This is Nidhogg visually enhanced, more varied arenas and more weapons. The core mechanics remain untouched - in good and in bad.

It is content rich and delivers a solid turn based strategy experience with gorgeous battles. Story and presentation are not the strengths of these battle worlds.

It has a few minor problems and shows its age mechanically, but overall it is still a decent action RPG proving why it is found on almost every best-of-list in its genre.

A story-focused fantasy RPG with team-based realtime battles and handdrawn comic visuals: This is definitely not as generic as the title suggests.

The age of Capcom’s dragon tale is too visible. But overall you will still get a decent fantasy roleplaying experience.

Captivating mechanical puzzles that are taxing as well as sometimes a little too confusing.

I am still missing the return of the battle mode, but with new additions like Showtime or World Video Challenge as well as the well-known colorful and beautifully weird art-design you can’t go wrong with Just Dance 2016 if you’re looking for good clean party fun.

The longer you play, the more mechanical limitations become evident. But as a short snack here and then Mini Metro eats away more of your time than you’d like to admit.

A slick interface allows you to easily govern an entire empire and to direct its people like a crafty strategist would move chess pieces. The game misses tactical and diplomatic depth, but this is what an excellent spreadsheet program might look like!

Its over-the-top presentation as well as the sardonic smirk after dozens of enemies died in a well-constructed labyrinth of traps make most tower defense contenders look bland. However while an update of maps, tracks, weapons and game modes is a welcome addition to the original, the sequel offers too little to be considered a full-fledged successor.

Quotation forthcoming.

Sometimes the core mechanics can be very simplistic, yet entertaining. This zombie puzzler is living proof.

A nice retro collection with two Disney oldies still delivering while offering a steep challenge. But even with all the bonus content it has a hefty pricetag.

Quotation forthcoming.

The concept is not as fascinating as it was ten years ago, but nonetheless Kirby still is a source of creativity. The clay’ish artdesign is as cute and cuddly as its star. The inclusion of the precise touchscreen controls is a perfect example for the capabilities of Wii U. Unfortunately Kirby’s excursion is rather short.

Yes, the pathfinding can be disastrous at times, while the mission variety leaves room improvement. But the fighting system is intuitive, while reminding me of the classic Baldur’s Gate in its best moments – as rare as they might be.

Compared to the remastered version of RE6 this is definitely the better game. But as a HD remaster it fares far worse. Especially the choppy framerate shows that somehow the team responsible for the port wasn’t able to optimize the engine perfectly for the new system.

In terms of content and mechanically identical to the previously releases Switch version, the card battles with their simple ruleset suffer only from the rather lackluster port to PC.

The combat is tense and engaging and the character development is relatively unrestricted. Where this coop shooter really shines, though, is the Dark Zone that borrows from games like DayZ. This is a good start for a franchise that could surpass Destiny if Massive continues to build on its strengths.

The dynamic battles are well executed, the 3D-effects strike you with immense feeling of depth. But Mercury Steam can’t get a grip on the spirit of past mobile Castlevanias. This plays more like a two-dimensional God of War than a modern variation of the cult vampire saga.

A strong narrative clashes with superficial gameplay mechanics.

Yes, the visuals are a bit outdated by now. And the difficulty level could use more balancing. But as we all know: The dark side can be fun.

Interesting mix of action-roleplaying and shop management that offers added content on Switch, but suffers from a hardly readable font in handheld mode.

On PS5 (and Xbox Series) you’ll get the best version of Judgment. Framerates of the spiritual Yakuza successor are doubled and microtransaction are omitted.

Really good survival strategy, which is particularly noticeable with its social aspect - and which is noticeably slowed down by its technology.

Tense battle for survival that suffers from technical shortcomings compared to the PC version.

The first big Valhalla DLC exchanges the gigantic England for a more compact Ireland, but the new story aside it mostly delivers more of the same.

This is a rather short trip into a strange alien mountain range – but an entertaining one nonetheless.

If you consider how long we had to wait for Star Ocean Integrity and Faithlessness, everything seems rugged. Nonetheless this cornerstone of JRPG-franchises still manages to entertain on a solid level.

The experience on the track is more refined and better than ever. But why am I restricted in a lot of areas, e.g. game modes? Why can't I just take Michael Schumacher and go for the eighth championships? If you don't need the up-to-date license you might as well go back for last years' version.

Interesting variation of classic tower defense with a well planned rotation concept.

When the moving light sources break through the darkness, you'll get drawn into a fascinating puzzle world filled with abstract brain teasers. But compared to the likes of Braid it lacks good storytelling.

Nintendo finds the right balance of arcade-fun, challenge, tradition and innovation. Technically it could achieve more, but especially the multiplayer fun makes up for the underwhelming presentation.

This version gives you a bucketload of campaigns, neat remaster elements and a lot of detail enhancements on one hand, but on the other crashes and multiplayer problems, that reduce the fun significantly.

While overall it is not as impressive as the original Life is Strange, it still is a heartfelt story of two teenagers and their pursuit of happiness.

For a good while this is a quite motivating, in terms of storytelling quite tense thriller - with a rather disappointing ending.

Where would I rather play Madden this year? On Xbox 360 or Xbox One? Even though I like some of the visual enhancements I’d have to choose the current gen console.

Like its PC or One siblings this is an escape simulator that is not without flaw. And it can be quite frustrating. But it also is very rewarding once you get the hang of it.

This icy region with its numerous legandary Pokémon, a neat story and the Dynamax adventure gives you a lot of fresh content to explore.

Only slightly improved, but pleasantly relaxed old-school jump-and-run in 3D, that convincingly captures the essence and the humour of the cartoon show.

While the basic content with its Yakuza-like mechanic, but a new interesting portagonist is still entertaining, even though it doesn’t stray too far from its roots, it is the optional DLC that leaves a bad taste.

Loads of disciplines, retro sports and a top-notch presentation: Mario and Sonic invite you to fun and thoroughly enjoyable summer games. But the slow-moving story mode and too many automatisms among other things, keep the dynamic duo from podium places.

Inspired by classics like Chrono Trigger, Phantasy Star, or Suikoden, and filled with dynamic turnbased battles, this is a gem for any aficionado of 16-bit-roleplaying.

The minimalistic neon visuals didn’t lose anything in the last five years. But when it comes to the core mechanics, the subtle changes didn’t serve the purpose.

This is more remake then sequel. But since the original was an exceptional JRPG Tales of Xilia 2 still offers solid entertainment value.

This is an ugly duckling. And it won’t grow up to be a pretty swan. But on the inside you get a lot of sometimes crude, sometimes funny, but always entertaining political satire in a retro RPG coat.

A weird and fascinating avian journey that falls short.

Los Perdidos certainly has its flaws – and so do some game design decisions that make this Zombie adventure feel more like Dynasty Warriors at times. But nonetheless it delivers undead splattering fun.

This is a short yet intense challenge that mixes elements of Homeworld with Eve: Valkyrie, but it lacks variety and a narrative.

What did I expect? An atmospheric trip thru an exotic world and challenging battles against imaginative titans. And that is exactly what I got. No frills. Just one arrow and one life point.

Unlike Devil Survivor Soul Hackers isn’t plagued by technical faults or glitches. So if you’re a fan of classic Japanese dungeon crawlers and also like the slightly bizarre, this is definitely for you.

For the first time since Bionicle Heroes Traveller’s Tales didn’t have to stick to an external license, but could let their fantasy run wild in an open world. The result is a little shallow in terms of mechanics, but makes up for it with bucket loads of humor in the tradition of the early Zucker/Abrahams spoofs.

Quotation forthcoming.

German developers Yager put the horror of war on the screen – brutal, ruthless and depressing at times. In its' quiet moments it generates a fantastic atmosphere set in the Dubai desert. But this is still a shooter and regarding action and especially AI it falls short.

Quotation forthcoming.

Mechanically you can feel the age of the originals here and then. But visually you can’t tell them apart from contemporary action-adventures - even though they are rough around the edges on Switch sometimes.

While the solo campaign delivers the bang as well as all the bad AI that you’d expect it is once again the multiplayer that shines.

Insomniac does it again. While it is rather short, the latest adventure of this duo is a well executed epilogue to a trilogy that shaped action platforming in this console generation.

For the start of this anthology Supermassive Games serves up a short, but intense horror-trip that will draw some comparisons to Until Dawn, but show offs interesting multiplayer options.

Yes, the visuals are far from perfect, the multiplayer is scraggy while the character editor is superficial, but on the other hand the MMO atmosphere is convincing and the scenario is interesting.

Short lived, but quite engrossing B-game with absurd ideas and over-the-top fender benders.

The challenge to map the complex controls for this engaging and vast galaxy conquest was enormous. And although it is not as comfortable as it is on PC it still delivers an entertaining experience.

After the disgraceful neo-western The Cartel, Techland goes back to its Call of Juarez-roots with Gunslinger. And while the arcade mechanics rarely go beyond average, the imaginative narrative and the visual style draw you deep into the alternative history of Billy the Kid, Jesse James and Silas Greaves.

The presentation is definitely not the strong point, but Unit 13 offers well designed infiltration missions and a very entertaining coop mode.

Tricky Lemmings-style puzzle mix with lots of cool game and design ideas.

This is definitely entertaining arcade hockey and better than its predecessor– unfortunately EA neglects the core simulation.

Entertaining mixture of desert exploration and basic builder, that would have benefitted from a coop-mode.

The HD conversion of a Kinect classic shows the same charm as six years ago, while with the added pad support it opens up the theme park for a new audience. Unfortunately it is held back by visual shortcomings like tearing.

On Vita Puddle is as much a thrill as it is on consoles, featuring an abundance of clever twists around gooey liquids. Some stages you might solve in an instant, others may take a number of attempts – while unfortunately you will recognize many traps only when it's too late.

If you have a good VR stomach, this is one of the most interesting experiences on PlayStation VR. Between zen gaming and challenging parcours, this is an intense platformer that will make you feel like a hybrid of Peter Parker and Faith of Mirror’s Edge fame.

Agent 47 started strong and after a continuous up and down with every episode finishes on a rather low note. The episodic format works well overall, though, and contains some of the most memorable locations of the Franchise. Something that can’t be said about the AI.

You’ll feel that this might be the defining beat-em-up of this generation – or at least it could be over its life cycle. Right now this is a contentless base product that sports one of the tightest fighting mechanics there is.

It doesn’t drastically change the “passive” tower defense. But Alien Shooter TD adds some fresh elements that inject the genre with interesting new impulses.

Not a Hero is the pixelart counterpart to a lot of Jason Statham movies: The two-dimensional action is brutal, over-the-top and redundant – but tremendous fun.

Telltale is still quite a bit away from the quality of the first season, but seems to be on track for a gripping finale.

Like Shoope Keep Moonlighter tries to mix the life of a hero with that of a merchant - and that with a mostly charming result.

If you like your horror spiced up with action, this is for you. But if you're looking for suspense and mystery you should look for different tale.

If you like your action-adventures Zelda’esque then this is for you. What it lacks in depth it makes up in charm and content.

A well executed modernization of the third series generation. Nonetheless Gamefreak needs to come up with something new when it comes to the old fashioned basic fight mechanics. It keeps you glued to the screen as always but I found myself asking for a change of direction.

While the port of the episodic survival horror to Switch is well executed, their were massive technical compromises to be made - definitely more than with the predecessor.

Even with the technical problems that are even more evident on Switch than two years on PS4 or One, this is still one frightening horror-trip.

A nice collection of classics that will take you to an era where the fight between Nintendo and Sega was at its peak.

All the new ingredients like the team dynamics sound interesting, but are not integrated well, thus interrupting the flow. But take them away and you have hardly anything left but a slightly updated version of last years' iteration, which you can get for less than half price.

The two greenskins going to war to end the human tyranny are good for some entertaining hours, but you have to have a soft spot for uncommon heroes and situations.

The soundtrack and visuals are beyond reproach, and the mostly fun skate gameplay sees Bomb Rush Cyberfunk grappling with repetition and really annoying cops.

Thoroughly entertaining top-down-action reminiscent of the early GTAs. While the economy and industry elements are a welcome addition they stay superficial and could be connected to the core mechanics in a more coherent or more meaningful way.

A beautifully relaxed puzzle adventure hat is held back by some technical shortcomings and sluggish controls.

It takes a while to notice that behind all absurdity and craziness hides an interesting fight for survival.

A compelling story and a great combat system suffer from a generic open world that offers nothing new or exciting. The change hasn't been good for Team Ninja, but Rise of the Ronin can still delight samurai fans with its characters and battles.

Despite additions like crossplay and a 60fps performance mode this is merely a halfhearted remaster of a once very good arcade racer. Having said that, the still terrific autolog system keeps you motivated, while the pursuits are still highly enjoyable.

As a full-fledged action rpg à la Diablo this is merely average. Where Zenith shines is the humor and its delivery. Similar to The Bard’s Tale (2005) nothing in the genre is untouchable and will be used to get a punchline out of it.

The mixture of dungeon crawler, hunt for loot and dualstick action works surprisingly well, eventually you don’t think about the mobile roots anymore. But towards the end the weak balancing takes a lot of the fun away.

The art direction shines, although it could be closer to the source. And even though in local co-op it is as entertaining as any Lego game, the movie conversion can’t hide that mechanically it is merely a risk free collection of everything we got to know over the last few years.

It has its flaws, but in its best moments this is an intense VR stealth game with loads of phsical movement and a cool teleportation system.

You’ll encounter tactical and AI issues, but nonetheless Ancient Space delivers challenging strategy where each and every ship you command is important.

A good Assassin's Creed for those who prefer stealth, parkour and a small but still formulaic open world.

A decent remake of the best Yakuza episode in terms of storytelling.

Story and humor are less entertaining than in the last years, the mechanics are a mix of well known elements on one side and entertaining new ones on the other. And while the trap masters are little more than overpriced doorkeepers, the trapping concept is cool and technically very well presented.