Far from just another map-clearing game, Metro's first above-ground outing is an atmospheric, characterful voyage across a ruined Russia.
All the verbal artistry of Sunless Sea scattered across a gorgeous steampunk cosmos that's a little easier to navigate and thrive in.
An ungainly but hypnotic exploration of worlds in the making and unmaking, and a fresh spin on the ethos of Team Ico's games and Journey.
A moody, well-wrought action role-player with striking, desolate landscapes and a couple of great dungeons.
A blatantly unfinished and uninspired nostalgia project that sheds a certain, peculiar light on the immersive sim at large.
More Hitman: Season 2 than an experience in its own right, but a couple of great maps plus a fun competitive mode make for a solid fan pick.
A childhood bond reimagined as a series of elegant, time-based diorama puzzles, The Gardens Between is short but very sweet.
An ambitious, stylish and savage takedown of British hubris, but clunky crafting, collecting and combat make for a somewhat dull game.
The Metroidvania at its best: a swaggering role-playing beat-'em-up that's very easy on the eyes and dense with secrets.
A beautiful if brief puzzle platformer that invokes the spirit of Flash gaming.
Another fine turn-based battle system and some charming dialogue and visuals make up for an occasionally dry ensemble campaign.
A magnificent nightmare, for those with the stamina to master the gruelling card game that houses it.
A mournful yet bright and enormously warm-hearted adventure with a novel landship mechanic, sublime backdrops and a brilliant score.
Technically shambolic, obsessed with hoarding, and a waste of a once-promising society simulation.
Ubisoft's novel fighting game finally comes into focus.
Make Montana emergent again
Not the charmer its predecessor was, but a jolly 40 hour epic with dashing combat and an engrossing empire-building subgame.
Weather its bugs and lacklustre stealth, and Ghost of a Tale is a quietly ravishing potted epic with a serious subtext.
A continent-sized anthology of American campfire tales that will keep pulling you in deeper, once you acclimatise to its slow pace.
An earnest eco-platformer that is at once under and overcooked.