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]

Sword of the Sea focuses entirely on exploration and flow and does it really well. If you're looking for a truly relaxing game, you won't find a better one right now. Overall, Sword of the Sea didn't move me as much as Journey did at the time: yes, there is loneliness and vastness here too, but the pilgrimage on the Hoversword just doesn't feel as destiny-fueled as that of the Journey protagonist. Nevertheless, Sword of the Sea enchants with its incredibly dense atmosphere, pointed cutscenes and wonderfully animated landscape.

Mafia: The Old Country is a classic case of ‘more than the sum of its parts’. The individual game elements may not be outstanding, but when taken together and framed by this beautiful ‘faux open world’, they still make for a fantastic game. Yes, it does carry some baggage, but if you're in the mood for great characters, competent gameplay and some spectacular staging (with beautiful landscapes!), you simply owe yourself a trip to Sicily.

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!

Anyone looking for a true challenge wrapped in a nice retro look will find it in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. The 2D game breathes the spirit of its predecessors, but doesn't shy away from well-implemented modernizations.

In its best moments, Killing Floor 3 delivers absolute shooter fever dreams. The rest is standard stuff that squanders any potential.

This social simulation will disappoint more than just Lord of the Rings fans. It could have used some fine-tuning.

No, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers certainly does not reinvent the wheel. Leenzee clearly draws inspiration–in many aspects, even meticulously–from the acclaimed works of genre pioneers FromSoftware. However, Wuchang implements its obvious inspirations extremely competently, enriching them with a handful of interesting ideas of their own, thus keeping genre fans thoroughly entertained for 30 to 40 hours.

Donkey Kong Bananza delivers tons of creative fun and is the first compelling reason to buy Nintendo's new hybrid console.

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.

Islanders: New Shores is a simple but creative city builder in which you score points by placing buildings mindfully, while allowing you to construct beautiful cities without restrictions in sandbox mode. With subtle building interactions, powerful advantages and more challenging island variations, the simple strategy game offers a surprising amount of depth.

As a unique 3D platformer in both visual presentation and gameplay systems, Ruffy and the Riverside doesn't quite reach its full potential.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is just as controversial and masterful as its predecessor. The tough challenge has given way to a tough story. A change of focus that won't pick everyone up, but will definitely make everyone think.

Expectations for Rematch may have been somewhat exaggerated in the run-up to its launch – the hype was evident in the high registration numbers for the open beta. However, Sloclap has actually succeeded in breathing new life into the football simulation genre. After years of homeopathic FIFA ‘upgrades’ at best, we should be grateful that a development studio has dared to try something new. The game may still be a little rough around the edges, but it's a lot of fun right from the start. The skill-based system provides plenty of motivation to learn the different moves in the matches. (The name ‘Rematch’ is therefore very apt.) It remains to be seen whether Sloclap has a game here that offers enough depth in the medium term. First, the studio should get the glitches under control – and add the much-desired cross-play mode.

Tron: Catalyst expands the popular sci-fi universe with an exciting story. However, in many areas, the game remains nothing more than average.

Successful, skilful and gripping. These three adjectives summarise Fast Fusion well, the adrenaline rush for the launch of the Switch 2. If you're in the mood for high-speed racing, you can't really get past this game. Despite all its strengths, however, it is not without its weak points: The fluctuating picture quality due to aggressive DLSS upscaling could annoy purists. Particularly in handheld mode, you have to make compromises. However, I can't really be mad at the game for this, precisely because Shin'en offers an otherwise flawless arcade experience despite its small team size, of which there are unfortunately not that many today.

Splitgate 2 offers solid, fast-paced gameplay and intelligently encourages team play. The portal mechanic rewards intelligent play and opens up possibilities not seen in other shooters. The large selection of game modes might spread its community a little too thin in the long run, and may dilute the game's identity too much. In order to keep players engaged for the long haul, there need to be more unlockables, upgrades, some form of measurable progress. The upcoming ranked mode is a step in the right direction, but it likely won't appeal to less-competitive users.

Mario Kart World on Switch 2 is a blast, especially the Knockout Tour with friends! The cow character is already iconic, and the animations are top-notch. However, the open world feels a bit like a sticker hunt, the costume unlock system via "Dash Food" is confusing with unequal outfits per character (some get none!), and it disappoints regarding the single-player focus. Some tracks are too wide, and no 200cc at launch is a bummer. Still, it's charming, chaotic fun with potential to be the GOAT - albeit with updates.