Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is obviously not a full-fledged Mario Kart game. What it does offer is a special experience that feels very familiar to Mario Kart fans while being incredibly ingenious at the same time.

Feel free to call Spelunky 2 Super Spelunky. Everything feels slightly different in this merciless sequel and that is what makes this game such a unique experience. Old knowledge is not enough to survive the new dangers and chaotic chain reactions. At times this chaos feels unfair and overwhelming, but just as often you know how to avoid death through a bizarre combination of circumstances. Those moments make Spelunky 2 so incredibly good.

It is a pleasure to pilot a spaceship in Star Wars Squadrons. That is actually the most important thing. Especially in VR it is an unprecedented spectacle. It is a pity that at some point you get bored of that due to the poor story and the sparse multiplayer modes.

The off-field adjustments in FIFA Ultimate Team and the career mode are the main bright spots.

The core of the Crash franchise remains intact in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. On top of that are very well thought out level design, beautiful graphics and some innovations that bring the series to the present.

The proven concept of the franchise therefore remains unchanged and that makes NBA 2K21 hardly surprising, but a great basketball game.

Moon is often slow and frustratingly illogical. But look past the wrinkles of this long-forgotten game and you'll discover an adventure game that was in some ways way ahead of its time.

The depth of Crusader Kings 3 is staggering, but the reward for getting to know the many game systems more than makes up for that.

Mafia: Definitive Edition is enough to bring back fond memories, but won't make newcomers understand the legendary status of the original.

It's been a long time since a game grabbed me like Hades. It has been even longer since I played a game that seemed to keep getting better. With almost fifty hours on the counter, I know exactly what to expect from Hades. But nothing makes me want to stop playing, a sentiment that facilitates the endgame very well. Hades is a rare total package. Never before have I dared to recommend a game so easily. 2020 is a difficult year. Treat yourself.

Finally, the way Super Mario 3D All-Stars is offered is not very consumer-friendly, to say the least, as the bundle will no longer be available physically or digitally after March 31, 2021... It is also easy to imagine what else this collection could have offered; here and there Nintendo could certainly have gone a step further in terms of new features.

The fighting system is right, the powers are right, the balance is right: every superhero is fun to play with. The heroes' designs are debatable, but the unlockable costumes solve that problem for most people. It is a shame that it was decided to put so much emphasis on multiplayer, because at the moment there is a lot of fun to be had with Marvel's Avengers, especially as a single player game. The multiplayer is now on level The Incredible Hulk (2008). Let's hope it doesn't take Crystal Dynamics eleven years to reach your level of Endgame.

Dontnod shows with Tell Me Why that the technology behind Life is Strange can also be used to tell other stories. This story is a bit too thin, but it has strong themes. There is also clearly a lot of research done to properly portray the transgender main character.

Quotation forthcoming.

Carrion is at its best when you slide smoothly through the puzzles and when the visual storytelling gives you little bits of plot. The game has some nice ideas, of which the fact that you play as a human-devouring monster is the most unique, but it certainly does not end in Devolver's best game.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 really impresses as a remaster. As a fan of the original, I can hardly believe that everything comes out so well. This game feels just like it did then. At the same time, it is great how "faithful" the innovations of Vicarious Visions feel. It's as if the new park goals have always been there. The loading times are a bit long, the UI is not great and the challenge system is initially confusing. But annoyance is not an option. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is the type of remaster for which the remaster was invented.

EA Sports UFC 4 offers intense combat despite complicated controls. Indeed: just like its predecessor. Part four plays it way too safe.

The choice to make Project Cars 3 a more accessible, yet (sort of) realistic racing game, does not work out quite well. Nevertheless, this combination does provide entertaining moments.

Animal Crossing mixed with Metroid is not an everyday combination, but in Spiritfarer it works exceptionally well. Managing your own boat full of colorful animals goes very well with exploring land and sea freely. The game also treats a heavy topic in a beautiful and sweet way: death.

PGA Tour 2K21 is the best golf game of the moment and is great value for money, with fantastic controls. But due to a huge lack of atmosphere and a number of boring systems, it is not exactly a hole in one.

Quotation forthcoming.

Fall Guys is a big hit and it is more than justified. The bizarre minigames lead to wonderfully chaotic situations. It's a shame that not every game is equally fun and the team games often feel unfair, but the fun is too great to let that ruin it.

Destroy All Humans! is an integral remake of a very unique game that still offers quite a bit of charm and a lot of fun 15 years after its original release. Unfortunately, the satirical tone is not always in good taste, especially in 2020, and the sadistic gameplay gets a bit sloppy after a few hours.

Quotation forthcoming.

Skater XL is an unparalleled representation of skateboarding. It's all about practice, timing, and creativity. You are the only indicator. As a game, Skater XL disappoints: technically it is not that great and the number of available locations is very limited. The picture that Skater XL paints of the skate culture is also quite one-sided in 2020.

Assetto Corsa Competizione has unsurpassed physics for console terms and offers PS4 and Xbox One players the most realistic racing experience. However, you have to endure a lot of technical malnutrition for that.

Trackmania excels at everything fans fell in love with years ago: a true race with dozens of bizarre tracks and high speeds. The game unfortunately comes with a disclaimer: the different subscriptions, menus and leaderboards are very confusing. That is especially bad for new players, while Trackmania is such a good idea on paper.

Paper Mario: The Origami King offers a grand adventure with delightful creativity that can be found in every corner of the game. The renewed fighting system that revolves around circles knows how to tickle your brain, although it takes some getting used to. Even without in-depth RPG elements, The Origami King succeeds perfectly in combining the highlights of the franchise with successful innovations.

Ghost of Tsushima is the Assassin's Creed that Ubisoft will never make. The game lets you play the ultimate samurai - or assassin - in a beautifully designed feudal Japan, but it consists largely of generic activities that are now stereotyped for this genre.

The flying and shooting works wonderfully well in Iron Man VR, but the repetitive battles against the same drone enemies over and over again quickly bore us.

F1 2020 is a good racing game. The racing action is intense and the game options are endless. It is also cool that you can start your own team in career mode. Still, the game suffers from two flaws: the gameplay is almost identical to F1 2019 and the loading times disrupt the fun.

Disintegration is built on a fantastic idea, but falls apart because of the lousy execution. With a generic appearance and mediocre gameplay, it is not very appealing, which is also evident as you can hardly find a match.

Desperados 3 revives ancient times - and not just those of the Wild West. Developer Mimimi successfully breathes new life into a long-lost series from a dying genre. Desperados 3 puts your tactical insight and ability to improvise to the test time and time again, making every win feel like your own. As icing on the cake, the game looks and sounds perfectly atmospheric. You'll love putting a fistful of dollars on the table here - or even a few dollars more.

On a technical level, Deadly Premonition 2 can be criticized for lots of things, but it would be a shame to rely on the game for that. Technical imperfections matter little if a game is so fascinating that it's hard to put it down. Deadly Premonition 2 you play for the bizarre plot lines, eccentric characters and obscure references to pop culture. They provide such a fantastic and quirky experience that we can forgive this second part for its shortcomings.

The main plusses of the Island of Armor expansion are the fun game world and the large amount of trusted pokémon that have been added to the game. Unfortunately, the main adventure around Kubfu is so short that you hardly have the opportunity to enjoy all these favorites.

Amazing fights, a great eye for detail and one of the most important videogame stories ever told. The Last of Us Part 2 is the best PS4 exclusive and everything we ever wanted.

51 Worldwide Games is filled with classic games that offer relaxation. It is fun to check out what's on offer, but the quality per game can be very different from one another. Most of them are pretty cool though.

Over a hundred hours of gameplay that actually passed the test of time perfectly. That is what you will get in Command & Conquer Remastered. The cutscenes aren't amazing, but the bonus material is. Welcome back to the glorious times of real-time strategy.

The Definitive Edition of Xenoblade Chronicles successfully elevates this classic to the standards of modern times. The polished graphics, gameplay improvements and new chapter make this remaster worthwhile for returning fans. New players are in for a real treat.

Maneater is a unique and entertaining shark simulator that is pretty rough around the edges. The camera angles are impossible and there is so little variation in missions. Leaving it to be like many shark movies: funny and lots of entertainment value, but not really bringing its A game.

Minecraft Dungeons is a pretty cool but simple Diablo clone in Minecraft setting. Unfortunately the developers forgot to actually add those unique things we love about Minecraft.

The frustrating controls and randomness of this game really spoil the fun idea that is behind this Overcooked clone.

Tip: never play Moving Out with those who you would also ask for help with a real move. The question is whether your friendship survives at all, and watching couches being thrown through windows creates little confidence. You will have a few nice evenings though.

After an exceptionally long waiting time, Streets of Rage 4 lives up to the very high expectations. This extremely colorful, smooth and spirited work by a team of skilled fans is one of the very best side-scrolling beat 'em ups you can play right now.

Xcom: Chimera Squad feels like a "my first XCom" in a way, where some important choices have been removed and you have to make do with characters the creators came up with. Invading spaces with your team combines chaos with choices, but takes away a lot of control.

Gears Tactics is a great strategy game, but that's not really surprising. It is precisely the Gears DNA - taking cover, making optimal use of the scarce grenades, the chainsaw executions - perfectly suit the genre and giving Gears Tactics its own face.

Trials of Mana thrives in traditions. The action-packed gameplay remains cool and versatile, but the structure mainly shows the (technical) limitations in game design of the 90s.

Other Waters is not for everyone. The game elements are deliberately cumbersome and it takes a lot of reading to unravel the mysterious game world.

This is an overwhelmingly beautiful retelling of one of the world's most famous Japanese role-playing games. Deepening the story and a new fighting system give newcomers and fans of the first hour an adventure that anyone can enjoy.

Any task in Good Job! is guaranteed to get out of hand and that is so much fun. Completing your task despite your own clumsiness and a completely ruined office is accompanied by a surprising amount of variety and original puzzles in this game.

It looks nice, but that's it. This is a bland fighting game that disappoints in both single player and multiplayer mode.

Panzer Dragoon holds a unique position in gaming history, but the new remake doesn't do it justice. Little is added, leaving only an hour of special, but archaic gameplay.

Resident Evil 3 is lots of fun to play and it improves the original game when it comes to design and gameplay. Unfortunately it is a bit too much like the Resi 2-remake, which makes us long for something new.

Paper Beast is a wondrous game. The paper animals all behave in their own ways, and the setup of this game is both confusing and intuitive. It's just like a dream.

As a real off-road racing game, Overpass offers us a great game concept with a lot of challenges. On the other hand, there is a lack of strong elaboration and mediocre graphics.

This game is more about the end game than others, but it is still fun to keep all your hospitals on track. It is both comical and grimm, which keeps us interested.

This is a triumph in almost every way. This is the most detailed, deepest and most elaborate VR game yet. No other VR game has so much variety and depth at the same time, combined with such a perfect tempo.

This game is unforgivingly buggy and the gameplay is way too repetitive and uninspired to be worth even a second of your time. No matter how much of a One Punch Man fan you are.

I've rarely had so much fun while reviewing a game. The boss fights are as entertaining as the build, Doom icons (pun intended) are introduced with verve, there are countless cool settings, the gunplay is more or less the best in the genre, the combat arenas feel like morbid monkey cage games and the game wraps it all in a sauce of subtle humor and lots and lots of metal. Doom Eternal does nothing weird compared to its predecessor, but this game is much better in almost every way. And part one was already so good.

The amazing, relaxing gameplay we love is now available in a beautiful new look. The new quests and crafting systems are great for both newcomers and fans of the series and it is great to see Animal Crossing grow without losing its charm.

The first Nioh left us longing for more and that is exactly what this sequel gives us. Nioh 2 adds a little extra to all the strengths of its predecessor. Unfortunately, some previous mistakes - such as an inimitable story - are also repeated. Ultimately, however, that is a side issue, because the enormously profound and strong gameplay is amazing. The result is an intense and challenging experience that soulslike enthusiasts enjoy.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps feels familiar, even though there are many new elements introduced. Not all of them are truly adding to the experience, but they are in no way detrimental. Even though the game is buggy, this metroidvania meets platformer is still a blast.

Kunai is again a good metroidvania as we have seen many times before in the last couple of years. The grappling hooks are fun to use, but the environment in the game is a tad boring.

The charm of the original games is still there, but the new art style and improvements can't help this remake: it's still a disappointment.

The Zero-games tell a great story in a few of the hardest and best action games of its time. The ZX games had their own issues, but their still worth your while.

This special Kickstarter project, which spanned five episodes over seven years, comes to an end. This point-and-click sequence is bursting at the seams with creativity and strange happenings. There is no better writing in video games.

Snack World could have been a great gravel game for on the go but is stranded by the many confusing underlying systems and moderate writing. A pity, because the idea behind this game is perfect on the Switch.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Pedestrian, a clever puzzle game that skillfully interweaves its concise puzzles with the game world. This clever game is more than worth a few hours for twenty euros.

Sometimes more of the same is not so crazy. Patapon 2 Remastered does not do much new compared to its predecessor, but continues the same nice tone and lets us drum cries and death marches out of our controller for hours.

Zombie Army 4: Dead War knows how to convey the feeling of an apocalyptic world. Unfortunately, this is overshadowed by repetitive missions and moderate graphics. What remains is a superficial zombie game with many shattering bodies that it must have uncomplicated co-entertainment.

This games feels like it's Frankenstein. The developer put the fights from other games on top of the rough rpg-systems, without contemplating if that would be a good fit. You must really love Dragon Ball Z to enjoy this.

The fun planet AR-Y 6 totally has us invested in Journey to the Savage Planet. This colorful playground filled with (un)friendly life offers many secrets that get uncovered bit by bit. A great experience with a great sense of humor.

The first and last dlc for Kingdom Hearts 3 is just repetition with a lack of answers. The boss fights are challenging and worthwhile, but this package does not offer enough content for its expensive price.

Everything about this game is very familiar. It is not something very exciting. We do appreciate the new training and the original way of adding the infrared of the Joy-Cons to the mix.

The Sims 4 Student life is a must-have for the experienced and beginning Simmer. The package adds a realistic aspect, more gameplay options and more growth options for your sim to the game. The construction and create-a-sim items are also a nice addition to the basic game.

Terminator Resistance is a B game as they are hardly ever made these days. Many of the ambitious ideas are nowhere to be seen, but despite that the game is just perfectly playable and entertaining.

Slay the Spire is the high point of roguelikes with deck building. Though that may be a very small niche, the game is so good that it would be a shame to miss out on.

Remnant: From the Ashes plays borrowed neighbors with many popular games, but thanks to good shooting and co-op action, it stands completely on its own.

The ending of Life is Strange 2 has a slow start, but as soon as the episode starts, it is on until the intense conclusion. This time the political themes are not treated so subtly, but the game manages to close the story of the Diaz brothers in a surprising and meaningful way.

With the exploration of vast nature reserves in the form of all kinds of animals, Lost Ember offers an original way to tell a sensitive story. However, the visual finish is too rough and the gameplay too bland to really recommend it.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts offers a realistic but at the same time imperfect sniper experience. The improved mission system creates a balance between freedom and potty wandering. However, the difference per difficulty level is too large.

Technically, the collection is not impressive - not even for a handheld - but the unbridled pirate pleasure, especially from Black Flag, will also hold its ground in 2019. With Rogue and a lot of other extras, it is a nice and substantial package.

Darksiders Genesis feels like a B game. There is nothing wrong with that and it also justifies the lower price. Yet we would have liked a little more balance and urgency.

We Were Here Together wants to be more than just a light-hearted co-op puzzle game. The narrative layer that this must bring, however, especially detracts from the puzzles, which are strongly designed and can stand on their own.

Stormland shows that real open-world games can work. Sometimes the game evokes (positive) comparisons with the free battles in Far Cry and thanks to the extensive upgrade systems the game feels deep and complete.

Planet Zoo may be the most detailed zoo simulation ever. Every facet of the zoo - from the habitat of the animals to the release of endangered species into the wild - is in the player's control. This can be overwhelming at first, but luckily the career mode offers a good tutorial. The most impressive thing about the game, however, is the design and realistic behavior of the animals themselves.

In terms of speed, gameplay, and storytelling, Shenmue 3 hardly matches the current spirit of the times. Everything in the game grinds and cracks on all sides - and that is precisely why it pays to dive into this epic by developer Yu Suzuki.

Play Black Future ‘88 especially if you like to wander through procedurally made 2D dungeons with cool weapons. Despite its unclear and repetitive moments, this is a cool roguelike.

Words are not enough to describe the beauty of Disco Elysium. The crazy freedom you get with shaping your character and the high-quality writing make this a must for fans of classic RPGs.

The graphics might sometimes be a bit old school, the quality of Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition certainly is not dated. This is still one of the best real-time strategy games ever made.

If you've ever loved Call of Duty but dropped out of the series, we advise you to return. Modern Warfare offers an excellent story mode and intense multiplayer pots. Modern Warfare is Infinity Ward like it’s supposed to be.

While Star Wars fans hoped for the ultimate redemption, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is just a good game. The combat is nice and the Star Wars force is strong, but technical flaws and a rippling story make Fallen Order just average.

Fortunately, the technical imperfections and the lack of genuine innovation hardly disturb. After all, Pokémon is ultimately about collecting cool, sweet, tough or kiddy little monsters that know how to steal our hearts - and Pokémon Sword and Shield are fascinating.

Although the Pokémon franchise is experimenting more and more with innovation, Pokémon Sword and Shield is not focused on modernization. Instead, the games prove that the Pokémon formula does not need such change. In no time you lose yourself in the beautifully designed game world and above all enjoy the cool new Pokémon. This results in a familiar and sometimes somewhat predictable journey that does exactly what we want from a Pokémon game.

Although the Pokémon franchise is experimenting more and more with innovation, Pokémon Sword and Shield is not focused on modernization. Instead, the games prove that the Pokémon formula does not need such change. In no time you lose yourself in the beautifully designed game world and above all enjoy the cool new Pokémon. This results in a familiar and sometimes somewhat predictable journey that does exactly what we want from a Pokémon game.

Given EA's conservative approach, you already know exactly what you can expect from Need for Speed Heat. We are nevertheless happy with this pleasant exercise in street racing, tuning and police prosecution - although the whole thing has been somewhat frayed.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 knows how to get us excited about the Olympic Games. The sports are not all worked out to the same extent, but the big variation in mini-games, wonderful story mode and pleasant 2D versions of certain sports provide enough entertainment.

With Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima covers major themes such as the afterlife, parenthood, the connection between people and even climate change and the extinction of humanity. He portrays all of this in a fabulous and unique way. The core gameplay seems contradictory at first, but once it clicks, the concept offers infinite satisfaction.