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FINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice Chronicles is not a new game, but a lovingly crafted re-release of a milestone in tactical RPG history. With numerous improvements and convenience features, you no longer need to be nostalgic to enjoy the origins of the Final Fantasy sub-series. The story has lost none of its power, and the gameplay still impresses with its depth and sophistication. The visual improvements look good, but are subtle enough not to change the style. Nevertheless, it must be said that, despite all the changes, the gameplay still has certain quirks that you have to like. For me personally, it is less accessible than other tactical games, as too many small details can have unpredictable consequences. Connoisseurs will find their way around immediately, and newcomers will find a gentler introduction to this tactical legend thanks to the revisions.

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With Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian, Koei Tecmo Games and Gust are returning somewhat to the roots of the series, offering a pleasant, cozy gaming experience that focuses on likable characters, colorful presentation, an offensive turn-based combat system, and exploration of the game world. Particularly noteworthy are the very beginner-friendly alchemy system and the expansion of the general store, which goes hand in hand with the upgrade of the city. On the downside, the story gets off to a slow (but somehow typical) start, and there are some minor technical issues in the form of stuttering. The collision detection within the game world could also use a little work. Personally, I liked the darker approach of Atelier Yumia a little better, as I felt that Atelier Resleriana: somehow lacked a common thread apart from the village expansion. However, Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is a pleasant, cozy JRPG that definitely makes for relaxing evenings exploring the game world.

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Agatha Christie has created works that I like so much that she is my favorite author. The film adaptation of her novel Death on the Nile, starring Sir Peter Ustinov, is still my absolute favorite movie. I also really liked the combination of traditional and modern elements in the previous title, Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express, which is why I immediately wanted to see Death on the Nile adapted as the follow-up title. Now that this wish has been granted, I have been incredibly excited since the first trailer was released (my husband will certainly confirm this). Naturally, my expectations for Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile were correspondingly high. Microids Studio Lyon did not disappoint me in any way. Once again, the developers have skillfully expanded the traditional story with creative, more modern elements. There is classic content from the original novel that is recognizable, but also completely new plots that do not appear in the original at all or are only touched upon. In Jane Royce, Hercule Poirot once again has a capable co-detective at his side, whose sections provide a welcome change of pace with a slightly more action-packed approach and are also very exciting. Due to the split, the focus on the events directly surrounding Linnet is initially less pronounced than one might be accustomed to from the novel or the film adaptations, until the two storylines ultimately come together nicely. The colorful 1970s setting continues to set it apart from other adaptations and is beautifully integrated into the narrative. The characters, once again designed in a somewhat comic-like style, carry the story credibly, but some of them have minor weaknesses in the animations. The environment, on the other hand, shines with beautiful panoramas and appropriate, varied scenery, even if some of the details repeat themselves when you look closely. As befits a detective game, the puzzles, which are the focus of the game, are not too easy, but also not too difficult to cause complete despair, and are definitely fun. Furthermore, the museum offers a nice feature to make you even more motivated to tackle collection tasks. All in all, Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile presents itself very well and delivers a really nice implementation, just as I had hoped.

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In our test, Formula Legends impresses primarily with its great scope, beautifully implemented races, catchy gameplay, and, of course, its successful unlocking mechanics. The seven decades of F1 depicted are played out on a total of 14 tracks, with different variants often available. In terms of scope and atmosphere, developer 3DClouds is second to none. So, is everything set for the world championship title? Unfortunately not quite, as some technical issues and the lackluster background music detract from the overall picture. In particular, the slight stuttering during racing and the noticeable reloading of textures when the weather changes are immediately noticeable and prevent what seemed like a sure place on the podium. With a little tweaking, however, I can definitely recommend Formula Legends to both F1 fans and arcade-loving racing enthusiasts.

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In principle, Rally Arcade Classics does a lot of things right. It offers crisp rally action on short stages, which are also very atmospheric. The “just one more stage” effect quickly sets in. Racing through the stages in numerous cars from various decades of rally history is a lot of fun. On paper, the scope of the game alone is impressive, with 420 individual tour race events in four different locations. Additional game modes such as Arcade and Rally also provide entertainment. After the exorbitantly high prices for the vehicles in the game were significantly reduced via a patch, the game progress is very pleasant. Ultimately, the biggest drawback is the number of countries we travel through. Even though all four areas are beautifully designed, they become repetitive relatively quickly as the game progresses. We would like to see a little more variety here, preferably in the form of additional countries being added later. Nevertheless, Rally Arcade Classics definitely stands up to comparison with art of rally or the rally mode in Super Woden GP II – on the contrary. As the debut work of the small Spanish development team NETK2GAMES, I can only say: hats off and keep up the good work!

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Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + The Star Fragment World is more than just a spruced-up remaster. It's a successful blend of technical rejuvenation and genuine new content that will lure even veterans back to the console. The basic framework remains unchanged: an accessible, charming adventure full of cute animations, clever abilities, and fun boss battles. But the Star Fragment World makes all the difference. It expands the gameplay with new level structures, collection mechanics, and challenging enemies, ensuring that the trip feels like a real upgrade rather than a simple reunion. The performance on the Switch 2 is flawless, the soundtrack is still a treat for the ears, and the mixture of childlike lightness and adventurous excitement remains fresh even after hours of play. Sure, there are a few points of criticism: the co-op mode could have been expanded more boldly, and the story remains typically simple for Kirby. But let's be honest: if you're looking for Shakespeare in a pink dumpling, you're playing the wrong game anyway. The end result is an adventure that appeals to fans and newcomers alike. Kirby remains the walking bundle of good cheer, and on the Switch 2, he shines brighter than ever before.

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Dying Light: The Beast is the title with which Techland makes up for much of what didn't work in its direct predecessor. Instead of getting lost in experimental ideas, the game focuses on its strengths: a dynamic parkour system that conveys a real sense of flow, intense close combat with tactical demands, and a game world that impresses with its density and atmosphere. The Beast mode in particular stands out as a gameplay and narrative enhancement. What might seem like a power fantasy gimmick on paper turns out to be a cleverly balanced element that creates new dynamics and at the same time complements the existing gameplay in a meaningful way. Although the world is no longer as high as in part 1 and the gameplay focus is more on horizontal exploration, this hardly has a negative impact. On the contrary, the reduction to more compact structures ensures better level design and less idle time. In terms of technology, structure, and narrative, Dying Light: The Beast is also superior to the “official” second part. The story remains compact, credible, and embedded in the environment without getting lost in meaningful monologues. At the same time, the crafting system offers depth without seeming overloaded. And if you want, you can spend hours in the world without ever feeling like you're being artificially held back. Dying Light: The Beast is not a complete reboot, but it is a liberating step back to the essentials – and thus exactly what fans have been wanting for years.

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Sensei! I Like You So Much! is a little love letter to fan culture – colorful, playful, and astonishingly detailed. Those who indulge in the dominant visual novel element will find a charming blend of storytelling, creative self-realization, and easy management. The mechanics surrounding fanzines, conventions, and merchandise are motivating, even if they serve more as a spice and don't reach the depth of classic business simulations. Technically, there's little to complain about: The look is coherent, the music underscores the feel-good setting, and the countless collectible and decorative elements invite experimentation. Weaknesses like the bumpy translation and the sometimes lengthy VN passages should be taken into account, but they don't take away the game's soul. The end result is a title aimed primarily at players who enjoy immersing themselves in fandom worlds, being creative, and expanding their little virtual fan existence. Anyone who wants to crunch hard numbers and fill out Excel spreadsheets is out of place here. However, anyone who enjoys sweetening their digital life with pins, fanzines, and blogs should feel perfectly at home.

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It's super tricky to rate Silent Hill f because its strengths and weaknesses are so far apart. If we only had to rate the atmosphere, it would definitely be at the top of our list because what this horror game does with its graphics and, above all, its sound effects is pretty awesome. The intense mood that greets us as we search the abandoned environment, but especially in the presence of the monsters, which we try to avoid if possible, is brilliantly implemented. If we are discovered, the mood escalates immeasurably, in a good way. It makes us break out in a sweat when we explore the upper floor of a house while one of the bizarre creatures is up to mischief on the ground floor. The game also plays nicely with our expectations, as we are virtually on constant alert, bracing ourselves for a jump scare, which, however, is quite rare and occurs in far more unexpected places. Nevertheless, we are constantly on edge, which is perfect for a game of this kind. The visual implementation of the atmospheric locations, the bizarre monsters, and the haunting parallel world is also excellently done. The characters and their emotions are also well captured, but the story itself never really appealed to me, as its strong focus on Japanese folklore is a little too far removed from my personal experience. I could live with that, though, because the Silent Hill feeling is definitely there. The combat system is where things get difficult for me. Instead of a similar beat-'em-up gameplay as in the remake of part 2, the developers opted for a completely undynamic, clunky, and imprecise Souls-like offshoot, which I found frustrating throughout. In addition to the strange, exaggerated animations, it was mainly the constantly empty stamina and imprecise controls that drove me to the brink of madness time and time again. Even for someone like me, who has no interest in Souls-like games, the story mode was too tough in the fights. The puzzles, another typical Silent Hill element, weren't exactly groundbreaking, but they were well implemented overall and a fitting addition to the rest of the game. All in all, Silent Hill hits the nail on the head in terms of atmosphere, but the combat system, which takes some getting used to, spoils the fun for me in many places. In the end, this leaves us with a mid-range rating for a game that definitely had more potential.

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Borderlands 4 was awaited with excitement and skepticism, but it has the potential to be the best installment in the series to date. The new and changed aspects bring a breath of fresh air to the already traditional series. Good aspects have been retained, while weaknesses and points of criticism have been changed. First and foremost, of course, is the structure and presentation of the game world. The open areas are much more inviting to explore. This means you'll find unexpected things more often or get into absurd situations or firefights. It's also worth teaming up with friends and using the (slightly modified) co-op mode. The combat is even more dynamic and therefore more fun thanks to dozens of different skills, weapon modes, and (completely random) explosive barrels lying around everywhere that can be thrown. The weapons once again have serious distinguishing features and random modifications, which fuels the search for the (personally) perfect setup. Of course, we also have to mention the performance, which was rather mediocre, especially at launch. The minimum hardware requirements for PC are very high and will prevent some people from enjoying the game at all. And even with better hardware, compromises still have to be made. However, the first patches have already improved this. How far this journey will go, however, remains to be seen. I already had the opportunity to see and play Borderlands 4 at Gamescom, and after that, I was finally hyped for the game, which was already a must-have for me anyway. Almost all of my criticisms have been eliminated or at least made irrelevant. In my opinion, this is the best installment in the series, leaving little room for improvement. So if you're into shooters or loot, or even better, loot shooters, you'll have a good time here.

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With Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Konami has succeeded in creating a respectful remake of the classic that preserves the essence of the original and gently modernizes it. The story, characters, and Kojima's quirky touch still work brilliantly 20 years later and are appealingly presented thanks to the visual overhaul in Unreal Engine 5. Above all, the revamped controls, new perspectives, and small convenience features ensure that the game still feels fresh today. On the other hand, the fragmented levels and fluctuating performance, which slow down the experience somewhat, are not entirely convincing. Nevertheless, thanks to well-thought-out mechanics, iconic boss fights, and an unmistakable atmosphere, the stealth adventure remains a thrilling experience. Those who loved the original will find a successful reinterpretation with a modern twist that is equally suitable for veterans of the series and newcomers alike.

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All in all, I really liked the latest edition of EA Sports FC. The introduction of archetypes adds more depth to the player career, and the challenges of the new live management give us as coaches even more goals to work towards. I also like the management jobs section, which adds a little more dynamism to our manager's job search. I also liked the in-game tactical options, which give quick access to templates and tactical adjustments, making everything a little more intuitive. But for me, the biggest highlight is definitely the authentic gameplay, which brings much more calm to the games and tones down the eSports frenzy a bit. EA Sports FC 26 feels very much like authentic soccer on the pitch, as you simply have more time for tactical considerations during the game and don't just rush around the pitch. Since we always have the choice of whether we want to play the faster or slower option, no one has to give up the old-established feel of the game if they don't want to. Apart from the areas mentioned, little has changed compared to its predecessor, as expected. Whether the optimizations are enough to justify another purchase is ultimately up to each individual to decide. For my part, I am very satisfied with the 26th edition. What I still really miss, however, is a real story mode, as we saw in The Journey or, for example, as is regularly offered in the F1 series.

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In our review of Everybody's Golf Hot Shots, the latest installment in the venerable series unfortunately only manages a bogey. On paper, it sounded promising in principle. A total of 30 golfers and several different caddies are available to play (for free). In addition to the ten beautifully designed courses, a variety of different game modes are available in both single and multiplayer modes, providing plenty of variety. Special attention is paid to Challenge and World Tour modes, with the latter even offering us genuine story campaigns for each individual golfer. In keeping with the series' bright and colorful approach, these come across as somewhat inconsequential. Unfortunately, Everybody's Golf Hot Shots already slips up at the tee... um, the start. With only two selectable players and a single course, the game initially feels more like a demo or a heavily condensed free-to-play title. A few more options would have been essential for variety and especially for the multiplayer mode. The gameplay, which is fundamentally very grind-heavy in order to unlock new content, is not very helpful in this regard. There's just no real flow when you're not really in the mood to play for hours on end to unlock the next new character or course. In addition, the audiovisual experience and a few bugs detract from the gaming experience. In addition to popping objects and textures, the rather monotonous music starts to annoy the player very early on. On top of that, there are a few game crashes that the developers really need to patch. At its core, Everybody's Golf Hot Shots is definitely a worthy representative of the series, but with a little more fine-tuning and, above all, a more appealing unlocking mechanism, the developers could have saved themselves a few extra strokes in the end result. Then they would have at least come out with a PAR. As it stands, they currently lag behind their established competitor, PGA Tour.

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I had an entertaining time with Let Them Trade, even though the game currently has its limitations. The endgame is reached quickly and the motivation to continue playing noticeably wanes. The campaign is usually only played once, and even though different cards and the card editor provide variety, the gameplay lacks the necessary depth in the long run. A multiplayer mode in particular could add enormous value here, allowing players to trade together, support each other, or compete for points. Nevertheless, Let Them Trade impresses with some charming details: the soundtrack is varied and picturesque, even if it doesn't seem to be orchestrated, and the idea that the soundtrack blares from the radio on the windowsill when you zoom out is simply brilliant and shows attention to detail. A little more medieval language would certainly have added to the flair, but this is compensated for by little details such as the cat, which you can even stroke. Overall, Let Them Trade remains a solid building and trading game with great potential that still has room for further development.

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With Gradius Origins, Konami delivers an all-round successful collection that brings together six parts of the series under one roof. By implementing regionally different versions, they go the extra mile to put together a well-rounded package. Browsing through the different versions is fun and reveals the development history behind each individual part. And with Salamander 3, they even deliver a genuine new part that is clearly intended as a tribute to the series' history. The great convenience features are particularly noteworthy. For example, the insert-coin mechanism of classic arcades gives you almost unlimited attempts if you get stuck in the admittedly quite difficult games. In addition, the easy mode and invincibility are real aids to enjoying the games in a much more relaxed way. The icing on the cake is the free save feature and a small rewind function. Unfortunately, Salamander 3 only has an original mode, so at this point at the latest, we have to rely on our skills. Overall, I found Gradius Origins to be a great collection and an exciting journey through the history of the series, which, as it is, ultimately has no major weaknesses.

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In our test, Super Robot Wars Y scores points primarily with its fun and thoroughly in-depth combat system. The fantastic anime sequences that accompany each attack contribute greatly to the atmosphere. Numerous appearances by more or less well-known anime characters enrich the crossover plot and are sure to provide fans with a few “aha” moments, especially since original music pieces are often interspersed. Unfortunately, however, the actual plot frays due to the many side plots, so that every character can have their moment in the spotlight. As someone unfamiliar with the original, you find yourself wondering more than once who actually wants what and why, and you're left sitting in front of the screen feeling confused. Ultimately, the battles aren't entirely convincing either, because once you've had your fill of the constantly repeating attack sequences, all that's left is a sobering numbers game. Super Robot Wars Y may well have its raison d'être precisely because of its crossover focus, and the battles are really fun. However, when we compare the title with other competitors in the tactical RPG mech action segment, games like Relayer or the brilliant 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim are unfortunately clearly ahead.

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Behind this visually stunning game lies an astonishingly emotional story that is gripping even without any spoken dialogue. The relatively short playing time makes it perfect for a quick, intense session. However, thanks to the metrics and collectibles, it also offers incentive for further runs. Anyone who enjoyed the visuals of predecessors such as ABZÛ, Journey, or The Pathless will already have Sword of the Sea on their radar. But this game can also be warmly recommended to everyone else.

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Hirogami focuses on a varied gameplay flow consisting of exploration, collecting, and switching between origami shapes. The gameplay is very diverse. Each level has a specific focus, which is strongly represented in the mostly short sections. Each level can be played multiple times thanks to the additional challenges. The paper look, which is consistently implemented, gives the game a distinctive appearance. Sometimes it is necessary to switch shapes quickly, which can be a little awkward due to the button layout. However, the relatively low level of difficulty allows you to progress quickly. If you are looking for an entertaining but solid mix of puzzles, combat, and skill, Hirogami is the game for you.

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Once again, NBA 2K has become a real hit. The 26th edition not only impresses with a noticeably optimized gaming experience on the court with better animations and a more realistic feel, but also in terms of atmosphere and lifestyle, especially in the open city, the simulation is unrivaled. Also nice is the cross-play between Xbox and PlayStation players, as well as the once again extremely extensive selection of game modes, both online and offline, including a wide-ranging training area in Learn2K. The player career in the open game world with its numerous possibilities, the GM career with its walk-in headquarters, and the elaborately staged The W mode of the WNBA are particularly memorable. This also applies to the elaborately implemented high school experience, which impresses with its compelling story. Whether the newly introduced Seasons with their heavily promoted real-money Season Pass variants were really necessary is another question. The somewhat boringly staged draft at the GM and the partially unsound conversations also cloud the overall impression a little, but they don't change the fact that NBA 2K26 is an outstanding basketball game with countless opportunities for entertainment on and off the court.

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If you want to catch up on Ubisoft's truly remarkable open-world adventure in the Star Wars universe, you can confidently choose the Switch 2 version, as the developers have done an excellent job here. When a port of this caliber is released, there is no need to worry about any limitations of the Switch 2 hardware, as virtually no compromises have been made. Graphically and in terms of performance, there is virtually nothing to complain about in the Switch 2 version, apart from a little more blurring during movement and the visible reloading of objects. However, both of these issues are more than acceptable, because otherwise Outlaws is simply great fun on the hybrid console. The quality of the game already impressed us at launch, so we can recommend the Switch 2 edition to every Star Wars fan. After all, what could be cooler than passing the time on the train or in a hotel in an open Star Wars world that also looks so damn good?

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