Admittedly, we were rather skeptical when we started playing the game. We associated publisher Nacon with annual sports games (Tour de France, Pro Cycling Manager, WRC) or gaming-related peripherals, and developer Rogue Factor had only two smaller Warhammer games in its portfolio until now. But with the intriguing ‘Hell is Us’, they have together released one of the most surprising games of the year.

Along the way, many mutated creatures cross your path. These include not only the classic slow undead, but whole hordes of super-fast and agile, bloodthirsty zombies - called ridden in the game - to gigantic monstrosities that can send you to oblivion with a single punch. Those nine different types of opponents provide enough variety in the challenges to keep the game engaging for hours.

Scarlet Nexus aspires to be an anime. It succeeds with flying colors, as evidenced by the beautiful style, but regularly loses itself in the story that is difficult to get going and requires a lot of attention to be able to make sense of it. Thankfully, the lightning-fast battles make the heart race and leave you wondering what happened. But in a good way.

In terms of gameplay, Riders Republic is an arcade-style racing game. Not necessarily realistic, but very fun, fast and over the top. It's perfect for fans of Tony Hawk, SSX and even (for those slightly older readers) Cool boarders. It's not overly technical, but it's not dulled either. It's also clever how Ubisoft has managed to make every discipline on point. Whether you're doing tricks on a snowboard or flying through a ravine in a wingsuit, all the disciplines are incredibly fun.

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.

Cronos: The New Dawn gets off to a slow start, with ammunition that is (too) scarce and melee attacks that are clunky and difficult to aim. After a few upgrades, you suddenly go from being a weakling to an elite soldier, after which there is little challenge left. Too difficult at the beginning, too easy after playing for a while. The balance is clearly off, and there are no options to adjust the difficulty level. And once you start noticing that they really do pull out all the tricks of the horror genre—a shadow flashing in the corner of your eye, a flashlight that suddenly starts to falter when things get exciting, an enemy that appears out of nowhere after you pick up an object—the fun quickly wears off. Unfortunately, the intriguing premise and atmospheric setting don't make up for these frustrating moments.

Are we that stupid now? Or is this puzzle really very difficult to decipher? To be honest, we thought so several times during ‘We Were Here Forever’. The new puzzle game - which you can only play in pairs - is quite a workout for the brain.

After releasing at least one new game almost every year, developer Ubisoft simply fails to surprise with Assassins Creed Mirage. What was supposed to be an homage to the first games feels too much like déjà vu. The same moves, the same controls, the same missions in a similar setting. There is wear and tear on the golden formula of yesteryear.

So yes, FC 25 feels a touch different again, and the immensely popular Ultimate Team is also back, but whether that's worth the full price - target price 65 euros? We doubt it. We feel that EA is on the right track and knows where it wants to go, that's for sure, but FC 25 just doesn't feel "finished" after all these years: the focus is still too much on fast breakaways, defenders still look a bit clumsy and after a while you realize that tactics that work excellently in real life are useless in FC 25. For us, it could be a bit more.

WRC 10 FIA World Rally Championship is the full name of the game. Quite a mouthful for the official video game of the royal class in rallying, already the tenth in the series. WRC 10 builds on the solid foundation of its predecessors, and that results in a very enjoyable racing game.

All good things come to an end, and so does FIFA. Not that the game itself will cease to exist, but from next year it will simply be called EA Sports FC. In any case, the latest edition in the series could not be more FIFA: the moments on the pitch are great, those off it a little less so. There are times when it seems mostly a commercial for itself. The menus are garish and lead you everywhere but where you want to go. They also make it clear where Electronic Arts wants players to spend the most time: in flagship/milk cow Ultimate Team, where you build the strongest team possible and compete with it online. But once you get busy you notice how Electronic Arts manages to make soccer just that little bit more appealing every year.

In Park Beyond you can rely on a pinch of theme park magic to make your constructions truly spectacular. But for that, you'll have to bite the bullet. After all, on console, controller control is so clunky that it regularly becomes frustrating. And the many crashes we encountered during our play sessions almost made those controllers fly across the room. So Park Beyond, in this state, is mostly for those with a strong stomach and a lot of patience. Which comes in handy on a roller coaster.

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.

Bigger is better. It might suit a bag of chips - Lay's salt and pepper, please - but not a computer game. Or at least not for Days Gone for PC, which combines the same large open world of the PS4 game with an overwhelming number of missions. Do we think Days Gone is a bad game? No, absolutely not. But to go back to the comparison with potato chips - one of our areas of expertise next to computer games - the bag is big, the content is weak.

Rise of the Ronin is an open world action game set in nineteenth century Japan with both Souls-like elements and exploration à la Assassin’s Creed with a tiny dash of roleplaying the mix. It tries multiple things, but excels in none.

In just four hours you're all set, but thanks to the multiplayer mode you can easily add several more hours. For less than 15 euros you can't expect an absolute masterpiece, but you get some carefree entertainment that will catapult you back to the 90s.

Whether it's called FIFA or not, EA Sports FC 24 is the traditional, annual soccer game that every fan looks forward to. It's not a revolution, but exactly what you can expect if you've played the previous years. Although it does seem that the break with the World Soccer Federation has been virtuous. The graphical interface is less garish and there is more hierarchy and structure in the menus so you can find your way around more easily. The players' movements have also become just that little bit more natural, making play seem more fluid and realistic than ever. Although the attackers are still favored over the defenders, making it easier to score than to stop goal attempts.

Call of the Sea is basically one big escape room, in which you go from location to location while solving varied and mostly interesting puzzles. Sometimes, however, developer Out of the Blue expects a little too much, which can lead to frustrating moments and a wandering player.

Hot Wheels Unleashed has everything it takes to become a cult hit: a fine driving experience, a story mode, a track builder and you can unlock and collect rare cars. More than that, it's the racing game we didn't know we needed this year.

'Garden life: a cozy simulator' is - as the name gives away - a cozy game for young and old. You get the freedom to do everything the way you want. You don't need a green thumb or gaming experience. Moreover, the game looks beautiful. The main drawback is that it can quickly feel monotonous.

There are two types of people in life, to put it very simplistically: those who get calm from order and cleanliness, and those who enjoy chaos. Do you fall into the first category? Then "A little to the left" is for you. If not, you'd better ignore this game.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is full of wasted potential. This insanely detailed, beautiful and atmospheric vision of the Japanese capital is lost to monotonous combat and gameplay.

Loss, grief and processing. These themes are central to 'Lost words: beyond the page'. Heavy subjects that are beautifully put into words and images, in a way that is also accessible for children. Just don’t expect a great challenge.

Since 2007, little has changed in the formula of No More Heroes. The third volume is no exception. No More Heroes III is rough, fast, bizarre and brutal. And that makes the game simultaneously great and frustrating.

The emotion that takes over in Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection is frustration. While the charm of the series is timeless, the expiration date of the clumsy controls has passed several decades ago. New unlockable skills and the ability to play with two knights at the same time are interesting additions, but don't manage to raise Resurrection to the level of a 21st century game.

In 'F1 Manager 2022' you manage an existing Formula 1 team and literally decide everything. Which mini-part of the car will be further developed, which departments will be expanded, which sponsors will be brought in and which goals will be set. Even during the grand prix, you determine the race strategy and try to lead your team to victory. Great detail, but therefore rather meant for a certain niche.

Those with somewhat gaming experience will have finished the story in less than ten hours. That's pretty short to shell out close to 60 euros for it. Still, that certainly doesn't mean you can't enjoy it as an adult. If you are looking for a game that does not demand too much energy, then this is game for you. For children, the game is definitely recommended.

Life isn’t easy, especially when you end up in a radioactive zone and a secretive government cuts you off from civilization. That happened to us twice this year: first in the magnificent Stalker, now in Atomfall. You see, with Atomfall we didn’t use any superlatives, and that’s no oversight. Atomfall reminds us of our attempts at cooking: all the ingredients are there, but the result doesn’t taste as good as we hoped. The game doesn’t escape the label ‘mediocre’: at this moment, it mainly feels like it’s only about 80 percent finished. A shame, because we do like the concept.