A rough-edged but worthwhile spin on historical 4Xs that oddly leaves Civ's greatest flaws untouched.
The show's trademark knack for satire staves off the sameness in this wintry brawler
It was never going to be a revolution, but you feel the new features on and off the pitch.
As mechanically polished as driving sims have ever been on PC. Stately and familiar, but finely crafted.
No, really-they've actually changed things this year, and the football feels better.
Forza mimicry aside, the improved handling and visuals, along with Grand Race mode, are a revelation.
Nacho Rodríguez's point-and-click is like an old kid's cartoon, a cavalcade of imagery where Lucasfilm meets Dalí
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.