For me, the new gameplay approach was interesting because I am also a big Diablo fan and was curious how the developers implement this in the Darksiders universe. The answer is: not very thoughtful.

In the past it was big and noisy games that inspired me. For quite some time now, it's surprisingly often the smaller ones. Games that take their time. Games that create moments that touch me in such a way that they lift me out of my soles. Games like What Remains of Edith Finch. The Bradwell Conspiracy would like to clearly hit this notch, but unfortunately the debut of A Brave Plan doesn't succeed. It lacks depth and courage, at the same time the game is struggling with too many problems. Nevertheless, The Bradwell Conspiracy has a charm that I can't deny - I don't want to deny! I just had a lot of fun immersing myself in the secrets of Bradwell, especially with the photo function and the great written and spoken Amber.

I'm a huge fan of Hexfeld strategy games. Whether it's the Panzer General series, Panzer Tactics HD, or much more complex titles like Strategic Command and Gary Grigsby's War in the West, I've spent several hours of my life playing turn-based strategy games with WWII setting. I liked the Panzer General series and also Panzer Corps the best, because they were quite complex, but with a simple user interface and catchy rules. A similar case is Unity of Command 2, where the logistics gives the usual hex battle an interesting spin.

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.

The Legend of Bum-bo is more entertaining than I thought. But - and this is the big 'but' – I really hat Bumbo the Stout. I just don't like his playing style. But well, Isaac also has characters I don't like to play with (Blue Baby). I'm too spoiled by The Binding of Isaac in terms of size, and I've got a lot more combinations there because of the higher number of items you can collect (and keep). The bugs are annoying, the crashes too of course - after all, the developers try hard to quickly add patches. In the future I will see myself playing a fast run more often - and maybe another one, and another one. Presentation and faecal humor are a matter of taste, just like the rest of McMillen's games.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a dream come true for many Star Wars fans. It perfectly combines great gameplay with exploration, puzzles and a personal story. Sadly a lackluster ending and some technical and graphical issues tarnish the overall positive experience somewhat.

In the run-up to the test I actually had some concerns about the quality of Need for Speed: Heat. Its direct predecessors from Ghost Games didn't really convince me and also the game play event about a month ago left me with mixed feelings. But the finished game has become surprisingly entertaining. Sure, once again the story is not worth mentioning, the controls reminds of old arcade games and in terms of driving physics and damage model the makers didn't take realism quite so seriously. But if you don't mind that, or if you are looking for exactly that, you'll really enjoy Heat. Otherwise, the title offers everything a car's heart desires: extensive tuning options, action-packed chases and thrilling races - and all this in top graphics.

Just like back then, I see the flaws in Ghostbusters: The Video Game, but as a fan of the two cult movies, I don't care about them at all. Yes, there are many far better third person shooters, but in what other game can I use a positron collider to stop ghosts from spraying slime all over people? The shooter gameplay is fun, despite the partly inaccurate controls, and feels exactly the way you want it to feel. Moreover, the game is teeming with allusions and quotes, which put a blissful grin on the faces of the fans of the movies. But the dry humour is also perfectly fits in other respects - no matter if Ray is just obsessed again or Egon philosophises about one of his strange hobbies. In addition, there is a great atmosphere, varied enemy design and of course some iconic locations from the movies. Of course my fan heart beats faster. So I'm all the happier that everything works technically flawlessly in handheld mode and that I can now catch a few ghosts on the go.

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

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.

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 disastrous technical condition, poor graphics, butchered animations and bad camera are just a number of reasons why this game should not have been published that unfinished. Bugs and glitches destroy every second match and extreme loading times make waiting between matches a chore.

Blasphemous combines extreme difficulty, some religious elements and a beautiful pixel-art-world in a truly fascinating way. Recommended for everybody who does not only want to be entertained, but also challenged.

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.

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.

Felix the Reaper is a short, entertaining puzzle game that offers a great atmosphere, charming characters and a rich world. Unfortunately, the sometimes frustrating level design keeps it from becoming a hit.

The interesting story and some clever ideas make Deliver Us The Moon quite recommendable, even when the gameplay falls flat most of the time.

Grid, the soft reboot of the brand, is like the original game a fun arcade racer with a few easy-to-use simulation approaches. The circumference is minimal, but on track Grid is very convincing and challenging.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint suffers from the lack of decisiveness. It does not know whether it is a single player game or a loot-shooter like The Division 2 and thus, fails to satisfy either of the two areas. Additionally, a poor enemy AI and a story oozing with clichés add to the shooter distress.

Untitled Goose Game is both for people who like creative and weird ideas and people who are into stealth. Sadly, the whole spectacle is over way too quickly. But in the two hours it takes to play through Untitled Goose Game, you’ll have a blast. Awaken your inner goose.

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.

Satisfying, brutal combat and fun exploration paired with some clever improvements make The Surge 2 a deeper, better experience than the first game, even when the story falls flat and forgettable most of the time.

Now and then the gameplay is a bit repetitive, but on the whole it hardly bothers.

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.

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.

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

There are fantastic ideas at work here, but the confusing opening hours and an abundance of repetitive tasks will put a lot of people off.

Remnant: From The Ashes is a challenging third person shooter with light RPG elements and co-op. Though it lacks in high quality presentation and storytelling, it is still a lot of fun to play.