An audiovisual delight and a surprisingly deep role-playing game: With its story, style, and excellent combat system, Clair Obscur breathes a breath of fresh, croissant-scented air into the JRPG genre.

An almost perfect experience of a very special kind.

Frostpunk 2 is not just an ordinary sequel. It is a strategy game with fresh ideas, sophisticated mechanics and a gorgeous look that give the Frostland a whole new facet.

After more than 40 hours spent with 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, I have witnessed a consistently impressive story with a fitting ending. I have met a wonderful cast of loveable and unique characters. I have enjoyed endlessly addicting combat between Sentinel against Deimos, and read every intriguing mystery file. This is a game like no other. In confidently sticking to its unconventional ideas, it may alienate some. However, those who connect with it are in for a wonderful time. Even after fully completing 13 Sentinels, its story, characters and fighting sequences continue to stay on my mind. I already miss it to the point that I want to start playing it all over again.

Two Point Studios once again manages to strike a balance between fun, sophistication and accessibility: Two Point Museum is a time-consuming build and boasts humor, handling and versatility.

A thoroughly engrossing action game that will keep you coming back for dozens upon dozens of hours. Each run is brimming with satisfying combat, new and interesting story bits and powerful upgrades, which more than makes up for the hefty amounts of repetion. Clearly a contender for game of the year.

Of course, it cannot keep up with modern open-world genre representatives of the caliber of a GTA or Watch Dogs in terms of scope and gaming activities. But it doesn't even want that. Mafia wants to tell a story, a story about family, friendship, morals and tragedy, and the game does this very well.

It only took about 15 minutes for me to realize that Baba Is You truly is an extraordinary game. Its concept as well as its mechanics are refreshing and nigh perfect. Within the first level, the game teaches you how to play it without having to use even one explicit tutorial-line. And it only goes uphill from there. Sure, not every puzzle is impeccable, and I did manage to get stuck on some, but the overall joy I felt - if one of my solutions actually worked - outweighed all of that. If you’re a fan of puzzle-games, you should definitely check out Baba Is You.

Mixing Final Fantasy Tactics with Octophath Traveler’s aesthetics, Triangle Strategy nevertheless stands on its own and is one of Nintendo Switch’s finest games in the genre.

Quotation forthcoming.

Teardown excels in combining complete destruction and plotting the perfect heist while offering a lot of tools and several different areas.

Quotation forthcoming.

Polyphony Digital’s latest outing puts itself into pole position with a game that brings the series back to its roots. The amount of content is gigantic, the driving feels great and the graphics are superb. A true winner.

This black cat brings us luck… and an excellent Metroidvania from an unusual perspective.

LEGO Horizon Adventures is a fun experience with a feel-good atmosphere for young and old - even together thanks to the co-op mode! I played the game first and foremost as a Horizon fan who was never averse to LEGO humor. In this respect, I was not disappointed. It just could have been a bit longer, because 70 euros for a 10-hour game is pretty steep.

In terms of content and gameplay, there's pretty little to criticize about Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2. Both games perform well on the Nintendo Switch, and especially on the Nintendo Switch 2. However, to call them remasters or even remakes would be an exaggeration. They're essentially optimized ports. But is that really so bad if the gameplay is still fun? Well, considering the price, it's a bit. Charging almost €70 for games that are 15 or 18 years old, respectively, and offer hardly any notable innovations, is a bit outrageous. If you already own Super Mario Galaxy through the 3D All-Stars Collection, you don't really need to buy this version again. There's simply too little new to offer. And visually, the 3D All-Stars Galaxy still looks pretty good. For Super Mario Galaxy 2, however, you have no other alternative besides the Wii version. If you're not familiar with either game yet, this bundle is a great way to catch up. Even though the price remains controversial, the decision is ultimately yours.

After one year in Early Access the 1.0 version of Sons of the Forest is finally out. With a lot more gadgets and story content the survival game convinced us from the first seconds. The graphics are beautiful and the behave of the NPCs is absolutely stunning. It makes a lot of fun to explore the creepy island full of cannibals and mutants. Every survival fan should play the sequel of The Forest.

When a game stays in our memory for so long, even after the credits have rolled, it has done a lot right. Banishers captivates us with crisp gameplay, great stories and difficult decisions.

Great game, cleanly ported: The PC version of Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is the perfect opportunity to catch up on the classic in its most beautiful form.

The excellent, charming, and fresh indie RPG Chicory: A Colorful Tale has it all: original gameplay, a fantastic story with depth and wit, and great characters that invite you to relax and explore. The story about the children of color in the lovingly designed province of Picnic, which we are allowed to significantly influence in terms of design, entertains over a course of ten to twelve hours, but above all also invites us to think and philosophize. Chicory is already one of the big game highlights of 2021. If you have a heart for little indie gems, you can't miss Chicory.

A captivating rogue-like thanks to its simple, yet elegant design that will keep you hooked for days on end.

The strategy game offers an insane amount with over one thousand different units and appeals through its neat visual design. The gameplay is fair, but quite challenging and can entice through its depth in mechanics. Rare crashes were only a minor inconvenience.

Without a doubt one of id software's best. Intense battles, brutal enemies, glorious design, a pulse-pounding soundtrack and a smooth engine all come together in one amazing package.

Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is a successful return to the world of Random. As a rogue-lite title, the game is particularly beginner-friendly and never overwhelming, although this might quickly be a negative for experienced players.

Under the Waves is one of the biggest positive surprises of the year. The developers of the indie game have crated one of the most beautiful gaming worlds in the last months. Water effects and the life under the sea looks stunning. But the adventure offers more than just beautiful graphics. The Story about our main character Stan and his sad past is so good and heartbraking at the same time. For people who are in love with slow paced adventures, Under the Waves is the perfect game between the blockbusters Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield.

Even though the almost 20-hour detective story takes a lot of time at the beginning and has been provided with little playful variety, Pentiment shines with a gripping murder investigation that captivates more intensively step by step. The team around Sawyer succeeds flawlessly in connecting interesting characters from different social classes and backgrounds to a complex web that contains many major and also intimate revelations. 

Cute, fun, and now even smoother: Kirby has made the jump to the Switch 2 very well.

A great remake of the GameCube classic, with a few lingering flaws keeping it from being the perfect remake.

Shadowbringers is one of the best MMO-Addons, we have ever played. The emotional main story is breathtaking and in its own right the best reason to play this game. Moreover, there is so much great content with the new zones, dungeons and raids or fresh features like the Trust System. A Must-Play for every MMO-Fan.

Donkey Kong: Bananza surprises with creative ideas, a powerful destruction feature, and a sense of exploration that's strongly reminiscent of Super Mario Odyssey—without simply copying it. Anyone who enjoys charming 3D platformers with a collecting focus, clever level design, and gameplay freedom will find a real treat here. While the adventure isn't entirely free of technical weaknesses and some boss battles are a bit too easy, the bottom line is that Donkey Kong: Bananza delivers exactly what it promises: a fun, unusually deep, and atmospherically strong adventure—not just for die-hard DK fans.

Even the weakest version of Nier: Automata is an unforgettable, mindblowing experience you absolutely shouldn’t miss. Play it on one of the other platforms, if you can, as the 30 FPS lock makes the extremely dynamic action feel a bit sluggish, but if you play exclusively on Switch, you’re getting a well-made port of one of the best and unique games the last console generation had to offer.

Nobody Wants To Die offers a wonderfully dark crime story in an excellent cyberpunk world that makes us question our own perceptions. Despite slightly repetitive gameplay, the game is convincing across the board and captivates us until the bitter end.

Great battles against creative monsters that help you overcome small weaknesses. Monster Hunter lives from the hunts and they are more than successful.

Ultimately, Borderlands 4 gets the crucial things right that you would expect from a Borderlands game. It's a loot shooter, and the looting and shooting works so well that we don't want to stop playing. Shooting tons of weapons at tons of enemies and collecting tons of loot has always been the DNA of Borderlands. It's a fun loop that still hasn't gotten old after 16 years and has once again been perfectly implemented in Borderlands 4.

Monster Hunter Stories 2 is very different to the main series of Monster Hunter games. It puts an emphasis on the story and replaces the action-packed fights with a more traditional RPG system. Overall, Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a great story-driven game which we highly recommend.

The Lost Crown is exactly what the franchise needed. An incredible comeback for both Prince of Persia and Ubisoft Montpellier.

A masterpiece of a puzzle game, one that raises the bar for an entire genre. Filled with varied exciting levels, strong art design and a stirring soundtrack, this is one game to be remembered for a long, long time.

Astro Bot has accessible gameplay, superb Dualsense implementation, rock-solid tech and so much charm that you can’t help but smile along. It doesn’t want to revolutionize the platformer genre, it just wants you to be happy. And that is a mission it succeeds at with flying colors.

The new Prince of Persia is a first-class metroidvania that just keeps getting better the longer we play.

The Switch version of The Lost Crown is a quality release, with a smooth framerate and very little compromises compared to the other versions. It's easily one of the best metroidvanias on the system and a fantastic comeback for both Ubisoft Montpellier and the Prince of Persia franchise.

Hellblade 2 is also very impressive on the PS5, especially with the new performance mode.

The new "My Team" mode is the biggest innovation (and improvement) in recent years and fits perfectly into the F1 game concept from Codemasters. Apart from that, the many adjustments to the driving experience, penalty system, TV-like presentation and technology add a little extra. F1 2020 is not only the best F1 game, it is also one of the best racing games out there.

Its mechanics can rely a little too much on luck, but even if you fail terribly, Balatro will keep you coming back for more.

Fantastic visuals, fast combat and clever nanosuit mechanics more than compensate for some linear leveldesign, a mediocre story and unvaried enemy design. It's not as good as the first game in the series, but it's a great shooter nonetheless.

A spectacular arcade racing game with brilliant graphics. The driving feels terrific, the amount of content is staggering and the faux Australia is joy to explore. Need for Speed, take heed.

The developers manage to offer enough innovations and variety without any great experiments, so that the game doesn't just look like a Two Point Hospital with a new coat of paint. Of course, there is still room for improvement. But for anyone who is even a little bit interested in business simulations, a visit to Two Point County is actually a must.

Surprisingly, EA and Codemasters deliver one of the biggest and best F1 games with F1 23 – a massive playground for those who love motorsports and high speed. And thanks to F1 World, casual gamers are now more welcome than ever.

Agatha Christie would be proud: Loco Motive marries the old-school whodunnit-mystery with point-and-click-adventures of the 90’s. Its cartoony artstyle and whacky comedy blend together into a cozy detective-game to whisk us away into the glam of the roaring 20’s.

Gears is sawing in the right direction now. Gears of War 4 disappointed a bit, the new Gears studio was under a lot of (time) pressure. This time The Coalition surprised positively. Gears 5 offers more variety than previous Gears and, thanks to Jack, gives real strategic skills for the first time. I also like the longer, atmospheric story sections. Fortunately, the storyline with Kait offers suspense, as the story about the Hammer of Dawn doesn't exactly sparkle with ingenuity. Thanks to The Coalition for the three-player co-op mode as well as for the escape mode. All in all, Gears 5 convinced me.

Helldivers 2 is a phenomenal spectacle and the ultimate soldier power fantasy.

Especially the new offense AI with its new pathing routines makes FIFA 13 worth buying. But also the other new features like First-Touch-Control and tactical free-kicks enhance the franchise's playability. Add the large variety of game modes and licenses and you get one of the best sports games on the market.

Due to AI improvements and the players' better pathing, PES 2013 feels smoother than last year's incarnation of the series. Coupled with new features like PES Full Control or player ID you get the best PES so far on next generation consoles. Too bad though that the AI still tends to be absent in some situations and that the graphics haven't been improved since 2010.

Reanimal is the successful reboot of Tarsier Studios and offers strong horror moments with a dense atmosphere and a breathtaking world, both alone and in co-op.

Not only is Bethesda's masterpiece a worthy successor to the precious Fallout franchise, but it is also, simply put, one of the best action-roleplaying games in years.

You have to see this amazing open world! Ghost of Yotei is an absolute PS5 treat and scores with breathtaking sword fights and beautiful landscapes. Only a few technical issues cloud the picture. Sucker Punch has again developed an amazing action adventure.

The Forgotten City tells an interesting story and uses a unique timeloop mechanic. Sadly, from a technical perspective, there is a lot that went wrong, going from bugs to weird animations. Nevertheless, we cannot stress enough how much we enjoyed this game.

With much more culture, the world congress and international trade routes Civilization V gains more depth than ever. Not only for fans of Civilization V is Brave New World worth a recommendation. With his second expansion confirmed Civilization V its position as leader in the genre of turn-based strategy games. I see much nights with less sleep in the next weeks.

Top sequel that surpasses its predecessor in (almost) every respect.

One of the best Anno games, focusing more on evolution than revolution, and a strong contender for strategy game of the year.

Red Dead Redemption on Switch is not a remake and also no remaster, it’s just a port of the ps3 and xbox 360 version. Nevertheless Rockstar's Wild West masterpiece also rocks the Nintendo console. The graphics look great on the Switch and the controls are doing their job. Only two things could stop players from buying the game: The missing multiplayer part and the high price. But in contrast to the multiplayer the Undead Nightmare DLC is also included. So we can not only play the main story with John Marston, there is also the zombie add-on in this version. That’s a great thing.

An enchanting adventure that lacks nothing except a little more playtime.

The grandmaster of fighting games reclaims his title.

This year's FIFA Manager 11 comes with a few new features regarding the transfer market and the players' abilities. FIFA Manager 10's big news - the online mode - has also been overhauled to run smoother. Though the game has been improved mainly in detail, the overall experience makes it the best manager experience in the last few years. A must-have for football fans.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is a beautiful adventure that has its own peculiarities that you have to get used to, and in which your own stories are often more interesting than the pre-written ones. Above all, it's one that's so incredibly entertaining that we won't be able to put it down any time soon.

Mafia: The Old Country successfully builds on the winning formula of the first two installments in the series. It places its gripping narrative and fantastic characters at the center of an adventure that is exciting from start to finish. With a successful mix of stealth, brutal action, and quiet moments, time flew by for us. We can therefore highly recommend a trip to 1900s Sicily and the beginnings of the honorable family to every Mafia fan.

After the very good, but unfortunately bugged FM 11, the developers are showing a little more courage to take risks again with the 12th edition. Last year’s version was limited to detail changes, while this year brings in a lot of new features. And this works out.

A worthy successor to the classic oldschool brawler trilogy: Streets of Rage 4 shines due to its electro beats and wonderfully crafted visual design, especially in its animations. While capturing the essence of the original games, Streets of Rage 4 manages to bring a seemingly old concept into a modern era.

The successor Subnautica: Below Zero does not have to hide from the original, but can show a completely different arctic adventure with more story and for the first time also dialogues through unique, fresh puzzle pieces. Personally, I prefer the clearly dark isolation setting and the slightly livelier soundtrack of the first part, but at the end of the day that's a matter of taste. Whoever wanted more after Subnautica should definitely grab it.

All in all, the developers at Blackbird Interactive have succeeded in delivering a worthy successor that offers everything fans expect from a Homeworld. The campaign is wonderfully atmospheric and offers exactly the right Homeworld mood with its impressive set-pieces and fantastic music. The tactical challenge of the three-dimensional space and the possibilities offered by the variety of units set the title apart from other representatives of the genre. The biggest question mark remains regarding the long-term motivation of the war games, which will only become apparent with the planned content updates from the developers.

Disco Elysium impresses in almost every way and is clearly my RPG of the year.

Bellabel Park expands the magnificent Super Mario Bros. Wonder with fun multiplayer modes and creative single-player challenges. The upgrade truly unlocks its full potential—especially in co-op.

For me, the game is for sure at the top of my list of games of the year.

The Nintendo Switch 2 edition doesn't bring huge changes, but it integrates console-exclusive features and makes the game shine in 4K – and all at a very low price.

With this remake, Square Enix breathes new life into the beginning of the Erdrick-Trilogy. Where our imagination had to do its part in the original, now the games breathtaking visuals leave us stunned. Whether you are a complete Dragon Quest newbie or an accomplished hero of past adventures, we can wholeheartedly recommend the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake to any fan of an amazing JRPG experience.

Valorant has the best chance of replacing CS: GO as a top dog, if the ranked mode is designed to be motivating enough. The infrastructure and experience in the world of competitive gaming is already abundant at Riot Games. Maybe the world of eSports will soon be dominated by a single company. But even if that doesn't work: Valorant is just so much fun.

Wario Ware is probably the TikTok of video games. With Move It! Nintendo has finally managed to conjure up a movement game with a party factor par excellence. Only a few problems with the controls caused small moments of frustration. But we can happily overlook that.

It Takes Two is brimming with creative ideas, diverse gameplay and a touching narrative that fits the overall theme. With all the different mechanics stuffed in, it is surprisingly how almost all of them work perfectly and thus, create a joyful cooperative experience everyone should have a go at.

Creative Assembly goes big with this final outing of the Warhammer trilogy. For veterans, it offers large amounts of content, most notably a total of eight playable races as well as an enhanced diplomacy system. However, it is also the first Total War game that considers new players by giving them a lengthy prologue campaign for learning the ropes. The game is still difficult though and suffers in parts from weak AI. Nevertheless, it is an amazing new title for the series – for newcomers and veterans alike.

God of War on PC is even better than before: Great graphics, a rich narrative and fantastic combat make it an experience you cannot miss.

With a great story, memorable characters and outstanding cutscenes the single player campaign easily overcomes most of its very few shortcomings. And the multiplayer mode is exactly what we've come to expect from Blizzard: it is fast, unforgiving and a hell of a lot of fun.

Remedy has done it again: Alan Wake 2 looks absolutely stunning, has one of the most crazy storys in gaming history and makes overall everything better than the prequel. The gameplay and the locations are showing so much variety and the charakters are incredible interesting. Only a few bugs and one very annoying bossfight destroying the high score.

There’s always something happening, constantly I have to decide, consider and proceed tactically – and sometimes even accept devastating defeat. A healthy mix of challenge, tension and reward is what makes a great game – Total War: Warhammer 2 is such a game.

The setting in China is a bit strange for us Europeans, but the game as such is with its new mechanics the best in the series.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 combines aspects from the previous games and features a lot of details without excluding people who haven’t played them yet. Aside from the mediocre graphics and some other issues it’s one of the best JRPGs available for Nintendo Switch.

Age of Empires 2 was one of the best RTS games 20 years ago and with the Definitive Edition it reclaims this status once again. Outstanding updated graphics and several reasonable quality of life improvements on top of the ageless gameplay and an insane amount of content result in a game that no old or young RTS fan should miss.

An outstanding sequel that merges a heartfelt story, stunning visuals, challenging gameplay and glorious music into what is already one of the best games of the year.

Platinum Games‘ return to form manages to deliver one of the most action-packed and over the top games of recent memory. Bayonetta's demon slaves enrich the already deep combat even further and are both fun to watch and control. Sure, the story is as convoluted and uninteresting as ever, not all of the game‘s many mechanics and set-pieces are as polished as the combat and the Switch‘s aging hardware doesn’t do the graphics any favors. But if you like your action games fast, fluid and completely bonkers, this is a tour de force that packs enough punch and content to be worth the asking price.

Silly microtransactions, but fantastic gameplay - a must-have for every NBA-fan.

Dragon Quest 7 is a very well-done remake of a game that is over 25 years old. Most of the problems of the original PS1 game have been solved, but the balance between text and combat is still uneven.

New setting, old strengths: Steamworld Heist 2 is bigger and better than its predecessor. The innovations are manageable, but they pay off: This thing is just fun!

Weird West is a mix between Red Dead Redemption and Desperados. The five episodes of the game are telling a brilliant story and it’s amazing, how every choice you make, has consequences for the outcome. The dynamic world of the West makes the game to one of the best RPGs of the year.

An utterly charming yarn about friendship and kindness that breathes gritty modern life into the quaint JRPG format of classic Dragon Quest.

Miles Morales offers the same excellent gameplay as its predecessor with a shorter campaign, richer side missions and some fun new abilities. While it's more of a standalone expansion rather than a full-fledged sequel, the charming cast of characters and a well done coming of age story make it a must-play for fans of the first game. With the PC port, developer Nixxes Software has once again done a great job. Support for ultra-wide monitors, multiple upscaling technologies, smooth performance and a wide array of options - there's not much more you could wish for in a PC conversion. 

F1 2021 is a great racing game with a lot of content, but also with a few weak spots. The AI could behave more realistically. Also, the damage model is still too weak, although it has been improved. If you enjoyed F1 2020 or any of Codemasters' other recent F1 games, are a motorsport fan or want to immerse yourself in the world of Formula 1, F1 2021 is the perfect opportunity to lose yourself in the virtual top class of motorsport for countless hours.

As a survival game, The Alters poses surprisingly hart questions. It forces players to make difficult decisions that test their morals and ethics. With its deep story and the far-reaching consequences, it could be the most innovative game of the year.

Along with its charming 2D retro look and awesome soundtrack the game cast a spell on me with its authentic characters.

The few flaws that the game undoubtedly has are annoying. Apart from them, though, Super Mario Bros Wonder is 2D platforming fun close to perfection.

Helldivers can also show off all its strengths on the Xbox - that's how it should be.