Despite some rather annoying trial-&-error sections and puzzles which feel a bit too easy, Little Nightmares 2 managed to excite us from start to finish. Visuals are great, sound design is awesome, gameplay offers a fair amount of variety and the environmental story-telling again works excellent. Sadly this scary adventure is already over after roughly seven hours.

Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga is nothing less than one of the best Lego games so far. The game remains all the series' strengths concerning style, lovingly presentation and family-friendly slapstick humor and makes well use of the prestigious license with a great mixture somewhere between tribute and parody.

Not every single game mode might be more than a nice bonus. But especially with the Jamboree Buddies system and some other creative inventions the core board game mode benefits a lot. In addition with the fully new co-op mode Bowser Kaboom Squad and the competitive Koopathlon mode for 20 players Super Mario Party Jamboree is just one of the best entries to the Mario Party series, maybe the best so far.

Raccoin adds a delightfully physical element to the booming gambling rogue-like genre. Where games like Balatro are mostly cerebral, Raccoin finds a new and addictive mix between strategy, skill and luck. With a treasure trove of special coins, all interacting with each other in unique ways, we can't help but lose all of our hard earned money to the charming virtual raccoon.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is SEGA’s ambitious new entry in the kart-racing genre, combining familiar mechanics with deep vehicle customization and a wide variety of race modes. While drifting requires more skill than in competitors and gadget management has some limitations, the game impresses with its content, creativity, and fast-paced action. Overall, it stands as a strong contender for the genre’s top spot, offering both fun and challenge for racing fans.

Dragon Age – The Veilguard isn't without its flaws, but it shows Bioware's qualities after titles like Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem. The new "Dragon Age" may be less tactical, but delivers high-impacts battles that still preserve enough RPG-elements to be intensive and deep enough. With tons of choices and consequences to make, player are going to be hooked to this adventures for weeks.

The PSVR2-version is a great way to dive into the Angry Birds-series. With an unlimited supply from levels around the globe, an intuitive handling and good level design, fans of light puzzles games will get their enjoyment out of their purchase.

WWE 2K23 is another step forward fort he wrestling-franchise. 2K Games and Visual Concepts literally worked on every department and delivered a game that surpassed it already successful predecessor. Despite it's flaws, WWE 2K23 is great fun and the perfect game for the Road to Wrestlemania.

The gameplay in Ninja Gaiden 4 is excellent. It looks stunning and is always fluid and it plays even better. It’d be easy to focus on all the shortcomings of the game: weak story, awkward and boring characters, sections that feel like a mobile game and other minor nitpicks. But the fact is that the gameplay, the part that really matters in the end, stands among the best in the genre.

Sumire is a game that is enchanting as well as touching and one that leaves a lasting impression. Don't miss it if you appreciate a well-written story that is supported by well-executed visuals and emotional music.

Tales of Graces f Remastered is a neatly improved JRPG that shines above all with many convenient improvements and allows the successful story from back then to be easily experienced today. German subtitles and access to lots of DLC content are a real plus.

With Burning Shores you get a great expansion for the already convincing main game. Only the story could have been a little more exciting.

Fantasian Neo Dimension succeeds wonderfully in making familiar turn-based battles appear fresh with an exciting twist. But the (somewhat predictable) mystery story and likeable main characters are also convincing. Although a few weaknesses prevent the game from reaching its full potential, this RPG adventure is not just for genre fans.

The basic idea of Live A Live with umpteen different characters and settings, and partially various mechanics is great. But despite its charming retro-kind graphics and music a great idea alone does not make a great game. Overall Live A Live is a solid JRPG, nothing more, nothing less.

With the best story so far, that's a well done tribute to Japanese culture as well, and with its two widely different main heroes, Assassin's Creed Shadows is just one of the best parts of the series so far. Story, gameplay and dye atmosphere generate a great synergy making the game a must buy for action fans, especially for those who love Japan and want to experience the most groundbreaking part of the country's history.

With WWE 2K24, 2K Games and Visual Concepts are taking another small step towards the main wrestling match. The many detailed improvements, combined with the high recognition value and the scope of the game, make for an complete WWE package. However, WWE 2K24 is missing the big innovations.

With Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, the fighting game professionals at Arc System Works have achieved the feat of making an already excellent game even better. Thanks to more characters and refined gameplay, this is a great entry point for newcomers and veterans alike.

Planet of Lana 2 succeeds exactly where it matters most. It keeps building of a solid foundation laid by the first game, but expands the scope of both the puzzles and the story without leaving behind the uniquely meditative atmosphere. It’s an absolute must for fans of the first game and those who are looking for a more positive spin on genre favourites like Inside or Reanimal.

Borderlands 4 doesn’t reinvent the wheel but expands the chaotic loot-shooter formula with faster gameplay, creative weapons, and a larger, more varied world. While the story and enemy variety still leave room for improvement, the dynamic combat, hilarious tone, and strong co-op potential keep the experience fun and addictive. Fans of the series will feel right at home, and newcomers willing to embrace the madness will find plenty to enjoy.

Whether you were around for Turtles in Time or not, if you have any affection for those four pizza lovers or the beat-em-up genre, you owe it to yourself to play Shredder’s Revenge. It strikes a great balance between classic simplicity and modern gameplay. A glorious return to form, and playable at no additional costs for Netflix subscribers.

Ryza 3 takes the well-known, loving Atelier formula, expands it with many new elements and turns it into a huge JRPG that is not perfect - but one of the best games in the entire franchise.

Even with new tutorials MotoGP 22 does not really manage to reduce the hurdle for newcomers. But if you are content to keep trying, the gaming fun will constantly increase. The amount of content and game moves is great, but not just because of that, MotoGP remains the best two-wheeler racing simulation you can get.

If you've always dreamed of farm life, having your own market stall, love cute animals, and have a few hours to spare, then you should definitely check out Story of Seasons; Grand Bazaar. It's a successful mix of economic simulation, building strategy, and time management, packaged as a cute adventure with many extras.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is your total package when it comes to Dragon Ball-fanservice. With tons of content and an editor to create your own episodes, "Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO" has you hooked to the screen for weeks. The gameplay may be closer to Tenkaichi than ever before, but also has some issues, that causes frustration – especially if you are not emotionally attached to the franchise.

Dungeons of Hinterberg' combines three genres into a lovely package. The smart and varied puzzles are very entertaining without ever getting too complex or samey. The action-RPG is very solid but the unwieldy camera and rather boring gear system make it an uneven and only sometimes uninteresting aspect of the game. The social-sim isn’t very deep but makes that up very easily with a super charming and well written cast of characters. If somebody is into all of these things then Dungeons of Hinterberg is a very easy recommendation because it combines them with a good anti-capitalistic story, pretty visuals and a very soothing soundtrack.

Skyward Sword has never been one of the top games of the Zelda series, but with it's unique setting and sword fighting mechanic it's still a great action adventure. Essentially the HD version on Switch doesn't change anything about that. There is more comfort as on Wii, but also Nintendo could have done more for bringing the graphics in the year 2021. Nevertheless the game is a must play for Zelda fans, at least for those, who did not play the original so far.

Chivalry 2 can be an incredibly fun experience when everything runs smoothly. The refined combat may not be to everyone’s taste with its new emphasis on defense over pure hack and slash, but to those willing to learn its intricacies, it still offers a very nuanced and tactical experience. The main issue here is the amount of content that is on offer. The two game modes can’t even be queued separately and are lumped together in a clumsy and buggy main menu. The maps are wonderfully design and detailed and can offer a lot of gameplay variety, yet the game feels like an early access title that somehow made it to store shelves. The lingering promise of future microtransactions is just the final nail in the coffin here.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is an excellent J-RPG in the Monster Hunter universe. The game maintains the fundamental game mechanics from its predecessor but delivers more depth and demanding elements at the same time. Said that, Wings of Ruin is still beginner-friendly, never sacrificing the fun for just being a challenge to pro gamers, and that's a good thing.

The animations in Stars in the trash are really well done and are reminiscent of the old cartoons of yesteryear. A cute adventure game, which is unfortunately played through far too quickly.

Playing Ni No Kuni is like having an active role in an anime. The superb presentation and the wonderful humour are welcoming so that you can easily lose hours in its fantasy world. The game offers a rarely seen variety of gameplay mechanics and delivers where it should. The Switch Version lacks better graphics, but offers individual difficulty levels.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster enhances the graphics of the original in a proper style that is true to the nearly 30 years old classic and delivers good gamepad controls. That's fine for fans of the LucasArts classic and retro gamers who want to revisit the game. But except for them, the game is too far away from a current game production to make it a worth buy for everyone.

Age of Empires IV does have it’s rough edges, especially regarding specific control and comfort options. Map editor and mod support are also still missing. But apart from that it’s already a very entertaining package with eight very different factions, nice mission design ideas, thrilling multiplayer and great insights for history enthusiasts.

Tin Hearts is a wonderful little game of guiding toy soldiers through the remnants and memories of a toy workshop. While a little light on challenging experienced players, an excellent level progression, heartwarming story, and downright adorable visual design more than make up for it. However, the Nintendo Switch version suffers from muddy textures and occasional stutters that pull an otherwise excellent experience down.

Huge variety, impressive visuals and an enhanced gameplay make Company of Heroes 3 a must-have for all RTS-enthusiasts. Some bugs and glitches aside, Company of Heroes 3 is as intense as an WWII-RTS gets.

The characters in Atelier Ryza 2 have grown up, but haven't lost any of their charm. The basic principles of the typical Atelier formula have been retained and the developers added new gameplay elements. Unfortunately, they are not all 100% suitable.

Stellar Blade is an excellent action-game. And could have been even better without the sexist shenanigans regarding the female cast. Nonetheless, the overall gameplay is more than solid with combat and variety in level-design standing out.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a special game: While the gameplay is far from perfect, the presentation and the story are keys to success here. Ninja Theory dye creates an immersive and equally emotional rollercoaster that sticks with you – even days after finishing the game.

With its positive vibe and the fun gameplay loop, you can't help but grow fond of the characters and the world of Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom.

Fire Emblem Warrior: Three Hopes turns out to be an ambitious sequel to the previous game and is ahead of it in several aspects. However, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is not free of criticism. The automatic camera, for example, sometimes behaves a bit strangely in cramped situations, the mission design seems a bit repetitive after a dozen hours and the fact that the audio synchro is again not available in German could also annoy one or the other player.

A peaceful, minimalistic, and calming puzzle game that stands as something truly unique in the city-builder genre. You cannot fail, there’s no pressure - just enjoyment for those who want to switch off and forget about the outside world for 15 blessed minutes.

Despite some minor shortcomings, anyone who loved previous tactical role-playing games from Intelligent Systems will quickly fall in love with Fire Emblem Engage. Especially in classic mode with permadeath switched on, the well animated battles are in top form. The new gameplay mechanics fit in perfectly, the battlefield design has nice surprises in store, the story is peppered with some interesting twists and the online multiplayer mode provides additional long-term motivation.

We would have loved to continue playing after the 100 levels were over. You can really feel the passion the developer put into Dungeons of dreadrock, and its puzzle design, presentation and well-delivered story make it a game that puzzle fans should not miss.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a nice prequel that mixes storybook with elements of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and suggestively parallels the Metroidvania genre, including a high focus on combat, by being much more linear than this. But there are many things providing the game to be a must-have. The main reason for that is the low aspiration for being at least half-way tough, especially in terms of fighting.

Of course Alan Wake Remastered does not outbid the visuals of the current gen references, but Remedy does a great job bringing the graphics into the year 2021. Everything looks much better, sharper and more detailed, without distorting the special and intense atmosphere of the 360 original. Beside that, Alan Wake remains a great mixture of horror story and action with tactical light use and a huge dose of kaboom. If you don't know Alan Wake yet, you need to play the Remastered right now. If you are a fan of the original, the remastered version is a great opportunity to revisit Bright Falls.

Spirit City: Lofi Sessions is a game that can be easily integrated into everyday life. The game can help you to work in a more structured and productive way without forgetting to take the necessary breaks. It's cute, fun and offers a variety of different music and sounds and if that's not enough, you can even integrate YouTube.

The Sims 4 - Landhaus-Leben lets you become self-sufficient and cuddle a lot with cute animals. Despite the lack of breeding possibilities, a successful add-on with many innovations.

We had high expectations for Tempest Rising and the game largely fulfilled them. The real-time spectacle looks top-notch and evokes fond memories of the halcyon days of Command & Conquer.

The good news: Compared to previous years, Codemasters is once again bringing a breath of fresh air to its annual racing game series. The changes to the career options, the next instalment of Braking Point, the integration of the "F1" movie, and the many small technical improvements all fit the latest instalment very well. The gameplay remains top-notch and, in many respects, even feels a bit more mature than before.

Stray makes the port to the Switch and the orange ball of fur lets us immerse ourselves in a dystopian world full of drones and robots. If you like cats, you should take a closer look at the game and be patient with the awkward controls.

PGA Tour 2K25 takes some noticeable steps forward compared to its now two-year-old predecessor: PGA Tour 2K25 looks and plays great. No reason for criticism? Yes, there are. The career is suffering of the tedious interviews and the overall very staid surroundings. In addition, minor balancing problems and the still very present microtransactions are annoying.

Even 13 years later, Sonic Generations is still one thing above all else: pure and, most importantly, lightning-fast platforming fun! The great levels are packed with little details, the graphics and soundtrack are beautiful and Shadow's appearance makes the experience even better. Despite some minor flaws, this game is absolutely worthy of SEGA's video game legend.

Vertigo 2 is an entertaining, colorful and over-the-top trip through a half-life-esque world. A wide variety of enemies, ambiguous dialog and cracking boss fights make it a must-have for VR fans.

With Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game Saber Interactive takes a new spin on the beloved offroad franchise. With a much lesser focus on transportation over exploration, this time more than ever the journey is the goal. A more guided structure eases new players in, while veterans can discover plenty of challenging side missions off the beaten path. While there are some technical issues at launch and the multiplayer is sorely missed (to be added via free update later), the package as a whole is still a solid game for those who don't mind taking it slower.

The Prince of Persia franchise has a long history across various genres. This metroidvania entry is an absolute blast to play and hits all the right notes along the way. Fast-paced gameplay, engaging puzzles and of course an interconnected game world to discover step by step as you progress. A must-play.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is crafted with passion, runs incredibly smoothly technically, and tells an entertaining, charmingly staged story peppered with pleasant humor that should delight genre fans, especially younger audiences. While there are no real plot twists, the 14 different professions are well-integrated into the overall structure and invite you to continue playing even after completing the story. But: There's definitely room for improvement in the multiplayer mode. Nevertheless, anyone who enjoyed the predecessor and generally enjoys RPG life sims will have a lot of fun with this one.

Nearly as fast as Sekiro dye, but still with a lot of tactical options in its duel-based fights, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty delivers a unique mix of different Soulslike attitudes. If the first boss wasn't a little too hard and the difficulty curve flattening more and more afterwards, Wo Long maybe could have beaten Nioh 2. That way it's not outstanding, but just a well done action RPG that can easily be recommended to any fan of the genre.

In the aspects where it counts, Skate Story absolutely rules. It’s a joy to play once you get used to the controls, it oozes style, the vibes are tremendous and the soundtrack is out of this world. It suffers from the aforementioned control issues and its enormous weirdness might be a turn some people off but overall it’s just a genuine blast to play.

A nicely told story of life and its ups and downs completed with hand drawn art and well picked indie music by a local band.

Last Train Home tells a gritty and emotional story of Czechoslovakian legionnaires trying to reach their distant home after the conclusion of World War I. As foreign armed forces in a now war-torn Russia, players not only have to manage scarce resources, but also their allegiances. While the core elements of RTS gameplay and survival management sim work well together, a large part of your enjoyment will depend on the balance of those two. For large stretches of gameplay, Last Train Home isn’t an RTS with management sim elements, but a Surival Management game with occasional RTS missions.

Atelier Yumia introduces many new gameplay elements that will influence the entire Atelier series. Some still need polishing, but we can certainly see where it's headed.

Temtem follows a rather simple premise. What if Pokémon’s first generation was made today? The result is an excellent dose of nostalgia with many modernized features such as campaign co-op and a rich endgame. It’s about time Nintendo’s stagnant franchise gets serious competition and as things stand now, Temtem is the game for those who have dropped off the main Pokémon games for lack of innovation and challenge. A relatively low price and a ton of very polished content makes this an easy recommendation.

Cool, stylish and with an action-packed combat system: NEO is refreshingly different and, despite small weaknesses, convinces with a (reaper) game of life and death.

Similar to the Metroidvania spin-off The Lost Crown, The Rogue Prince of Persia is far more than just a nice consolation prize to bridge the wait for a "real" sequel to the Prince of Persia series. It features fast-paced combat, fluid platforming, and a motivating progression system, complete with attractive graphics. If you like the genre, you can't go wrong with it.

Although Nikoderiko: The Magical World doesn't quite match the class of its great idols, this playable love letter to the platformer genre is a title that fans can give a chance without hesitation.

Tales of Xillia Remastered is one of the best in the series in terms of fighting gameplay – if not the best. The story, as always, offers plenty of content, while the world itself is somewhat less extensive. The quality-of-life improvements and a few extras definitely make this Tales of highlight from 2013 very playable now.

Building your own team could be a huge benefit for F1 Manager 2024. But because of the too risky finance system, is too easy to run into problems you cannot correct later. Beside that, F1 Manager 2024 is more or less the same game like last year, but with some minor improvements on- and offside the track, making it just a little bit better than its predecessor.

Cat Quest III is an extremely charming pirate adventure that will quickly cast a spell over you and reward your thirst for discovery. Due to some weaknesses, the action RPG may not be purrfect, but the Purribean will certainly give you a good feeling.

SNK's legendary fighting game series celebrates a highly successful comeback with Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. A complex combat system, unique characters and action that simply feels great are the main reasons why. So rev it up and unleash your fury.

Unfortunately, KoF XV is not the big revolution it could have been. The title feels more like a slightly polished version of its predecessor, albeit with somewhat less content and scope. A no-brainer for fans of the series (especially because of the rollback netcode). But those who are not enthusiasts of the franchise will probably be happier with another current representative of the genre.

WWE 2K25 shows two faces in our review: On the one hand, it's a highly enjoyable wrestling-game with tons of content and great fanservice. The heavily implemented microtransactions and an uninspired The Island harm the overall experience. However, in the end the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones, so that we can still recommend the wrestling game.

Although currently a bit light on content (with more on the way) Jetpack Joyride on Apple Arcade does away with the original's microtransactions while still keeping the same addicting and fun gameplay loop. This is an absolute no-brainer for subscribers to Apple's gaming service.

Planet of Lana is exceptionally beautiful and atmospherically dense. The side-scroller offers classic platform puzzling, which gains in complexity through Lana's companion, Mui. Mui is a brave little guy - and one of the cuddliest representatives of his guild.

Reanimal is a stylistically and atmospherically excellent, varied horror platformer. You can also experience it across platforms in local and cross-platform co-op. The puzzles are somewhat lacking, but the action is particularly intense. However, this doesn't detract from a gripping horror experience, as good as Little Nightmares 3 should have been.

Knockout City is the fun version of a dodgeball game that you can only play online. Despite the easy-to-learn gameplay, beginners may quickly lose interest thanks to difficult balancing.

Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes successfully brings the series’ signature horror atmosphere into an immersive first-person VR experience. Its chapter-based structure keeps gameplay varied with stealth, climbing, and chase sequences. However, the snap-turn camera system can break immersion during tense moments. Overall, it’s a strong VR entry for fans, though its dark visuals and controls have minor drawbacks.

With its very classic approach including five streamlined game boards from the N64 era and healthy collection of 100 mini-games Mario Party Superstarts is an enjoyment especially for veterans of the series. As always, the best way to play the game is with others on the couch or online. But because of the a little better balanced AI solo players can have some more fun as in the predecessor Super Mario Party.

Ghostrunner II is an adrenaline-pumping tour de force full of brutal sword fights, challenging platformer passages and high-speed motorbike races. Apart from minor weaknesses, you can expect one of the best (and most difficult) action games of the year.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink captivates you with its stunning game world and takes you on a great adventure high up in the clouds. With its likeable characters, its gripping presentation and its thrilling combat system, you too should join the crew, despite one or two weaknesses.

Scarlet Nexus convinces with a great story, which is meaningfully interwoven with the abilities of the characters and the unique opponent design.

Revenge of the Savage Planet turns out to be a consistent improvement of the first instalment, picking up exactly where it lacked, especially in terms of scope and accessibility. The five planets themselves are wonderfully varied and boast a high level of verticality. Added to that is a nice range of unlockable gadgets that provide previously unimagined mobility. What remains is a genuinely feel-good Metroidvania with a fast-paced story, plenty of variety, nice graphics, cool ideas, a strong soundtrack, plenty of humour, few flaws and a very flexible co-op mode that's compelling both online and offline. Bravo Racoon Logic!

Darkest Dungeon 2 forgoes the traditional route of making a sequel by adding more of the same and instead turns the entire formula on its head. It addresses some criticism of the first title with its changes, while creating frustration in new places with the overhaul. It’s far from a perfect game, but the dripping, gothic atmosphere and presentation still make it more than worth the while to at least try and bring a glimmer of hope into the endless darkness.

Forgive Me Father 2 rocks hard! The lovecraftian setting combined with an alien arsenal of weapons and powers as well as non-stop Boomershooter action and a Metal soundtrack that just rips can be tremendously fun. On the other side there is the mostly mundane leveldesign, upgrades that are barely worth that description as well as a sometimes pretty unbalanced difficulty in combat. Nevertheless this is absolutely worth a look if you’re intrigued by the genre or the setting itself.

Lost Judgment is a good sequel to an amazing predecessor. The fighting system is fun, the mission design is very diverse, and you can still put hours into entertaining optional stuff within the vast open world. There is just one thing that makes a huge difference. Takayuki Yagami's new case is not in the least as personal and captivating as his first one. That doesn't make Lost Judgment a bad game, but it makes it clearly stand behind the first part of the spin-off series.

If you want to be challenged or if four hours are not enough for you, Keeper might not be yours. But if you're searching for a dense and unique experience with creative gameplay, beautiful graphics, and a strong atmosphere you should absolutely play it.

Far Cry 6 is going to be somewhat divisive. Those that enjoy the series for its sandbox and the ability to wreak havoc with a large assortment of weapons and vehicles may find this to be the best the series has ever been. Those, like me, who enjoyed the antagonists, and the more scripted main missions may be disappointed to see the new villain, played by the brilliant Giancarlo Espacito, almost completely wasted. He barely makes a presence and when he does, the series is too comfortable treading the same ground as past titles. Nonetheless, this is an excellent Open-World shooter that trades any surprises it may have for very solid, streamlined Ubisoft gameplay.

It’s hard to hold any of Tormented Souls’s flaws against the game since so many of them are by design. It’s very strict adherence to the classics of survival horror means you have a game that can easily frustrate, but also captivates with its struggle for survival like very few horror titles do these days. The story is cheese and the difficulty can feel arbitrary when we have to replay entire chapters of the game after dying to a hidden trap, just because the game refuses to include checkpoints. This is, however, a game that survival-horror fans have wanted for many years and it shows that fixed camera angles and limited saves can make for an incredibly intense horror experience even today.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake takes the presentation and soundtrack of a real classic to a contemporary level and also optimizes controls and enemy behavior. The 2-player co-op mode is a nice addition which, strictly speaking, already existed in the 2019 Switch version. If you already know the latter or have already played through the original, you are paying primarily for a nice technology upgrade. However, if you never experienced the original, the remake is undoubtedly your best option at the moment.

Rollerdrome is a celebration of the mantra “easy to learn, hard to master”, except even the beginning stages require advanced levels of hand-eye-coordination that may challenge a more casual audience. Despite having various, commendable options for difficulty and accessibility, at the core, Rollerdome is aimed at a niche of hardcore players that love chasing highscore and chasing the elusive “perfect run”. While certainly not to everyone’s taste, Rollerdrome is absolutely stellar at what it does and lands its killer combo with a stylish presentation and a banging soundtrack.

Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe remains a fine jump-and-run game that makes mostly anything right concerning new HD graphics and new skills. It is fun to play, as long as you don't expect something very challenging. Also the scope of the game is fine, but especially fans of the Wii original should know that they should not expect too much from the completely new epilogue mode.

Yacht Club Games still knows how to make a good Shovel Knight game. The mix of old strengths and new elements combine into a fun, vertical experience that make Shovel Knight Dig an experience we can fully recommend.

Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail is a great expansion that has a lot to offer. The graphics update is really good and the Final Fantasy music is still a masterpiece. The main story questline is okay, but unfortunately not as outstanding as players had hoped. Nevertheless, the new world of Dawntrail is worth a look for every MMO fan, as there are new dungeons, new jobs, new decorative items and much more.

While Dynasty Warriors: Origins is not a complete reboot of the franchise it still offers enough new elements to make it a great starting point into the series. The big battles are still the strongest part while the main story is interesting enough. The story of the protagonist is rather boring though and the character often feels completely out of place in the retelling of the history of the Three Kingdoms. The main battles are grand and exciting but everything else can start to feel rather boring after a while. With that said it still offers a fun “Dynasty Warriors” experience on modern hardware.

In the first one or two hours of play, “Inkulinati” still feels quite cumbersome. However, once you have worked your way through the numerous tutorial lessons and internalized the basic principles, the title starts to pull you in and creates wonderful gameplay moments for lovers of turn-based strategy games. The Monty Phython-inspired humor is also appealing and graphically “Inkulinati” is something very special thanks to its unique medieval style. Plays great on Steam Deck too.

Concerning its gameplay mechanics, New Pokémon Snap is nearly as thin as the N64 original. But that does not reduce the captured fascination of the well-animated and diverse pocket monsters and especially not the fun while playing the game. Developer Bandai Namco did a good job and delivers a non-action focused Pokémon adventure on switch, that at least every fan of the franchise needs to play.

A promising entry to the long-lasting legacy of Dungeon Keeper that lacks in both variety and depth long-term. While the theme is fun and offers the occasional genuine chuckle between a lot of chliché-ridden humor a lot of the gameplay goes from fun to tedious in the later stages of the game. This game will have you hooked for a couple hours, but it’ll struggle to have you coming back for more once you’ve seen it all.

If you like slow and deliberate horror then Routine is an absolute must. It’s positively dripping in atmosphere and does a tremendous job of immersing you on this seemingly lost place on the moon. It looks great and offers incredible music and even better sound design. When it comes to the gameplay it is unfortunately rather bland. It does what it does pretty alright but it never reaches the heights it offers in its other elements.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows isn’t a radical revolution for the series. Instead, it refines the formula with minor improvements, delivering excellent stealth, engaging combat, and likable protagonists. The core gameplay remains largely familiar, but if you’re looking for the most stunning depiction of Japan in any medium, this is it.

The great strength of The Elder Scrolls Online are the stories based on often excellently written dialogues. And High Isle fully exploits this strength with a motivating main mission. But as fresh as the story may seem, the rest of the chapter feels a bit like an annual ritual.