The level of difficulty is sometimes accompanied by some unexpected fluctuations, but overall there are no real dead ends due to the solution videos that are available at all times. Combined with the splendid level editor and the optional VR mode that grants an even better overview of each level, Humanity is a true puzzle hit that no genre fan should miss.

Measured against the extreme expectations, Cyberpunk 2077 can't fulfill any of them. But all in all, despite the countless small weaknesses and inconsistences, with interesting characters, great story and dialogues or the freedom concerning gameplay, CD Projekt delivers a unique and great RPG that every fan of the genre needs to play.

Many of us dreamt of becoming a king or a queen when we were little. Yes, Your Grace shows us why being a ruler maybe isn't quite the dream job it appears to be. The game manages to keep players engrossed with the wonderful pixel presentation, the gameplay loop and all the tough decisions, big and small, that you have to make along the way.

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is not only a logical continuation of the original, but even surpasses the first part in numerous respects. Minor inconsistencies like the frequent loading interruptions, sometimes unfavorable camera perspectives and the fact that many important characters are only partially voiced, only spoil the fun insignificantly. What remains is a gem for lovers of the tactical genre - and anyone who wants to become one.

A whole 7 years after the predecessor “OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood” this minimalist skateboard series rises from the grave prettier than ever. With a new comic-style look and a smoother learning curve this sequel aims to conquer the heart of fans and newcomers alike. Thanks to brilliant level design, a single stage can go from a light breeze to punishingly difficult, simply depending which of the goals you choose to pursue. “Olli Olli World” will always push you do be just a little better, be it with a new rival on the leaderboard or the challenge to bop three treefrogs off their giant bees. One of the few downsides being that the otherwise addictive game flow is too often held up with skipping through lore and story dialogue before each mission.

Judgment aims to show a different side of the “Yakuza” universe but falls short of innovating in really meaningful ways. The new detective elements are superficially fun, but quickly devolve into tediousness. The true strength lies with its story and characters and the lively world full of side quests and mini games. While Judgment is an impressive game both technically and mechanically, it falls short of really pushing the limits of the established Yakuza formula.

If you're looking for a blueprint on how to treat milestones in video game history with respect while breathing new life into them, you've found it in the new edition of the two legendary first adventures of the Erdrick trilogy! Skilfully enhanced in terms of both gameplay and content, both parts prove to be absolute time-consuming experiences that invite exploration and experimentation and captivate with their beautiful fairy-tale storytelling.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder remains an excellent platformer on the Switch 2, only even more visually appealing. The additions to the Bellabel Park expansion are primarily worthwhile for multiplayer enthusiasts, as only the numerous versus and co-op minigames offer long-term enjoyment. Those who prefer to play entirely solo will have completed the suitable additions within two to five hours depending on skill level.

Echoes of Wisdom is a great new dye entry in the series that combines a very classical approach with creative gameplay where (generally) much more than one way leads to a solution. You will never ask yourself why Nintendo decided to give Zelda the main role. After playing this, you will ask why she did not get her chance earlier. A must-buy for series' fans.

Zero Dawn Remastered looks better and, thanks to the Dual Sense controls, plays and feels even better than the PS4 original. But you need to decide by yourself, if the ten bucks is worth it to play the game again. If you do not have the game yet, Zero Dawn, the Remastered version is just the best opportunity to play it. Not least because here you get the main game as well as worthline story extension The Frozen Wilds.

Lies of P blends a dark and gritty reimagining of the classic Pinocchio tale with FromSoftware inspired Action-RPG gameplay. While it stumbles in some smaller ways, the result is one of the most polished and consistently enjoyable dye Souls-Likes I have played. The combat with its many special maneuvers and nuances can be overwhelming to newcomers, but the atmosphere, the variety in building weapons and the unique take on a familiar story more than make up for the shortcomings.

Esoteric Ebb is just great. It’s not only clever regarding its gameplay but also its fantastically written dialogue. If you’re into a narrative roleplaying game in the vein of Dungeons & Dragons then Esoteric Ebb is an absolute must play.

Being a simplistic game doesn’t mean that “One Btn Bosses” is boring and simple. It has a surprising amount of depth and can offer an enormous amount of replayability if you’re into chasing highscores or the roguelike-mode. The campaign is a fantastic tutorial but the story and the presentation of it are rather lacking. It plays fantastic on a Handheld-PC and can offer fun for hours and hours if you’re willing to dive into the additional challenges of beating the five floors of R&D.

A monument in preserving gaming history, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater allows players to re-experience the beginnings of the historic stealth-action series without some of the friction of older hardware. The updated graphics capture the original vision perfectly and the reworked controls make gameplay smoother than ever without losing the tactical finesse that made this cult classic so popular. Unfortunately it appears that the Playstation 5 is struggling to keep up with the improvements and performance is rough on both graphical modes on offer.

The announcement of an official modding tool alone is likely to bring tears of joy to the eyes of "Frostpunk" fans. The setting remains attractive, the artwork and gameplay are equally clever, even if the novelty value has worn off a bit. But everything is now bigger, more complex and more impressive, and it is remarkable how smoothly 11 bit has interlocked the various elements and made them shine. There is always something to do in "Frostpunk 2", even if the feeling of a living game world, as one is used to from "Anno 1800", is missing here simply because of the thematic requirements. Anyone who wants an extraordinary experience and some real gaming challenges will feel at home in the eternal ice.

RoadCraft follows the trail laid out by its predecessors in Snowrunner and Expeditions, but takes a different approach to the offroad adventuring. The new focus on building and re-building is a welcome change, while the core challenge of getting heavy machinery through unwieldy terrain is still present. While definitely not for everyone, finally conquering a difficult stretch of land with a road built by yourself from the sand to the concrete is a very rewarding experience.

Fortunately, multitasking gameplay in Pragmata doesn't really mean you have to do everything at once. It's enough to constantly shift your focus between shooting, dye dodging, and hacking. And that's fun! Even better than the combat and the spectacular graphics are the story and atmosphere, which, despite the other strengths, are the absolute highlight.

Jusant is a wonderful gaming experience with an almost meditative flow, supported by an atmospheric soundtrack and almost perfectly balanced game mechanics. Unfortunately, it's already over after about five hours. In the end, however, you are left with a strong message and the great feeling of having achieved something.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak offers just more of the same at first glance. New monsters, a new difficulty, new maps and a new campaign to follow. Those who dare to sink their teeth into this behemoth of a game will quickly notice however, that there have been tweaks and changes to not only empower the players even further by reducing busywork and introducing new, flashy skills, but more critically empower the monsters. This adds some much-needed challenge to the game, even if the overall difficulty is still on the lower end of what fans of the series have come to expect. The follower quests need to be especially highlighted as a clever and fun replacements for the unpopular rampage quests.

The first Octopath Traveler is still a great game. The sequel does not change anything beside story and characters, but simultaneously maintains the strengths and rises comfort and depth. If you like the predecessor or JRPGs in general, you will need to play it.

Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 doesn't change too much in terms of overall gameplay or presentation, but for the sequel to a game that could only really be criticized for being a tad short, that's not a bad thing. We thoroughly enjoyed our second trip through those tricky dungeons with all its new challenges and can easily recommend it for anybody interested in the puzzle genre.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on Switch 2 delivers an impressive portable take on CD Projekt Red’s sci-fi RPG, combining all updates, DLCs, and the Phantom Liberty expansion in one complete package. With support for DLSS, gyro aiming, optional pointer-style motion controls, and cross-save functionality, the game makes smart use of the Switch 2’s unique capabilities.

Hogwarts Legacy is a fully fleshed action RPG with everything that belongs to that. The fights are fun, the magic based riddles are nice, the presentation is beautiful, even if the game does not deliver a technically through and through next-gen experience. Don't think so much about the open world, think more about a magical atmosphere, that should reach any RPG player, in particular fans of the Harry Potter franchise.

Remnant 2 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but instead builds on the solid foundation of the first game and improves it in almost every way. With more varied, more specialized character builds, an intriguing new class system that isn't afraid to hide some of its most interesting classes until later in the game and amazing bossfights, Remnant 2 is a very easy recommendation for both co-op and solo players.

Return to Monkey Island is no high flyer, but a good classical adventure game, far away from disappointment. Essentially it is fan service pure. That's a huge benefit for lovers of Guybrush's adventures, but series beginners don't really profit from the mass of allusions in any area. The great puzzle design or the top voice-over do not change anything about that.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a creative and diverse 3D platformer with an adorable hero and a beautiful audiovisual presentation that suits any age group. But Kirby's new adventure does not only maintain the typical strengths of the series and transforms them successfully into the third dimension. It also retains the low degree of difficulty, what makes it more accessible, but demands too little from advanced players.

As in part one, the core experience of A Plague Tale: Requiem consists of its atmospheric strengths, strongly attached to the game's pleasant heroes. Beside its magnificent presentation, including beautiful graphics and prime voice-over artist, the sequel does overall also a better job concerning gameplay, making Requiem the better game. But the extension of variety and freedom during regular stealth action stages or the clever puzzles can't hide the existence of the (few) lousy and misplaced defensive battle sequences.

Tunic is one of those games that won’t let you go until you see the credits rolling. It’s insane, what Andrew Shouldice and his small team came up with and how much lifeblood was poured into this action adventure. Definitely an indie title you should not miss.

MARVEL SNAP hits the right balance between accessibility and depth. Matches only last a few minutes, but with the right deck you might turn a losing match around in the last one or to turns. Monetization in the current state is also no problem, as there is no pay-to-win involved. So if you are looking for a new card battler to sink your teeth into, MARVEL SNAP is definitely worth checking out.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak offers just more of the same at first glance. New monsters, a new difficulty, new maps and a new campaign to follow. Those who dare to sink their teeth into this behemoth of a game will quickly notice however, that there have been tweaks and changes to not only empower the players even further by reducing busywork and introducing new, flashy skills, but more critically empower the monsters. This adds some much-needed challenge to the game, even if the overall difficulty is still on the lower end of what fans of the series have come to expect. The follower quests need to be especially highlighted as a clever and fun replacements for the unpopular rampage quests.

Demon Tides is a masterclass in movement. Chaining jumps, glides and wallruns together with such ease is exemplary and deserves recognition. The only downside is that there's often stretches of more empty feeling "open world" between the highlights of platforming excellence. However, as a complete package, there's no doubt Demon Tides is a must for platformer fans.

Pax Romana is not only the most beautiful, but also the most profound ‘Anno’ game of all time. During the epic journey with Anno 1800, Ubisoft Mainz perfected its art, and the sequel tops this development. Fortunately, not everything is quite perfect yet, because we want to enjoy the upcoming DLCs as well. Anyone who thought that the ancient world was a rather dull topic is mistaken: Anno 117: Pax Romana brings the fascination of this era to life in every single minute.

Two Point Museum is a worthy successor to the franchise, with the usual humor and great new game elements. If you've always wanted to explore and exhibit dinosaur bones or extraterrestrial artifacts, this is the game for you. If only you didn't forget the time so quickly while playing.

Despite its age, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light still manages to be a thrilling, albeit unusual installment in the franchise. The blend of action and puzzle gameplay especially shines in co-op.

SMTV gives fans of the series all they need and want, wrapped in an all new look with quality of life features which enhance the classic gameplay with fresh highlights such as exploration. Its Old School RPG-feeling mixed with some modern features creates an enjoyable role-playing game with some twists.

Octopath Traveler 0 delivers one of the most polished and engaging pixel RPG experiences of the year. Its tactical combat, rich cast of characters, and emotionally grounded village-rebuilding system create a deeply satisfying adventure. The lack of German localisation is a major drawback, but anyone willing to read a lot of English will find a beautifully crafted and surprisingly dark journey worth every hour.

Despite some flaws, Codemasters delivers the total package with F1 2021. A huge amount of options and licensed content are only topped by the superb handling and the great graphics – especially on PS5. F1 2021 sets its own bar a bit higher than before, without being a revolutionary on its own right.

Forza Motorsport 2023 makes a great return after a six-year hiatus, impressing with its motivating career mode changes and stunning graphics. While it excels in vehicle handling and design dye, the limited track selection and lack of diversity in the career mode are notable drawbacks. However, with planned content updates and a promising multiplayer mode on the horizon, it offers a compelling racing experience with room for future improvements. For fans of the series and racing enthusiasts, Forza Motorsport 2023 is definitely worth a spin on the virtual track.

Mortal Kombat 1 is an impressive fighting game. Violent to an exaggerated degree, of course, but that is the trademark of the series. Fortunately, the title offers more than just executed losers, but convinces with clever changes to the gameplay, a considerable number of stages and fighters - and tons of stuff that you can unlock, which of course helps the long-term motivation.

Dorfromantik offers a video game experience without any violence, multiplayer or deep storytelling; and with this successfully creates a pure, relaxing building game.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is the much needed risk so much of the games industry refuses to take. It’s an artistic gem that despite some rough edges bursts with creative ideas and a very strong vision. While it may not appeal to everyone, this has all the ingredients for a cult classic.

With its exciting story and characters, the next-gen worthy visuals and especially the great sense of humor we can warmly recommend Eidos Montreal's Guardians of the Galaxy not just for fans of the franchise. Just the fights are a little bit too chaotic for getting a strong feeling of control on the battlefields in sum.

C-Smash VRS is one of the most original sports games for VR. The minimalist look may not appeal to everyone, but it goes perfectly with the game's electro soundtrack. C-Smash VRS creates a remarkable flow and also offers enough variety with its game modes. The ball physics of the virtual squash game can be quite tricky - if you want to show full physical commitment, you should have a sufficiently large playing surface.

An excellent port of an already very good game makes for a must-buy for any fans of the character action genre. While the PC Version doesn’t meaningfully alter the experience, the upgraded framerate and stunning visuals make this an easy recommendation for anyone who missed the game coming to Playstation 5 last year.

Even more than 26 years after its original release, Dragon Quest III has lost none of its likeable adventure flair. Although the HD-2D Remake could have been more modernized here and there, this does not change the fact that this is the best version of the JRPG classic.

Netflix strikes again with Terra Nil, another great offering for their subscribers. We have seen a variety of games being published by the streaming giant, this time it is a title not unlike Sim City and similar games, but with an environmental twist. Highly recommended for fans of the genre as well as newcomers due to its accessibility for inexperienced players.

Resident Evil Village maintains some of the basic mechanics of its predecessor, but simultaneously refines and modernizes the gameplay with a new, improved progress system and stronger open world components. The direct sequel to Ethan Winter's adventure also has some strong links to Resident Evil 4 and combines established elements of the classic with a new inventory and crafting system, that leads to more comfort, without reducing the survival horror atmosphere or the so important lack of resources of the genre. Resident Evil Village is also the best-looking part of the series, with the best stage quality and perhaps with the most thrilling story yet. It's not a perfect game, but still one of the best Resident Evil games yet and absolutely a must- buy for every fan of the series and this type of game.

Lego Bricktales and VR are a perfect match. In virtual reality, the brick constructions seem almost tangible. It's simply fun to look at the detailed dioramas from different angles - especially in the Quest 3's passthrough mode, which places the game in your living room.

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is still a fine JRPG with nice story, tactical round-based combat and cool job system for varied gameplay without typical classes. But the king is still the strong atmosphere thanks to a fantastic soundtrack and mostly beautiful, if not in any aspect refined graphics. If you love JRPGs and did not play the original, the remaster is a good choice. If you already played the 3DS original, there is hardly anything to find, that can easily surprise you.

While OlliOlli World Void Riders doesn’t innovate much, it offers a heap of new challenges, outfits and a fun, new gravity-defying gameplay mechanic. Since the DLC can’t be accessed until roughly half way into the main game, it won’t entice newcomers to set foot on their boards, but fans of the main game can now add a few more entertaining hours to their journey across Radlandia.

A tribute to British culture and its unique humour, which is unfortunately over far too quickly.

While there are many failed crowd-funding efforts, Sea of Stars is quite the opposite. If you were around in the 90s and loved the console RPGs of that era, you won't want to miss this gem.

Until Then brings us back to our teenage years for the good, the bad and the ugly. This coming-of-age story, set in the beautiful Philippines, takes us on an emotional roller coaster while its darker secrets are bubbling away under the surface. Though it might take some time till you reach the juicy bits of the story, the wait is worth your time.

In some ways the developers could have been more courageous concerning innovations, because beside graphics and new arranged score there is not much really new stuff. But playing it safe is fine, because with that Super Mario RPG is a beautiful looking role playing game with a great mixture of round based combat and action elements.

Block, parry, cut through demons: DOOM: The Dark Ages is a great addition to the cult series, taking the action to a new level without forgetting the series' roots. Anyone who enjoys challenging shooters with a ton of style and options will get their money's worth here. An absolute must-have for fans and newcomers alike.

Subnautica: Below Zero is an excellent game, held back mostly by the inevitable comparison to its groundbreaking predecessor. This sequel doesn’t change much but deepens the focus on storytelling combined with above-water exploration. This is no doubt one of the best survival games I’ve ever played, which is why I would have loved to see more of it, more vehicles, an even more ambitious story with actual NPCs and a world that didn’t feel so familiar after playing the previous game. Either way, this is an absolute must-play for any fan of the original and a good starting point for anyone who found Subnautica’s pacing too slow.

More than just an expansion with interesting mechanics and wonderful additions to the sprawling lore of Total War: Warhammer 3, the newly released Thrones of Decay shows a willingness from Creative Assembly to listen to fans and learn from past mistakes. Both paid and free additions and changes show the vast potential of this game and that we still haven’t seen all the franchise has to offer.

Fast paced Musou battles combined with the typical Persona 5 elements take you on a wild, stylish ride. Perfect for everyone who found P5 too lengthy. Strikers is cool, fast, and a little shambolic.

Splatoon 3 still lives from its unique gameplay mechanics that had been just slightly extended. Five years after Splatoon 2 there are mostly minor enhancements concerning gameplay and technically. Too little for reaching a new series' climax, but enough for Splatton 3 to maintain the high class of its predecessor.

Marathon is polarizing. On one hand you have some of the best aspects that the FPS genre has to offer. Fantastic feeling guns, absolutely smooth movement and distinct but mostly balanced characters. It is just a joy to play. Marathon also offers more story and lore than most other competitors which can easily be skipped as well. It offers so much if you are willing to take the time to learn all the ins and outs. Because on the negative side Marathon also offers barely any help if you want to learn all of the mechanics it has to offer. You either have to have outside help or invest a ton of time. It is a game that isn’t too inviting to newcomers but that is something that is perfectly fine if you are in for the ride.

Battlefield 6 marks a true return to form for the series. Battlefield Studios successfully blends classic large-scale warfare with modern refinements, delivering intense battles, impressive visuals, and a satisfying sense of chaos. While the campaign is short and the weapon balance still needs fine-tuning, the foundation for a lasting comeback is solid. Not flawless, but definitely the "Battlefield"-experience fans have been waiting for.

Anno 1800: Console Edition brings the successful city builder to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X. Ubisoft did a great job, adapting gameplay and controls to this new environment. "Anno 1800" works surprisingly well with a gamepad.

Story, setting and main characters are still engaging. The fighting system is faster and more handy than in the original. And there are also some new quests and enemies that insert seamlessly into the game. Concurrently the weak points basically remain the same including too much there and back together with much better, but still behind the times, graphics. But overall, there are more good reasons to (re-)visit NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... than against.

Two point campus let you build the school campus you ever dreamed of. With knights, wizards or mad scientists as students and you ll face a lot of different settings and challenges. Everything quite nicely balanced so its fun to discover the crazy campuses the devs came up with.

MIO: Memories in Orbit is a beautifully crafted and atmospheric Metroidvania that rewards exploration, patience, and skill. Its strong visual style, fair challenge, and smart progression systems make it a standout indie title. Fans of Hollow Knight: Silksong in particular will find a compelling and memorable sci-fi adventure here.

Stray struggles to leave the high expectations this game has built up over the last 7 years behind. The feline adventure through the suburban jungle is enticing in a lot of ways, but stumbles occasionally with its uncanny-valley protagonist and a slightly generic story. The highlight is the atmosphere it can build as players jump between rooftops lead by neon signs towards the goal of climbing out into freedom. Stray is well-worth playing, but won’t blow anyone’s mind in the process.

The Switch 2 version of Kirby and the Forgotten Land benefits from its refined graphics including the now stable (and higher) framerate. The Star-Crossed World expansion delivers twelve high quality levels and a demanding boss fight with around three to four hours of additional gameplay. If you have not played it yet, this is your best chance to catch up with this lovely feel good 3D platformer.

Age of Mythology: Retold not only lets a game that was already extremely fun at the time shine with a largely contemporary look, but also adds many useful improvements, most notably the multiple-use god powers, the villager priority system, significantly more accessibility options and a really well thought-out controller layout. All this is flanked by thoughtful balancing adjustments, tons of quality-of-life additions, cross-play, mod support and a map editor.

Triangle Strategy delivers a great tactical combat system that's as complex in a pleasant way as it is fun. The twisty, decision based storyline is interesting and makes the game feel more immersive. But on the other hand, it could have been more summarized, because the amount of time you'll spend on story sequences (if you don't skip it) is just too high related to the the time you'll spent on the battlefields.

If you have never played a Visual Novel and were always curious about the genre then PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid’s Curse and its predecessor are as good a place as any to start. Combining a fantastic cast of lovable characters with a grounded but very paranormal story is a joy to play through. Added on top are great visuals and a lovely soundtrack. Smaller issues with the controls for controllers or sometimes greatly exaggerated sound effects hamper the fun only very slightly.

Starfield may not reinvent the wheel when it comes to Bethesda’s formula for role-playing games, but it cleverly combines the best elements of past games in a very appealing sci-fi setting. The highlights are no doubt the many well-written and well-designed quests that you’ll encounter throughout your journey through the settled systems. No matter what appeals to you as a player, be it nail-biting gunfights, the quiet construction of your own base or the thrills of laser-dodging dye dogfighting, Starfield has hours upon hours of content for you to lose yourself in.

In virtual reality, the diorama concept works amazingly well - and one wonders why this perspective isn't used in many more VR games.

No matter if you are a longtime fan of the franchise or if this is your first time, we highly recommend "True Colors" to anybody who appreciates great stories (with some twists) and well-written characters. Don't miss this one.

With Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp both GBA classics remain great turn-based strategy games that are complex and accessible. The scope is also greatly motivating and amazing with at least 45 hours only for the two solo campaigns. The presentation is nice, but cheap, but does not change anything about the gaming fun you'll have, even if you're not a fan of the genre.

Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 sets a new standards not only for games set in the 41st Millennia, but also for horde based shooters. The innovative combat system that cleverly builds upon the foundation of the 13 years old predecessor shows incredible depth when mixing different weapon styles. Together with an entertaining, albeit narratively shallow campaign and a wealth of customization for co-op players, this game is every Warhammer 40k fans dream come true.

If you wanted to know how the future of the Pokémon series could look, play and feel, you will find the answer in Pokémon Legends Arceus. It is a modern 3D action RPG with open and free deployment areas, immersive real-time catching, active stealth mechanic and seamless gameplay even between exploring and combat. Arceus feels fresh and great in nearly any aspect. And don't be afraid as a fan: Game Freak simultaneously succeeds in brilliantly retaining the core elements of Pokémon games.

Helldivers 2 is an excellent co-op shooter, that sadly doesn't really build on its predecessor and instead puts a lot of the original content on a live-service road map. While the core gameplay is among the best of the genre, corporate greed ironically has sunken its claws deep into Super-Earth and the premium battle pass hides some of the most fun weapons and powerful armour behind a paywall, with more to come in the future.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has already been a great game at its release in 2020, but with the free update to version 3.0 it's even better. Including 12 instead of 8 players online, little better graphics and shorter loading times the Switch 2 has a small extra plus over the also updated Switch 1.

A successfully pimped up classic with a speed boost that may appear a little too modern for retro fans and a little too old-fashioned for contemporary players. Nevertheless, the short story structure, fantastic soundtrack, and meaningful gameplay innovations are sure to impress.

The Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack unfortunately doesn't overhaul the graphics or improve any general gameplay aspects, but it does release the trilogy as a complete package. And this package includes fantastic new content such as all DLCs, updates, new playable characters, and our highlight: new episodes/content featuring various characters, each experiencing their own little adventures in the world of Ryza.

Cairn is an outstanding game. The realistic climbing system doesn’t only feel great but lets you connect to the protagonist in unexpected ways. Climbing difficult passages requires you and Aava working in tandem which feels exciting and unique. It can feel frustrating and requires a lot of patience but rewards the player with almost complete freedom and exhilarating moments of success. Accessibility options allow you to tweak the experience for an easier time but also lessens the overall experience.

If you haven't played the Tomb Raider reboot yet, you now have one less excuse. Even though it is well over a decade old at this point, the mixture of puzzles, action and exploration holds up well and is still absolutely worth playing today.

The Plucky Squire is a charming, funny and beautiful action-adventure. It oozes creativity and merges 2D- and 3D-gameplay to a clever action-plattformer. While the game does have issues regarding controls and pacing, the overall experience is great.

Usually only the best horror games manage to create the tension that Ready or Not captures in every level. The build up through slow, tactical clearing of empty room after empty room, followed by the clattering of footsteps a floor above only to erupt in a deadly firefight is unmatched. Aside from a difficult to learn controlling scheme for consoles, its biggest detractor is also its greatest strength. Ready or Not is oppressive and depressing. The violence and hopelessness of the worst a SWAT-team can encounter awaits you in every mission, portrayed in gruelling detail and realism. It's a brilliant tactical shooter with themes and settings so dark, we occasionally had to take a break from the tension.

Marvel's Midnight Suns is a fine tactical RPG and also a great superhero adventure. So if you're a fan of Marvel comics and the game's genre, it is a need to play. But if you just like one of these „sides“, it's hard to get around this game.

Six years after the release of the original version for PS4 and PC, No Man's Sky has made the hyper leap into the switch dimension. The result is one of the best Switch ports and a masterstroke of programming. Sadly the multiplayer mode is missing in this version. If you can live with that, you’ll experience an excellent space exploration game set in a fascinating universe.

While the name change from Stellaris: Nexus to Nexus 5X may not have worked in the game’s favour, Nexus 5“ does deserve to stand in the spotlight. It manages to condense the dozens of ours of a traditional 4X game into 60-90 minutes while retaining much of the strategic maneuvering and political intrigue. While it may not appease those wanting to pour in hour after hour in single-player matches, those looking for faster, more accessible games or that focus on multiplayer should definitely give this one a look.

Even if the expansions are structured similarly every year, Necrom stands out with its great story and a very special environment. In addition, the new arcanist is quite action-packed and, with the crux-mechanic, also slightly more complex to play than the previous classes.

While it can't quite live up to the cult status of its older sibling, Vampire Crawlers is a surprisingly robust adaptation of the visuals, charme and gameplay feel of its predecessor. Especially the twist of trying to build your deck around seamlessly flowing cheap cards into expensive cards is both original and enough to carry the weight of the otherwise very familiar experience.

Anyone who has ignored or missed the campaigns of the last CoD parts should take a look here again with Black Ops 6 at the latest – it’s worth it! But also this year's Zombies mode is a real pulse accelerator and scores with two strong maps, sophisticated power-ups, a driving story, tons of Easter eggs and nice convenience functions such as the save feature for solo gamers. In multiplayer it’s back-to-the-roots, meaning rather compact maps meet tried-and-tested modes and little experimentation. The omnidirectional movement system works great here too and the content roadmap looks promising. Spawn balancing, on the other hand, requires further attention.

It's clear that Obsidian thoroughly considered community feedback during development. The result is a motivating sci-fi adventure that takes the core strengths of its predecessor and improves on it in almost every respect. The scope has practically doubled, the combat gameplay feels significantly more engaging, the mission options are even more varied, and the presentation is clearly superior to that of the first game. It's a shame, however, that the resources – despite support from publisher Xbox Game Studios – weren't sufficient for romantic relationships and German voice acting this time around. The developers also need to improve the stealth gameplay, which didn't feel as immersive as hoped in the test version.

Atelier Sophie 2 picks up lovers of the genre and combines classic gameplay with a dynamic combat system that is very good for the game series. German subtitles should slowly become a must for the series in order to be really popular in German-speaking countries.

If you have any interest at all in railroads, or just want to play a fun sim game, Railroads! is right up your alley. It may not be as complex as other Sid Meier games, but it is all the more beginner friendly for it.

EA Sports and Codemasters deliver another great outing oft he F1-series. F1 23 deliver tons of gameplay- thanks to the addition of Braking Point 2 and F1 World. Longtime-F1-players will be disappointed due to the lack of new features in the career-mode however.

Even though the changes to the career mode in the fourth installment are certainly a tough blow for Tony Hawk fans, we're overall satisfied with the latest remake. The presentation, handling, gameplay, and, above all, fun are all spot on.

NBA 2K26 delivers the most enjoyable gameplay in years: faster, more dynamic, with improved shooting mechanics and animations. Its atmosphere and offline modes shine, but online play and microtransactions undermine the experience. A great basketball game with notable flaws.

Cult of the Lamb takes a much more casual approach to the Rogue-Like genre and presents a much smoother and streamlined experience. This however means that the randomness of runs, the variance and challenge all get left on the wayside with the latter being relegated to the higher difficulty settings. No matter the difficulty, Cult of the Lamb seems to struggle in balancing its many progression systems with many players maxing out aspects of cult progression halfway through the dungeon progression. Despite those flaws and a relatively short completion time of roughly 10-15 hours, we thoroughly enjoyed time spent with Cult of the Lamb and may even return to it sometime later for a second playthrough.

Sky: Children of light is a fantastic looking adventure, where you can fly and explore a magical world. Communication happens over emotes and you can find friends by taking their hands. It's a free to play game with the options to purchase style items for real money.