Beyond Earth is a well done mix of Alpha Centauri and Civilization 5. The UI-design is modern an quite useful. The new designed Tech-Web offers plenty of gameplay mechanics. Though it’s not satisfying in all aspects, it has become a nice science-fiction alternative to the historic Civ Games.

A well done reinterpretation of the old Jagged Alliance gameplay with great characters, a great dynamic campaign and tactically diverse combat, but with a few weak points, especially for veterans of the series.

While 2XKO still has some areas that need improvement, including the rather meager roster, the fun gameplay allows the game to already compete with the giants of the genre.

All in all Sackboy: A New Adventure is nevertheless a solid pc port. With the right hardware it's even possible to make the game world look really beautiful. Because there is no different or additional content compared to the PS5 version, our rating remains identical to the original. 

Wasteland 2 invokes the spirit of its predecessor as well as the old Fallout games, yet it probably won’t have the same impact. Poor AI, bugs and annoying waiting times while using skills require a lot of patience from players. Still, there are many wondrous sights to see and interesting people to meet. In terms of atmosphere, dialogue and quest design, Wasteland 2 truly shines. Too bad there is so much grime to wipe away first.

Anno 1800 is going back to the roots of the series but also manages to introduce exciting new features to the proven formula. The result is a building game that captivates for endless hours and challenges the player more and more with every new unlocked production cycle.

Black Ops is quite a pleasant surprise: On the one hand former second class developer Treyarch reaches the Infinity Ward's standard of gameplay quality and inventiveness for the first time. On the other hand Treyarch manages to set a course of their own through the unusual story and a ton of tributes to other masterpieces of action, be it movie or game. Plus Activision conceded the time and resources to Treyarch to aspire a really great game. And that's something you'll notice immediately. You'll recognize the passion and the effort that went into making this new episode. Black Ops delivers Call of Duty gaming at its best as well as a distinctly individual approach to the whole scenario. Infinity Ward will have to put their shoulders to the wheel to outplay Black Ops with the next CoD.

The story of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare knows how to convince. The creators of Infinity Ward present here a special shooter experience that is somewhat different from the typical formula of the Activision shoot-out. The wacky Michael Bay action has been brought down a bit, but in return the title now tells a story that breaks social taboos and blurs the boundaries between good and evil. This more serious approach pleases, but unfortunately it wasn't thought to the end. A more critical or reflective approach to the topic of war would have been the premise. But that remains - apart from the somewhat scarce game size and the compulsory online connection - the only point of criticism. The co-op- and multiplayer-mode offer more reason to complain. The special unit missions seem somehow half-baked and lack announced features. The multiplayer battles suffer from the partly confusing maps, which seem to reward a passive way of playing. This clouds the overall impression a bit, even if the title can otherwise fully convince in terms of gameplay.

The PS5 version of Avowed offers the same experience we had last year, which means: It's fun, approachable and delightfully old fashioned. Just don't expect a deep roleplaying experience with tons of replay value.

The Outer Worlds 2 is a fantastic role-playing game. It's a little old-school in some areas, but that's exactly what gives it its charm. Basically, the game offers exactly what fans of the first installment hoped for. More of the wacky world, more refined game systems, and a larger scope. It has been further developed in the right places and supplemented where necessary. Only a few bugs hold it back. But anyone who already enjoyed its predecessor will get their money's worth here too.

An almost perfect experience of a very special kind.

Planet Zoo was one of the games I was most looking forward to this year. With several preview events, I just had a good feeling that Frontier Developments was playing to the strengths of Planet Coaster and Jurassic World: Evolution, giving us the best build up simulation in recent times. I wasn't disappointed either, although in my opinion there is still room for improvement. The first campaign missions explain a lot of details, but how I now sensibly design a zoo from start to finish was not explained to me. Also the user interface and the handling could be a little more clear and handy - draping certain items in the enclosures really cost me my nerves! It's also a pity that the franchise mode is currently struggling with server problems and so the heart of the game doesn't work yet.

A game for F1 fans and beginners: With a good handling model and a lot of content, Codemasters brings the success back to the Formula 1 franchise.

Gunbrella probably won't appeal to everyone, but if you like fast gameplay with fun movement, you shouldn't miss the game.

Age of Empires 4 is clearly not a bad RTS. Considering the constant drought in the genre, the game is probably the best that could have happened for fans at the moment. However we wish the developers would have shown more courage. In the end the game is too similar to Age of Empires 2, it goes the safety route, not risking to do something wrong. And all of that without ever reaching the same atmosphere or charm that made the second entry so great. It is hard to think of reasons why a player who still has a lot of fun with the Definitive Edition of Age 2 should switch to this game. But whoever gets drawn by the small improvements like the new wall system or the gameplay differences between the civilizations can look forward to a great RTS package with many hours of fun.

The beautiful visuals look even better on the PC and the controls are smart and responsive. There are some flaws, though, in particular the short play time, some stiff level design and the overall potential for frustration. But if you manage to go with the flow, you will find Mirror's Edge to be a thrilling and unique gaming experience.

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!

The combination of fast-paced movement and the calm, meditative environment seem odd at first, but they work like a charm with the right mindset. An adventure that exhales atmosphere through and through and delights through its art style and soundtrack.

A great indie adventure with a few minor flaws.

Battlefield 5 is a great successor, but lacks in the area of multiplayer maps. For the next game DICE should think about leaving out the non-essential single-player campaign.

A fun and fast-paced shooter that delights through its excessive presentation and well-timed humour. Even though the environments lack a little in diversity and the controls can be a little fidgety from time to time, My Friend Pedro delivers an entertaining package with addicting and motivating gameplay.

Style over substance, but fans are going to love it.

Company of Heroes 3 is a well-done real-time strategy game, with great mission design, intense battles, diverse strategic options and a large scope, but it could have dared a bit more modernization in some places.

Ishin is playfully outdated in some areas and the technology is not entirely convincing. Series fans will still have fun with the atmospheric title. Newcomers, on the other hand, should rather choose another game from RGG.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is the better Yooka-Laylee game. The developer’s decision to create a 2D- instead of 3D-game was the right one. The overworld is the secret star of the game with loads of riddles and secrets and overall the new Yooka-Laylee is very challenging. The role models are obvious: Super Mario and Donkey Kong. If you are into 2D jump and runs, you will have a lot of fun with Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair.

Stellar Blade loses comparisons to the masterpieces that make up its identity, but that doesn't make it a bad choice: action fans will enjoy a fun combat system, respectable scope and nice things to do.

Hellblade 2 is a new reference in terms of graphics and audiovisual production, but has to make concessions in terms of gameplay.

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince, despite being one of the easier puzzle games and not featuring any story depth, provides a vast amount of different riddles, a beautiful fairytale-like world and lots of fun, especially when playing the multiplayer mode.