Digitec Magazine

High on Life 2 improves on everything from its predecessor. The game skillfully combines clever satire with surreal, meta-humor and numerous pop culture references. Gameplay, story and jokes are tightly intertwined, creating a unique and incredibly funny symbiosis. The game offers enough ideas for a dozen titles. The mission design is full of variety, and the gunplay has received a significant upgrade. Particularly noteworthy are the brilliant skateboard mechanics, which shake up both the level design and the shooter gameplay. Unfortunately, poor technical implementation and visual issues accompany this otherwise thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi package.

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Reanimal's cinematic camera work, outstanding sound design, and varied set pieces pull me into a suffocating world steeped in horror. From a gameplay perspective, however, the experience falls short of its potential. Trying to equally accommodate both single-player and co-op seems to limit creative freedom. There’s a noticeable lack of ambition when it comes to meaningfully evolving the established formula or experimenting with new ideas.

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Romeo is a Dead Man is an average action brawler with noticeable technical shortcomings. However, its artistic vision deserves the highest praise. Trashy dialogue, outrageous cutscenes, and wild pop-culture references make the game feel truly unique.

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Mario Tennis Fever gets a lot right and offers a solid amount of content, even if many of its single-player modes are on the easy side. The game truly shines in multiplayer. The tennis gameplay is fast-paced, and the controls feel intuitive and reliable. The wild “Fever” rackets expand the core mechanics with devastating special attacks. The system works well, even though doubles matches can sometimes descend into excessive chaos. Visually, Mario Tennis Fever shows major improvements over its predecessor, with the exception of the rather dull environments in Adventure Mode.

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I’m a bit annoyed at our 5-point scoring system right now. Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a classic 7/10 kind of game. The foundation is solid, the story is gripping, and the amount of side content is generous. But what good are 100 side quests if 90% of them are painfully boring? Why isn’t Okinawa used to its full potential? And why does Dark Ties feel more focused on Kanda than on Mine? In the end, that leaves a slight sense of disappointment — and the question of whether RGG Studios can find their footing again. I really hope they do.

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Clunky controls, gameplay that feels more punishing than rewarding, and technical issues keep me from experiencing the “breathtakingly beautiful journey” the game promises. Nova Antarctica is simply a complete miss.

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Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is the definitive version of a classic, proving that bloated JRPG epics can benefit from intelligent streamlining. The developers have managed to preserve the heart of the original while shedding unnecessary baggage and eliminating the weaknesses of the PS1 title.

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With its unique mechanics, "Code Vein 2" takes a refreshing approach compared to other games in the genre. The combat system is far more accessible thanks to AI-controlled companions. Enemies are tough but fair, though an occasionally frustrating camera can sour the experience. The flexible, modular progression system is a highlight, letting you swap abilities at any time and experiment freely without worrying about long-term build planning. The open world impresses with secrets, interconnected dungeons, and brutal challenges. It’s just a shame that the strong anime art style is held back by technical issues, including stuttering and performance hiccups.

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"Perfect Tides: Station to Station" is not a game that overwhelms me. It accompanies me. It challenges my patience, my compassion and my willingness to think in small steps. This story of an uncertain year is told in cautious pixels and whispering sounds. It is a quiet, honest look at growing up. Those who engage with it will experience a game that is not spectacular, but deeply moving.

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Those who enjoy bringing order to apparent chaos will find many satisfying moments here. "Craftlings" is not a loud spectacle, but a cleverly constructed, charming strategy game that rewards patience, observation skills, and a willingness to experiment.

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MIO: Memories in Orbit is an impressive Metroidvania that stands out above all for its breathtaking hand-drawn graphic style and innovative movement system.

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The story of little Isaac and his family is sweetly told, and the mystical atmosphere and unusual perspective draw me into the action. However, the controls on the Nintendo Switch 2 are disappointing. While the PC version tracks my eyes and face, I have to do everything with the Joycons here.

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After many hours spent playing "Pioneers of Pagonia", one thing stands out above all else: the tranquility of a game that draws its excitement not from spectacle, but from the quality of its growth. The settlement develops steadily, layer by layer, until a few pioneers give rise to a finely interlocking network of paths, workshops, and flows of goods. Long-term motivation comes primarily from your own planning. Those who enjoy fine-tuning production chains, optimizing paths, or rethinking village structures will find a constant challenge in "Pagonia".

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If you like the "Octopath Traveler" series, you'll enjoy "Octopath Traveler 0". It sheds light on the history of the world of Orsterra and offers a strong combat system as usual. However, after a great start, the narrative loses momentum and the city-building system fails to reach its full potential.

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I was excited about “Routine” and prepared myself for the usual space horror experience. The somber atmosphere is unfortunately the only positive aspect of the game. The immersive handling of the terminals and my C.A.T. assistance tool quickly loses its appeal. What remains is an environment that I have to traverse dozens of times before I find the right detail to move forward. If the interaction options were better highlighted and the game were more intuitive to control, “Routine” would be a nice little horror treat. As it is, it’s thoroughly undercooked.

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The core of "Metroid Prime 4: Beyond" is impressive. It feels great to explore the maze-like levels, unlock upgrades, and slowly discover new areas of the world. The art design and soundtrack are awesome. The open desert area, which I explore on a motorcycle, is a perfect contrast to traditional "Metroid" gameplay. It's a shame that the game doesn't make more use of Samus' telekinetic abilities, though. The new characters are disappointing. They annoy me with unnecessary explanations or corny Marvel-like banter. I would also have liked a higher level of difficulty. These criticisms are likely to bother veteran "Metroid" players in particular. Despite its shortcomings, "Metroid Prime 4: Beyond" provides one of the best reasons to buy a Switch 2. The game ticks off virtually all of the console's technical features and delivers an extremely sharp (4K) or extremely smooth (120 FPS) gaming experience. The mouse control is particularly impressive – it fundamentally changes the way I interact with the game.

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“Dispatch” knows exactly what it wants to be: a narrative management game with emotional precision, carried by strong characters and a main character who, for once, is not defined by superpowers, but by self-doubt and responsibility.

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According to Activision, Black Ops 7 is the “biggest Black Ops ever.” That may be true. But unfortunately, this monstrous package feels like a soulless, cobbled-together package with no direction or identity. The campaign disappoints with repetitive gameplay and unnecessary technical hurdles for solo players. The confusing story feels like an AI fever dream that throws all kinds of generic monsters into an incoherent mess. The final “endgame” chapter can't keep me glued to the controller for long with its boring missions. Fortunately, multiplayer and Zombies are well done, with a huge selection of maps, excellent controls, new upgrades, cool gadgets, and a wealth of content at launch.

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Kirby Air Riders is perhaps the most chaotic game I have ever played. The racing game stands out thanks to its minimalist controls, which force me to rethink my approach. The races on the crazy tracks are ultra-fast and addictive – even in the cute Top Ride mode with its bird's-eye view. The heart of the game, City Trial, is chaos in perfection. It's incredibly fun to collect power-ups and knock out opponents on the open battlefield. The feeling of having assembled an extremely powerful machine that I can barely control is priceless. The approach of doing away with annoying live service rubbish is commendable. The downside of this decision is that in some modes, I would like to see more content that will never materialize.

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Football Manager 26 was supposed to be a major reboot: new technical foundation, revamped match engine, modernized interface. What I experience in practice is a game that hardly delivers on its promises and feels like a clear step backward in everyday use.

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