Gaming-Village

Overall, Dreadline Express is a very good game with an oppressive atmosphere that's sustained by its visual and audio presentation throughout. As someone who appreciates well-crafted narrative, I also really enjoyed the worldbuilding and characters—the dialogues are sharp and precisely written. Unfortunately, the cumbersome card dialogue mechanic breaks my immersion every single time with frustratingly frequent inputs. Especially in a game with such dense atmospheric storytelling, it's all the more disappointing to be pulled out of the experience by annoying—and avoidable—moments like these.

Review in German | Read full review

Dupery cleverly combines the two elements of detective investigation and random roguelite progression. It takes the core essence of clues and deductions and, using abstract rules and a complex web of roles and abilities, creates a difficult but deeply rewarding gameplay mechanic. In this way, Dupery recalls less games in the vein of Sherlock Holmes and more a digital version of Werewolf. Here, the game's subtitle is clearly a statement of intent. Tracking down the villains ultimately functions as a puzzle whose solution may sometimes seem a touch too complex or downright unsolvable, yet it creates one-of-a-kind gameplay moments.

Review in German | Read full review

Toy Story: Retro Roundup! is a collection of largely mediocre games, yet one that's been put together with obvious care—it comes with a generous selection of individual versions and offers every feature you'd expect from an emulation collection. It's a bit of a shame that the Dreamcast versions, where available, aren't included—presumably building an additional Dreamcast emulator wouldn't have been worth the effort for the development team, since the PlayStation versions are by far the better-known ones anyway. For Toy Story fans, the collection is certainly worth considering, though you shouldn't set your expectations for the individual games too high.

Review in German | Read full review

I looked after the cat as well as I possibly could. Unfortunately, the options available in The Last Cat in the Universe are a little limited in that regard, but at least she always had something to eat. Mining works largely well, even though there are several spots where progress feels sluggish despite the short playtime. Upgrading the laser beam itself is solid, but the individual additions to the action repertoire don't quite win me over. It's certainly a game that can find its way into your heart, but half of it simply didn't move me.

Review in German | Read full review

For me, Silver Pines is less the Metroidvania it's marketed as and much more a classic survival horror game set in a large, interconnected world. And as such, it works brilliantly.

Review in German | Read full review

Let's be honest — whether you want to read a book multiple times is often a matter of personality. I'm happy to dive back into stories I explored years ago. At the same time, I know plenty of people who'd rather experience only new stories. If you, dear reader, are among them and have already figured out everything there is to know about microwaves, then a further ending — even a very good one! — probably won't sway you. Wait, it's unfamiliar to you? And you also happen to be into science fiction, science, and/or time travel? Well, then give it a try — Steins;Gate won't let you down!

Review in German | Read full review

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is an extremely extensive strategy RPG that brings with it an enormous number of systems — though unfortunately these are often tied to trivial yet time-consuming activities. The battles are still a lot of fun and can be set to a high game speed, but in terms of quality and strategic depth they can't hold a candle to the series' recent highlights, Fire Emblem Fates and Engage.

Review in German | Read full review

Toy Story 3: Complete Edition is a carefully crafted remaster of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game based on the third theatrical film. The Toy Box mode still falls short of its potential, whereas the story mode, while entertaining, is also very short. Bundled in the physical collection together with Retro Roundup, Toy Story fans should definitely give the game a chance — but unfortunately, it simply can't hold a candle to Toy Story 2.

Review in German | Read full review

Blackjack is a strange game. Luck sits at its center, as you try to bring your card values close to an exact number. No wonder it became so popular, especially in casinos. Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers tries everything to erase this fundamental characteristic of blackjack. The special playing cards, lucky charms, and the fast deckbuilding pacing give us a great deal of freedom to find and develop strategies early on. And later opponents demonstrate just how many possibilities lie within this roguelite. Yet randomness is very difficult to switch off. Many duels either have their moments or play out entirely according to a completely chaotic scheme in which strategy and deckbuilding can't come into fruition. On the one hand, that's frustrating when we end up losing in a tedious and uncontrollable way. Or it drains the fun when we defeat an opponent far too easily, without ever using the game beyond blackjack. Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers is a recommendation. But on the day you play it, you should have found a four-leaf clover beforehand.

Review in German | Read full review

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition is also a very good RPG on the Nintendo Switch 2. Classic elements are implemented excellently, and the main characters surrounding the protagonist make the story shine especially brightly. Play-wise, it is largely fairly simple, though the draconic missions offer opportunities to compensate. Additionally, there's well-executed voice acting in many places accompanied by outstanding orchestral music. Both in Graphics Mode and Performance Mode, the title runs stably at all times. For owners of the Nintendo Switch version, a completely new purchase of the game on the Nintendo Switch 2 purely for resolution and framerate is less worthwhile, but for new players, it's the better-looking experience.

Review in German | Read full review

Here and now, Two Point Studios once again delivers a convincing package with Attractions and Relics—one that boasts a few new mechanics and offers ample possibilities to build a properly fantastic theme park. Whether with or without a grandly expanded museum hardly matters at all; there's no shortage of options. It's just that visitors can be fleeced too excessively, and the signature humor also slips a bit into the background.

Review in German | Read full review

The remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening improves upon many aspects of the original, but also comes with some new redundancies that can slightly tarnish the overall impression for perfectionists. In that regard, the ruby grinding for Boris's dungeon rooms is, alongside the constant repetition of the crane mini-game, the most serious issue. The playability, however, has been improved compared to the original, and the dungeon and world design remains excellent. For new players, the remake is likely the best choice for experiencing Link's Awakening for the first time.

Review in German | Read full review

Setting the technical hiccups aside, Alpha Nomos fails to distinguish itself from the vast multitude of indie roguelites. On the contrary, were it not for the musical core gameplay and the character design that captivated me, it wouldn't stand out in any way whatsoever. The roguelite design not only offers no surprises but features such a sluggish and monotonous start that veterans of the genre would rather move on to the next title on their list. Yet the fundamental combat system held enough potential. I may not be so skilled when it comes to tempo and rhythm, but I do recognize the concept of using these musical elements as a combat foundation as praiseworthy. It would simply have been better if Alpha Nomos had also forged an individual identity beyond that with more variance or interesting moments. As it stands, the memory of the game will fade far too quickly.

Review in German | Read full review

Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered offers plenty of gameplay variety and well-executed hack-and-slash action. The Musou Mode has slight tendencies toward repetition, but it also provides many ways to approach battles—as long as players are willing to engage with it. Game mechanics such as dodging or fighting alongside other officers become increasingly important at higher difficulty levels, which also adds more enjoyment to the experience. The Challenge Mode ensures a different kind of engagement with the game systems. With such a vast selection of characters and weapons, I couldn't settle on a personal favorite. Occasionally, battles lack a bit more adaptation to the chosen character, but overall, this hardly weighs into the final impression.

Review in German | Read full review

The Visual Novel Highway Blossoms: Gold Rush Edition begins promisingly with a mysterious treasure in America. However, the treasure hunt unfolds very smoothly, and the characters are portrayed in an excessively exaggerated manner. Through various decisions, they lose credibility—ultimately because problems within Amber and Marina's relationship are never truly resolved. The DLC turned out somewhat better, albeit thanks to the supporting cast. The story contains entertaining moments but also very clear weaknesses, which is why I can only offer a limited recommendation.

Review in German | Read full review

Like the protagonist Alan, two souls—well—dwell within my breast when I think of Time To Wake Up. On one hand, I have rarely played an ego-adventure that interweaves its gameplay so organically with level design and narrative. Even though the game plays out largely linearly and with little challenge, the shifting episodes in this trauma-processing dream provide a great deal of variety. On the other hand, Time To Wake Up hinders itself realizing its potential. Many elements only scratch the surface. The visual level design and large parts of the narrative lack the courage to give themselves a truly distinctive spin. And the narrative center surrounding the radical book falls far short of its possibilities. Nonetheless, while writing these lines, I promptly added Eye Blink Twice's upcoming project, Up or Down?, to my Steam wishlist. Because Time To Wake Up made it abundantly clear to me that we can expect quite a bit from this studio in the future, even if the adventure itself, standing on its own, still stumbles a little.

Review in German | Read full review

Toodee and Topdee has a creative game concept and an entertaining atmosphere. Unfortunately, the level design is somewhat inconsistent, offering alongside some truly clever levels also quite a few that come across more as tests of patience than as elegant challenges. For players seeking unusual game ideas, Toodee and Topdee is nevertheless a good choice.

Review in German | Read full review

The Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition delivers many hours of entertainment. Even the base game was convincing on its own. While the free Legends Co-Op Mode added to the package isn't really meant for someone like me who prefers single-player gameplay, there's now additional solo content too with "Echoes of Sekigahara" and "Most Wanted." I was happy to return to Ezo.

Review in German | Read full review

At the start of the game, I was actually quite skeptical that the rogue-like approach might eventually get on my nerves. But now, after almost 40 hours of gameplay, my enthusiasm hasn't faded one bit. Even though I've finished the story! I think it's simply because I find the gameplay so fantastic that I can actually enjoy the rogue-like concept even more than with other games in the genre.

Review in German | Read full review

Birushana: Winds of Fate is a very well-executed fandisc to Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei. The overall atmosphere is somewhat more relaxed, with more room for silly moments, which prevents critical elements like lack of communication from feeling too heavy-handed. The epilogues provide a good framework for fluffy moments and slice-of-life experiences with their straightforward conflicts. The alternative routes are generally a bit more serious and offer more battles, though they still include plenty of humorous scenes. My favorites, Noritsune and Tadanobu, won me over once again, and now Shigehira has joined their ranks. With the minor caveat that prior knowledge is highly recommended, Winds of Fate is definitely worth playing.

Review in German | Read full review