Starfield feels like a game that has come a long way but never quite reached its intended destination. The Free Lanes update significantly improves pacing, the technical state on PS5 is excellent, and some systems rank among Bethesda’s best work. Yet it never shakes the feeling that beneath layers of unnecessary activities lies a game that could (and should) have been something more.

In the end, Greedfall 2 is just another Spiders‘ game. With its great concept that struggles to deliver on many fronts. An average combat system is paired with equally average RPG mechanics, while the attractive world feels lifeless despite its limited number of locations and frequent revisits. The only element lifting it above mediocrity is a well-crafted story driven by companions and intriguing factions. Visual glitches further reinforce the sense of a game whose ambitions exceed its budget, which lacks the self-awareness to realize it.

An impressive sci-fi action game that stands out with its inventive fusion of shooting and hacking, a strong duo of likable characters, and top-tier audiovisual presentation that showcases Capcom’s flair for innovation and craftsmanship. An opulent blockbuster that, despite its relatively compact scope, never feels lacking in content or fun. Pragmata easily ranks among the most striking games in recent years.

A massive game with a beautiful, engaging, and highly interactive world that is a joy to explore. It impresses with sheer content, compelling puzzles, numerous systems, and dynamic combat. However, weak boss fights, a bland story, uninspired quests, and clunky controls and UI leave noticeable blemishes on the overall experience.

An intriguing blend built on the core of classic cooperative zombie action, enhanced by well-made vehicle traversal across challenging terrain. Randomized map layouts boost replayability, though greater variety would help. John Carpenter’s name isn't there for nothing; the epic visuals combined with a bombastic soundtrack do justice to the horror master’s legacy.

A grand return of a horror legend that balances survival horror and action, not all ideas landing equally well. As a whole, however, it is a superbly crafted, audiovisually stunning, and highly entertaining blockbuster that confirms Capcom’s firm grasp on its flagship series. Despite minor issues, it stands as a fantastic horror ride that only narrowly misses the absolute peak of the franchise.

If crude humor appeals, and a road trip with friends full of situational comedy, swearing, and bizarre physics antics sounds enticing, this title delivers all of that, plus a charming visual style. Technically it could use some polish, but otherwise it is a more entertaining cooperative romp than expected. There’s no chance of boredom on this journey.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader remains an exceptional, superbly written RPG capable of captivating both long-time fans and newcomers, drawing them into the grim darkness of the 41st millennium for hundreds of hours. However, the Switch 2 port severely undermines the experience with poor performance, frequent technical issues, awkward control implementation, a noticeable graphical downgrade, and the absence of key DLC. Until substantial patches and the full content lineup arrive, this is a version best avoided.

Pathologic 3 channels the spirit of classic Russian literature in a more accessible form. It is an intensely oppressive experience that approaches the story of a plague-stricken town in unconventional ways. Its masterfully constructed narrative and singular atmosphere consistently subvert expectations, framed within a surprisingly compelling gameplay (time) loop whose repetition only begins to wear thin in the later stages. At the same time, it demands significantly less discomfort and hardship than either of its predecessors.

Of Ash and Steel is a conflicted RPG that stands out thanks to its grounded exploration of a distinctly European-flavored fantasy world and a functional character progression system. At its best, it feels like a return to older-school RPG design, though this impression is repeatedly undermined by frequent technical issues, broken quests, and illogical quality-of-life decisions. The game’s ambitions clearly exceed its execution.

Octopath Traveler 0 is not a bad game, but the silent protagonist and somewhat impersonal party diminish some of its narrative impact. The individual storylines compete in their darkness and at times push the drama unnecessarily far. However, new features such as village building and the addition of two combat rows refresh the proven formula, resulting in an addictive and entertaining JRPG that can easily provide dozens of hours of enjoyment.

MIO: Memories in Orbit is an outstanding metroidvania that easily stands alongside genre giants like Ori and the Blind Forest and Hollow Knight. Its watercolor visuals and captivating, vibrant world full of hazards and secrets kept me glued to the screen for dozens of hours without a single dull moment. The only minor drawback lies in the less engaging classic combat encounters during exploration, though this can be somewhat mitigated through settings.

Cairn is a first-rate climbing simulator that goes far beyond its genre. It captivates with its environment and vistas, soothes with its melodic tones, moves with stories grounded in basic human experiences, prompts reflection on one’s own motivation, and rewards effort of any kind: Significant or small. A profound experience that lingers long after playing, and even when the summit is reached, its repeated call continues to resonate within.

Nioh 3 is not without flaws: It could be more expansive, offer a wider variety of weapons, and feature a more diverse bestiary. Even so, it stands as the most entertaining soulslike since Elden Ring. The ability to switch between samurai and ninja adds new depth to combat, while the option to tailor a fighting style to personal preference works exceptionally well. The thoughtfully designed open world encourages exploration without compromising the game’s tough but fair difficulty. For fans of the series and the genre alike, it represents a clear high point of the trilogy.

Mewgenics is a tactical RPG that only appears cute on the surface, hiding beneath its layer of meows an unprecedentedly deep, brutally addictive, and creatively unrestrained system that rewards experimentation, tolerates failure, and joyfully breaks its own rules. It offers an almost endless number of combinations, constant surprises, and the sense of playing something that refuses to repeat itself or pander. It can easily consume hundreds of hours without ever feeling exhausted or self-indulgent, while confidently pushing the entire genre forward. If a modern gold standard for tactical roguelite RPGs exists, its name is Mewgenics.

Terminator 2D: NO FATE is an honest excursion into the nineties, which does not deny the short footage, repetitive structure or uncompromising difficulty, but balances all this with a genuine love for the golden era of action films and games. Bitmap Bureau, with respect for the original, serves up a brisk, imaginative and surprisingly atmospheric retro arcade that not only evokes nostalgia from the Terminator, but also offers solid gameplay and several pleasant ideas. If you enjoy the smell of the nineties, brutal fights and beautiful pixel art, Terminator 2D works as a great nostalgic ride.

Tormented Souls 2 builds on nostalgia for classic survival horror with tank controls. It succeeds in creating a strong atmosphere despite overwrought dialogue and poorly executed animations in the story cutscenes. It will primarily satisfy fans of B-movie horror, as well as those who once trembled through the early Resident Evil games. Some may even forgive the missteps in combat difficulty tuning, as high-quality puzzles and well-designed levels ultimately reward those who persevere.

Sacred 2 Remaster is a textbook example of how a remaster should not be made. The result feels like half-finished work that not only fails to deliver any meaningful improvements, but is in many respects even worse than the original game. Technical issues, unattractive visuals, an outdated combat system, and poor optimization undermine even the few elements that might have worked. Sacred 2 was once a likeable action RPG with an original world, but the remaster turns it into little more than a relic of the past that should never have been revived. Those struck by nostalgia are far better off returning to the original game with community patches. It will be a much more rewarding experience.

Wreckreation is a hybrid of Burnout and Trackmania, but it falls well short of the qualities of either. The driving model is initially punishing in an unengaging way, and once it finally begins to make sense, it becomes clear that the game itself is largely empty and expects players to create their own fun. And that simply is not fun. The dream of a true Burnout successor therefore remains unfulfilled even 17 years after the last entry, as Wreckreation fails to deliver it.

Syberia returns after 23 years and shines only in part. The world of automatons looks wonderful in its new visuals, and the story remains faithful to the original. If nothing else had been changed, this would have been a dream come true. Unfortunately, the developers could not resist altering certain systems in illogical ways, seemingly neglected proper testing, and outright undermined their own work by leaving several sections in the original visuals, which completely breaks the carefully built immersion. The result is a game that is ultimately neither for newcomers nor for veterans, although the latter may manage to enjoy it through nostalgia, squinting past the flaws, and gritting their teeth.

Mysteria Ecclesiae serves as a dignified final chapter to Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It offers a tightly focused story about faith and guilt that draws the player in and holds attention until the very end. The Sedlec Monastery captivates with its atmosphere and perfectly complements the melancholic tone of Jindřich’s farewell. Mysteria Ecclesiae does not strive for grandeur, but for beauty in the details, and in that, it truly succeeds.

Dispatch, the superhero title from AdHoc, builds on the early roots of Telltale and delivers one of the finest games in its genre. It features an excellent story that blends humor, action, and interpersonal drama. Choices are not merely cosmetic and genuinely alter the course of scenes and even the characters who appear in them. Thanks to engaging hacking mechanics and, above all, the core simulation of a superhero dispatcher, it also plays well and never feels like just a movie with the occasional dialogue option. Superb voice acting and music are simply the icing on the cake.

Escape from Tarkov offers a unique and extremely intense gameplay experience driven by its atmosphere and the constant tension of every shootout. However, this potentially outstanding experience is systematically undermined by a catastrophic technical state, unstable servers, cheaters, and a design that too often confuses “hardcore” with outright hostility toward the player. The result is a game that comes close to legendary status more because of its reputation than the actual quality of its 1.0 version.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 delivers a finely tuned multiplayer and a solid Zombies mode, but is dragged down by one of the weakest campaigns in the history of the series. The evolution of movement, perks, and shared progression is welcome, yet the futuristic setting diminishes the cinematic atmosphere, and the cooperative campaign fails both narratively and in terms of design. The result is a highly uneven entry that excels in PvP but disappoints everywhere else.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a meticulously crafted sequel with a fantastic soundtrack, excellent boss fights, and impressive enclosed locations that prove Retro Studios has not lost its craftsmanship. However, just as strongly as the game can amaze, it can also disappoint: the open desert with the motorcycle stretches the pacing in an unwelcome way, backtracking feels more exhausting than it used to, and after a seventeen-year wait, the amount of new ideas is noticeably smaller than the series deserves. Beyond therefore remains most appealing to long-time fans.

A massive, expansive, and highly distinctive expansion for Crusader Kings III. Though it occasionally suffers from the developers’ overambition, it significantly enriches the base game and offers a truly unique experience set in East Asia.

Escape from Duckov isn’t just a funny parody, nor is it a true hardcore extraction shooter, as it sits somewhere in between. It’s fun, but also a bit repetitive, sometimes overly random, and could use deeper mechanics. In the end, though, it remains an entertaining game that even those who dislike being shot at by real players can thoroughly enjoy.

Football Manager 26 is a disaster few could have imagined. An overwhelming number of bugs combined with a downright atrocious user interface turns this supposed new beginning into a barely playable mess. Amid the chaos, there are brilliant and irreplaceable innovations that make returning to previous installments unthinkable – which only makes the whole thing all the more tragic.