And yet for all that there's a nagging sense of overfamiliarity, of running the same races in slightly more bloated cars in what's now a slightly more bloated game. F1 22 is a remarkably broad game too, it should be pointed out - one that can be enjoyed by the growing audience the sport now enjoys. It's a remarkably familiar one too, mind, that through no fault of its own never really feels like the measure of last year's model - a predicament the sport finds itself in now, as it struggles to match the fireworks and fury of the classic that was the 2021 season. In that way, perhaps F1 22 is a little too authentic for its own good.
Though if you’ve any affection for the genre, or any love for the likes of Darius and Gradius, then there’s really no reason to wait until then. Drainus has a silly name and a few small frustrations, but that doesn’t stop it delivering the same heart-soaring spectacle and sharp, satisfying action that makes the greats soar. This might fall just short of being one of them, but it’s an exquisite shooter all the same.
Kirby's long anticipated move to 3D platforming sees the series step up to a new level of invention and wonder.
Polyphony Digital celebrates 25 years of its series with the return of the campaign and the most focussed and finessed Gran Turismo to date.
Techland's vast blockbuster buckles under its own ambition and lacks in innovation, but makes up for it with outstanding parkour and combat.
Dotemu delivers an exquisite extension of Data East's 1994 masterpiece.
KT Racing celebrates 50 years of WRC with a generous, enjoyable package - even if some old problems persist.
There are some neat new toys while Portal delivers the series at its best, but 2042 launches as the weakest Battlefield in some time.
Ubisoft builds upon the framework of Steep with this enjoyably eccentric open world extreme sports adventure.
Hiroyuki Ito returns to the helm for the first time since Final Fantasy 12 in another brilliant examination of RPG fundamentals.
A surprisingly generous and deep life sim from the mind of Swery, but a frustratingly creaky one too.
A stylish, visually sumptuous return for 2D Metroid, and an adventure that proudly sits alongside the series' best.
There are missteps and a new look that doesn't quite pop, but Banana Mania ends up an enjoyable celebration of the series in its prime.
RGG Studio's broadest, most packed open world is matched by mediocre additions and an ill-fitting story.
A stupendously entertaining, infectiously energetic racer that could only have ever come from the arcades.
The open world returns, as does so much of that scattershot humour, in this uneven but enjoyable sequel.
An entertaining and surprisingly effective new story mode heads up an otherwise modest refresh for Codemasters' official series.
Some standard Nintendo limitations get in the way, but this is still an invaluable education in some of the fundamentals of game creation.
Ultimate Showdown reinforces all that, and even if it's not quite the ultimate release of Virtua Fighter 5 it's a delight to get lost in the rhythms of what remains an all-time great, and a timeless one at that. For old diehards like myself Virtua Fighter 5 sits alongside OutRun 2 as the very best of Sega, and for all the missed opportunities here - the less than perfect netcode, the lack of periphery frills or much by way of new content - the chance to play it alongside a new audience is more than worthwhile. Maybe it's not quite the grand return the series deserves, but it's a game that still deserves to be played.
A 2D run and gunner that's as in your face as an 80s Troma classic, Huntdown matches its excess with brilliant detail.