The First Berserker: Khazan is an interesting Soulslike that focuses on dark anime, high difficulty and playful freedom. But the wow effect fails to materialize.

A wonderfully atmospheric adaptation of the Dune license. The survival mechanics are motivating, while the combat system offers solid standard fare. The framework for future expansions is built on solid foundations, while the genre, like the desert sand, remains in flux.

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a thrilling stealth game in which you creatively combine the abilities of up to three active characters. Fair puzzles and a great story make this game a real insider tip.

Tormented Souls 2 is a love letter to the heyday of classic survival horror. It's not a game that attempts to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it takes a tried-and-true formula, understands its strengths down to the smallest detail, and refines them with the precision of a craftsman. The result is an experience that feels both nostalgic and modern. And it fits well with the current renaissance of horror games that are springing up in all shapes and sizes. My recommendation is therefore clear and specific: If you're looking for a modern action-horror game with fluid controls and cinematic staging, you might not be happy here. But if you miss the days of color ribbons, fixed camera angles, and slow, methodical exploration, Tormented Souls 2 is a definite recommendation. Dual Effect has not only created a worthy successor but also set a high standard for the neo-retro horror genre.

A strong, emotional story, a good, if not outstanding, combat system and plenty to do in terms of exploration and collecting: Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden should come as a positive surprise to most gamers, and certainly not many had it on their radar as a spring highlight.

For dating sim fans with a sense of humor, Date Everything is a real home run, full of exciting characters and quirky stories. The excellent writing in particular helps to overcome a few longueurs in the design and makes the dating simulation an entertaining adventure.

FromSoftware steps out of its comfort zone and impresses with an exciting genre mix that weaves together time-tested systems and mechanics of the original with a refreshingly new and captivating gameplay experience.

The horror adventure The Midnight Walk impresses with its dark, grotesque atmosphere and exciting stories – but don't expect any tough brain teasers.

A bold and uncompromising action-adventure that strips away modern hand-holding like maps and quest markers, forcing players to rely on pure instinct and observation. Hell is Us masterfully blends the grim reality of a 90s-inspired civil war with surreal, 'New Weird' horror, creating a deeply immersive and rewarding experience for those willing to embrace its demanding, yet brilliant, design philosophy.

Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes is a captivating space roguelite that allows you to engage in tactical real-time space battles, but also to manage resources and to make tough decisions to keep your fleet alive in the war among the stars. Even if things get a bit repetitive here and there, the diverse and multi-layered systems offer enough depth for numerous playthroughs.

Crimson Desert is an entertaining open-world action RPG that offers a unique gameplay experience and, thanks to its vast scale, keeps you occupied for a long time, but fails to truly impress in almost every respect. In this case, less would have been more.

Avowed is an old-school RPG at heart, allowing you to shape your character and the world around you with your choices while still providing a very modern and action packed open world to explore.

Fabledom is a relaxed and pretty building experience that is perfect for beginners. However, the game also runs out of steam quite quickly.

A solid remaster mostly focused on improving the first Soul Reaver. It leaves the weaker sequel further behind, resulting in an uneven package.

A challenging survival horror game that impresses above all with its consistently dark, slowly unfolding atmosphere set in post-apocalyptic Krakow. The difficulty level and consistent gloom are a treat for fans of the genre, but a test of endurance for everyone else.

Classic gameplay with lots of variety. Captivating stories to think about. An insider tip that we luckily didn't miss.

Star Wars: Outlaws is an action adventure that captivates with its story and an open world to freely conquer and explore. It exudes Star Wars atmosphere from every pore and shows us new, surprising aspects of the galaxy. Even though the mix of fighting, stealth and exploration is quite fun in itself from a gameplay perspective, Outlaws tends to stumble over its own ambitions and clunky controls there.

Invincible VS is a visceral, mechanically intriguing 3v3 tag fighter that rewards creative problem-solving over rote memorization. While it lacks the ultimate strategic depth and frame-data nuance of the genre's titans, its sandbox approach, satisfying hit feedback, and rock-solid rollback netcode make it a standout entry and a genuine recommendation for both fans and FGC enthusiasts willing to experiment.

A solid successor that provides more accessibility with many convenient functions and carefully adds mechanics. The new engine also lets the battles shine in a new light. Great effects, nice lighting and beautiful backgrounds create a real sci-fi flair. However, the pure focus on destroying the enemy makes for very uniform games with somewhat too static space battles. In addition, mechanics such as culture, secondary factions or mobile orbits play too small a role compared to the mass production of gigantic fleets.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU offers a fresh scenario with the African realm of the dead, which the action platformer combines with an emotional story, dynamic battles and challenging jumping passages. However, Tales of Kenzera occasionally stumbles when it comes to the learning curve and controls, and the story could use a little more subtlety sometimes.

Monster Hunter Stories Remaster succeeds at bringing the 3DS original to new platforms. The combat system remains simple while offering deeper customization. Sadly, both the game's difficulty and story execution hold it back from achieving greatness.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard clearly wants to put epic action above all and sprinkles it with deeply emotional moments. Instead of choices and slow, tactical combat, the focus is clearly on a pre-composed story and powerful, action-packed battles. But if you engage with it, BioWare delivers one of the most thrilling role-playing games of recent years.

Dead Take is a bold game that tells a relevant story about abuse of power in the entertainment industry that is worth hearing. Its greatest triumph is the outstandingly acted and staged FMV sequences, which create an oppressive, voyeuristic tension that lingers long after the game is over. Here, the game unfolds its full, uncomfortable force and becomes a powerful indictment. Unfortunately, the gameplay framework cannot always support this brilliant core. The puzzle mechanics are often too conventional and seem disconnected from the psychological depth of the narrative. Especially in the first half, the game relies too heavily on worn-out horror clichés and slow pacing, which weakens the otherwise dense, surreal atmosphere. Despite these weaknesses, Dead Take is recommended for players looking for a horror experience with substance and a provocative message. Can Dead Take spark discussion despite its weaknesses? Absolutely!

Replaced is much more than it initially appears to be: namely, a pixel-art spectacle with an incomparably rich atmosphere. It quickly becomes clear that the passionately told story and the varied gameplay contribute just as much to the overall experience as the stunning graphics. Yes, not every one of these elements is perfect, and every now and then there’s a bit too much text and repetitive gameplay. Nevertheless, Replaced is already one of the indie highlights of the year.

Even 23 years after its initial release, Onimusha 2 still lives up to its name. Improved visuals and numerous quality-of-life improvements make the game a truly immersive experience.

All in all, Thief VR is a game that emphasizes curiosity and experimentation. Some characters remain relatively bland in terms of narrative, but Thief VR thrives in other directions. The replay value is high, and it's incredibly tempting to try a mission again with a completely different playing style. Certain gameplay elements (lockpicking, hoarding treasures, knocking out guards, etc.) become a bit monotonous over time. But the limitation to a fixed set of tools ensures that you become increasingly skilled at using precisely these tools – instead of being overwhelmed and distracted by ever new possibilities.

Visions of Mana brings the world and creatures of the Mana games to life in ways much better and more beautiful than ever before. The world is more accessible and freely explorable, there is more to discover, the five playable characters can be upgraded and customised through many advanced classes. A weak PC port and some storytelling and gameplay lengths make the game less enjoyable than it could be.

Ara: History Untold doesn't really do anything new, but it takes good ideas from so many games and combines them in a meaningful way that fans of Civ, Millennia or Humankind will definitely have fun with. However, some of the many systems – such as diplomacy or combat – aren't really polished. The game certainly has the potential to patch itself up, but at release it's not enough.