Loneliness, companionship, and scientific dilemmas are all gamely explored by this sometimes bleak (but ultimately hopeful) sci-fi adventure title.
The new money lives up to the Blood Money in this darkly comic, icy cool stealth/brain-teaser/drop-a-toilet-on-a-target's-head-'em-up. It's a hit, man.
Too many of the old adventure game stumbling blocks (inconsistent progression, unclear or obfuscating clues, unmarked dead ends) prevent this homage to Murakami’s short stories ever hitting the stride its aesthetics deserve.
The distinct Wood Elf play-style and economy leaf little room for error and aren’t for saps, but they’re a treewarding faction to master. Another solid branch in Creative Assembly’s ... [writer cut short by a flurry of arrows to the pun glands].
As with Pacific before it, Order of Battle: Blitzkrieg is a refreshingly accessible hex-based war game. Maintaining supply lines, strategic use of terrain, and deft deployment of combined arms are once again the mechanics to master here.
Judicial administrator for the Court of an all-powerful Imperial Overlord is one hell of a premise and driving force for an RPG. Tyranny pulls it off, thanks to Obsidian’s reliable attention to world design and a dedication to ambitious, branching choices.
Can’t fault the professionalism in pumping out one of these every year; but though Football Manager 2017 is up to standard and makes some iterative tweaks of note, it’s getting harder to ignore certain systemic issues which remain unaddressed.
Ashes of Ariandel is a well-designed, 4-5 jaunt through another painted realm, with a structured PvP annex that to some may be worth the admission price alone. But it’s missing the superlative spark of previous Souls DLCs.
Shadow Warrior 2's excellent combat mechanics cleave through its weak story and over-abundance of iffy loot. The result is a title that's incredibly satisfying to play, almost in spite of the surrounding flaws.
It’s a more physical FIFA this year, with greater emphasis on build-up passing and positional movement than one-on-one dribbling. Aspects of these changes can irritate, but the major disappointment with FIFA 17 is its failure to engage with any of the series’ lingering legacy problems, even on a new engine.
Pac-Man never really changes his ways, but Championship Edition 2 proves that a three-and-a-half decade old videogame star can still pull a crowd. This is a smart set of takes on what may genuinely be a timeless mechanical formula.
Mankind Divided trades some global breadth for localised depth, setting the majority of its free-approach missions in Prague. The narrative feels closer to home too, thrusting Jensen in with the oppressed augmented masses. It's a strong sequel, reinforcing the mechanics of player agency and unique world design Deus Ex is famous for, but unresolved plot points do disappoint.
The Beastmen represent another successful transition from tabletop to Total War: Warhammer faction. Their horde mechanics are a refinement over Chaos, while both strategic and battlefield options reflect their inclinations towards ruthless ambushes.
Inside’s fraught four hours of oppressive pursuit, smart environmental manipulation, and unsettling imagery exhibit a consistency and obsessive attention to detail that few other games can boast.
It demands dedication (unless you’re a series vet) and neither AI nor UI are exactly flawless, but once you’re entrenched Hearts of Iron IV reveals itself as a capable and absorbing alt-history WW2 generator.
The match-up of Warhammer and Total War is as harmonious as hoped, adding tremendous faction diversity and fantasy flavour to the familiar series mechanics. It's technically sound too, but several old flaws (like AI blind spots in sieges) remain. An invigorating addition to the series, nonetheless.
All the galactic flavour and themes of a 4X space title, married to the mechanics of Paradox's recent grand strategy offerings. Stellaris has a space opera tale of gene manipulation, Federation politics, or colonial slavery for everyone.
Those who covet unique 4X factions and absorbing, atmospheric exploration should probably head elsewhere, but if you’re looking for logistical military exercises and satisfying galactic planning then Polaris Sector has you well covered.
The Banner Saga 2 reaps all the benefits and foibles of strict continuity. It maintains the outstanding presentation and decision-based narrative highs of the first entry, but minor changes to mechanics are unlikely to sway opinion on the unique, but slightly peculiar, combat system.
While “one of the most inventive typing games out there” is a summary in danger of being mistaken for faint praise, Epistory’s wonderful, paper-craft design and smart, word-based battle system combine to make it exactly that.