Even connoisseurs of the first two parts will be a bit sober after taking off their pink glasses. The story is by far not as good as it seemed back then and the gameplay is completely outdated. The fact that Shenmue 3 doesn't come to a conclusion is unforgivable after the long waiting time and the (financial) support of the fans. Players who approach the title without a nostalgia bonus will be annoyed anyway. The grind is pretty hard, the wandering around and the bad dialogues are even harder, but the fact that the game keeps stopping you on purpose is just incredibly frustrating. Hardcore fans can add something to the rating, everyone else can even pull something off.

A classical build up strategy game in tradition of The Settlers- and Cultures-Series from Funatics. You’ll have to conquer procedural-made islands, leading you Vikings to a portal, that leads to Valhalla. The tiny look of the toon-like characters and their animations are charming, as well as watching your folk building houses, farms and stuff. Unfortunately the transport of goods is unnecessary complicated and the AI is just acting automatically. There is no way to give precise orders, same as for the military-part of the game.

In the end, Disciples: Domination stands in its own way and gives the impression that, although it has taken a step forward in some areas, this is offset by setbacks in others. That doesn't make it a bad game, but it's not enough to make it stand out in any way. It can't compete with a genre giant like Heroes of Might and Magic, especially in terms of complexity. However, those who enjoyed playing its predecessor will get their money's worth here as well. The developers could have dared to take it a little further, though.

After the last representative of multiplayer shooting in the Aliens franchise seemed more like a cheap shooting gallery attraction, Aliens: Fireteam Elite gives hope for a fun sci-fi shooter with your friends against hordes of slimy aliens. The sound effects are authentic - especially the recognizable weapons. It offers non-stop action and plenty of material to improve and find. Nevertheless an aha experience sets in for me at some point. I had a lot of fun while testing, but like sexual intercourse, it is unfortunately mostly boring if you do it with yourself. And because I have to play the same missions over and over again, i got bored soon. Nevertheless 40 bucks are still an acceptable price for a few hours of co-op fun in the Aliens universe.

Despite the outrageous elimination of an online-mode while some features are only available online and some minor bugs, the game enthuses players through depth and new features. A strong editor and a tremendous long-term-motivation make Fifa Manager 13 a great example of its genre.

Short and sweet with precise controls and imaginative landscapes, Glare is a charming little indie platformer well worth its low asking price.

But for 15 hours I still had a lot of fun with State of Decay 2.

Octodad oozes charm like a leaky squid. While it’s disappointingly light on content and complexity, the game is sure to light up a room with its humor and whacky control scheme, especially in co-op mode.

I think that the impression of the game would have been better if the message of the story had been defined a little more clearly. Nevertheless, the style of the game exerted a certain charm on me and I think that other players can do the same.

The American football simulation still has technical problems - some old ones that have been known for years (e.g. broken PS5 trophies), but some completely new ones. That's a terrible shame, because otherwise the makers have actually taken a step forward. Franchise mode has finally gotten some love. The gameplay didn't start a revolution, but the skill-based passes introduced an interesting innovation on the offensive. In terms of gameplay, Madden NFL 23 is arguably the best in a long time. However, the many bugs stand in the way of a higher rating.

The combat-system is working nicely and intuitively. Creating thousands of spells is quite fun – for a while. The levels often seem to be just never ending corridors, filled with hundreds of the same type of monsters. Boss-fights are challenging but can be very frustrating as well because of the complex mechanics the game uses for damage and control.

While certainly lacking variety and neat ideas to compete with the likes of Rayman and Mario, Sega's new character Tembo more than holds its own.

A well-executed overall concept á la Black Mirror and Altered Carbon.

Improved graphics and useful changes make FIFA Manager 09 the best football management simulation one can get. Whoever refrained from upgrading to the newest installment of the series in the last few years, should surely do so now.

Deliver at all Costs is a fun little game that is quite respectable, considering that it started out as a school project by a group of students. The wild and chaotic crashing through the destructible game world is simply a lot of fun. Unfortunately, some of the features have not been thought through to the end and do not fulfill their potential. What I enjoyed most while playing was the positive surprise regarding the story. I wasn't expecting a plot with mystery and supernatural elements in this game.

Once you've gotten into it, a surprising depth of play reveals itself.

Although enjoyable and graphically superb, Cities XL is a derivative, bug-flawed, expensive construction site of a game.

New Tales from the Borderlands is a coherent adventure game that manages to convey the wit and charm of the Borderlands universe. Also because the game doesn't take itself, its universe and video games in general too seriously. As gamers, we quickly warmed up to the excellently written protagonists and rooted for them as they tried to master the imponderables of their adventure. However, the developers could have done a bit more with gameplay and scope.

Rarely have I been so torn when evaluating a game. Pleasure and frustration are very close together here.

Call of Duty: Ghosts is exactly the game its fans wanted and its critics feared. As always, the multiplayer is perfectly balanced, the campaign nicely presented and the new features promise a lot of fun and motivation. On the other hand you get a short, lowbrow story and an engine that looks good, but not necessarily next-gen, even on PS4.

The Signifier could have been some much more than it turned out to be. It does a lot of stuff right, though, especially regarding the design of the stages. It creates a believable, atmospheric world and the story, alltough not too creative, is intense. If it wasn’t for the ending and the boring gameplay, The Signifier could have been a classic.

Solid combat mechanics get bogged down by lackluster story, poor A.I. and an overbearing reliance on luck, that destroys any sort of achievement. It's not tactics that decide who wins, but the roll of the dice.

By combining elements of puzzle-games with those of walking simulators, The Spectrum Retreat creates a coherent whole.

Quotation forthcoming.

The Gunk is a wonderful game about good friends Rani and Beck. They have a small scavening business and harvest resources in order to sell them. The fascinating story begins as soon as you land on a planet full of disgusting gunk. Once you cleared it up you can see the fantastic and colorful world that is hidden underneath the slime. Soon they even found signs of an ancient civilization. They realized that they have to discover the secret of the colorful planet in order to remove the gunk and save the former inhabitants from the threat.

The frustration level rises more and more over the course of the game, but: If Seven ironed out some mistakes, the game would definitely have a certain appeal and a lot to discover.

Good-looking action, tight controls and an abundance of upgrades make for a robust, enjoyable 2D roguelike experience. Sadly, due to its repetitive level segments, slow progression and lack of surprises the game does not reach its true potential.

Despite a heavy nostalgic bonus, the snazzy façade does not quite comfort you over the outdated core. [..] In terms of graphics Second Contact appears like a full-featured Remake but in fact it's a remaster.