Monolith Soft stays true to the series at its core, but simultaneously puts in more depth. Especially concerning the combat system Xenoblade Chronicles 3 feels trusted to series' lovers, but with all the new mechanics it also takes along players, who did not get warm with the fights. It's not enough for being a masterpiece, but for the best part of the series so far.

Bowser's Fury is much more than just a bonus. Despite the fact that it is relatively short, it still feels like a fully fleshed Mario jump and run. Packed with the great main game including the long missed online co-op mode Super Mario 3D World + Bowers's Fury is a must have for every Switch user.

In some areas, the progression system could benefit from a bit more transparency, allowing players to work towards specific goals more effectively. However, thanks to its charming atmosphere, numerous freedoms, a completely stress-free and accessible gameplay, and of course, the Pokémon themselves, Pokémon Pokopia has become a wonderful cozy game – perhaps even one of the best ever.

A gorgeous and content-packed open-world racer that perfectly captures the spirit of Japan. Forza Horizon 6 may not reinvent the series, but Playground Games once again delivers one of the best arcade racing experiences on the market.

It Takes Two takes a lot of inspiration from Disney Pixar and transports story and emotion into a 3D-puzzle-platformer. The level designs work perfectly with co-op-gameplay, which also is reflected in the story of May and Cody. It Takes Two comes at a perfect time and is an adventure that will warm your heart.

Death Stranding 2 is looking better, increases comfort and reduces annoying gameplay aspects of part one. But although the story is better and there is (potentially) more spectacular combat, the appeal of something totally new that the first game could have claimed for itself is mostly gone.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is not only the biggest game in the series to date, but also a real narrative highlight. Admittedly, it takes a comparatively long time for the story to really get going. But then the developers bombard us with twists and turns that surprise and emotionally thrill. The development studio does not reinvent the basic gameplay concepts, but the bottom line is that Infinite Wealth offers enough innovations and improvements that all make sense and fit nicely. However, the fact that the New Game Plus mode is not included in every version is indeed a disappointment.

Resident Evil Requiem is technically impressive, but above all, the ninth installment in the series essentially delivers two games in one: a classic survival horror adventure with Grace and gripping survival action with Leon. The story is pure fan service. It's different from the last two installments, but clearly a strong contender for the top spot in the series.

If somebody had an inkling to return to Destiny 2 then The Final Shape is the perfect opportunity to get back in there. Maybe too obtuse for newcomers it still offers smooth and fantastic feeling gameplay paired with a satisfying end to the first saga of Destiny. It starts to feel a bit too long in the tooth but thanks to the amazing work of the artists in all the departments it doesn’t shine through too much. Even if one might not be interested in the upcoming ongoing seasonal content The Final Shape is still an absolute joy to play.

Split Fiction is a brilliant co-op experience on the Switch 2 - whether you're playing on a TV, in handheld mode, or online via cross-play. And thanks to Game Share local, wireless co-op play can be realised with just one full version of the game. However, it's disappointing that Hazelight and EA weren't able to fit the entire game onto a Switch 2 cartridge, and even the physical edition ultimately only contains a download code. It also loses points for some missing basic accessibility options, such as the ability to adjust the font size of dialogue texts.

Yes, Alan Wake 2 is very linear and we have actually seen more dynamic fights. But the two main characters are just as compelling as the profound story, which in its best moments reminds us of great role models like Stephen King or Twin Peaks. If you're more interested in interactive artful storytelling than breathless dye action, you're in the right place.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expands Night City with a new district and a storyline right out of an espionage thriller. While the additional missions are among the best story-wise and the new district is a delightful mess of winding paths and shady alleys, the true star is the free 2.0 update attached to the release of the expansion. It overhauls nearly every aspect of gameplay and even delivers on some of the promises made for launch. It doesn’t fix the many issues with pacing, mission design and freedom of choice plaguing the main story, but improves nearly every other aspect of gameplay. Sadly there’s still many features missing from the original advertisement of the game and performance even after version 2.0 is still spotty to say the least. „Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty“ and the 2.0 patch would show a promising future, if this wasn’t also the last content planned for the game.

The Last of Us is still a great survival-action game with a captivating story, intense action and two of the best main characters you've ever seen. The new version looks mostly amazing and quiet deserves being considered as a PS5 native. But because it remains the same game experience at its core, first and foremost The Last of Us: Part 1 is interesting for people who did not play the original before or who are hardcore fans of the series.

20 years of consistent development lead to the biggest and most beautiful Monster Hunter ever. New ideas refresh the gameplay without taking the dye axe to proven trademarks. Outstanding game development craftsmanship meets a unique artistic vision - an irresistible experience.

Mewgenics is surprisingly difficult to unpack. Not because it reinvents the rogue-like genre, but because it finds new twists on the formula repeatedly within its own playtime. There's new discoveries, new combinations and new ways to horrifyingly lose your cats around every corner. It strikes an unusual balance of frustration and motivation, where you always feel like fighting an unfair fight, but have just enough agency to blame yourself instead of the game.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is nothing less than the best part of the series so far. And that means a great deal after several great predecessors on PlayStation consoles. It is not just concerning the next-gen dignified technical implementation on PS5 or Rift Apart's humorous story with its likeable heroes. Just every aspect of the game, including gunplay and riddles, works well and neat together.

Horizon Forbidden West simply surpasses its predecessor in every aspect. The well-directed story is as motivating as the complex systems for skills, weapons, and other equipment. The thrilling (boss) fights provide a great mixture of action and tactics. And if you take a deeper look at the graphics you'll feel the slobber running down your chin – even on PS4.

As most of the former Arkane titles, Deathloop is far away from being a game off the rack. The unique setting with its great artstyle makes it stand out. The fast paced Dishonored-like gameplay is fun as well as if you choose the action or the stealth path. If there weren't some issues concerning balancing or the overall poor AI, Deathloop would be close to a masterpiece. As it is, it's just another great game from Arkane Lyon that's worth to play.

Metroid Dread is a dignified sequel to a sacred games series. The almost invincible E.M.M.I. can be annoying, but other than that, you get a fully-fleshed metroidvania that combines new mechanics with traditional Metroid gameplay in the best sense.

Even after its fantastic predecessor Monster Hunter Rise is far away from disappointing. The Palamute feature proves itself as an enrichment, making things faster and more comfortable. The wirebug enhances the variety of brute monster combat and exploration. There is just one weakness preventing the game from reaching outstanding Monster Hunter World on eye level: Overall, it's a little bit too easy for experienced gamers, especially related to the dual buddy system.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is still a great mixture of RPG and platformer with fine papercraft graphics and humorous story. But in terms of content, the visually advanced Switch version delivers nothing new for dye connoisseurs of the GameCube original, which makes it less interesting for them as for players who experience the remastered version for the first time.

If you haven’t had a chance to jump into the new Final Fantasy VII trilogy then Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is the perfect starting point. It includes not only everything that has been released so far, is now available for all modern platforms but also benefits from the fantastic Streamline Progressions (which will be available everywhere) that offer more accessibility than ever for the title.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a well refined sequel that remains very faithful to its unique predecessor. That's great for fans of part one, because here they get what they like, just bigger, better, and more technically mature. But if you did not get warm with part one, there is little hope that will change dramatically with part two.

Whether it’s the great scenario design packed with routes and opportunities, the well written story missions, the many funny surprises, the attractive presentation or the motivating reward system - Hitman 3 combines familiar strengths with some new ideas like the shortcut system and the sadly PlayStation exclusive VR mode. Still, Hitman 3 is not free from criticism. This mainly concerns AI quirks, smaller logical errors and missing PlayStation Move controls in VR.

Persona 3 Reload is a fantastic remake of an already great cult game. All kinds of clever gameplay innovations and an enormous amount of style make this a gripping JRPG that you shouldn't miss out on. The remake of the PlayStation 2 classic is even now a hot contender for the best role-playing game of the still quite young year.

Ghost of Tsushima – Director’s Cut is the best way to play Sucker Punch’s samurai-adventure. Especially PS5-gamers receive to full Next-Generation-experience, enjoying a visual masterpiece supported by great features for the dualsense-controller. The “Island Iki”-expansion on the other hand doesn’t deliver too much new stuff, but feels like a “Best of” of Ghost of Tsushima and fits well into the game.

Optically completely convincing 2D fighting game, which especially wants to give beginners a platform to get into the franchise.

With Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Lizardcube has created an excellent 2D action-platformer with a great combat system and cool platforming, featuring some rather tough scenes at times, but ultimately always remaining fair. Furthermore, the audiovisual presentation is almost beyond reproach, making the game a more than worthy heir to the venerable Shinobi series in virtually every respect. Anyone who likes this kind of game even the slightest bit has to get it.