The month of May is not traditionally very rich in terms of video game releases, but this year, it is notably marked by the return of a big name in tennis, a few weeks before Roland Garros.
Top Spin 2k25
13 years ago Top Spin 4 was released and, since then, no Frenchman has won Roland Garros. To console themselves, and try out the little yellow ball, tennis fans can look forward to the arrival of the new round of Top Spin, the benchmark simulation in the field. The opportunity to compete against current or retired stars, such as Alcaraz, Medvedev, Federer, Agassi, Swiatek or Gauff. Not forgetting, your very special training coach: a certain John McEnroe. You can’t have a worse temper than him, so there’s no point destroying your racket on the court.
Top Spin is not very rich in number of reputable players (nor French players for that matter), but that is not the most important thing. Because the tournaments available and the types of terrain will have something to satisfy players. Especially since the graphic qualities are undeniable and the developers have worked well on the acoustics of tennis to make the sounds more real than life.
The game is quite easy to learn, but you will have to have the right timing for the strikes to hit the mark. In the career mode, which mixes training, exhibition matches and tournaments, the beginnings are a little sluggish, with sluggish strikes. But very quickly we get into the game, trying to push our opponent to the right, to the left to finish at the net. Some exchanges can be long, others expeditious. But the sensations of the controllers in the hands are very realistic. A real plus.
The career mode is rather well done, but Top Spin becomes downright powerful in the context of online competitions (we will soon be able to do it with selected friends). We may regret making connection mandatory to be able to play solo. A winning return, even if we feel that the publisher still has something under its belt in terms of graphics and licenses.
most : All the tennis shots. Realistic career mode and a competitive online mode. The least : A little soft in the knee when starting. The faces of the players are not a great success.
Top Spin 2k25 from 2K Games is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series, PS4 and Xbox One.
Construction Simulator Gold Edition
Did you like Farming Simulator? You’re going to want to swap the tractor for an excavator. The construction simulation from the German studio Weltenbauer returns with a Gold edition including extensions for more than 100 construction vehicles and equipment, but also five playable maps (including one for the construction of an airfield and another for building a rocket base), numerous missions which will allow you to become experts in the concrete mixer, the crane and the flatbed truck with crane.
At the start of the simulation, you are a young person with few qualifications who helps out an entrepreneur friend. Very quickly, you will gain ground and you will be able to start your own business… Your missions: build houses, buildings, renovate a gas station, a hotel, etc. You will have a lot of work and a bit of driving to transport all the equipment (fortunately, it is possible to activate fast travel). Graphically, the game is quite pleasant, less for the ambient settings than for the realism of the machines that we will pilot and guide.
most : Farming Simulator in construction mode. Varied activities. The price. The least : the driving. A world that lacks a little life.
Construction Simulator is available on PC (tested version), PS5, Xbox Series, PS4 and Xbox One
Stellar Blade
Eve is an elite fighter. She belongs to an airborne squad sent to what remains of Earth to counter a demonic opponent. They left in large numbers and as soon as she arrived on the planet, Eve found herself alone or almost alone facing mortal enemies. She has seen more than one companion perish. The start of this Devil May Cry and Bayonetta-style action game is incredible. It’s invigorating, beautiful and almost scary like in the cinema, with an air of Starship Trooper.
Once we catch our breath, we follow Eve in her quest for redemption of the human race. And here we go for a game where the action is omnipresent (except for the few phases of rest on a camping chair). The Koreans from Shift Up delivered with enemies that were quickly disgusting with their ugliness (the Alpha nautiba still has a nasty face worthy of an Alien) and a few bosses who gave you a hard time.
You don’t just have to know how to slash with a saber. The art of battle is also in dodging, parrying and avoiding. A balance that the game finds perfectly, but which will have to be tamed.
Graphically, the PS5 gives its full measure. The Earth is in decay, but misery is beautiful, and not just in the sun. And then there is Eve. She is beautiful, almost a little fragile, but so strong. And sexy too, Barbarella style with incredible outfits… Which gave rise to a controversy of which the video game has the secret. Let’s leave it to the creators to choose the aesthetic of their heroes and heroines and focus on the pleasure we have in playing Stellar Blade. An effective, beautiful and difficult action game and a heroine who leaves a lasting impression.
most : Handsome and nervous. A storyline that holds up and breathtaking gameplay. The least : a somewhat linear world.
Stellar Blade is available exclusively on PS5. Pegi 18.
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU
The gaming giant Electronic Arts is giving a chance to an independent adventure and platform video game developed by Surgent Studios, exploring Bantu cultures. You play as a young shaman, Zau, who seals a pact with the god of death, Kalunga. He wants to find the soul of his father, whom he left on bad terms. The story grips the guts quite quickly, but the gloom linked to the mourning of the father is quickly swept away by the colors of the game, shimmering and wonderful.
The player evolves in a labyrinthine setting, populated by fierce adversaries and strewn with traps and dangers. You will also have to use your head to discover its secrets, with the help of Kalunga. The game offers a good mix of action and reflection, with a good dose of combat. But it is his universe that seduces the most, this impression of exploring, as a witness, another culture. Tales of Kenzera was imagined by Abubakar Salim, founder of the Surgent studio and British actor acclaimed for his work in the game Assassin’s Creed Origins. He confided in his intentions: “ By bringing Zau to life, I felt closer to my father and was able to honor our times together.”.
ToK: Zau does not revolutionize the genre, but it brings a more human dimension. A game that feels good.
most : Amusing. Great soundtrack and great story. The least : Riddles and puzzles that are a little too easy. A bit short.
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store and EA app for €19.99. The game features English and Swahili dubbed versions. PEGI 7.
Click and play with Playruo
An interesting initiative for players who want to test before paying, but also for studios eager to publicize their production. Fergus Leleu, Jean-Baptiste Kempf and Yannis Weinbach have created a cloud gaming offer, Playruo, in the form of click and play. The concept ? Allow game creators to offer instant trials of video games (on PC) directly in the browser, without downloading or installing. And at no cost to players.
Indika
I end this selection with a game that will not leave you indifferent. At the helm, the Poles from 11 bit Studios, the creators of the unforgettable and prophetic This War of mine. In Indika, we head to Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. Indika is a young nun who decides to leave her convent in search of her destiny. A game whose darkness and depth may surprise more than one player. Because the nun has a surprising traveling companion: the devil himself.
Indika is a third-person adventure game, but also offers some puzzle and exploration experiences. If the pleasure of the game is undeniable, it becomes almost incidental. The narration, the atmosphere carries everything in its path. A sometimes crazy atmosphere indeed. the developers of Odd Meter have put few limits on their exploratory madness. We agree or not. A surprising atmosphere emerges, magnified by the game’s settings (the snow is incredible). The graphics are really pretty and the sound ambiance is stimulating.
most : Original in story and atmosphere. A game that invites reflection. The least : a bit short. A sometimes unequal adventure.
Indika is available on PC and soon on PS5 and Xbox Series.
To note
Part of the revenue generated by INDIKA will be donated to help children affected by the war in Ukraine.
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