Alan Strawbridge
Easily the best F1 game ever made, rammed full of content that reads like the fans' wish list. Edge of the seat racing backed up by a hearty team management sim, split screen racing and audio and visuals which are edging ever closer to perfection.
Turn off your mind, relax and ram someone off the road. A definitive festival of wrecking which nails the damage modelling and weighty feel of the cars perfectly, Weckfest is a must for anyone with even the smallest fondest for racing and wrecking.
WRC 9 is the complete rally package - tough but rewarding handling, astonishing representations of the real world rally stages, and a wealth of gameplay options. Many hours of non-blinking fun are to be had for racing fans, with a free sexy upgrade to the PS5 version on the horizon.
A combination of a laudable driving experience and exquisitely modelled official rally environments across 14 countries means WRC 8 delivers the goods and deserves your attention.
Kentucky Route Zero is a game for those who are happy to slowly digest the measured nuances of a text heavy, but visually stunning and thought provoking adventure. Narrative weirdness abounds but it is anchored by a cast of charming and gentle characters who you will grow to love.
Using dismembered limbs to solve puzzles has never been this much fun, and aside from a few fiddly control issues, this fresh, original and highly irreverent comic book adventure through an alternative Nordic afterlife is highly recommended.
A gentle and meditative story which combines simple platforming puzzles and some basic steam engineering to great effect. Beautifully illustrated and scored, FAR Changing Tides is a joyful experience for patient players who are happy to jump aboard this serene cruise through a flooded but gorgeously bleak post-climate changed world.
A highly original puzzle-platformer from Lithuanian developers Flazm which combines an emotional time-travelling storyline with some intricate and very relaxing exploration filled with highly ingenious level design. Another indie gem which offers a very memorable and loveable gaming experience.
Zen Studios clearly know what they are doing when it comes to Pinball, and this collection available to purchase via the new free to download Pinball FX hub is evidence enough. The tables now look and play faultlessly and have been rebuilt from the ground up for the current generation of consoles. The downside is that any previously purchased tables must be paid for again and amongst the vast array of superb tables available, there are some unremarkable and dull ones. However, as demonstrated by the one free table created by the developers shows, the original creations deserve to be played and the addiction factor is such that many an enjoyable hour can be whiled away in the company of Pinball FX.
A deliciously compulsive simulation of a busy restaurant which tests your mental agility and finger dexterity to the full. Humourous presentation and the couch co-op are the icing on the cake.
As accurate a representation of rally driving as you'll get on this generation of consoles, replete with a punishing learning curve and zero tutorials. Aside from the unrewarding Rallycross department, Dirt Rally 2.0 delivers an impassive and accomplished high speed rallying experience.
Codemasters have managed to improve their F1 game once again in 2019, and have added another entire echelon of cars and drivers from the F2 proving ground. The racing itself looks and plays faultlessly and is accessible enough for beginners and non-F1 fans.
A serene and pretty aesthetic sits atop a brutal but satisfying arcade downhill bike game which wears its retro stylings and simplicity with pride. A fine game for all and not just for MAMILS!
A fantastic simulation of Superbike road racing wrapped up with some delicious audio/visuals which perfectly encapsulates the relentless speed and terror of the Isle of Man TT. A wholesale improvement on the first game and well worth investing the time it takes to get to grips with the challenging handling.
Snakeybus will bring a smile to your face, which in this day and age, is a very welcome thing. Good wholesome score-attack arcade driving combined with some hilariously weird but subtle comedy elements, Snakeybus is worth inviting into your home.
A genuinely scary and intriguing horror portmanteau which overcomes the fiddly inventory system and slightly repetitive environs through its inventive interpretation of its film and game influences. If you're a horror fan who wants to find out how Konami's P.T. may have turned out, you'd be hard pushed to find a more terrifying surrogate.
A space agency simulator which overcomes its PC roots and primitive presentation to become a highly addictive and original strategy game. Packed with space facts and sprinklings of humour, Mars Horizon is a joy to dip into for both young and old and your thumbs can rest while your brain takes over.
A brief but mesmerising monochrome puzzler which constantly impresses with its audio/visual brevity, and occasionally stumps you with some impassable brain-teasers. Highly recommended for fans of graphic novels and puzzles, but with the caveat that you'll be on a YouTube walkthrough at least once during your time with Iris.Fall.
Despite a dearth of original ideas, Pumpkin Jack is a highly accomplished paean to the classic 3D platformers of yesteryear from a solo developer. It's packed with variety, beautifully designed and highly playable so highly recommended for fans of the genre.
Relive the joys of discovering nature as a child with this beautiful but brief story of conservation and exploration set on an enticingly warm Mediterranean island. Highly recommended for kids with a nature conservationist bent, but also for adults who want to relax in the warmth of the sun in the company of an adorable cast of characters.