Matt Elliott
Bravely Default is ambitious without being unconventional: an effective, engaging addition to a genre often hamstrung by tradition.
Relentlessly charming despite its dark heart, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney handles moments of sweeping sadness as easily as it does comedy awfulness.
Costume Quest 2 is more treat than trick. Some unfortunate repetition means it's best enjoyed in moderation, but it's still colourful, sweet and slightly addictive.
Never Alone is bursting with promise and charm, but is savagely let down by technical flaws and maddening design decisions. Not even the cutest fox in gaming can save it.
Rugby 15 isn't just a disappointment; it's significantly worse than its forebears. The simple stuff is over-complicated, and the basic tenets of Rugby Union are wrong. A nightmare vision of sporting hell.
Dying Light parades its lack of invention and frustrates with some unrewarding missions, but it barely matters: there's an immediate joy in exploring this compelling concrete playground of undead, explosions, and bins.
Fine fighter with an enjoyably daft story, marred by wobbly port to PC.
Rocket League is fast, fun and relentlessly enjoyable. The best football game without feet.
Saying it's improved is like admiring the silver lining on a nuclear mushroom cloud. This is a series slowly urging its squat, miserable bulk in the right direction, but it's impossible to recommend.
An exercise in heavenly multitasking that's exhilarating alone but better with a friend.
More rich quail rather than plump-breasted pheasant, but still a rare and satisfying bird.
A cleanly executed idea falls short because of flat characterisation and a dissatisfying lack of consequence. If only real papers were this toothless.
Master its complex systems and Offworld Trading Company is ruthless, immediate and thoroughly rewarding.
A charismatic, challenging, intricate strategy game that brings the Warhammer world to life.
A fresh, fearsome realisation of a classic Warhammer race that revitalises the core game.
Bold and enjoyable at times, unplayable at others, Man o' War: Corsair is too leaky to wholeheartedly recommend.
A savage, sometimes frustrating space exploration game that succeeds because of beautiful design and a compelling universe.
Despite some narrative missteps, Tekken 7 is still a compelling, exhilarating experience. Find the right sparring partner and it will entertain you indefinitely.
A deep, customisable fighter that just happens to include the best video game movie never made.