Cerealkillerz

Atomic Heart looks great and the overall design is amazing. From the extensive environments over some small ideas, every works really well. Also the gameplay elements shines with a lots of variety in combinations that don't need to hide behind the games that inspired them. Some tedious collecting, unbalanced swarms of enemies and the only "ok" story scratch the paint of this well thought out art piece.

Review in German | Read full review

Like A Dragon: Ishin! is not a new title in the well-known series, and yet it feels so fresh. That's because familiar faces in new roles, a new setting in feudal Japan, and the first time acting with sword and gun instead of fists make the game special. It may feel a bit stale in parts, but it plays wonderfully and should be tried by anyone who can relate to the setting or is looking to get into the franchise.

Review in German | Read full review

If you haven't played Tales of Symphonia yet, this is a wonderful opportunity to relive the great characters and the story, which many fans consider to be one of the best in the series. It unfortunately doesn't combine everything from the best versions here, but you don't necessarily have to mind that.

Review in German | Read full review

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.

Review in German | Read full review

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake does a lot right. Lots of references, more varied gameplay and a more intense story. Not everything is new, but for fans of the yellow sponge there is simply no way around this title. Only occasional annoying stutters and the collectible items tarnish the overall impression.

Review in German | Read full review

Fans had high hopes that Forspoken would be Square Enix's next potential hit. Unfortunately, the developers of Luminous Productions once again reveal a major weakness in the way the story is told. To make matters worse, there is a fundamentally unsympathetic protagonist who, in the absence of supporting secondary characters, is all the more the focus. Even the unused and well-developed magic system can't save much anymore.

Review in German | Read full review

Fire Emblem Engage unfortunately fails to shine like its predecessor Three Houses. The step back to the roots of the series wasn't a bad one at all. Above all, the combat system knows how to inspire thanks to the emblems, the reunion with Marth and Co. was successful. Unfortunately, the unspectacular story, its generic characters and the lack of endgame content reduce the gaming experience a lot.

Review in German | Read full review

One Piece Odyssey finally brings fans of the original a well-deserved implementation. The battle system works great, the story combines new things with nostalgic emotions, and the graphics are also very pleasing. Only a few minor flaws hold it back, but anyone who can relate to the straws should play it.

Review in German | Read full review

The worst you can do as strategy and marvel fan is, to not give Marvel’s Midnight Suns a chance. It often doesn't feel lik a game that should be fun because of some failings in the presentation, technical aspects and dialogue but the fight system, lots of rewards and the team building mechanic are so well made, that you forget about all the other shortcomings.

Review in German | Read full review

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.

Review in German | Read full review

The Callisto Protocol fails despite a solid overall performance on its high ambitions. You have to give the studio some credit for the creative approaches, especially for the gameplay and atmosphere but there is a constant lack of a final touch through the whole game, which often lets the gameplay end in frustration and boring/repetitive sections. Horror Fans with lots of endurance should still get it for the PlayStation 5.

Review in German | Read full review

On paper, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet sounds like a Pokémon fan's dream come true. Paldea impresses with a very extensive game world, different storylines and new gameplay mechanics. Unfortunately, the poor technical and optical quality of the ninth generation throws a big spanner in the works. Game Freak has a lot to do here, especially given the fact that only 400 different Pokémon have made it into the game.

Review in German | Read full review

Gungrave G.O.R.E. wants us to go back to the old days of the PS2. Dumb action, a lackluster story with a silent hero and a big gun on his back. Sadly the boring and repetitive gameplay make it hard to recommend this game.

Review in German | Read full review

Evil West is a linear oldschool action festival with a story you can easily skip through, good sounddesign and some challenging gameplay. The amount of possibilities during the fights and the variety in the different sections bring lots of fun. If you are looking for that, you'll have a great time.

Review in German | Read full review

With a realistic setting, The Devil in Me manages to deliver a worthy season finale. The reason for this is the authentic cast, which finds itself in a challenging struggle for survival in the style of Saw. Despite the new gameplay mechanics, the game isn't showing its best technically this time either, especially when it comes to the sound. That's all the more unfortunate, because that's how Until Dawn could have been knocked off the narrative horror throne.

Review in German | Read full review

The adventures of Andreas Maler, a 16th century artist in a bavarian village and its murder mysteries are just captivating. Obsidian Entertainment goes off the beaten tracks with Pentiment and delivers a slow-paced, beautiful medieval visual novel with a lots of choices while playing. The attention to detail with displaying the game in the look of a medieval book is excellent and sets the mood perfectly. Though there were some smaller bugs present and the absence of voice acting is a real shame, the quality of the writing and the graphical presentation really compensates for that. If the setting and genre is to your liking this title absolutely deserves a closer look.

Review in German | Read full review

It's amazing how complex Tactics Ogre was when it was first released in 1995. The first remake for PSP introduced some additional mechanics that will be of great help to today's generation of video gamers. With the new edition "Reborn" they are presented with a tough strategy role-playing game. Fortunately, this convinces with a lot of depth, a complex but exciting story and a huge playtime. A true masterpiece awaits veterans of the genre, while newcomers should play demo or resort to easier representatives.

Review in German | Read full review

Bayonetta 3 suffers from a generic story and enemies with a surprisingly boring level structure. The decision to go for more quanity delivers enough gameplay variety for hardcore fans. If you can live with repeating challenges and areas, you'll still get a crazy adventure with the gameplay, that the fans love.

Review in German | Read full review

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope takes the already very good and fun formula of its predecessor and improves it a bit. The slightly freer battles and new characters fit in wonderfully and exploring the new open world is motivating across the different planets. The fact that the Rabbid humor is still not for everyone and the voice acting is sometimes very questionable can certainly be forgiven by any fan of tactical RPGs.

Review in German | Read full review

A Plague Tale: Requiem improves in just the right places. The graphics have been improved, the gameplay and mechanics are better implemented, and everything is a bit bigger and more spacious, but without losing the focus. The focus is still on the immersive and exciting narrative, the characters and their conversations. Only rough technical issues like screen tearing and stutters spoil the picture from time to time.

Review in German | Read full review