This was and still is a very challenging turn based tactics gem with cleverly induced real-time elements and a beautiful, timeless art design.

Stacked with content, technically mainly crisp and very entertaining. The inconsistent AI aside Beenox gave Naughty Dog’s PSone classic a cool makeover which, just like 20 years ago, tries to challenge Mario Kart for the pole position.

Compared to last year, this is “just” an evolution, but captures motorsport perfectly once more and gives you one of the best careers in racing games.

A quite entertaining simulation of an alternative 90’s internet. The great art design aside the numerous beautifully designed websites keep you coming back to solve new cases as an enforcer.

On PS5 Eivor’s adventure is not flawless either, but brings you an always entertaining mix of exploration, story, battles and town development – while constantly looking great.

Even with all the visual enhancements like 60 frames you can feel the age, although the timeless art design still works its magic. But that aside this is an impressive package of action roleplaying classics.

Stylish with (now) four playable characters, gorgeously rich move-sets and (still) unfortunately micro-transactions. Also it is a little but prettier, a little bit faster and a little bit more difficult.

The choice of games is dubious sometimes, with the omissions of GoldenEye and the Xbox-Version of Conker Live and Reloaded the most prominent victims. Also the backwards compatibility for Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts and Perfect Dark Zero needs optimization. But nonetheless I grew fond of this collection that gives you a good overview of the opus of one of the most creative studios there was.

For the conclusion of the trilogy IOI relies primarily on the tried and tested; A combination of cleverly designed assassination playgrounds and creative methods to achieve your goals. Unfortunately AI problems and script bugs stop Agent 47 in his tracks here and there.

New ideas, mechanics and a fresh setting combined with the known and loved formula of Anno provide an accomplished tightrope walk.

How nice that this game is now available on more systems. The Touryst might be only a “small” adventure, but it is imaginative and thoroughly adorable.

A lot in Middle Earth is reminiscent of other games: Fight like Batman, sneak like Ezio and his brethren, explore the world like in Red Dead Redemption. What sets Shadow of Mordor apart is the Nemesis system that works surprisingly well – even though it lacks drama in the end.

Quotation forthcoming.

While the enhanced battle system is definitely a big step forward, a lot of other elements including the script don’t click as effectively as they did in “The Stick of Truth”. But Coon, Call Girl and Toolshed can be proud to be a part of the “Second best South Park game of all time”.

The PC version of the visually stunning open world adventure delivers, even though it demands enormous GPU-power.

This is a paradise for park designer, a dream come true for coaster architects. The challenge level is quite low though, and there is just rudimentary economic management.

Shovel Knight is the love child of the challenge level of Mega Man and the mystic design of classics like Gargoyle`s Quest – a captivating retro platformer that will separate the men from the boys.

Challenging as well as mesmerizing arcade action merging classic bullet hell with interesting fresh ideas.

What a rush! The assault on your retinas has to be seen to be believed. If you liked Tempest, you certainly don’t want to miss this.

A good soccer game with a cinematic career mode and a lot of enhancements on the pitch. Unfortunately the change to Dice’s Frostbite engine doesn’t pay off yet compared to last years’ Ignite.

Like “To the Moon” Rakuen sends you on a bittersweet journey between two worlds, emotionally charged, with clever puzzles and a beautiful soundtrack.

In theory, this is the climax of the 2D fighting that Arc System Works executed so flawlessly over the years: More fighters than ever in the series, refined mechanics and beautiful visuals. But be aware that beginners will hardly understand anything within the visual novel style story, while even veterans mourn the decision not to include English voiceover for the seemingly final chapter.

Gears 5 delivers an entertaining campaign with surprisingly open areas, excellent visuals and a bunch of fun (and sometimes fresh) multiplayer modes. But it also suffers from technical glitches and bugs.

Quotation forthcoming.

This feels like From Software developed a Castlevania of the Amiga era. At every corner you will encounter a Dark Souls déjà-vu. But this is much more than just a carbon copy in 2D, since Ska Studios added a lot to the proven recipe.

It is nice to see that this extraordinary game has been modernized. In terms of visual detail it still is old-fashioned though, but it was and still is a beautifully crafted action roleplaying game that leaves its mark.

Within the overcrowded genre of "endless runners" Whale Trail stands out thanks to its psychedelic artdesign, while the mechanics are similar to the likes of Tiny Wings or Jetpack Joyride.

Well written spin-off of the loot shooter series that focuses on characters and story while delivering humor and charm. Nice job, Telltale.

The narrative mix of historical facts and fictitious involvement of the main characters is more believable than ever. The new engine has its flaws but paints beautiful vistas while presenting more detailed characters than its predecessors. But even though this is a package loaded with content, it is far from perfect and lacks connection between all the interesting ideas.

Incredibly imaginative, extremely motivating and visually a treat: With Rayman Legends Switch users can look forward to one of the best 2D platformers of the last generation on their system.

While Overlocked was bug-ridden, this is a convincing port of Devil Survivor 2 with added bonus content. Fans of tactical role-playing games can look forward to a challenging addition to their library.

Enthusiasm and disappointment go hand in hand with Gears of War 4. While the campaign lacks the punch that you are used to from the 360-classics, the enhanced multiplayer gives you almost everything you can dream of.

While the campaign is rather bland in comparison to older Halos, the multiplayer shines brighter than ever and promises more fun than ever before – if you can live with the microtransactions.

A strong Assassin’s Creed episode, a motivating open-world-game.: Eivors adventure is not faultless, but delivers an always entertaining mixture of exploration, story, battles and estate development – while looking gorgeous throughout.

Bethesda made the seemingly impossible possible. With only few visual deficits compared to yesteryears Special Edition on PS4 and One everything is there. So just in case you haven’t stepped into the captivating world of Skyrim yet, this might be a good entry point.

Even though I was hoping for a little more creativity on Wii U when it comes to the touchscreen controls, this still is a magical and extensive adventure.

Colorful, charming, challenging and full of humor: Guacamelee celebrates classic exploration, fighting and jump&run on the highest level.

Yakuza’s comeback shows off a great fighting system, while the tasks that you’re following are tedious and boring.

It still looks great, it still feels great and it still is the best basketball game out there.

This is the black metal ballad among the tactical roleplaying games. The fights are merciless, the battle system is creative and filled with with possible long term damage beyond belief. There is only one more thing to say: Destroy… them… all…!

A tasty culinary package for party chefs with cross-platform co-op ambitions - especially if you like it hectic and challenging.

I always thought that the Soulcalibur series is superior to Tekken - and Soulcalibur 6 as rather a reboot than a sequel proves my point. The fighting mechanics are among the best on this console generation. Unfortunately some lackluster solo modes hold the whole experience back.

This is like chess in open terrain. Turn based tacticians: Get ready to celebrate. Shenandoah Studios reached a level that reminds me of the quality of Ensemble Studios on PC.

Red Matter 2 is a mesmerizing VR adventure filled with mysterious technology - with a few additional graphical refinements on PC.

Quotation forthcoming.

Intense tactics with a very unique pace.

Little Goody Two Shoes is a nice role-playing game with unique ideas that could be a little more thought out in some places.

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.

It is fast. It is unforgiving. But it always stays fair. What starts as a fairly simple variation of rhythm games soon becomes a hypnotic struggle to stay in the zone that will keep you motivated and frustrated at the same time.

It is not as devastating and dark as This War of Mine. But nonetheless this interesting strategy with its survival aspects plays with moral dilemmas and asks some uncomfortable questions.

Incredibly fast arcade action with a flashy retro design that works surprisingly well in VR.

In terms of storytelling and gameplay these shooters still are top-notch. The Switch versions suffer from slight control issues, though.

This is not quite Need for Speed nor quite Burnout Paradise. But nonetheless this is an entertaining high gloss racer with adrenaline injection. Solo you might want to look for something else, but if you're into wild and crazy online chases you will get lost in Fairhaven.

Quotation forthcoming.

With two heroines following in the footsteps of the Drake brothers I was hoping for a few more gameplay variations catered to the characteristics of Chloe and Nadine. Having said that, with all the elements and mechanics present that made Uncharted 4 such an exceptional game, this again is an extraordinary action adventure with beautiful visuals.

Quotation forthcoming.

If you are desperately waiting for a game that captures the spirit of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night almost to the dot, look no further. It has its flaws, but it is exactly what Koji Igarashi promised to deliver: A game from IgaVania-Fans for IgaVania fans.

Fighting and exploration in a visually stunning pixelart world.

Graphically polished and therefore visually attractive gem for genre and series fans. However, a lack of depth in the story and characters quickly leads to monotony.

While the mechanics scream for an award Arena suffers from aggressive monetarization and the missing Eternal formats.

Lone Survivor is a unique and very intense horror trip into the human psyche.

I was very skeptical, but after finishing the first episode I have to give kudos to Telltale. They captured the spirit of the saga in a very convincing manner. The mix of classic point&click virtues and more recent elements like realtime action and quicktime events reminds me of Heavy Rain.

This is the total package for all fans of the vocaloid popstar. Over 220 songs, hundreds of costumes, haircuts and accessories as well as the proven and enhanced rhythm game mechanics make this a blast to play – unless you despise J-pop. In that case you should run. Fast.

This is the total package for all fans of the vocaloid popstar. Over 220 songs, hundreds of costumes, haircuts and accessories as well as the proven and enhanced rhythm game mechanics make this a blast to play – unless you despise J-pop. In that case you should run. Fast.

Atmospheric, in love with detail - but in the end too concerned about safety: Hogwarts Legacy is a really good wizarding adventure, which leaves room for improvement, especially in the story.

If you like your old-school RPG with a big helping of classic dungeons, cartography and party-management than look no further. Under the colorful surface is an experience that is more demanding than anything that Legend of Grimrock can throw at you.

Capcom delivers a horror carnival with a ringmaster, who wants to deliver the maximum amount of beasts, stunts and clowns. You will experience spectacular boss fights and beautiful audio as well as visuals, but also quite a few embarrassments and frustrating elements.

This is no excellent shooter – by a long run. But regardless this is a decently modernised classic and a well executed journey through time.

You want to explore space, push your crew to the limit and improve your vessel. From sector to sector you find new challenges, although none is bigger than the save system. You die, you have to start over.

Breathtaking moments and a great atmosphere are just some of the highlights that you will experience on Mira. The visuals are stunning, the pad is used intelligently. This is by far the best game you will play on Wii U this year.

A game is doing something exceptionally well if you get blown to bits and still sit there with a big smile on your face. Resogun is as fast, elegant and explosive as a shoot em up needs to be.

The RPG saga benefits from new battle and fighting systems, but still has lot of room for improvements when it comes to visuals and staging.

Even though the port shows little affection for PC needs (e.g. missing mouse support and some visual issues), this still is an awesome action adventure in feudal Japan. With all three expansion included from the get-go, you can expect approx. 70 hours of challenging fun.

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.

This is like your first love rekindled – if you are fan of classic adventures. Filled to the rim with references to old masterpieces from LucasArts while sporting old-school qualities like beautifully written dialogue, quirky characters and bucket-loads of humour this is on par with the likes of Maniac Mansion, Zak McCracken etc.

The concept behind Baba is You is incredibly fascinating and can give you captivating puzzles. Unfortunately there is almost no motivating incentive to face the challenges.

Will this old-school odyssey become the new Monkey Island class leader in the click-along segment? Not at all! But a damn pixelated grindhouse movie to play along to has been born – with a hero like a whip crack.

Just Add Water manages to walk the fine line with rebuilding the retro feeling and adding a few modern twists, although the finicky controls could definitely be more contemporary.

Zelda meets Robotron: Isaac celebrates old school topdown action in randomly generated dungeons.

The audiovisual presentation with its retro flair is charming and thanks to the constant challenge the motivation starts on a high level. It is replaced by frustration though, because challenge quickly becomes routine, which in turn made me go back to more classic jump&runs.

At first glance the changes are as little and subtle as in the previous years. But they have big impact delivering the most dynamic Madden on current systems yet. And Draft Champions alone is almost worth the admission.

An interactive cartoon complete with cute characters and creative puzzles that is entertaining despite lacking depth and moderate difficulty.

Nintendo rediscovers fun for the core gamer: New Super Mario Bros. U is hardly surprising, but delivers quite a challenge with its classic jump & run roots.

Sure: It isn’t as fascinating as it was five years ago. But still the fighting mechanics and even more so the visuals stand the test of time. This is one of the best beat-em-ups of its generation.

The concept is great: A motivating management game with a very creative approach, great characters and an empathic story. But the major bugs that still (weeks after launch) are present, are unacceptable.

Brilliant driving physics, a steep learning curve, myriads of options and beautiful visuals on PC: Project Cars 2 is one of the best racing games out there - and even better in VR.

It looks great and it plays great. This is simply the best jump & run you can get on iPad.

A moving story with charming charaters and the occasional mechanical flaw. But overall it didn’t lose anything of ist original fascination.

On one hand Remedy shows off nicely executed action mixing ballistic and supernatural elements in destructible environments, while on the other presenting unusual design flaws. But everything is kept together by a good script that draws inspiration from David Lynch and the likes.

A good soccer experience with loads of spectacular dribblings, speed and a lot of action in the box. But compared to the last years it feels more arcadey.

Beautifully polished classic that offers an entertaining adventure for Mario fans and RPG beginners. Experienced gamers shouldn't stumble over the low level of difficulty.

Regardless if you are a newcomer to the series or a veteran that knows SMT 4 inside and out, this alternate version of the JRPG classic will keep you busy for weeks.

The manual boost results not only in a more dynamic offense, but forces you to anticipate on defense. With the enhanced mechanics and the improved AI there's no way around NHL 13 if you're remotely interested in this sport.

As an open roleplaying world Eos is just in the minor leagues. Beautiful to look at but filled with redundant and basic fetch- and kill-quests, it is too evident, that Square’s open world experience stems from MMOs. Nonetheless, the fresh real-time battle system is a risk that I truly can appreciate, while storytelling and imaginative characters showcase the return of Square’s strengths that have been forgotten during the FF13-trilogy.

It is a lot of fun to be the clinic director in the spiritual successor to Theme Hospital. But the jokes get stale a tad too soon, while the beginning phase of each hospital becomes too routine.

The stylish diving through the enemies bullets is a perfect fit for roomscale VR. It is quite short, yes. But nonetheless this is an exceptional game and a great addition for any action archive.

With the revamped visuals, the very first Disgaea finally looks at least like a game from the last console generation, while the content proves roughly 14 years after its premiere that as a tactical roleplaying experience Laharl, Flonne and friends are still a force to be reckoned with.

While it profits from a few small improvements that make the action on the pitch that much more intriguing, the standstill in terms of mode selection and presentation are a concern.