The compact game plays consistently excellently, because no gameplay element seems superimposed and the feeling of progress is so successful precisely because Kena focuses on the essentials. Only on the story level was I left a little disappointed. The game makes an effort to touch the player emotionally, but it didn't really work out because the story and characters are shifted a little too much into the background. Nevertheless, the gameplay and presentation are so successful that they easily carry Kena over its ten to fifteen hour runtime and keeps me waiting eagerly for the studio's next project.

Quotation forthcoming.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided manages to be the most well-rounded Deus Ex game ever – at least regarding the gameplay. With the new engine and various improvements on elements like the cover-system, overall controls and weapons, Eidos Montreal really outdid themselves in order to create an immensely enjoyable gaming-experience. I was especially fascinated by the intricate level-design that was still able to surprise me even after spending a considerable time with the game. Though the one big flaw of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is the story, which severely disappointed me. Choices throughout the game do not really matter, and the bulk of the actual plot only gets teased, with it being further elaborated on in a future sequel. If Eidos Montreal and Publisher Square Enix had just focused on perfecting this game instead of already planning future installments, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided could’ve truly been a susalt anperb game.

Its style and gameplay might not be the most innovative one but that isn’t even necessary to leave a lasting impression on me. In This War of Mine, none of my actions were of no consequence. After about 8 hours, my journey was finally over but I couldn’t really feel happy about it. In my thoughts, I was still pondering about all the terrible things I had to do in the game. Therefore, I can attest that the game succeeds at the task to accurately represent all of its themes. This War of Mine isn’t “fun” to play but took me on an emotional journey, like only a select few games ever managed.

A loving remake of an absolute classic, tailor-made for everyone who loved it back in the day. For newcomers, this means they'll have to get used to many quirks, but the nostalgia trip is rewarding for both parties: It contains moments that have made gaming history.

All in all, Anno 1800 is one of the best building games on the market, even on the console. Of course, the port in its current form is not very interesting for those switching from the PC. There is simply too much content missing and the change in handling can't be ignored. But as a pure console player, you can look forward to a top-class building game that will excite you for countless hours.

Project Cars makes you feel like being a real race driver, thanks to great graphics and a truly immersive helmet cam. With close to real life physics, a large selection of race cars from several eras and detailed courses from all over the world Slightly Mad Studios‘ game is a true winner. Multiplayer is good, but could be more polished.

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.

After 16 years, the little Goos are still indestructible. World of Goo 2 impresses with clever puzzle design and great ideas, but ultimately can't quite keep up with its brilliant predecessor.

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

Little Nightmares 2 is a really well done game, and once we're done typing this test, we'll keep our fingers crossed for a third part.

Somewhere between remaster and remake, Age of Mythology returns in its best version yet. The visual upgrade and quality of life improvements are fantastic additions, even though the single player campaign cannot hide its age.

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.

With six big sandbox-locations the first season’s campaign for agent 47 is offering various challenges, how to fulfill each mission. On top, there is a lot more to do with escalation-missions, user generated contracts and elusive targets. The gameplay allows classic hitman-stealth with silent kills as well as all-guns-blazing if you’re that kind of player. Lots of disguise-possibilities, weapons and gadgets makes it fun to play various times. Some lacks with the AI and graphic-issues have to be dealt with and if you’re expecting a complete storyline, that is not happening in Season 1.

This story-driven combo-slasher is with approximately 5 hours very short, including cut-scenes, which take up more than 2 hours and tend to interrupt gameplay constantly. Combo mechanics are satisfying, the story is not worth mentioning. Lots of senseless violence, the game takes itself way too serious. Merely a port from consoles, mouse controls are awful and the graphics do not meet modern standards.

An extremely well-done genre mix with massive battles and fantastic graphics. Both the base building and the RTS elements work extremely well.

Finally! Alan Wake arrives on PC almost two years after it hit consoles. Was it worth the wait? Yes! Does its age hurt your eyes? No! Should you play it? Definitely! Alan Wake is one of the most creative and thrilling story-adventures we've seen so far – but you shouldn't buy it if you are expecting an action game.

The core-concept of the motorcycle-action works splendidly in Trials Rising. Every now and then, you catch yourself thinking: “Just one more race.” But not everything is perfect. The loading times between races are quite long and take you a little bit out of the experience. Another thing that bugs me: the huge amount of - basically useless - customization. Graphically though, Trials Rising looks great. Only the Nintendo Switch version looks considerably worse.

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

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Despite its limitations, The Sexy Brutale fells extremely self-consistent. You seldom see such a lovely synergy between setting and gameplay.

Fast, intuitive, colourful fun! The best singleplayer Diablo clone in years!

When we played Prison Architect for the first time, we could hardly keep our hands off it. Once you started playing it, you can't stop. The quests are challenging and interchangeably, which keeps you busy the whole time. The charming Comic-Look gives no indication of how complex and earnest Prison Architect actually is.

Katana Zero may be a short game, but it delivers in every way: the gameplay is fun, the story is interesting, the music is great.

While only six hours long, this is a great addition to the original Shadow Tactics. Varied missions, likeable characters and plenty of tactical puzzles make Aiko's Choice an easy recommendation, especially if you enjoyed the main game and don't expect anything drastically new. Because sometimes 'more of the same' is exactly what we need.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles also has everything that makes the series so unique and is recommended to every fan and those who want to become one.

A solid update that brings the slightly better visuals from the WiiWare version back to the PC. While it's not as pretty as the 3DS version, the challenging gameplay remains intact: Cave Story+ is a successful tribute to console classics like Metroid and Castlevania.

I was expecting the game to become boring after a couple of levels, but the amount of fresh ideas and the addicting gameplay hooked me right in. Razor sharp controls make the very challenging rooms exciting, but cannot cut away every last inch of frustration.

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

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.

Racing-game-specialist Simbin upgrades its Race 07 with some new cars and tracks – that is not much for its price, but the core of the game is still fun to play if you like simulations.

The First Berserker: Khazan is a fantastic game for all Soulslike fans who appreciate challenging boss battles. Sekiro fans, in particular, should definitely check it out.

The Plucky Squire is a short but charming Zelda-like filled to the brim with ideas and creative twists. Had we not gotten stuck on multiple occasions due to bugs, with the final time costing us our playthrough, we'd recommend it wholeheartedly.

Lies of P has got a unique setting and the uncanny atmosphere shows the influence Bloodborne had on the game. But it doesn‘t feel as good as it looks and seems to have misunderstood what makes the difficulty in Soulslikes so rewarding.

Marvel's Midnight Suns has a number of quirks that are minor in themselves. In total, however, they do eat away at the gameplay experience. But despite these quirks, we had a hell of a lot of fun with the game. It delivers exactly what we had hoped for from a tactical role-playing game with superheroes: gripping battles, great characters and a huge scope that kept us interested for a long time. For someone with Marvel fan glasses, Marvel's Midnight Suns is a wonderful game. But at the end of the day, we're also left with a bit of a feeling that with a little more care and polish, there could have been more.

A perfect remake of a true strategy classic. The few things Firaxis changed are sensible and functional. A must-have for every strategy nerd.

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.

MIO: Memories in Orbit is a challenging Metroidvania with a strong atmosphere, which is likely to appeal especially to fans of the genre.

This modern version of one of the best competitive games of all times does a good job in introducing new players to this highly tactical and skill-based gaming experience. If you are a veteran of the old days – CS:GO might disappoint you. It sure looks nice but lacks the precision that made CS 1.6 so damn good. It´s still a very good Counter-Strike, though.

There is a lot to love about Resident Evil 7, from the spooky atmosphere to the many nods to the classic formula. Yet it stops just shy of being a masterpiece, mostly due to the disappointing second half, where the enemies lack variation and the story doesn’t fulfill its early promises. Even so, Resident Evil 7 is a must-buy for fans of the horror genre. While the missing virtual reality support on PC is a big letdown, Capcom did their homework in terms of performance and mouse controls.

Resident Evil: Village is a really weird game. The setting is awesome and it starts off with great atmosphere, but after the first area the game becomes less and less scary. The premise of the game is really interesting, but the story gets dumber and dumber and turns out to be unintentionally funny. At first Village really is the survival horror, fans of the older RE games love, but it becomes almost Call of Duty in the end. Village is not a bad game. In fact I had a lot of fun playing it. It is a bit disappointing since the setting had so much potential for a really scary old school survival horror Resident Evil though. But if you’re looking for a shooter with horror elements, Village is a dumb but super entertaining blockbuster.

The cute shell holds challenging combat and a mature story. The turn based fights are fair, due to their transparency and calculability. Nevertheless, the lack of proper replayability and endgame as well as the small amount of dialogue dull the experience a little.

Great mixture of tactical turn-based strategy and Cyberpunk-Espionage. Though the story and overall presentation is lacking in details, the game offers deep and rich gameplay-mechanics. The great variety of campaign-options offers lots of individual challenges for beginners and hardcore-fans as well.

This remaster collection turns out to be a lovingly restored new edition, with which strategy fans of the old school in particular should be happy. One can argue about the dusty gameplay and some lack of comfort, but these are concessions to the community that wished for "their" old C&C.

Easily the most recommendable adventure game in years. The production values are top-notch, the puzzles are fair and most of the characters are simply adorable. If only the story would keep up its suspense and finesse after the second chapter, I would consider this game to be an instant classic of the entire genre. Ah well, there is always hope for the sequel, right?

Snowrunner is really one of the most suprising games I’ve played in a long time. It offers a unique atmosphere, a great world to explore and a very satisfying gameplay loop. What you need to be able to enjoy it is patience, though, for it is a slow endeavour and sometimes tough as nails.

Chivalry 2 successfully captures the chaos and brutality of big medieval battles, and manages to spice up the bloodbath with some much needed humor through its whacky sandbox-elements and absurd war-cries. The fantastic-feeling combat-system is in a league of its own, especially on console. However, the game lacks the necessary variety of maps and modes to offer a long-term experience that goes beyond chaotic, somewhat mindless action. Eight maps and three modes, all of which quickly turn into chaotic mayhem, is all you´re getting at the moment, diabolically fun as it may be for a few hours. The gameplay foundation is excellent, but Torn Banner Studios needs to quickly add maps, modes, and enticing goals for players to really sink their teeth into, otherwise Chivalry 2 might quickly fade into obscurity.

A near perfect blend of west and east, complexity and accessibility - Dawn of Discovery is by far the best economic simulation to date.

Hitman 2 is a good stealth playground, although it missed some of its best chances to be a great game.

Despite the limitations in terms of content, the developers were overwhelmed by the countless actions you can perform. Bugs interfere on a regular basis and there´s nothing you can get from exploring the rather interesting open-world. What saves the title and makes him, despite the flaws, worthwhile for HTC-Vive-owners is the immersive feeling of the game, at least when you’re not being interrupted by one of the third-person-cutscenes.

Part two of this epic fantasy trilogy shares a lot of DNA with its predecessor, but improves upon combat variety and caravan management. The result is a more well-rounded experience in between the terrific plot twists, which are sure to take your breath away again.

Superhot manages to squeeze an astonishing number of brilliant ideas into its short running time. It’s the most innovative shooter since Doom, but the fun ends way too soon. Even if you only play in slow motion.

The grandmaster of fighting games reclaims his title.

There are a number of Beat ’em Ups on the market, but nothing compares to Mortal Kombat. If you like the exaggerated splatter effects like me, you will always feel this special tension in the fights, because the next head could roll or organs could fly around. I'm quite surprised by the story mode, I wouldn't have expected such a high level. The six hours or so entertained me wonderfully, also because the combat system is well-developed and fair. Tower and online modes can't quite reach the campaign's high bar. Nevertheless, Ed Boon and his team have once again succeeded in creating a great Beat ’em Up that will captivate me for a long time to come.

The 99-player highspeed-races are a fun experience but you can't call it a traditional battle-royale game. With a great ranking system and its nostalgic tracks and fun modes for added variety F-Zero 99 shows what the series always was about while still being unique on its own.

Stray is a fairly common adventure from an uncommon perspective and always at it's best, when that is shown off...The very first interactions with objects and characters in the game world have something magical and playful about them. Later in the game there are less and less new functions to discover and we instead get classic gameplay of running, solving puzzles and stealth. It is still absolutely servicable and cute, thanks to the cat protagonist. The last part oft he game feels rushed though.

The game mixes riddles, dialogues and fights very competently. It is very well-written and with more than 20 hours of playtime, there’s a lot to explore.

A pricey expansion with only few additions? Not enough for those who played the original Sins. But as a package for newcomers this Rebellion is a fantastic offering – a complete, refined strategy game that still ranks among the best in the genre.

All in all, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has sadly been a frustrating experience for me. World design and presentation, with John William's classic score and the beautiful graphics, are top notch, but the gameplay and quest design got redundant only after few hours.

Metro Exodus definitely has its flaws and the new gameplay formula still requires a bit of rework. Nonetheless, the game offers a unique shooter experience as well as a satisfying conclusion to Artyom’s journey.

Despite its refreshing setting and sharp dialogue, this is an almost retro-infused sci-fi adventure that relies heavily on mechanics established by Bethesdas Fallout games, while never reaching their depth nor scope. It's accessible, witty and great fun if you keep your expectations in check, even though the main story and some long-term decisions don't quite live up to their full potential.

The return of king Graham offers a mixture of classic adventure-puzzles, lots of humor and many action-sequences. The flashback-storytelling is quite entertaining, the voice acting is great and the cartoon-graphics turns the adventure into a fairytale-experience.

Quotation forthcoming.

A finely crafted game that knows what it wants to be and succeeds on almost every level. The fluid action, beautiful art style and engaging story will keep you hooked for at least 15 hours, but once the final boss is done, there aren’t many reasons to return. Enjoy it while it lasts.

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.

If you were expecting a comprehensive action adventure with exploration, variety, depth and motivating character development, you should definitely look for another game, because Space Marine 2 simply doesn't offer all of that. Even Doom Eternal offers a lot more here. To be fair, however, it must also be said that the developers of Space Marine 2 never promised anything other than graphically rich co-op slaughter.

Fast-paced Fantasy-Action, story-driven with great characters. Unfortunately Bioware has kicked some classic RPG-elements, that made Origins that kind of great. Poor thing is, that identical Questareas are used multiple times, just with different names.

I find the illustrations of Pyre to be beautiful and do not need photo-realistic graphics to put me in a setting.

Overall, I'm happy with the third part, which is mainly due to the epic plot and the strongly drawn characters.

Quotation forthcoming.

With good graphics, smart puzzles and a ton of secrets to discover Legend of Grimrock pretty much hits the mark. Sure, it may not be for everyone, storytelling is weak and to call it old-fashioned would be an understatement. But if you ever cared about classics like Dungeon Master, this one is for you. Not only a love letter to Old School Dungeon Crawlers, but also fine game in its own right.

All in all, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has sadly been a frustrating experience for me. World design and presentation, with John William's classic score and the beautiful graphics, are top notch, but the gameplay and quest design got redundant only after few hours.

It's exactly what we wanted and expected from a new title in the series: a classic Mario Party with some new and interesting mechanics.

Bulletstorm certainly isn't a revolution amongst first person shooters, but it actually managed to surprise me in a lot of ways. While I expected nothing more than a brainless killing-orgy, Bulletstorm features cool characters, a solid story, creative and fun weapons and foremost a smooth and surprisingly motivating gameplay.

Battlefield is back with All-Time-Favorite game modes, balanced classes, and good maps.

With an addictive gameplay loop, lots of upgrades and an insane amount of satisfying weapons, Nightmare Reaper is easily one of the best singleplayer shooters of the year.

Roots of Pacha is a cozy farming and life simulation at the dawn of humanity. There are cute animals, great NPCs and a lot to explore, discover or develop. The successful Stone Age simulation, with only a few stumbling blocks, makes a Stardew Valley heart beat faster.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is the best action game ever.

Over the years, Fifa has increased and improved in becoming an almost perfectly realistic football simulation. The focus on tactical gameplay and duels make the game feel authentic and challenging throughout the different difficulty settings. Only small issues such as poor commentators (in the German version) take from the games quality.

But the relaxation comes to an end very quickly and highly concentrated brooding takes its place.

Forza Motorsport 7 is the high point of the series. Turn 10 delivers a great racing game in almost every aspect, which skillfully manages the balancing act of being a sophisticated simulation and an accessible racer at the same time.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter tells an interesting story and presents the best graphics possible today on a PC. Although the presentation of the world is wonderful and drives you right into it, the game lacks NPCs, dialogue and would need a lot more puzzles to fill the open world much more properly to not bore the player at times. The game is more about exploring a detailed world with some rare quests in about 4-5 hours than enjoying any other "regular" adventure game.

Compared to its highly addictive prequel, Armored Princess goes one better and adds a lot of previously missed features making the game an overall better RPG-experience. Although AP is less comprehensive than its 2008's predecessor, you will still have fun for days!

The classic noire detective game presents an unparalleled art style with its animal characters. Paired with a thrilling story, dry humour and a fitting swing-soundtrack, flaws like clichés and the guessing game that is the interrogation of Chicken Police are not bothersome.

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.

A worthy successor to The Settlers in spirit, which also brings its own ideas to the table.

Vermintide 2 outclasses its predecessor thanks to its improved character system and more satisfying loot, while the amazing combat, relentless difficulty and lack of variety remain largely the same.

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.

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

A fast and aesthetic action-adventure, that easily overcomes its monotony and lack of challenge due to responsive controls, two heart-warming heroes and the sheer beauty of its visual design.

Wargroove knows how to entice the player with a cute pixel art style, loveable characters, well written dialogue and a strategy experience that will satisfy newcomers as well as seasoned veterans. The story is simple, yet enjoyable ,and the editor - in which you can design you’re own campaigns –, whilst extensive, could be more enhanced on a technical level. A charming Indie-Strategy-Game that leaves room for improvement, but still manages to be a lot of fun.

An innovative genre mix that excels in both the rice-simulation as well as in the fast-paced 2D combat. The real time aspect can be a little pressuring, but the charming presentation and a surprisingly high level of complexity make Sakuna a game worth your time.

Although Prey never rises to the first Bioshock for me anyway, but it does not have to be: If you are looking for a game in the style of a System Shock and do not expect an exceptionally good shooter, you'll get an exciting, comprehensive and challenging Sci- Survival adventure.

With reviewing remakes, I always tend to find myself in a bit of a bind: should I judge the original game by today’s standards or not? Maybe I should only look at the quality of the remake/remaster itself? But because Resident Evil HD Remaster is - in this version – a first time ever release on PC, and the original game is banned in Germany, I can wholeheartedly recommend the game to everyone who hasn’t been able to play the first Resident Evil yet. Personally, I really wouldn’t want to miss all the technical improvements. Though I do wish, they had also improved upon loading times and the inventory-system.

Loop Hero may not be for everyone, but once you get the hang of it, you will find an experience that feels unique, relaxing and unreasonably addictive.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a fantastic role-playing game with action-packed battles, lots of exploration potential, great characters, an incredible amount of lore and epic stories.

With two great Ace Attorney spin-offs and a ton of extras and options, the Miles Edgeworth Collection delivers an experience we won't want to put down anytime soon.