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It took me about 20 hours to play through Skul: The Hero Slayer for the first time. That's unusual for a roguelike title, but it was all the more satisfying when I got to see the credits roll. The little skeleton captivated me more than I thought it would. Even if the story is only secondary, the concept with the different classes was convincing. Since the gameplay is always different, there is no boredom. However, once you've reached the point where you've explored the most, the urge to explore naturally subsides. On the whole, however, the game offers enough to provide many hours of fun and motivation. If you're looking for a roguelike title with cool new features, Skul: The Hero Slayer will certainly not disappoint.

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The Sims 4 is a very complex game. This shouldn't be surprising, the series is known for it and the various possibilities in character creation alone more than indicate this. In the course of more than seventeen years a lot has changed, the AI is quite good and the possibilities, as said before, enormously diverse. Like in real life there are many connections to consider. If the player creates a lazy Sim, he shouldn't be surprised if he loses his job after three days. If the Sim is phobic about commitment, it will be difficult to start a family. After a certain settling-in period, not least because of the controls, the Sims are quite entertaining. The player can determine the characters and their actions himself and realize his fantasies in the game. Something to fight the Sims games always have with the extreme extent of the predecessors by numerous published extensions. For example, if you have played The Sims 3 with some expansions, you will miss some things in The Sims 4, although the basic game The Sims 4 itself offers things that were not available in The Sims 3. Nevertheless The Sims 3 was in some respects a bit more extensive and well thought out. But for newcomers Die Sims 4 offers a successful entry into the series, especially on consoles. The one or the other consolero might be overwhelmed by the numerous menus (in the beginning). But don't be put off, that's the motto here.

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Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore provides solid JRPG performance. The story is exciting until the end. The crisp difficulty level remains challenging, but never unfair. I could really let myself fall during my several hours of travel in colorful Tokyo. This is also due to the fact that the parallel worlds were thematically wonderfully designed. Unfortunately, you can see that the ravages of time gnawed at the title. The graphics were not changed in the Encore version. There is also only a Japanese voice output. At least an English voice over could have been implemented here. JRPG fans will love Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore. Even people who have played the game before should consider buying it again thanks to the new dungeons, story missions and costumes.

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You can already hear out that Harvest Moon: New World is simply not good. That wouldn't be so bad if the video game wasn't really bad. It has little in common with Harvest Moon. Even if you leave out the famous name, you're left with an overly expensive game that does little to nothing to engage. You could possibly put small children in front of Harvest Moon: A World, but since the voice output is missing, even this target group will get bored at some point. At least it is enough to walk around with the analog stick and press "A". After all, the correct action is always performed. I just couldn't get anything out of the game. You can turn off the music and listen to your favorite music, but even then the gameplay is not convincing. A full price title should deliver much more. Even for 9,99€ I would be cautious to buy Harvest Moon: One World. All other games in this genre are better and cheaper.

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Those who know the Silent Hills demo P.T. from summer 2014 will quickly feel at home. The hallway of Mark's house is confusingly similar to the one in P.T., and from now on you have to get through the door at the end of the hallway by triggering events or solving puzzles. Unfortunately, Evil Inside doesn't manage to join the ranks of the above-mentioned successful genre representatives. It is too uninspired and predictable for that. The only good thing about the game is that it is over quickly.

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Follia - Dear Father is a stealth horror survival adventure with strong borrowings from Outlast - only without a video camera. But what worked great in the past doesn't really work here. A lot of "trial and error", little content.

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Despite mediocre graphics, Maid Of Sker makes the player shiver, especially because of the successful sound effects. The boring gameplay, on the other hand, doesn't really motivate to play a second round.

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WWE 2K Battlegrounds is really fun at the beginning, but it flattens out quite fast. The grind is potentially fierce and the bugs are getting on my nerves. What disturbed me most in the gameplay are the much too heavy counters and the exploiting of the taunts. The second big point of criticism is the constant pushing of buying opportunities using real money. This might be justifiable for an F2P title, but I find it almost impertinent to be so aggressive.

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Heroland has good approaches, but does not implement them optimally. The story around Lucky as a leisure guide is successful and has fun moments. But the highlight is definitely the cuddly cardboard graphics. The lack of freedom while playing was especially annoying. Be it in the dungeon where you just jump from one field to the next, or the amusement park with its eight key places. Also in the area of character development one could have come up with something more. The fights in the dungeon itself, were good from the basic idea. I think this mixture of AI based attacks with Coach System is not bad. Here the importance of Lucky's intervention should have been more in the foreground.

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GRID Legends has its moments, and I was always able to get excited for short sessions, but I was never really captivated. Overall, you can play the game and it's fun for a limited time, but at a time when you can even get Forza Horizon 5 on Xbox with Game Pass, I don't know why I should spend my money with Codemasters/EA. The racing game doesn't offer enough for that and what is shown seems "outdated".

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Paper Dolls offers average horror adventure fare at a decent technical level.

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STAY is designed in a retro pixel look - you may like it or not. The German text output is flawless and the background music was never annoying at any time. If it weren't for the unfair puzzles and reset points, STAY would be a lot more satisfying - especially since the topic of depression is praiseworthily and carefully brought closer to the player.

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The game knows how to inspire, but it wasn't a full-length title for me personally. That means that after an hour I already felt like playing something else. Then again, I was looking forward to the next session of PixelJunk Raiders. If you're not sure, you should definitely check out the gameplay before buying. For me, the game definitely remains on the active list and will be played regularly.

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After a good 50 hours of leveling and grinding and unlocking the secret level, I have classified Minecraft Dungeons as completed until the first DLC. I have a perfect build, though not maximum power level and no challenge is a problem. Still, it must be said that, in my case, the equivalent of about 40 cents per hour of play is a pretty good figure. I am looking forward to the DLCs and the general further development. All in all, the release version of Minecraft Dungeons is very well done. I only had a few problems, although one bug was extremely annoying and made my build unplayable in a few missions. Minecraft Dungeons has unbelievable potential, but of course the developer has to decide to invest some time in it. Two DLCs have been confirmed and we'll see what else is coming.

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Personally, Miitopia was a lot of fun and I still spend a lot of time wandering through the game world after the test. However, those who have already played the version on the 3DS might be put off by the high purchase price, especially since not much has really changed. In any case, I've found that you either love and celebrate Miitopia or hate it. There is no middle ground imho. The video game is fun in any case, and it doesn't eat through the battery as much as, say, Zelda: BOTW. In any case, take a look at some gameplay before buying. If you get involved in the adventure, you'll have fun and entertainment in any case.

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All in all Level-5 has created a solid game that will find and keep its fans in the West. The partly short missions are good for short sessions, but you also like to sit at the switch for a longer time to hunt in Snack World. In TV mode, the Grinder was much more fun for us than mobile. This is certainly due to the camera being too rigid. This is our point of criticism for "Numero Uno" and has often caused freaks, because you can't focus your opponents properly. Apart from that, the full-price title is a lot of fun and shines especially in multiplayer with friends. Especially positive is the fact that there were no lags or aborts online. As friends of Amiibo, it's a pity that support has been completely removed. The expensive NFC collectibles are simply not being used enough!

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Playing Mario Strikers: Battle League Football is a lot of fun, especially with a group of friends, but the lack of worthwhile progression or unlockable content severely hurts its longevity/replayability. Unfortunately, the initial euphoria fades too quickly. Those who have been craving a new Mario Strikers game will likely accumulate a lot of playtime. All other buyers might as well look for a new game again quickly.

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Watch Dogs: Legion offers many missions, activities, side jobs and customization options. Grinders will certainly get their money's worth, even if it is quite monotonous. But for a lot of gamers in front of their screens this might not be enough to justify the purchase at or near the release. Watch Dogs could have been or rather should have been much better, especially since it will be released in a year or quarter when real hits like Cyberpunk 2077 and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla will be released. Personally, I call myself a Ubisoft fanboy, because I play and enjoy almost all the big games of the publisher. Also Watch Dogs: Legion is one of them and is my current choice for a chilly evening or afternoon, even a longer session. I like to grind and drive and fly all tech points and other collectable items. But the concept does not work for the general public. For this reason, the game objectively scores relatively poor. There would have been much more in it.

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Let's not beat about the bush: The Sims 4: Realm of Magic is a solid gameplay pack. I will certainly spend many pleasant hours with it. Nevertheless I would have expected much more from the world "Glimmerbrook" for example. Somehow I didn't find the whole town thoughtfully and lovelessly designed. The realm of magic was completely different. It's a pity, though, that the realm is not really meant for living, since there are neither beds nor a possibility to make something to eat. Unfortunately I felt a bit like cheating while playing with my mage. Brewing a need potion was a bit too easy for me and was, in my opinion, also granted to me much too fast. Also the fact that you only need one apple for this does not make things much more difficult. Nevertheless I have a lot of fun with learning all the spells and potions. I have waited far too long for the pack to not be happy about it now.

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Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light presents in a classic way how the famous hero Marth grows from a little prince to a shining hero. But the path is long and arduous, and not only for him. When playing this spin-off of the series, you have to be aware that you'll have to do without certain features. No battle prediction or fade-in movement radius. But instead, a certain thrill kept coming up for me during the game, which I miss in modern games. But if you get into the gameplay, you'll experience a captivating story. An absolute must for veterans of the series, but newcomers should perhaps go for a newer part with more beginner-friendly features.

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