Canadian indie studio Black Tabby Games has already proven with Scarlet Hollow that it can tell very sophisticated, gripping horror stories with memorable characters. With Slay the Princess, Black Tabby Games has now surpassed itself: With every decision you make, the game draws you deeper into its plot loops and narrative levels.

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.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder might not be as brilliant as Super Mario Galaxy II or similar unique like Odyssey. But the new Mario adventure is a great 2D plattformer with multi-variant levels, perfect control, a huge bandwidth of creative ideas and an outstanding eye for lovely details in any area.

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.

Horizon: Call of the Mountain is nothing less than one of the best VR games so far and a fantastic start title for PlayStation VR2. The visuals are just amazing, the gameplay is very dynamic and gets in top form especially during the spectacular fights. It is not a perfect game in any aspect, a VR high flyer close to the quality Valve has delivered with Half-Life: Alyx.

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.

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.

Dead Letter Dept. is a very specific game. It combines typing and horror. But it does so incredibly well. The gameplay works perfectly with its low-poly look, its sometimes very weird moments and the very creepy atmosphere. Completely mundane work suddenly feels threatening and hostile. It tells a story that couldn’t be told in this way in any other medium. If the concept of a horror-typing game excites you in any way then you should absolutely get it.

Bloober Team delivers a high class remake of the Konami classic. The game makes mostly anything new, but still stays true to the original so that any Silent Hill fan needs to love it. And if you have not played a Silent Hill game yet, but love the remakes of Dead Space or Resident Evil 4, Silent Hill should mark your series' entry.

Elden Ring is more than a mixture of Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro. Its huge game world invites you to explore, and there is much more optional than mandatory content. There are some minor balance issues, but they blench out considering all the strengths. In total, Elden Ring does not quite reach its predecessors on the eye level, but the game is still a need to play for any action rpg fan.

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.

If you are a Netflix subscriber and haven‘t played Hades yet, you now have absolutely no excuses left. An extremely motivating gameplay loop, great characters and story and superb presentation make this game an absolute must-Play.

FIFA 22 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S is definitely the next big step for the series – thanks to its better graphics, overhauled gameplay and a more realistic approach to football. However, Electronic Arts still has to sort out some balancing-issues that come along with the next-gen-technology.

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.

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.

Designer and producer Tetsuya Mizuguchi and his team once again proves that they are among the best at what they do. Again they take a simple yet addicting and deep gameplay premise and infuse it with sound and visuals that create an almost unique experience. While it has some small flaws outside of its main draw it is stunning, gorgeous and always exciting.

Despite some uncertainty about Capcom's "after you buy the full-price game" monetisation plans, I can only recommend the game to all fans. Even those who previously found these games too complicated because of the controls. "Street Fighter 6" lives up to the series' heritage and convinces both in terms of presentation and mechanics. 2023 will be the year for fighting games fans, as there are still some great new releases of well-known game series to come. Street Fighter 6 has already confidently set the bar very high.

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.

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.

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.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong is a great mixture of mystery adventure and role-playing game. It well captures its table-top template and should fascinate its fans, but also manages to take along gamers without prior knowledge of the series.

The irresistible gloom is now no longer opposed by hurdles in the form of confusing item and skill management. We enthusiastically throw ourselves against Lilith's hordes and once again sink hour after hour into perfecting our character. Overall, however, there could have been a bit more innovation.

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.

Not perfect, but still a great racing game: Codemasters delivers on the track and give players tons of amazing looking racing-action. The revamped career-mode brings in fresh ideas, but feels flooded with side-quests and numbers. Nonetheless, "F1 24" is a treat for every racing-fan.

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.

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.

Not only by abolishing the most frustrating function, Pikmin 4 becomes easier than its predecessor. But that is just one negligible part of the truth. The other is that Pikmin 4 delivers the best, biggest and most complex overworld levels including a diverse set of underworld dungeons with very special challenges. Beside all the other minor and major improvements, Rescue Pup Oatchi dye alone is a huge enrichment by itself. The game also does a great job concerning all the things that made Pikmin such a beloved series with its clever, often puzzle-like strategy gameplay or its sweet and just wonderful presentation. For series' lovers and fans of the genre, Pikmin 4 is a need-to play.

Mindlock – The Apartment is filled with dark humor and funny/lovely animations. Highly recommended for fans of old-school point&click adventures like Monkey Island or the old Daedalic-Games. Puzzles, Riddles and a dark, depressing but sometimes funny background story awaits you!