Beneath the fireworks and confetti, FIFA 20’s lacking match fitness.
A game with unapologetically singular focus, its distillation of deeper MMOs' elements nevertheless results in an experience that all too often feels barren. Phil Iwaniuk
For the first time in years, Need For Speed has remembered why people used to play it so religiously, and recognised the more recent elements that put them off.
Still addictively enormous, but more open to newcomers than ever, FM 2020 is a brilliant update to a brilliant series.
Often obtuse in its puzzle design and not that artfully told, The White Door is still effective at taking you to another place.
Funny, fresh, and full of surprises, Typhoon's debut blends genres expertly.
Novel presentation and a masterful complexity curve, but The Pedestrian's very shy about storytelling.
Size Five offers both classic platforming and point-and-click adventuring in this self-aware and deeply anglocentric caper
A haunting journey through a woodland with a real sense of place, but its breadth of mechanics silts up the pacing. Phil Iwaniuk
A clear and distinct spin on 4-player co-op FPS with atmosphere, ingenuity… and real navigational problems.
A fine balancing act of challenge and intrigue, with stabiliser wheels courtesy of Ron Perlman's voice.
Thoughtful tweaks and deeper team management make a superb update as other annualised sports series flounder
An incredible exploration portal with even greater potential once its tech issues have been addressed.
Aside from a handful of updates, PES 2021 is the same as last year's game.
This is a gripping tale of crime families, sharp shooting and sharper suits – but has this remaster lost some of Mafia's charm?
Arcade offroad racing of the like we've played four times previously.
With a newfound litheness on the pitch and deep data analysis, FM21 gives you an easy excuse to relapse.
Not the finest physics simulation ever, but good enough to convey a uniquely challenging discipline-plus, all the customisation items in the world.
Wobbly and unstable in all the right ways, and some of the wrong ones too.
Much like the sport itself, the driving is as impressive as ever. But the worries about management's business practices endure, too. Fundamentally, F1 2021 is worth it for the handling model.