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.

Overall, the PlayStation 5 version of Baldur’s Gate 3 is well done. Some sacrifices in gameplay, graphics, and combat reduce the gameplay experience, especially for players who have already played the PC version.

Nintendo made the seemingly impossible true: Tears of the Kingdom is even better than its fantastic predecessor. There is more freedom in the world, more variety between sky and underground and especially in combat. All four new main abilities enrich the adventure, in particular concerning puzzles, exploring or giving dye player much room for being creative to find different solutions. There are some minor details that are not perfect. But overall Tears of the Kingdom is close to perfection and just a masterpiece you need to play.

The combination of two gameplay styles, the captivating premise along with the presentation and the fact that it all comes together so well make Six Ages 2 a game that is well worth its asking price.

Astro Bot is just one of the best platformers of recent years. The high variety of gameplay and setting, precise controls, great boss fights and several wonderful references to famous PlayStation video games, the game is a need to play for any genre fan with a PS5.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree inspires above all with its memorable boss battles, which are as relentless as they are graceful, and its superb art direction. Those who already loved FromSoftware's open-world epic will fall in love with the action RPG all over again with this DLC.

An undeniable classic refined with modern graphics and controls, as well as a bevy of accessibility options. While it's still an amazing gaming experience, it does raise the question where the two sequels remain. The re-release on the Wii already showed the games' agelessness, even if the new graphical enhancements are welcome. Either an even lower retail price or more substancial changes would have been welcome, but what we got is still enough to make Metroid fans rejoice.

Due to raytracing and 3D-sound the next-gen-version of "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" is a major improvement in comparison to the original. Additionally the DLCs and updates secure hours of enjoyment.

Metaphor ReFantazio isn't a high flyer like Persona V, but with the unique Fantasy setting, the pleasant swift round-based combat and the deep Archetype system it's still a good RPG that's worth playing. Despite all the differences, especially for gamers who love JPRG series like Persona and Shin Megami Tensei.

God of War Ragnarök isn't free from weak spots, but the game is better in nearly every aspect than its great predecessor. There is more variety in combat. There are more spectacular boss fights. And you will visit all nine regions of Norse Mythology, all of them looking amazing on PS5. There is no way around this great adventure, if you love the series, action games in general and own a current PlayStation.

The new Resident Evil 4 is just one of the best game remakes so far. Capcom finds a fantastic way between modernizing the game and implementing new (and more comfortable) features on the one hand and staying true to the classic and various elements that Resi fans have fallen in love with. If you're a fan of the original or just like action-based survival-horror games, you need to play it.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the best role-playing games of the past ten years and a strong contender for Game of the Year. Developer Sandfall Interactive has created a true masterpiece with its debut game. Clair Obscur is bursting with creativity and emotion, boasts tremendous gameplay depth, and its stories and their mysteries motivate players to keep playing.

The creators manage to maintain the common story thread, but always adapt it so that the result feels fresh and interesting even for dye connoisseurs. This was already the case with the first part of the remake, but in our opinion it works even better here - also due to the open areas that hold many surprises and the excellent reinterpretation of key moments from back then. At the same time, what is on offer is told in such a way that even players without any prior knowledge of the series can find their way in easily.

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.

Forza Horizon 5 still offers great open world racing fun, looks great and establishes a dimension of freedom in progress that is unique for the genre. But at its core, the game delivers the same mechanics, the same kind of events, just a little bit differently. These wear marks don't make Forza Horizon 5 a bad game, but they make it less appealing.

There is no doubt that Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance is the superior version. The improvements to player comfort alone transform the game already. If you include the new, reworked story that stands alongside the original for two separate playthroughs, as well as a ton of new content to add depth to an already very well-rounded and tactical combat system, you have one of the most impressive outings of Atlus to date. Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance is an absolute treat for any JRPG fan and offers an amazing package for those looking to get into the genre, if they are willing to dive deep into the complex gameplay mechanics.

Against the Storm offers an fresh setting and motivating gameplay mechanics. Graphically, this indie game can't really keep up with its glossy competitors. However, the great soundtrack, the original characters, the nasty weather and the dangers lurking in the forest create a very unique, mysterious atmosphere.

Vampire Survivor does not reinvent the wheel, nor does it wow players with a flashy presentation. What it does, however, is provide an extremely rewarding and addicting gameplay loop that can keep you hooked for a long time.

Split Fiction absolutely lives up to the high expectations. Hazelight Studios is further refining the co-op formula from A Way Out and It Takes Two. The result is an almost flawless split-screen hit.

Donkey Kong Bananza is just the best Switch 2 exclusive so far. The destruction system alone offers so much fun and is rounded out by world exploring, a cool combat system, nice puzzles and a high variety of motivating challenges. The bosses could have been a little harder, but ultimately that's just a minor weak spot in a fantastic 3D platformer.

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.

Blue Prince is a masterpiece. All the different elements, the story, the gameplay and the overarching puzzles work in tandem to create an incredible piece of art that can only exist as a videogame. It obviously might not be for everyone but if you can entertain the idea of jumping into an extremely well made puzzle game then it should be Blue Prince without any doubt.

One of the best survival horror games gets one of the best remakes we've seen so far, that is what you need to know about the new version of Dead Space. If you're a fan of the original game or just of the genre, it's a need to play.

Insomniac Games delivers another stellar superhero-adventure. With the lessons learned from the first Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles: Morales, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 turns out to be an epic yet always enjoyable open-world-action-game that satisfies fans with its love for its characters but also with a well-rounded gameplay and interesting and varied mission-design.

Better graphics in both, Fidelity and Performance mode, the audio commentary during the solo campaign and especially the commented and playable dye prototype levels are solely worth the upgrade for owners of the PS4 original. But the best reason for them to play The Last of Us Part II Remastered is the new roguelike mode No Return. If you haven’t played the game yet, you should now get the PS5 version to get one of the best survival action games out there.

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.

On Playstation 5, Tony Hawk continues where we left him last autumn. Thanks to improved loading times, we can now also enjoy the fluid frame rate, grippy controls and great music faster than ever.

Thanks to the brand new heat system, Tekken 8 impresses with even more heated and aggressive duels and thus hits exactly the right mark. Tekken has simply never played so well. A fantastic start to the video game year 2024 for all fighting game fans.