Steven John Dawson
NASCAR aficionados will likely love getting more action where they can, especially with the cancellation of events due to the pandemic at this time, but those that like a more varied racer might want to look elsewhere. If you want to dip your toes in the NASCAR water though, and find out why it's more than just turning left, HEAT 5 could well be a good shout.
A blast to play, and brings back much needed separation and personality to the numbered series of DIRT games that that DiRT 4 seemed to lose by blurring the lines too much. Playground mode will absolutely keep me coming back for more to beat not just my own, but friends' times as well, because there's nothing better than beating a time within mere hundredths and restoring bragging rights.
I can see myself spending a lot of time with FUSER, as I regale moments of my youth with various software that didn't have any of the shine present here. A music game without custom peripherals is a breath of fresh air - both in reducing the cost and in showing that it's about the creativity of mixing tracks, rather than just playing back some buttons in time with the screen.
Another smashing entry in the F1 series, and has left me wondering what more they could add for 2022 when that inevitably rolls out of the pits next year.
There's a few hours to be whittled away in Drake Hollow. And can be a good blast with a friend or two, as it helps to mitigate the constant need to return to base, allowing for an explorer to do their thing, a builder to do theirs, and a battler their own. Unfortunately as a solo experience, it erred more toward frustration because of the timed mechanics.
A return to arcade, a return to the docks, a return to drifting, and a return to putting fun above all else. This is what Grid should be about, enough fun to be had with the story and career modes, but an absolute hoon with a couple of mates in multiplayer.
Although slightly saddened by the omission of a story mode this time around, it's more than made up for by the new vehicle physics. The concern of "F1 Life" having any bearing on gameplay being quashed makes F1 22 another flying lap for Codemasters.
A great rally game, with an abundance of content from the last few games under Kylotonn's licensed WRC umbrella, but may adversely suffer from being very similar in presentation to previous entries, however the sheer amount of content available should quell any of those concerns.
Another fastest lap under for Codemasters, the predictability of the cars makes it a lot easier to handle than previous years-especially for those using a controller. Wheel users might not benefit so much from the changes, but the cars still feel more planted.
The best modern rally game to date, packed to the brim with big stages and plenty of cars. With updates like the Central European course coming later, as well as VR support down the line. If you're a fan of rallying in general, you owe it to yourself to have this one in your library.