If you like hack 'n' slay games like DMC or Bayonetta in the slightest and are not appalled by the artstyle and the music you have to get Hi-Fi Rush. The game oozes fun, has a great presentation and follows it's central design ideas throughout the game. All in all Tango Gameworks convinces with its first non horror game and delivers the first surprise hit in 2023. Also petting Robo-cats never gets old.
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Tekken 8's presentation is brilliant and complements the intense, more offense-oriented gameplay perfectly. Another highlight is how the game tries to introduce beginners into Tekken and gives them several tools for self-improvement, like the replay tips. On the flipside, this support doesn't include intermediates which is a missed chance. Also, the single player modes are quite short. Overall Tekken 8 still takes our place as best fighting game of the current gen as the gameplay and presentation are superb.
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Forza Motorsport keeps the pace of its predecessors but can't overtake it. A big collection of photorealistic cars to drive with, with a plentora of settings to tune their performance on twenty different tracks sounds promising as always. Unsurprisingly this formula still works like a charm. Sadly, the carreer mode lacks a tutorial, a story, rivalries or anything else tuning and driving. This severe lack of atmosphere doesn't fit a otherwise great and polished game like Forza.
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Capcom has hit the mark with MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics. The package got everything for everyone. The online mode runs smoothly and fans will love the art gallery, soundtracks and the training mode. There are some small bug fixes that are relevant for hardcore players but everything else transitioned nicely into the modern age of gaming.
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Street Fighter 6 does many things right that V didn't. World Tour delivers on many small details for fans, especially in the overall creation of your own character. Sadly though, the quest design isn't really engaging and there aren't that many story interactions. The open world potential clearly isn't used and leaves much to be desired. Luckily the gameplay itself when it comes to fighting as well as the character's (re)designs are on point. Thanks to the rollback netcode the online multiplayer works like a charm
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Phantom Liberty adds a thrilling story and the new area Dogtown to Cyberpunk 2077. The add-on and the 2.0 update really justify hopping back into night city. Although, there's still potential within CP2077 that can be unraveled, Phantom Liberty is definitely worth a try.
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NetherRealm Studios plays it safe. The Reboot resets the story via a multiverse approach. From a gameplay perspective MK1 brings a classic Mortal Kombat experience with no experiments. Besides the abyssmal Switch port, there aren't any major hiccups technical wise.
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Cities Skylines 2 improves on the beloved first part of the series. While it misses scenarios and dedicated tutorial missions, it captivates from the first minute on with the premise of building your own dream city and optimizing all the little details. Be aware though, that even with high end hardware the performance is abyssmal. But Colossal Order already promised to deliver performance improving patches and an early WIP patch we could use made the situation way better already. With the performance upgrade and the yet to come mods from the community, this game will surely be the new frontrunner of city building games.
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Roboquest is a fun roguelite FPS that motivates to pick it up for "just one more round". Tight controls, intense gameplay, secrets and lots of different guns, perks and six classes more than make up for the a little bit lacking enemy and level design.
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Princess Peach: Showtime! delivers surprising variety in gameplay and shows Peach in several roles like cowgirl, ninja or mermaid. Even though the game lacks in difficulty and replayability the target audience of younger and predominantly female gamers will find an entertaining Jump'n'Run with Nintendo's most prominent Princess. Everyone else gets a easy to digest game for short timeframes like a bus ride.
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Dungeons of Hinterberg is a refreshing genre mix between Action RPG and Social/Dating Sim that works surprisingly well. The colourful cel shading design brings the Austrian Alps to shine while its biggest strengths lie in the various dungeon puzzles and the destressing nature of its gameplay. We cannot stress enough that this charming Austrian indie gem is definitely worth a look.
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Wh40k Space Marine 2 is a non-compromising, brutal action game that sabotages itself with its clunky melee. Luckily, the fantastic presentation, as well as the love for detail, deliver a very satisfying experience for Warhammer 40k fans. Furthermore, Co-op enthusiasts get a great experience with the campaign and some additional missions.
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Black Sea Games had the self-proclaimed goal of making an accessible grand strategy game. And they did succeed. Knights of Honor II - Sovereign does many things right by leaving out complexity that makes games from e.g. Paradox Games very hard to start. Besides this obvious strength the game stays very close to its 2004 predecessor and doesn't change much. This isn't a bad thing but a bit more bravery wouldn't have hurt. Juggling diplomacy, economics, military and the clergy makes for an immersive and fun experience. Besides the real-time battles that leave much desired Knights of Honor II doesn't make any big mistakes and is a very solid bridge between Medieval: Total War and Games like Europa Universalis or Crusader Kings.
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Platinum Games delivered a beautiful fairy tale for both Bayonetta fans and non-fans. Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon's presentation is graphically and acoustically a treat. The Twin Stick puzzle gimmick and the implicit couch co-op combined with great story pacing makes for a good game outside of Platinum Games realm of all-out action games.
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All together in combination with the direct controls you get a lot of fun with a "one more run" spiral, what you would expect from a roguelike. Sadly the confusing story and less integration from the excellent Blazblue Cast brings the whole game down a bit. It is not the next Hades or Dead Cells but fans of the genre will still have a lot of fun with it.
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In conclusion, the Alone in the Dark Remake offers a compelling blend of detective intrigue, film noir atmosphere, and horror elements. While the narrative, graphics, and sound design excel in creating an immersive experience, shortcomings in gameplay mechanics, particularly in combat and stealth sequences, detract from its overall impact.
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Contra: Operation Galuga restores the series to its former glory. Expect old-school gameplay with a steep difficulty curve and only a few innovations. Multiple modes and up to four player co-op top off a solid remake.
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The nostalgic feeling kept and at the same time enough new elements is the balance act that remakes have to manage. Age of Mythology Retold did it with new modernised graphics and a campaign that stays true to the original. There is still room for improvement in the wayfinding or formation systems and also a questionable DLC premium package is in the mix but we still had a lot of fun with this timeless classic.
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Park Beyond from Limbic Entertainment offers a fun, easily accessible theme park simulator experience that has its strengths mostly in its sandbox mode and in building wacky rollercoasters. The short campaign offers a good learning curve but delivers only a very thin story. Sadly technical issues on PC and sometimes a lack of variation (e.g. only three coaster types!) tarnish the otherwise solid game. We hope that these issues will be adressed in the near future.
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If you expect an immersive but not so interactive “game”, Senua’s Saga Hellblade II delivers a short yet intense experience. Ninja Theory has once again skillfully created an impressive atmosphere, as they did in Senua’s Sacrifice. Unfortunately, the issues remain as well: Puzzles and combat are too easy and there is no variety in either. So please keep in mind, that this is more a Hellblade 1.5 than a true sequel.
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