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.

With a charming cast of undead pirates, lots of style and all the bells and whistles from Desperados 3, this is another excellent addition to Mimimis considerable catalogue. The unusual freedom of choice however proves to be a double-edged sword: It's fun to pick a crew and play the missions as we see fit, but it also takes away some of the challenge we loved in the previous games.

Quotation forthcoming.

The game does not shine with its idea or the technical implementation, but creates an atmosphere that lets us forget everyday life for a few hours.

Battle Worlds: Kronos offers a strategically tough and challenging experience. The turn-based tactical battles are demanding but also motivate to test out new strategies. Although the user-interface could be a bit more polished and some battles can be quite frustrating if you realize that your strategy doesn't work out, next to no other game will offer such deep tactical possibilities.

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.

Like its predecessor, Deliver us Mars lives from its great atmosphere, but this time it also complements it with a well-staged narrative. The clearly more personal story, in which a family's discord is also symbolic for humanity's fight for survival and their different views on the future, fascinates from the first minute on. It doesn't even bother that it doesn't rumble and bang at every corner.

Although The Surge has many similarities with its spiritual predecessor Lords of the Fallen, I strongly prefer this Sci-Fi-Horror-Trip. This is not only due to the strong combat system and its bloody finishers, but also due to the crafting, which is smartly interlocked with the fighting and the simplistic character development.

Lost Ark finally made its way to the west and – despite the unfulfilling PvE content – it proved a successful third attempt for developer Smilegate and Amazon. It is not a perfect game. Some content is still missing, the story is mediocre and classes are bafflingly gender locked. However, from the 15 distinct and intriguing playable classes to the beautiful world design, there is much fun to be had with the game. Lost Ark is already brimming with content and with even more to look forward to the world of Arkesia has a bright future ahead of itself.

As an avid fan of the Overcooked series I am more than happy to see some additional representatives of the Couch coop genre – especially if they are as well-made as Moving Out.

Mimimi Games might be gone, but their legacy lives on: Sumerian Six is a finely crafted stealth tactics game that every fan of Commandos or Shadow Tactics will enjoy.

Emotional, varied and sometimes wonderfully crazy: Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a real action role-playing monster that offers exactly the virtues that series fans expect.

Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile is a successful adaptation of the classic novel from the 1930s. It respects the source material without being an exact copy while also adding some fun twists, such as a time leap into the 70s. Definitely worth a try for fans of detective adventures, at least if one doesn't mind the minor technical issues.

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.

In the port for Nintendo Switch, Gothic 2 shows its best side and offers one of the best opportunities to catch up on the role-playing classic.

Sand Land is a nice anime adaptation and an action JRPG for those who have difficulty with the genre or want to get started. Each character we meet has their own story to explore, and there's always something to do thanks to numerous side quests. At the same time, the tasks are not very demanding and the stories are quite flat. Stress only occurs in the boss fights.

The F1 Manager 2023 is better than the last years prequel, but some more management options are still missing. The game has lots of potential, although for example we still can’t create our own team. Overall the game from Frontier Developments makes a step forward in the right direction.

A great remaster of an ingenious classic that captures the charm of the original very well and, thanks to variable difficulty settings, shouldn't overwhelm or bore anyone too much.

Larian Studios have managed to create good quests that make fun because of all the odd characters and the great self-depreciating humor. But at the same time the game lacks comfort, so that the player has to have a lot of patience in order to see the end.

With Beyond a Steel Sky, Revolution Software, the team around Charles Cecil and comic book legend Dave Gibbons, has successfully transported the fascination of classic adventure games into modern days. Clever ideas, charming characters and witty dialogues make the sequel to „Beneath a Steel Sky“, which was released 26 years earlier, a must-play for every adventure fan. Hopefully we don’t need to wait that long for our next visit to Union City. It would be a shame.

Adventures can be so cool: The Drifter is an exciting pulp thriller with a great atmosphere.

Look closely, Konami, for this is how a Contra game should look and play like! Blazing Chrome doesn’t win a price für originality, nor does it reinvent the action genre. It’s just a damn well-made game.

One of the better rhythm games, which also offers good long-term motivation. And that for little money.

Endling doesn’t leave us with a positive feeling, but weakness. The story is depressing and at the same time full of hope. If you like short indie games with a serious ark and beautiful animations, Endling is for you.

Don't get us wrong, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is a very decent game. With a massive island to explore, beautiful cars and scenery that can take your breath away, it's an absolute eye candy. Still, almost every aspect of the game can use some polish. [Mar 2011, p.99]

The LEGO Harry Potter Collection offers a nice graphical touch up to the well-beloved Lego classics. Although the changes aren’t substantial enough to warrant a different rating, the games themselves remain classics for good reason.

Birdigo is a well-designed, entertaining mix of Wordle and roguelike games such as Balatro and Slay the Spire. While not mechanically extensive, it's engaging to play and comes with a charming birds' migration theme.

Sudden Strike 4 has become a solid RTS, which seems to shine with tactical depth for quite a while.