Overall, Pokémon Crimson/Purple captivated me despite its many bugs and performance issues. The gameplay and its mechanics are simply successful in my eyes. I can overlook the many stutters and glitches. Only with the breeding, which is a central part of the game series for me, I haven't really warmed up yet. Although it's faster to get a good number of eggs and hatch them, you have to prepare the Pokémon you want to breed, which takes up an unnecessary amount of time and resources. Before, I could simply swap out the "target monster" to boost stats. Now, no eggs appear in the basket unless the Pokémon has been previously nurtured and leveled. Whether this is a bug I can't say, but I was still surprised. You can tell that the developer wanted to make an effort to tell the stories as nicely as possible and has also included many dialogues and events. However, some passages repeat themselves so often or always run identically, so that at some point you just click and hope that it will finally continue. It is also a pity that especially the top four were much too easy. In the first run, these are fixed in level, so you can "overlevel" them super easy. This also applies to the tournaments in the "post-game". All in all, the game still has many construction sites and shows once again that Nintendo urgently needs a new hardware generation to be able to display better graphics. If the in-house or flagship titles like Pokémon or Bayonetta look so bad, Nintendo should have noticed that. It also didn't matter whether a Switch or Switch OLED was used. Still, despite its negative criticisms, the game is the right approach to pick up fans like me. It's a lot of fun and has finally kept me glued to the Switch for a longer period of time, well beyond the test phase. Rarely in the past have I accumulated so many hours of play (60+) in such a short time.
Review in German | Read full review
Despite the many small criticisms in detail, Sifu is a really good game, but not necessarily aimed at everyone. The target audience should love challenges and be able to handle gaming frustration. The super easy difficulty level should be accessible to more gamers, but honestly didn't really pick me up. You could get through it without having any major problems. The levels are really beautifully designed and the battle system is absolutely successful. It's just incredibly fun to master the buttons and complete sections almost perfectly and destroy the enemies completely. The story is honestly an absolute minor matter, but offers some fun characters and connections. Sifu is a little gem whose color may not appeal to everyone, but is definitely worth a first and second look if you're ever looking for a challenging title for your console.
Review in German | Read full review
Splatoon 3 lives up to its hype, although I was disappointed by the boss fights in the campaign. These were crisper and more challenging in the predecessors. Nevertheless, the color shooter is a really good video game. There is a lot to discover, not too much backtracking and actually everything that gamers have wished for. "Love it or leave it, there's nothing in between" describes Bayonetta very aptly for me. Newcomers should have completed the first two parts beforehand or at least watched a summary on YouTube. Otherwise, the mood will certainly not really come up, because you will not understand the relationship of the characters. However, if you don't care about that and want great-looking action, you can jump right into Bayonetta 3 and have a lot of fun. The fights are fast and look great. The story is okay, but actually seemed a bit beside the point. The "multiverse" theme should hardly be a surprise for anyone in the video game scene, but it offers Bayonetta a lot of freedom and even great locations for carnage. Except for the performance and slight problems with the camera, which cost me a healing potion in some places, Bayonetta 3 is a successful title and a worthy successor to a game series that has thrilled fans for years. In addition, the video game is suitable for both beginners and veterans, which makes it even more attractive.
Review in German | Read full review
Splatoon 3 lives up to its hype, although I was disappointed by the boss fights in the campaign. These were crisper and more challenging in the predecessors. Nevertheless, the color shooter is a really good video game. There is a lot to discover, not too much backtracking and actually everything that gamers have wished for. The third part of the series is suitable for veterans and newcomers alike, and Nintendo has incorporated important improvements in many places. Only the unstable matchmaking is extremely annoying. I also wonder how you can still have such problems in 2022 that so many games simply break off. Why hasn't Nintendo learned anything with Splatoon 1 and 2 and Mario Kart and makes the same mistakes again with every multiplay release? You don't know, but Splatoon 3 is so much fun that you only get annoyed for a short time, restart the console if necessary, and then immediately log back in for the next match. The innovation in Splatfest has not occurred to me personally. Instead of two teams, three teams now fight each other from time to time. So you don't always end up in three-team fights, but rather rarely and with patch 1.1.1 even less likely. So why was such an innovation introduced at all, if I as a player hardly ever get to see it? Even at the world premiere before the release, I had just three such fights in six hours. All in all, Splatoon 3 is a must-buy for Switch players and a AAA title that is worth the money.
Review in German | Read full review
Playing Mario Strikers: Battle League Football is a lot of fun, especially with a group of friends, but the lack of worthwhile progression or unlockable content severely hurts its longevity/replayability. Unfortunately, the initial euphoria fades too quickly. Those who have been craving a new Mario Strikers game will likely accumulate a lot of playtime. All other buyers might as well look for a new game again quickly.
Review in German | Read full review
For OlliOlli World, I first looked at the predecessors, since I hadn't played them up to that point. Although the current part builds on those, you can feel the improvements not only in the graphics. The demanding gameplay is certainly quite special, because I don't recommend the skater game for casuals. You will only get frustrated. You need time and especially patience to master the controls and complete the levels perfectly. If these "requirements" are met and you enjoy skating, then you are in the right place. The colorful and fun OlliOlli World then knows how to thrill and captivate you. In the end, I enjoyed it so much that I also played the predecessors more intensively. OlliOlli World is a successful video game, which is easy to learn, but hard to perfect with its great variety of tricks.
Review in German | Read full review
GRID Legends has its moments, and I was always able to get excited for short sessions, but I was never really captivated. Overall, you can play the game and it's fun for a limited time, but at a time when you can even get Forza Horizon 5 on Xbox with Game Pass, I don't know why I should spend my money with Codemasters/EA. The racing game doesn't offer enough for that and what is shown seems "outdated".
Review in German | Read full review
Despite the aforementioned problems and outdated graphics, Far Cry 6 captivated and enthralled me. In retrospect, the story is not bad, even if it is a little flat and a little too short or terse at crucial points. You'll notice this because I don't want to spoil anything. Gameplay, music and the voice actors make you overlook the graphics and enjoy the video game. Personally, I haven't been a fan of German dubbing before, but Far Cry 6 simply delivers and has convinced me to play in German more often. Hopefully there will be some fixes from the developer in the short term, because the permanent respawns of the enemies are quite annoying. In addition, the AI should get a little boost in general. The enemies are simply stupid and only very rarely a challenge at all. In the first few hours I had already found a handful of bugs and kept stumbling across new problems. But these are all things that are being checked and improved by the developers. Fans of the game series can easily grab this one. Those who like farming and collecting are also in good hands. I'm curious to see what content the DLCs will bring, but the current status is quite satisfactory.
Review in German | Read full review
Whether big or small, pick up a controller and get going. Unfortunately, the game is currently only available online in splitscreen or a private lobby. It is currently not possible to join a public lobby with your friends. Hopefully this will be added. There is also no cross-play between the manufacturers, but only in their own ecosystem. The developer only states that there is no guarantee that "real" crossplay will be implemented. Too bad... If you can live with these limitations and want a piece of childhood, you simply have to play Hot Wheels UNLEASHED.
Review in German | Read full review
If you liked Yakuza, you will definitely feel at home in (Lost) Judgment and get your money's worth. If you really want to get into the game, then play Judgment first and only then the sequel. You don't need any knowledge from the first part, but you can identify much better with the characters in some dialogues and also see how they have developed in each case. To make it clear again: You don't need to have played Judgment to follow Lost Judgment!
Review in German | Read full review
Tales of Arise captivates players from the very first minute. I was particularly taken with the cutscenes and the soundtrack. Personally, I found very long sessions tiring, because there isn't that much action, where you have to be very attentive, like in a shooter. But that's very subjective and doesn't have to be the case for everyone. The video game is definitely not only a recommendation for connoisseurs, but also suitable for complete newcomers. Once you have completed the first 10 hours, Tales of Arise gets really interesting. The beginning actually drags a bit, but it's not boring either. The combat system is easy to learn and the skill tree is self-explanatory. During matches it can get confusing, but with a few good combos you can manage that. If the enemies become too easy, your comrades will complain and you won't need to farm anymore. All in all, Tales of Arise remains a clear buy recommendation, even though only English and Japanese are supported. You don't need any prior knowledge of the Tales series and can jump right in.
Review in German | Read full review
Personally, Miitopia was a lot of fun and I still spend a lot of time wandering through the game world after the test. However, those who have already played the version on the 3DS might be put off by the high purchase price, especially since not much has really changed. In any case, I've found that you either love and celebrate Miitopia or hate it. There is no middle ground imho. The video game is fun in any case, and it doesn't eat through the battery as much as, say, Zelda: BOTW. In any case, take a look at some gameplay before buying. If you get involved in the adventure, you'll have fun and entertainment in any case.
Review in German | Read full review
For fans of the Yakuza series, Judgment is a must-have title. Those new to the genre can also slip into the role of detective Takayuki Yagami without any prior knowledge. The story develops great and is complemented quite well by the side missions. On the other hand, the title doesn't miss any action and even brawl fans will get their money's worth. Some activities are weird, crazy, strange or just entertaining. In any case, Judgment is fun. The drone races are unlocked relatively late, but then they are a great change from the daily routine as a martial arts detective. On Google Stadia, I liked the game even a bit better than on the initial release in 2019 on PlayStation 4, since the loading times are shorter and the game flow is more pleasant. Overall, you have so much to do that buying Judgment is worth it in any case. The potential playtime is quite high. I have just under 50 hours on Stadia now and am far from "done". In addition to the brilliant main story, Judgment offers almost endless content to keep buyers busy. Personally, I'm already looking forward to sequel "Lost Judgment" and will also play this one for many hours.
Review in German | Read full review
Outriders has been struggling with various problems since launch. The servers are now stable, at least I can speak for Xbox and Stadia, and fortunately I have been spared the worst bugs. The developer "People Can Fly" works daily in the background on the stability as well as availability of the game and keeps the community up to date at all times. You can get first-hand information via Twitter and Reddit. With Outriders, a shooter was created that unites gamers of all platforms via crossplay, but unfortunately does not support crosssave. Personally, I'm extremely annoyed that you have to collect the mods again for each character. After more than 50 hours, I still don't have all of them from level 2, let alone the third. The story surprised me because it's actually pretty good. I didn't expect to be served a viable story to such a shooter. Not one sequence or conversation did I want to skip, which is saying a lot. I'm having an incredible amount of fun with Outriders, but you also have to be patient, because not everything runs as smoothly as the developer would like. Especially a bug that deletes your entire inventory is still being acutely analyzed, although changes have already been made on the server side. Therefore, I only recommend Outriders to a limited extent. If you can wait, you should do so at the moment. In a few weeks, the shooter will surely run very stable and largely bug-free. If you disregard the problems and think a few weeks into the future, Outriders is/will be a clear buy recommendation.
Review in German | Read full review
You can already hear out that Harvest Moon: New World is simply not good. That wouldn't be so bad if the video game wasn't really bad. It has little in common with Harvest Moon. Even if you leave out the famous name, you're left with an overly expensive game that does little to nothing to engage. You could possibly put small children in front of Harvest Moon: A World, but since the voice output is missing, even this target group will get bored at some point. At least it is enough to walk around with the analog stick and press "A". After all, the correct action is always performed. I just couldn't get anything out of the game. You can turn off the music and listen to your favorite music, but even then the gameplay is not convincing. A full price title should deliver much more. Even for 9,99€ I would be cautious to buy Harvest Moon: One World. All other games in this genre are better and cheaper.
Review in German | Read full review
You don't need any previous knowledge of the Darksiders universe to enjoy the twinstick shooter. Graphically, the game is very impressive. The cutscenes could have been more than just comics. As already mentioned, Darksiders Genesis is a bit more difficult than one would initially think. The balancing certainly has little problems at the bosses at the latest, because you clearly see that the bosses wear the pants. The jumping passages really got on my nerves, which is largely due to the inflexible camera. All in all, the developer Airship Syndicate has brought an entertaining video game onto the market with Darksiders Genesis, which knows how to captivate for around 15+ hours in solo as well as in co-op mode.
Review in German | Read full review
The game knows how to inspire, but it wasn't a full-length title for me personally. That means that after an hour I already felt like playing something else. Then again, I was looking forward to the next session of PixelJunk Raiders. If you're not sure, you should definitely check out the gameplay before buying. For me, the game definitely remains on the active list and will be played regularly.
Review in German | Read full review
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a worthy "continuation" of the saga for me. Personally, I like the amount of open combat and acting from the shadows. Fans will have to break free a bit from Ezio and the awesome missions where you weren't allowed to be discovered. That rarely happens. Valhalla is just great, fun and offers a lot of playtime for the money. This is marred by the sheer number of bugs. On the one hand, there are some people who were fortunately not affected by them, and on the other hand, like me, where everything just goes wrong. With patch 1.0.2 I was on the verge of leaving the game for now, if I hadn't gotten it for a test. 1.0.4 is unfortunately not much better. There, completely different errors have crept in with me. Against Valhalla, Unity was a smooth release, to put it in perspective. Unfortunately, all these errors overshadowed the really well-done game, whereby there were probably also problems with digital pre-orders at the time of release and fans couldn't even start on time. So much went wrong that the mixed ratings don't surprise us. Assassin's Creed Valhalla is definitely a worthy Assassin's Creed, if you look past the flaws and take in the overall concept. Hardcore fans can already grab it, but if you don't necessarily want to play AC "right away", wait for a few more patches until a certain stability is established and you can play without fear of your score being destroyed or a quest not starting.
Review in German | Read full review
SNES flair and a really good soundtrack are a good basis for a video game. All in all, the difficulty level of Cadence of Hyrule - Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda is noticeably lower than NecroDancer, but for the target group it is certainly still relatively high. If this is not enough, simply activate permanent death in the settings. Personally, the game demanded a lot of patience from me, especially in the beginning. It wasn't until I finished Cadence of Hyrule that I got a taste of NecroDancer, which I found to be much harder. Nevertheless, I describe the gameplay as easy to learn, but difficult to master. Mistakes are severely punished and often result in a loading screen and the loss of all rubies. A run-through of the story doesn't take that long, but the randomly generated map offers a certain amount of replayability, although exactly this can lead to frustration under certain circumstances. A vicious circle! 🙂 For me personally, the difference between Link and Zelda was/is not big enough. The characters are quite similar, but all in all, Cadence of Hyrule - Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda can definitely be recommended, especially since it's not really expensive with an RRP of 24.99€.
Review in German | Read full review
All in all I like the new season quite well. At the start, I guess we had some problems to keep the servers stable. I had frequent connection problems and opponents that were lying so hard that I couldn't hit them and was dead on the ground the next moment. In fact you can feel an improvement from night to night. There seems to be a lot going on behind the scenes. I finally think Horizon is great again, because I personally didn't like the last newcomers that much. But everyone has to decide that for himself. Since I take a look in every season and play more or less actively, I can say that the seventh season turned out to be so interesting that I will stay on the ball. See you on Olympus!
Review in German | Read full review