Before the start of the school year, catch up on these 10 video games: Hogwarts Legacy, Resident Evil, and Zelda.

“Hogwarts Legacy: the legacy of Hogwarts” created the event this year. ©Avalanche Software/Warner Bros. Games

The end of the year is already shaping up to be gargantuan in terms of releases, but the first half also benefited from a dense schedule. Didn't have time to try out the best video game productions? Follow the guide, we offer you our selection of video games to catch up on during the holidays.

The Covid pandemic obliges, the years 2020, 2021 and even 2022 have not been as full as expected. Many postponements have been announced by the development studios, and the current exercise is proving to be particularly busy. It could even serve as the most prolific vintage of the decade, with Starfield, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora scheduled for the next few months.

But let's stop talking about the future for a moment and talk about the past and the titles you may have missed. RPG, FPS, survival-horror and even independent nuggets; there has been something for everyone in recent months, so much so that you have probably not been able to discover them all. Don't panic, we're here to guide you in your quest to catch up.

Dead Space Remake, out January 27

More than 15 years after the marketing of the original episode, EA Motive has tackled this true monument of horror gaming, with the desire to offer a much more current copy and take advantage of undeniable technical added value. Successful bet!

We naturally find Isaac Clarke, the engineer in charge of repairing the USG Ishimura. Unfortunately, when he arrives on the scene, the ship seems to be inhabited by extraterrestrial beings who have decimated and infected the entire crew, including the hero's wife.

Dead Space Official Launch Trailer | Humanity Ends Here

Then begins a long and gruelling journey in a maze of corridors where a terrible threat lurks that you will worry about crossing with each door that opens and each light bulb that bursts. And that is the strength of Dead Space Remake: managing to maintain such tension throughout the journey, all served by an exceptional atmosphere and perfect management of the sound dimension.

In short, a very nice tribute to the basic material, and a classic that all aficionados of the genre must have completed. So, if you are ready to live this visceral adventure lasting a dozen hours, go to your PC, your PS5 or your Xbox Series X|S.

Hogwarts Legacy, released February 10

You who have always dreamed of diving into the world of Harry Potter and becoming a real wizard, Hogwarts Legacy is for you. Here, the plot takes place in the 1800s, almost a century before the film saga, and lets you play as a fifth-year student, determined to discover the whole truth about the world around him and the real reason for his presence at Hogwarts. Eager to transcribe all the elements of this unique universe while offering the most complete experience possible, the developers have gone all out.

Learning spells, making potions, cohabiting with some magical creatures, handling the broom, and, of course, clashes armed with your magic wand: it feels like it. From a technical point of view, the game is also enchanting: the reconstruction of Hogwarts is very successful, the music fits perfectly with the sets and situations, and a good number of references are to be unearthed in the four corners of the school.

Hogwarts Legacy - Official Reveal Trailer | PS5

Impossible to miss the best adaptation of this video game license. On the other hand, keep in mind that it will take you many hours (about 50) to see the end of the adventure and all the additional content.

Atomic Heart, released February 21

The first software from the Russian studio Mundfish, Atomic Heart has had its share of controversy, the fault of dialogues sometimes considered inappropriate and disturbing situations, but that is also what its universe wants. Despite all this, the game remains particularly qualitative on many points. Its introduction full of excess reminds us of that of BioShock Infinite, while its interior decorations with ingenious level design and its gameplay amaze us.

Atomic Heart - Launch Trailer

Armed with your gauntlet, you use different special abilities, while pressing the trigger of your gun to defeat the countless robots coming to mess with you. Exhilarating! If the outdoor passages are not necessarily so inspired, they still give a glimpse of some pretty panoramas and are above all the scene of epic battles against metal giants during the fifteen hours that the main frame lasts. A work that you must try if you need a utopian world and a journey that is a bit off the beaten track.

Resident Evil 4 Remake, out March 24

If we can sometimes rail against the resurgence of remakes and other remasters, it is simply impossible not to recognize the many qualities of this new vision of Resident Evil 4.

Capcom took a huge risk by tackling the most loved episode by the majority of fans, but it is clear that it is a real achievement. We find the famous Leon S. Kennedy, six years after the biological disaster that shook Raccoon City, as he travels to a Spanish village to find the daughter of the President of the United States.

Resident Evil 4 - Launch Trailer

Only here, a strange sect seems to inhabit the region and will give a lot of trouble to the hero, who benefits from much more affordable gameplay and a slightly extended range of possibilities.

Added to this is a very satisfactory technical dimension, an even more marked atmosphere and a fairly substantial lifespan of around twenty hours. Quite simply the best way to (re)discover this video game monument.

Dead Island 2, out April 21

Who would have thought that a game announced in 2014 would appear in this selection? This is however the case with Dead Island 2, a software passed by many studios and which finally lived a very beautiful destiny. The formula remains the same as in the previous opuses, namely knocking out zombies with blunt objects, while enjoying a slightly lighter gameplay than in other productions of the genre, with obviously this particularly enjoyable release side, served by a brand new dismemberment system.

Dead Island 2 - Extended Gameplay Reveal Trailer

Have you had a difficult day? You will be able to vent all your frustration on your attackers. From the day-night cycle to the fairly polished aesthetic of typical Los Angeles neighbourhoods, through the infected whose look corresponds to the place in which they are, everything is more coherent here.

It is, for example, not uncommon to come across a creature dressed in a yellow vest on a construction site, or a pole and a helmet on a movie set. A long adventure of about 15 hours, for a good dose of fun, especially if you enjoy it in cooperation.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, out April 25

After a particularly compelling Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order released in 2019, it made sense to see Respawn Entertainment set the stage for a sequel. Taking place five years after these first adventures, the Survivor episode sees Cal Kestis, the young Padawan who has become an accomplished Jedi knight, trying to survive on the edge of the galaxy and escape the directives and actions of the Empire. History not to be totally out of place, we find BD-1, our most faithful robot sidekick, as well as the famous clashes with lightsabers.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Final Gameplay Trailer

But here, the studio wanted to go even further on many points: the world is much more open and offers gigantic areas to explore, you will have to master the different combat stances with different lightsaber configurations, and the skills to unlock are even more varied, and the possibilities of climbing and movement are much more engaging.

In short, a huge job was done by the developers, with the firm desire to bring an immersion rarely experienced in a Star Wars game. As proof, if twenty hours is enough to complete the main adventure, it will take much more to explore each of the integrated planets from top to bottom. May the force be with you!

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom, out May 12

Many already consider it as the GOTY 2023, which is to say all the qualities from which this title benefits. Adored by the press and players, its predecessor The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild almost serves as a simple draft after this second episode.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Official Trailer #3

A grand new adventure across Hyrule, on a perilous quest to uncover the truth behind recent events that have thrown the kingdom into chaos. In addition to the possibility of exploring Floating Islands as a new playground, it is above all the freedom and creativity of the player that is honoured here, and what a pleasure.

Thanks to your new abilities, you can decide to attach almost any object to your weapon to increase its durability, damage and impact. Even more exhilarating, it is possible to grab, move and assemble elements of the decor to create bridges, vehicles and other structures allowing you to get out of various situations.

Imagine the freedom it all brings. It is truly the epic adventure that we were promised, with much less noticeable flaws than before and such a jubilant progression. On the other hand, you will have to free up a hundred hours in your schedule if you want to take advantage of all that the software has to offer.

Planet of Lana, out May 23

Amid all these video game super-productions, independent games do not always enjoy the visibility they deserve. This unfortunately pushes a majority of players to miss out on some nuggets. Among them, Planet of Lana is undoubtedly a very nice surprise, thus deserving the six hours of play that you will have to give it to see the end of it.

You are in control of Lana and her faithful companion Mui, as the duo embark on a grand and perilous mission to rescue the hero's sister, who has been kidnapped by mysterious invaders.

Planet of Lana | Launch Trailer

Throughout the journey, you will therefore live an adventure filled with emotions, where the narration is perceived more by the decorations and the situations than by the dialogues. You will alternate between platforming phases, brilliantly constructed puzzles and stealth sequences: a truly refreshing adventure with absolutely sublime artistic direction. The software even has the luxury of drawing inspiration from the game Inside by PlayDead, one of the masters of the genre, without ever dishonouring it.

Diablo IV, out June 6

After (very) many years of waiting, it was time for the developers at Blizzard Entertainment to offer a new iteration to the Diablo saga. The game challenges you to discover the corrupted lands of Sanctuary, as Lilith, daughter of Mephisto, Lord of Hate, has been freed from exile, and her malevolent influence now threatens to consume the entire world.

Solo or in cooperation, you will therefore try to interfere in this world by carrying out various quests, liberating cities and rubbing shoulders with epic bosses, all while constantly improving your character.

Diablo IV | Story Launch Trailer

Why is this title so popular? Quite simply because it offers the ultimate summary of everything that makes the salt of the saga: a spectacular journey of around 25 hours (more than a hundred if you want to see everything and unlock it), gargantuan content, mastered gameplay, community aspect widely highlighted – with the addition of the integration of cross-play and cross-progression –, as well as the local cooperative mode so that everyone can experience the adventure as they wish. What more?

Final Fantasy XVI, out June 22

In this new episode seeking to breathe new life into the franchise, you play Clive Rosenfield, a charismatic character and eldest son of the Archduke of Rosalia. You undertake a long journey in the world of Valisthéa: a territory divided into six nations, each with a Christal Mother, but this balance will quickly be threatened by the arrival of the Black Scourge. With its much more action-oriented formula and fights worthy of the most epic clashes of Devil May Cry, this title seeks to satisfy fans and novices alike.

Final Fantasy XVI - State of Play 4K | PS5 Games

Moreover, the possibilities are numerous to equip your character, whether in terms of weapons and shields or even powers from the defeated Primordials, these gigantic creatures with magical abilities. A very beautiful adventure, therefore, which benefits from a controlled narration and skillfully occupies the player for 30 to 50 hours.