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Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker is a refreshing multiplayer experiment in the Naruto universe, which at first glance can't stand out from the standard anime bowler mush either because of its size or its ingenuity. Although Shinobi Striker relies on a small gamut, especially in terms of mission selection, classes and the available VR masters, he can score with his multiplayer component and motivating skill system. The reduced graphic quality, the insignificant story structure and the manageable content, however, give the title an additional bland aftertaste, which consistently gnaws at the long-term motivation. Naruto to Boruto is a nice accessory for all fans of the lively Jinchuuriki and for those who can't wait for the next serious Naruto beat-up. For all the others, the arena beatings will sooner or later offer too little added value due to the manageable size of the arena.

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Due to some interesting features, such as the improved career mode, the vehicle upgrades and the basic idea behind the interviews, F1 2018 is worth a trip to the race track for fans of both the series and motorsport. New players without any previous reference to the series should perhaps take advantage of one of the cheaper predecessors, as there are no real innovations. For future parts, Codemasters should dare a little more and also tackle major changes, such as implementing a new engine, deeper interviews and introducing wider consequences for the decisions made in negotiations and other aspects.

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With "Jurassic World Evolution" Frontier Developments delivers a presentable construction game, which is primarily dedicated to the supply and development of dinosaurs. The interaction between the dinosaurs as well as the design of new species is exciting if you do your job well. But even if the representation of the giant lizards knows how to captivate, the other environment offers rather little to do. All in all, however, this circumstance can be overcome and "Jurassic World Evolution" proves to be an entertaining title with small weaknesses.

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The biggest problem with 'Harvest Moon Light of Hope' is ultimately the existence of competitor Stardew Valley and the associated evidence of how it simply gets better. Quests and tasks in 'Light of Hope' are extremely repetitive and only slightly loosen up the already monotonous daily life of the farmers. The extremely obscure balancing of the sources of income on the farm and the profitable secondary occupations is more than questionable and motivational. Exclusive features for the Nintendo Switch as well as the PlayStation 4, a dissipated (background) story as well as animating card expansions during the course of the game show the first ambitions of developer Natsume to bring the framing series back to its successful roots. In combination with the inorganic and lifeless game world and the futile prioritization of the main quests, 'Light of Hope' looks like an ambitious but never-ending attempt to pull the Harvest Moon series out of the swamp of trifles. At no point does the farming simulation dare a fight with King Stardew Valley's genre - the chances against the heavyweight genre would also be truly hopeless. The competitor 'Harvest Moon Light of Hope', which is over 30€ more expensive, loses not only in terms of price-performance ratio. Those who wish for an idyllic life on a farm - without cutbacks, technical mistakes and in a loving pixel look - should continue to pick up the indie hit Stardew Valley.

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"The Crew 2" proves to be a successful open-world racing simulation that is accessible to both professionals and beginners. A varied game world, entertaining racing disciplines and fast speeds tempt you to let off steam on the various tracks. Even though the visual presentation of the title has been very successful, the rather mediocre AI will be a problem in the long run. All in all a thrilling arcade racer that can be enjoyed alone or with friends on the couch at home.

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The expectations for the follow-up project after the great success with the Life Is Strange series of the French developer studio Dontnod were high and at least partly justified, because if they can do one thing, they will tell stories and force players to make decisions, which will sometimes have devastating effects on the further course of the game. The rest of the game remains rather mediocre. The wooden graphics and the repetitive fighting actions, which are especially unpleasant for "boss opponents", the tubular level design and the especially in fighting situations with several opponents questionable camera work cloud the quite positive first impression of the game after a few hours of play. Vampyr doesn't reinvent the genre and also doesn't present anything that hasn't been seen in other RPGs before, yet it's one of the games that manages to cast a spell over you in spite of some flaws and especially grant you many nice hours of gameplay with some surprising twists in the story. At the next sale you could strike, but you don't have to.

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Unforeseen Incidents is definitely worth a try for all adventure lovers, even if the puzzles might be a bit too easy for "hardcore adventurers". Other players are also recommended to try this lovingly drawn game with an interesting story and a captivating atmosphere, especially if you haven't taken every adventure with you.

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With Hyrule Warriors, Nintendo once again invites you to take a detour into the imaginative Hyrule. The thrilling battles, numerous characters, varied maps and lovingly staged missions ensure many hours of fun. The title also lacks nothing in technical terms thanks to better graphics, fluid gameplay and a fun multiplayer. Although Hyrule Warriors isn't an absolute novelty for fans of the series, the generous gameplay means they can enjoy hours of action fun.

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"Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze" is a successful port, which sees itself as a fine tuning of the original Wii U version. A successful presentation, dreamy pieces of music, a varied gameplay and funny boss fights round off the game. The tricky levels have a fair amount of difficulty, but thanks to Funky Kong they are also more accessible for beginners. Pros can continue to play in the classic style and explore the jungle with Donkey Kong and his family. Only a new theme world would have been desirable for connoisseurs of the title. All in all a fun porting, which appeals to a wide range of players thanks to different modes.

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"God of War" ties in with old traditions and yet makes much better. The series has grown up and "God of War" undoubtedly has the potential to become the action adventure of the year. Multifaceted characters, rich enemy chunks, an elaborate skill system are just a few of the many criteria that are simply right in this title. Even though the fights are varied and brutal despite the new perspective, it's above all the quiet moments in which "God of War" shines especially well. It is the story of a father marked by war, who only begins to grow through the curiosity and perseverance of his son. The whole thing is embedded in an almost unreal scenery, accompanied by an epic sound and a well-done soundtrack. A masterpiece that will not only captivate genre fans.

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"Pizza Connection 3" proves to be a nice economic simulation that skilfully takes up old roots. Despite small improvements, the game doesn't make full use of the given possibilities and lacks a lot of playful variety. We would have liked to see more innovations here, so that the title could also play with the big ones. Nevertheless, fans of the series will enjoy the game and can revive the good old days.

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Far Cry 5 is walking on some new refreshing paths but is by far not fearless enough to completely reinvent Ubisoft's Far Cry formula. The fresh co-op mode, the reduced HUD, the new companion system and the modified Open World concept extend the well-known gameplay with some interesting facets, but retain the typical Far Cry charm. The co-op mode has to give in to its numerous technical problems and degenerates to a hardly serious, albeit fun addition, which ambitious co-op veterans should give some time to mature. Mission-threatening bugs and Ki dropouts turn out to be massive disruptive factors that put your own frustration tolerance to the test. Nevertheless, Far Cry 5 really entertained us on our 30 hour journey. The exaggerated humor, the charismatic antagonists and the lively game world motivate us enormously, the atmospheric atmosphere contributes its rest to create a charming adventure, which is certainly not a milestone in the history of the series.

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With "Ni No Kuni 2: Fate of a Kingdom" Level 5 is a skilful sequel to a small epic and will make the hearts of role-playing fans beat faster. Thanks to great landscapes, the work not only looks beautiful, but also tells an emotional story that invites you to philosophize even after gambling. Even if the composition of different genres seems exciting in theory, experts won't get their money's worth, especially regarding the combative component. While Ni No Kuni 2 seems made for the younger target group, pros won't be happy with the shallow level of difficulty. Nevertheless, the title does a lot right in a playful way and is by no means in the shadow of its predecessor. Fans of the first part get fresh food for many hours with Ni No Kuni 2.

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"Fe" proves to be an entertaining experience with a lovingly staged world and a unique story. Especially the narrative style and the renunciation of fighting sequences predestine the title for different age groups. The play with colours as well as the dreamy sounds let the flora and fauna appear in an almost abstract light. However, the title as a whole lacks some dynamism and variety. Friends of The Journey, Unravel and Rime make a worthwhile purchase with "Fe" and should embark on an impressive journey with the little fox.

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"Dynasty Warriors 9" presents series fans with tried and tested features and shines with some new game approaches. Even though the tactical battles go hand in hand with the crafting system, the simplified cloppings will cause boredom in the long run. Although the vast world scores with a wide variety of topics, many graphic errors make the overall picture appear uneven and significantly cloud the game feel. We hope that Omega Force will learn from these mistakes and continue to pamper friends of the series with promising titles.

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I hereby commit myself: Kingdom Come: Deliverance will be one of the best games of the year 2018, even though many critics won't give it the classic statute such as The Witcher. The game doesn't explicitly stand out from the mass of RPG medieval simulations and uses many well-known mechanics, but the long development phase pays off and for what it ultimately wants to be, the game is outstanding: to offer the player the most realistic setting possible in an open world. The many remaining bugs (hopefully with enough patches to go with them) and the unfortunately flat-looking story can't fool this overall impression. Another positive aspect is that the developers have decided against an online mode that is just so popular, because they want to immerse the individual in an authentic medieval world. After some initial difficulties, this project should pay off for Warhorse and all fans if they continue to work on it.

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Monster Hunter: World successfully implements new approaches and delivers a multi-faceted and dynamic combat system. Even if some opponents don't show mercy, the player will never be left alone thanks to numerous help and tutorials. The detailed ecosystem and interacting inhabitants give the game a welcome depth and make the title a feast for the eyes even if you leave the blade stuck once. All in all, Monster Hunter sees: World doesn't just look great, it makes the once dusty image of the series a thing of the past.

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With "Dragon Ball FighterZ" Bandai Namco & Arc System Works deliver a fabulous Beat'em Up, which is in no way inferior to its predecessors and will surely rank high in its genre. In addition to a well-balanced mixture of fighting and narrative sequences, the sophisticated game mechanics and the corresponding visuals score particularly well. Thanks to accessible controls, newcomers also have the opportunity to fully enjoy the whole variety of combos and special attacks. Embedded in a nice basic story, "Dragon Ball FighterZ" proves to be an entertaining beating game, which gives soloists as well as gamblers many hours of fun.

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With "Outcast: Second Contact" Appeal presents a polished retro experience, which still captivates with a playful freedom and dares a small excursion into the past. Thanks to the pretty presentation, it's a lot of fun to explore the hub worlds of the planet and exchange ideas with the funny aliens. If you didn't like the title back then, you probably won't like the outdated gameplay mechanics as well as the hacky controls. However, veterans will not be able to escape the charm of the former classic with its entertaining story despite small quirks.

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Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is clearly an appetizer for die-hard fans who want to take on the role of Snake before the release of "The Phantom Pain". Those who are willing to explore the additional side missions in advance, apart from the short main story, will get a nice game package with Ground Zeroes, with which you can have many hours of fun. Newcomers prefer to wait for the main game.

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