Ace Combat 7 is, sadly, a decent game that never quite hits the same highs as the planes contained within. It rapidly becomes too samey, and the games mechanics aren't really signposted enough, with you being catapulted into action with barely a mention of flight school.
The Sinking City is a near-miss, and a unique foray into surivival horror. It doesn’t coddle you, and it certainly doesn’t do any hand-holding, which makes it a unique detective outing let down in its execution by a number of tiny flaws.
Wargroove is a faithful update of a classic strategy series and, despite some smart additions, never really achieves more than that. The competence is commendable, and this is a solid game that will keep strategy fans amused for a while.
World War Z is nearly the Left 4 Dead sequel I've always wanted. The jump to third-person shooter doesn't grate, nor does the wholesale lifting of elements from the much-better Left 4 Dead series.
Aesthetic, soundtrack, car customisation… Need For Speed Heat has it all except for the most important part: the driving. A clumsy drifting mechanic, clumsy feeling cars and a lack of physicality hamper the game, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fun with it.
Batman - The Telltale Series doesn't reinvent the wheel and it has plenty of confusing design choices, but in giving it the Telltale treatment, the studio have made a fascinating adventure game and a unique portrayal of the Dark Knight that, if the rest of the series can live up to it, might stand the test of time.
Halo Wars 2 isn't a bad game, but compared to the wealth of excellent strategy games we've been spoilt by over the last few years, it feels positively ordinary. Exceptionally well-handled Halo fan service obfuscates a mediocre game that doesn't really have any new ideas. Fans of the franchise will appreciate what is here, but RTS buffs will be better served elsewhere.
Ghost Recon Wildlands delivers on the promise of a special operations sandbox, but its version of Bolivia is toothless, with its vivid colours and bright ideas coming together to create just a bland grey. The stealth gameplay is satisfying, and co-op gives the game more tactical depth than might first seem apparent, but technical issues and mediocre AI teammates and enemies lead to a performance that's more "meh" than "yeah!", and it's unlikely you'll hear anyone talking about Wildlands a month from now.
RIGS is suffering from a content deficit and made me feel sick every time I've played it, but as a competitive game it's compelling, albeit frequently frustrating. It's a bold step towards the sort of content VR needs, even if it falters in its execution.
Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is, honestly, a bit of a disappointment. It's a perfectly competent tactics game, and there is a solid 10 hours of narrative here for you to explore. However, it's mostly upsetting because of the flecks of brilliance that don't quite fit together, and the good ideas that aren't explored enough.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is a budget reimagining of a fan-favourite series that fails to live up to the heights of that franchise. It plays and looks like a last-gen game, and it was a struggle to plow through the game, even for review purposes.
For 99 percent of people, we'd recommend giving this a miss. There are better games out there and what Shenmue 3 does do well, largely the world and the process of digging into it, is ruined by the many many things it doesn't quite pull off. If you're a big fan of immersing yourself in a world or you loved the earlier Shenmue games, go wild, but your money would be spent better elsewhere.
John Wick Hex is a near miss and feels deeply dissatisfying to play. Which is a shame, because it's got heart, and we're gutted this gamble didn't work out.
Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 is a great sniping game let down by a mediocre open world, poor voice acting, technical hitches and terrible writing.
There's no denying Call of Duty is a well put together AAA game. In my first few hours with Call of Duty Black Ops 4, the most consistent aspect was how slick everything feels, exuding quality all over the place like a big ol' quality hose.