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.