Developer Purple Lamp successfully brings the Wii original into the year 2024 with mostly fully new graphics that (more or less) make the remake look like a current production. The action adventure is too undemanding for a must-have. But with its creative gameplay and as an atmospheric Homage to Disney classics it's worth buying not simply for fans of the original.

Although Tales of Kenzera: Zau cannot shine with outstanding gameplay innovations, it does offer rock-solid, well-balanced and very fluid Metroidvania gameplay. The two masks in particular fit perfectly into the beautifully staged African setting and considerably expand the agile Zau's range of abilities. It's also nice how fluidly and responsively everything can be controlled and how much passion went into the soundtrack, the voice acting and the story. There's also little to complain about in terms of level design, although the bottom line is that we would have liked even more variation in the enemy types.

While Metro Awakening stumbles in some finer details, it manages to deliver its ambitious core idea: Transporting the player into an even more immersive version of the bleak and desolate world of Metro. While the Quest 3 standalone version definitely shows the limits of the headset's hardware it is nonetheless an impressive display of graphical fidelity, interactivity and stunning lighting work. It is no doubt one of the must-own games for this headset if you are brave enough to descent into the tunnels below Moscow.

Men in Black: Most Wanted is pretty much what’s on the cover. A fairly generic VR shooter with a pretty well done MIB coat of paint. It’s far from a disappointing VR cash grab, but falls short in terms of new ideas and technical prowess. For fans, it’s safe to grab, but everyone else can wait for a sale.

As great as Marvel's Spider-Man 2 may be in terms of content and gameplay, Sony and Nixxes initially ruined the launch of the game on PC from a technical perspective. However, it's all the more pleasing that the developers are currently tackling the problems quickly and that several of them have already disappeared. If Nixxes' patching efforts continue at this pace, there is a good chance that the game will hopefully soon reach the level of quality that we also know from the PS5 version. Until then, our devaluation will remain.

After many years we finally get to play “Replaced” and if you care about the story, the setting and its impeccable atmosphere you will have a tremendous time. The combat mostly flows excellently and looks amazing, the platforming feels nice and fluid if it doesn’t get annoying by the weird checkpoints and odd camera positions and the story offers a lot of depth if you are willing to read a lot of text. If all of those mentioned “buts” seem like a dealbreaker to you then you probably will be frustrated by all of it. If you manage to look past them and just immerse yourself in this gameworld you will be thoroughly entertained though.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is more than a simple remake of the GBA original. Beside the fine modernized graphics there are more worlds and levels, a new co-op and dye speedrun mode. If you love the original or just a great combination of classic platformer and puzzle game, this remake should make its way to your Switch.

System Shock is a masterful remake of an absolute classic. While much of the old essence is left largely unchanged, such as the intricate level design and the chilling atmosphere, the game has been enhanced subtly to highlight its strengths and adapt to a modern audience. System Shock shows that old and new can sometimes go hand in hand and blend together to a timeless masterpiece.

As expected, Dead Island 2 is not a game that extensively scores with complex gameplay in a regular sense. You mostly kill zombies, but in a never seen before marked brutal and detailed diversive manner. And the last is the core of a great first person zombie action game and the reason why you need to play it, regardless if you prefer playing it solo or in online co-op mode.

Sonic Superstars won’t change anyone’s mind on the Sonic franchise, but instead serves as somewhat of a soft reboot. It’s drawing from the strength of the old games, while introducing new zones, new abilities and 4-player co-op. At its very core it’s still playing things save and doesn’t change too much about the established formula, but it lays an excellent foundation on which Sega could and should built upon, as unlikely as that is, given the franchises history.

The Monster Hunter Stories Collection for PlayStation delivers around 70 to 80 hours of pleasant gameplay with fine round-based combat and a motivating character system. The remastered version of part 1 increases the experience by some nice visual improvements and benefits a lot from the totally new voiceover. It’s not on eye level with current productions, but that does not affect the atmosphere too much. The second part Wings of Ruin is still the better game with a richer world and a more complex combat system. But if you already played it on a PC or Switch, you do not experience much new. In total, the Monster Hunter Stories Collection is a rich compilation of two games, you should play if you like the Monster Hunter series and round based combat.

FIFA 23 is a solid outing fort he series, even though it lacks the really groundbreaking innovations. Best new feature is Hypermotion-2-Technolgoy, that give the on-pitch-gameplay a new spin. However, there are still a lot of old flaws, that EA Sports has to target over the next years.

For fans of the genre or Scott Pilgrim Scott Pilgrim EX is basically a must have. It sounds awesome, looks gorgeous and mostly plays excellently. Thanks to its broad roster of characters and a ton of items to equip it offers great replayability for both solo or multiplayers. While the characters are written in a lovely way the overall story is lacking and sometimes it’s hard to keep track of everything on the screen in big fights it is still an incredibly fun and engaging game.

Dying Light 2 might not be the ultimate high-rider that early impressions promised. But more important than that, Techland delivers a sequel that's far better in mostly any aspect. It's technically strong on next-gen, provides a great fluid free running system, a powerful combat system, and combines it with a highly varied and vast open world. Even the story with all its world-changing decisions outperforms the predecessor clearly.

Milestone certainly works on the weaknesses of its "MotoGP"-series: And while MotoGP 24 still isn't the most accessible or flamboyant racing-game out there, the improved career, tutorials and options do a proper job to push the series into the right direction.

The 7th Guest VR is an all-round successful implementation of a somewhat outdated game principle. The game convinces with a coherent game world, its exciting story and an overall good puzzle quality. It's just a shame that the developers don't use haptic feedback and there are some missing comfort options.

Welcome back! TopSpin 2K25 delivers superb gameplay on the court and is just as easy to get into yet challenging as ever before. The small roster of talents harms the overall impression. Same goes for the career, that feels a bit outdated at times.

Need for Speed Unbound feels like two steps forward, one step back. While the story progression serves as a nice motivation to get better cars and take risks with the police, the newest part of this once-beloved series still falls flat in some regards. Visual presentation is sub-par for a game that advertises itself as game built for the next generation of consoles. While gameplay is fun and taking a lot of inspiration from Burnout with its heavy reliance on drifting and boosts lee, there are a few issues as well. Police, while initially invigorating, quickly becomes a chore as chases drag on forever and can, in the worst case, reset player progress of over an hour. This is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, but “Need for Speed” is still not quite at the best it has been.

Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is a true and worthy successor to the first major video game adaptation of the anime and manga series. The battles are presented in a spectacular and highly impactful way, though the remaining segments—especially exploring and interacting with NPCs—come across as a bit too static for our taste. Nevertheless, fans of the franchise can dive in without hesitation, particularly if they enjoy the arena fighter genre and want to once again experience the adventures of Tanjiro Kamado and his sister Nezuko.

Rise of the Rōnin is a great action RPG with an intense combat mechanic, a strong and captivating story line and a huge and diverse open world. The weak spot is the balancing. Because despite there being three difficulty levels, some missions and especially some boss fights are too hard, even on the mid and the lowest difficulty setting.

Like the first game, Figment 2: Creed Valley packs serious topics into a cute look with decent riddle- and adventure gameplay. The boss fights in particular are a real highlight and help to overlook small technical glitches and the like.

Wario Ware: Get it together delivers a nice bunch of characters within fast paced and creative mini games and challenges. But especially for solo players the game will run out of air in just a few hours. Even with co-op and competitive modes included, the game does not offer long term fun like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or funracer king Mario Kart 8 do.

A wonderful and colorful blend of everything strategy games have to offer. While neither the 4X gameplay nor the tactical combat reaches the heights and depth of its competitors, the unique blend of familiar elements mixed with emergent story telling makes this a safe bet for any fan of strategy games.

This is certainly not a game for fans of realistic racing action, but if you are up for over the top craziness and quick challenges, What the Car? is a game Apple Arcade users absolutely should not miss.

Wild Hearts does not revolutionize the hunting game genre, but with as few competitors, that is hardly necessary. The building system both in and outside of combat adds enough variety and depth that the simpler weapons and streamlined crafting are welcome. Sadly, technical flaws, such as blurry visuals and horrendous pop-in keep this otherwise great game from making a play on Capcom's throne. It is a title, however that we're eager to see expanded upon and further developed in the already planned title updates and hopefully eventually in a sequel. As it stands, it's a fun alternative to Monster Hunter, but cannot live up to those games' polish and sheer endless depth of content.

Super Mario Party Jamboree is still one of the best Party-Games on Switch and retains this status on Switch 2, because anything that makes the game great is included. The new mode Jamboree TV delivers new things, especially some fresh and exclusive mini games with mouse control or mic support. But that's more like a bonus for fans and nothing that makes the great Jamboree a better game.

While lacking in presentation and depth in ist career-mode, PGA Tour 2K23 is a compelling golf-simulation. The gameplay turns out to be both challenging yet satisfying and keeps players motivated for a lot of hours.

Metacritic: The Crew Motorsport is fast, feels good and delivers a various bunch of playlists in a beautiful open world. It still features some of the mechanics that made the series special, but gets much closer to the Forza Horizon formula without overall reaching Microsoft's open world racer.

If you like the current and famous guard of voice actors then Dead Take is basically a must. Both Newbon and Starr are stellar. None of the other actors have to hide behind those two though and it is a joy to see people like Jane Perry, CDawg or Alanah Pearce bringing full performances to the screen. The puzzles in the game are logical and fit well with the whole theme of the game but aren’t outstanding or new in any shape. The game is very linear and the mechanic of splicing two unrelated videos together is conceptually cool but rather boring to actually do.

Are you ready for a séance? The "Paranormale Phänomene" accessories pack offers all The Sims 4 players the opportunity to connect with the deceased. In addition to necromancy, you can even take a new job (paranormal developer) and hunt ghosts professionally.

After The Fall is definitely a very entertaining VR game: with cracking action, great co-op and a terrific technical implementation. Whether it can motivate in the long term will depend on whether future updates can provide enough variety.

Combining the three best games in its series, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania offers great value for very little. While the game certainly primarily seeks the attention of a younger audience, core gamers might also enjoy it due to precise controls and a neat challenge mode.

It wasn’t easy following the extraordinarily ambitious The Sinking City, yet Sherlock Holmes Chapter One takes some of the best ideas of its predecessor and builds on them, combining it with Frogware’s experience with the Sherlock Holmes universe. The result is a game that can feel very rigid and linear at times but excels in the deep and emotional exploration of Sherlock Holmes as a character. The game is full of interesting and memorable cases, even if player decisions and agency barely matter. This game lives in the legacy of old adventure games like the Broken Sword series and if understood as such, this is a wonderful modern adventure game.

Fae Farm is a typically complex farming game that casts a spell over you with a (too small) touch of magic and enchanting creatures. You'll be chronically broke, tired and drained, but pretty happy.

It's no longer FIFA, it's EA Sports FC 24 – but EA Sports new football-game barely feels like a fresh start for the series. While it provide proper additions like the Hypermotion V animations and their effects on the match-flow, career modes lack change and Ultimate Team is more pay-to-win than ever before.

Railgrade is a phenomenal little puzzle game all about connecting resources and industries on a far-out space colony with trains. While more limited in scope than similar games such as Factorio or Satisfactory, Railgrade nails an almost Zen-like gameplay loop with its short missions and simple controls. All of the solid gameplay is held up with a motivating progression in difficulty and a charming, diorama-like presentation.

During its strongest moments Darwin’s Paradox! is an absolute joy. No matter if you have to solve simple puzzles, escape from danger at high speed or just jump through complex platforming sections, Darwin feels great to control and offers fun and varied gameplay. On top of that he is a lovely and great looking protagonist and the design of other creatures and the world itself is topnotch. The game suffers from issues with the camera, dips in the framerate and some traps and dangers during the gameplay are just too well hidden to spot on a first playthrough. Ultimately these things don’t matter too much as “Darwin’s Paradox!” is just a blast to play.

Visions of Mana scores above all with its charming look and loveable characters. The new elemental powers are also quite impressive. Although various facets prevent the action RPG from unleashing its full potential, the return of the legendary game series is a success overall.

Innerspace VR proves once again how a game concept works in VR. It's fun to always find new larvae fragments, because of course you absolutely want to penetrate into large temples of majestic splendor. We give Maskmaker a clear must-play recommendation.

Star Wars Outlaws isn't a high-flyer both, as an open world action game and a Star Wars title. For that, the game is too usual in combat, stealth or world design. But Massive Entertainment still does a god job with a high variety in gameplay, an interesting, versatile story and with a friendly main hero and not at last one of the most loveable sidekicks in gaming history.

If you liked Dead Rising then you will love Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. It’s still just as much fun to take out hordes of zombies using a stack of CDs, a giant parasol or various gardening tools. Compared to the original “Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster” is a much smoother and painless experience. This might be a problem for the people who already adore that game. For everybody else it makes it simply much more enjoyable. While the auto-save can be largely ignored if you want, there is no way around having a much easier time while taking calls from Otis or using guns. Being able to save and skip time in the bonus mode on the other is probably something that everybody will be happy about.

With Asterigos: Curse of the Stars it can often feel like you’re doing one step forward and two steps back. The game has its moments of brilliance, both in gameplay and presentation, but often stumbles along the way. The combat feels satisfying, but the flexibility offered through the six different fighting styles is quickly limited through expensive upgrades and weapon-specific skill trees. Similarly while the game offers some cinematic and downright impressive views, especially during some of the bossfights, the vast majority of the Roman and Greek inspired city feels empty and repetitive, making exploration more of a chore than a highlight. Overall the lows and highs hold each other in balance, offering an enjoyable but mostly forgettable experience that, thanks to its solid combat, still counts among the better re-interpretations of the Dark Souls formula.

With Aliens: Dark Descent Tindalos Interactive merges one of the coolest sci-fi-horror licenses of the last decades with a cleverly designed realtime tactics foundation. Combined with permadeath mechanics, challenging enemies and a persistent world that allows you to retreat if things get too dangerous, players will experience high levels of tension. Despite a remaining technical problems, deficits in the number of alien types you encounter and a sometimes too predictable plot, Dark Descent still snatches our insider’s tipp award for June 2023.

Ride 5 makes another small step into the right direction. The overall atmospheric career is a solid foundation, but also lacks additional production-value in its presentation. Ride 5 however does deliver on the track with very playable racing-gameplay, that not only challenges experienced players but also gives newcomers a chance to succeed.

Patapon 1+2 Replay proves that ingenious game ideas never get old! Even though the music game may seem cute at first glance, it's packed with depth and complexity. The battles are tactically challenging, but also require maximum concentration. There's much more to Patapon than you might initially imagine, making the remake collection both worth playing and highly recommended. If you haven't tried Patapon yet, you should do so now.

MotoGP 26 delivers refined handling and a solid racing experience, but lacks meaningful innovation. A good entry for newcomers, yet only a modest upgrade for returning players. The core is strong, but progression and career depth still feel underdeveloped.

Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story may not be the biggest release of this winter, but it surely is one to keep an eye on. With its heartwarming story and characters "Song of Nunu" delivers solid platformer-gameplay along with interesting puzzles.

With its huge amount of compact and fast mini-games WarioWare: Move it! is an entertaining party game. Solo players can also have some fun in the short story mode, but only when you have at least a second set of Joy-Cons to play together or against others, the game is able to deliver a notable long term motivation.

Ghostwire: Tokyo turns out to be a huge disappointment. Despite its fascinating setting and its interesting plot, the open-world-gameplay turns out to be boring and monotone. The overall game lacks variety and depth.

At its core, Farming Simulator 22 remains mostly the same. But, if you want, production chains and seasons expand depth and complexity. But the main reason, why this game is the best part of the series so far, is the technical progression that makes it proverbially from an ugly duckling to pleasant swan.

If you need an excuse to get off of your couch while still playing a game then Just Dance will get you to do that. It offers a wide array of pop music from the last decades and when it works it works almost flawlessly. Unfortunately we had issues with the Controller App every now and then where the app wouldn’t connect or just not pick up our movements. It’s easily fixed but still a bit of a drag. On top of that the menus are a sensory overload that should be able to be navigated a lot more easily.

Sniper Elite: Resistance delivers Rebellions patented action-stealth-experience. While the gameplay remains intense and enjoyable, the presentation and the handling need an overhaul for the next parts of the series.

Jagged Alliance 3 is a masterful blend of different genres. At the surface level it’s a tactical shooter with some heavy simulation elements, but it expands during the lengthy campaign into deep strategic elements, managing multiple troops of soldiers and deepening your bond to those colorful and satirized mercenaries with surprisingly well-crafted and deep roleplay elements as well. The lack of hand-holding or in-depth tutorials may add to the struggle for survival for some, but also adds a steep learning curve and hefty barrier of entry to an otherwise extraordinary game.

If you're just focusing on graphics and performance or if you want everything to make sense, No More Heroes 3 might not be your game. But the quality of Suda51's new game consists of something else. It's the number of crazy ideas making you laugh out loud over and over again. It's the spectacular fighting action, the crazy characters and the many references to Japanese and western popular culture that makes No More Heroes 3 an enjoyable trip that's worth buying and a must-play for Suda fans.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes mainly delivers what the developers promised. It's a mostly very classical JRPG experience with beautiful graphics and great music. But while fans of the 90's JRPGs might get anything they love about these classics here, they also get nearly everything, that they might hate about them.

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 is a huge callback for every Metal-Gear-fan. While it does not offer any new content, it brings the classic games back to the current generation of gamers. Therefore you get a huge collection of stealth-games – with all its strengths and weaknesses.

Reigns: The Witcher is a smart and charming crossover that captures the strengths of both franchises. Strong writing and replayable systems keep it engaging, even if the added combat feels slightly out of place.

Emio: The Smiling Man is not only a great example of Nintendo keeping a close eye on the wishes of its fan community, but also a really exciting detective story with several twists that we didn't see coming. In addition, like in a good novel by Agatha Christie and co., the developers manage to make us play games of thought as the story progresses about who the culprit is - only to discard them and replace them with others. It is precisely this aspect that keeps us on the edge of our seats to solve the case right to the end.

When playing Total War: Pharaoh, time simply goes by easily. Creative Assembly delivers another outstanding strategy-game, that connects all its aspects well and motivates with constant progression. Despite some minor flaws in the user-guidance-department, Total War: Pharaoh is a must-have-game for every RTS-fan.

Even in 2025, Hitman: Absolution's iPhone release is still a stealth game worth playing. The core loop of infiltrating and finding the best (or quirkiest) ways to eliminate your target are as fun as they were 13 years ago, when the game first came out. This assassin is worth carrying around in your pocket.

Monument Valley 3 delivers the captivating atmosphere and puzzles the franchise is known for, while expanding in terms of gameplay and scope. More content has been promised by Netflix, and we are looking forward to it.

Despite a few now-outdated design decisions, we were positively surprised how well these games hold up after over 3 decades. The effort that was put into the updated presentation together with the well-written stories and characters make this a package well worth your time.

If you have never played Yakuza 3 before and want to experience it for yourself then Yakuza 3 Kiwami & Dark Ties is probably the way to go now. It feels modern and the newly added things and story beats fit perfectly fine into the game for the most part. Unfortunately the games engine starts to really show its cracks by now and the amount of reused “new” content is starting to reach a critical point.

Battle Brothers is a dense and realistic tactical roleplaying game that offers almost endless replay value with randomly generated campaigns. Leading your band of mercenaries into battle may not be visually impressive, but the depth of combat and the degree of customization makes this an incredibly addictive game to play on the go. The switch may just be the perfect platform for a title like this that always lures players with the next reward around the corner.

While it’s still somewhat struggling with the legacy of Bullfrog’s Dungeon Keeper, Dungeons 4 from German developer Realmforge Studios continues to carve out its own identity. A very solid and refined gameplay loop is somewhat held back by quickly dated humor and some visual clutter. If you liked the earlier Dungeons games, expect more of the same with smaller additions and improvements, but those itching to be evil don’t have a better alternative anyway.

Atelier Reseleria combines the typical JRPG Atelier formula with small management elements in the form of a shop and other extras to help the protagonists rebuild their hometown. Thanks to numerous cameos from other Atelier protagonists, the game feels like a magical class reunion that doesn't overdo it but plays pleasantly.

Steelrising entices with a steampunk reimagining of the French Revolution and combat heavily inspired by Dark Souls. While it nails many aspects of its presentation and shows just how far developer Spiders has come from games like Technomancer, the combat still doesn’t flow quite as smoothly as with competitors. What it lacks in interesting environment design, it balances out with excellent atmosphere and a welcoming approach to difficulty. Thanks to an accessibility function and optional waypoints, it’s never been this easy to get into a Souls-Like. Steelrising is an excellent addition to Spiders’ portfolio and an easy recommendation for fans of Action-RPGs and those with an interest in the mysterious and enchanting world put on screen.

MotoGP 23 is a solid successor fort he racing-series, but has a lot of flaws, that prevent the game from hitting a mainstream-appeal. Presentation outside the races is bland, the career-mode lacks overall depth and the racing-gameplay is still too difficult to attract fresh players.

While Ilfonic who previously worked on “Predator: Hunting Grounds” and “Friday the 13th: The Game” excel at recreating the look and feel of the Ghostbusters movies, the gameplay remains relatively simple and shallow. This isn’t necessarily a title you’ll sink night after night into, but instead one to pick up now and again to play a couple of missions with friends. While it’s a bit light on the content side, the developers have a history of supporting their games long after launch with extensive updates.

While Mortal Shell cannot completely fill the big shoes of "Dark Souls", it is an impressive debut by Cold Symmetry. We especially liked the unique art design and the motivating battle system and are looking forward to a successor.

Soul Hackers 2 is a JRPG for fans of the Devil Summoner games and Persona 5, but unfortunately struggles with boring dungeons and a story that could have been made a lot more.

Fallen Feathers is a good action RPG with brutal, impulsive combat, impressive bosses, well designed game world and nice graphics. But in the end, it can't fully compete with the best Soulslikes, which is why the game does not possess the status as a must-play. But if you can't get enough of this kind of game, Wuchang is still a good choice.

Princess Peach: Showtime benefits a lot from the idea of wearing different costumes, giving Peach a high variety of special abilities. Like usual for Nintendo games, the game brims over concerning loving details. The very low difficulty level and the partly inappropriate performance prevent the game from a higher score.

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a visual treat for fans of the Metroidvania genre. Though it may have a few rough edges, it definitely provides a challenging yet fun experience.

Still Wakes the Deep is just the best game from The Chinese Room so far. The gameplay is not very demanding and strictly linear, but delivers a high variety for this kind of games. The main thing is, that the horror-trip on a Scottish oil platform provides a compelling experience with mostly perfect sound delivering a strong atmosphere from the start till the end.

Even after more than 20 years Fatal Frame 2 still offers a surprisingly fresh take on combat as well as a very creepy and dense atmosphere. This is paired with a very strong and emotional story about twin sisters that are lost in a forsaken village deep in the Japanese woods. Unfortunately this remake runs at only 30FPS on every console it will be available on which gets in the way of having fun. Pair that with a lack of genuine horror moments, a lot of predictable jump scares and obnoxious film grain and Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE becomes a diamond in the rough for fans of the genre only.

Unfortunately, "Cygni" didn't really convince us. Yes, the game looks incredibly good and conjures up a real fireworks display on the screen. And yes, the snappy bullet hell battles are fun. Nevertheless, we felt that the spark of genius that is necessary for a game of this genre was missing. The balance between the difficulty levels isn't really right. The pacing within the missions isn't right for our taste either: "Cygni" keeps us stuck at certain points too often, and far too often these snapshots drag on too much. Then the action game is almost boring despite all its qualities. And the upgrade system and its options could also be more intuitive. All in all, "Cygni: All Guns Blazing" turns out to be a solid action game with some clever approaches and a first-class presentation. However, it is nowhere near as good as classics like "Gradius" and the like.

FIFA 21 for Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X/S is definitely best and most beautiful version of this years FIFA-outing. It gives a glimpse on things, that can become a big thing in the next couple of years, but also fails to make changes on certain lackluster gameplay-features of the game.

Hot Wheels Unleashed is a fun arcade racer for the whole family, whose biggest weakness is the counting lootbox system, which dampens the passion for collecting to a degree.

Atomfall is a good survival-action game set in a unique world in an alternative1950's North England. The combat is fun. The exploring worthwhile and comes with much freedom. Nevertheless modern comfort is few and far between, what's part of the expericence, but could easily make you feel lost in a way that's beyond fun.

The world design is fabulous and the creatures are lovely. The story is moving and topical and the characters have a lot of heart. Despite all of this Creatures of Ava becomes very repetitive very quickly. Puzzles and platforming aren’t especially exciting and the taming of the creatures can become frustrating due to an unwieldy camera. Very soon rescuing the cute and well made critters becomes a chore because it feels like you are just doing everything to check off a list of things you must do to progress further and unlock more areas.

Despite a few now-outdated design decisions, we were positively surprised how well these games hold up after over 3 decades. The effort that was put into the updated presentation together with the well-written stories and characters make this a package well worth your time.

It feels overwhelming and too complex to play for a few quiet hours, and some of the features and choices are a bit odd. There are some cute animals and even dinosaurs are available with the DLC.

Life is strange 2 is a fantastic story-based 3D adventure around the brothers Sean and Danieldye, which picks up difficult topics like racism and police brutality, but also shows the wonderful side of a growing, bonding brotherhood. Sadly the Nintendo Switch Version seems not to be really tested before the release, so its full of glitches and old graphics, which destroy the gameplay a lot. Overall: great story, but better play it on another platform.

Copycat is a short, emotionally powerful game that leaves a strong impression despite its brief playtime. The storytelling is impactful, but the limited choices can feel restrictive. While the experience is memorable, some themes and emotional intensity may leave players with mixed feelings.

Harvestella offers a unique mix of farming sim and action RPG Lee. While there are some flaws in both aspects, and the presentation, Harvestella still offers an entertaining experience thanks to the gameplay mix and story.

With its high dynamic fighting system and various combat combos Outriders creates a unique and stylish look and feel within the 3rd person action genre. Above that the game provides an entertaining and extensive loot shooter experience for solo players and co-op fans as well. But the weak story and some minor balance issues prevent Outriders from an absolute recommendation.

Just right for fans of turn-based role-playing games and the dye Straw Hat Pirates. The great animated attacks spread anime flair, but probably only ignite their full potential with fans.

Mafia: The Old Country uses a very conservative approach especially concerning its gameplay. But the stirring, not just visually great presented story and the grippy, varied and well paced action makes it a worthy series' legacy and a story driven gangster game not only the fans will appreciate.

LEGO 2K Drive is an absolutely enjoyable and family-friendly fun-racer in an open-world-environment. The game transports the LEGO-formula very well and along with its unique humor, LEGO 2K Drive is a racing-game that stands out. However, there are some flaws regarding the open-world-design and the implementation of microtransactions.

Caravan SandWitch definitely has its heart in the right place and impresses first and foremost with its interesting world and pleasantly relaxed atmosphere. However, uninspired missions and various technical errors hinder this charming adventure game from fully developing its undoubted potential.

The sequel remains true to its predecessor and takes the franchise to a new level. Strong graphics and superb weapon control are the biggest plus points. On the other hand, the level of difficulty is low and the artificial intelligence is average at best. Simple light hearted fun and suited best for casual mature PSVR2-users

Vanguard builds on the three pillars that fans of Call of Duty have come to expect. The problem: While the multiplayer mode plays great, the campaign is visually and acoustically well staged, but overall it's only "very solid" due to the weak AI and a far too predictable and short story. The zombie mode, on the other hand, is more beginner-friendly than ever, but the bottom line is that it disappoints, especially long-time fans, with an abundance of missing features. Provided that upcoming content updates improve the situation, there is still hope that the developers will make zombie hunters happy in the long run.

Stalker 2 is not a complete disaster. But the game is much closer to that than it is to a good game. Especially the worse balancing and the poor, faulty AI lead to a high interference to some nice mechanics and typical elements from the predecessors. I you are a die hard fan of the Stalker series it's probably worth taking a look. But if not, there is a very high chance you might regret a purchase.

NHL 26 refines its gameplay with ICE-Q 2.0 and a stronger Be A Pro mode, creating smoother and more authentic hockey. Clearer X-Factors add balance, but Frostbite limitations, recycled ideas, and heavy microtransactions hold it back. A solid step forward, yet not the revolution the series still needs.

GRID Legends tries to speed ahead of the pack by including a story mode around a failing racing team portrayed by live-action actors. Despite superficial novelty, the game fails to really connect the events of the story to actual gameplay and leaves the player character out almost completely. Thanks to excellent and nuanced driving mechanics and an impressive amount of courses and vehicles, this can still be worth checking out for die-hard racing fans, even if it cannot quite live up to the best the genre has to offer.

In Life Is Strange, Maxine Caulfield makes a successful return in another exciting crime adventure with supernatural elements. Despite the timeline mechanics, the gameplay remains shallow. However, the game effortlessly makes up for this shortcoming in terms of narrative and atmosphere.

Mount & Blade 2 is an unpolished diamond. Many of its systems need to be fleshed out, even after leaving Early Access and especially the campaign is a letdown when compared to the almost identical sandbox mode. Yet despite technical shortcomings, this game offers a realistic roleplaying experience in a grounded medieval setting that no other game can rival. Especially larger scale battles and sieges are incredible and almost justify the price of admission on their own.