But if you appreciate an experience that takes you seriously and gives you many ways to play, this new version is quite magnificent in its own way. Gothic knows what it's doing, even if it doesn't always succeed. It's also disappointing how technically poor this release is. Hopefully the developer will fix the biggest mistakes as quickly as possible, because they are quite big.

There is also a bit of a flaw with Deer & Boy: It is so clearly "a game of this type", but unfortunately never manages to reach the greatest of the genre. Neva, Arise: A Simple Story, Inside, Little Nightmares II, Journey, The Last Campfire ... I can name better games for the boring. That doesn't make Deer & Boy a bad experience, but the list is a few good tricks above this.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales doesn't quite reach the heights of other recent Square Enix games. It has great level design, but too much repetition from traveling back and forth between nearly identical versions of the same map.

Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes is an entertaining tactical adventure that takes you through every step of being hunted down by machines. From fighting battles, to fixing your fleet, to dealing with sparse resources and dwindling morale.

Jötunnslayer: Hordes of Hel is a fantastic autobattler with great skills, levels and some of the best music you'll ever hear in a game.

007 First Light is the best James Bond game ever made. IO Interactive has done a commendable job adapting their Hitman formula to fit the iconic spy franchise, with stealth mechanics that feel tighter and more focused than their inspiration. The game plays it too safe, however, and 007 First Light stops just short of true greatness by not taking enough risks.

Refreshing setting and a depressing and much too real topic.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is an almost overwhelmingly charming game full of cute things and weird challenges and things to do. It's fun, but doesn't always seem sure of what it wants to do.

A beautiful movie masquerading as a game, that tries its best to seduce you with nostalgia.

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is the most ambitious Lego game to date, blending stories from nearly 90 years of Batman comics, films, and games into a visually stunning open-world adventure set in Gotham City. The game delivers a fluid combat system clearly inspired by the Arkham series, and a city packed with secrets, puzzles, and collectibles.

Forza Horizon 6 takes the racing series to Japan, delivering a massive, densely packed open world that feels far more natural and varied than its predecessor. A more engaging progression system and a stunning recreation of Japan makes this the best game in the series yet.

A possibly too chill lovecraftian mystery game.

Directive 8020 is an exciting journey where half the battle is keeping the crew of a doomed spaceship alive. Great acting and hard choices makes this a memorable experience.

Outbound is slow, cosy and a good reset from the action-packed games I normally play. No big challenges to overcome, but a satisfying gameplay loop, nice visuals and music makes it a good, albeit repetitive experience.

Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth is a lovely tale of friendship in harsh times, kindness, and the joy of being together. It's a more ambitious game compared to their previous effort, and it pays off.

For all its effort, Aphelion severely lacks the ingenuity, polish and emotional impact of Dontnod's other titles. It is simply OK, a fairly decent action adventure. One that might as well have been made 15 years ago.

It's a warm and beautiful story about friendship, helping each other, and standing together when things might get a little difficult. The game may not offer deep thoughts for adults, but it is communicated in a very nice and child-friendly way that never forgets that Moomin is not just for the little ones....Furthermore, Moomin: Winter's Warmth is a more advanced game with more things to do, larger areas to explore, and far more exciting areas to explore. The game makes me very excited to see what Hyper Games can come up with in the future.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is a tense, dark and deliciously atmospheric tale of horror, that is marred with technical issues you'd be best to see fixed before you play.

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a slick, hand-drawn shooter full of personality and style. Repetitive at times, but hard not to like.

Made for the dedicated fans of the genre, not your first factory game.

Replaced is a visually stunning cyberpunk thriller that impresses with its detailed pixel art, fluid animations, and cinematic presentation, but is held back by repetitive combat and puzzles.

Housemark hits the mark again, with yet another beautiful, challenging and chaotic bullethell action game. The story might not be the greatest, but the fluid, fast-paced action keeps the game engaging and entertaining all the way through.

Quotation forthcoming.

Pragmata feels like an homage to classic action and collection oriented video games, and combined with its amazing visuals, timely story and charming characters, it's an experience that excels where it needs to - mostly.

Enormous depth with an unpleasant aftertaste. Pokémon Champions is perfect for a very small audience.

Still, there's so much that's cool, beautiful, and cozy about Pragmata's lunar dystopia that I can't help but enjoy it. The heavy, traumatic, and humane situations in several other father-and-child simulators are undeniably good, but I appreciate that here we're served something that's mostly noticeably lighter – and more cheerful. I identify much more with Hugh's approach to a small child, despite the fact that he's not technically Diana's dad, than the way Joel and Kratos behave. I think most others reading this review will too.

Quotation forthcoming.

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is a decent zombie shooter, but it quickly gets old, and doesn't have the staying power of other games in the genre.

Charming character design. Varied and challenging, but uneven, level design. Darwin's Paradox is a great classic platformer with a retro octopus twist.

World of Warcraft: Midnight is more of the same in a game well into its 20s. Bright spots such as the Prey mechanic and housing just aren't enough to carry an experience that's saturated with endless perks for logging in daily and churning out world quests and Delves as the numbers go up, up, up.

Marathon delivers a plethora of deep mechanics, engaging gunplay and a truly unique look, but there's simply too much tedium and way too much busywork between fights.

Crimson Desert is a highly ambitious open-world game. It is absolutely beautiful, packed with discovery, puzzles and combat. It doesn't always deliver on all its potential, and bugs are to be found, but in the end it is unique, mesmerizing and addicting.

The setting is great, the characters are solid, and the missions provide just enough variety to keep the experience engaging all the way to the finish line. However, the game still shows its age, clearly bearing the marks of being a decade old.

An engaging city builder with a novel concept centering water power and possibilities in industrialisation and giga-projects. But the daily lives of the inhabitants suffer from monotony

I'm sure this will be something very special for those who already love Pokémon and games like Animal Crossing and Dragon Quest Builders 2. But once the initial wow feeling is gone, there's little that makes me want to return to Pokopia.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Requiem delivers the best of both worlds — a masterclass in tension and release.

A beautiful and atmospheric walking sim that lacks meat on its bones.

Styx: Shards of Darkness is an entertaining adventure that offers challenging stealth in vertical environments packed with obstacles. While there are plenty of possibilities and Styx has many tricks to avoid being spotted by guards, it’s hard to shake the feeling that this could have been so much better.

High on Life 2 is a breath of fresh air in a gaming landscape that, let’s face it, has a tendency to take itself way too seriously these days.

Mario Tennis Fever takes the series another step in the direction of Mario Kart craziness, but it doesn’t quite work as well on the small tennis court. Multiplayer matches provide short lived fun, but the overall experience lacks staying power, resulting in a shallow and uneven entry that fails to fully capitalize on the series’ potential.

The air runs out of the balloon long before the game’s end, and by comparison, Romeo is a Dead Man feels like exactly what came before: a game trapped 20 years back in time.

Appearances aside, Escape from Ever After isn't just a Paper Mario knock-off, but a wholly enjoyable roleplaying game in its own right. If Flynt had a red cap and an airy moustache, you might've convinced me that Nintendo had made this.

Nioh remains at the top of the soulslike genre, outside of FromSoft's own titles. The third instalment's ninja style fighting and more open world are both excellent additions to the formula.

Gorgeous visuals, exciting combat, simply stunning in its execution. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined should be the template that all other remakes look to going forward.

An improvement on its predecessor, in terms of both combat and setting, but the choppy framerate and ridiculous outfits ensure that the Code Vein II experience remains an underwhelming one.

Contre Jour ends up being -- despite some small flaws -- a good physics based iOS game. A well thought out game mechanic revolving around manipulating the terrain lies as a solid foundation, and every level completed feels like a small triumph.

Square Enix has worked wonders in porting this gorgeous game over to the Switch 2, with the lower resolution and frame rate the only noticeable downgrade. If you've been waiting to play this game on the go, now's the time to jump in and explore Midgar.

Octopath Traveler 0 is without a doubt the best game in the series, and it almost sounds strange when we consider that this is a reworked and expanded version of a mobile game. Despite that, the combat system has never been better, and the stories in this game are fantastic, and even through little pixel people they are more believable and poignant than most of the genre has offered in a long, long time. There's just one thing that really annoys me. Almost all of the music is recycled from previous games. It's amazing, and better than pretty much any other music that's come out since the first Octopath Traveler game, but still, we heard it in the first Octopath Traveler game.

Though Metroid Prime 4 doesn’t quite surpass its predecessors, it offers solid, old-school puzzle exploration, while suffering from a few pacing issues in the later chapters.

This point and click adventure ticks all the boxes to feel like a retro classic. Stunning presentation, great design, and really good acting.

A clever and often funny take on the superhero genre, with a tight narrative that pulls you in and refuses to let go throughout its eight episodes.

This year's Call of Duty gives you a lot of bang for your buck. Black Ops 7 might not stray very far from the franchise's usual offerings, but makes up for it with clever design choices throughout the campaign, multiplayer and zombies.

You can have a great time if you stop there and just enjoy the game at its most fundamental, but if you take your time, get into the details, and get to know the different drivers and vehicles, you will find a game with enormous depth. It lies in the small details, and there are many of them here.

Syberia is a classic adventure game that truly deserved more than this pretty, but lacking remaster. The story is thankfully as wonderful as ever.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 gives you the tools to build the dinosaur park of your dreams. There are still annoyances with difficult dinosaurs, but overall this is the best game in the series.

This roman take on the Anno-series scratches all the itches for the dedicated Anno-player, though your life as a roman governor could have been more smooth with some player-friendly interface-options.

Legends: Z-A still has a way to go in terms of graphics and story, but unique gameplay, great monster designs and a truly colorful world makes this a very fun new outing for the franchise nonetheless.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is a wonderful return to two classics that helped define an entire genre for years to come.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment delivers another entertaining and action packed Warriors game filled with fun characters and endless battles against hordes of enemies.

The Outer Worlds 2 is a fantastic RPG that lets me just run around freely, discovering the world and resolving its issues in my own time. The world is great, the dialogue is fantastic, and it's very hard to put down.

LEGO Voyagers is a charming and wonderful experience for two, where simple mechanics blend with the joy of doing things together.

Team Ninja and PlatinumGames successfully delivers a fast-paced, bloody, and satisfying ninja action game in Ninja Gaiden 4.

The developers at The Chinese Room could have focused even more on the story. They could have reduced the combat, and made the power of a vampire a rarer element that only appears when necessary. I'm not going to complain though, this is a great adventure with vampires in the lead role, and we don't have too many of them.

Bye Sweet Carole is a gorgeous and hand drawn game that feels like an interactive Disney-movie. It tells a dark story spiced with puzzles and dangerous challenges

Battlefield 6 brings the series back to former glory, despite its uninspired single player campaign.

Little Nightmares III has a few truly great moments and as a co-op experience it certainly has its charm. The game is however sorely lacking a lot of the atmosphere, creepiness and general quality that made its predecessors so sensational.

Dying Light: The Beast is fine, and that's about it. The parkour is fine. The combat is fine. The exploration is fine. The level design is … actually some of the best in the series. Maybe it would've been better off as just a DLC though.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter might well prove to be the start of something great, but it's a pretty slow start. If you do have the patience to sit through the game's endless exposition, there's a colorful and charming world to explore and plenty of entertaining battles to be fought.

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is enjoyable enough, without ever reaching for the upper echelons of the RPG genre. I do wish the developers had given us a little bit more of a challenge in terms of gameplay and a storyline that's a little more grounded.

EA Sports FC 26 is a great football game, though it offers few new features outside of adjusted animations, smarter goalkeepers and some new leagues and settings. The most notable addition is the choice between "competitive" and "authentic" playstyles, the latter of which provides a more realistic football experience.

Ghost of Yōtei is big, beautiful and bloody, with a world that's very fun to explore. This doesn't however make up for tiresome combat and a story that ultimately feels quite hollow. The game is shockingly similar to its predecessor, and while the formula still works, it's hard not to be disappointed in the lack of any meaningful changes.

The classic tactics game returns, with many improvements to gameplay, and stellar voice acting that lifts the experience to new levels.

Earthion is a brilliant return to one of the greatest video game genres of all time.

Silent Hill f is an experience quite unlike anything else. While the combat sometimes is a bit too much, there's an undeniable quality to the game's disturbing story and gruesome horror elements that makes this a must-play for fans of the genre.

Lost Soul Aside tries to accomplish too much, but in the process accomplishes next to nothing. A forgettable experience that lacked focus.

Chaotic, ridiculous, and ridiculously fun – Borderlands 4 is Gearbox back at its very best.

Quotation forthcoming.

Echoes of the End is at times great fun, but it is sadly brought down by wonky controls, dull combat, and an endgame that drones on too long.

Cronos: The New Dawn is a fantastic experiencethat's perfect for dark evenings.. The desperate search for something to kill enemies with keeps you on your toes, and the unpleasant atmosphere makes you feel all cold and icky inside.

Beautiful colors can’t cover up game design that wastes your time.

Fans of side scrolling roguelites will find plenty to sink their teeth into here. Though The Rogue Prince of Persia lacks the challenge and platforming precision of a game like Dead Cells, hitting that free flowing sweet spot of both parkour and combat is a joy.

A benchmark for how remakes should be done – faithful to the original, yet modern in all the right ways.

Gears of War: Reloaded could have been a lot more than a remaster, but PlayStation-fans should be happy they can now finally play this undisputed classic.

Shines with its story, atmosphere, and thorough research, but far too often feels empty and unfinished.

Achilles: Survivor is an entertaining and well crafted addition to the bullet heaven genre. The tower defense element adds a level of strategy, which is enough to make this game stand out against the likes of Vampire Survivors.

A dazzling dose of ninja nostalgia, with a soundtrack so good it could be the best of the year.

Shadow Labyrinth never rises above being an occasionally exciting metroidvania. Between the likes of Hollow Knight, Ori and others, there are just far too many better options available.

Patapon 1+2 Replay lets a new generation experience these cute and warmongering weridos. There's hardly anything new, but if you have yet to experience these games, now's your chance.

Quotation forthcoming.

Primal Planet is a gorgeous and dinosaur filled adventure that can stand tall next to the best metroidvania games out there.

A charming game that collapses under its own premise.

Banananza had me hooked from the first levels, delivering tons of chaotic charm. A must-play for Switch 2-owners.

There's no story here, no progression, zero goals, zero meaning beyond feeding the kids Tamagotchi figures. Steer clear.

Truly iconic levels and fun goals contribute to make the first ten or so hours something quite special. It's only too bad that the nostalgia wears thin all too quickly, especially with Pro Skater 4 being a shadow of its former self.

Against the Storm is not just an incredibly enjoyable game experience — it's also bursting with atmosphere. From the slightly Warcraft III-inspired visuals to the gorgeous music that draws you into another world, it's easy to lose track of both time and place.

Star Overdrive is like surfing through the forgotten corners of Hyrule with a keytar in hand – part Zelda, part Journey, part Tony Hawk, and all wrapped in a dreamy, synth-soaked world that’s equal parts thrilling and tranquil.