Digitec Magazine

“Mario & Luigi: Brothership” takes a while to get going and sometimes suffers from mediocre side missions and unnecessary backtracking. But if you show patience and stick with it, you will be rewarded with one of the best and most beautiful “Mario & Luigi” games to date.

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“Life is Strange: Double Exposure” kept me glued to the screen until the very end. Unfortunately, some small bugs, together some immersion-breaking moments, kept tearing me out of the experience. Still, fans of the series can pick it up without hesitation. But newcomers will also be sufficiently taken in by the new murder mystery.

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Rarely have I been so surprised by a game as I was by “Black Ops 6”. The single-player campaign impresses with varied locations and missions that constantly surprise me with new ideas and gameplay mechanics. By alternating between linear levels and open game areas with lots of freedom, the game offers almost perfect pacing. The quieter espionage and puzzle moments, which are atypical for a “Call of Duty” game, are particularly commendable. After the bombastic single-player campaign, I can hardly wait to get into the multiplayer modes.

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With “Dragon Age: The Veilguard”, Bioware delivers a gripping action role-playing game that is aimed at the masses but doesn't forget its roots.

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“Super Mario Party: Jamboree” is lovingly designed and offers a wide range of activities. The game has brought me incredible amounts of "frustrating fun" – especially with the new Jamboree partners. And that's exactly what I love about Mario Party.

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“Neva” looks and sounds phenomenal. It also has an emotional story that manages without any dialog at all. The gameplay is not revolutionary, but the protagonists control flawlessly. Despite the limited moveset, the game manages to avoid becoming repetitive throughout. The developers at Nomada Studio achieve this through clever changes to the game world and increasingly intelligent enemies. The fact that the game is relatively short also helps. It is just the right length. The developers have improved and expanded the already sensational principle of their first game, “Gris”, in key areas. In short: “Neva” is a must-play.

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While playing Europa, I don't have to worry about much and there's no time pressure. Instead, I sink into this wonderfully picturesque landscape and let myself be enchanted by its visuals and soundtrack. For me, the biggest criticism of “Europa” is that there isn't more of it.

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The remake of “Silent Hill 2” does everything right and leaves me impressed — even without knowing the original game. The game creates a surreal nightmare atmosphere with its storytelling, excellent graphics and unsettling soundscape. The battles against the grotesque creatures are incredibly satisfying, as is solving the tricky puzzles. The fact that the game progresses a little too slowly in places can't dampen my fantastic overall impression.

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Overall, the expansion doesn't do much new, on the contrary. Instead, it gives me the opportunity to immerse myself in the good old days of Bethesda. I finally get a hand-crafted and cohesive game world again, full of activities to lose myself in. If you've missed that Bethesda feeling too, you should definitely give “Shattered Space” a chance - despite annoying performance problems and few exciting new features overall.

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The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom turns the tried and tested Zelda-formula on its head with its magic wand and 'Echo' clones. The daring gameplay experiment works for the most part. It's fun to find new monsters and items and experiment with them — both in combat and when solving puzzles. Every now and then I wish I could take a more active part in the battles. The limited “swordfighter mode” only partially satisfies my appetite. Unfortunately, the otherwise expertly crafted game is somewhat marred by a cumbersome menu navigation and annoying stutters. Despite these shortcomings, fans of the series can look forward to an excellent 2D-spin-off that does a lot of things differently and yet still feels familiar.

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Despite its imperfections, “Ara: History Untold” has already drawn me into the game for several evenings and a total of 21 hours. I enjoy it and, despite all the similarities to “Civilization”, it plays differently. The graphics of “Ara” are really impressive too. The map looks much more real due to the lack of a hexagonal layout. When I scroll in, I can see flocks of birds flying. Houses burn in the suburbs and people run around screaming when enemy troops are in the region. I give the game a few advance praises with four stars and hope that the studio will make some improvements to my points of criticism.

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“The Plucky Squire” is a masterpiece that enchanted me with its creativity and charm. Something that generally only Nintendo can achieve.

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Like its predecessor, Frostpunk 2 is extremely dark and dystopian. If you are looking for a laid-back building strategy game to relax in, you are in the wrong place here. The rays of hope are few and far between, and death and despair are omnipresent. The political components, the exciting story and the decisions whose consequences you have to live with are great. Yes, it lacks the complexity of comparable strategy games. If you are looking for the great depth and complex gameplay mechanics of Anno, you won't find them here. Nevertheless, Frostpunk 2 is a worthy successor. The annoying micromanagement is gone, exploration and politics take up more space, which I appreciate. If you can cope with the dark scenario, you can definitely pick it up. “Frostpunk 2” only just misses out on four stars.

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In Caravan SandWitch, I explore a beautifully broken world with my caravan in search of my missing sister. I upgrade it over time, which allows me to progress further and further. At the beginning, I enjoyed the calm gameplay. However, it quickly became repetitive and felt more like work than fun. Thanks to the great story, however, I stayed with it until the end. If you like relaxing games and short Metroidvanias, I can recommend Caravan SandWitch. Everyone else should keep their hands off it.

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Astro Bot impresses with its ingenious level design, detailed visual presentation and flawless controls. The game lets me feel every step, every jump and every attack with haptic feedback, visual feedback and sound effects. No other game feels so damn satisfying to control. The game is bursting with original ideas in its level design and creative power-ups that deserve their own games. This perfect platformer package is rounded off by a host of guest appearances from well-known gaming legends and levels inspired by iconic PlayStation games. Astro Bot is a love letter to PlayStation history and a must-play for anyone who owns a PS5.

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Like a running meat grinder, I fight my way through everything the Tyranids and Chaos forces throw at me. The gameplay is simple and takes me back to a time when shooters were simpler.

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“Emio – The Smiling Man” is a suspenseful and at times disturbing crime thriller. The last third of the game in particular completely blew my mind and left me sitting in front of the screen with my mouth open. The uneven pacing of the narrative and the somewhat outdated gameplay formula with its trial-and-error approach spoil the excellent overall impression. In terms of audio-visuals, “Emio” is convincing across the board. Beautifully drawn game characters and backgrounds bring the interactive story to life, while the catchy soundtrack provides the ideal background music. I hope we don't have to wait another 30 years for a new detective adventure from Nintendo.

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Visions of Mana plays and looks wonderfully – except for it's stiff character animations. The story is exciting, the battle system offers plenty of variety and the world invites you to explore. Unfortunately, it takes a long time to get there. The story and gameplay suffer from inconsistent pacing. By the time I'm let off the leash, more than half the story is over. For fans of the “Mana” series and Japanese role-playing games in general, “Visions of Mana” is a must-play despite its weaknesses. I still enjoyed my 25 hours or so in the world around the Mana tree. I'm used to Japanese role-playing games always taking a little longer. If you can live with that, I can recommend the game to you.

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New editions of old games are a balancing act: they have to feel like they used to and at the same time they have to meet the demands of modern audiences. Age of Mythology: Retold manages this balancing act spectacularly well. This is exactly what a remaster should feel like.

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"Cat Quest 3" is a harmonious action adventure in a magical world where there is something to experience or discover at every turn. From the first to the last minute, it offers pirate fun.

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