If it's possible to preserve a sense of tension and genuine horror in an open-world setting, The Evil Within 2 hasn't discovered how. In an attempt to introduce a more contemporary gameplay style than that of Shinji Mikami's classics, this game ends up diluting its best qualities by filling your time with tedious milling about and resource-gathering.
Ubisoft tightens up the systems but can't quite replicate the sparkle for this fun but flawed RPG sequel.
At its core is a rewarding driving model, hundreds of gorgeous and unusual cars, and some imaginatively designed solo championships to tackle in them. In time, it will probably be unreservedly brilliant. But, right now, I can't overlook the technical problems that I'm having. And, to continue this candour, I can't overlook the VIP pass nerfing or the exclusion of a season pass from Forza's Ultimate Edition either.
Its generation-long strengths hold true, and just about prevail over an increasingly cynical microtransaction creep. My Career's jump to an open-world setting throws a new gauntlet down to the rest of sports gaming.
Serious racing for serious racers. Extraordinarily convincing at each of the disciplines on offer.
As close as you can get to an F1 driver's life without being cussed by Sebastian Vettel.
In the end, Ark's ambition pulls it in the right direction with more force than its clunkiness tugs it the other way. It's always more enjoyable to spend time with a game that tries something new and exciting, stumbling along the way, than a game that tries to tick focus group-inspired boxes. If that game also happens to simulate an entire prehistoric ecosystem, and produces bewildering emergent scenarios like clockwork, all the better.
There's a firm foundation for a great competitive shooter here, but the rest of the house needs to be built on it sooner rather than later. LawBreakers needs ultra-skilled players to come in and show the rest of us what's possible, but they need a competitive format to entice them in. Until that happens it's a dizzying and consistently exciting shooter, but one whose long-term appeal isn't yet locked in.
In the end, it's one of those 'good game buried in here somewhere' experiences.
A triumph in both mechanics and delivery, Hitman turns its controversial episodic release model into a true strength that's suited to IO's vast and nuanced sandboxes.
The imperative to cash in on Black Flag is transparent, but as it turns out a location swap works wonders for igniting the hooded pirate in you again.
One of the most exciting racing game environments for years, unfortunately bound to a slew of dull races and superfluous story.
With its fundamentals unchanged and last year's foray into classic cars removed, F1 2014 provides very little beyond a perfunctory car and track update.
No flashy new features or buzzwords, just magnificent racing stemming from a refinement of Grid 1's greatness.