F1 2021 is the best-looking and most customisable instalment of series so far and, while it's a little plain, the new story mode is a well-executed and fun new addition.
WRC 10 is another successful example of KT Racing's commitment to fantastic stage design and frantic, fast-paced, and occasionally unforgiving fun.
F1 22 maintains this series' run as the most fully-featured and accessible mainstream motorsport sim on the market, but the flashy new F1 Life mode feels largely pointless.
Part visual novel, part lightning-fast FPS platformer, Neon White's angst-ridden assassins are unbearable but its airtight level design and fantastic sense of momentum ensure its gameplay is something to celebrate.
It isn't as surprising and novel as it was the first time around, but Forza's high-speed brand of life-sized, toy-themed stunt racing is still a riotous good time.
With its absolute mountain of rally locations, WRC Generations is uncommonly generous package for gravel groupies, asphalt addicts, and mud-slinging maniacs alike.
Atomic Heart is a highly imaginative, atompunk-inspired attempt at picking up where the likes of BioShock left off that makes missteps but definitely has the ticker to punch well above its weight.
Rally Adventure is more conventional than last year’s outlandish Hot Wheels expansion, but fusing the open-world foundations of Forza Horizon with the arcade accessibility of Sega Rally is still a winning combination.
LEGO 2K Drive is a wild and whimsical all-ages kart racer with an incredible custom vehicle creation tool that’s just about worth the price of admission alone.
With Braking Point 2 aboard, F1 23 is a far heartier package than F1 22. However, while the new F1 World mode is packed with activities, its loot-based upgrade system may split fans.
Immortals of Aveum is an impressively confident first-person shooter with a hearty solo campaign and fast-paced, spellcasting combat that’s spectacular to watch.
Forza Motorsport is brimming with new features across the board, from its muscular new multiplayer to its much-improved handling, but its new RPG-inspired upgrade system feels like a step down.
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 is an impeccably detailed and blisteringly fast racer with incredible graphics and rock-solid arcade underpinnings, although it’s guilty of forgetting to suitably cater to its wide audience at times.
Expeditions: A MudRunner Game isn’t a replacement for the supremely addictive SnowRunner, but its more untamed wilderness maps make it a worthwhile complementary experience.
Fast, beautiful, and accessible, but a more modest, conventional arcade racer than its sprawling, open-world peers.
One thing's for sure: The more I've played Hitman's debut "episode" the more I've enjoyed it. Despite the often boneheaded AI and dire loading times, Hitman has definitely combined the best of both worlds. There's scope for it to improve in some areas as the levels are released throughout the year but this is a fun, confident start.
Far Cry Primal succeeds in transporting the Far Cry formula back in time and comes to the table with a quiver of neat ideas and a dangerous and fascinating open world. The visceral and varied combat is fun, the beast-based gameplay is a winner, and the lure of camp-claiming, gear-crafting, beast hunting, and resource gathering remains irresistible.
Forza Horizon 4: LEGO Speed Champions is the freshest twist on LEGO games in ages, but it's not as wild as Hot Wheels.
In many ways, GT Sport is the most polished Gran Turismo game in over a decade. It looks great, feels great, and what's here has been carefully and well executed. However, while I can forgive the sprinkling of eccentric nonsense, the lack of car and track content really hurts, and the online-only nature of the vast majority of it is worrying. Overall it just isn't as complete as its key competitors.
Hitman Episode 4: Bangkok gets proceedings back on track after the somewhat bland Marrakesh malarkey of Episode 3. The Himmapan resort may lack the size and scope of Sapienza, and it isn’t quite the classic Hitman hotel level I was after, but it still boasts plenty of problem solving and murderous mayhem within its walls.