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Pokémon Legends: Arceus has finally ushered in the next stage of the franchise's development - even if we still firmly hope that many more will follow. The Pokémon spin-off feels more organic, motivating and coherent than ever thanks to the semi-open game world and the many modernized gameplay mechanics. The free-roaming areas in particular have a lot to offer, if you're into the iconic pocket monsters. Otherwise, you'll quickly be confronted with the harsh reality that Pokemon Legends is just a cheap copycat of the great 'Breath of the Wild', which doesn't reveal much more than empty and statistical worlds. However, those who have a soft spot for Pokémon will probably find their Eldorado with Arceus: Everything around you - be it the free-roaming Pokémon, the new Pokédex assignments, or the motivating progression system - pays off on the 'Gotta Catch Em All' principle and pushes your own collecting mania to the extreme. In contrast, however, the game looks absolutely out of time and shouldn't even bring a tired smile to the last console generation. Despite all the complaining about the graphics, Pokémon Legends knows how to motivate us, spur us on, and captivate us with its gameplay. What's a bit of 'mud' graphics, right? If Game Freak doesn't let so much time pass until the next update, exciting years could be ahead for Pokémon fans.

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Okay, admittedly - Dying Light 2 might look like the next generic open-world game with a zombie theme that is doomed to end up on the pile of shame of many gamers. And this is completely unjustified, because Techland's sequel manages to stand out from the crowd of its genre colleagues, especially with its atmospheric game world and the at least equally fun gameplay mix. While disturbing zombie hordes groan for blood on one side, we find playing children and blooming flower gardens on the other. Techland stylistically succeeds in creating an immersive and coherent image of a post-apocalypse that can be so gloomy and dirty at the same time, but also hopeful. The run-down open-world metropolis has many small as well as larger stories to tell, which we were only too happy to listen to off the beaten path. Of course, Techland's vision of an open game world also suffers from some well-known problems: Bugs, game crashes and the obligatory icon clutter are issues that genre fans are probably familiar with by now. Nevertheless, the bottom line is a fun and immersive zombie adventure that was able to raise our adrenaline level to unimagined heights more than once.

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Battlefield 2042 is currently at best a small, unhealthy snack for on the go, which you absolutely had to buy, but always in the knowledge that it never really takes place nor tastes particularly good. The three big game modes offer a colorful potpourri with something for every type of player, but none of the concepts is really mature. Long-term motivation is lacking shortly after release: The lack of a checkout system seems immature in places, numerous bugs slow down the flow of the game, and missing scoreboards and ranked matches take even more tension out of the gameplay loop. Battlefield 2042 is so trimmed for entertaining fun that it completely loses sight of its possibilities. The focus is clearly on more chaos and less game depth, more trends and less team play, new superlatives but unfortunately less Battlefield. Battlefield 2042 is quick fun for a round in between, but will have a hard time holding its own on the highly competitive shooter market.

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All in all, Mario Party Superstars is not a perfect game, but it is a very good one and certainly remains king on the throne of party games. Certainly there are things that can and should be improved here and there, but overall the title cuts a good, rock-solid figure and has sparked great hope in a possible next installment of the series, at least in me. Finally NDcube has rediscovered the way to the successful concept of Mario Party. The whole thing next with entirely new mini-games, boards and a larger selection of characters and minor adjustments to the luck factor, lets me look into a rosy future!

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While Shin Megami Tensei has only been able to glimpse the shining spotlight in the shadow of its sibling series Persona, developer Atlus is now making a rather timid attempt to step out of it with the fifth installment of the main series. By turning away from the traditional dungeon crawler concept to a much more open level structure, they skillfully create a synergy effect that clearly enhances the actually insubstantial gameplay loop motivationally and indisputably decorates it with a comprehensible justification. The depth of the role-playing system as well as the animating collecting mania through the whimsical demons cleverly counteract the merciless difficulty level without demoralizing the player too much. Meanwhile, the plot is largely utilitarian, even insubstantial, motivating the player to really want to participate in the storyline only in the smaller, more emotional moments. On top of that, the Nintendo Switch exclusivity clearly limits the role-playing game technically, which shouldn't be particularly beneficial for the family's race to catch up and only raises the question about the relevance of the current revision of the hybrid console once again. Even if Shin Megami Tensei still can't move in the highly praised spheres of a Persona, Atlus still manages to deliver a more than solid overall construct thanks to the given innovations, which should shorten the wait for the next full-fledged spin-off, not least for the Persona fan community. It's a good thing that the apple usually never falls far from the tree.

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Actually, there's not much left to say. You don't play House of Ashes because it looks good or because of its innovative game mechanics - you play it if you like well-paced stories with minimal self-involvement and a bit of horror (in the broadest sense). If you're looking for something between cinematic and classic gameplay principles and consider yourself a fan of the genre, the third chapter of Dark Pictures Anthology is worth checking out. Undecided fans of cultivated horror will probably not be completely convinced by the title, though, as there are still too many problems at once.

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Square Enix and Eidos Montreal have managed the license balancing act that few would have expected: From the flop of 2020 to the hot GotY candidate in 2021. With a heavy dose of wit, charm and plenty of 80s vibes, Eidos Montreal has shown a flair for the brand and fully catapulted Guardians into our hearts. After last year's Avengers fiasco, the single-player adventure is an absolute surprise hit and the necessary redemption for battered Marvel souls. Thanks to the glorious music selection, the lovable characters and the thrillingly staged story around five likeable messes, Eidos Montreal's licensed implementation has become an absolutely well-rounded affair. The relationships between the protagonists seem tangible and real, the group dynamics are worked out in detail and the many comic book references make you want more. It's a real pleasure to watch your pals tease, argue or get along and see how they keep growing together as a team. The shallow and rather rudimentary battles lack depth and overview, but are still very motivating. Even minor technical glitches can't detract from the game's great fun.

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Could the remaster of what is definitely, in my eyes, the best 3D Sonic live up to my expectations? Definitely. However, I didn't expect any quantum leaps either, but those who do might get a rude awakening. Sonic Colours Ultimate is a robust remaster with slight additions - nothing more, nothing less. If you liked the original and want to experience the whole thing again, you can grab it, and newcomers should also have fun with the port. However, those who have absolutely nothing to do with jump'n'runs or the relatively fast-paced Sonic gameplay won't get their money's worth with Sonic Colours Ultimate.

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A masterpiece of staging paired with an entertaining, highly digestible and occasionally motivating game design is probably the surprise hit of the year: Kena: Bridge of Spirits impressively proves that it definitely doesn't take an experienced video game developer to create a stable overall construct that not only knows how to captivate emotionally, but can also entertain. The action-adventure hardly brings any innovation to the busy genre, but clearly creates a certain uniqueness due to its discrepant structure. The cuddly Pixar look meets a darker, clearly more grown-up narrative as well as an (over)demanding battle scene, which nevertheless never manages to lose you on a motivational level. In combination with the clearly digestible gameplay and the really successful technical implementation, the action adventure manages to emancipate itself from its indie niche and fights its way into the relevance range of its AAA competition. Minimal lapses like the miserable focus system or minor frame drops are forgiven for the entertaining adventure, of course. What remains in the end is not only an animation studio that has skillfully proven how a holistic vision can liquidate a lack of experience, but has also given us the second reason to own a PlayStation home console in September. Now we just have to hope that Ember Lab exploits the immense merchandising potential behind the cuddly Rott - they deserve it.

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Tales of Arise is without question a feast for anime lovers and Japano fans of the first hour. The JRPG unabashedly grinds out just about every cliché along the way, but is so wholesome and motivating that it's hard to stay mad at it. The stunning animations by Studio Ufotable are the big visual highlight here and should reconcile any skeptic who might not otherwise enjoy the picturesque graphic style. In general, Tales of Arise is quite traditional in its gameplay and lacks creativity in many parts, but there are no real slip-ups. Apart from the questionable monetization, we are left with a varied and sometimes epic adventure with a motivating gameplay loop and, last but not least, likeable characters.

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The game "Can't Drive This" proves to be an entertaining fun racer in our test, which invites to wacky duels on the track. Although the multiplayer title does not offer any noteworthy depth, the long-term motivation is kept at a high level thanks to the different modes. The combination of track building and driving also works very well in "Can't Drive This", so that the right skill is not only required on the virtual track. Although "Can't Drive This" can by no means compete with the well-known genre greats, the title still promises some fun multiplayer duels with friends.

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Operation Tango offers what hit games like It Takes Two lacked: a real challenge. The separate screens and the puzzles that can't be solved at first glance make teams communicate with each other efficiently and thoughtfully to get ahead. The puzzles, while not unsolvably difficult, do require thinking around the corner a time or two. We hope that this innovative approach will be followed by many more, because despite the shortness of the title and the somewhat meager story, we had this above all: a lot of fun and a lot of brain training.

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Biomutant can at best be described as an unexciting and unmotivated gameplay mash-up that never really outgrows its 08/15 status. In short: The RPG doesn't hurt anyone and certainly doesn't mark a total failure, but it is still far too immature and doesn't really seem to have been thought through to the end at any point. In the end, the cuddly adventure degenerates into an undemanding and perhaps even child-friendly action game for entertaining fun, which is still searching for its own identity. Admittedly, some interesting and creative ideas have been incorporated here and there, but they never quite want to coalesce into a homogeneous mass. It seems as if Biomutant simply got lost in the abundance of its individual parts. The bottom line is that our Frankenstein monster will probably need a bit more than just a few additional seams until it is actually fully functional.

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You can't really go far wrong with It Takes Two if you're looking for some diverting fun with more serious undertones. It entertains, it looks nice, and it makes you laugh and gulp a bit. It's not outstanding, though, and in many places it lacks a bit of the otherwise so generously applied creativity, especially in the unfortunately somewhat too simple puzzles and the very stringent storytelling. And despite all that, it's fun when you have the right person at your side, with whom you can shimmy through this co-op game and then wait again for the next game from Hazlelight.

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New Pokémon Snap is the successful reincarnation of the original Pokémon spin-off from 1999, which not only looks wonderful, but also depicts an authentic Pokémon world. While New Pokémon Snap will fully satisfy the collecting mania of any Pokémaniac, those of you who have trouble getting excited about the franchise anyway will probably have rather little joy with the title. Nintendo doesn't take any big risks with the sequel and delivers exactly what fans have come to expect: an unexciting rail shooter with great backdrops and thoroughly staged Pokemon acting. You can certainly criticize the game for that, but Pokémon enthusiasts will probably still get their money's worth.

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NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... is a thoroughly solid remake of the 2011 insider tip, whose age is still clearly visible despite various cosmetic repairs: The look of the penultimate console generation still sticks to too many models, and the remake still nibbles too much at the long-winded pacing and the repetitive game design. Nevertheless, the dramatic and highly philosophical story behind this facade still knows how to entertain at the highest level even after more than a decade. The artful genre mix, the successful musical background and the self-referential humor hide some of the game's dry stretches. Although Replicant can't quite live up to the expectations Automata created with its successful concept, it still manages to create unique moments that make all the effort worthwhile.

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Besides the prominent pro- or antagonists like zombies and vampires in recent years, Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood positively stands out from the crowd with the rather stepmotherly treated werewolves. Unfortunately, that's almost all that can be said positively about the title. But don't misunderstand - Werewolf isn't a bad game per sé, it's just mediocre: Graphics and story look old, especially in direct comparison with other recently released titles, many parts like the skill tree seem to be seen as a must rather than a real enrichment for the game and the short game duration of about eight hours isn't convincing either. Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood seems to want a lot, but not be able to accomplish that much. At least there could have been more of the heavy metal music.

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"Hitman 3" proves to be a successful stealth game and concludes the successful series about the hitman with dignity. Veterans of the series will immediately get into the third part and enjoy the entertaining missions, the black humor and the hidden Easter Eggs. Hitman 3" undoubtedly deserves the highest mark for its level design, which contributed significantly to the incomparable atmosphere of the game. It's simply fun to explore the winding areas in order to eliminate the next target with even more perfection. Nevertheless, it can't be denied that "Hitman 3" with its six main missions is undoubtedly no scope bombast. In addition, the game lacks any real innovations, so a certain routine will creep in very quickly, especially for pros. All in all, fans of the Hitman series and lovers of perfidious stealth games will undoubtedly find the right game fodder in "Hitman 3".

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Curious Expedition 2 can be recommended to fans of strategy games with narrative elements and colorful graphics. Especially the different roles with their special abilities and personalities as well as procedural map generation lead to a high replay value, where you can still experience new things in the third playthrough. Only the random rolls could be improved, as they can throw a spanner in the works even with the best planning. If you don't get frustrated too easily and enjoy tactically dealing with all kinds of diseases, madness and the wilderness, Curious Expedition 2 will offer you some challenging hours.

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Little Nightmares II is an intense and atmospheric scary experience, which, however, is a bit weak on the gameplay side. The character and sound design are still excellently staged, the entertaining puzzles fit well into the minimalistic concept and the whimsical design fascinates from the first minute on. Nevertheless, the unintuitive and sluggish controls keep nibbling away at our frustration tolerance, and the trail & error concept unfortunately repeatedly pulls us out of the intense atmosphere. Like its predecessor, Little Nightmares II may not be a hardcore horror, but it is a likeable and entertaining thrill ride that will keep you entertained for a few hours.

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