Mostly the changes are subtle, but they matter. The flow is improved, the game is more tactical and faster, more dynamic.

Johnnemann Nordhagen created a truly compelling experience, an adventure that almost defies words. It has its flaws but once you are drawn into this rich world it is hard to get out.

It is loud, it is silly and wonderfully weird. The mixture of skate action reminiscent of Jet Set Radio, the ludicrous weaponry Insomniac is known for and open world rail shooting delivers an arcade action overkill I haven’t seen in quite a while.

Classic rhythm game with a high challenge level. If you can get past the idea that you’ll be humming to J-Pop you’ll find an exceptional music game.

An interesting dungeon crawler with a distinctive artdesign and tight touch controls. This is the kind of game that makes it worthwhile for Vita owners to be patient.

A successful comeback. Mechanically as well as technically sophisticated brawler. For franchise fans a sure hit, but it shows its quality even without putting on rose-coloured glasses this is a great game.

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.

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 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.

Is this game to the film to the game a reboot? A remake? A director’s cut? A best-of? Actually it is sort of all of the above and bigger as the sum of its parts. It is great to see Insomniac go back to their beloved action-duo, while on the way they produced the best movie related game since Rockstar’s The Warriors.

Yes: It is short. But it still brings to the plate what is needed for an entertaining puzzle adventure: creativity, intuitive controls and a mysterious atmosphere.

Entertaining, innovative, stylish and full of character. Action music game mix Hi-Fi Rush is the kind of game the word "smash hit" was coined for.

This is a remarkable debut of Carbine Studios. With a mixture of well-known elements and fresh ingredients you feel right at home, but keep getting surprised from beginning to end. It has its occasional downer but in the end this is one of the freshest MMOs in years.

A seasoned and streamlined Nioh successor that also wants to get newcomers into the junk. The snappy fights tie you to the gamepad, even if the strangely balanced level of difficulty sometimes gnaws at your nerves.

With its magical micro-cosmos the Switch port of Pikmin 3 (as a ‘Deluxe’ version) is a creative vitamin supplement for the system. This is very good entertainment for real-time strategists.

If you know Death from another console there is no reason for you to ride with him again. But as a launch title for Wii U this as close as you will get to a game in the tradition of the Legend of Zelda-series.

A rather short, but tremendously fascinating and relaxed puzzle trip through a world full of bizarre creatures and mechanisms.

This was and still is one of the best JRPGs. If you haven’t played it yet, you should give it a chance. Despite its original age, It looks quite decent and the battle system is a dream once you get used to it.

It has been more than two years when I first stepped on the disco light panels of the musical dungeons of the NecroDancer. And I still enjoy it thoroughly. It was and still is an extraordinary hybrid of dungeon crawling and rhythmic strategy.

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.

Quotation forthcoming.

Interesting take on classic adventures adding a dose of roleplaying aspects to a captivating mystery story and a varied dialogue system.

Tense twinstick action with huge amounts of exploration in a mysterious pixel Lovecraft world.

This is a content monster. With crisp controls and support for up to eight players, this is party mayhem at its best. Unfortunately the online-mode can’t deliver once more.

If you know the original strategy gem be aware: This is rather a visually updated remake than a new iteration. But nonetheless the concept still is as fresh as interesting.

With Iceborne, Capcom not only opens a new everfrost hunting area, but improves the game overall.

This PS3-classic didn’t lose any of its magic. The visuals are beautiful, the turn based tactics challenging as always.

Fairytale adventure game in a beguiling open game world between Studio Ghibli, Star Wars and Zelda - despite technical stuttering a real action-adventure insider tip.

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.

Bizarre mystery-thriller that can’t quite capture the essence of the excellent predecessor. Still this is a very entertaining Vita game you shouldn’t pass up.

The mysterious story and especially the polished presentation make sure that Mare is a VR adventure gem.

The base quality is there – just like in the current gen versions. And there are lots of small additions, some of them more useful than others. But overall it is not the significant progress I was hoping for.

Intelligent and diverse puzzles, a tense and disturbing atmosphere and high immersion. With all this quality it is a shame that it is quite short. I want more.

With all the improvements, the overall darker atmosphere and the addition of adventure mode, this is a good as it gets as an add-on. Blizzard isn’t back to its old glory yet, but this is a step in the right direction.

An improvement over its predecessor in every way. But there are still shortcomings in a few areas, most notably the improved, but still uncharismatic career, while beginners will miss a decent tutorial. Nonetheless this is the MMA game any fan should get.

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.

You could almost forget that Saints Row 4 started as a DLC for the third part. But even though you’ll find a lot there is to like, starting from over the top humor and super powers up to the brilliant Dubstep Gun, it can never fully separate itself from its add on roots.

Except for the battle system that still shows its PC roots, Blizzard converted the mechanics almost perfectly to the gamepad. And the rest is, well, Diablo 3. If you don’t like it, this won’t change your mind. But if you do, this is not just one of the best coop games out there, but with all the little tweaks and changes this could very well be the best version.

A very solid and very entertaining standalone add-on with a new theatre and well proven tactical challenges.

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.

Visually exciting future racer with great flying physics and a rich career mode.

Captivating old-school RPG with an extensive turnbased battle system and stunning artdesign, but also quite some grind and varying quality in the storytelling for the eight protagonists.

GRID 2 doesn’t insist on tuning, there is no setup hassle – just driving fun with a great sense of speed. Unfortunately some problems remain untouched, among them the very aggressive AI.

Minute of Islands delivers a beautifully told and deep story as well as great hand-drawn, comic-style visuals.

Quotation forthcoming.

Wildfrost is an excellent roguelike deck builder, able to stand out from the crowded genre with fresh ideas and outstanding presentation. The ice-cold level of difficulty still needs a bit of fine-tuning.

A motivating survival adventure set in a fascinating ice world.

This is like iRacing for PS4. I rarely had that much fun and tense position battles within competitive online racing on a console. The driving physics are great and the fairness system executed nicely. Unfortunately it falls a little short on the content side as well as for soloists.

It is not just loaded with content, but puts one of the interesting eras of Sports Entertainment into the spotlight. It has its flaws, especially when it comes to the engine, but nonetheless as an old school wrestling aficionado I haven't had this much fun with a WWE game in years.

Conceptually interesting visual novel giving you an emotional take on artificial intelligence.

One of the best combat systems in recent years provides adrenaline-pumping action in a successful post-apocalypse setting and makes minor gameplay failures and flat characters easily fade away.

Quotation forthcoming.

This is by far the most ambitious and thought through musou game that Omega Force has produced yet. While staying true to the basic formula the action-roleplaying elements as well as the true-to-the-source art design make this an engrossing experience.

An tragicomedy with a beautiful narrative, great art design and a convincing protagonist. In terms of gameplay it is not a lot to be found here, though.

Even with the improved combat system the superhero spoof can’t surpass The Stick of Truth. But since Obsidian’s South Park treatment is not available on Nintendo’s Hybrid, Cartman and his friends have to settle with being the best South Park game on Switch.

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.

It still is a charming mix of Jump’N’Run and editor. But while Sumo Digital managed to enhance the latter, the light footed magical approach to the Story of the first got lost – obviously that was one of Media Molecule's specialties.

The bombs splatter better than ever, the paint is flowing freely, the overhauled campaign seems more open and better arranged than on the console.

This is as dry as it gets. It makes a game out of some peoples’ jobs. And in all its minimalistic glory it is a lot of fun. But conceptually it is not as far as it may seem in the beginning from the author’s earlier works like SpecChem or Infinifactory.

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.

This is a gripping tactical thriller. Some AI behavior destroys the illusion occasionally, while the mission design is not varied enough. But nonetheless I enjoyed the challenges presented by the unofficial sequel to Syndicate top to bottom.

The focal points this year were the engine change from Ingnite to Frostbite as well as the Longshot story inclusion. Espacially the latter can make sure that this years’ football king is actually more than just a full-priced visual update.

Slightly enhanced, but unspectacularly ported re-release of the crossover rpg from the realms of Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem.

Kudos to Capcom for injecting their stylish action with new life, thus making it a fierce competition for Platinums beautiful witch Bayonetta - in theory. But the “Insert Coin” mentality in the polarizing area of microtransactions needs to be adressed.

As usual, high-quality fighting action that puts Tekken at the top of the genre shelf despite weaknesses in the additional modes. Tekken fans and those who want to become one should be picked up equally.

When it comes to art design, the architecture and fashion in Dishonored are among the best I have seen in recent years. The stealth-action starts promisingly but you become too powerful too soon. Nonetheless, this is a thoroughly entertaining game.

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.

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.

Visually simply the best Killzone yet and mechanically more varied then before, Guerilla Games delivers an entertaining shooter for the PS4 launch. Unfortunately the AI didn’t yet reach the next generation.

This is the game I wanted to have a few years ago: The party dynamics of Rock Band combined with the real guitar playing of Rocksmith. The recognition technique is simply flawless.

This is an intense puzzle game, that delivers loads of emotional moments – despite its reduced design.

Charming horror comedy adventure with cool abilities and choices held back only by the puzzles hardly setting a challenge.

We don't mince words: The new edition impresses in all aspects of the original and even goes one better thanks to its contemporary presentation and modernized music. However, the legacy problems in the form of tiny inventory and pacing problems due to too much running back and forth could have been avoided.

After the last episode I was worried that Telltale would take the script in the wrong direction. Well, not anymore. Humor, absurd situations, great directing – it all is back. Now the only thing Telltale needs to do, is bring a little more game back into the cinematic experience.

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”.

Considering last years’ improvements this years’ focus on the ground game feels underwhelming – but definitely delivers a welcome layer of new choices at the players’ disposal. The new commentary moves it into regions held by NBA2K up to now, but even though there are some improvements in the franchise, the mode selection in general isn’t that much different than in Madden NFL 16.

At first Full Metal Furies is just another coop-action. But the more you play, the more you discover - and sometimes the only solution is grind. But nonetheless this is a surprisingly captivating action romp.

The visuals are fantastic and do the source material justice. The toned down fighting mechanics are a blast. But the weak AI in the redundant story mode and the occasional hiccup with matchmaking during the mostly lag free online battles still need to be addressed and cost dearly.

Enhanced and in terms of fighting systems as well as visuals slighlty improved version of the remake of one of JRPGs brightest stars.

If you like music games, get it. If you like the fantastic musical arrangements of the Final Fantasy series, get it. Even with slight downers like inconsistent challenge levels this is one little rhythm gem.

Transformed is one of the best fun-racers in recent months and a classy alternative to Mario Kart, whose dominance is crumbling away. Without the frame-rate problems during split-screen races the speeding hedgehog might even have outpaced the racing plumber. Nonetheless with GamePad support and exclusive modes the Wii U version snatches the pole position.

The brilliantly designed "The Tales of the Arabian Nights" alone is worth the entrance to this arcade – even tough the visuals can't compete with the likes of Zen Pinball or Pinball FX 2.

Once more Zuma's Revenge delivers classic ballshooting puzzle action you came to know and love since Puzz Loop.

Ring Fit Adventure is a nice fitness package, delivering a lot of fun while exploring the various modes with the Ring-Con. The adventure mode would benefit from more variety, though.

Democracy wins: Helldivers 2 is an explosive, chaotic co-op shooter with crashes and rumbles at every turn.

More than just a definitive edition, this revamped vision of an undervalued hack&slay series mixes everything together that you loved about Van Helsing and Katarina and puts a fresh spin on it. Nice!

Bigger and incredibly intuitive to use: Even with its online problems and some irritating constraints, this is a highlight for creative Jump&Run-builders.

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.

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.

Roughly five years after its premiere two things become evident. A) The art design still is out of this world. B) It still has some flaws, but the relentless action paired with the hunt for items is highly motivating.

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.

Kudos to Crazy Monkey Studios. Instead of relying on only the strengths of the predecessor, the team decided to tackle all the shortcomings. And the result is a blast, filled with guns, gore, zombies, nazis, tongue-in-cheek humour and a visually beautiful cartoon design.

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.

Fast RMX is a widely enhanced reissue of the currently fastest racing game, sporting 30 tracks, an unbelievable speed and challenging course design. But with some modes missing from the Wii U original the motivation takes a downturn here and then.

VanillaWare did it again. Their signature visual style is more beautiful than ever and the mixture of side-scrolling brawler, item hunt and character development is as motivating as anything . If you compare this to Odin Sphere or Muramasa though, the story telling falls rather short, while the number of dungeons is very limited.

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.

A lot has happened for puzzle platforming since A boy and his Blob first emerged six years ago. But the charming visuals, the laid back, but still challenging play style and the sheer beauty that is the friendship between the two protagonists still make this an exceptional game.