Codemasters has tweaked and refined a Formula one driving experience that is, as of writing, unrivalled. Project Cars 2 lurks just round the corner, but it would require an awful lot to overtake this.
Vostok Inc. is a moreish slice of rampant capitalism, an adventure in both space combat and middle management, sewn together with cute ideas and clicker-style mini games. Once you have that initial bump you'll be hooked, but if you can go cold turkey for even a short time you might struggle to go back, even though it felt amazing. Vostok Inc. is here for a good time, not a long time.
With Assassin's Creed: Origins, Ubisoft has found an oasis in the desert. It's refreshing, blending sensible new mechanics with an established formula; moreover, it feels as though it was designed by a team with their eyes and ears open. The rulebook was far from thrown out, but it's been burnished to an impressive sheen, and this is the best the series has been since Ezio's heyday.
Deck Nine has shown an extraordinary understanding of a delicate formula. For fans, it's a return journey to one of the most vivid, joyous settings in gaming. For them, and for everyone else, it's a brave effort which, at times, surpasses the original.
The Sexy Brutale nods back to ancient tradition while wrapped in the trappings of the 20th century, taking notes from some of the best adventure games there have been. At the same time, it looks forwards, unwinding to its own tempo, creating a game that feels distinct from any other.
When your time with The Final Station comes to an end, you might feel like those pistons – firing over and over until you reach your terminus, bound by looping gameplay as they are to the track. Though it might thirst for challenge, it’s a surreal tour through a beautiful, brutal world – one underscored by loving attention to detail and an atmosphere unlike any other I’ve played. Despite the mechanical motions that get you there, the journey and the destination stay with you long after you disembark.
Islands: Non-Places is a game for certain kinds of players, and if you’ve read this review you may well have an idea that it might speak to you; I implore you to go and play it.
If you’re a console gamer and you haven’t played these, then The Collection is an easy one to recommend.
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun will have you plotting the art of war like a master tactician. You will forge elaborate plans and test them in the fires of a a beautifully realised Edo-period Japan.
It is easy to come away from Virginia inspired and reeling from the vision that the team at Variable state have conjured; it is impossible to come away unchanged.
It builds on the winning design of Armageddon, makes well-thought out and balanced new additions, and presents it all to you in a charming and vibrant cartoon style that lives up to your lying memories of 1999.
The new studios pay both respect and homage to the original releases by valuing their clarity above all else.
The game may never have been as sweet as it was in the first of the three main areas, but, to its credit, that’s because I was swept along by the story.
John Wick Hex could have been a number of different games, none of them as strange and satisfying as this.
Those intoxicated by the game's dreamy brew may argue that there are no detours—that, like the Zero, you're either on it or you're not. If you're anything like me and Conway, however, you'll be somewhere in-between.
With Shenmue III, we are offered a glimpse into a gifted mind, constantly turning the everyday into play.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has a string of wisely chosen influences, and it delivers on the long-overdue promise of a fun Jedi action-adventure. Bugs and design wrinkles irritate.
Death Stranding is filled with things that must be seen, a sprawling, genre-spanning sci-fi adventure from a developer like no other. It's tackier clumps of writing and stunt casting seem overwrought, but its direction and its stars shine brightest
Luigi's Mansion 3 is a beautifully animated adventure with satisfying puzzles and gadgets; it suffers slightly for its length, but a deep well of charm and humour win the day.
Control is Remedy at its best: pulpy, weird, and immensely satisfying to play. Its setting is a potent concoction of '60s brutalist style and wacky sci-fi. Performance issues hamper the shootouts, and the characters are a little cold, but it's the setting and atmosphere that win the day.