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Anno 117: Pax Romana is a promising entry that combines strong visuals, accessible systems, and added strategic depth, though performance issues remain, making it appealing for both newcomers and series veterans.

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Hyrule Warriors: Chronik der Versiegelung refines the series with improved performance and deeper ties to Tears of the Kingdom’s story, offering satisfying Musou combat and meaningful lore for fans.

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Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake faithfully modernizes two RPG classics with enhanced presentation and quality-of-life improvements, making them both accessible for newcomers and nostalgic yet refined for longtime fans.

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Legends BMX starts off fun with its accessible trick system, but quickly becomes repetitive due to limited content, uninspired progression, and a lack of variety.

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Lumines Arise delivers a stunning audiovisual experience with addictive, timeless gameplay, only occasionally hindered by visual clutter, making it a must-play for puzzle fans.

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A charming, accessible aerial combat game with fun dogfights and a unique setting, but limited depth, short playtime, and uninspired music keep it from reaching its full potential.

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A compelling new direction for the series, Little Nightmares 3 shines with its co-op mechanics and eerie atmosphere, though technical issues and missing local co-op hold it back from greatness.

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A beautifully atmospheric return to Syberia’s world is overshadowed by major technical issues, outdated visuals, and frustrating gameplay, making the VR version a disappointing experience despite its strong story and charm.

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The 2025 Painkiller reboot feels like a game stuck between two worlds: on the one hand, it delivers fast-paced, straightforward action, a technically polished foundation, and an atmospheric Purgatory setting that’s a lot of fun to play through in co-op with friends. Those who view the title as a modern multiplayer shooter will find solid entertainment, snappy gunplay, and an accessible progression system that keeps you motivated for at least a few sessions. The game works best when you don’t weigh it down with the burden of its own history, but instead see it as a straightforward co-op action title for in-between moments. On the other hand, however, there is an inescapable shadow: the name Painkiller. Fans of the original classic will find little here that tangibly carries on the DNA of the original title. The story remains superficial, the scope manageable, the variety limited, and many elements feel generic rather than iconic. In the end, the reboot isn’t a bad game, but one that was burdened by false expectations. It fails as a nostalgic return, but it works as a light co-op shooter—and that’s exactly where it finds its small but fair raison d’être.

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Broken Sword: The Templar Conspiracy – Reforged Edition for Nintendo Switch 2 is more than just a revamped version of a well-known classic. The combination of visual enhancements, a true mouse mode, additional graphical elements, and the ability to switch to the classic display at any time makes this version the most polished and user-friendly console port to date. Players familiar with the original will discover many scenes in fresh quality and with new details, while newcomers will experience a pleasantly modern yet authentic adventure. The game demonstrates how to respectfully restore a classic while meaningfully modernizing it.

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With Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, Nintendo delivers two technically polished, mechanically brilliant remakes that remain unchanged in terms of content. The decision to forgo additional content, graphical enhancements, or modernizations means that the re-release feels more like a preservation than a reinvention. For anyone who hasn’t played the originals yet, this is an excellent opportunity to catch up on two significant games in recent video game history. Those who already own the Wii versions, however, will find little reason to buy them again. Both games remain milestones in 3D platforming, but they are milestones from a different era.

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All in all, Biped 2 is a successful co-op puzzle adventure that really shines thanks to its cooperative focus. The charming presentation, accessible controls, and the satisfying feeling of mastering tricky challenges together make it an ideal title for game nights with friends. However, those hoping for a deep story or revolutionary gameplay ideas will likely be disappointed. Innovation compared to its predecessor is also rather limited, and minor technical glitches still need to be tolerated at this time. Biped 2 is a heartwarming, humorous co-op experience that truly shines when played together. It invites you to fail, laugh, and try again as a team. For puzzle fans and co-op gamers, it’s a clear recommendation.

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King of Meat is a game that deliberately breaks with convention. It’s loud, playful, and sometimes a little crazy—but always charming. Instead of epic stories, it offers spontaneous fun, creative freedom, and a healthy dose of humor. It really comes into its own in co-op: when you laugh together, sabotage each other, or try out levels from the community, it feels like you’re part of a big, colorful game show. Yes, there are rough edges that could be smoothed out—such as the jumping mechanics or the camera work—but that hardly detracts from the overall impression. King of Meat is a game that prioritizes fun over perfection, creativity over routine, and laughter over frustration. Anyone who gives it a try will get one of the most entertaining and original co-op experiences of recent months—and a treat for anyone who loves chaos with a heart.

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Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition clearly shows its arcade origins at every turn. This applies to its high accessibility, the brutally fast and consistently smooth racing action, and the ludicrous environmental interactions, which are especially fun to watch. But it also applies to the very limited scope of just eight vehicles and six tracks. What works in the arcade doesn't quite work at home, unfortunately. Without unlockable content, there's simply no long-term motivation. After completing all the tracks three times, you've pretty much seen everything there is to see. And due to the absolutely absurd rubber band effect, the focus of all races is only on the last fifteen seconds, the correct use of the boost, and a little bit of luck. On the other hand, the game scores points with its local multiplayer mode, where I actually had some really entertaining sessions with my wife. Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition is good for a quick round in between, but it misses the chance to make a big impression outside the arcade.

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With NASCAR 25, iRacing makes a remarkable console debut, scoring points above all thanks to its extensive license package with four racing classes. The US stock car sport is presented very well and atmospherically, and the career mode alone provides plenty of long-term motivation. Another positive aspect is the numerous settings options, which cater to both rookies and advanced players alike. On the negative side, the somewhat dreary graphics, including avoidable frame rate drops and clearly visible, unsightly pop-ups on the AI vehicles, are worth mentioning. Nevertheless, NASCAR 25 ranks quite high among licensed racing games. In any case, I had a lot of fun with the game and am definitely looking forward to a sequel, as well as the numerous other titles that iRacing has in the pipeline for us console gamers.

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Plants vs. Zombies Replanted is an excellent opportunity to catch up on the cult game or indulge in nostalgia. With its unique charm and simple but addictive gameplay, the epic duel between the undead and greenery is still compelling today. The colorful comic graphics in HD are also perfect for the Switch 2, but compared to the original, they're not a huge revelation. The water, for example, looks quite washed out. The Replanted version also adds some nice extras to the original game and lets us play together or against each other on the Switch with two Joy Cons, the former even within the campaign. The whole thing is a lot of fun, but it doesn't always feel like it's been thought through 100%, as it can get a bit chaotic and confusing. Replanted also introduces a permadeath mode after completing the campaign, as well as a new weather condition, Cloudy Day, which moves between day and night – both useful additions for those who already know the game and want new aspects. All in all, the re-released debut of the Plants vs. Zombies series really won us over and proved once again that there are simply some games that are just as much fun now as they were years ago.

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Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is not a game that sets new standards. But it is one that impresses with its craftsmanship, clear sense of style, and palpable attention to detail. It takes familiar mechanics from classic action games and combines them with modern technology and a well-designed combat system. The result is a game that keeps you hooked for long periods of time. The heart of the game is clearly the combat system. It is challenging, precise, and rewards players who are willing to get into its rhythm. Parries, dodges, and attacks mesh cleanly, creating a satisfying gameplay experience even after hours of play. Those who enjoy direct, tactical close combat will find plenty to enjoy here. The story, on the other hand, remains rather superficial. It provides the necessary framework without really setting any accents. Characters and dialogues remain vague, but the game knows that its strength lies elsewhere, namely in atmosphere, style, and mechanics. Visually, Shinobi impresses with its clear aesthetics. The hand-drawn environments, combined with subtle effects, create a unique, almost calm mood that fits the setting well. It's clear that a lot of work has gone into the small details. The bottom line is that Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a solid, well-rounded action game that knows its roots and uses them to form something of its own. It's an example of how coherent game design, clear mechanics, and visual consistency can come together to create a compelling overall picture.

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With Jurassic World Evolution 3, the series delivers the perfect evolution of itself. Where the second installment failed by trying to do too much and thinking too big, part 3 delivers exactly what I, as a Jurassic Park fan, have always wanted: a near-perfect simulation that lets me create the park of my dreams. JE3 takes the already great framework of part 1 as its basis and expands it with numerous useful options. Whether it's the grandiose landscaping tool, the detailed customization mode for buildings, or the optimized and simplified controls and menu navigation in many places, Evolution 3 tweaks all the important aspects. The island generator, which allows us to turn an entire island into a park and customize it to our liking, is particularly impressive. The implementation of young animals and the associated possibility of natural breeding is also really great. Combined with the possibilities for DNA modification, this creates the perfect Jurassic Park feeling, because life always finds a way. The selection of game modes is also impressive, from the appealingly staged tutorial-style campaign to the sandbox with almost limitless freedom to the exciting challenge mode with unusual scenarios. Visually and in terms of atmosphere, there is nothing to complain about in Jurassic World Evolution 3, so we can expect an almost perfect dinosaur adventure overall.

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Pokémon Legends Z-A takes up the mindset of its predecessor Arceus and interprets the familiar Pokémon gameplay a little differently. Instead of collecting badges, we increase our rank by battling other trainers in order to gradually rise to become the best Pokémon trainer. We also follow various main and side quests and different challenges instead of wandering more or less aimlessly from arena to arena. The open game world, which consists of an atmospherically designed city, invites us to explore and offers us not only different districts but also so-called wild sectors for catching wild Pokémon. The environment is surprisingly lively in the central locations and impresses with its successful atmosphere – in the more remote areas, however, it looks much gloomier. At the heart of the game, however, is the new real-time battle system, which leaves the turn-based battles of the past behind and puts us, as trainers, right in the middle of the action, both when battling other trainers and when catching Pokémon. We really liked the new battle system, because it finally brings more action to the familiar gameplay and thus also a much-needed breath of fresh air – especially in combination with the Mega Evolutions. The Pokémon series could also really use this breath of fresh air in terms of its graphical presentation – but Legends Z-A can't really deliver on that front. Although the game world is really impressive with its great atmosphere and its remarkable day and night cycle, if you take a closer look, flat and blurry textures, flat windows without reflections, and rather sporadic movement of vegetation, hair, and clothing are somewhat disappointing. The power of the new Switch could definitely have been put to better use here. In terms of gameplay, however, Pokémon Legends Z-A was really fun and gives us hope that the main series might also get a facelift in the near future.

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With Train Sim World 6, Dovetail Games delivers a consistent further development of its well-known train simulation. The new route packs offer plenty of variety and a successful mix of long-distance, local, and freight transport in the USA, Great Britain, and Germany. The improved atmosphere is particularly noticeable, benefiting from the new train announcements and the noticeably more sophisticated sound system. In terms of gameplay, much remains the same, but is complemented by useful small features such as random disruptions and new locomotive types. Technically, however, there are some downsides: performance issues, bugs, and enormous memory requirements cloud the overall picture. But if you enjoy the new routes, it's still worth getting. And for those who can't quite make up their minds, it might be worth taking a look at the training center.

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