Gamer's Palace

Ary and the Secret of Seasons is a game to love - its dungeons have deserved a prize. I never had so much fun with puzzles in videogame dungeons. The semi-open world, however, seems unfinished in comparison, which costs a lot of the charm.

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The central roguelite mechanic of the game is the weakest one and most frustrating - when you turn it off, Windbound is an enjoyable experience that's just held back by technical flaws. The story, however, partly makes up for that and Windbound has moments with the most remarking atmosphere.

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I think that Pokémon was on the throne for too long. Nexomon Extinction does a lot of great things and nearly catches the crown from Pokémon. The variety of monsters are great, the characters are diverse - perfect! Some technical hiccups and the world which isn't as vibrant as it seems hold it back just a bit too much.

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Drake Hollow is a fantastic game that makes you spend hours and hours in your hollow. The Molasses Flood have created one of the best games of 2020 so far.

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Jessika and I have been in a long relationship and I'm enjoying every second of it. Very often, the game made me angry - but just because of the great story that depicts reality.

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Best Friend Forever has a lot of great aspects but it didn't end up as the game I expected. It's more care for the pets than for love. Also, there are bugs and technical hiccups that should have been fixed before launch.

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Road to Guangdong left me impressed with its atmosphere and the family story told - while its gameplay never gets boring but remains rather shallow. The game is a good choice for an evening of relaxing and atmospheric entertainment but doesn't have enough fuel for the longer term.

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Kandagawa Jet Girls is a bit like a playable anime: It's enjoyable and delivers surprisingly many insights into Japanese culture. As a game, it's very light and, above all, very easy.

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I liked the anime very much but the game hardly reminds me of the feeling and atmosphere of said anime. The battles are the highlight of the game but overall it belongs more into the Nintendo DS era than on the Nintendo Switch.

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Spiritfarer is a relaxing game that invited me on a journey to meet myself.

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Thanks to Godhood, my new favourite from Abbey Games, I want to quit my job and become head of the Gamer's Palace religion.

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Popup Dungeon tends to put players' creations in the focus - and it really prospers from that. Without them, it would merely be a mediocre dungeon crawler - nothing spectacular. But with Donatello (yes, from the Ninja Turtles), Donald Trump (yes, the President) and Zarya (yes, from Overwatch) in a team, I just had the biggest fun. Popup Dungeons brings a solid game, great developers tools and all that in a neat package. I hope there'll be a huge community!

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Necronator: Dead Wrong hasn't evolved as much as I would like it to. Mirabella's deck is much more balanced and useful than the other protagonist's, and at times, the game unfolds its full potential here. There's a lot of things to be frustrated at still and fairness isn't always a thing. Necronator shows typical weaknesses of procedurally generated games and also the technical issues haven't been fixed completely. It's fun again and again, but also the frustration comes back.

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With all bugs fixed, West of Dead could be a frustratingly motivating game for fans of the genre and procedurally generated games.

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Tiny Racer is a nice little game to play now and then. It's fun, hard, a little bit frustrating from times to times but still fair. There are some technical issues and the courses are rather flat. The focus of the game is the fun to steer a toy car - apart from that, there's not too many great things about the game. All in all, the name says it all.

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Ghost of Tsushima is an platform exclusive like it should be and it reminds me why I'm still a PlayStation child at heart. It depicts a wonderful world with deep variety, detail and atmosphere, tells a lot of stories that never disappoint in quality and has a complex gameplay that seems polished and made with a lot of love. Even with a few flaws regarding bugs and some repetitive elements, Sucker Punch have proven that they've been so ready for something new!

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Fairy Tail is a well done adaption of the manga but mainly for lovers of the same. As a new player in the universe, the story of the game seems confusing and isn't coherent. And while the characters are depicted well, it's hard to get attached to them in any way. Also, gameplay is rather flat and slow - except for the battles which are a real delight! Fairy Tail is the first JRPG in which I actually enjoyed fighting more than the story. So overall, I recommend it but mainly for fans of the franchise.

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I love the characters of Tales of Berseria - they're fresh and funny although they hardly develop. What I like less: The world that is dull and lifeless, the story that doesn't leave any room for side quests, and the overall technical representation of the game. It just seems to be older than it is. Even the main story loses its goal and seems to be stretched far too much. I love to continue the journey with the characters and to laugh with them - but there's not much more to Tales of Berseria that really convinces me.

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Paws and Soul starts off with a big promise but doesn't really delivery it: There aren't that many secrets to unfold in the world and the story is, while being told solidly, really predictable and not exciting. The worlds are wonderful, yet the meditative experience is being thrown back by a nice, yet repetitive soundtrack. Some flaws in controls and gameplay also make the experience less enjoyable.

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I loved the original and might be a little bit biased - but Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral town is my Game of the Year 2020 so far. It doesn't only bring me back to my childhood but even lets me look at it from a new, modernised perspective. It shows me how you make a good remake. And yeah, the concept isn't new, but the message of the game still great. Also, there's no better time than the current to publish a peaceful game like this. I'm in love with the game and the Story of Seasons franchise!

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