Football Manager 2019 offering the best experience the series has yet to provide thanks to intelligent, subtle changes in its form rather than its content.
The story of Kazuma Kiryu is over.
Its failures prevent Far Cry 5 from being a classic, but its successes mean it has plenty to keep you embroiled in its reactive world.
In 2005 Shadow of the Colossus was a masterpiece and that remains so in 2018. This is one of the greatest games ever made and is an accolade that shows no sign of being detached from its monumental presence.
All of the depth is there as before, but the humanity of football is represented in a greater way - whether that is through players striking up bromances that lead to goals on the pitch or you personally getting involved in pricing wars with clubs from Europe and, increasingly, China.
Ultimately, FIFA 18 on Switch is a story of what could have been. Watered-down game modes give the whole experience a feeling of it being a work-in-progress rather than the complete package offered in the PS4 and Xbox One version. If you only want a quick FIFA fix in single-player or local play, the Switch version delivers. But it's such a diluted, Sunday League experience it's impossible to recommend if you're already playing on home consoles.
Ultimately, FIFA 18 introduces enough new ideas to suggest it's not sitting on the laurels of its success. However, it's a simplified experience, one that fails to embrace the complexity of football at the highest level.
Whether playing online or off, there's a huge amount to do here and a huge amount to love about it. Put the effort in and you're repaid with a genuine sense of satisfaction and a feeling of real accomplishment. Once again, PES has set an incredibly high level of quality for other sports games to try and match.
Ultimately, then, Project Cars 2 is not a racer in which you ever feel compelled to simply go through the motions. It's a game that centres you firmly as an active participant. It's a game that makes you want to be a racer, and that might just be the best compliment that can be bestowed upon a representative of this genre.
Classic RTS with little bit of MOBA brings the Dawn of War series up to date.
A confused spectacle that fails to promote the idea of a motorcycle game.
Dragon Quest VIII was one of the finest JRPGs upon its initial release and it manages to retain that lofty status through this 3DS edition. Its adherence to the traditional rules of the genre is where it pulls its strength from, the familiarity of the template allowing the design team to worry about making sure each element is as good as it can possibly can be.
Steep wants to impart a sense of freedom, but it lacks the courage to offer true openness and underwhelms as a result.
By incorporating the UK's political landscape, Football Manger 2017 becomes the deepest, most inspiring take on the beautiful game yet.
If you're a younger player, or a die-hard Final Fantasy fan that longs for the turn-based days of old, this is well worth picking up.
FIFA 17 is a typically slick offering from EA, but if you want the best football game PES 17 is the way to go.
Consider yourself a thoughtful football fan? This is for you.
While UFC 2 certainly looks the part, it doesn't feel it. Strikes are razor sharp, kicks are satisfyingly heavy, and each and every fighter is beautifully sculpted and recreated, but each and every element is too robotic and rigid to recreate the dynamism and unpredictability that draws me to real UFC fights. Those fights are often won by finding those spaces between the lines that your opponent hasn't thought to cover, but those spaces simply don't exist here. As a fighting game it's worth your time if you're seeking something other than the usual options, but as a recreation of the UFC it falters before the final bell.
A good combat system and gorgeous visuals are significantly let down by an underwhelming and perfunctory narrative that can make progression a real chore. Whilst there are elements that work in isolation, Bravely Second doesn't manage to tie them together in a way that matches the quality of the original.
This is the most complete version of Football Manager yet, offering up something new for both seasoned veterans and newcomers alike.