With an interesting idea at its heart, Minit becomes a tiring process of incremental steps. There are moments where its looping play does shine, but they are rare, and, like its fleeting premise, it wont stay in the mind long.
A vivid sense of time and place, and a fantastic central idea, soon turn pale with repetitive combat and a forest of conversation trees. But what's here is different, and spells good things for the understocked vampire genre's future.
An intriguing taste for what's to come in Life is Strange Season 2. The series' formula shows its age here and there, but what shines, as ever, is sensitive writing, and an excellent setting.
Dead Cells is, at times, constrained by the genres it so heavily draws from, but its vibrant pixel art, furious combat, and rigorous execution make for a winning formula all its own.
The originality of its vision and the thrust of its narrative more than excuse some sci-fi clichés, and you're left with a breezy adventure game which compels with its ideas, if not always with its play.
Tanglewood presents you with a beautiful world to platform and puzzle through, and delivers a potent rush of nostalgia, but it's merit is tied inseparably to its hardware, and risks gimmickry.
Rebellion has wrought a breezy shooter, angled it towards multiplayer, and burnished it with wit, but its minute-to-minute action is repetitive and feels imprecise.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider takes the series' formula and pushes it, polishing the platforming and bolstering its tombs, but the game's power ebbs as the main quest is bloated with distraction, and the writing is still patchy and dull.
A seductive art style, hazy synth sounds, and some well-designed puzzles give The Gardens Between a pleasant mood, but it doesn't stay in the mind long after the credits.
A beautiful Britain, an exuberant driving engine, and generosity of spirit make Forza Horizon 4 a masterclass.
A slow start and and a shifting tone give way to a strong central relationship and some tough choices. The road ahead intrigues.
Despite the lack of a campaign and any tonal consistency, Black Ops 4 boasts a thrilling entry into the battle royale space.
Fallout 76 is an ambitious game that's burned by it. The online features hamper what could have been a great Fallout game.
Just Cause 4's thrills give way to repetition and a dull mission structure, but it's a ridiculous roller coaster while in full swing.
Below's moody gloom and atmosphere is spoiled by mechanics that really cramp its central quest.
Kingdom Hearts III is a beautiful hunk of sugary writing, convoluted plotting, and repetitive combat that's reliance on beloved IP exposes it's shallow core.
Metro Exodus injects life and light into the series, but its mechanics are still starting to creak; it's a good end to Artyom's journey, even if the story seems muffled.
Devil May Cry 5 revels in its own gleeful stupidity, presenting a world in which the most valuable commodity is style.
RICO has a cracking central idea, but it's strained by awkward mission design, shaky performance, and a whippy aim that often misses the mark.
Days Gone is a grim, beautiful B-movie; its action and writing are full of pulpy thrills, and by the end of it, I found myself liking a character called Deacon St. John – an achievement in itself.