Fell Seal Arbiter's Mark - Missions and Monsters is a tactical RPG like no other. Lots of professions that can be mastered and different skills. The story is quite predictable and the twists and turns are predictable. Also the graphics is not the strength of the game. But what is definitely convincing is the completely customizable difficulty level. Is the level too difficult for you? No problem, a few sliders moved and poof, the fight is already easier. Also the gameplay is fun in itself. The commands of the characters are intuitive and you won't find a nested menu navigation. If you look at the DLC, you can get an enormous extension of the game fun with about 10 Euro. New classes, a guild system that makes sense and tameable monsters. What more do you want? Tactical roleplayers who had their fun with genre representatives á la Final Fantasy Tactics or Disgaea will not be able to avoid a purchase. Even newcomers will be able to dive directly into the game action without having to experience too many frustrating moments thanks to the customizable difficulty level.
Review in German | Read full review
void tRrLM(); Void Terrarium is a rogue-like title as there are quite a few already. But there are special features that made me play the game longer than I first thought. On the one hand you have a wonderfully mysterious relationship between the robot and Toriko. The girl seems small and fragile and the robot has the same characteristics. But in the course of the story it turns out that the robot is more than nothing and fragile, it is strong and brave! Exactly this development has been well done and NIS America has made the best use of the emotions and the setting.
Review in German | Read full review
Paper Mario: The Origami Kingdom is definitely not an everyday RPG. You can argue whether the new combat system is innovative or disruptive. I didn't like the fact that in the end there is no reward for winning battles. The coins earned can be spent in the store for various accessories, but these are soon bought up. That's why the normal fights are disturbing and you try to avoid them later in the game. The absolute highlight remains the setting, because the gorgeous colors and the character sprites are shining like hell. Also the search for the toads is motivating and lets you enjoy the whole game world. Finally, it remains to say that Paper Mario: The Origami Kingdom unfortunately can't hold a candle to its predecessors. The story around Mario and Origami ruler Olly is well done, but the stressful fighting system makes the game fun to play.
Review in German | Read full review
Banner of the Maid is a well done SRPG. The battles are crisp and hard, but once you have successfully completed the mission, you are even more proud of your performance. It is also pleasant that no fantasy setting or completely exaggerated story elements were chosen. The title reflects the French Revolution in its main features. One gets to know authentic characters like Napoleon Bonaparte, Marie-Antoinette or Maximillien de Robespierre.
Review in German | Read full review
Super Mario 3D All-Stars shows the young generation what the evolution of Nintendo's mascot has looked like. Starting with an edgy 3D representation with camera problems, up to a wonderfully designed plumber, who is looking for his princess in space. Even nostalgics will enjoy the collection. You may return to your childhood and experience Mario again. You only have to give deductions in the implementation of the games. That in Super Mario 64, no 16:9 aspect ratio was inserted, is a sad fact. Also the price of 60 Euro was chosen very high for a remaster which was not really remastered. All in all, you will have fun with Super Mario 3D All-Stars, no matter if you accompany Mario on one of his 3D adventures for the first time or if you have already experienced them several times.
Review in German | Read full review
Monkeys, man's best friends! This motto can be applied very well to The Survivalists. Without the hairy companion, you are very quickly lost at the title. The game offers a solid sandbox survival adventure with strengths and weaknesses. The crafting aspect is the highlight of the title. Many different items need to be built by the stranded person to make island life bearable. Also the constant hunger is not as bad as it sounds at the beginning. Since the food can't rot, you can build a big camp. On the negative side, it should be mentioned that crafting often gets in the way of itself. If you want to create several objects at the same time, you can do this in a detour. Also, if you have several monkeys, it can get confusing if you want to teach a certain monkey something. All in all The Survivalists remains a beautifully designed survival game with an enormous learning curve. The different biomes are nice to look at and a long-term motivation is definitely given by the different generated worlds.
Review in German | Read full review
The train of Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV has reached its final destination with flying colors. A thunderous applause can be heard and the guests can leave the train confident and satisfied. The same was my feeling when I finished the final epic. The series has accompanied me for many hours and I wouldn't want to miss any of them. Also the end was not the actual end. If you really want to know everything, you have to make certain decisions that I don't want to go into here, but it's worth it in any case. Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is the perfect end of the series. A thrilling story right to the end, forces every RPG lover to play the game to the end, even if it can take up to 100 hours. The sound is well done and makes fun to listen to. Especially the variety of different sounds made me add the tracks to my spotifylist. The only downer remains the look. The look has improved over the last seven years for the series itself, but is still not state of the art. I also really liked the combat system with the new features like Auto Battle or the huge Mechs that can be summoned. Everyone who played the series until the third part is forced to finish the final part. If you have never played an offshoot, you will have a hard time finding your way into the game. While it's not a bad idea to rework the story so far, it doesn't replace playing the series.
Review in German | Read full review
Yakuza: Like a Dragon has made the leap into the RPG genre with flying colors. The story is kept exciting and you can't stop following Ichiban's vendetta. The abundance of side tasks can be a bit overwhelming for the player at the beginning. But once you have played the game for a few hours, you know the most important points in the city. Time passes very quickly when playing darts or karting. By no means you need to believe that these actions are a waste of time. You get personality points which finally strengthen the fighting actions. The fights bring a breath of fresh air to the row and put a smile on the players' faces. Through the different creative classes you attack the opponents with pigeons or wrestling moves instead of casting disdainful fireballs. Unfortunately, the invisible AoE range of abilities spoils the fun of the game. Also the unusually long races until a comrade reaches the enemy seem strange. A timeline showing the next actors would have been helpful too. If you like the Yakuza series and are open for new things, you definitely have to go for Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Review in German | Read full review
Mario Kart Live - Home Circuit is a new version of the classic racing game. The AR features are refreshing and a lot of fun. Bringing the aspect of the race track into the living room was a clever move by Nintendo. With the right size there are no limits to your fantasy. The co-op mode is unfortunately not possible online. You are limited here to the local version. Why Nintendo considered this step, I did not understand. I imagine it to be especially funny to play with players all over the world in their living rooms.
Review in German | Read full review
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a homage to the entire series. The background music has always been an essential part of the franchise. That's why I was all the more pleased when this game was announced. The story sections are told in their most essential features, which is good for newcomers, but simply too little for veterans. Also the scope is exhausted relatively quickly and the other modes are nice, but it doesn't have a real added value. The enemy types are also exhausted after a while. The real highlight is and remains the music, because every single track reminded me of the wonderful events around Kingdom Hearts. If you want to remember such moments, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a must buy. If you don't have any nostalgic memories of it, you will have to think twice about buying it.
Review in German | Read full review
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity bridges the time until the release of Breath of the Wild 2, but unfortunately only briefly. While the environment and enemy types may seem varied at first, you become dulled as the game progresses. However, the search for crogs or the prey hunt for special items and weapons remains particularly motivated. There are more than enough side tasks to complete. Besides the simple booty hunts, you can also sit down in the huge colossuses to defeat even more enemies in a short time. But especially when a lot of enemies appear on the screen, the performance of the Switch can reach its limits. All in all Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a decently made Warriors game that you will have fun with if you are a fan of such Musou titles.
Review in German | Read full review
In short, Immortals Fenyx Rising is my game of the year 2020, it has everything that a good game has to have in my world. A setting which is fascinating and beautiful at the same time. The huge world just screams "Explore me, experience me", and I followed this scream with skin and hair. I found myself swinging onto my blue horse and just riding around in the area, simply because I liked the surroundings so much. The urge to explore is satisfied throughout the whole game and leaves nothing to be desired. If you want to do dungeons, no problem. If you want to improve the health bar of Fenyx, well, then you just have to look for it. You can invest more than a hundred hours in the game without getting really bored. The only thing that disturbed me was the funny slapstick humor that is present throughout the game. If you have a preference for Open World titles and can relate to Greek mythology, the title is a must buy. If you want to dive into the genre for the first time, the title is a must buy. If you want to make your dearest (gambling) person happy for the upcoming Christmas, then Immortals Fenyx Rising is a compulsory purchase.
Review in German | Read full review
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light presents in a classic way how the famous hero Marth grows from a little prince to a shining hero. But the path is long and arduous, and not only for him. When playing this spin-off of the series, you have to be aware that you'll have to do without certain features. No battle prediction or fade-in movement radius. But instead, a certain thrill kept coming up for me during the game, which I miss in modern games. But if you get into the gameplay, you'll experience a captivating story. An absolute must for veterans of the series, but newcomers should perhaps go for a newer part with more beginner-friendly features.
Review in German | Read full review
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is the perfect entry into the gaming year 2021! The story follows directly after its predecessor. Despite the fact that the game takes place three years after the first part, you don't necessarily need to know anything about it. The story leads the player by the hand and doesn't leave him alone. The alchemy is as good as usual and the battle system is fun. Fast and crisp fights on three different difficulty levels invite you to enjoy the gameplay. Perhaps the only downer is that larger areas can take longer to load. Also, the fact that the audio output is only in the original Japanese version might deter some people. If you have played the first part, you will probably not miss this part of the series.
Review in German | Read full review
It took me about 20 hours to play through Skul: The Hero Slayer for the first time. That's unusual for a roguelike title, but it was all the more satisfying when I got to see the credits roll. The little skeleton captivated me more than I thought it would. Even if the story is only secondary, the concept with the different classes was convincing. Since the gameplay is always different, there is no boredom. However, once you've reached the point where you've explored the most, the urge to explore naturally subsides. On the whole, however, the game offers enough to provide many hours of fun and motivation. If you're looking for a roguelike title with cool new features, Skul: The Hero Slayer will certainly not disappoint.
Review in German | Read full review
Ys IX Monstrum Nox is a role-playing pearl that I wouldn't want to miss. The ninth part also convinced me with its battle system and story. Especially the plot is, in my opinion, the best story of the series. Unexpected twists combined with exciting character relationships have me under their spell. The graphics are, as in the other sequels, unfortunately outdated and could use a beauty treatment. With 20 to 30 hours and six different difficulty levels, you can spend quite some time in Balduq. The New Game Plus mode also invites you to collect forgotten items and explore all the secrets of the prison city. All in all, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a solid JRPG title that you won't regret buying.
Review in German | Read full review
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is an excellent collection that offers both tried-and-true and new content. If you played Super Mario 3D World back on the Wii U, you might have a hard time buying it. There are new features, but they are marginal. However, considering that Bowser's Fury is also included in this bundle, you probably won't be able to keep your hands off it if you're a Super Mario fan. Even though this part is only eight hours long, you'll be well entertained throughout the entire game. The open world characteristic is fun and I hope that the next installment will also have a completely open world.
Review in German | Read full review
Bravely Default 2 convinces with its gameplay mechanics in all cases. Even though you have to be aware that the difficulty level is already hard as nails on the normal setting. You don't need to have played the predecessors for this spin-off, since the game tells its own story. It takes some time for the story to pick up speed. But once you reach this point, you won't want to turn off the console. If you liked Octopath Traveler, you'll definitely enjoy Bravely Default 2. If you are not a fan of turn-based, lengthy JRPGs, you should reconsider the purchase.
Review in German | Read full review
I enjoyed Dandy Ace enormously with its colorful layout. The immersion in the world of magic and illusion also convinced me. Defeating enemies with cards or giving them hell with fireworks fits perfectly into the overall concept. With the amount of enemies and the clarity, the developer could perhaps still create a remedy in an update. Because two waves of enemies with six to eight opponents is a bit much and gets frustrating very quickly. With more than thirty different maps and different endings, you can invest some time in Dandy Ace. Even if the game doesn't come close to The Binding of Isaac, it's a worthy successor to Skul: The Hero Slayer. I remain hopeful that the game will be fed with many updates and expansions.
Review in German | Read full review
I had an enormous amount of fun with New Pokémon Snap. That's especially because it's so wonderfully decelerating. Just turn on the Switch and dive into the tropical forests for a few hours and look for the perfect picture of Arbok. Since the game concept doesn't overwhelm, even children will have their fun with the title. Of course, it should not be forgotten that the gameplay is very repetitive and almost doesn't change at all from the beginning to the end. It also leaves the bland aftertaste that you only move along predefined routes. All in all, it's a good remake of the original title. If you can get excited about the likes of Animal Crossing, you'll definitely enjoy New Pokémon Snap.
Review in German | Read full review