They'll be popular with hardcore gamers and casual gamers alike for the end-of-year holidays. The increased availability of the queen of consoles, Sony's PS5, will provide a boost in sales. But we haven't forgotten the fans of games on PC or portable consoles either. In a wide variety of titles available both in physics and downloads, we have spent hours testing and approving this list of video games to put it before everyone's eyes (in moderation, of course).
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe goes for a spin again
A timeless success on Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features new tracks to challenge your friends on.
It's timeless, a classic, a genre in itself. Mario Kart on Nintendo Switch continues to be successful. The eighth episode, originally released on the now-defunct Wii U (in 2014), features no fewer than 96 circuits. Throughout the year, Nintendo added new races to its game. Mario, Peach, Bowser and others now slalom between banana peels and blue seashells in the middle of Los Angeles, Athens or Yoshi Island.
These 48 bonus rounds are accessible with an extension of the paid annual subscription. They can also be played online for free with the basic subscription, but only randomly, through confrontations with opponents from all over the world. : For the whole family and vengeful friends.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: on Nintendo Switch and between 45 and 60 euros depending on the brand. Online gaming subscription: from 4 euros to 70 euros, depending on the formula. Additional tour passes from 25 euros.
Call of Duty: The Call of Duty or nothing!
Call of Duty Modern Warfare III has become a safe bet and is aimed at a more mature audience.
No need to delay: to offer the best war simulation in video games, you have to offer a copy of Call of Duty. Activision won by technical knockout against its eternal competitor Battlefield (Electronic Arts), but the title is not in everyone's hands. Officially not recommended for anyone under 18, the world is deliberately violent: opponents are killed with explosives, automatic weapons and sometimes even execution knives.
In the latest paint job called Modern Warfare III we quickly switch to the story mode, too classic for our tastes, to improve our scores for hours in hectic and ultra-fast games of a particularly successful multiplayer mode. We also welcome the now essential Warzone expansion, which puts the player in battle royale mode by mercilessly confronting other connected players on a massive map of an imaginary conflict in Urzikstan, also an equally imaginary land.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare III: on PC, Xbox and PlayStation 4 and 5 and from 60 euros.
Darkest Dungeon II, fight again and again
Darkest Dungeon II takes up the successful codes of strategic combat.
Darkness has engulfed the world and it is haunted by evil creatures. Humanity's last hope lies in the flame that your adventurers carry in their stagecoach, over which the player takes control… In Darkest Dungeon II, the title from Red Hook Studios, you select four fighters from the ten available ( the leper, the “acrobat, the plague doctor…) and throw them into the street.” The following? A series of turn-based battles where everyone's position is important. The leper, for example, can only strike if he is at the head of the group.
But whatever you do, you will lose. Faced with too much horror, your heroes will collapse in fear or simply be massacred by enemies. However, each journey produces candles that unlock bonuses and make the next team a little easier. Set in a dark but captivating universe, Darkest Dungeon II will test your nerves and tenacity.
Darkest Dungeon II: on the PC for 39 euros or in a limited promotion on Steam for 29 euros.
Spider-Man 2 captivated us well
In a well-modeled New York, Spider-Man carries out crime-fighting missions at a brisk pace.
Peter Parker and Miles Morales, two generations of Spider-Man, return to the action in a brand new adventure that manages to renew the gaming experience without tiring. In an open world, just like the main story, you can pursue additional missions without getting bored for hours. The depiction of New York is great, with beautiful lights and a high level of detail. Spider-Man 2 is easy to learn in just a few minutes, even for beginners, and seems almost limitless. We therefore recommend it as the first game for all ages to accompany the arrival of the console at home.
Spider-Man 2: on PlayStation 5, from 62 euros at certain retailers.
The agility of a street cat with “Stray”
This cat became the hero of the best video game of 2022. BlueTwelve Studio
Fun idea to make a stray cat the hero of a video game in a futuristic universe. Conceived by former Ubisoft employees, the adventure of Stray (in English “stray cat” is a stray cat) is the result of a long creative work that lasted seven years and is a success in all respects. Awarded at the Game Awards (the equivalent of the video game Oscars in the United States) but also at the Pégases (the Césars of this category in France) in March, this amazing game offers an exciting scenario that is a little stressful at certain key moments. in this quest for freedom of a cat trapped in a city (inspired by a district of Hong Kong) whose human population has been replaced by strange humanoid robots.
We jump, we sneak (the movements of our virtual cat are also perfectly imitated), we also turn around and sometimes meow to protect our skin and persuade an opponent. Smart, French and high quality!
“stray”: for PC, Mac, Xbox and PlayStation 4 and 5, between 20 and 29 euros depending on the store.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the ultimate family game
Super Mario Bros. Wonder returns to the 2D platform video game.
An explosion of colors and new ways to play. Nintendo revisits this historic two-dimensional platform game series by keeping both basics (running, jumping, jumping on enemies) while adding a touch of modernity: unlimited time to complete levels, collection of wonder flowers that shake up the environment, badges that provide game advantages. Everything takes place in a colorful and very happy atmosphere, which we have described as an “antidote to gloom”. A real pleasure to share with all ages.
Super Mario Bros. Wonders: on Nintendo Switch from 45 euros, depending on the brand.
Forza Motorsport or the correct behavior
With this realistic racing simulation, virtual drivers join the game.
It took a while to get out of the box, but it was a success. Forza Motorsport was developed by Turn 10 for Microsoft and appears six years after its predecessor, without a number. It is the 8th episode of the famous circuit racing game. From the 1926 Bugatti to the Corvette E-Ray launching in 2024, 500 cars are available in this very accessible simulation. In fact, you can refine the difficulty, adjust the level of the opponents, start anywhere on the grid and, above all, go back in time to better master a corner.
As always, cars are unlocked with credits earned through competition. But the game is also innovative: you now have to drive a car for a long time to unlock the parts necessary to improve it (tires, shock absorbers, etc.).
Forza Motorsport: on Xbox Series X|S and PC for 70 euros.