At first I was skeptical, but Creative Assembly presents challenging and varied strategy, which has been improved on a lot of levels although some relevant areas like AI and diplomacy have been left out.

An indie gem where every pixel breathes love for its characters. An old-school point-and-click adventure whose story starts slowly but then develops an irresistible pull. Perfect Tides: Station to Station is great storytelling on a small screen.

At one point I seriously asked myself if Sports Interactive pushed too hard when it came to depth as well as attention to detail. But then my team scored, I saw my tactics work out and I just wanted more. This game will keep you hooked for weeks and months.

This charming adventure still is fascinating – although the fun gets spoiled by framerate problems and the undemanding action.

I didn’t expect Codemasters to surpass last year’s iteration. But with the massive expansion of the career mode, the great implementation of historic race cars as well as download events and improved driving physics they delivered their best entry into Formula 1 yet.

Lively, varied and sometimes quite challenging: Crash Bandicoot 4 builds on the N.Sane Trilogy - on current systems even more vibrant and a little more beautiful.

As a lifelong fan of classic cartoons Cuphead is a dream come true. The artdesign and its execution are out of this world. And while I can appreciate a steep learning curve and a decent challenge, the high concentration levels needed can get tedious at times.

Clever shooter-puzzle-mix with brain bending teleportation and interesting new platforming aspects.

Challenging old-school platforming with a brilliant chiptune soundtrack and tight controls.

Stylistically impressive story about fates and memories. One that lacks a central theme as well as gameplay direction, though.

This is a high level port: Visually improved and more reactive controls make sure that Lara’s latest adventure finds a new home on PC.

Even though there is little progress in terms of the opponents’ troop movement, to me this is the most impressive Total War in a long time. The races are varied and even with the AI shortcomings the battles are as full of visual effects as they are of challenge.

With the new team-mode and intelligent detail tweaks Codemasters can lift their Formula 1 experience to a new level once again. Overall an absolute powerhouse of a racing game that is only held back by its microtransactions.

The beautiful platform exploration of Wonder Boy transcends into the present with Wonder Boy adding clever puzzle elements.

Finally you’ll get a decent racer on Wii U. Criterion made an exemplary port, proving that Nintendo's new system is able to dish out beautiful visuals and break-neck speed.

It’s a pity that the Definitive Edition falls short to the PC in terms of certain texture details. But other than that even two years after its premiere the rejuvenated Dante and his brother show that they still got it.

There is more of everything and it works as good (or bad) as always. But you won’t find an important ingredient: Fresh ideas.

In a lot of detail areas far better than its predecessor the rather disappointing fight system as well as the story structure and execution with its boring dialogue boxes hold this worldbuilder back.

The PC-version of Death Stranding is an examplary port of a phenomenal adventure and an absolute enrichment of the PC gaming cosmos.

It feels weird to experience the franchise that called Sony consoles a home on the PC for the first time. Having said that, the port is extremely polished and should be a good indication for things to come.

The rousing, fantastically beautifully animated firework of action is occasionally marred by technical and performance problems on the PC.

Silent Hill 2 Remake is not a good modernization of the original, but it is a damn good horror game.

This beautiful adventure hasn’t lost a beat. The roleplaying experience might by “only” solid, but is carried by its captivating as well as charming story and the gorgeous presentation.

Panzer Corps 2 is a very good wargame reminiscant of Panzer General, strongly profiting from ist new engine as well as enhanced dynamics and terrain variety.

Nintendo was and still is the gold standard when it comes to platform action. Mechanics are strictly conservative and actually this is nothing more than an HD update. But having said that, the Wii U version was one of the best experiences of its kind. An excellent port of an excellent platformer.

If you like creative game design, a good story and psychological suspense, Her Story is perfect for you.

Despite its rather lame open world, Mario Kart World is a blast for newcomers and seasoned hardcore fans alike. Fresh changes liven up the racing fun, and the knockout tour is a true stroke of genius.

The simple concept together with its motivating hunt for the bigger and better loot is a perfect fit for consoles – especially since there seems to be a drought in terms of classic hack-&-slay like Dark Alliance.

This is a very good expansion, but be aware that the focus on improvements is to be found in multiplayer, while Kerrigan’s revenge campaign delivers rather solid entertainment.

The movement and combat system fit together like perfect, oiled gears and make Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown an incredibly fun Metroidvania that only falls just short of the best due to a lack of unique selling points.

Unique, exciting and clever, Pentiment is a beautiful yet educational adventure - a quiet but valuable gem in Xbox Game Pass.

Insanely over-the-top action spectacle that plays in the usual first-class manner, but lags behind its predecessors in detail.

It looks great, it plays surprisingly well, but there is still quite some distance to the likes of Infinity Blade 2, which simply offers more of everything.

Good things come to those who wait. After three years filled with content and with the added Shadow Lords mode Killer Instinct evolved from an ugly duckling that hardly didn’t offer any content to a potential prospect for the beat-em-up throne.

Intelligent Systems wears its name with pride: The puzzles are as elegant as they are tricky. Fallblox is a small but enthralling addition to the 3DS download library.

Not quite as well rounded as its predecessor, Ghost of Yōtei offers more variation, but falls short in terms of story and depth of side characters. Nevertheless a great open world-adventure with a fantastic presentation.

While the emotional storytelling, the control concept and the on-the-spot soundtrack shine, the gameplay itself is rather bland. The puzzles are not worth mentioning and even the boss fights are rather dull and predictable.

Thanks to the facetted battle and gambit systems this is still one of the most interesting Final Fantasy games of all time. Technically it could have been enhanced even more, but overall this is still a very good JRPG that in most not only stood the test of time, but can still compete.

The coherent presentation and the original gameplay concept make Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective a very special genre title, but the puzzle passages can cause frustration at times.

A labour of love that serves as homage to 16-bit RPG classics and MMOs, but also manages to stand on its two feet, even though technically not everything is as solid as it should be.

This is one of the best singleplayer shooters in a long time - with a surprisingly strong story that blends drama, fun and shooting Nazis almost perfectly.

It is silly, it is challenging and it is highly motivating. Even with its flaws it is hard to resist Rayman.

Ninja Theory had big boots to fill. But they mastered the reboot of the iconic stylish action series. The fighting system manages the balance between traditional dynamics and contemporary combo madness. The art design is close to perfect. The narrative though is sometimes losing focus and refuses to give the characters room to grow for most of the time. Nonetheless this is the first big action highlight of the year.

You’ll get a mixture of everything that people want from a new Assassin’s Creed. But all the known challenge-free mechanics fail to impress me like they did in older games of the franchise, although I like the rediscovered focus on stealth – as semi-automatic as it may be while the few new ones are not strong enough to carry the burden. There is no doubt about the excellent visuals though.

The focus on action takes away from the spookiness, but Silent Hill f is nonetheless a really brave survival horror game that fans of the genre shouldn’t miss.

Technically solid collection with loads of bonus material for eight games spanning three console generations.

This is a big step for Codemasters – well maybe not that big after last years’ weird “in-between” racing experience. But that aside the strong comeback of the career, the presentation and the good driving physics make this the best Formula 1 game in quite some time.

Survival, building, exploration and the best building block sandbox since the invention of LEGO. Minecraft didn’t lose any of its fascination on the PS3.

This is a disturbing trip into the inside of a videogame, a new interpretation of the era of arcade gaming machine. The last time a game played with the player that much and tried to confuse him, was Eternal Darkness. You gotta love this.

In terms of mechanics, visuals and the cinemastyle storytelling of the main campaign this is Netherrealm’s masterpiece. Unfortunately spiking AI in the Towers of Time as well as the grindy progression still need to be adressed. Still this is one of the prime fighting games of this generation.

This is hands down the best baseball game available right now - especially if you are willing to ignore the microtransactions that impact some of the game modes.

A decent port of the global turn based strategy that will entertain you for weeks.

Capcom finally realized that the return to the roots must not only be promised, but implemented. This is the return to classical survival horror everybody was waiting for with the added ego perspective for heightened tension and convincing VR inclusion.

Rise of the Tomb Raider still clings a little too tightly to certain elements of its predecessor and has problems with enemy AI. Nonetheless with the renewed focus on actual tomb raiding and exploration Lara slowly returns to her older grand self.

This game is a phenomenon. Not only because of its success. But rather that this Battle Royale is so fascinating even though it has significant flaws. It is the situational suspense, the half hour of sizzling tension that makes players come back again and again.

It can’t spark the fascination of its predecessor on 360. But nonetheless this road trip through Southern Europe still is one hell of a racing experience with fantastic driving mechanics.

FIFA 14 still is a very good, very complete soccer game. And whilst the tweaks, changes and additions to the core mechanics are well executed, overall the progress made is smaller than last year.

On consoles this whodunnit adventure has its flaws, but in its best moments this is an intense, clever constructed as well as challenging experience.

Music and sweaty lightsaber choreographies merge into an impressive VR experience that unfortunately lacks content and song-import for your favorite music.

More tactical variation, more individual character development, more challenge, more fun: Enemy within makes XCOM better than ever.

The first big add-on for Final Fantasy 14 gives you a lot of new or enhanced content starting with raised level caps, new enemies, dungeons or flying mounts. What it doesn’t give you is an enhancement of questing structures, which still stay very conventional.

The mechanical structure is quite repetitive, but this ghost hunting adventure in a haunted mansion looks and sounds just great. A decent experience throughout, but no stroke of genius like Super Mario Odyssey or Breath of the Wild.

The motion recognition works well, the choreographies are as varied as they are challenging, plus you can import the predecessors' tracks (for a small fee). And even this year Harmonix moved forward in terms of party-play there is still lots of room for improvement in this area. Four players simultaneously anyone?

The launcher aside A Realm Reborn is a technically sound port that is not plagued by the PlaySation 3’s initial problems.

This is an excellent action adventure game design. At its best, it is full of surprises, dynamic battles and logic puzzles. Once you enter the haunted house you don’t want to check out until the last ghost is caught.

Strengthening boss battles, endless customization options and excellent gameplay make Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon a successful overall package for mech fans.

JRPG veterans will enjoy the updated and enhanced, yet still deeply in old-school-virtues rooted presentation and mechanics. This is a labor of love - and it shows.

There are many rogue-likes out there. Returnal is one of the best - and the first on a AAA-level. Have fun and don’t quit – it is worth it!

While Injustice 2 and Tekken 7 challenge each other for the title of modern beat-em-up king, Arc System Works focuses on what they can do best: Deliver a retro-infused slugfest with top notch balancing and one of the most intriguing audiovisual designs in a fighting game yet.

Charming twinstick-action with precise controls and a plethora of interesting ideas.

The driving physics still are a dream and there is plenty of content, while the visuals are top notch. But the inclusion of price boxes, the weak AI and the missing penalty system for road rowdies are unforgivable.

While the netcode needs to be improved, offline kombatants will find plenty to do and can enjoy one of the best story modes in beat-em-up history. Dear or Alive? Tekken? Street Fighter? Finish Them!

Finally: A season, where Sports Interactive invested more time in revamping whole systems instead of just finetuning. The result is the best franchise entry in years. If you are a soccer fanatic urging to find out what it is like to coach a team, this is your dream come true.

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

Call me an adventure romantic, call me crazy, but I love Day of the Tentacle and still think it is one of the best adventures ever made. Modernized in exactly the right spots and with an added developer commentary and alternative controls this is a masterpiece with beautifully crafted puzzles.

Welcome to the club of exceptional world designers, CD Projekt RED! Night City is the visually most impressive city you’ll find in a game. But most importantly, story, characters and even the side missions rock hard until deep in the night. Dive in. Enjoy.

There it is, the first game that runs exclusively on Nintendo's improved 3D hardware. And five years after the original release this is still a grand epic roleplaying experience. But the fascination that the original could spark for its premiere is not there – also thanks to technical shortcomings that I didn’t expect on the new system.

For years, offroad fans are screaming for a return from Codemasters to classic rally – as well as for a modern successor to Richard Burns Rally. And this delivers on both ends. The career could be more polished and less grind, though.

It’s nice to see Sonic back on track: Mania manages to capture the franchise core better than Segas last tries like Sonic Boom. There are some shortcomings here but if you can look past them, you will get a decent comeback from the speedy hedgehog.

Twilight Princess is a timeless gem proving that intelligent design beats polygon power any day. This was and still is one of the best action-adventures out there.

A clever puzzler that sort of plays like the swinging counterpart to TIS-100.

F1 2021 captures the fascination ‘motorsport’ brilliantly and offers a lot with the story-mode, co-op career and revamped driving physics. But the brash Podium Pass as prime example for annoying in-app-purchases steadily continues to hamper the motivation.

This is a stunner. The merger of Crypt of the NecroDancer and Legend of Zelda is a blast to play (as was to be expected) and looks like it jumped straight from the SNES into this era.

I still think that Monster Hunter belongs on a big screen. Having said that, even without a lot of innovation and relying on well-known mechanics this hunt still manages to entertain.

Top optics, the cutest animations that exist and largely well thought-out gameplay make the turn-based strategy game a treat - for young and old players alike.

This might be the surprise hit of the year. Combining intriguing puzzles and an interesting story you’ll find that your brain will be as challenged as your skills.

This is what modern city building should look like. There are small annoying flaws in terms of traffic infrastructure (roundabouts, pathfinding) and also the difficulty level is very forgiving. But none of it is critical and will keep you from playing. Where SimCity and Cities XXL failed, Cities Skylines passes with flying colours.

With its gorgeous track design, the fantastic driving mechanics and the uncompromising gameplay this is the place to go for all rally enthusiasts.

Even though you can’t import your own music or create your own levels like on the PC this mix of dungeon crawler and rhythm game still is an extraordinary experience.

Mercury Steam didn’t just take an old GameBoy Metroid and modernize it. They produced one of the best games of its kind.

With an exciting, innovative combat system that remains fun even in the endgame, a sympathetic duo of protagonists whose chemistry is perfectly balanced, and a fascinating science-fiction world, Pragmata is already shaping up to be one of the highlights of the year.

I don’t get it. They improve on almost every level. They add new elements, the flow feeling is stronger than in the first iteration. And then they decide that from the half way point they ramp up the difficulty level so immensely that flow turns to frustration faster than you can fall off the board. I don’t get it.

This was and still is a very special and charming J-RPG. It might not be as pretty as we remembered, while some of its problems got worse over time. But this still is a captivating gem straight out of Japan’s colorful roleplaying history.

What a charming adventure. The beautiful backdrops bear the inimitable hand writing of Studio Ghibli's artists. The wonderful story carries big emotions without pathos. And the role-playing game opens the doors to a wide land full of fantasy and danger.

The space dwarves’ mining adventure is quite entertaining as well as motivating – especially in co-op. Lack of variety keeps holding it back, though.

I've waited a long time for real time strategy that combines the intuitive iPad controls with the complexity you expect in the genre. Now a student project became a great game – congratulations to Touch Dimensions.

This is not just better than the predecessor, but it stays mysterious, dangerous and challenges you with puzzles rarely seen in a dungeon crawler.

More playground than living breathing world. BioWare opens a gigantic fantasy theme park. But unfortunately the only thing that is epic is the amount of content. Story, character behavior, quests and minigames are a mere shadow of the studio's former glory.