This remake is so faithful to the original game released in 1994 that it ignores achievements of many successful rivals released over the last 28 years. If you wanted to play Master of Magic with improved graphics and modern controls, this game was made for you.

The remastered version retains the familiar gameplay with all its quirks and problems, but looks much better than the original, especially textures. The improvements are not as drastic as in Diablo 2: Resurrected, but definitely put Mass Effect: Legendary Edition to shame.

A surprisingly solid game, despite some questionable balance choices. Multiple runs always feel fresh and tense thanks to complex gameplay mechanics, excellent randomization of various situations and a good progression system.

All systems nominal. But it could have been oh so much better.

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is a good game, but it lacks a spark.

Despite its obvious tight budget, Revelations 2 is a much better game than the last offering in the main series, Resident Evil 6.

Far Cry 4 is yet another collection of stale ideas that permeate every Ubisoft title of the last few years, adorned with a ho-hum story. But, even if you realize that you played almost the same game back in 2012, Kyrat is still a good place to escape from your everyday life.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black looks good, but doesn't give the impression of the definitive version at all.

If you’re not a fan of the «early access» concept, don’t rush to buy Caribbean. It’s a good game in its core, it’s just not ready yet.

Blackguards feels like a role-playing session of The Dark Eye RPG led by a rookie dungeon master. If you’re willing to look past a few silly mistakes, you will enjoy the experience.

Don’t expect too much of Gunslinger – it stretches its 6 hours of running and gunning with a lot repetition. They don’t even let us ride a horse – in a western game, really?! On the other hand, this Call of Juarez is a huge improvement over the abysmal CoJ: The Cartel.

UnderRail manages to capture the spirit of the original Fallout even despite its abhorrent UI, heavy focus on combat, unforgiving character development system, and the final chapter which is basically a guide on how not to design a role-playing game.

Tales of Zestiria is not a very welcoming game, and feels too bland at times, but if you’re not a JRPG connoisseur, you’ll probably enjoy it.

The narrative, the bread and butter of The Last of Us, is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it has powerful moments that only the boldest studios can create, massive cliffhangers and it’s vicious towards the game’s main characters. Some scenes even caused internal conflict within me. Yet at the same time, Druckmann’s story is rife with plot holes, contrivances, teleporting characters and inexplicable behavior — dramatic tension takes precedence over structure and logic, and it looks very jarring at times.

In Toki Tori 2, Two Tribes made a big open world that will take you hours to fully explore. It is a not a laid-back exploration game, though - glitchy AI and time-sensitive puzzles can make up for a very frustrating experience.

All in all, NBA 2K21 still holds the bar, but there is very little incentive to switch to this version if you had your fill of 2K20, unless you’re a dedicated fan of MyTeam.

The gameplay and its mechanics are incredibly simple, and there aren’t any new ideas, but boy, it can be so fun.

A thrilling adventure for a couple of nights. You’ll probably see all of its major plot twists a mile away, but the clash with horrors lurking in an ancient temple is definitely worth your time.

Even though Shades of Darkness is light on surprises, do not miss it if you are a fan of the series and played both Heroes 5 and 6 – the campaign is packed with familiar faces.

Killing everything that moves with bullets and magic while enjoying picturesque alien vistas is good enough for 20 hours (30, if you’re into Expeditions), but don’t expect anything more substantial out of Outriders.

A great improvement over the original Anomaly, but the game still lacks scale. More free expansions, please! Or, better yet, give us a mission editor!

Around Every Corner is a layer between the middle and the end of the story, and it's mostly filler.

Dawn of War 3 is a decent enough game, but don't expect any strategic depth, though.

The single-player campaign is just there to unlock units and ammunition, and earn money for upgrades. Skip the boring story and the dumb AI – playing against real people is much more fun.

It's a parody of the entire survival genre on a massive scale and simple, light-hearted adventure wrapped in one game. You probably won’t regret signing up with Kindred Aerospace, but still, this game could have been more engaging.

If you are ready to forgive Halo Wars 2 for its console limitations, you will enjoy crushing your enemies in the Halo universe.

The fourth installment is much closer to the bullseye than previous ones. If only Rebellion hired a decent writer…

Arkane made a mistake of cutting Daud’s story into two separate DLCs because all the good stuff is in the second part.

Knack 2, one of the least anticipated of Sony’s sequels, is quite spectacular and fun enough to make you forget about its stale, cliche-ridden script.

Just like in the original game, Beholder 2 offers an impressive variety of options. You decide the best way to climb up the totalitarian ladder, whether by using dirty tricks or honesty. It's a pity that the sequel lacks the urgency and rarely forces you to cut corners or suffer for your kindness.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is certainly not quite the “resurrection” we would have liked to see. It's a trial balloon for Bethesda. But it still turned out pretty well.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is really eager to eat your time, and, since this game is chock-full of micromanagement, it can be too overwhelming at times. It can also be a lot of fun when you play online with actual people, so pick it up if you're looking for fresh multiplayer experiences.

The return of Orcs Must Die is a bit awkward. The action is fun and entertaining, but you can clearly see that this series is all out of fresh ideas.

Even though FIFA 16 can easily fool you into thinking that you’re watching live TV, these pretty visuals are not enough to justify this expensive upgrade from FIFA 15. But if you missed last year’s game, you’re in for a treat.

Fans of police procedurals and stylish games will definitely enjoy this original hybrid of management game and a visual noir novel.

While side stories depend on your decisions, the main storyline relies on smoke and mirrors to make us believe that your choices matter — but they’re not. Unless you manage to bankrupt your country, there is only one ending, and the game's altruistic nature is far too evident. Show fairness, help people in need, be merciful to your enemies, and everything will turn out just fine. Unlike Papers, Please, this game rarely subverts expectations and hits players with tough dilemmas.

Black Flag is not a sequel, it is just a big expansion pack, and it has nothing to merit the “4” in its title. Just like Brotherhood and Revelations that fleshed out Assassin’s Creed 2, it is not a step forward, but aside.

There is no thrilling story, colorful characters or allure of the high seas. Instead, Return of the Obra Dinn is a bold, massive puzzle, an exquisite workout for your 'gray cells'. Unfortunately, the innovative gameplay mechanic gradually loses its appeal and excitement towards the finale, and I had to muster my willpower in order to beat the game in one go.

March of the Eagles is very light on remarkable features – at least, in the single-player campaign. Multiplayer is more fun, provided you manage to find someone to play it with.

If you don’t mind the game’s somewhat clunky role-playing system, you will enjoy the humorous story that pokes fun at clichés found in JRPGs, other video games and pop culture in general.

Fallen Order is a decent alternative to Dark Souls if you’re looking for a less hardcore experience. It leaves a pleasant aftertaste thanks to a well-directed ending, which makes you wonder if this game could have been so much better if it fully embraced its inner Uncharted instead of trying to wear two hats.

Thunder Tier One has one very steep requirement if you want to enjoy it — it’s almost impossible to play it with random strangers. Find a good group, and the game will flourish.

All in all, it's a decent platformer worthy of your 10-20 hours of free time. But, as far as metroidvanias go, there is so much stuff to improve in the potential sequel, for example, a map, a teleport system, a bag of collectable items and lots of well-hidden secrets.

In one of the interviews, the developers stated that they wanted to start different project originally, but later decided to do This Is the Police 2 instead. Well, the sequel is not slopwork in any way, but you can’t help but feel a certain lack of enthusiasm and concentration of the game’s creators.

All in all, a good second helping for fans of Persona 5. Still, Strikers is a step down compared to the brilliance of the original game.

In the music industry, there is a thing called ‘second album syndrome’. Dylan Fitterer could not avoid it, too. He removed all the obvious thorns of the original Audiosurf, but added just a handful of new things, like integration with Steam Workshop and SoundCloud, new color schemes and a new gameplay mode. It’s not enough to entice me to switch from the original game to the sequel.

The Night of the Rabbit is great for the newcomers to adventure games – this fairytale will open up a whole new genre for them. Veteran players can safely skip it, and the only thing they’ll miss is a couple of mice peddlers – two of the best supporting characters ever made by Deadalic.

Genetic modifications, ethical dilemmas, sentient machines vs their human masters — Technobabylon tackles these complex issues and paints a vivid picture of our future. It does this in an awkward manner at times, but if you’re willing to overlook some flaws, you’ll enjoy a compelling cyberpunk story in between sessions of Satellite Reign.

The best way to experience Remember Me is to sit next to someone and watch them play this game.

Sakura Wars is a game for exactly one playthrough, a genre-melding experiment where dialogue, dating and combat are mixed in equal parts.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is not as good as previous works of these ex-Starbreeze devs, and it is not as good as No One Lives Forever, which it clearly draws a lot of inspiration from. While not an instant classic, it is still a fun, almost nostalgic romp.

Fallout 4 is an OK game if you treat it as an open-world first-person shooter.

Warmachine: Tactics is a promising game, but I would not advise buying it in its current state. Let the developers fix its numerous flaws first.

A nice Christmas gift for the fans of ‘classic’ Lara Croft.

Please try to bear with the game’s uncomely look. It is worth it. Bleak and plain, Particle Mace will not let you go once you start playing it.

There are no breathtaking vistas to behold, but still, Sunless Sea is a great destination for virtual tourists. If you only you didn’t have to suffer through the monotony and fight the hastily implemented, out-of-place rules.

Armageddon is a game for those who see only war in the darkness of the distant future. Even if the developers decide to mimic Panzer Corps by releasing new campaigns and playable factions, they won’t be able to attract new players to the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

In this final installment, you’ll spend 3-4 hours watching the writers retconning the history of Columbia and Rapture, but none of these revelations are exciting.

Infested Planet is Crimsonland of the RTS genre, where you shoot aliens by thousands just because it’s fun or you want to take the top spot in the leaderboards. If you prefer your RTS in the more traditional sense, this game is definitely not your cup of tea.

I wish the game was just as amazing as the story it tells. For an adventure that takes 4-5 hours to complete, it relies quite often on repeating the same gameplay sequences.

Don’t mind the uncomely look of the game; it will not let you go until, 7 hours later, you will deal with the final boss.

Despite catering to hardcore players and limited gameplay options, CTR Nitro-Fueled successfully rides the nostalgia wave, but I’m not ready to become the drift guru just yet.

Simple, but fun gameplay mechanics, appealing graphics, realistic physics make Snake Pass an enjoyable experimental 3D platformer. It needs a little bit more work to become a game, though.

Lords of Xulima is really an old-school RPG experience. Don’t skimp on reading the manual, or your adventure will end quickly and painfully.

A fresh, dynamic addition to the stale artillery genre.

The main mistake of RuneQuest: Warlords is that it missed the chance to fix the flaws of Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector. The game didn't surprise me, although overall it turned out to be decent. For fans of RuneQuest, it's a real treat.

MouseCraft is a puzzle game “like they used to make”, without portal guns and time manipulation. Its only downside is a badly-designed UI.

Only thanks to the Nemesis system stinky orcs from Peter Jackson’s movies rise above being cannon fodder and turn into actual characters. If this cool system weren’t here, no one would have looked twice at this hybrid clone of Batman: Arkham City and Assassin’s Creed.

As much I enjoyed seeing Rapture rendered by BioShock Infinite’s engine, Burial at Sea offered nothing new. In fact, it is nothing more but a re-tread, a 2-hour long fan service for the most loyal followers.

I enjoy playing Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition much more than modern Obsidian games like Avowed. That's because Neverwinter Nights 2 offers exciting stories, interesting companions, and a rich role-playing system.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is doomed to remain in the shadow of its predecessors.

Retro looks can only get you so far, and in the case of Xenonauts, the longer you play it, the more annoying things you discover. A primitive leveling up system (there are no classes or special abilities), contrived combat mechanics, a moth-eaten 2D engine that doesn’t know how to rotate or zoom. In the end, the strategic part becomes much more interesting than tactical battles.

The game takes your breath away from the first seconds, but its paper-thin story quickly gets lost in the beautiful picture.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a smart and nice action game. I would like to spend more time in the game, but it is just not good enough for a second playthrough.

For a sequel made pretty much on the fly (in just a year!), DQH 2 is a surprisingly decent game. Plus, the English localization is top-notch.

Despite the initial plan to cut The Fall into several episodes, Over the Moon decided not to tease us with a cliffhanger – it’s a self-contained, albeit short, story.

Rime is charming enough to warm your heart with its cuteness for a couple of evenings.

The combat in Vertical Drop Heroes is simplistic, but fun.

This fairytale is somewhat simplistic in its story and structure, but still charming.

Whether you buy Spyro Reignited out of sheer nostalgia or just because you need a nice game to play together with your kids, this remake will not disappoint. It’s still one of the best family arcade games around.

The Gardens Between wins you over with immediacy and candor rather than original concept or atmosphere. Don’t expect metaphysical references, hidden postmodernist rhetoric, or a multi-layered narrative — there is none of that. Moreover, it is devoid of conflict, story and text. This is a journey through a child’s imagination made out of clever puzzles.

It’s a standard ”enhanced port” from Wii U to Switch with minimal changes, but those who missed it the first time around will enjoy this tropical romp.

Even online modes feel scaled back compared to previous SF games, and, combined with a hollow single-player campaign, this is a big letdown. Yes, Capcom will be releasing DLCs with new characters and locations, but this process will likely take years. Right now, SF5 does not justify its “full AAA” pricetag. The game has many merits, but it will take some time before it becomes the best one in the series.

Steelrising is a stylish, original game, despite its numerous blemishes. There is fun to be had in saving Paris during a revolution.

Alan Wake 2 is good at times because of a director’s work, but it often fails to deliver as a horror and action-adventure game.

A bit absurd and outlandish, but still enjoyable space expedition that thankfully runs out of gas after you get your share of co-op fun.

Know by Heart could have been a nice romantic movie in the vein of Perfect Sense, free from its mediocre gameplay. Still, it is somewhat satisfying to play.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered was unlucky: the compilation includes the worst games of the original series. And it seems that Aspyr Media, as Core Design once did, didn't have enough time to finish the unfinished games.

Short, but enjoyable single-player campaign blending Shogo, Portal 2 and Mirror's Edge compliments the familiar multiplayer, which is equally fun and infuriating.

While adding remastered graphics and a modern UI, Remastered Collection avoided dealing with 20-year old shortcomings of the original game, like poor pathfinding for infantry and harvesters, for instance. On the other hand, these flaws will definitely make your missions much more exciting on higher difficulty settings.

Alas, the developer allowed the masterfully crafted narrative to fall apart in the end. After enjoying immensely detailed side stories, and seeing some very powerful scenes, the weird ending is the weakest point of the game.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is a weird amalgamation of two different games. One is almost like those classic RPGs from BioWare’s early years; it makes you sit on the edge of your chair, waiting for shocking twists, deliberate over moral dilemmas, laugh and cry. The other is a MMO with generic quests and soulless grinding, having slithered where it should not be. And, alas, there is no way to separate them.

It's a little bit weird, sometimes disbalanced, boring at times and clearly lacking a better budget, but now, after a handful of patches, you can safely pick it up during a sale.

If you’re not into art house video games, steer clear of Kentucky Route Zero. And even if you’re always first in line to try some weird experience, wait until they release the remaining acts. Right now, it’s hard to say what this is: a breakthrough or a hyped-up bubble.

Despite its plain look, Mechanicus offers lots of exciting turn-based battles and many ways to level up your team. Unfortunately, it gets only easier as you progress and eventually turns into a cakewalk, but it's not a deal-breaker.

As a game, Ghost of Tsushima offers tried-and-true tropes of the genre with a story of a paradigm shift, decent swordplay, generic sandbox attractions (with zero towers and grind, though) and bearable monotony. But if you accept it as a series of living wallpapers, it’s a true PlayStation 4 gem.

It's a glint from the gilded age of SNK. Snappy, easy to learn controls, nice tempo, no endless combos, plenty of time to think and react. Hardcore fans will enjoy familiar moves, but will balk at tons of paid DLC and dated visuals.

Reus is a math puzzle dressed as a god sim. Do not mistake it for a laid-back economic strategy game - playing Reus is never a relaxing experience. It is too bad that some of the challenges crop up because of the poorly-designed UI.