Solid but shallow adventure with loads of references to Grimms fairy tales.

The courses look better than ever on consoles, even though the change to Frostbite also shows some significant hiccups. And while the mechanics are rock solid as always, hardcore fans might feel ripped off since content was scaled down. It is a solid reboot for a series stagnant on the old systems, but EA still has some way to go.

That’s it! I’ve had it! I can’t accept Milestone’s copy&paste mentality any more. Basically this is last years’ iteration with updated teams – in other words, nothing that couldn’t have been done with a reasonably priced DLC.

Yes, it is short. But Geometry Wars 3 aside I haven’t had that much fun with a twinstick shooter in a while. Be wary of the spiking difficulty in the middle parts though where it moves from challenging to frustrating for a little while.

It will take a little to get used to the coordinated chaos that is PlanetSide 2. But the more time you spend on Auraxis the more fun you will have. If only the artdesign and engine performance were optimized.

If you’re into accessible over-the-top arcade sport this might be for you. But be careful when you play: At certain times the network problems are horrible.

Overall it lacks the punch of the first two episodes and focuses too much on action, while character development is put on the back burner. Nonetheless I am curious how Telltale will continue their journey to Pandora.

A refreshingly simple, yet fitting art design and a great mixture of components make this a turn based dungeon crawler like no other. Unfortunately your success depends a little too much on luck and it shows a tendency for grind.

It could have been an impressive start into the Formula 1 era on current console systems. Visually mostly impressive and with convincing driving physics Codemasters is on the right path. But the overly aggressive AI, the inconsistent penalty system and the disappointing damage system combined with the even further reduced content make sure that this is nothing more than a good foundation on which to build.

In terms of accessing content (especially the chance to collect all the minifigures) the change from free-to-play to pay-to-play is a welcome step. But it opens the door to a whole other world of problems: Why not change the game to offline with optional online connectivity? And also with the redundant fighting system and the mission grind Minifigures has to compete with a wide variety of offline Lego games, which are almost always the better choice.

Legends of Eisenwald tries hard to challenge the competition. But as a roleplaying game it is either corny or boring while the turn based tactics are standard respectively borderline uninteresting.

There are some strong moments. But they are definitely not found within the visuals. Unfortunately Cyanide doesn’t manage to walk the tightrope between simulation with its energy management the team orders and the tactical components and pure arcade cycling without mechanical failures or even crashes.

It could have been a solid platforming experience with a flashy art design. But in the end the disappointment over the technical shortcomings weighs like a heavy burden on the goddess’ shoulder.

Homesick transports its mysterious story exclusively with the items in the environment and manages to captivate without narrator or pre-rendered cutscenes. A very interesting storytelling journey.

If you yearn for the “variety” of the Agricultural Simulator while you play Harvest Moon, something has gone wrong. Once quite entertaining this cocktail has been watered down beyond recognition. It feels like actual work – which is the wrong direction for a game.

The more characters you know or recognize the more fun you will have with this tremendous roster of animanga star power. But fortunately J-Stars has more to offer, e.g. a solid fighting system and astonishingly diverse characters. The arenas and campaign mode lack variety, though.

Good-Feel managed the almost impossible: To make Nintendos dino mascot even cuter than ever before. A charming design and interesting yarn puzzles make this conservative platformer a fluffy experience.

The concept is clever, but the execution lacks finesse. While the turn based stealth action is a great idea, the controls as well as the game flow are sloppy and incoherent.

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

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.

I am still torn between the well executed integration of typical (offline) Elder Scrolls elements and the necessity to cater to the typical online mechanisms. But the abolition of subscription fees makes it so much easier to get drawn into the world that had its share of problems when it opened the door to an Online-Tamriel more than a year ago on PCs.

In its best moments is like a bag of potato chips: You just can’t stop. There’s a level-up, there you have to collect stuff, you distribute new weapons and play matchmaker for a few couples. But it also has its share of bad moments, where everything is drawn out, where it lacks challenge.

From time to time you feel that the original is from a different era, considering that it is seven years old. The battle dynamics have been surpassed by the likes of Kratos, Bayonetta or Dante’s modern alter ego. Nonetheless it still is a thoroughly entertaining action-adventure that aged very well.

Gotham City looks astonishing while the story is full of suspense and surprises. Mechanically the star once again is the freeflow fighting system. But somewhere along the way Rocksteady lost the focus and missed the point, especially with the overpowering, omnipresent inclusion of the Batmobile. Those sequences (and there are far too many) are nothing but a second-tier shooter which takes away too much from the dark knight and everything he stood for up to now.

Like never before Traveller’s Tales managed to capture the spirit of the source material, starting with the original score up to the almost perfect reenactment of iconic scenes by Lego characters. As for the rest: Well, it’s a Lego game.

You can feel the potential. But in the end it gets boring since the ships abilities allow only a few tactical options while you fight wave after wave.

“Word Spud” is more “Word Dud”, but the other games are destined to be played between your Rock Band, Dance Central or Just Dance sessions.

Reincarnation is trash and proud of it. It celebrates its roots and is consequent in what it tries to achieve: To be a thoroughly entertaining waste of time. Well… Mission accomplished.