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Sniper Elite 5 is a very successful continuation of the series. Fans will once again be presented with exciting and challenging missions, and newcomers will find a good introduction to the series. Visually, the latest adventure with sniper Karl Fairburne isn't always on point, but the gameplay is all the more accurate. The story is solid, typical WW2 fare, without big surprises or special highlights. The drama could have been turned up a notch here. Especially the ending could have used a bit more tension. There aren't really many visible innovations, but the revised controls and the Killcam stand out, and on the PlayStation 5 there's also DualSense support. Nevertheless, Sniper Elite 5 is a lot of fun and will entertain genre fans well.

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Not much time really passed between the announcement and the release, and there were also few big reports. But numerous trailers and smaller reports about details have increased the anticipation enormously. As a fan of Supermassive's style of storytelling and especially Until Dawn, I was of course very excited and had, to describe it in one word, "high expectations". Right, that's not a word at all, but still it describes it so quite well. The deviation from the rule, from the usual way of doing things. I shouldn't go into the dark cellar, where the strange noises come from - at the latest in the second run-through I literally run down the stairs to see what awaits me there. I had a lot of fun with The Quarry, although I must honestly admit that Until Dawn gripped me more overall. I felt it was creepier and the atmosphere was tighter. Also, you quickly get the impression in The Quarry that it's revealed much earlier what you're up against, there's a bit of a lack of surprise. Still, a lot is done right here, the concept fits, the presentation is coherent and in the end there is still the big reveal and slowly all the evidence we hope to have found makes total sense. Supermassive delivers exactly what you'd expect with The Quarry, on a pretty high level. One person might like one of the storylines from the previous games better, the next might have wanted some sort of new addition. Personally, I say that if they manage to continue to deliver like this, they are welcome to keep up the annual cycle that we've been seeing lately, I would even subscribe. That's why I'm already really looking forward to "The Devil in Me" and until then I'm sure to visit the vacation camp "Hackett's Quarry" again.

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Technically the game is on a high level. The graphics are clean, there is only a slight edge flickering here and there and the texts are sometimes a bit hard to read. The sound is terrific and contributes wonderfully to the scary atmosphere. The immersion is fantastic! You have this oppressive feeling all the time and sometimes it runs down your back. Of course you can't miss Jumpscares, but they are cleverly placed and not too often. The first time you go through the house you need - depending on how anxious you are - about 3 to 5 hours.

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Due to the uncertainty of what you actually do at the beginning of Those Who Remain and what it's all about, everything feels a bit like Twin Peaks at first. But the strong story soon picks up speed and makes sense in the end, which is comforting over the gameplay weaknesses. I give a clear recommendation for fans of the psycho-horror genre.

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Rune Factory 4 Special takes the player into a magical world full of adventure and challenges. If you want to fill your virtual existence with fieldwork and explore the story of Selphia, the game will not disappoint you. The learning process is slow and steady, so that the player is not overwhelmed. When you've had enough of gardening, you swing on an animal and ride through the wilderness, beating up some monsters. The fighting could have been a little more challenging, but Rune Factory 4 Special doesn't want that. The title shines with a mix of simulation and RPG elements. This appeals to people who may not otherwise be involved with JRPGs. The new features are well done, especially the synchronisation is impressive. The developer would have liked to add some more graphic elements. The sprites look partly not well ported. If you feel like a fine mixture of Harvest Moon and JRPG, you will definitely get your money's worth.

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Bravely Default 2 convinces with its gameplay mechanics in all cases. Even though you have to be aware that the difficulty level is already hard as nails on the normal setting. You don't need to have played the predecessors for this spin-off, since the game tells its own story. It takes some time for the story to pick up speed. But once you reach this point, you won't want to turn off the console. If you liked Octopath Traveler, you'll definitely enjoy Bravely Default 2. If you are not a fan of turn-based, lengthy JRPGs, you should reconsider the purchase.

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You can see in Dark Deity that the developers have a great love for classic SRPGs like Fire Emblem. Even if the story and presentation aren't overwhelming, the battle system does a lot right. Starting with the active abilities, which really add something and aren't just a decorative effect. Then there are the different classes, which gave me the opportunity to customize my squad the way I wanted. Finally, to the little things, like the battle animations, which add a lot of charm to the game. In my opinion, if more had been invested in the story presentation in addition, the title could have reached a wide range of players. Thus, Dark Deity remains an insider tip among SRPG fans that can be bought without hesitation.

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It's been a long time since I've been so torn when it came to rating a game. Mario Party Superstars has a lot of good points, such as the different co-op options and the mini-game mountain with a selection of the best games in Mario Party history. But exactly the second argument also brings a disadvantage. With the given number of mini-games, the air is out very quickly. I also find it a shame that you no longer have to unlock the games or boards. This means that the replay value is quickly lost, especially if you have played through all the boards. With the coins won from them, you can still go shopping in the Toadshop, but these things have no relevance in the end. All in all, Mario Party Superstars is a good game if you want to indulge in fond nostalgic memories. As long as you are aware of this fact and don't expect any too important innovations, you will have your fun with the title.

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"Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy has become a really entertaining game. The way the story is presented and experienced is very successful. A good compromise is found between action interludes, exploration and narration, without losing the common thread. Those who appreciate the soundtrack and the humor of the movie will also get their money's worth here, while being brought closer to the original universe from the comics. Basically, Eidos Montréal offers excellent fan service, with enough potential to entertain players who haven't had much to do with the Guardians of the Galaxy yet.

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Super Mario 3D All-Stars shows the young generation what the evolution of Nintendo's mascot has looked like. Starting with an edgy 3D representation with camera problems, up to a wonderfully designed plumber, who is looking for his princess in space. Even nostalgics will enjoy the collection. You may return to your childhood and experience Mario again. You only have to give deductions in the implementation of the games. That in Super Mario 64, no 16:9 aspect ratio was inserted, is a sad fact. Also the price of 60 Euro was chosen very high for a remaster which was not really remastered.  All in all, you will have fun with Super Mario 3D All-Stars, no matter if you accompany Mario on one of his 3D adventures for the first time or if you have already experienced them several times.

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Underhero is a lovingly designed indie title with lots of attention to detail. If you look at the conversations around the colleagues of 745, it is fun to listen to them. It doesn't seem to be a burden to talk to all monsters, no, you want to talk to everybody and get to know the world around the Underhero better. The bouncing passages are the shortcoming of the game. Not only once did the inaccuracy of the jump drive me crazy. But in the end I kept going until I mastered the last jump, even though it took me several years of my life. The fights were a lot of fun. I immediately remembered the Paper Mario parts where dodging and learning the attack patterns was part of survival. If you want to play a mixture of platformer and roleplaying game, spiced with a fun and exciting story, you definitely won't go wrong with Underhero.

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Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is, in a nutshell, a huge collection quest. That should be clear to every buyer. Whether large or small, you will be rewarded with a wonderful game world for your purchase, which you will be reluctant to leave. After a stressful day at work, we are driven to the cuddly world of the game every now and then. Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is a clear recommendation to buy. If you can do without a cartridge, you can also get it for a much lower price in the Nintendo eShop.

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Alvastia Chronicles offers a story with ups and downs, unexpected twists and turns and surprise. You wouldn't expect this title to show that, but I was well entertained throughout. I especially liked the wealth of characters that can be recruited. At every corner of the world, you can find more friends. This feature indirectly forces you to deal with the world. It should be noted that there is no synchronization of the characters, so everything has to be read. Here you have to unpack your English knowledge, because there is no German translation. I also enjoyed the variety of the different characters. If you want to make friends with barrels or trees, this is no problem in Alvastia Chronicles. The fights are well designed throughout, but the random fights are just annoying from a certain point on. It feels like there are just too many in too short a time. A nice side note is that towards the end of the game, you're pretty overleveled, so the end boss shouldn't be a problem. If you're looking for a solid JRPG with collection factor, you'll have a lot of fun with Alvastia Chronicles!

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All in all I like the new season quite well. At the start, I guess we had some problems to keep the servers stable. I had frequent connection problems and opponents that were lying so hard that I couldn't hit them and was dead on the ground the next moment. In fact you can feel an improvement from night to night. There seems to be a lot going on behind the scenes. I finally think Horizon is great again, because I personally didn't like the last newcomers that much. But everyone has to decide that for himself. Since I take a look in every season and play more or less actively, I can say that the seventh season turned out to be so interesting that I will stay on the ball. See you on Olympus!

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Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a homage to the entire series. The background music has always been an essential part of the franchise. That's why I was all the more pleased when this game was announced. The story sections are told in their most essential features, which is good for newcomers, but simply too little for veterans. Also the scope is exhausted relatively quickly and the other modes are nice, but it doesn't have a real added value. The enemy types are also exhausted after a while. The real highlight is and remains the music, because every single track reminded me of the wonderful events around Kingdom Hearts. If you want to remember such moments, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a must buy. If you don't have any nostalgic memories of it, you will have to think twice about buying it.

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Ys IX Monstrum Nox is a role-playing pearl that I wouldn't want to miss. The ninth part also convinced me with its battle system and story. Especially the plot is, in my opinion, the best story of the series. Unexpected twists combined with exciting character relationships have me under their spell. The graphics are, as in the other sequels, unfortunately outdated and could use a beauty treatment. With 20 to 30 hours and six different difficulty levels, you can spend quite some time in Balduq. The New Game Plus mode also invites you to collect forgotten items and explore all the secrets of the prison city. All in all, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a solid JRPG title that you won't regret buying.

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I had an enormous amount of fun with New Pokémon Snap. That's especially because it's so wonderfully decelerating. Just turn on the Switch and dive into the tropical forests for a few hours and look for the perfect picture of Arbok. Since the game concept doesn't overwhelm, even children will have their fun with the title. Of course, it should not be forgotten that the gameplay is very repetitive and almost doesn't change at all from the beginning to the end. It also leaves the bland aftertaste that you only move along predefined routes. All in all, it's a good remake of the original title. If you can get excited about the likes of Animal Crossing, you'll definitely enjoy New Pokémon Snap.

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Paper Mario: The Origami Kingdom is definitely not an everyday RPG. You can argue whether the new combat system is innovative or disruptive. I didn't like the fact that in the end there is no reward for winning battles. The coins earned can be spent in the store for various accessories, but these are soon bought up. That's why the normal fights are disturbing and you try to avoid them later in the game. The absolute highlight remains the setting, because the gorgeous colors and the character sprites are shining like hell. Also the search for the toads is motivating and lets you enjoy the whole game world. Finally, it remains to say that Paper Mario: The Origami Kingdom unfortunately can't hold a candle to its predecessors. The story around Mario and Origami ruler Olly is well done, but the stressful fighting system makes the game fun to play.

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The Exorcist: Legion VR is a wonderfully scary horror adventure that may not be suitable for the more sensitive. The graphics are unequalled in the PSVR sector and the atmosphere draws the player deep into the action. Unfortunately the whole thing is a bit too short and offers hardly any replay value.

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Even seven years after its release Torchlight II still knows how to please, the game has aged well. The typical loot system works wonderfully on the home consoles. The porting is successful except for the equipment area. The story cannot convince one hundred percent with the few twists and surprises, but it doesn't have to. Since the story is finished after a good twenty hours, in the end game you only concentrate on the optimal equipment anyway. Torchlight II can still be played today, as long as you don't have elaborate textures or detailed graphics.

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