The developer didn’t turn a blind eye to the shortcomings of its predecessor, Returnal. Saros has kept the best parts—the controls are wonderfully responsive, your character runs and jumps at a brisk pace, and the atmosphere is delightfully dark—and made adjustments where necessary. Still, you’ll inevitably die while playing; that’s just part of the genre. But with every session, you get better and stronger, and you’re better equipped for your next run. The dopamine rush this creates makes the game—at least for us—incredibly addictive. Saros plays it safe and, while challenging, is perhaps less daring and revolutionary than Returnal, but that makes the game more accessible to a wider audience.

The result is a fun whodunit, but really, the mystery is just a side note. Life is Strange: Reunion is above all a beautiful character study—one that could have easily gone on a bit longer. Our advice: make sure you’ve played the previous games first. Only then will you truly appreciate how beautifully Max and Chloe’s farewell is handled.

It’s not a completely new game, but a collection of older titles. Or rather: the very first Rayman game in five different versions. Versions for the PlayStation, the Atari Jaguar, the Game Boy Color, and more. You do get over 120 bonus levels and extras like a documentary on top of that. Great for nostalgic gamers. Nevertheless, this is a bit of a downer of an anniversary. Due to technical issues, it was practically impossible to play the game smoothly on the Nintendo Switch 2. On multiple occasions, the video and audio completely froze, leaving no choice but to shut it down.

There are some games that make you think, “How come no one thought of this before?” Well, Pokémon Pokopia is one of those games. It’s a cozy game like Animal Crossing, with a touch of Minecraft—all mixed in with Pokémon. It’s cute, relaxing, and surprisingly deep. Pokémon Pokopia is a cozy game of rare quality. It almost evokes nostalgic feelings of a time when the world stood still and we all escaped en masse to a video game island for hundreds of hours.

The balance, in particular, isn’t quite right yet. We certainly applaud the fact that the game doesn’t hold your hand, but the contrast is quite stark. In some missions, everything is so broken down and spoon-fed to you that the game guides you through every step like a toddler. And at other times, you have absolutely no idea—and absolutely no explanation—of what you’re supposed to do. The lack of narrative and coherence is clearly a shortcoming. Despite all its flaws, there’s definitely the potential for a fantastic game here. It never becomes as emotionally compelling as Arthur Morgan’s story in Red Dead Redemption 2, and it lacks that childlike wonder of Breath of the Wild, but it all looks great and the massive amount of content makes up for a lot. Crimson Desert is a rough diamond that still needs a good polish. In its current form, it’s an okay game with obvious limitations. With enough post-launch support, it might still achieve what it sets out to do: become one of the better games of the year.

Destiny of the Railforged adds a new playable faction to Monster Train 2, along with a new game mode that further extends the game’s lifespan: Monster Train 2 has always been about making your units stronger, and now you can take that to absurd extremes. All in all, we’ve easily spent over a hundred hours exploring new combinations between the factions and the cards. For ten euros—for the expansion; the base game costs around 25 euros—that’s a very nice return on investment.

Slay the Spire II isn’t exactly a revolution: the framework of the original remains intact, but there are so many new cards and the new characters are so unique that we’re already completely hooked and frantically searching for ways to “break” the game by finding crazy card combos. The new feature we were most looking forward to was multiplayer: from now on, you can team up with other players to take down monsters. That requires a lot of coordination, especially when playing with three or four people, but wow: it adds a whole new dimension. In case it wasn’t clear: we would have rather played Slay the Spire II than written this piece. Though that’s not entirely true: we think this game is so good that we believe everyone should try it, and we’re happy to recommend it. Your wallet will barely feel it: you can get started for just 25 euros. [Early Access Score = 100]

What initially appear to be subtle nods to previous games quickly descend into unnecessary fan service. It doesn't help that every trick in the book is pulled out, and you can often see the jump scares coming a mile away. The game rarely surprises, except in its shift from camp to deadly seriousness. Resident Evil Requiem is a commendable game, but not as memorable as some other installments in the series. The ambitious game was supposed to be the culmination of thirty years of Resident Evil. But it plays it too safe and, unfortunately, rarely manages to truly surprise.

A lot has changed under the beautiful hood, and the threshold has been significantly lowered. The original was an epic that you could easily spend a hundred hours on, but where you spent a large part of that time grinding: defeating the same enemies over and over again to slowly become stronger. That has been greatly reduced. Now you can defeat weak monsters with a single push of a button. Sacrilege? Perhaps, but the result is a streamlined game that respects your time and has a much faster pace.

There is much to appreciate about Sons of Sparta. Given that it now takes six years or more to make a big game like God of War, this interlude is very welcome. What's more, Sony Santa Monica isn't taking the easy route by sending Kratos on an adventure in a genre that's new to him. Kudos for that! But within that genre, our favorite demigod suddenly finds himself in crowded company. The “Metroidvania” genre has been enjoying a revival in recent years thanks to Hollow Knight, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Prince of Persia. To compete with them, you have to come up with something special. Sons of Sparta is commendable and certainly has an edge for God of War fans, but it lacks that touch of magic to make it indispensable.

The developers postponed the game's release by a month at the last minute, and we can't help feeling that the game would have benefited from a little more delay. Unbeatable is unpolished and unfinished. It's rebellious and punk, sure, but at times it's also frustrating. With the addition of story mode and the integration of numerous mini-games, Unbeatable tries to be too many things at once, and as a result, the game doesn't always hit the right note. But for the modest price of 28 euros, you can't possibly feel cheated.

Eighteen (!) years after its predecessor, Metroid Prime 3, and a console generation later, we can finally play Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. This game is once again brimming with the sci-fi, spooky, space shooter action that gave this iconic series its status, but where the developers try to innovate, they fall short.

Kirby Air Riders is an anomaly. It looks like a racing game, but has the rhythm and elements of a fighting game: its own genre. It is simple, complex, and (too) chaotic at the same time. In terms of visuals and performance, this is one of the most colorful and flashy games the Switch 2 has to offer to date. Highly recommended for those who are tired of Mario Kart.

They know their classics at Square Enix, that much is clear. Final Fantasy Tactics shines like never before. But whether this polished gem will reach a new audience beyond diehard RPG fans is something we dare to doubt.

News Tower is an original addition to the management genre, full of atmosphere and surprisingly addictive. Dutch developer Sparrow Night has made a clever debut with this game. Be prepared for some red numbers in the beginning, because the entry threshold is quite high. Apparently, it's not as easy as we thought to create a high-quality, profitable newspaper. Respect for our bosses.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is an excellent spinoff and action game. In its niche — that of the musou-games — it's even among the best of all time. But what a total letdown of a story. Seriously, how did they manage to drop the ball on plot and world building?

The mini-games deserve a special mention. These are probably the most in-depth and complex we have encountered in our career. And it is precisely these that make the game so controversial. What is usually just an interlude becomes almost a craft that you have to learn and perfect. It is incredibly immersive and exemplary of the level of detail in the game. But the general public usually doesn't have the patience to immerse themselves endlessly in, say, medieval crafts. That excellent immersion slows down the pace of the outstanding game, making it seem reserved only for history buffs as passionate as the creators themselves.

If you ask us, we would place Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in the same category as generational games such as Final Fantasy VII (1997) and Chrono Trigger (1995). It is in good company, as both games are classics and belong to the cream of the crop of role-playing games. Memorable games that still resonate with an entire generation of players years, even decades later. Fans of the genre, enjoy this. Because a debut game with these qualities, showered with superlatives, is a rare occurrence.

The missions offer plenty of variety and are nail-biting at times. You can play them alone, but just about everything makes you feel that this is not the intention: Black Ops 7 is clearly designed to be played with multiple players. The campaign also works much better when you try to achieve your goal with others. We already knew that Call of Duty is primarily a multiplayer extravaganza. Still, we expected a little more here.

The first The Outer Worlds left us with mixed feelings a few years ago: it had an interesting premise and fun combat, but all in all, it didn't lead to a very memorable experience. The Outer Worlds 2 is clearly a step forward: the combat has been greatly improved and there is more to experience. So what do you get up to? Well, you create a character and walk around with them on different planets. You solve one problem after another by talking and/or shooting. That doesn't sound very original, and it isn't. All in all, we find The Outer Worlds 2 an improvement on its predecessor and, at times, an enjoyable game, but it's certainly not a must-have.

The new 3D matches are indeed better than before, but we still wouldn't call them beautiful. We do think they are better integrated into the whole, and let's be honest: anyone who plays this game isn't looking for pretty graphics. Then there's the new interface. According to the creators, the old one was a mess. We always found our way around it quickly, whereas this time important information is a few clicks too far away. Annoying, but above all: incomprehensible after a year's delay. We also encountered more bugs than we would have liked. What saves the game are the matches: the tactical interface is great and makes matches a joy.

The first Powerwash Simulator was my guilty pleasure. I spent many hours playing it on the Nintendo Switch. I was so hooked that it almost convinced me that such a job would be something for me in real life. Until I borrowed my in-laws' pressure washer and realized that the simulation is more fun after all. Fortunately, the game now has a formidable successor. The fun of Powerwash Simulator 2 lies in the simplicity of the game. This game is surprisingly satisfying and, above all, a great way to relax. Unfortunately, the sequel is not available on “older consoles” such as the first Nintendo Switch. That's a shame.

Five years ago, Ghost of Tsushima pushed the PS4 to its limits and left a lasting impression with its historically inspired open-world epic. Visually, narratively, and in terms of gameplay, this interactive love letter to the work of director Akira Kurosawa, the grand master of the samurai genre, was so good that it rightly earned the status of “classic.” There were some flaws—perhaps inherent to the open-world genre—but the result was an open-world game that you'll happily lose yourself in for 100 hours. For Ghost of Yotei, all of the above still holds true, but you'll want to put 200 hours into it. It sounds disrespectful, but Ghost of Yotei is a sequel by the book and therefore, in essence, more Ghost of Tsushima, but ‘better’: with more weapons, more variety of enemies, and even more beautiful grass – because what an incredibly beautiful game this is.

After previous hits such as Bastion, Transistor, and of course Hades, Supergiant Games has perfected its tried-and-tested formula. Hades II is a triumph that is both funny and accessible, yet brutally difficult and complex. Honestly, we wouldn't want to be in the developers' shoes. How on earth do you top this?

A lot of thought has clearly gone into the tracks —after all, they are the most important part of a racing game. A casino, a ghost ship, or a valley full of dinosaurs, they make an impression. There are quite a few paths that you only discover after a few games. Sometimes there is so much going on that it is difficult to stay focused on driving. Apart from the classic coins, you can also search for five red coins. These small additions keep you playing longer. Designing your cars and ‘unlocking’ all the soundtracks will keep you entertained for hours.

Battlefield 6 means a bit of a return to basics. The code word for its predecessor, Battlefield 2042, was ‘big’, but the latest installment is more intimate—as far as that's possible in a world war. Whereas Battlefield 2042 was solely a multiplayer game with no fewer than 128 players at a time, Battlefield 6 usually has 64 players competing against each other in the many different modes. The campaign also makes a comeback. This high-stakes power struggle plays out like a blockbuster movie, complete with explosions, cliffhangers, and a rousing soundtrack that amplifies the epic battle of your elite unit. We still have to wait a little over a month for the latest Call of Duty, but as far as we're concerned, Battlefield 6 currently has more than a few advantages.

EA Sports FC 26 is a step up from FC 25: everything runs more smoothly, especially dribbling, tackling, and heading. Otherwise, little has changed: Ultimate Team still overwhelms you with challenges and rewards. Career Mode has received a little more attention and is once again worth investing time in. So if you ask us whether FC 26 is different enough from its older siblings to justify spending $70 on it, for the first time in years we say: yes, we think it is.

Borderlands 4 is bigger and grander than its predecessors. But with the addition of new ways to move around, an extensive system to make your character stronger, and challenging boss fights that require more than just button mashing, it's also the best Borderlands game to date. Essentially, it remains the king of all looter-shooters: you blast enemies to get better equipment, which allows you to shoot enemies even more efficiently. A highly addictive and satisfying gameplay loop that you gradually get caught up in.