Living up to such legacy seemed impossible but Beamdog understands Baldur’s Gate and created a game true to the original. Unfortunately along with the party you need to gather a band of patches, because bugs are crawling all over the place. [06/2016, p.40]

EA Sports wants to please everyone, which is why FC 26 is caught between two game modes representing opposite extremes. It's good that the developers are trying, but unfortunately, the results of their work are rather disappointing at this point.

After all these years Myst is still a masterpiece, a brilliant game that deserves acclaim. [05/2014, p.73]

Onrush takes full contact racing to another level and it is thrilling at times. The problem for me was that there’s very little actual racing left in Onrush. It was replaced by chaos and I hate racing games in which my triumph or defeat does not depend entirely on my skill. [08/2018, p.83]

Despite limitations imposed by the genre, and the fact that there are only 5 units and 4 powers, Anomaly 2 gives you quite a broad spectrum of possibilities. [CD-Action 07/2013, p.56]

I’ll remember this platformer mainly as a torture. It’s really ruthless when it comes to making you feel helpless. [CD-Action 08/2013, p.81]

The levels are generated procedurally and the game doses new opponents and obstacles wisely. If only the enemies were smarter than an average bubble gum... [12/2016, p.78]

Fallen God is a large stand-alone expansion that succeeds in differentiating itself from its predecessors. The developers managed to diversify the experience (not spectacularly though) and did a terrific job at depicting the specific nature of the new race – trolls. [13/2020, p.72]

When picking up Ancestors Legacy, you need to be aware that it’s not a carbon copy of Age of Empires or Warcraft III. A lot of gameplay elements were designed in a new, original way and even though at first it does cause confusion, it quickly turns out to be one of the game’s most notable strengths (which also include visuals and entrancing soundtrack). [07/2018, p.54]

A minimalistic strategy/puzzle game, simple but inventive. [01/2016, p.71]

An unusual roguelite, a hardcore survival game, and at the same time an unconventional driving game where going slow matters more than going fast – yes, Pacific Drive is a multi-genre beast. It offers numerous mechanics and systems, provides detailed gameplay settings for you to delve into, and gives you a lot of freedom as you explore the roads. However, its complexity causes some balance issues.

While the story is almost non-existent and I wish there were more classes and character development option, I recommend Solasta to those looking for a real old-school RPG experience. I’m especially impressed with the use of vertical environments in both exploration and combat, and the way light and darkness were made crucial factors on a battlefield. [08/2021, p.42]

Quantum Break is a bad movie, but a really good game. It did not convince me with its poor (and poorly told) story and characters that I did not care about at all, but as a shooter it is really enjoyable and creative. [05/2016, p.38]

A sort of “best of Final Fantasy” compilation that takes you on a nostalgic journey. [01/2017, p.41]

As expected the sequel is massively improved and expanded (e.g. with two more character classes) in comparison to the original game. If it weren’t for Path of Exile and Reaper of Souls that got me my fix of hack’n’slash, I would be playing Van Helsing II till the third part appears. [08/2014, p.54]

AI posed a challenge in the first couple of battles only (until I memorized the maps) and I was unable to prove myself in multiplayer because there was no one to play against. [10/2015, p.72]

Hell Is Us is a game difficult to ignore, even though it is far from perfect. It certainly excels as puzzle adventure game and leaves the player with a lot to think about, not shying away from provocative statements about the nature of war.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is a unique, beautiful and realistic simulation of driving through a wilderness untouched by civilization. It poses an even greater challenge than the studio’s previous games and while it will make you sweat, possibly bring you to tears, the reward will be an incredible sense of satisfaction.

Console version of World of Tanks is a limited, less impressive but still very solid relative of the PC giant. [04/2014, p.66]

Steps back were taken in some aspects but the most important element – the gameplay – was fine-tuned so all in all Shank 2 is a great beat 'em up dripping with fun. [April 2012, p.71]

Core gameplay becomes wearisome with time, but fortunately the game is short (3 hours tops) and the developer tried to vary the levels with additional mechanics. If you need something to make you smile and want to escape from your responsibilities by focusing on simple tasks, this little indie game can be fun. [11/2018, p.72]

Nintendo loves to reinvent the wheel and this take on fighting games genre is truly unique and intriguing. Motion controls really do work here and both visuals and audio are as good as we should expect from Nintendo. [08/2017, p.70]

The game was designed to be controlled with eye movements and blinking, but as this system doesn’t work perfectly (sometimes I had to open my eyes very wide and blink very dramatically for the game to notice), I appreciated the fact that the mouse works too. The immersion might have suffered, but it was a price I was willing to pay to be able to enjoy the story without any issues and frustration. And the story is what makes Before Your Eyes great – it only lasts two hours, but still managed to surprise me and pluck just the right emotional string.

The new Darksiders’ top-down perspective may actually be my favorite of the series. The game has its flaws but looks great, sounds absolutely fantastic and offers both dynamic gameplay and some interesting environmental puzzles to spice everything up. [02/2020, p.46]

A great way to enter the world of Magic: The Gathering, but due to some simplifications and design choices that’s pretty much all Magic Duels is good for. [11/2015, p.59]

A bundle containing refreshed and expanded versions of Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara. It’s hard to find better representatives of the beat’em up genre. [CD-Action 08/2013, p.83]

Even though you can briefly describe Genesis Noir as an adventure game with occasional puzzles, in fact it’s a completely unique, extraordinary experience unlike anything I’ve played. [06/2021, p.58]

Unravel blossoms in co-op, which additionally alleviates one of game’s problems – again interactive elements in the environment are often hard to spot (especially under pressure), so second pair of eyes helps. Other than co-op it’s more of the same (sometimes I even wondered if I saw a particular level before), but still I enjoyed it more than the original game, even if the first Unravel’s visuals were more impressive when it came out. [08/2018, p.61]

You can still fall in love with Trackmania 2, but these are not Pokemons and you don’t need to catch ‘em all. If there are still some tracks for you to master in Canyon, you don’t have to buy Stadium. [CD-Action 09/2013, p.64]

Pleasant and absorbing gameplay with minimalistic visuals. Unfortunately content is also rather minimalistic (only 7 types of structures to build and a handful of scenarios). [04/2014, p.67]

The expansion provides just enough improvements and new features to convince you to play through the campaign again. [02/2016, p.44]

It’s enjoyable enough, but there are so many similar but better puzzle games with much shorter loading times and more precise controls. [07/2016, p.76]

A solid game that fails to break new ground but was obviously developed by people who understand how platformers should be designed. [09/2016, p.55]

A bold, 10-year old experiment in sliding and shooting in which the sliding part definitely aged better. [04/2020, p.69]

Simply one of the best conversion of classic arcade games – both true to the original and borrowing lots of contemporary gameplay mechanics. Plus it’s really funny. [05/2020, p.79]

A great party game for anyone who’s familiar with Queen’s classics (there are 30 of them here) and enjoys belting out “We Are the Champions”. [13/2020, p.68]

Olija is an atmospheric but rather derivative throwback to the Another World, Price of Persia and Flashback era. Its gameplay mechanics are quite elaborate for this genre and the story is satisfying, but the game somehow looks worse than the mentioned classics. [04/2021, p.43]

The game’s story is a poor joke, but DotP 2014 is a perfect choice for anyone who wants to get into Magic: The Gathering and see what it’s all about. [CD-Action 09/2013, p.70]

It’s fortunate that this game finally made its way to other platforms, as it’s one of the best entries to the LEGO series, with a cool open world, a fun story full of humor and cultural references, simple but satisfying co-op mode and surprisingly good character animations. [06/2017, p.55]

Kim Swift's new game puts a lot of emphasis on dexterity – solutions to most puzzles are obvious at the first glance but executing them is not that easy. [September 2012, p.54]

A caption on the box for Polish edition of Lost Horizon promises a 'traditional adventure game with a cinematic feel' – and this slogan is very accurate. For the fans of Indy-like adventures Lost Horizon is a must-have. [June 2011, p.76]

The Lion’s Song resembles brilliant Kentucky Route Zero more than traditional adventure games, which means that you rather soak in the experience than solve puzzles. The problem is that after having spent a couple of hours with the available two episodes I still can’t predict whether The Lion’s Song will blossom into something really good or just barely decent. [02/2017, p.49]

It’s not just the best game set in Warhammer 40,000 universe we’ve seen in years, but also the best modern space strategy. I need to warn you though – it is brutally difficult. [06/2016, p.48]

VR really lets you experience Skyrim on a whole different level of immersion. Even despite PS VR’s low resolution it’s really easy to forget about the real world. The problem for me was that although I’m usually resistant to VR-induced nausea, after ca. 40-60 minutes with Skyrim VR I was starting to feel sick. [01/2018, p.50]

It’s a shame that Get Famous doesn’t introduce anything that would definitely set it apart from Get to Work, but it still is an expansion worth playing, and not just purely out of sentiment for The Sims. [02/2019, p.48]

Fantasia’s gameplay is fresh and unbelievably addictive. More songs would be welcome, but I suppose Disney’s going to flood us with gazillion DLCs. [01/2015, p.63]

The story is satisfying, refers to choices made in Inquisition, adds a lot to the lore and wraps up some loose ends. [12/2015, p.57]

As an attempt to create an old school game Might & Magic Heroes VI did not sweep me off my feet. It tries to bring back the old days and sometimes it does succeed but I couldn't shake off the feeling that I'm spending too much time with it and getting not enough fun in return. [November 2011, p.52]

Good old Infinity Ward is back and not just with Modern Warfare Remastered! The single player campaign (the best in years!) alone is enough to give Infinite Warfare a chance. Just like with Doom and Titanfall 2 I expected nothing from the game and was shocked with how good it turned out to be. [13/2016, p.34]

The developers of this atmospheric point’n’click adventure succeeded at something very important – the puzzles are not just annoying hurdles on your way to the finale, they are inherent to the setting and the story. I enjoyed my time with Strangeland very much and the only flaw I can point out is the rushed, banal ending. [07/2021, p.35]

It’s a fantastic, albeit rushed, XCOM for beginners. And a whole lot of freshness in the franchise. [07/2020, p.43]

Proven mechanics and nice graphics make Endless Space a game enjoyable not only for 4X enthusiasts, but also for everyone else. [10/2012, p.71]

Despite low budget Caracal Games managed to fulfill their ambitions to a significant degree. There are few decent games about parkour and Downward is a welcome addition to that niche. [10/2017, p.51]

Despite the cumbersome interface and some weariness that creeps in later on, World of Horror is worth checking out thanks to its art style and well-written, weird, spine-chilling stories. Even though I know how the game ends, for some masochistic reason I want to relive this nightmare over and over again.

A polished, pretty and enjoyable game that could benefit from more content – 5 courses (plus their mirrored versions) is just not enough to fill the single player campaign, so you get the impression that you're doing same things over and over again. [October, p.72]

I liked Evolve. It devoured 20 hours of my life without my even realizing (unfortunately due to matchmaking issues I spent a substantial part of that time looking at loading screens during attempts to connect to a sensible match). I will never love it though, even if I acknowledge Turtle Rock’s courage in blazing trails, their mastery in AI programming and artistic taste. [04/2015, p.42]

In terms of technical achievements, the game is almost flawless. Animations are fluid and natural, without the small stutters from the NHL 19 edition. Nevertheless all the new modes and details are not a revolution or even major changes. [12/2019, p.69]

It’s obvious that Mayhem Brawler’s developers love the genre and truly understand what makes it fun. Their game resembles Streets of Rage 4 a bit too much for my taste and sadly fails to reach its level of awesomeness, but it’s one of those beat ‘em ups that let you really feel the old school vibe – and that’s awesome. [12/2021, p.45]

Imagine a visual novel where instead of dialogue lines you choose liquid content of the glass. Despite a tad too simple gameplay the VA-11 Hall-A sucks you in with amazing atmosphere and a moving, relatable story. [10/2016, p.48]

PES 2012 fails to shift the balance – even if it's the best Pro Evolution Soccer to date it's still far behind the FIFA series. What PES desperately needs is a deep change. [November 2011, p.62]

If you have played Sleeping Dogs before, there’s no point in picking up the Definitive Edition. But if you’ve missed the original game, you’re gonna have a lot of fun in Hong Kong. [01/2015, p.71]

If you’re looking for a modern yet traditional RTS other than StarCraft II, you can’t go wrong with Grey Goo. [03/2014, p.68]

Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 is – just like its predecessor – just an introduction to the world of Magic: The Gathering. For instance, it does not let you create your own deck from scratch. But what it does offer is enough for many long evenings and I can recommend it not only to the CCG fans, but also to everyone who's keen to see what's it all about. [August 2011, p.55]

A worthy tribute to UFO: Enemy Unknown/X-COM: UFO Defense, but far from perfect. If you feel that your inner hard core gamer is not dead yet, give it a try and have fun. [Sept 2014, p.64]

Second half of the game becomes a bit tedious and does not offer any surprises – only momentum keeps you going. But the atmosphere is still great. [March 2012, p.50]

A very good expansion – four updated maps from Battlefield 3 are great and Capture the Flag mode makes a welcome return. [04/2014, p.65]

Picross S 6 is basically an expansion pack with 485 new puzzles, but its gameplay is still crazy addictive. Haven’t tried Picross yet? You need to! [07/2021, p.62]

King Arthur: Knight’s Tale is a dark fantasy RPG that offers an interesting take on Arthurian legend and a turn-based combat system that will appeal to XCOM fans. Engaging story, enjoyable battles and great atmosphere ensure at least 25 hours of fun.

Despite its skillfully achieved cinematic feel Remothered is not an interactive movie but a full-blooded survival horror – suspenseful, well-written and worth recommending if you’re a fan of the genre. [04/2018, p.57]

DoW III is gorgeous, but in terms of scale and ambition it falls way behind Total War: Warhammer. Quite boring campaign and a lot of grinding in multiplayer do not help. [06/2017, p.56]

The story and the relationships with companions could’ve been done better, but combat in Hard West 2 is excellent. Action points reset mechanic, interesting skills, card system and well-designed items make for well though out, engaging encounters.

Tera struggles with a couple of annoying issues but looks wonderful, doesn't cost much and fantastic combat system turns this MMORPG into a real action game. [July 2012, p.56]

Last time I had so much fun with characters built of handful of pixels was probably in the Lemmings era. [02/2014, p.71]

A terrific way to taste Magic: The Gathering before you spend your money on a real deck. [September 2012, p.62]

An interesting and well-executed concept sometimes held back by frustrating controls. [11/2016, p.48]

It is very hard to avoid comparing Immortals to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Despite obvious inspirations it is a typical Ubi-game with all its pros and cons, an inventory screen copied almost exactly from Assassin’s Creed, and a store with premium items. Anyhow, it’s Ubisoft’s most interesting game in years, definitely worth checking out for its satisfying exploration accompanied by simple combat and tons of good puzzles. [01/2021, p.62]

Fury showed the whole industry how boss fights should be done. Not bad for a mobile developer’s debut on “serious” platforms. [09/2016, p.62]

As Dusk Falls is an engrossing interactive crime drama with memorable characters. The art style and voice acting are great and the well-written, complex story branches out depending on your choices (which are meaningful, not illusory!), making the game worthy of replaying. I recommend giving As Dusk Falls a try instead of binge-watching a show on a streaming platform, but I suggest you launch the game early in the evening, because once you start it, it’s really hard to turn off the console until the end credits roll after 6-7 hours.

Star Renegades’ best feature is its combat system which rewards good tactics based on thorough analysis. Battles also look great, thanks to the polished pixel art, but the complicated, unfriendly interface makes enjoying them harder. I was also disappointed with the game’s rudimentary story, but what really disheartened me was the tiresome repetitiveness of gameplay. [12/2020, p.41]

Due to continental drift North America moves away from Europe at the rate of about an inch per year, which means the continents are much livelier than the story of Trails of Cold Steel. [04/2016, p.62]

Don’t expect a traditional point’n’click adventure game with engaging puzzles. When the Past Was Around is more of an artistic experience, a very easy, roughly hour-long journey into an intimate world of the main heroine’s memories. [13/2020, p.43]

You must keep in mind that this is not 'good old Ace Combat' any more. Too much chaos, scripted events and jumping between fighters, bombers and choppers but... it does have a certain charm. [November 2011, p.64]

It’s a pretty remaster, but when you look at this game dispassionately, you notice that it is too easy, too short and unnecessarily cluttered with annoying minigames. [06/2017, p.58]

Simply put, EA Sports WRC is a great game for both casual players and rally veterans, as it perfectly balances between arcade feel and realism. It would be even better if it weren’t for one of the industry’s biggest headaches – poor optimization that sucks some of the joy out of the experience.

Life indeed is strange. I was dead certain that Before the Storm simply cannot be good, but it turned out just fine. It’s really well-written, with fleshed out characters and some humor here and there. I applaud the writers for ditching science fiction elements, but I wish BtS was as good a thriller as it is a love story. [03/2018, p.58]

Letting players quit online matches without any repercussions is an unforgivable and incomprehensible decision by EA Sports and completely kills the multiplayer mode. Apart from that it's a fun game. [May 2012, p.56]

Decent both in terms of gameplay and production values. If only it was more varied in later stages and didn’t insist so strongly on selling you unlimited saving. [03/2016, p.72]

Shipwrecked is fresh both in terms of gameplay mechanics and visuals and although I had more fun with the original Don’t Starve, I’m not planning on abandoning the island. [07/2016, p.64]

Unrailed! is intense, a bit chaotic, at times wearisome, but highly addictive. [12/2020, p.50]

Fuelcell Games managed to create a really memorable game. Planet's tunnels are varied and surprise you with something weird all the time. Exploring this world is the most important aspect of the whole experience. Shooting constitutes for about 1/3 of the gameplay, leaving a lot of room for thinking and coming up with the ways to progress further. [Sept 2011, p.75]

Tales of Kenzera: Zau offers a typical metroidvania experience and it’s a shame that the team led by Abubakar Salim lacked the courage to put some kind of a twist on the genre’s formula. Surgent Studios has the potential to create amazing games, but unfortunately this isn’t one of them.

Screamer is a one-of-a-kind game, I thought they don’t make racing games like this anymore. And here we are.

I wanted to both scold Bravely Default II for its many flaws and kiss it for some stellar moments when it shone like a diamond. At the end of the day the latter decisively outweighed the former. The game boasts one of the best combat systems I’ve seen in jRPGs, towns that are a work of art, and a breathtaking soundtrack. If you like the genre, there’s a chance you’ll fall in love with Bravely Default II. [04/2021, p.48]

It’s a promising start to a new season. The beginning is a bit sluggish, but once the story speeds up, it’s hard to put the game down. If you’re not a fan of Telltale’s approach to games though, be aware that the studio’s hallmarks are over The Enemy Within. [10/2017, p.58]

Even despite its flaws (substandard bosses, grind, backtracking) it’s still Ys – the top shelf of action RPG’s. [07/2015, p.74]

A bundle consisting of a terrible, nightmarishly dumb movie, a remake of a rather mediocre 3DS game, and a prologue to Kingdom Hearts III is not the best investment you can imagine. It does show though that Kingdom Hearts and Unreal Engine 4 is a match made in heaven. [04/2017, p.72]

The sequel does everything better than the original Q.U.B.E. and is an absolute joy to look at. It is a great game for younger or less experienced players, because the puzzles, while satisfying, are easy and have single solutions. [05/2018, p.64]

Destiny is a good game. I know that ‘good’ is not exactly what we expected from Bungie (especially after so much hype) but that’s the word that comes to mind. [Nov 2014, p.44]