There is something bewitching in how the immediacy of video games can lead to places other mediums cannot.
As you step aboard the lunar station Tacoma, magnetic boots thunking to the metallic floor, you would be forgiven for a sense of deja vu.
This is another flourish of a fighting game that is big on style. There is a saunter and character to its roster, to its stages that fizz and crumble under the weight of battle, it is kinetic and fun and easy to get into. And it might just be your new favourite fighting game... even if you have never played one before.
From its sumptuous decor and macabre mysteries to its tragic, toy-like characters, The Sexy Brutale is a smart, sharp and assured game that is well worth your time. Even if you have to adhere to its usual rules.
Mario Kart 8 is as deliriously entertaining as it was when it was released three years ago.
As you might imagine, humanity branching out into a new galaxy comes with a few teething problems.
Despite its apparent veneer of wet-work homogeneity, Ghost Recon Wildlands is a tricky and, at times, troubling video game to pin down.
One of the finest video games ever made
I suspect that this game will follow a similar path to Ubisoft's equally interesting Rainbow Six Siege, building up a mid-sized, but fervent and dedicated fan-base. And due to For Honor's ferocious combat system and boldness to do things a little differently, its followers will find a war worth fighting.
You can often measure a game like Sniper Elite 4 by how much fun you are having when everything has gone to hell.
My word, this is very, very good horror. It is perhaps understandable that Capcom have held back as it ensures that, as Takeuchi ordered, Resident Evil is returned to its core. In that, 7 is a success, providing a rich, atmospheric and reverent chiller that is just silly enough to make sure we are all having fun.
What a pleasure it is to find a video game with such warmth and fascination with companionship. And what a joy it is for it to be found in a game with such an elegant sense of exploration.
There is a type of artistry in Dishonored 2 that is unique to video games.
Titanfall 2 shines when it is, as Alavi says, doing things that other shooters do not. Whether it is in the surprising invention of its campaign, or the busy ebb and flow of its multiplayer modes, this is a shooter that should not be overlooked.
Its thrilling, opulent campaign is tempered only by a lingering sense of familiarity and hesitation to capitalise on some interesting new ideas. While its online offerings feature all the bells and whistles you would expect of Gears of War. There is some work to be done for The Coalition to make Gears their own, then, but as the first page of a new chapter for the series? It is a helluva place to start.
If nothing else, this is certainly the most fascinating FIFA in years.
Forza Horizon 3 is what happens when a serious racing game lets the brakes off.
The annual football game clash has been fired up again in recent years, with Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer's huge improvement on the pitch finally giving FIFA a sturdy challenge.
Since the excellent Madden NFL 15 corrected a wobble in EA’
While the narrative is getting a juicy setup, the dialogue is altogether more whiffy, full of ‘sometimes you need a monster’ naval-gazing from pretty much everyone.