This is the best Legend of Zelda since Ocarina of Time. While Nintendo might not be the ingenious pioneer of the 80s and 90s, they prove, that they are willing to evolve and are still able to set a creative mark. With its towers, the loot and the collecting appeal it can’t deny its ingratiation to the zeitgeist, but most of the time Nintendo does it better and more subtle than the competition.

What a powerful outlaw opera! Visually and in terms of storytelling Rockstar exceeds all expectations. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a remarkable game that will be talked about and referenced for years to come.

An inspired and creative jump & run adventure with funny transformations and remarkably clever hidden secrets. Overall the story mode is a little bit too easy for experienced Mario players, but nonetheless this is a tremendous new start for Nintendo's iconic hero - even though overall I still prefer the spheres of Super Mario Galaxy and its cool planet mechanics.

Visually this is the definitive edition of the gangster drama we all came to love (or hate) with all its gorgeousness as well as its little flaws. And with the editor as well as the director mode creative players get all the tools they need.

A fantastic role-playing game that shines with its story, its companions, its game world and decisions. Only bugs deny an even higher rating.

Fun, extensive open-world adventure with clever puzzle chambers and a lot of focus on building plus crafting - if you already know Breath of the Wild, you will lose some of the fun of discovery.

Quotation forthcoming.

Beautifully enhanced and at its core still tremendously fascinating mixture of daily high school routine and bizarre mystery thriller.

The Last of Us remains a masterpiece. And on PS4 you get the complete story experience on one disc.

Addictive and happy: pixelated top-down roguelike with very simple gameplay - but the spiral of rewards has an enormous pull effect, every run makes the endorphins spill over, there is a lot to discover and experiment with.

A colorful and varied 3D platformer full of fun ideas and some surprising cameos. Not simply fans of the genre should get their money's worth - it would not be surprising if Astro Bot wins many new friends with this game.

That the gorgeous visuals as well as the revamped fighting mechanics would deliver, was foreseeable. But I wouldn’t have thought possible, that story and direction would reach these heights from beginning to end. An inventive reimagination of one of Sony’s most durable heroes.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is on par with the main game and even surpasses it in some respects, even if it can't shake off its flaws. This is the DLC fans have been waiting for.

Even better than its already brilliant predecessor, Hades 2 offers more content, a crisp combat system, lovable and exciting characters, and so many details that even after dozens of hours, you won't feel a bit bored. A masterful sequel that could hardly be any better.

Still a smart, uplifting action-adventure hit, Samus' remastered 3D premiere has held up with great gameplay.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is close to perfection, with only a few nuances that could dampen motivation. A worthy successor to what is (to date) probably the best Metroidvania game ever made.

Ken Levine manages to combine difficult topics like guilt, atonement and racism while creating truly remarkable characters, best of all the equally charming and dangerous Elizabeth. Add to this the breathtaking visuals and tactical action (at least on the more difficult levels) and you get an extraordinary action experience.

The New Gold Standard: The Adventures of Krateus and Atreus sets the standard in many respects - an absolute must-read for anyone who loves action games.

Colorful, charming and full of atmosphere: The fluid rhythm of fighting, looting and upgrading has been a hit on the 360 and PC and is as convincing on the iPad.

The Last of Us Part 2 will look deep into your eyes - and you will be scared. Naughty Dog shows maturity, courage and sheer class. Absolutely brilliant!

Quotation forthcoming.

Intuitive, designed professionally and with a stirring presentation, Half-Life Alyx is in a league of its own – not only visually.

Despite technical changes necessayr for Switch this still is a grand fantasy epic with loads of interesting interactions.

Open, creative, epic... Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a beast of a roleplaying game that shows its strengths in its battle system with its deep tactical implications and chain reactions as well as with its intelligent puzzles, the deep narrative and the beautiful visuals.

Quotation forthcoming.

Charming, varied and almost perfectly balanced: This is pure platforming fun.

This is a beautiful monster of a game. It is as sad as it is remarkable that this PS2-classic might be the best thing happening to Vita users for the whole year.

For the 20th anniversary of their role-playing saga, Atlus delivered a true masterpiece. All the elements, big or small or as trivial as they might seem sometimes, are well put together and interconnect in an almost unnoticeable manner. Plus: The presentation is plainly beautiful with a coherent colorful manga/anime art design that is a perfect fit for one of the best JRPGs out there.

This is Rockstar Games’ masterpiece. But crashes, the need for high-end hardware and some other flaws tarnish this western epic on PC.

Poker flair, card tactics and conquest like Risk come together in a game that beautifully manages to port a commendable tabletop game on tablets.

Even after the second finale questions are left open – questions that might not be answered after Hideo Kojima had to leave the franchise behind. But he also leaves an impressive piece of work as his legacy. It is not without flaws and the mission design relies a little too much on recycling. But the freedom you enjoy while on your missions is exemplary.

Live. Die. Repeat. Hades is almost immaculate and with that the makers of Bastion, Transistor and Pyre deliver their best game yet – which is a feat in itself. With its brilliant fight system, the motivating progress and its story Hades pulls and, more importantly, keeps you in.

Capcom knows what players want: the remake of the hit song from 2005 is now the best Resident Evil of all time and inspires with a heart-stopping guarantee, top optics, lots of fresh ideas and fantastic gameplay.

Visually Uncharted 4 is a benchmark for this generation. But it is so much more. Within the franchise's constraints the characters show tremendous depth while the action is varied as never before. And while not everything is perfect (too easy puzzles and AI faults come to mind) this is one gorgeous action-adventure.

If you play locally or solo this is one of the best and content richest Switch games out there. Just don’t expect to get too much fun out of the laggy online modes - yet.

You meet old friends and you feel at home on the Normandy. But this is the weakest and most monotonous episode of a futuristic adventure that went the wrong way over time. The action is not varied enough, relies too heavily on surviving wave after wave and rarely equals the tension of shooters like Killzone or Gears of War. On all levels I missed variety and challenge. If you started this odyssey with Shepherd a few years ago, you'll want to end this nonetheless – and you won't be disappointed. But after the credits I didn't think about a possible sequel but the missing headshot statistics.

It is definitely one of the most intense gaming experiences I was lucky enough to play in the last few years. With simplicity and atmosphere at its core, it took me on an emotional journey with an intensity and ruthlessness I didn’t expect.

One of the best detective games of all time, with challenging brain teasers, a very free approach and a complex story. Rounded off with a grainy, well-done presentation, a must-play for amateur investigators.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sets new standards for the genre of turn based RPGs with regard to the story, but even more so the combat. A new, shining star, who hopefully points the way for many future games.

No matter the season: Forza Horizon 4 delivers spot on driving physics, a stunning gameworld and loads of thing to do so you can escape boredom even before you switch to 2nd gear.

It's a pity that the visuals haven't been optimized for the retina display, but nonetheless it is a beauty. Stamped with a hefty price tag you'll get an exceptional roleplaying game that is as fascinating as it was a few years ago on the DS.

With more freedom of movement and variety than its predecessor, the game does everything right and brings the fascination of Final Fantasy 7 that has lasted over 25 years to the current console generation.

Wowie Zowie! 2D Mario is back and is finally running at full speed again in his new adventure thanks to fresh ideas and the creative miracle flower.

If you don’t know Journey, get ready to get excited. Not only because technically it is a convincing port. But more importantly because even after three years this masterpiece of reduced game design is as captivating as ever.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

The mobile version of this tactics gem is every bit as good as its PC and console brethren.

It's not just the clever idea or the funky artdesign – it is the combination of everything, infused with a helping of Elite Beat Agents, a pinch of Rhythm Paradise and a teaspoon of Ghost Trick. Beat Sneak Bandit is as creative as intelligent.



With all its humour, imagination and raw emotion it is really difficult not to fall in love with Undertale.

This role-playing marvel creates an impressive atmosphere in an open world, focusing on the silent moments and the exploration as much as on spectacular fighting. The quest quality is high throughout and the storytelling is out of this world – not only for ten or dozens but for a hundred hours.

Outstandingly playable content monster with clever help for beginners and finesse for professionals, with which Capcom's street brawler once again places itself on the genre throne - despite a weak solo story and real-money mechanics.

This milestone of action roleplaying games didn’t lose any of its fascination, while receving a new audiovisual presence with this excellent epic. An awesome modernized epic.

There is so much humour, love and imagination to be found in Undertale that one can hardly resist. The 8-bit visuals aside there is so much to find in here that I can recommend it to any fan of old school JRPGs – and all without fighting. Awesome.

Once you dive into the campaign, you can’t take your hands off this turn-based tactic gem, despite some downfalls in the story department with its’ sometimes corny dialogues.

This is how role-playing games must be ported from PC to consoles. Content-rich and with a well conceived as well as executed control scheme you will get more than 80 hours of exceptional entertainment.

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.

Platinum Games did a solid job with the conversion of the sequel to one of the best action games ever. I would have wished for a higher resolution (at least docked) and more visual finetuning, though. And I could do without the “pay-to-shortcut” Amiibo implementation. Having said that, this still is an instant classic.

Magical, impressive, inspiring – like an Arabian Nights' story. The world with its monumental vistas reminds you of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus while the game design continues the mysterious experience of Flower.

Pretty, filled with content and simply ideal for gaming parties. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still lacks some serious solo motivation but packs a powerful multiplayer punch.

Device 6 is a very interesting, creative storytelling experiment that combines old school text adventures with the interactive capabilities of a touchscreen.

Impressive art design, innovative travel inclusion, decisions and consequences. All the parts that made Banner Saga an impressive turn based strategy gem are found on the iPad.

This is legendary entertainment. Design, visuals, the plethora of things to do, the cool music levels: Every inch of the way you feel that people with bucket loads of passion are behind this living their dream.

More Need for Speed, less FlatOut, more racing, less drifting. And it is simply one of the best looking racers in the AppStore. Unfortunately there is no local multiplayer while online play is still contaminated with lags.

Behind the stunning but hardware-demanding visuals you’ll find a complex, yet very scalable flight simulation – albeit one that has mechanical as well as technical flaws.

Quality rules over quantity. Overwatch might be a little short on the content side. But other than that, you get a well-balanced, varied and beautifully-designed online shooter with a remarkably diverse hero selection.

Visually and technically the Umbra witch showcases what Wii U can do. And even though you won’t get wowed as much as in the first bewitched action let me assure you: This is still one hell of a ride and easily one of the best action games of this year.

An end-of-year Japan RPG highlight: Chained Echoes from solo developer Matthias Linda is epic, emotional, challenging and gripping. Mechanically to the point and narratively mature - a real JRPG gem.

On Xbox One Raymans platforming adventure is as legendary as ever.

The presentation is incredibly charming, as is the content with its affectionate enhancements to a very endearing od school JRPG.

The driving mechanics are an (arcade) dream come true, the visuals are fantastic and Australia as exotic location delivers a wide variety of environments, challenges and contest. It has its flaws like the still overly aggressive AI but nonetheless this is definitely the best game in this franchise so far.

It is unbelievable how intensive the experience feels after all these years. One of the best games of all time is back with a vengeance in this exemplary remake that delivers a sublime adventure from the first to the very last minute.

In times of knickknack DLC and overpriced mappacks Blood & Wine succeeds all expectations. This is nothing but the most complete add-on experience I have ever played. This doesn’t feel like artificially held back and “added”, but like matured and grown. Mechanically and dramatically a beautiful addition respectively continuation of an already rich RPG.

XCOM is an enthralling experience – and a few minor omissions aside you’ll get the same gripping atmosphere and tactical battles on your iPad as on stationary systems.

This is a complex Game of Patience: The global strategy slows the pace pleasently down, leading to royal roleplaying. This is downright good entertainment, even with the wars being a tad too static and some wishes unfulfilled.

A few aspects are a tad rigid, but the possibilities and options, especially in building and enhancing your unique character are something very special.

Tricky dungeon design, intense boss battles and more open than expected: You have to fall in love with Link’s latest adventure.

You’ll get higher resolutions and better framerates than on consoles. But with a game design of this quality, it doesn’t really matter. Right now there is nothing better for fans of action roleplaying games.

An impressive modern interpretation of the survival horror classic, showing that after Resident Evil 7, this is the horror franchise to beat. This is the new gold standard for remakes.

Innovative, refreshing and incredibly entertaining: Donkey Kong Bananza inspires with new ideas without forgetting its roots.

A top-notch industry builder in an open world. Exploration, expansion, optimization and automization keep you motivated right into the top tier technology levels. [Review-in-Progress]

It is not as fascinating as its predecessor. But nonetheless the mechanics of permanent failure are as captivating as always. This is a mysterious, gripping and unforgiving adventure.

Four years after its initial release Flower didn’t lose one iota of its fascination and still captures you from the very beginning.

Nintendo's island adventure can be boring at times, but also tremendously recreative – in any case it is unbelievably charming.

Trials Evolution is pure addiction on two wheels with loads of improvements on the already highly motivating predecessor.

Quotation forthcoming.

Split Fiction is further proof that Hazelight does coop-gameplay with excellence while still feeling like a unique experience. A tasty buffet of well-arranged gameplay variety.

Great action-adventure in which swinging, fighting and story are convincing and only the somewhat risk-averse open world has to take a back seat.

Even though I am sad, that after ten years there isn’t any additional content (actually the number of dungeons is reduced), I am overjoyed that this GameCube-classic shines in a new HD light and is visually more impressive than ever.

Ori on Switch still is a brilliant exploration platformer with constant challenges and an incredible soundtrack that it was for its premiere a few years. Visually it might not be as shiny as the original but Ori makes up for that with improved balance finetuning, among other things.

This is – once again – brilliant fantasy. Hours fly by as you dive into ruins, magic and sword fights while the story is surprising as well as mysterious. Creative storytelling at its best. I am looking forward to the fourth and final installment.

Finally the wait for this masterpiece on Xbox One is over. If you are tired of run-of-the-mill action-adventures, this is the game you need.

Beautiful design, clever mechanics that challenge the tactician. If you like war games, then you shouldn’t miss out on this gem.

While it is sad that the licenses obviously didn’t include certain speech samples or distinctive music, the quality of the table layout and puzzles is undeniable and reflects the movies they are based on.

Flight Simulator is a true highlight on Xbox consoles and for the first time show real next-gen qualities with impressive visuals, the whole world as a gaming environment as well as complex physics.

It worked on 360 a few years back and it still is a masterpiece: Fez is a puzzling journey through time and space – charming, fascinating and very unique.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered doesn't do much wrong, but apart from the roguelike mode it hardly offers any major innovations. Anyone who hasn’t yet experienced the post-apocalyptic adventure will now at least get the best possible version.

Dave the Diver is a great adventure with many elements from other genres, so it never gets boring. Only the control with mouse and keyboard takes some getting used to.

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.