Dead Space comparisons are impossible to avoid - but while The Callisto Protocol's missing some of the depth and tension, it makes up for it with production value and bloody-minded fun.
Simultaneously both full of heart and unapologetically in-your-face, it takes everything you loved about its predecessor whilst gently – almost invisibly – buffing the things you didn't like so much, too. What a treat.
In Scorn, a game of wonderfully horrible atmosphere and smart, hands-off puzzling is undermined by some dodgy checkpoints and wonky combat.
Grounded's charming, Honey I Shrunk the Kids premise is elevated by its uniquely welcoming approach to wonder.
Volition's Saints Row reboot won't set the world alight, but there's a punchy game here with some pleasant surprises.
Those few quibbles aren't quite enough to sully Cosmonaut's otherwise thoughtful game, though, and it sank its talons in deep enough to keep me experimenting with "just one more" event into the wee hours. It's possible some may mislabel its careful pacing as slow, and others may think its prosaic presentation boring. For me, however - whilst it's not without its flaws - Eternal Threads presents its story, characters, and mechanical systems with care and precision, weaving together an entirely captivating experience.
If it hadn't have been for that thoroughly unjust Rewind right at the end of my playthrough, The Quarry - with its stunning visuals, wonderful voice work, fabulous score, and intriguing plot line - would have been one of my favourite games of the year thus far, and one of the best horror romps for some time. As it stands, though, it's hard to feel anything but disappointment for a game that took all my time and effort and just discarded them without warning. It's one thing to kill off a character; it's another to kill off a player's enthusiasm.
Those small - or big, depending upon your personal view - irritations aside, there's a lot to enjoy about Chinatown Detective Agency, and the story's just about worth the ride. Personally, I'm a little tired of the penchant for retro pixel art, but if you can make your peace with the other lightweight or frustrating mechanics, Chinatown Detective Agency introduces you to a memorable cast and takes you to some striking places. What a crime it is, then, that such a promising premise doesn't quite do enough with them.
Mediocre combat and tiresome activities hold back Ghostwire: Tokyo's otherwise spectacular, otherwordly atmosphere.
A good premise and gripping start is undermined by a second half of bugs, bad writing, and grossly overused clich's of mental ill-health.
Far: Changing Tides' story is a little longer and its puzzles more refined than its predecessor, while its world is as beautiful as ever.
Rainbow Six Extraction's tactical PvE is good, punchy fun with a squad, and has a couple of nice little twists - but that's about it.
Radiohead's near-genreless music is paired with a remarkable first-person walkthrough that's just a touch light on interactivity.
Mundaun's haunting, pencil-sketch style works wonders, but a few repetitive fetch-quests and slightly underwhelming systems hold it back.
Moncage offers a gorgeous blend of narrative threads and teasing puzzles, that makes for a game of real elegance.
An otherworldly journey that runs out of things to do.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is enjoyable enough at times, but weighed down by a deluge of unnecessary systems and bullet-sponge combat.
Gentle storytelling and challenging puzzles on an island of intrigue.
The weight of Halo with a neat borrowing from Valve makes this a shooter to remember.
A short, sharp and fairly shallow take on the famed franchise nevertheless delivers on the full Aliens power fantasy.