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.

Ghost of Yōtei is a masterful lesson in refining an established formula, demonstrating how a new theme can lead to a cascade of improvements that elevate an already beloved concept to new heights. Sucker Punch has not only retained the best elements of Tsushima, but has also boldly broken new ground, taking the experience to a new level. The central conflict shifts from Jin Sakai's internal struggle for honour and cunning to Atsus' personal quest for revenge and her potential healing. I felt that this thematic shift is the driving force behind all of the game's profound mechanical innovations. The Western theme runs like a thread through every aspect of the gameplay, from the bounty hunter system to the non-linear narrative. It kept me hooked until the very end. Truly a revenge story with enormous gravitational pull.

Hotel Barcelona is the result of a creative synergy between Suda51 and SWERY. The game does not position itself as a highly polished product, but rather as a deliberately unconventional experience. It scores points with its chaotic ‘slasher phantom’ mechanics and dirty aesthetics, which will appeal especially to fans of classic horror films. Although the (more or less deliberate) messy style and technical quirks will be a hurdle for many, these elements are part of the artistic vision for die-hard fans. Hotel Barcelona is far from a perfect game, but it is perfect for its very narrow target audience.

Silent Hill f is a very special game. Rarely have I seen a video game narrative told this well while taking advantage of the medium's unique strengths. Even after several playthroughs, my perspective on the story keeps changing through uncovering new aspects of its mystery.

Dying Light: The Beast is an action-packed open-world game with powerful and brutal combat and a high paced parkour system allowing me to glide elegantly across rooftops. Even though quests and storylines quickly become routine, the smooth gameplay keeps me hooked with constant new challenges and noticeable improvements.

Sonic Racing Crossworlds is a game of extremes, initially causing frustration with its chaotic races, sensory overload, and often unfair item system. However, players who push through the steep learning curve will be rewarded with an uncompromisingly fast and rewarding racer that brilliantly captures the feel of classic 3D Sonic turbo stages. Despite the flawed item balancing, its fantastic track design, motivating tuning options, and the dynamic Crossworlds mechanic make it a challenging and ultimately satisfying experience for dedicated Sonic fans who value pure, unfiltered speed above all else.

Hollow Knight: Silksong improves on nearly everything Team Cherry established eight years ago and I hope other games will learn from its excellent enemy design. A true success that somehow managed to meet the high expectations.

Borderlands 4 offers - who woulda thunk - more Borderlands. Frantic gunplay with improved movement, entertaining weapons, spectacular boss battles and a crude sense of humor, which doesn't always hit the mark and takes turns with the comparatively serious, dark main storyline. During our review, the game lacked polish and took a few rough hours before it started to pick up its pace. The large, open world has almost zero transitions or load screens. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, it also requires somewhat up to date hardware. The endgame is meant to entertain users for many weeks and months via events and increasing challenges for bigger and better loot. That sounds promising in theory - release will show how it works out in practice.

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.

Hirogami creatively uses origami folding techniques in its levels and battles, creating a unique platforming experience. Not only do we explore beautifully designed levels full of secrets, but we also have to constantly find new ways to use our powers and transformations.

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.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is an audiovisual marvel and feels magical to play. Sadly, it is held back by its bloated structure and repetitive fights that never quite manage to challenge you up until the very end.

I would have liked a little more courage: Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater plays the “remake game” as safely as possible so as not to scare off old fans. However, this overlooks the fact that not everything about the original was perfect for a long time - especially from a modern perspective. But Konami's luck is that the original game was still pretty great then as it is now, and so it remains so in this version.

InZoi is a life simulation game with impressive graphics that is getting a new setting with numerous new features and improvements in the Island Getaway update. In addition to new furniture, building functions, outfits, hairstyles, and even pools, new features such as snorkeling, gardening, mining, and crafting provide you with new opportunities to give your Zoi a personality and shape their everyday life. A lot of the time, however, variety still prevails over depth. [Early Access Score = 70]