The Vita desperately needs good new games such as Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken. It's not a system seller, but this is solid and stylish side-scrolling action for hardcore players and beginners alike.

Technically impressive spin-off with stunning vistas, solid rock-climbing mechanics and entertaining fights using bow and arrow. It plays it a bit too safe and hardly showcases some of the capabilities specific to PlayStation VR2, but does make it easy getting to terms with VR for less experienced players.

JRPG fans who subscribe to the school of thought that imagination can triumph over any of the logical inconsistencies this particular genre regularly brings with it, will welcome this as the new king of their genre. Everyone else will find this to be competent in the gameplay department, visually and acoustically arresting - and completely confused in terms of story.

Maybe the games' designers will clear up upcoming tracks from some of the visual ballast to take out some of the hecticness of some races and maybe even shorten the almost painfully long loading times. The basics are there, to be sure, to dub the astonishingly good looking WipEout 2048 as racing fans' first choice when the Vita launches on February 22nd.

Technical difficulties aside, Telltale delivers good material, even though it doesn't quite match the previous episode.

Proteus' metaphor for life is a more lonely one than Journey's and I did miss the more personal note of thatgamecompany's title. Also, the static movement hinders immersion a bit, you don't really feel like you're moving an entity through this sprawling three-and-a-half-bit world. Still, this is worthwhile for one or two goes. Games like Proteus are important – if only to show us how ridiculously reliant we are on genre denominations and categories. Or, to quote the great Frank Zappa, 'without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible'.

Short play-time and ill-advised stealth sections aside, you should give the at times hilarious Octodad a chance. You could start with trying out the older free iteration that's available on Young Horses' website. I wouldn't be surprised to see people with a fancy for anarchic humor fork out the full 14 Euros for the proper version, after enjoying this taster.

You get a good amount of gaming for little money and you will feel like a happy kid for a while with MotorStorm RC. In the end it´s the completely missing online modes which keep it from higher praise.

There's nothing wrong with the design of the levels or the gameplay in and of themselves. It's just that OMD!2 feels more like a sizeable update complete with co-op integration. It is a good game, though, which manages to best its predecessor. Soloing veterans of that game should think very hard if the amendments are enough to buy this sequel at launch.

This still is Baldur's Gate and even in this version it remains a highly worthwhile experience, especially when it comes to party dynamics, lore and the tactical fighting system, even if it sometimes comes across as a bit too reliant dice throws. It is still a big pleasure for anyone who likes their RPGs big, challenging and most of all classical in their setting. Which again brings me to the squandered potential of this re-release. They could have made something really brave and interesting with this. They didn't. So, even when this runs in a more stable manner than it does now, this hardly becomes an essential release.

Actually, Wreckateer is so good that you can't help to ask yourself why Rovio Entertainment hasn't yet gotten around to launch their disgruntled poultry at Microsoft's motion sensor.

Structurally, this is a really clever game. To get the most out of this remarkably liberal samurai-playground, though, you should be willing to make some compromises when it comes to the stiff and stuttering fighting engine and the colorful, but somewhat ancient-looking graphics.

If you can't play the original, this remaster is a decent if cheap looking refresher.

Even though it has its qualities, ultimately, the just above-average DriveClub isn't worthy of the team that kick-started racing games on the PS3 so spectacularly.

In terms of content there's little to complain about. But the technical shortcomings that already plagued Pokémon Crimson and Purple have by no means been fixed.

The bottom line is that Go Mecha Ball is an arcade snack that you won't spend dozens of hours playing, but which fits perfectly into short breaks when you just want to have a quick game. For this purpose, the imaginative mix of pinball and two-stick shooter is actually really good. It's just a shame that it lacks an equally strong level design and more options for experimenting with different play styles.

Technical difficulties aside, what you should take away from this is an astonishingly entertaining first four hours that are well worth the ten bucks, especially if you plan to play this with some of your friends. Enjoy two good evenings of entertaining and don't bother with the later unlocks. Instead, grab the starting weapon, upgrade the hell out of it and beat every map a couple of times until you eventually find it a bit tiresome and turn towards something else.

Eighteen years after the last installment, Samus Aran finds herself lost in her most linear, easiest game yet. Nevertheless, the unique atmosphere, solid foundations, excellent visuals, and several neat dungeon ideas make Viewros well worth a visit.

The physics of driving a bike are as great as ever and optionally being made accessible to less involved players through Arcade Mode. The engaging career, however, is hampered down by its basic presentation while the game is also lacking content - some of which to be added later.

Even without the massive technical problems, this would be a generic world with generic characters and antagonists.

Luffy and the Riverside feels like stepping into a children's book and letting your imagination run wild. Turning trees into water? Sure, no problem. Turning the pond with the annoying shark into lava to fry it? Of course. The flip is a wonderful game mechanic that breathes fresh air into the platformer genre.

Whoever had any doubt that these collections are some kind of spring cleaning at Sega, will find three games here whose common history beyond the Sega-Logo is hardly recognizable.

You have to have some interest in speedruns and an affinity for dexterity games from the first-person perspective with a Quake-like pace. Then you might love it, even though you still have to look past an overly obscure level-design.

Tactica is a solid turn-based tactics affair with a static meta game and long speech bubble conversations, which ultimately isn't as stylishly sure-footed as the main title in the series.

Scram Kitty and his buddy on rails is a decent, but ultimately disappointing experience, that almost had me break my Wii-Tablet over my knee.

Starship Troopers Extermination may have left Early Access, but it still feels like it could use some work and fine-tuning in some areas. Behind the still somewhat rough surface is a thoroughly entertaining multiplayer shooter, which (as is so common in the genre) lives or dies depending on your comrades-in-arms.

It is a pretty game based on an intriguing idea, which just would have needed to be utilized to a deeper extent. Still, in a group of friends it manages to stretch its wings quite a bit for a few rounds. Playing alone, you'll never get to experience three quarters of the game.

Moonrider is a solid remix of its masters, a decent game that never particularly shines. It offers up a good challenge and nice level design that often has you thinking, 'hey, I know recognize that!' — when you're actually thinking of a superior title that you should be playing instead.

The amazingly comprehensive retro flair, including a fantastic soundtrack, make this retro racing love letter something I like to let myself be carried away by. In terms of content and driving model, however, this runs out of gas somewhat quickly ... Parking Garage Rally Circuit is successful in what it does, but it's also a not much more than a short snack.

Some of the action is spectacular and great to play, but in the long run Rogue Flight is quite monotonous.

Most of the mistakes like the visuals or the faulty physics can be forgiven. One does to just forget about them after a while. But while the skating is just plain fun and veterans will almost be swept away by the nostalgia there is just not enough content in this one.

In a desperate attempt not to scare anyone away with their choice of style, Insomniac made a game that will have a hard time getting anyone to love it. Don't get me wrong, the basics are there. And when a team of four unleashes an eardrum-busting cacophony of powerful weapons effects, you do feel solidly entertained. But it's never more than that. Nothing will ever stick out and it's only the passably rounded basic mechanics that pull you through the campaign, never to return once you finished it. The old art direction would probably not have saved it, but at least it would have had an identity.

In the end, it is a charming, refreshing look at a Move-world, that could have been. But presumably - maybe out of fear of its own target audience - it refrains from realizing its potential and lets you go a little bit enchanted, but also decidedly unsatisfied.

Solid multiplayer fun for short and entertaining matches, but with only one game mode, the long-term appeal currently leaves something to be desired.

In spite of all the criticism, Legacy of Romulus is a step in the right direction for Star Trek Online. It's just a very short one.

The Outer Worlds 2 is a damn good, classic role-playing game in which you can pretty much do whatever you want...At the same time, I have to admit that I found it to be quite formulaic for long stretches. Factions, conflicts, open character development with numerous gameplay options: none of this is new, and because every distribution of perks, weaknesses and abilities always leads to a certain goal, proceedings feel somewhat arbitrary and lacking a certain special spark.

Stylish adventure game with mostly simple puzzles. Unfortunately, important points of the actual interesting story are dealt with too briefly.

Audiovisually enchanting adventure on a submerged spaceship with likeable characters, which is not entirely convincing in terms of narrative and has little depth in terms of gameplay.

Being able to bypass many encounters and having multiple paths at your disposal is a genuine highlight of this RPG – and not just because I prefer to avoid the miserable combat at all costs. While an outright recommendation might be a stretch, fans of the first game might find enough here to justify a purchase.

As it is, I appreciate Claws of Awaji for the eerily beautiful atmosphere, the Bou staff, and the boss fight against Nowaki. Without the technical issues, this DLC could have been the highlight of the entire game for me.

At first, the fights are exciting and fresh, only to grind you down in endless repetition in overlong and boring levels.

Ultimately, Velvet's emotional journey of revenge is what drives the experience: brilliant storytelling and characters clash with a lackluster remaster that still hasn't shaken off its old flaws.

For just about ten bucks you get a nice little multiplayer game, which could have done with a few more maps out of the box. It's enjoyable enough to slice, bash and shoot your way through hordes of other players, even though beginners see themselves in way out of their heads in the first hours of play. The tutorial doesn't really help and you have to get all your practice in real matches. As soon as you're over this steep hill, it is decent fun. For this to grow into a lasting success, though, the game would need much more content – and some fine-tuning regarding the player movement would be appreciated as well.

What it is missing to really deserve your full attention would mainly have been more content and secondly more freedom in the way you approach its missions. A Ghost Warrior 3 in Crysis-like environments would truly be just what the doctor ordered.

Laysara: Summit Kingdom is a light city builder in an unusual yet beautiful scenario that lacks in terms of content and some quality-of-life-features.

Its stimulating forward-facing combat system, unusually sinister scenario and phenomenal soundtrack fight against stingy game economy and a constantly threatening spiral of frustration.

What remains is a passable action game over the course of all of its four character-arcs. It's a shame that the exploration just isn't where it needs to be, even if Mercury Steam manages to marry its new fiction with the history of the series. Had this come out between Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia, people would have forgotten about it by now. Still, Ecclesia is for years old by now, and the fans really long for a new Castlevania in the classic style. If you're one of them, have a look into this mirror. It's got some ugly cracks in it, but you might still like some of what you see.

The simulation might not be as deep as others, but working the heavy machinery is quite entertaining most of the time.

Competent and pretty-looking retro shooter with great splatter effects and decent length. Not all weapons are equally useful, though, and the pathing and encounter design is sometimes confusing. This is still an easy recommendation, though, if a 40K Boomer-Shooter sounds like something you would like.

If you’re like me and have to play every Metroidvania out there, then yes, God of War: Sons of Sparta is decent enough. But in a genre this strong, 'decent' just means it’s below average and ultimately not worth your while.

You don´t need From the Ashes if you think it'll add something relevant to the main plot. If you're looking for some background information, a new squad-member, a fresh weapon and a few war assets as well as outfits, it delivers exactly that.

There's a lot to like about this pretty, wordless puzzle platformer, but you'll complete many of its repetition-prone puzzles on autopilot. It's heartfelt, but nowhere near as impactful as Limbo or Inside.

On almost every turn, The Cave stumbles over its own feet and its desire to be different from the rest - a wish that most certainly came true, only proving that you should sometimes be careful what you wish for. Ironically, that's exactly the lesson The Cave wants to teach you. In the end, this is a nice, but ultimately too ponderous, puzzle game with a whole lot of nothing in between its sometimes funny, sometimes clever stronger moments.

As an old pen and paper enthusiast, I got the feeling that this would have been a better fit as an expansive campaign for the 'real' Dark Eye. That's where it could have been something really special, something with more staying power than this okay, but ultimately forgettable RPG.

In the end, it's quite a shame, because whenever you think you've seen enough of One Piece: Pirate Warriors all of the sudden Ruffy and friends make your belly ache from laughing again or dazzle with superbly choreographed special moves that fit the Dynasty Warriors formula quite well. I'm not usually one to judge a game on basis of what it could have been. But this material just begs for a title in which you get to live the actual adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates, instead of just their battles in a solidly playable but ultimately mind-numbingly generic fashion.

In the end, this is a solid cover-based third-person shooter with co-op, a decent story, with some technical shortcomings and mediocre graphics root it firmly in the realms of licensed gaming. Still, Trek-fans will get about 10 hours of worthwhile entertainment out of this.

There are co-op games that strengthen friendships – and then there’s Biped 2. It sparks more hatred than any family Christmas dinner and is likely to destroy more friendships than Monopoly and Mario Kart combined.

Is Lego 2K Drive something you can make your kids happy with? Yes, absolutely. And what about the adults? Well, if you look beneath the surface, you'll notice that not everything is perfect. In some situations, the controls could be a bit more sensitive, the power-ups could have more impact, and the rubberbanding is a bit too noticeable.

You wanted more of the same? Then Crossfire has got you covered. It's an add-on that doesn't bring much new to the table and does little to enhance the core strategic gameplay. That notwithstanding, it still is perfectly solidly playable and quite challenging.

Brilliant idea, solid framework—and yet an adventure that falls short of its potential: much of the detective work in Hell is Us is more tiresome than engaging.

Its mysterious and amusing story facilitates an entertaining campaign, and the art direction is more appealing than in many other games of this type. But that's about all there is to Atrio. It's just lacking in complexity ... If you're looking for a pleasing start into the world of automation games, Atrio: The Dark Wild is for you. Experienced builders are better off elsewhere, though.

Maybe 15 heroes were too many, and the rest, from the scope to the quality of the levels and enemies, fell by the wayside? I have no idea. Either way, it's another pretty nice pixel brawler that you definitely have to play locally with one to three friends.

The static setting, some logical inconsistencies and recurring combination puzzles make it hard to wholeheartedly recommend this one, but it has a striking look and a compelling narrative going for it.

What Twisted Metal needed was more development-time. More ways to interact with what the maps have to offer, better net code and more intuitive controls could have put this in a very different light.

Octopath Traveler 0 is a kind of cozy and solid pastime for curling up on the couch during the cold season. But it's certainly not the next big JRPG.

Mato Anomalies is a JRPG with a good battle system and interesting ideas. Unfortunately, their implementation remains mediocre due to the monotonous gameplay.

I love the visual style of the game, so as an Asterix fan I can forgive it for not having a huge amount of depth to offer. In this respect, Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All 2 should particularly appeal to fans, but it is also interesting for anyone who doesn't want to be overwhelmed by a wealth of game options or movesets.

If it wouldn’t be for the name “Ys”, this release wouldn’t exist, but since it’s here: it’s okay, you can play this. Or not. Lots of better action-RPGs out there. Many of them are also called Ys.

As much fun as the central gameplay loop is, the graphics and performance unfortunately make the comeback of Dragon Quest Monsters look like a relic from the past.

UEFA Euro 2012 is a nice little extra if you just have to have a game for the tournament, but it´s by no means an essential buy for FIFA 12 players.

Turns out, I like Atlas Fallen quite a bit. There's love and good ideas on display that deserve to be seen. Throughout long stretches, this is a wonderfully flexible hack-and-slash with neat bells and whistles. It's just that a few of the basics are somewhat lacking.

After all, the combat system is pleasantly complex without being overloaded, while you can develop all characters very precisely into the specialists you desire in your party. Plus the motivating building of your own empire... Despite the formulaic course of events, you can spend a lot of good time with this remake.

The difficult decisions vividly reflect the struggle for survival. However, the weak, unfaithful soundtrack and the tedious tactical maneuvering in the real-time battles are disappointing.

The reworked Unreal Engine 5 outing feels like an untamed beast that’s neither sim nor arcade as a lack of driving aids makes it hard to enjoy its convincing physics including dynamic ruts.

In principle, the Switch 2 upgrade has a lot to offer, but little of it leaves a lasting impression. It feels more like a technology showcase than a focus on new content that fans really want.

Gameplay-wise this is mediocre, it's got some rough edges and only a few truly great moments. It really is action from the assembly line, nothing more, nothing less. The meta-humor on the other hand is fantastic and well delivered, if an acquired taste. Deadpool aficionados might just enjoy their five to six hours with this.

No matter if you're six, 26 or 66 years old: Nobody likes a solo mode that's being sabotaged by the co-op game, and everyone can appreciate tight controls and a competent camera. It's basic things that this game just doesn't seem to be able to succeed at. Which is a shame, because creatively Epic Mickey 2 is a small wonder, be it in its imaginatively designed characters, its songs or its world designs.

Once again, Sonic Superstars is a case of 'could have been great'. The playability is basically there, especially Amy's double jump is a blessing... And yet, in the end, nothing really fits together all that well.

Gripping, no-frills action with annoying rough edges - but so spot-on in terms of content that the big shooters should take a leaf out of their book.

It's one of those games with loads of untapped potential, which is how it ultimately traps itself in the shadow of its big role-model. It manages to create an atmosphere on a comparable level of quality, but lacks in finesse of design. You're only a third of you way through this adventure until you hunger for more skills and weapons, and long exhausting marches regularly get in the way of any real adventuring. Still, Anodyne manages to entertain and displays a level of talent which has you wonder what its creators will be up to next.

Coming straight from the predecessor with several DLCs, it feels much emptier in comparison and because of the existing problems, it feels unfinished to a certain extent. Not the best way to release a game. I'm sure there will be more to come, but in the here and now, Cities Skylines 2 just isn't yet the evolutionary leap that makes me want to switch.

Serious issues notwithstanding, I have to say that Teyon captures the original amazingly well in terms of style and, in many respects, content. The developers don't just take RoboCop seriously as a cool action toy, but also as Alex Murphy and even tell a story that could easily have been told in the cinema at the time... In this respect, Rogue City works surprisingly well. Just be aware of what the game really has to offer.

Overall, Daima does a lot right. The main story and fights in particular are well staged and always fun, with the mass battles standing out in a particularly positive way. The game also scores points for its sense of progression. The experience only falls apart when you stop focusing on the main story or battles and start looking for entertainment outside of them.

The multiplayer is the true heart of this game and offers a ton of strategically challenging missions. If you don´t care about the campaign, love to play online against others and can accept quite a few issues concerning comfort and gamesystem, than this highly tactical game could still offer something for you.

Fans of the series will be dissatisfied by the stingy assortment of weapons, the overly mindless fights and the barrage of quick-time events. (…) If you're able to look past the many simplifications in comparison to earlier games in the series, just looking for a fast and undemanding slaughter, Ninja Gaiden 3 fits the bill just fine.

Papers, Please! meets zombie apocalypse: Despite wooden shooter interludes and technical sloppiness, the bitterly wicked charm of this thankless checkpoint assignment is convincing.

It's a difficult case. There's a boatload of good ideas in Game Dev Tycoon which expand one of my favorite mobile games ever – Game Dev Story – to a huge degree. They alone should have made for a far superior experience. Sadly, there's no effective way to channel all the tools the game gives you to produce the perfect videogame. Come on, Game Dev Tycoon, give me some spreadsheets, show me what made my successes and missteps what they became. In short: Talk to me!

Beyond: Two Souls is an interesting experience I don't regret making. But still, there are too many problems to forgive – structurally, story-wise and in character. Even people who didn't mind the issues with Cage's earlier games, Fahrenheit and Heavy Rain, will have a hard time turning a blind eye to Beyond's shortcomings.

If the technical mediocrity and a short campaign don't shock you, you will find quite a bit to like in Thunder Wolves. In any case, I did. It is a really solid little shoot 'em up with a firm grip on its mechanics. 'Fire and forget' in the truest sense of the word, then.

Death on the Nile builds on the strengths of its predecessor, adds more variety, and convinces with engaging storytelling and a well-executed shift in perspective. Its weak tech and presentation hold it back, but for genre fans this case is still worth taking on.

This won't have it all that easy to shine, being up against the likes of Sonic and Sackboy. Whose idea was it anyway, to release all these fun-racers so close to one another? Still, it is perfectly solid fun to zip around these nice tracks in little, stylized F1 Karts, even if it could have used more tracks and a few good ideas of its own.

In any case, the simple concept can be quite a bit of fun, which is in no small part thanks to the well-tempered difficulty curve. Still, it could be a lot better in many regards, which keeps this entry in the long running series from reaching the must-have status SEGA's monkeys once had among sociable Gamecube fans.

In essence, it's got quite a lot of things going for it as interesting spin-offs go. The hunt for experience points and the leveling up of your character can motivate for a while you if that sort of thing floats your boat. In that light, it really is a bit of a shame that WayForward didn't dare to go even deeper into the role playing aspects. It's a game trapped somewhere between looting and survival, the series' past and its own future.

Park Beyond is a solid theme park simulation with little depth, but one where you can build in a relaxed and varied way. While it's fun to play, it doesn't offer very much that similar games haven't done before, or anything that will leave a lasting impression on the genre.

The game offers solid box management, which fans in particular can enjoy. In the long run, however, there is too little depth - everything gets repetitive quickly.

Actually, it's a damn good jump & run that awakens nostalgic feelings in a successful way. Unfortunately, the structure of many levels is frustrating for several reasons.

Charmingly unique, and extremely stylish, Demonschool is a game of several interesting ideas. Unfortunately, despite its deep combat system, as a whole, the game fails to stay consistently engaging.

Vultures: Scavengers of Death is a fascinating genre experiment with a strong tactical core and wonderfully rough-edged retro survival-horror flair, but unfortunately also a few flaws that are hard to overlook.