Forza mimicry aside, the improved handling and visuals, along with Grand Race mode, are a revelation.
The beginnings of a PvPvE cult hit. Extinct animal slaughter is fundamentally fun, but the foundations are sparse.
The PlayStation classic remains out of reach on PC due to debilitating performance issues.
A slow-paced and overly simplistic take on city building and war waging, but blessed with wholesome looks and a relaxing atmosphere.
A story-led shooter that's heaving with ideas and boasts a distinct sci-fi setting in its doomed USSR. There are cringeworthy moments and occasional design missteps, but the way your abilities and the enemy ecosystem combine is a constant thrill.
This could have been a great fish-out-of-water experience, but it's let down by patronising explanations and clunky gameplay.
A serious display of sci-fi storytelling talent, even if the production falls short of space age.
Some well-judged bold calls in both mechanics and visual direction elevate a familiar arcade racer above NFS's previous monotony.
A lumbering historical murder mystery with little regard for tension or pacing, but one that packs in such dense detail you can't help but respect it. Pentiment immerses you in 1500s Bavaria and that's the main event.
Football Manager is still the best sim of its kind, but FM23's serious lack of major improvements shows an annual release schedule taking its toll.
Tense and involving, if just slightly lacking smarts and spectacle. A firm foundation to build a series on.
Built on the foundations of several fantastic games, and those qualities remain – but you already own them. F1 22 simply doesn't offer enough for a full-price purchase.
Moral murkiness helps preserve the tension across Swansong’s duration. There’s always something at stake – your life, the masquerade, your integrity – and that does a lot to infuse some meaning into all the talking and scouring rooms for notes. I doubt that Swansong is set to become a vampire RPG of legend, like 2004’s Bloodlines, but it nonetheless makes vampires scary again.
Gripping supernatural subterfuge meets perfunctory mechanics. Worth it to explore the World of Darkness, though.
Turns out it's possible to be a turn-based Warhammer 40k game and still retain user-friendliness and pace. Who knew.
A documentary format worth expanding and repeating, more assists, and the same rough but rewarding racing.
It certainly isn’t a matter of a lack of talent at PES Productions. I don’t believe for a second the developers don’t know how to make a better game than this - we need only look at the last few PES games for evidence to the contrary. These are vastly talented, experienced, passionate people, working as best they can on a deeply flawed concept with a spectacularly poorly communicated plan. They don’t deserve chastisement on social media, though they’ll inevitably get it. But equally, eFootball 2022 still doesn’t deserve your time yet.
Still recognisably Borderlands, but the sense of place and improvisation elevates Tiny Tina's Wonderlands beyond expectations. The overworld map feels tacked-on, but Gearbox commits to the bit in every other aspect.
This fun D&D-infused cooperative shooter treads a line between fourth-wall prodding and juvenile, with unicorn queens and hi-tech weaponry
A well-judged modern adaptation of one of gaming's all-time great adventures. The PC port doesn't push beyond the PS5's limits though, and who knows how many releases will conclude this remake.