star, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Galaxy 2, as well as LEGO Batman: The Dark Knight Legacy, EA SPORTS FC 27, and Just Dance: Decades of Hits. There was, therefore, variety in the announced lineup, although our impression was that it lacked a showcase title capable of generating even greater excitement among visitors who closely follow the company's upcoming releases. A prime example is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, whose new version for Nintendo Switch 2 was announced for release on November 5, 2026, yet was not among the games available for demo at the booth. Given how close the launch is, it would have been a great opportunity to let the public get early hands-on time with one of Nintendo's most anticipated arrivals. The most interesting experience for us was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, available to play on Nintendo Switch 2. We were able to play a match lasting about ten minutes, which was enough to observe how the game ran on the console. Having already tested the beta version on PC, we noticed that the experience remained very close to what we knew, with no significant differences in match structure. The main change was the platform used and the technical limitations involved. Naturally, it would not be reasonable to expect the same visual performance as a high-end PC on a console like Switch 2, but the port yielded an interesting result. Gameplay remained smooth during our time with it, and the adaptation work appeared careful in preserving the core FPS experience. It is a positive outcome, even if the graphic presentation falls below what is found on more powerful platforms. Nintendo also brought Charles Martinet, former voice actor for Mario, as a guest artist. Even with this attraction and the variety of games available, our experience left a sense of a partially missed opportunity. The booth managed to draw crowds, but we missed a more impactful demo of an upcoming major release, especially given the interest surrounding the brand's new products. The absence of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was particularly felt in this context, as the chance to try the game before release could have become one of the main highlights of the show. Still, it is worth acknowledging that Nintendo offered a very diverse selection. SQUARE ENIX Square Enix also brought compelling attractions to BGS 2026, positioning FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION as the main highlight of its booth. The game will be the third and final chapter in the trilogy reimagining the classic Final Fantasy VII originally released for PlayStation in 1997. Set to launch on April 8, 2027, the title promises to conclude the journey started in Final Fantasy VII Remake and continued in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The ability to play a hands-on demo months ahead of release made the company's presence particularly exciting for fans of the franchise. Another title available for testing was FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE, a new adventure in the franchise featuring HD-2D graphics and turn-based combat. Scheduled for release on October 22, 2026, the game also earned its spot at the show, allowing visitors to get to know its concept before the full version arrives. We found Square Enix's decision to prioritize unreleased games very positive. Getting the opportunity to test these titles in advance allows the public to understand their mechanics, form their own impressions, and weigh their interest in a future purchase. This approach also helps make the company's participation more relevant to those who follow upcoming releases and look for news beyond titles already on the market. DEVOLVER DIGITAL Devolver Digital brought one of the coolest booths at the convention, featuring new reveals and recently released games. Among the available experiences, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 was one of the most enjoyable, despite a technical issue that affected the demo. While playing Boltgun 2, we noticed rather bothersome input latency, which appeared to be restricted to the setup we were using. The issue stood out mainly because it is an FPS, a genre that relies on quick responses and precise movement. The flaw compromised part of the experience, but it was not enough to hide the game's qualities. The pixel art direction is very impressive, offering a modern presentation that respects retro aesthetics, while gameplay maintains a frantic, dynamic, and genuinely fun pace. Even so, the demo needed technical adjustments so players could enjoy the game properly. Another title we tested was Heave Ho 2, playing a stage that reinforced the franchise's cooperative fun. The experience was very enjoyable, mostly because of how the game turns simple movements into chaotic situations when playing with someone else. It is the kind of game that demands coordination, communication, and patience, but also delivers plenty of laughs when someone makes a mistake and sets the whole team back. The demo highlighted the potential of the co-op experience and showed how simple scenarios can turn into moments of pure fun. FINAL THOUGHTS BGS 2026 proved that it remains a relevant event for the Brazilian gaming community, bringing publishers, indie developers, content creators, and players together in the same space. Even without standalone booths from Xbox and PlayStation, the convention delivered compelling experiences, with highlights from SEGA, Nintendo, Devolver Digital, and Square Enix. Being able to try unreleased games like Crazy Taxi: World Tour, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2, and FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION made the visit worthwhile, especially for those tracking upcoming launches and looking to preview these productions before deciding on a purchase. However, the wealth of attractions was not matched by organizational capacity to meet demand at all times. Excessive lines were the main drawback of our experience, to the point where we gave up on trying Alien: Isolation 2, one of the event's most anticipated games. We also encountered technical issues in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 and missed Brazilian Portuguese localization in the Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000 demo. High food prices also warrant attention. BGS does not necessarily need to add more attractions to improve the experience, but rather find more efficient ways to manage crowds and ensure visitors can enjoy what is already available. On the other hand, it would be unfair to evaluate the show solely by its flaws. The press facilities, security protocols, and accessibility features, including priority queues and sensory rooms, were positive highlights of our visit. The space dedicated to indie developers and educational institutions also deserves credit for introducing new talent and projects to the public. Cosplay contests, booth activations, and meetups among people who know each other online reinforce the community nature of the event. Ultimately, one of the most special parts of BGS is reuniting diverse people who share a passion for video games. In the end, we left BGS 2026 with a positive impression regarding the event's importance, albeit with notable caveats about organization. The convention continues to bring together interesting games, foster professional connections, and create moments that could hardly be replicated elsewhere. However, the difficulty of experiencing all attractions in a single day, mostly due to long queues, ends up dampening part of the visit's potential. For future editions, we hope for better spatial planning, improved demand control for high-profile demos, and conditions that let visitors enjoy more games without spending so many hours waiting in lines. BGS remains a vital meeting point for gaming enthusiasts, and for that exact reason, we believe organizational improvements can make an already valuable event even better.

Hellraiser Finds Its Most Disturbing Ritual in Gaming Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival is a video game adaptation of one of horror's most disturbing franchises, known for exploring the boundaries between pain, pleasure, and suffering. Featuring an original story, the game pits players against the Cenobites, supernatural creatures that turn agony into an extreme experience, while mysteries surrounding the Genesis Configuration lead the adventure through grotesque environments and increasingly disturbing situations. Playing as Aidan Lynch, we must confront this universe of horrors in an attempt to save our girlfriend, Sunny. From the very beginning, Hellraiser: Revival makes it clear that it has no intention of toning down the franchise's identity. Explicit violence, body horror, and discomfort are all part of the experience, accompanied by a narrative that seeks to expand the mythology of the Cenobites. This approach may put off more sensitive players, but it can also spark the curiosity of those who want to explore this universe beyond the films. GAMEPLAY Exploration combines material gathering, searching for important objects, puzzles, and chase sequences that make us feel like we're genuinely in trouble. The inventory includes key items, crafting materials, a map, and a journal containing information about the adventure. Another curious detail is the ability to monitor the protagonist's heartbeat on-screen, a feature that fits the game's goal of keeping players on edge. Progression also features manual saves, performed at rifts found throughout the environment, alongside automatic saves. Some interactions feel a little awkward, particularly when controller movement requires us to turn the camera completely to one side, but these are quirks we eventually get used to. In certain situations, we need to observe our surroundings and figure out solutions using visual clues. One of the early sequences requires us to manipulate parts of modified bodies, fitting elements together to solve a puzzle. Elsewhere, we encounter a skull covered in nails and must press the correct ones to release a key that allows us to open a grotesque-looking door. There are also numerical codes and puzzles hidden throughout the rooms, some of which may take a few minutes of observation before we finally understand what to do. These moments reward exploration and encourage players to pay attention to their surroundings. The Genesis Configuration becomes increasingly important as we progress, especially when we begin using the cube's energy to our advantage. The ability to collect glowing objects and throw them, combined with supernatural abilities, expands our options during combat. Hunting for hearts to restore Shailod also marks an interesting shift in how we approach the adventure. Gradually, we stop feeling like mere victims of our circumstances and begin adopting a much more aggressive stance toward the threats we face. Chase sequences help maintain this dynamic, creating moments when we must learn the route and avoid repeating our mistakes. Some sections can feel a little out of rhythm, particularly when we are forced to run through certain areas, but the sense of danger works well. I also feel that the game moves away from its puzzle-focused approach after the opening sequences, placing greater emphasis on survival and killing. The cult-related enemies are one area where I would have liked to see more variety. Despite differences in clothing and the presence of certain characters who become important throughout the story, many enemies look remarkably similar, with pale faces and shaved heads. They taunt the protagonist and display constant hostility, but their visual repetition becomes increasingly noticeable throughout the campaign. Fortunately, the introduction of Charlotte and other creatures expands the variety of threats and helps enrich the mythology being presented. The narrative also deserves recognition for its willingness to take players into increasingly extreme situations. VISUALS AND SOUND Developed using Unreal Engine 5, Hellraiser: Revival features excellent graphical quality, particularly in its environments and creature designs. The world is carefully filled with references to the franchise, and some details seem deliberately placed to reward players who enjoy examining every corner. The open areas, especially the sections set in the cemetery, are among the game's visual highlights. There is also a sense of nostalgia for horror games from the Xbox 360 era, when certain experiences relied on striking imagery and disturbing situations that stayed with players long after they finished playing. Here, that impact is reinforced by the grotesque art direction and the way environmental elements are arranged. The sequence set in the swingers' club, for example, is so disturbing within the context of the story that it makes us uneasy about what we might find there. The Cenobites' presentation is particularly striking. The game understands the importance of body horror to Hellraiser's identity and does not attempt to soften what makes this universe so unsettling. The gore is excessive, but it makes sense within the game's approach and reflects the way the franchise explores suffering. The atmosphere helps sustain this feeling throughout exploration, while the mystery surrounding these creatures makes us curious to learn more about their origins and motivations. Even with explicit violence dominating much of the experience, the visual design also stands out for creating locations that inspire curiosity rather than relying exclusively on shocking imagery. ACHIEVEMENTS Hellraiser: Revival features an interesting achievement list that encourages exploration, experimentation with different mechanics, and the search for secrets scattered throughout the campaign. I enjoyed the variety of objectives, but some achievements could have been made non-missable, or the game could have offered a more suitable chapter selection system to make pursuing 100% completion easier. This would prevent players from having to replay large sections of the adventure or save in very specific areas just to recover something they missed during their first playthrough. TRAILER OFFICIAL FINAL THOUGHTS Hellraiser: Revival has a few issues that keep the experience from being more consistent. The shift in pacing changes how we approach the game. It begins with puzzles, stealth, and sneaking through areas undetected, but gradually moves in a completely different direction. There are also moments when certain narrative situations feel overly convenient, leaving us wondering why the protagonist made a particular decision. These are aspects that could have received more attention, especially in a campaign that does such a good job of establishing its atmosphere. Even so, the way the game presents the Cenobites, hides puzzles throughout its environments, and uses discomfort as part of the experience makes these shortcomings less significant when compared to its strongest moments. Exploration rewards curiosity, the puzzles are engaging, and the introduction of creatures like Charlotte helps expand the variety of threats. Once we begin using the Genesis Configuration more aggressively and hunting for hearts to restore Sunny, the gameplay takes on a much more interesting dynamic, with a noticeable shift in the protagonist's attitude toward the dangers around him. For me, Hellraiser: Revival's greatest achievement lies in expanding a universe that has long deserved an adaptation capable of exploring its ideas with greater freedom. The structure of a video game allows for a self-contained story, presents the Cenobites from new perspectives, and creates situations that would hardly have the same impact in a film lasting approximately two hours. The exaggerated gore is necessary for this approach, and the willingness to embrace the franchise's identity makes the experience particularly memorable. Despite a few less engaging sections, I believe Hellraiser: Revival has found a direction that suits the franchise exceptionally well, delivering a horror adventure that left me feeling a level of unease I had not experienced in quite some time. SCORE: 8.5/10 Review by Gamertag: SCOULZ

When someone tells you that a city needs more parking, show them this game. THE GAME Car Park Capital is a city-building and management game developed by Hilkojj Interactive and distributed by MicroProse Software. You've been tasked with creating a car dependency among the population. Your primary job is to create parking lots so that city residents ditch public transport, buy cars, and use your parking spaces. And to use parking lots, you need cars, right? So, create and sell cars to the citizens. Make the population unable to live without a car and achieve capitalist success, consequently destroying everything good. Where should we put a new parking lot? EVERYWHERE! MY IMPRESSIONS If you've played any older, much older management games, you'll feel like Car Park Capital is transported directly from that era. Both its visuals and gameplay perfectly emulate what we had in a simpler era of computer games. Starting with the visuals, Car Park Capital has its charm, with an aesthetic I really like – very cartoonish and exaggerated, with vibrant colors that, even in its simplicity, clearly convey what it has to offer. The gameplay, while maintaining older management game elements, is often confusing and not very user-friendly. It's easy to get lost in the menus or not understand what's happening. In this case, the interface is more of a hindrance than the gameplay itself, which is ultimately hampered by the former. This is one of the problems; replicating a game in this style has its good parts, but also its bad parts, which could have been handled a little better for the game's overall quality. The game is not in Brazilian Portuguese, which makes it quite difficult to understand for those who don't speak English. It's essential to thoroughly understand the mechanics of Car Park Capital, because the tutorial only scratches the surface of what the game truly has to offer, and often you'll have to learn through trial and error until you get it right. You can play on predefined maps, but you can also play on custom maps. The main maps have objectives that must be completed within a certain time, so pausing the game doesn't allow you to interact with anything other than information, as the idea is that the game is entirely time-lapse, as if you can only change something while the time is running, since, as mentioned, you have a certain amount of time to meet metrics. Despite being the main theme, building parking lots is only the foundation of what you can do in Car Park Capital. They are a very fun part of the game, giving you great freedom to design your parking lot however you want. To make the parking lots useful, it's important that the population owns cars, so you build a factory, produce the cars, build a distribution center for these cars, and a store to sell them. You'll notice that many game mechanics, like the car production mentioned above, are designed in a way that one thing depends on another to function. This is the case with oil, for example, where you'll end up extracting, refining, and selling fuel at some point in the game. Furthermore, various services, such as food and car painting, also become drive-thrus. To gain more space for parking lots, you'll have to evict residents from the housing in the area you acquire, but it's not that simple: you must build houses outside urban centers, and only then can you force them to live far away. Of course, this is also designed to encourage them to use cars more. This way, you can build larger and newer parking lots or support buildings, such as advertising vehicles, fire trucks, or an anti-riot squad. And why would an anti-riot squad be necessary? Well, when you destroy the environment to build factories and extract oil, the population doesn't like it, and some protesters will try to boycott your business, and that's where the anti-riot squad comes in. As you can see, Car Park Capital starts one way, but opens up a huge range of new mechanics that will constantly make you try to fit them in the best way possible. Car Park Capital is clearly a satire of rampant capitalism, doing so with humor and sarcasm. Although it may not seem so friendly to more casual players, it tries to keep things simple, even though it requires a lot of micromanagement at all times. It's difficult to grasp the idea right away, but the game flows well if you start to understand what it wants from you, that despite having a time limit, you'll have enough time to complete the objectives. It's a great challenge for those who enjoy management games. Their actions have consequences for society. ACHIEVEMENTS At the time of this review, the game unfortunately does not have achievements. Perhaps they will be added in the future, as there is room for more challenge in Car Park Capital. Produce and sell more cars to have more parking spaces. CONCLUSION The central idea of ​​Car Park Capital really caught my attention. In a satirical way, it uses a very current topic to build a game around it. It's funny how sometimes it feels like you're building an amusement park instead of modifying an entire city. The pacing is a bit strange, because you feel like you need to do something, but the interface doesn't help much in orienting yourself. Everything seems a bit out of place, like some of the building grids, which is a little irritating, but it might just be my need to keep everything organized. Car Park Capital is a great management game, with really cool ideas, and the developers seem to have many ideas for additions, but it could improve the quality of life in some aspects of the game a bit more. Even understanding the idea of ​​it being a game in the older style, we don't need the bad parts. SCORE: 7.5/10

The sky belongs to those who can survive it In Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, war once again reaches the continent of Usea years after the events of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. The Central Usea Federation is still trying to rebuild after previous conflicts when the Republic of Sotoa launches a large-scale invasion. With its military forces under pressure and the city of Theve under threat, the FCU must reorganize what remains of its air power to face a force equipped with technologies capable of completely shifting the balance of the conflict. It is in this scenario that we follow Rex and the crew of the aircraft carrier Endurance. After a series of events, Rex ends up assuming the identity of Jan Cope, known as Wings of Theve, a pilot transformed by FCU propaganda into a symbol of hope. Alongside Joker Flight and other squadrons, he takes part in increasingly large-scale operations, ranging from attacks against ground forces and escort missions to battles against enormous warships and superweapons. As the war progresses, the conflict between the FCU and Sotoa reveals much greater interests behind the battles, involving the Enso Order and establishing new connections to the future presented in Ace Combat 3. GAMEPLAY The preparation for each operation in Ace Combat 8 is extremely thorough and begins long before we even start the engines. The pre-mission briefing provides a complete overview of the battlefield: the regional map, date, exact time, visibility and cloud density, as well as the tactical objective. Knowing in advance that the main target will be a battleship makes aircraft selection genuinely important. If the operation requires a greater focus on ground combat, choosing a plane equipped for ground attacks becomes a strategic decision that directly affects the success of the mission. The hangar system offers a very clear division of aircraft by role. Blue fighters are focused on air superiority and excel against other aircraft, while purple models take a multirole approach, perfect for players looking for balance. Red fighters are specialized ground attackers, ideal for tearing through tanks, artillery and naval fleets. In addition to choosing the main aircraft, we can install upgrades and configure which models our wingmen will use, creating tactics that carry from the planning stage directly into combat. In conventional missions, the game maintains that pure arcade pace, with missiles crossing the screen and aircraft being destroyed within seconds. However, when facing a battleship, the player's approach has to change completely. You need to identify the ship's vulnerable points, coordinate your attacks, save special weapons for the right moment and understand from which angle the target can take damage. If one side of the ship offers fewer attack opportunities, you are forced to circle around and find a new position. Even the surrounding environment affects combat: if there is a building between your aircraft and the target, firing a missile too early will simply cause it to collide with the structure. These are moments that make the player slow down, study the map and plan the next maneuver, contrasting with the speed of normal aerial combat. The difficulty curve follows your evolution as a player naturally. The early missions are simple and do a good job of introducing the basic systems, but the challenge gradually increases until you reach operations that demand much greater mastery of the aircraft and its resources. It is true that the menus and user interface (UI) throw a huge amount of abbreviations, statistics and technical information at you right away, which can feel somewhat cluttered for players unfamiliar with the franchise. However, it only takes a little time to adapt before you start quickly filtering the information that actually matters before each sortie. Teamwork also plays a central role throughout the campaign. Being able to issue direct commands to allies and customize each member's aircraft adds an important tactical element. Beyond their practical usefulness, the wingmen have distinct personalities and a constant presence in the cinematics, giving Joker Flight and the other squadrons genuine narrative relevance. The main issue is their behavior when they are not under direct orders. During open combat without active commands, allied AI tends to become excessively passive, leaving most of the heavy lifting to the player. On the enemy side, AI alternates between impressive evasive maneuvers from enemy aces and somewhat predictable flight paths from secondary fighters. Ace Combat Online The content does not end with the campaign. Ace Combat Online considerably expands the experience by bringing players from around the world together in the same environment. The mode features its own avatar system, allowing players to customize characteristics such as hair and hairstyle, as well as a lobby where we can meet other players, chat, access the hangar, configure the squadron, take part in missions and complete training. There is also an arcade inside this space, featuring classic Namco games, which is a particularly interesting detail for anyone who appreciates the company's history. The online mode offers several different activities, including attack missions, dispatch wars, emergency sorties, deathmatch, team deathmatch and special bounty contracts. There is also a shop with different currencies and content, including aircraft, skins, medals and other items. There is plenty of variety for anyone who intends to keep flying after finishing the campaign, giving the game longevity beyond its 30 main missions. The Flight Stick Experience My entire experience with Ace Combat 8 was played using a Thrustmaster T.16000M together with its throttle, and this made the experience even more interesting. There is a greater learning curve, especially at the beginning, because the number of commands and the way the aircraft is controlled require some adjustment. Still, the game allows this learning process to happen gradually. I did not need to be a simulator expert to adapt, and as the missions progressed, I noticed that I was using the equipment more naturally. The campaign's increasing difficulty matched this adaptation very well, and the feeling of mastering a maneuver or positioning the aircraft correctly after several hours with the flight stick is very different from simply playing through the entire campaign with a traditional controller. VISUALS AND SOUND Technically, Ace Combat 8 uses Unreal Engine 5 alongside Bandai Namco's proprietary technologies to render its environments and aircraft. The weather system also plays an important role, with dynamic atmospheric conditions that directly affect visibility and aircraft handling. This becomes even more important during certain operations because the weather is not merely a visual element in the background. It affects how we see the battlefield and control the aircraft. This combination also creates noticeable differences between operations, especially when moving from open environments to missions with more challenging weather conditions. The soundtrack is another highlight. Night missions are a perfect example of how music, scenery and combat can transform an entire operation. When the sky is dark and My Blue Sky Home begins to play, we get some of the most memorable moments I experienced during the campaign. Some of these missions can last for dozens of minutes depending on the player's skill, and even then, I was never concerned about their length because I remained genuinely engaged with what was happening. The soundtrack also features violinist Lindsey Stirling, known for her work on YouTube and her appearance on America's Got Talent, whose contribution gives the game even more soul. ACHIEVEMENTS I really enjoyed the achievement list in Ace Combat 8, especially because it follows the campaign's progression very well and encourages players to explore different parts of the experience. Most objectives are unlocked naturally during gameplay, while others encourage greater exploration of the aircraft, weapons, upgrades, wingmen and different systems available. This makes achievement hunting feel closely connected to what the game offers, rather than turning completion into something completely separate from the main experience. For players who enjoy completing games, there is plenty to work toward after finishing the campaign for the first time. My main criticism concerns the objectives tied to the higher difficulty levels. There is a requirement to complete the campaign on a specific difficulty, as well as a considerably more demanding objective that requires completing every mission on the highest difficulty with an S rank. Considering that some operations can already be quite demanding and that performance needs to be very precise at higher difficulty levels, this significantly increases the effort required to reach 100%. Even so, I liked the list as a whole, especially because of how well it follows the player's progression throughout the campaign. TRAILER OFFICIAL #AceCombat8, #AceCombat, #FlightCombat, #FlightSimulator FINAL THOUGHTS The main problem I encountered during the campaign is related to the time limit of one specific mission. In Mission 13, particularly during its final section, you have only two minutes to destroy approximately ten enemies. I persisted through this section and chose not to lower the difficulty, but at that moment I felt that the biggest enemy was not really the combat itself, but the clock. The time felt too tight considering the difficulty of the situation. This stood out to me even more because the rest of the campaign manages its pacing and objectives very well. In addition, the passivity of the wingmen when they are not given any orders can be somewhat frustrating. It is difficult not to highlight how much the wingmen contribute to this experience. Their presence during operations, the commands we can give them, the ability to configure their aircraft and, most importantly, the personalities presented in the cinematics make them much more important than simply occupying space in the sky. Combined with the variety of the 30 missions, the preparation before each operation, the different aircraft classes, upgrades and battles against major targets, the campaign maintains a very high level of quality throughout almost its entire duration. My favorite mission was the first attack on the land battleship, precisely because it brings several of these elements together and requires a different approach compared to conventional combat. Ace Combat 8 gave me the most enjoyable aerial combat experience I have ever had. The night missions accompanied by a memorable soundtrack, the constant progression in difficulty, the large-scale battles, the presence of the wingmen and, above all, the ability to play with a flight stick made a huge difference to my experience. The game is accessible enough for someone who is not a simulator specialist to learn, while also offering enough depth for that same player to notice their own improvement as they progress. I started out needing to adapt to the controls and ended up much more comfortable with the flight stick, making decisions about aircraft, weapons, allies and positioning almost naturally. With an exceptional campaign and an impressive variety of possibilities in each operation, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve establishes itself as a landmark for the franchise and as the most complete and enjoyable aerial combat experience I have ever had. SCORE: 9.4/10 Review by Gamertag: SCOULZ

A journey through different eras of science fiction in video games Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection brings together six games from a franchise that explored different styles and perspectives throughout its history. Originally developed by Team17, the series began in 1991 and evolved from top-down experiences into first-person 3D shooters. This collection stays true to its roots, preserving the classic versions while providing interesting information and trivia about each release, including its year, platforms, languages, perspective, and technical characteristics. It is also nice to see local co-op support for two players in compatible games, allowing players to revisit these experiences together. For those who have never played Alien Breed, this compilation offers an opportunity to discover a franchise that may have gone unnoticed by many, especially considering the number of changes it underwent throughout its history. MY IMPRESSIONS The first Alien Breed already offers quite interesting gameplay, with a top-down perspective that allows us to follow the character as we explore facilities infested with creatures. We need to manage our health, collect items scattered throughout the environments, and fight the Aliens that appear along the way, keeping an eye on how much ammunition we use. Some structures can also pull us inside, while holes scattered throughout the environment represent a constant threat, as new creatures can emerge from them at any moment. Combat features some interesting animations, such as enemies emerging from the ground, and the variety of creatures helps keep exploration engaging. However, the main challenge lies in finding the exit of each level, as the game frequently hides the paths required to progress. The structure ends up functioning almost like a maze, where we need to recognize the environments and figure out which doors lead to the next missions. The Deck Lift, for example, allows us to advance to the following stage, but finding these points can take quite some time. Since the environments remain the same when we return to a level, memorizing the paths becomes an important part of the experience. The problem is that this search comes with consequences: if we take too long, a countdown may begin, signaling the imminent destruction of the entire facility. The first game also features waves of enemies that seem to never end, making it necessary to constantly balance exploration and combat. It is a technically simple experience, but one that manages to create some tense situations, especially during the first attempts. Alien Breed: Special Edition '92 maintains the original structure, bringing an enhanced edition with more levels and updates that significantly improve the experience. Alien Breed II: The Horror Continues, on the other hand, represents a more expressive visual evolution, with completely redesigned environments and different creatures that help move its visual identity further away from its cinematic inspirations. The ability to switch between the original Amiga and Amiga Advanced versions is also an interesting feature of the collection, allowing players to experience different historical graphical configurations. Still, I consider this second game one of the weakest entries in the series, especially when compared to the other experiences available. Tower Assault, on the other hand, was much more enjoyable for me. With options between Amiga CD32 and Amiga 1200, it presents a more interesting structure, including a map that needs to be scanned to reveal information that was previously available more easily. The atmosphere also stands out, with brutal environments showing the effects of the alien invasion on people, including medical centers and other locations that help contextualize what happened there. Combat is quite satisfying, although ammunition seems scarcer and the difficulty of finding exits remains. The number of Aliens appearing throughout the environments can make the experience challenging even by today's standards, especially when we have to deal with loading times between levels. Some optimization in this area would have made progression more enjoyable. On the other hand, exploring the environments, finding objects related to the people who were there, and discovering fragments of the story are aspects that make the journey more interesting. There is also a time limit for completing missions, increasing the pressure during exploration. My main recommendation for anyone planning to start with the classic games is to pay close attention to their sense of direction and try to memorize the paths. Exploration can be quite demanding, but the encounters make up for much of that effort. The franchise undergoes another significant transformation with Alien Breed 3D, which abandons the top-down perspective and adopts a first-person presentation very similar to DOOM. The change works very well, especially because exploration now takes place through three-dimensional corridors, encouraging players to search for secrets while maintaining much of the combat structure we already know. Alien Breed 3D 2: The Killing Grounds continues this approach, introducing important quality-of-life improvements, although it also makes some thematic changes that move it somewhat further away from the identity established previously. It is interesting to follow this transition between different styles within a single collection, especially considering that the games were released relatively close to one another. Another aspect worth highlighting is how the collection preserves these experiences without making unnecessary changes that would compromise the original games. The available filters help adapt the presentation to modern equipment, while the different graphical configurations allow players to better understand the characteristics of the original versions. I also enjoyed the amount of historical information provided about each release, including platforms, languages, perspectives, and other interesting details. Overall, this preservation allows us to see how Alien Breed evolved technically during its early years, while maintaining the characteristics that help define each entry. ACHIEVEMENTS The achievements in Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection are spread across the different games in the compilation, covering specific moments of progression, exploration, and campaign completion. There are 18 achievements in total, encouraging players to experience each of the available titles, from the early top-down games to the three-dimensional adventures. Most are tied to natural events throughout the campaigns, such as reaching specific sectors, obtaining certain weapons, surviving important situations, and facing threats that are part of each game's progression. As a result, there is no need to complete a series of artificial challenges to make progress through the list, since most achievements follow the natural development of the adventures. In addition to the campaigns, the collection also includes an achievement for Horde Mode, requiring players to survive until they reach a specific number of kills. The final achievement depends on obtaining all the others, meaning that players will need to experience practically all the content covered by the list. Overall, it is a fairly accessible selection in terms of structure, especially since the objectives are distributed across the six games, although the natural difficulty of some older campaigns may require extra attention during exploration and combat. For those aiming to complete all 1,000 Gamerscore, it will be important to understand the particularities of each title and progress through their respective endings. TRAILER OFFICIAL FINAL THOUGHTS Some issues weigh on the experience, particularly the difficulty of finding exits, the excessive number of enemies at certain moments, and the loading times between Tower Assault levels. Alien Breed II also ended up being one of the least interesting experiences for me, especially when compared to the improvements introduced in later entries. These are characteristics that may require considerable patience from players unfamiliar with games from this era, particularly because the collection preserves much of the difficulty found in the original versions. On the other hand, revisiting the evolution of this franchise is quite interesting. Tower Assault was one of the games I enjoyed the most, both for its atmosphere and for the way it presents its environments and encourages exploration. The ability to experience different versions, switch graphical configurations, and access historical information about each release also adds considerable value to the package. Local co-op for two players is another very welcome feature, expanding the possibilities for enjoying these games together. Furthermore, Alien Breed 3D and its sequel showcase a significant transformation in the series, offering experiences that help us understand how Team17 experimented with different directions over the years. Overall, I consider Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection a very well-made compilation of a franchise I honestly wasn't familiar with. It is a faithful preservation effort, bringing classic games to modern platforms without resorting to changes that compromise their identity. I believe those who followed Alien Breed back in the day will find an interesting opportunity to revisit these titles, while newer players may have a curious experience discovering a series inspired by the Alien movies but one that developed its own identity in video games. I'm not sure how much this presentation will appeal to an audience that has never experienced the original games, especially given some of the difficulties that remain intact, but it is certainly worth trying this collection to discover an interesting part of Team17's history. SCORE: 7.5/10 Review by Gamertag: SCOULZ

Go back to the past so that the mistakes of the present do not affect the future. THE GAME Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis TD is a tower defense game developed and published by Ironhide Game Studio. In the present, the villain Vez'nan has emerged victorious from the war. With no hope for the future, our hero opens a portal to the past to try and prevent the apocalyptic present from happening. Reconnect with old acquaintances and the original lands of the Kingdom Rush series by doing what we do best: building towers and rallying heroes against hordes of enemies. Prevent the enemies from advancing at all costs. MY IMPRESSIONS Another game in the Kingdom Rush series, and we couldn't expect less from one of the coolest tower defense game series. Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis TD maintains the formula that has always worked, but without failing to bring new features. The towers, although always following the same idea, are always revamped, both visually and mechanically. The heroes, again used in pairs, continue to have the possibility of leveling up, now with an evolution tree, unlike what was proposed in previous games. Their spells, with the capacity of three slots to choose the ones you think best for your strategy, also level up, with a unique skill tree for each one. The upgrade tree also remains present in the same format as previous games. The novelty lies in the new game modes. Besides the classic Iron Challenge, which determines which towers the player will have to face a single large horde of enemies, there's Blitz mode, a fast-paced version of the stage with faster magic charging; Hero Party mode, where the player controls four heroes instead of two and cannot use magic; Spell Rush mode, the opposite of the previously mentioned mode; and finally, Classic Rush mode, which brings back the arsenal from the first Kingdom Rush to be used in the stages. Personally, Classic Rush was a great idea, paying homage to the series that has been making quality games for quite some time. The game's art remains incredible, as in all games in the series. The good humor is still maintained, with stage interactions always referencing pop culture. The game is in Brazilian Portuguese, making it easier to understand the mechanics of towers, heroes, magic, and upgrades. Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis TD maintains a very good level of challenge, always demanding the player's attention and good planning on how to attack each stage. There are difficulty levels to choose from if you want more of a challenge. Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis TD continues the legacy and honors the past, without ever making the game repetitive or lacking in new features. It's a series that shouldn't be missing from the game library of tower defense fans. The maps remain quite varied and full of surprises. ACHIEVEMENTS There's a wide variety of achievements to unlock in Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis TD. Starting with the simplest, which is basically finishing the game, we can include the achievement of getting three stars in all stages of each area, which can be challenging, but as it's part of the core of the game and its objective throughout the campaign, I consider it a more basic achievement. In fact, you'll have to get one hundred stars for one of the achievements. We also have achievements for using specific mechanics and actions, such as defeating 10,000 enemies or using a specific power that the stages offer exclusively. These are a bit more laborious, but many of them end up being completed without even knowing there was an achievement for them. Leveling up to the maximum level, both for your heroes and your magic, also unlocks achievements; in this case, you'll have to do some good old-fashioned grinding. Completing all the Iron challenges and finishing the game on the highest difficulties, in my opinion, will be the most difficult achievements to get, but they will be a good challenge for the player. Lastly, but certainly not least, the achievements for interacting with easter eggs in the levels are present here, as in the entire series, and for me, they are the most fun. Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis TD is normally challenging enough, but getting 100% of the achievements will be an extra challenge for players. Travel through the diverse territories of the kingdom. CONCLUSION Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis TD is a great way to pay homage to itself, returning to the game's past but bringing new features, as always. I like how the Kingdom Rush series, despite seeming to always be the same, strives to change or rework mechanics without taking away what made the series a success. Each game is always unique. The level of challenge increases, but without feeling unfair. For those who have already played any game in the series, they will feel nostalgic with the classic rush mode. For those who have never played anything from Kingdom Rush, it's a great gateway to discover this fun and challenging world. Kingdom Rush has been a classic for a while now and is increasingly making its mark on the history of tower defense. SCORE: 8.0/10

The road may be treacherous, but keep driving. THE GAME Keep Driving is a resource management RPG developed and distributed by YCJY Games and Kepler Ghost. Set in the early 2000s, you've just bought your first car and learn about a festival happening on the other side of the country. You're young, and adventure calls. You decide the route, and whether going to the festival is what you truly want. The road is full of dangers, and you must overcome them to reach your goals. Accept rides, upgrade your car, or simply try to reach the end of your adventure, navigating the challenges of life on the road. The road holds all sorts of events that a driver can expect. MY IMPRESSIONS Trips should always be well-planned, but even when you think you've planned everything right, unexpected problems can arise. Keep Driving emulates a car trip with RPG elements and resource management that, at first, may seem very punishing, but as your journey progresses, you realize that maintaining your resources isn't as difficult as it seemed, even if it's not trivial. Problems will appear at any moment. Your car might run out of gas or break down, you might run out of money or get hungry. All of this must be overcome using the resources available to the player. The game is in Brazilian Portuguese, which makes it easier to understand the game mechanics, even though the text interface is a bit confusing, you can still understand it. Graphically, the game is beautiful, with a very unique atmosphere. The soundtrack is up to the player, who can change the playlist in their car whenever they want and can even buy new CDs to listen to during their journey. The developers even say that the soundtrack is composed of local indie bands (in Sweden), which I thought was very cool. The ultimate goal is decided by the player. Although a final objective is presented early in the journey, you don't have to be stuck with it. The trip can open up a range of different objectives, and this is intentional, as the game has different endings, so it's fun to play again and see different story outcomes. During the trip, you can give rides to people who have side missions to complete, and again, if you want, you can complete them. The hitchhikers also help you in "battles" against threats on the road. These threats are events that occur during the journey from one point to another on the map. The player must avoid the threats using the abilities of the main character or the hitchhikers. Abilities consume resources or have limited uses until you rest to replenish them, so use them wisely. If you fail to avoid them on your turn, they "attack" you according to the resource they represent, potentially draining fuel from the car, damaging it, taking your money, or draining the driver's energy. These four resources, in particular, are crucial to your journey, both as resources to be spent and to keep them healthy. Negative effects can also affect your journey, such as hunger, cold, or stress, for example. For this reason, you should always pay attention to your inventory, which is the car's trunk. Different cars have different interior spaces, both trunk space and passenger seats, so it's important to choose and plan well which car you will choose at the beginning of your journey. Most of the time, these negative effects can be removed with rest or the use of items, such as food to satisfy hunger or a hot coffee to combat the cold. Although simple, it's a very creative mechanic and makes the game much more interesting. Finally, your car also deserves special treatment, allowing the player to improve it with new parts that also help in combating the threats on the road. Think of the car parts as the character's armor; after all, the car fulfills that role. Keep Driving puts a map in the player's hands and the freedom to decide what to do, like a young person with their whole life ahead of them. Experiencing different stories, trying different goals, always with new perspectives, is a really cool thing the game makes possible. The game's atmosphere immerses you in the experience of truly enjoying a journey that, even with its occasional setbacks, makes it all worthwhile. Choose the best route to reach your goals. ACHIEVEMENTS Despite having few achievements, you'll have a lot of work to do to complete them all. They all relate to possible endings and specific missions that appear during your journey. Basically, it's up to the player to experience everything the game presents. In general, you just have to follow what the mission tells you to do, and it's up to the player to succeed or fail in fulfilling the request. Completing 100% of the achievements may take time, but you're young and have plenty of time to enjoy the journeys offered by Keep Driving. Always be well-prepared for any kind of problem that may arise. CONCLUSION Without a doubt, one of the most visually beautiful games I've ever played. It has a truly unique atmosphere that you can only understand by playing it. It's relaxing, while at the same time you have a lot of obstacles to overcome. Although the "combat" against the road's threats isn't that fun and is sometimes even confusing because of the text interface, the overall aspects of the game compensate for that, leaving a very cool and creative experience for the player. Keep Driving is definitely worth playing and experiencing everything it has to offer. SCORE: 8.0/10

Every Choice Can Lead to the Worst Possible Path PEPPERED: An Existential Platformer is one of those games that manages to surprise you just when you think you already understand where the story is heading. The game stands out for the intelligence with which it handles its narrative possibilities. There are paths where you try to do everything right and still end up in a completely absurd situation, while certain decisions that initially seem wrong can lead to much more interesting outcomes. The story constantly plays with these expectations and never treats the player as someone who needs to have every answer handed to them. It is an incredibly original and creative narrative, filled with situations that make you want to find out what would have happened if you had chosen differently. GAMEPLAY The gameplay in PEPPERED is technically simple, but it works very well within the game's overall design. The platforming relies on basic actions such as jumping, crouching, sliding, and gliding, while the player moves through the environments looking for the next point of progression and interacting with objects. Life Stars are also an important part of this structure, serving both as a means of progression and as part of some of the game's narrative possibilities. There is no huge variety of movements or complex systems, but the combination of these mechanics creates a very enjoyable experience. What really sets this structure apart is the way the platforming and narrative constantly alternate. At certain moments, I am simply focused on making my way through an area, finding a star, or figuring out how to reach a particular point. At others, my attention shifts completely toward a story-related decision. This balance works especially well because the game never tries to turn every moment into a massive challenge. The simplicity of the gameplay leaves room for what really drives the experience: finding out what happens next. Even with such a streamlined platforming structure, there is always the feeling that there might be something hidden waiting to be found or an NPC who has something interesting to tell you. The choices also work as a gameplay mechanic in their own right. At one point, you can simply walk out the door instead of following the expected path of the job interview, and that decision puts the protagonist in a completely different situation involving the theft of a star and a police pursuit. From there, the consequences begin to pile up and can lead to different endings. Even situations involving defeats and failures can affect how the adventure develops, meaning that replaying certain sections is not simply about trying again, but also about discovering another narrative possibility. ACHIEVEMENTS The achievements in PEPPERED are quite simple and do not require mastery of specific mechanics or particularly complex challenges. The list is directly connected to the game's narrative structure, encouraging the player to discover everything the adventure has to offer through its different choices and endings. Completing most of them requires exploring the various possibilities of the story and understanding how certain decisions alter the path you take. There is also an achievement tied to completing the game more thoroughly, which requires greater exploration, but overall, the list works much more as an incentive to discover the narrative branches than as a series of challenges separate from the main campaign. TRAILER OFFICIAL FINAL THOUGHTS The way the endings are structured, the consequences of your decisions, and the possibility of taking on different roles within the story are excellent. The idea of starting out as someone simply trying to get a job and, depending on your choices, climbing the ranks until the company itself becomes part of your fate is incredibly creative. And when everything seems to go wrong, the game still finds ways to turn those decisions into new possibilities. The situations involving the police officer are also great, especially his relationship with his own boss, as he is constantly trying to get permission to simply shoot the protagonist while being met with one "no" after another. Overall, PEPPERED was one of the most interesting games I have played when it comes to storytelling. It has an extremely well-crafted narrative, never underestimates the player, and creates enough curiosity to make you want to discover other paths, other endings, and even the small hidden details scattered throughout its environments. Even with its simplified gameplay, there is a lot of charm in the way it supports the narrative, and the sheer number of situations that can emerge from your choices makes the experience feel much larger than its initial structure might suggest. SCORE: 8.5/10 Review by Gamertag: SCOULZ

What happens when you lose the desire to play games? THE GAME Ved: Recure is an action roguelike developed and published by SummerClip. After returning from another tiring day at work, Zane, our protagonist, buys yet another game to play, but like 999 others, he leaves it to gather dust in his digital game library, as he no longer has the same enthusiasm for playing video games and no one to play with. Exhaustion overwhelms him and Zane falls asleep, but something strange happens: he is pulled into a game by the God of Games. This God did this with the goal of rekindling Zane's passion for games, which he doesn't seem at all enthusiastic about, but upon encountering a situation affecting the inhabitants of that game, Zane has a new objective for himself, one that might help him return home. Face powerful robots. MY IMPRESSIONS Ved: Recure puts you in the action at all times. Upon starting a match, you're immediately pitted against several enemies, and once defeated, you receive your reward. There's no exploration like in many roguelikes; here, action is the main focus. After defeating enemies, you choose your next reward, which could be a new upgrade, increased health or energy, points to spend in the shop, or access to the shop itself. The game progresses from there, culminating in a boss fight amidst a sequence of standard enemies. In boss battles, you'll need more attention and strategy, as they'll be much more challenging than standard enemies, requiring consistent dodging and parrying to avoid damage. The gameplay is very fluid, with cool movements and satisfying combos, especially when enhanced with upgrades acquired during the match that add new effects to your attacks. It's up to the player to assemble the best possible combination to inflict maximum damage or effects on the enemy. These improvements can be added to all character moves, giving a wider range of possibilities and combinations. It's worth remembering that, being a roguelike, you don't carry these improvements over to new games. However, you can keep equipment, which you buy outside of the game in a special shop that updates after each match. This equipment has set combinations, meaning that if you use equipment that shares the same aspect, you'll gain more attributes and effects. You can also acquire new weapons and, like equipment, spend points to level them up. Finally, another aspect you'll carry over is skill levels, which can also be improved outside of games, increasing damage such as basic attacks and special moves, for example. The game is not in Brazilian Portuguese, which may hinder the understanding of some mechanics and the story. Despite this, the story is quite simple and easy to understand. The game features seven different playable characters, and although the protagonist Zane is present throughout the story, he is not playable. Each character has a completely unique gameplay style, allowing the player to choose the one that best suits their play style. However, since the gameplay is quite enjoyable, you're likely to like them all. It's a game with a lot of replayability because you can hardly progress much without upgrades, and you only get them by playing a lot. Ved: Recure is a fast-paced game that quickly gets you into the action because you'll need to play many, many times, which can become repetitive. For those looking for a challenging but very satisfying game to master, Ved: Recure will deliver exactly what you're looking for. Equipment, in addition to its aesthetic appeal, gives you extra advantages when used in specific combinations. ACHIEVEMENTS The achievements in Ved: Recure are simple, but laborious. Completing the story will already grant you most of them, as many are about defeating the game's bosses, completing story chapters, and finishing a match. Many are also related to repeating basic mechanics, such as dodging or parrying blows a hundred times, for example. Maximizing items and abilities also unlocks achievements, which reinforces that if the player only plays normally, they will probably get all the achievements already mentioned. Finally, finishing the boss rush mode, which makes you fight all the game's bosses in sequence, and finishing matches with all the characters completes the challenge to get 100% of the achievements in Ved: Recure. Enhance your moves with effects that further improve your combos. CONCLUSION If you need a pure action game, Ved: Recure delivers. The unique gameplay and fun, easy-to-perform combos, along with the upgrades, make the game a complete blast. Adding new layers to the combos, imagining how they can stack up, makes it even cooler. Keep in mind that it's a very repetitive game; reaching new levels can take time, and the path is always the same, which can get a little tiring. Still, it's a great game to play two or three times without getting bored, progressing gradually. The simplicity and straightforwardness of Ved: Recure is what makes it a great pastime. SCORE: 8.0/10