Oli Welsh
Ivory Tower's ode to the open road is an underrated gem, but this fiddly expansion still can't advance its MMO aspirations.
The new Lara Croft works out some kinks in a second act that, while slick and enjoyable, doesn't resolve Tomb Raider's identity crisis.
And as a game in its own right? You can't accuse it of being short on content, features or ideas, but it's hardly long on them either, and it's a shade overpriced for what it is. Perhaps worse, you can tell that Tipping Stars is a game made with care but without passion, a game that isn't its own raison d'�tre. Like the little clockwork Marios marching toward their goal, it's got purpose, but it's not the real, joyful thing.
There's a superb driving simulation at the core of this rough-hewn package, but it's strictly for enthusiasts only.
Playground Games delivers yet another gorgeous and enveloping pocket holiday, smartly restructured but reassuringly unchanged.
A far-out new expansion and major levelling revamp see Blizzard's veteran online world riding a new wave of popularity.
Cardboard Computer's elusive adventure game gets a final episode and a console edition, but don't wolf it all down at once.
Hideo Kojma's first post-Metal Gear game is a messy, indulgent vanity project - but also a true original.
Telling Lies, by contrast, is but a second baby step into uncharted territory: a little wobbly, a little naive. But definitely courageous and exciting.
Blending solitaire with role-playing, combat and a racy, buccaneering plot, Shadowhand is a delight - and a true British eccentric.
Another handsome, well built and entertaining Forza rolls off the production line - though there are controversial changes under the hood.
This wonky crossover is the unlikely source of a superbly designed tactical combat challenge as well as a charmingly silly adventure.
A brisk running time and lower stakes do the Uncharted formula no harm at all - even if this spin-off sticks a bit too close to the script.
Hello Games' lush galactic odyssey is a unique work of engineering art - and an engrossing, if flawed, game.
The most melancholy, complex and troublesome Zelda gets a lavish restoration that leaves its strange and stubborn heart untouched.
Another sumptuous, endlessly entertaining automotive playground, but its shift into 'shared-world' online gaming is only a partial success.
Big, beautiful and rewarding, Jon Blow's enigmatic puzzle epic is virtuoso game design - and only a fraction too clever for its own good.
Gaming's most confident storytellers close the book on Nathan Drake's adventures with their best chapter yet.
One of the most corporate games ever, Forza 6 nonetheless brings great advances like Showcases and League racing to its solid formula.
Released on consoles at last, this elegantly grim adventure at the end of the world is that rare contradiction: a nostalgic original.