However, such considerations are minor, and there's an awful lot of pleasure to be had from Volume. Its uncluttered gameplay emphasises the puzzle-solving aspect of stealth, the level design is brilliant, the gadgets are sometimes clever enough to make you chuckle out loud and the whole experience is both surprisingly meaty and absorbing to the point of distraction. It may not be as wildly inventive as Thomas Was Alone, but it's a wonderful homage to what constitutes the very essence of stealth games.
Gearbox Software's latest game is a hilarious good time, but still has a few flaws.
A highly original, dark gothic thriller whose lack of compromises will restrict its audience but are hard not to admire.
The most approachable and the most realistic train simulator ever made, and it does a good job of making that more appealing than it sounds to non-fans.
A welcome sequel to the original Tales From The Borderlands, that negotiates the franchise's loud mouth humour to deliver a surprisingly nuanced and intelligent slice of interactive storytelling.
Easily the best of The Dark Pictures anthology series, with a horror story that is deliciously chilling, surprisingly well acted, and far more interesting to play than its predecessors.
A short but sweet VR romp that replicates the Peaky Blinders universe perfectly, even as it runs up against some of the intrinsic limitations of VR gaming on the Meta Quest 2.
A prequel to Road 96, that adds skating mini-games but removes the procedural generation of the original – but it's still engagingly written, and has a lot to say.
Not the high-end remake that some fans would have been hoping for but even as a, at times, too faithful remaster this is a fascinating second look at one of gaming's great unsung heroes.
Classic co-op party-gaming fare that's unpretentious and very quick to pick up. It may be just a little too similar to Overcooked. but given how rare local co-op games are this is a welcome riff on a familiar theme.
Impressively well produced and extremely playable, but there are few changes from last year and the microtransactions are still obnoxious.
It's not the world's most radical sequel but Train Sim World 4 is a sizeable update for the virtual train set, with plenty to please new fans and old.
A charming, whimsical and very soothing life simulator that makes good use all of all its many influences and still feels refreshingly unique in itself.
A clever and well-structured interpretation of the classic TV series as a co-op brawler, that would be a fun diversion even without the licence.
Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush isn't going to single-handedly change the face of gaming, or anything remotely as drastic, but it is nevertheless a very high-quality effort which showcases Nintendo's strength as a developer and provides a thoroughly whimsical and surprisingly deep gameplay experience for those of all ages. In common with a growing number of its peers, it leaves you shaking your head and wondering how Nintendo managed to make such a mess of convincing the public that the Wii U was a worthwhile purchase.
Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition is something of a guilty pleasure – it's an archetypal mix of the sublime and ridiculous. It's great fun and offers plenty for those who played the original. And if you've never played a Devil May Cry game before? You, too, will find its considerable charms difficult to resist.
The basics of gameplay work tremendously well, but the game is bogged down by too many niggling faults and the sense that it'll take until at least next year to fulfil its potential.
This cute action-adventure effort adds a non-hardcore dimension to the PS4's launch line-up, but its graphics and gameplay fail to convince
3DS title provides nice, if non-archetypal, way for devotees to re-enter the universe while they await forthcoming XV and VII instalments
Outgunned by FIFA's club licensing deals and star power, PES starts a new season still on the back foot