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The train of Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV has reached its final destination with flying colors. A thunderous applause can be heard and the guests can leave the train confident and satisfied. The same was my feeling when I finished the final epic. The series has accompanied me for many hours and I wouldn't want to miss any of them. Also the end was not the actual end. If you really want to know everything, you have to make certain decisions that I don't want to go into here, but it's worth it in any case. Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is the perfect end of the series. A thrilling story right to the end, forces every RPG lover to play the game to the end, even if it can take up to 100 hours. The sound is well done and makes fun to listen to. Especially the variety of different sounds made me add the tracks to my spotifylist. The only downer remains the look. The look has improved over the last seven years for the series itself, but is still not state of the art. I also really liked the combat system with the new features like Auto Battle or the huge Mechs that can be summoned. Everyone who played the series until the third part is forced to finish the final part. If you have never played an offshoot, you will have a hard time finding your way into the game. While it's not a bad idea to rework the story so far, it doesn't replace playing the series.

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In short, Immortals Fenyx Rising is my game of the year 2020, it has everything that a good game has to have in my world. A setting which is fascinating and beautiful at the same time. The huge world just screams "Explore me, experience me", and I followed this scream with skin and hair. I found myself swinging onto my blue horse and just riding around in the area, simply because I liked the surroundings so much. The urge to explore is satisfied throughout the whole game and leaves nothing to be desired. If you want to do dungeons, no problem. If you want to improve the health bar of Fenyx, well, then you just have to look for it. You can invest more than a hundred hours in the game without getting really bored. The only thing that disturbed me was the funny slapstick humor that is present throughout the game. If you have a preference for Open World titles and can relate to Greek mythology, the title is a must buy. If you want to dive into the genre for the first time, the title is a must buy. If you want to make your dearest (gambling) person happy for the upcoming Christmas, then Immortals Fenyx Rising is a compulsory purchase.

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Splatoon 3 lives up to its hype, although I was disappointed by the boss fights in the campaign. These were crisper and more challenging in the predecessors. Nevertheless, the color shooter is a really good video game. There is a lot to discover, not too much backtracking and actually everything that gamers have wished for. "Love it or leave it, there's nothing in between" describes Bayonetta very aptly for me. Newcomers should have completed the first two parts beforehand or at least watched a summary on YouTube. Otherwise, the mood will certainly not really come up, because you will not understand the relationship of the characters. However, if you don't care about that and want great-looking action, you can jump right into Bayonetta 3 and have a lot of fun. The fights are fast and look great. The story is okay, but actually seemed a bit beside the point. The "multiverse" theme should hardly be a surprise for anyone in the video game scene, but it offers Bayonetta a lot of freedom and even great locations for carnage. Except for the performance and slight problems with the camera, which cost me a healing potion in some places, Bayonetta 3 is a successful title and a worthy successor to a game series that has thrilled fans for years. In addition, the video game is suitable for both beginners and veterans, which makes it even more attractive.

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Yes, Resident Evil 3 came out relatively quickly after Resident Evil 2 and yes, it was certainly recycled a bit. But that's not tragic either, because why should an Umbrella transport crate or chemical container look different than in Resident Evil 2, or should vehicles and equipment be designed differently, that would be unnecessary. So here you can already guess that this has saved a lot of time. Only in the design of the zombies a little more variety would have been desirable. Nevertheless, Capcom has nothing to reproach itself technically, neither visually nor acoustically. A little more puzzles and a little more playing time, yes that would have been fine. Nevertheless, the remake of Resident Evil 3 is a successful title that we can not only recommend to fans of the series. We had a lot of fun in Raccoon City!

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What should one think of Tropico 6? What can it do and what can it possibly not do? From my personal point of view, Limbic Entertainment delivered a great game on their Tropico debut. Graphically, it is a treat thanks to the Unreal Engine. Untypical for the genre it is possible to rotate the camera completely free, tilt it and zoom extremely close. The sound and the background music are also very nice. The processes under the hood are logical and, unlike in the beta, not very faulty or comprehensible for the player. The merchandise system and the production chains are obvious and conclusive even for beginners. Nevertheless, despite the very good tutorial, there will be a lot of learning and frustration for newcomers to the series or even genre. The wealth of buildings, as well as the dictatorial and diplomatic possibilities are immense. This mass can be quite overwhelming for one or the other. But since Penúltimo and the other characters present the whole thing with a lot of humor, the fun is at least for me not lost at any time. Especially in the later course of the game it gets confusing very quickly due to the large number of participants (superpowers and factions). I personally have to take a break more often and sort the events for me. But this does not harm the game. A big weak point is the character creation, if you followed the review carefully you will notice that it wasn't mentioned before. And not without reason, it is simply unimaginative and boring, almost boring. This was always one of the biggest strengths in the previous reviews. Here Limbic was just sleeping, maybe they also ran out of time. Except for the small weaknesses in road building and the wasted potential in character creation and palace adaptation, Tropico 6 is a typical Tropico. Very simple thing. A class (Tropico) debut of the Hessians. For my part, I will now go back to the Caribbean in my mind. ¡Nos vemos!

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Devil May Cry 5 is a successful sequel and will make series fans happy. The campaign offers some 15 to 20 hours of decent action and good (superficial) entertainment, on a decent level that is usual for the series. In addition, there are again a lot of secret missions, challenges and (for fans) a given replay value. Technically without flaws and presentable you can say - so far everything done right! A little more plot and especially more narrative content in the cutscenes wouldn't have hurt anyway. A more varied mission design would have been desirable. Nevertheless fans will say: It rocks, it bucks - is gambled to the drop!

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Not much negative has been noticed. In the game there is only one collectible in the memories. Unfortunately, these small works of art only minimally awaken the discovery value of remote places, so you don't always want to deviate from the main path. Sometimes the controls get a little stuck and the camera perspective is not always an advantage, because some distances to be crossed are not easy to estimate and more often you fall into (deadly) darkness. So you often start again from a memory point. But these are set very fair. Frustrating moments did not occur. Since there is also the possibility of local co-op mode, I will definitely play it again. The two of you will take this emotional journey once again and enjoy the story to the fullest. One player controls the man and the other manipulates time. So you have to trust and coordinate with each other. A certainly beautiful, but also challenging journey. With Arise: A simple story you get for 19,99 € an atmospheric game, which becomes a real surprise with an emotional story, exciting gameplay and loving details.

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Once again Quantic Dream has succeeded in delivering a gripping story and integrating it into a great interactive film framework. Even after years the presentation is still in the absolute top class, thanks to the great adaptations even on the PlayStation 4. This gaming experience is not only for fans of Heavy Rain a clear recommendation worth. There is nothing more to say about it.

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As a fan of Bayonetta I was very much looking forward to the release of both available parts for the Nintendo Switch. Even though the touchscreen controls won't knock anyone's socks off, you can tell that the developer has really thought about his software instead of just releasing a clumsy port for the switch, which unfortunately happens very often. The gameplay is simple, but the variety of combos is hard to master. It takes a little bit of experience to be able to react accordingly in every situation. But this is exactly what makes games of this genre. The passionate gamer with a penchant for brute action can't get past Bayonetta 2. To complete the gaming experience, Nintendo offers a fair deal for the bundle of both parts. So I recommend to every prospective customer to quit Bayonetta and then enter Bayonetta 2. Because of the co-op mode, you can always find a player online and have a lot of fun if the playing time is short. Finally, the ambitious collector of the much too expensive Amiibo can use it to good effect. Finally there is a good game that gives you an advantage, but is not too unfair to players who don't own any or only a few of the NFC figures. The whole package is a success and we can make a very clear recommendation to buy with a good knowledge and conscience!

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Yakuza: Like a Dragon has made the leap into the RPG genre with flying colors. The story is kept exciting and you can't stop following Ichiban's vendetta. The abundance of side tasks can be a bit overwhelming for the player at the beginning. But once you have played the game for a few hours, you know the most important points in the city. Time passes very quickly when playing darts or karting. By no means you need to believe that these actions are a waste of time. You get personality points which finally strengthen the fighting actions. The fights bring a breath of fresh air to the row and put a smile on the players' faces. Through the different creative classes you attack the opponents with pigeons or wrestling moves instead of casting disdainful fireballs. Unfortunately, the invisible AoE range of abilities spoils the fun of the game. Also the unusually long races until a comrade reaches the enemy seem strange. A timeline showing the next actors would have been helpful too. If you like the Yakuza series and are open for new things, you definitely have to go for Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

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Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is the perfect entry into the gaming year 2021! The story follows directly after its predecessor. Despite the fact that the game takes place three years after the first part, you don't necessarily need to know anything about it. The story leads the player by the hand and doesn't leave him alone. The alchemy is as good as usual and the battle system is fun. Fast and crisp fights on three different difficulty levels invite you to enjoy the gameplay. Perhaps the only downer is that larger areas can take longer to load. Also, the fact that the audio output is only in the original Japanese version might deter some people. If you have played the first part, you will probably not miss this part of the series.

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Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is an excellent collection that offers both tried-and-true and new content. If you played Super Mario 3D World back on the Wii U, you might have a hard time buying it. There are new features, but they are marginal. However, considering that Bowser's Fury is also included in this bundle, you probably won't be able to keep your hands off it if you're a Super Mario fan. Even though this part is only eight hours long, you'll be well entertained throughout the entire game. The open world characteristic is fun and I hope that the next installment will also have a completely open world.

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Scarlet Nexus is, simply put, an awesome game! An exciting story, two different perspectives, fun gameplay and different powers. I haven't played a JRPG that was this much fun in a long time. Of course, I can't neglect the negative aspects either. I would have liked to have an open world. A world where I can travel with Kasane different villages and cities and understand the story around the world better. Also, the cutscenes and the presentation are often very halting, which worsens the storyline by quite a bit. All in all, if you like JRPGs with hack and slash elements, you'll enjoy it. I also think that Scarlet Nexus could be a hot candidate for game of the year!

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Samurai Warriors 5 is the best title in the Warriors universe! I have been playing the Warriors parts since Dynasty Warriors 3 and have experienced many lows and highs. But this title has so much to offer. An exciting battle system with different weapons that can be completely customized. The story, which is very close to reality. Admittedly, not everyone will like the story around Nobunaga Oda and Mutsuhide Akechi, but if you get involved, you will get to know an important part of the 15th century in Japan. Newcomers to the Warriors series will get a wonderful introduction to the franchise. Veterans will get plenty to do thanks to the different modes to keep the game fun for as long as possible. Now it's just a matter of going into battle and helping Nobunaga Oda unify old Japan once and for all!

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Splatoon 3 lives up to its hype, although I was disappointed by the boss fights in the campaign. These were crisper and more challenging in the predecessors. Nevertheless, the color shooter is a really good video game. There is a lot to discover, not too much backtracking and actually everything that gamers have wished for. The third part of the series is suitable for veterans and newcomers alike, and Nintendo has incorporated important improvements in many places. Only the unstable matchmaking is extremely annoying. I also wonder how you can still have such problems in 2022 that so many games simply break off. Why hasn't Nintendo learned anything with Splatoon 1 and 2 and Mario Kart and makes the same mistakes again with every multiplay release? You don't know, but Splatoon 3 is so much fun that you only get annoyed for a short time, restart the console if necessary, and then immediately log back in for the next match. The innovation in Splatfest has not occurred to me personally. Instead of two teams, three teams now fight each other from time to time. So you don't always end up in three-team fights, but rather rarely and with patch 1.1.1 even less likely. So why was such an innovation introduced at all, if I as a player hardly ever get to see it? Even at the world premiere before the release, I had just three such fights in six hours. All in all, Splatoon 3 is a must-buy for Switch players and a AAA title that is worth the money.

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Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is an indie gem. The exciting look á la Paper Mario and the mature combat system, you will have fun playing the game throughout. You can also see the difficulty level. Quite early you get a coin where you can activate the hard mode. If the normal level of difficulty is not enough, you can safely choose the hard mode. By the adaptation with the coin, the modes can be easily switched on and off. If you want to shorten the wait for the new Paper Mario, you can confidently use this excellent title.

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As a long-time One Piece fan, I am thrilled with One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4. The story goes all the way to Big Mom Arc and in just under 20 hours you get the main points of the story. The fighting system remains true to a Musou game. You fight your way through a level with a pirate of your choice and defeat several thousand enemies. The special abilities available to you are the graphic highlight. Each character has four attacks typical for the series. Also the innovation with the shield bars and the giant enemies brings fresh wind into the series. Unfortunately, the biggest criticism is the long waiting time for the loading screens. This aspect takes so much dynamic out of the game that it sometimes seems frustrating. Also the level of difficulty is not really demanding. At the highest of the three levels, there are isolated sections where you have to take more care. All in all One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 is the best part of the series. If you have fun in the One Piece universe and own a console or PC, the title is an absolute must buy.

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For fans of the Yakuza series, Judgment is a must-have title. Those new to the genre can also slip into the role of detective Takayuki Yagami without any prior knowledge. The story develops great and is complemented quite well by the side missions. On the other hand, the title doesn't miss any action and even brawl fans will get their money's worth. Some activities are weird, crazy, strange or just entertaining. In any case, Judgment is fun. The drone races are unlocked relatively late, but then they are a great change from the daily routine as a martial arts detective. On Google Stadia, I liked the game even a bit better than on the initial release in 2019 on PlayStation 4, since the loading times are shorter and the game flow is more pleasant. Overall, you have so much to do that buying Judgment is worth it in any case. The potential playtime is quite high. I have just under 50 hours on Stadia now and am far from "done". In addition to the brilliant main story, Judgment offers almost endless content to keep buyers busy. Personally, I'm already looking forward to sequel "Lost Judgment" and will also play this one for many hours.

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Gear.Club Unlimited is a clear recommendation to buy. Despite one or two weaknesses I could not get off the screen during the test and had to take forced breaks over Amazon's Alexa. More engine power here, a different color there or simply expand and rebuild the workshop. The game profits from the fast loaded and short races. So you don't even have to plan 20 minutes to get ahead in any case. The game experience is completed by the online league, where you can compete against Ghosts real opponents and get on the podium.

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The Inner Friend is (on the PS4) not a graphics bomb. It is also not the new gameplay revelation. Instead it is a story monster. Less of a horror-, but more of a psycho trip. Mindfuck at its best!

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