If you're looking for a cleverly balanced puzzle platformer with a great atmosphere and memorable characters, Planet of Lana II is the perfect choice. The rather subtle depiction of violence also makes the game interesting for families. However, Planet of Lana II doesn't offer any real challenges for hardcore puzzlers.

Esoteric Ebb is a charming and clever role-playing game that combines D&D virtues with a strong focus on story and contemporary themes. Even though the graphics and fantasy setting speak a different language, it almost feels like Disco Elysium 2.

Resident Evil Requiem delivers one of the series’ best survival‑horror campaigns with Grace Ashcroft and a brutal, visually impressive action romp with Leon in ruined Raccoon City. However, its generous resources economy, the action-focus in the second half and split identity keep this ambitious anniversary entry just shy of true masterpiece status.

Reanimal is a captivating horror adventure with an intense creepy atmosphere and a cinematic look. It provides variety in terms of gameplay, but leaves a lot of narrative potential untapped.

Great visual concepts and wacky characters don't make up for the underlying issues of its repetitive encounters and tedious level design.

In the roughly 60 hours I spent with Nioh 3, I often only reluctantly put the controller down for breaks. The enhanced gameplay structure and clever, new elements reliably prevent you from getting frustrated and losing your temper on a boss, without sacrificing the series' signature edge. Nioh 3's more open approach reliably motivates you to keep at it and consistently creates an exemplary, captivating flow. If you've only ever tentatively eyed the Nioh games from afar, this latest installment offers the best opportunity yet to jump into the series.

Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined is a much tighter experience compared to the original, even though it over-corrects in some places.

It's a little strange: although I have very little connection to real climbing, Cairn immediately captivated me. Over time, I have developed something like “para-expertise,” which would be of limited use in real climbing, but opens up undreamt-of possibilities in Cairn. “What, we're supposed to climb this smooth, hundred-meter-high rock face?” you ask yourself at first – only to later scan the rock with an expert eye and figure out a possible route. The game may become a bit too challenging in places from the medium difficulty level onwards – but if you have patience and frustration tolerance, you will be rewarded all the more by your sense of achievement. Even for those unfamiliar with mountaineering, Cairn offers an unforgettable adventure that combines flow and natural beauty with well-paced drama. The mountain is calling, definitely.

Code Vein II fundamentally fails to understand that true Souls-like difficulty comes from skill testing, not stat gating. There are also minor but noticeable flaws, such as the sometimes poor readability of attacks, which could be remedied with better visual highlighting and reduced effect chaos. Overall, Code Vein II moves further away from its Souls-like roots, which I find bold and independent. This gives the game a new identity of its own, which in its flow and combat rhythm is more reminiscent of dungeon crawlers and action JRPGs than Dark Souls and the like. The only annoying thing is that many aspects seem to have not been thought through to the end. This results in the aforementioned lack of appeal of the open world, the incoherence between story and gameplay, and the unpolished technical execution. Nevertheless, there is a good game in here somewhere. If Bandai Namco makes adjustments with patches, you can still have fun despite these criticisms.

A strong Metroidvania in both audiovisual and gameplay aspects, featuring appealing level design, a dense atmosphere, convincing scope, a tactically interesting upgrade system, nerve-wracking boss battles, and clever features to balance the challenging difficulty level.

Two years after its release, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora still offers one of the most beautifully breath-taking worlds we have ever experienced in a video game. The gameplay mix of stealth, shooting, hunting, gathering and crafting is entertaining in short bursts. However, it feels a little too shallow and repetitive for lengthy trips to Pandora. The story presentation is weak, NPCs are walking tropes and the plot offers zero nuance or grey area. The DLC From the Ashes offers better pacing and fast-paced action, whilst also delivering noticeably better cutscenes and story moments. The DLC feels better and more entertaining than the base game, however, it's also a lot shorter than Frontiers of Pandora.

Terminator 2D: No Fate plays like some of the best, most beaufitul 16 bit run 'n gun titles of days gone by. Its varied gameplay, amazing pixel art and insanely good soundtrack make for roughly 40 minutes of brilliant fun - and then you're done. You can now do it all over again on higher difficulty levels or in the no continues arcade mode, a boss rush mode or an infinite survival mode, or even unlock some dubious alternative story moments. If and how much you enjoy this depends on whether or not you have the time and motivation to master this game to perfection. Otherwise, you'll be getting a very entertaining, albeit also very short gameplay experience for your money.

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.

Routine is an acoustic and atmospheric masterpiece that excels in environmental storytelling and psychological horror through liminal spaces. However, its narrow appeal, demanding navigation without maps, and reliance on specific phobias make it a polarizing experience. Essential for horror enthusiasts with patience; potentially frustrating for others seeking traditional gameplay mechanics.

Kirby Air Riders suffers from the difficult task of outwardly conveying its true nature. Those hoping for a fun-racer in the vein of Mario Kart World might be quite disappointed. While the comparison is obvious and superficially accurate, Air Riders relies heavily on a unique gameplay experience. It rewards players who overcome the challenging initial hurdle and have the enthusiasm to delve into the mostly simple, yet complex, systems and mechanics. There's no doubt that casual gamers can enjoy the title. However, if you want to take a few relaxed spins, you'd be better off with the plumber's latest racing adventure.

The label ‘okay’ was invented for games like SpongeBob SquarePants: Tides of Giants. It's a solid game for a younger target audience, which represents its brand well and offers some funny ideas. However, there is little that is truly compelling here, especially since many of the mechanics have already been implemented better elsewhere. So, while you'll have a nice time in Bikini Bottom, you won't feel any real excitement.

The campaign in Black Ops 7 changes everything, for better and for worse. You face psychological horror on your own or cooperatively with friends, fight humongous bosses and move through crazy, surreal levels using grappling hooks and super jumps. Some enemies are annoyingly spongy, some boss mechanics more frustrating than entertaining. The story is unbelievably nonsensical, even for Call of Duty. Multiplayer is chock-full of the usual competitive modes for teams of 6 or 20 players, Warzone and Zombies are present, as well, as is Endgame, a new cooperative Warzone mode against AI enemies. Multiplayer is solid, the Gunsmith feature allows for lots of exciting possibilities, but weapon-balancing could use a little more fine-tuning.

Rue Valley shows how depression, grief and mental health problems affect us and those around us. It also the various ways people deal with these issues, how one can learn to live with them and how to find hope in a seemingly hopeless situation. The story looks at these issues without the use of rose-tinted glasses and creates a fascinating experience through its unusual character creation and very well-written and very-acted dialogue, if you're open to this kind of subject matter. However, a certain amount of patience for a few lengths in both gameplay and storytelling, as well some tolerance for small technical issues and limitations are a requirement for your journey to Rue Valley.

Nothing new, but the familiar gameplay in near-perfect quality: With Anno 117, Ubisoft is playing it safe—and delivering high quality.

Like its predecessor, Age of Imprisonment serves up highly enjoyable power-fantasy action against a competently translated “Zelda“-backdrop. While the title avoids major innovations (too much so), it tweaks the right elements and improves greatly on the performance and visuals. If you only bring a love for the underlying franchise, the repetitive gameplay might tire you rather quickly. However, for genre enthusiasts, and especially fans of the first game, this title is a no-brainer.

Wreckreation is a flawed but charming arcade racer that successfully resurrects Burnout's spirit. The innovative LiveMix editor offers creative freedom rarely seen in racing games, while solid destruction physics and exhilarating speed deliver memorable moments. However, a lifeless open world, unfair AI difficulty balancing, and numerous technical bugs prevent it from reaching greatness. For players hungry for arcade racing thrills and willing to overlook its rough edges, it's a worthwhile investment. The small ten-person team deserves credit for coming this close to recapturing the magic of 2008.

A sci-fi role-playing game designed with a lot of passion, featuring a great narrative universe, flamboyant characters, many solutions for individual missions and a consistently successful presentation.

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 fantastic combat system and memorable bosses are held back by tedious level design. Nearly every stage is double the length it should be and gets visually stale even before then.

Keeper is a unique puzzle adventure that combines atmospheric exploration with clever puzzles and a touching story without the need for words. At its core is the unique journey of two unlikely friends, which warms my heart with its powerful emotions.

Battlefield is back! With an exciting scenario, excellent multiplayer and an entertaining campaign, Battlefield 6 impresses across the board in our preliminary test. Minor weaknesses and shortcomings do little to detract from the overall experience. Now all that's left is for the servers to hold up and for EA/DICE to continuously maintain and balance the game with an ear to the community. Then nothing will stand in the way of an excellent multiplayer title that even Call of Duty has to fear.

Supermassive Games successfully translates the macabre aesthetic, delivering superb monster design and visual highlights. However, the experience is hindered by padding, inconsistent pacing, and an underutilized, online-only co-op feature, preventing Little Nightmares 3 from reaching the compact brilliance of its predecessors.

Digimon Story Time Stranger certainly doesn't push the boundaries of the genre, but it captivates as a competently executed JRPG until the credits roll – especially with its exemplary complex focus on collecting and training the titular monsters. If you also have a connection to the original, Time Stranger is sure to make you more than happy, as Media.Vision and Bandai Namco deliver what is probably the most well-rounded game of the franchise to date.