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The remaster wants to remind you of what it was like to play Oblivion in 2006, but some changes make it lose sight of this and it feels just enough like a different experience to be jarring.
Old Skies is an engaging point-and-click. It may not deviate heavily from the genre's formula, but the way the game bakes the time-travel aspects into some of the puzzle-solving provides a number of highs, and Fia's touching story and the twists along the way are worth experiencing.
Blue Prince is a special game full of mysteries, secrets and mind-blowing moments with an addictive gameplay loop. It's so good that labelling this as one of the best puzzle games of all time feels like a disservice. Instead, it's possibly the most memorable experience I've ever had playing a game and I can't stop thinking about it.
Elevated by its stop-motion-inspired animation style, South of Midnight is an enthralling experience that avoids open-world bloat to tell a deeply touching tale.
Atomfall is a distinctly British take on the sci-fi apocalypse, but it’s so much more than that. The different parts of the game work together to provide the player an open-ended experience that’s both thrilling and rewarding, in a harsh world that’s begging to be explored.
Assassin's Creed Shadows takes ideas from previous entries as well as some bold experimental swings to create a defining entry in the franchise – perhaps as series-defining as Black Flag.
Expelled! follows a similar blueprint to Overboard!, but ambition in its narrative design helps the game to feel rewarding in a different way. There's more to the story than trying to clear Verity's name. How Verity develops as a character across several playthroughs is the reason why Inkle's latest is able to stand out on its own.
If you allow yourself to take in the vibes and slowly meander to the conclusion then Lost Records will reward you with character development, laughs and a satisfying experience.
Businesses & Hobbies' disjointed nature ultimately means it doesn't realise its full potential – though this can be somewhat mitigated if you have invested a fair bit into The Sims 4. Having a decent range of packs helps to take full advantage of the customisable side of business gameplay and make up for some of the expansion's flaws.
While Split Fiction doesn't necessarily break new ground, it's an entertaining ride and delivers a polished co-operative experience with an infectious level of enthusiasm.
Keep Driving brings together all of its systems to create narratives that unfold organically and that are easy to get lost in. You may encounter the same hitchhikers or the same quests across two different runs, but the stories won't be the same. It's about the journey, not the destination.
Avowed is full of consequential player choices, meaningful side content and rewarding exploration all backed up by slick movement and some of the best combat in a first-person action RPG. It might not reinvent the genre, but Obsidian has achieved everything they set out to by creating a super fun adventure worth your time.
Rift is another great entry in the NecroDancer series. It may be a more 'traditional' lane-scrolling rhythm title, but how the game incorporates Crypt's elements to create its own spin on the formula is noteworthy.
UFO 50 may be inspired by an era that's several generations ago, but an incredible amount of imagination and work went into making this collection of games more than just about evoking nostalgia. The collection also manages to feel fresh and innovative, delivering thrills and the feeling of discovery at nearly every turn. It's unlike anything I've played, and represents a passion and love for the medium in such a special way.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle isn’t just a masterful execution of a licensed game. It takes everything that MachineGames has learned from the Wolfenstein series and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay to create a deeply fun cinematic experience that explores Indiana Jones as a character and will really have you hooked as you take up the call to adventure.
There are things I could nitpick, but they're easy to forgive as this is the most engaged I've been playing the game in a long time.
Double Exposure may fall a little short when compared to some of the previous games in the series, but Max Caulfield's return is still a riveting (and wild) ride. Max is as caring and likeable as ever. We loved spending time with her again – from her adorably awkward attempts at flirting at the start through to the dramatic if slightly uneven climax – and would more than welcome further stories with her.
If you've never played Until Dawn, the remake is a good time to experience this cult classic. It's as fun and thrilling as it was in 2015. However, while the remake improves upon the original in some ways, the overall improvement isn't vast enough to the point where this version is a must for those who've played through the game once before.
It's an evocative story that is beautifully told and has plenty of heart, and one that feels increasingly relevant in the context of the world that we live in.
In a world of stellar remakes, it sits up there with the best and sets the bar high – recreating the source material with a level of passion that can only come from fans of the series, while still having the bravery to expand upon it in ways that will no doubt be dug into for years to come.