Simon Cardy
FIFA 23 on Switch is a prime example of minimal effort for maximum profit.
FIFA 22: Legacy Edition on Nintendo Switch is another infuriating release in the series.
Underbaked, rehashed, and cobbled together from multiplayer parts, Modern Warfare 3’s single-player campaign is everything a Call of Duty story mode shouldn’t be.
Yes, at least eFootball 2022 does now have a fully-fledged mode to take it past the point of being a demo, but it's still lacking so much more than you'd expect from a 1.0 version of a game.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a repetitive and bland looter-shooter that, despite an engaging story, never stays fun for long enough.
Predator: Hunting Grounds offers brief moments of blockbuster action, but ultimately underwhelms more than it excites.
FIFA 19 is a threadbare experience on the Switch. The inclusion of the Champions League and a significant graphical upgrade goes some way to approaching the levels on presentation found on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC version, but on the pitch it's a mile away from being a premium football simulation and fails to build on last year's game. I can see myself having some fun playing the new House Rules modes locally with friends, but in most single-player modes there is no doubt that it is a repetitive and unfulfilling experience.
Speed Golf is a fun addition, but a poor adventure mode, a slight selection of courses and low replayability results in Mario Golf: Super Rush being an underwhelming entry into the series.
Destruction AllStars can provide fun bursts of frantic car combat action, but never adds up to much more than that.
This year's Call of Duty multiplayer is somewhat of a backwards step for the series.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is a puzzle game with unique ideas that takes far too long to fully implement them.
Horizon Call of the Mountain’s exciting highs elevate it just enough above its often monotonous climbing mechanics to create a fun first blockbuster entry into the PS VR 2 library.
PowerWash Simulator's simple yet therapeutic style of gameplay provides an enjoyable way to chill out across its numerous generously sized levels.
Call of Duty Vanguard's highly polished campaign provides a healthy amount of fun, even if its brief length and lack of variety lead it to fall short of the classic pieces of war cinema it's trying to emulate.
All in all, FIFA 21 is a year of small improvements with much to enjoy, but little to shout about.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 delivers Insomniac's best tale yet, and despite its open world falling short, is a reliably fun superhero power trip.
A couple of poor boss battles aside, Burning Shores is a great new chapter with enough creative new bells and whistles to keep Horizon fans more than happy.
Overwatch 2’s switch to a 5v5 format breathes new life into what was once the sharpest shooter around. It just hasn’t quite recaptured all of that glory – yet.
Bugsnax is a puzzle-adventure packed full of charm, mystery and a surprising amount of emotional depth.
AWE is an enjoyable few hours back in the world of the Bureau and a great first step into Remedy's Connected Universe.