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.

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.

For a developer so adept in the mimicry of familiar horror tropes, it's both ironic and tragic that their take on 'pod people' horror, of all things, missed the mark. A bloody shame.

While adding little to existing career and other modes Milestone has taken huge strides with its largely improved physics model. Virtual bikes never felt as real as these do.

Forbidden Solitaire turns a simple game of patience into a surprisingly clever horror card adventure with dungeon-crawler DNA. Not every battle hits hard, but its musty ’90s CD-ROM charm works brilliantly.

Magin combines deckbuilding, an unusual dark fantasy world and challenging turn-based tactics but lacks some adjusting in melding all its pieces into a coherent whole.

Between accessible button-mashing and tactical depth, Invincible VS strikes an intriguing balance. However, it does not hit the mark in every area.

Narratively dry, mechanically unrefined, and entirely devoid of surprises—Aphelion fails to live up to the high standards set by previous Don’t Nod hits.

Saros might not be perfect, with the storytelling in particular showing some rough edges. It takes a while getting up to speed but when all systems are in place, it's an exceptional arcade shooter and an extraordinary spectacle.

A clever, engaging mix of roguelite and tower defense with an antique flair and a high 'schadenfreude' factor - despite minor UI clunkiness and slightly too punishing progression loss upon game over.

Mouse: P.I. For Hire is a visual revelation that fuses the comic charm of 1930s cartoons with the chaos of a modern shooter. While enemy variety and detective gameplay could have used more depth, it ultimately remains an original experience full of heart and humor.

This 15-minute daily sitcom is wonderfully charming and often makes you laugh. But like a swing that you have to occasionally push, it’s only fun as long as you’re willing to put something into it. Occasional repetition and Nintendo’s sharing restrictions are annoying.

Sad Cat Studios’ debut is an atmospherically powerful tour de force that only occasionally runs out of steam.

Capcom’s new franchise impresses with engaging mechanics, tightly designed environments and dynamic combat. Only the characters and storyline fall short in what might be the start to a great new franchise

Modernizes the original X-COM's challenging tactical battles with a varied campaign and more charm than screenshots will let you know.

The Posthumous Investigation is an adventure game that feels like a visual detective novel that's stylistically poignant yet shallow in terms of actual detective work.

A very successful conclusion to the story of Max and Chloe with familiar gameplay and a few technical quirks.

Marathon is an incredibly intense, nearly perfect first-person shooter in a visually breathtaking scenario. It keeps you engaged with an incredibly well-tuned cycle of looting and improving, while you constantly progress even after failing a mission.

A monumental masterpiece: Despite the bugs, clunky menus, and awkward controls, its magnetic pull is simply impossible to resist.

Screamer tries to do a lot and packs in tons of content, but unfortunately, it drops the ball when it comes to the basics of the genre. No matter what else an arcade racer does, if the controls and the driving itself aren't spot on, the battle is mostly already lost.

A great port of an incredibly strong sequel – an experience quite unlike anything else. The only question is whether Kojima’s idiosyncratic post-apocalypse can hold the PC community's attention, with Crimson Desert out on the same day. Regardless of its commercial fate: if this is the final nail in the coffin for PlayStation games on PC, at least it’s a really pretty one.

World of Warcraft: Midnight is a worthy continuation of the Worldsoul saga, thrillingly continuing the story of Xal'atath in a beautiful setting. It features many improvements and new features that can now be crossed off the community's wish list.

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.

Minishoot’ Adventures is the triumphant fusion of nostalgic dungeon exploration and modern bullet-hell precision – further proof that the best ideas are often the simplest.

Especially when playing with mouse and keyboard, Toxic Commando is a fine shooter for up to four players - even if lacking variety in the long run.

A true remake bringing back the tense atmosphere and thrilling fights using the Camera Obscura. The new Fatal Frame 2 is one of the scariest games you'll get to play these days.

Stunning, deep, and incredibly rewarding - Monster Hunter Stories 3 transcends its spin-off roots to become its own unique beast. A top-tier, premium JRPG experience.

Fans can truly enjoy Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown, but the game is not easy and the gameplay could be more varied.

Come to terms with the fact that iRacing Arcade feels like a top-down racer mimicking a regular one and you just might enjoy rubbing doors with an overly aggressive, sometimes unfair AI competition.

A relaxing time-sink and creative outlet with loads of stuff to do. This is what truly great sandbox gameplay looks like.

Even in the original game I liked Kazuma's story in Okinawa but only now that Kiwami 3 strengthens his relationships and ties to the place and its people did I build a strong emotional bond to one of the best locations in the entire series.

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.

Resident Evil Village on Switch 2 is a technically impressive port, but ultimately one that will likely only appeal to Nintendo purists.

Resident Evil 7 on Switch 2 is a technically polished piece of series history and, above all, a very well-rounded package for Nintendo fans who don’t own another console.

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.

The strongest new Resident Evil chapter in a long time. Capcom delivers an atmospheric triumph that blends classic survival-horror-virtues with fresh ideas. Even though the boss fights and the finale falter slightly, it remains a truly strong survival-horror experience.

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.

Entertaining tennis action with exciting Fever special attacks. Strong in multiplayer, weak in solo mode.

A nostalgic time capsule with a minor flaw: hardcore fans may sorely miss the original soundtrack. Nevertheless, Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition offers a fascinating look at a milestone of the platforming genre.

Even with the updates and upgrades, Kingdom Come: Deliverance Remaster nowadays feels even older than 2018 and the still-present bugs and glitches do not help. Warhorse can take solace in the fact that it's at least their own sequel that shows so impressively how it is done right.

A harrowing but profound experience: Reanimal is a brief yet haunting journey to the breaking point of the human spirit.

Escape from Ever After is far more than a simple Paper Mario clone. It blends sharp corporate satire with challenging turn-based battles and the exploration of a diverse, puzzle-filled world.

The Suda51 faithful will find more of the same, wrapped in at best mediocre gameplay - no surprises to be found. And that is probably the most damning thing you can say about one of his games.

Highly addictive tactical roguelite with flexible rules and endlessly motivating progression. Already one of the candidates for game of the year.

Although highly formulaic, this open-world adventure is incredibly engaging because both the action and the completion of numerous tasks, including the extensive character development associated with them, feel excellent.

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.

It hardly shows its age: Square Enix's Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined offers charming JRPG fun in bite-sized portions. Perfect for exploring the genre without having to completely immerse yourself in it.

In its rousing finale, without a single word, Cairn makes me understand what was always inscrutable to me. I realize what Aava feels when looking up at Mount Kami from below. Not a grave, not even a threat, but a gateway to eternity. Powerful.

Outdated visuals meet a demanding old-school edge: Code Vein 2 is far more engaging than many of its slick, overpolished contemporaries. Those willing to look past the layer of visual dust will discover a Soulslike action RPG with surprising depth.

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

Imaginative space Metroidvania, with beautifully escalating mobility, distinctive design, and plenty of good ideas straight from the belly of a dying spaceship.

That´s all there is to it. Touch for slide, touch to land, that is all the interaction, you will find here. Throw in a few sunflowers to bounce of from and some water hazards and you get a game that manages to create an almost perfect flow.

A new protagonist, punchy third-person combat, and more agile Na’vi enemies give the DLC more bite than you’d expect. Not essential, but an easy recommendation for fans of the base game.

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.

Terminator 2D: No Fate is a near-perfect T2 nostalgia capsule: tightly directed, beautifully animated, and packed with iconic moments. It’s also very short, though, so it’ll mostly appeal to side-scroller fans who don’t mind running through a game multiple times.

Ferocious is basically Far Cry 1 with a dinosaur skin: punchy gunplay, great scenery, some smart ideas – but it’s in such an unfinished, buggy state that it’s very hard to recommend right now.

In my opinion, there is really nothing to complain about. During the two-year early access phase, there was ample time to refine the game, and that time has not gone to waste. Pioneers of Pagonia plays very well, looks very nice, and its sights and sounds create a pleasant, relaxing experience.

Skate Story is an intoxicating hell ride with great board feel, insane presentation, and a fiercely singular identity. If you love games that scramble your brain and senses, you should definitely give this trip a chance.

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.

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.

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.

While being just serviceable as a GT3 simulation Rennsport is a disappointment technically, content-wise and in terms of car handling.

Sektori is a direct continuation of what Geometry Wars did so well: easy to learn, hard to master – all the while including a double shot of Housemarque for good measure.

A game that can be very unusual and chaotic at times, but is still enjoyable once you get into it.

Leaf Blower Co. feels like an early-access game that’s nowhere near ready — buggy, poorly optimized, and, maybe worst of all, shallow and painfully repetitive.

It's both the funniest and most exciting game story of the year, presented in a package of incredible creative integrity. Dispatch presents the most convincing argument against player-facing generative AI in video games. It's full of life and character that machines will never be able to replicate.

Goodnight Universe is a striking reminder of how powerful good storytelling can be. The webcam controls are simple, yet far from a gimmick — they amplify each scene and pull you in even deeper. In short: a small game that hits straight to the heart and lingers long after it’s over.

Where Winds Meet impresses with a strong Wuxia atmosphere and a vast, vibrant world. At the same time, it feels overloaded: multiple in-game currencies, cluttered menus, and bugs slow down the flow. Still, somewhere beneath it all lies a satisfying free-to-play experience.

Lumines Arise is a fresh and striking audiovisual experience that elevates the only game matching the brilliance of Tetris to a new level.

While neither its story nor simplistic real-time combat are stuff to write home about, the depth and accessibility when building beautiful cities up from the granular structure of every quarter will keep you highly engaged.

The Séance of Blake Manor spices up the classic whodunit formula with Irish folk horror and colonial guilt, sprinkles in a touch of Lovecraft, and serves it all as an interactive unease that creeps under your skin slowly but effectively.

Thrasher lacks the precision of a truly great arcade challenge, but in short bursts it is still an amazing audiovisual experience.

1000xRESIST tells a surprisingly deep and compelling story. What at times it lacks in terms of pacing and production value, it makes up with an abundance of creativity and unique storytelling.

What might be the friendliest extraction game out there might also be the best: Incredibly solid core mechanics converge with a captivatingly beautiful world that consistently produces memorable moments.

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.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake from Square Enix goes right back to the beginning of the JRPG genre. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the trek there is worth taking. Well, at least the two role-playing games now look fantastic.

Beneath aims to evoke nostalgia but delivers headaches instead of chills. Technically shaky, riddled with bugs, and utterly lifeless – a downright embarrassing dive into an ocean of missed opportunities.

An only seemingly amusing parody of survivor and roguelike games, which quickly runs out of steam in terms of both gameplay and content.

Beautifully wrapped but hollow inside: Bloodlines 2, dazzled by its own shine, forgets what once made the series special — depth and the courage to take risks.

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.

Surely, this one’s not the ‘farthest frontier’ of what this genre is capable of. But Crate managed something arguably better: presenting you with a city-builder that feels like coming home.

In terms of gameplay, Pokémon Legends: Z-A has some good points, such as real-time catching and battles, while the city seems limiting. Technically, it's still lagging behind, but at least it runs reasonably well on the Switch 2.

Ninja Gaiden 4 marks a milestone for the series as well as Platinum Games. It features fast combat, precise controls and a uniquely exhilarating experience like no other - it's a step up from all its predecessors.

Keeper is more experience than challenge – a surreal, poetic game that fills you with a sense of wonder instead of testing your skills.

Ball x Pit is an audiovisual onslaught – chaotic, clever, and cathartic. A Breakout for the modern age that proves the simplest ideas often have the longest shelf life.

Battlefield 6 plays it safe – but in this case, that's okay! Like an unstoppable wrecking ball, the pendulum swings back and forth between attritional battles of destruction and stirring, triumphant battle scenes. The question about the future of this series remains unanswered, but for now, the developers have done right by the players.

Absolum is a game that convinces you of its quality right from the start, only to reveal new strengths with every run and every new ability. Do yourselves a favor.

Little Nightmares 3 remains an audiovisually impressive dark fairy tale — rich in atmosphere but lacking in innovation. The co-op mode adds real value, yet it can’t disguise that the series is treading water in terms of gameplay.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger manages to avoid mundane JRPG-formulas and even adds some fresh ideas to the genre. There are still some minor issues, but they don't take away from the fun the digivolution is adding and the massively improved pacing, compared to its predecessor.

What else can you say about these two games? For me, they were and remain the crowning glory of Mario creation, masterpieces of level design, and a bottomless treasure trove of interesting ideas to toy and tinker with.

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.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is the long-awaited return of the series that I have been hoping for for many years. But it's not just the excellent voice acting that's impressive; lots of welcome and significant changes to the core of the game elevate the experience.

Gamepad controls and visual design are not great, but the ingenious concept is going to draw you in as it did almost 20 years ago.

While Ghost of Yotei’s gameplay and structure are fairly conventional, it’s still home to a gripping revenge story, a great combat system, and one of the most beautiful game worlds in a long time.

Hades 2 elevates what Hades began: It's a beautiful and incredibly engaging sequel with mightily satisfying combat.

Everybody's Golf Hot Shots is a faithful successor with fun multiplayer modes. The PC version in particular, though, adds technical issues to a number of unfortunate design choices und glaring oversights.

Authentic and competitive playstyles bring flexibility to this year's version, but also limitations. Otherwise, EA Sports FC 26 offers some nice new features and sensible gameplay optimizations, while FUT continues to utilize pay-to-win mechanics.

The 'f' is for 'finally': Not exceptionally scary and treading on very familiar ground in terms of gameplay, but still disturbing and powerfully resonant: Silent Hill f revitalizes the legendary horror series as a subtle narrative puzzle for you to pick apart.