PCWorld's Reviews
Civilization VI has room to improve (particularly the AI), but this is the most complete a baseline Civ game has felt in ages and a few smart tweaks on the formula distinguish it from its predecessor.
The Forza Horizon series has long been the best arcade racer of the modern era, and this third iteration keeps that streak alive.
Watch Dogs 2 finally breaks with the "Ubisoft Formula" to create an open-world game that feels somewhat fresh and interesting. What a relief.
I miss it, now that it’s over. I’ve waited a long, long time for another Myst game. There have been some substitutes, some pinch hitters that tried to emulate that style. But there’s something special to me about an honest-to-goodness Cyan game. Me, personally—meaning I’m not strictly sure whether there’s a real-life difference or if my opinions are colored by nostalgia. It doesn’t matter, really, except insofar as I felt like I should write that lengthy disclosure up top. I like Cyan’s work.
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is an excellent adaptation. Like Sorcery, it never really transcends the cheesy sword-and-board adventure-fantasy of the original adventure gamebook it sources from, but that’s not really the point is it? Hell, the archetypal characters and straightforward questing are part of the charm. Tin Man’s lovingly reshaped Steve Jackson’s work into a relaxing and lightweight RPG, perfect to run once or twice in a night and hope this time you avoid all Zagor’s traps and make it to the end.
As a history buff, I've read a lot of books and watched a lot of films about World War I, but there's something different about experiencing that sort of event from the first-person perspective. Verdun isn't necessarily going to enthrall every shooter player (though I personally love the crack of its bolt-action arsenal), nor does it fully capture the horrors of World War I. I'm not sure any game could, at least with our current technology.
The PC adaptation of Steve Jackson's Sorcery! gamebooks has some rough edges, but it's a thrilling, sprawling adventure overall.
Sniper Elite 4 doesn't wholly shed its grindhouse, B-game origins, but it's definitely an ambitious step forward for a stealth series that used to rely more on gimmickry.
The bizarre and grim world of the Rusty Lake series has quickly become one of the standouts of the modern point-and-click genre.
With Prey, Arkane cements itself heir to the immersive sim. Exploiting Prey's systems in order to explore and discover Talos I is a constant source of joy, even when the combat and story falter.
Quern – Undying Thoughts is an excellent first-person puzzle game that’s likely to be doubly special to anyone who spent hours with Riven in years past. Reminiscent of both that style of storytelling and of puzzle design, it’s an excellent homage in an era suddenly packed full of Myst homages. A few subpar puzzles and some ill-paced backtracking sometimes get in the way of Quern’s ambitions, but my standard adventure game advice applies: Just check a walkthrough if you really feel the need to. It’s worth seeing through to the end.
Playtonic promised a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie, and that's what Yooka-Laylee delivers, flaws and all. It's a loving throwback to a bygone era and style of gaming.
Everything asks you to contemplate your place in the universe by inhabiting the point-of-view of hundreds of other creatures, plants, and objects.
Rock Band VR's not exactly a must-have, but it's up there—at least for people who haven't burned out on the plastic instrument genre. Me? As long as Harmonix keeps supporting it with DLC I'll probably keep checking back in, snagging a few songs, and putting on a show.
Endless Space 2 is the rare 4X game where the writing is better than the strategy—though the strategy is still pretty decent.
With its unique 1940's monster movie aesthetic and excellent voice casting, Wilson's Heart feels like the first "can't-miss" VR game. Too bad it's a Rift exclusive.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm isn't as groundbreaking as its predecessor, but it's an excellent refinement of those ideas and a solid prequel.
Rusty Lake is as bizarre as it is brilliant, and while Paradise isn't the best of the three paid entries, its brand of Victorian Gothic weirdness is still unique enough to earn a wholehearted recommendation.
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition might always live in the shadow of its younger sibling, but Forgotten Empires has crafted a gorgeous update for diehard fans of the original or simply fans of ancient history. Wololo.
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine's slow pace may grate on some, but those who can acclimatize are in for a fascinating deconstruction of America, as seen through the myths, folklore, and scraps of history we tell each other.