Hopefully, by the time Machine Games starts work on Wolfenstein 3, they will find a writer who understands that fast-paced action does not mix well with protagonist’s constant complaining. [Issue#225, p.52]

Selling Ogres as a separate Day-1 DLC is definitely an anti-consumer practice, AI would be best described as “braindead", and some mechanics only work because of duct-tape solutions like “background income”. Yet, CA has managed to capture that certain “je ne sais quoi” of Warhammer: every faction plays differently, but they all feel awesome. [Issue#259, p.42]

Last year’s F1 felt like a stepping stone: new version of engine and updated physics came at a huge cost – many important features, including career mode, weren’t up to par. This time Codemasters presents Formula One properly. [Issue#212, p.49]

Great 4X strategies have a thing called “one more turn” syndrome. With Desperados 3, it’s “one more neutralized lookout” syndrome. Its levels are big and so well-designed you might end up playing until dawn. [Issue#247, p.34]

Resident Evil 7 is the scariest game in the series since RE1. The change to first-person perspective plays no small role in this: if a nightmarish granny chokes the life out of some figure on your screen, it’s one thing; but when she does the same to you, when you can almost feel her spittle flying in your face – that’s on the whole other level of scary. Not to mention that realistically limited field of vision that allows monsters to creep up from behind or jump from around the corner. [Issue #217, p.56]

Tombs are the best thing RotTR has to offer. Compared to the previous Tomb Raider, there really are more of them, but not quite as many as we’d want. Plus, unlike the stealth/combat sequences, most of the tombs can be skipped – although the game would’ve been much better off if it was the other way around. [Issue#204, p.62]

The game is not technically astounding, even against the backdrop of last year's Need for Speed Rivals. Horizon 2 is certainly very beautiful, but its beauty comes not from technology, but from artistic field. There are very soft and warm sunsets, refreshing summer rains, and really dark nights – every detail done in the right color and carefully accentuated. Each element works on a holiday atmosphere and you absolutely do not want emerge from it into the dank October evening. [Nov 2014, p.82]

Dedicated multiplayer modes grow stale quickly, and we wish there were more customization options for controls and camera, but other than this, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a very solid game both for solo and co-op. [Issue#241, p.64]

A very unique MOBA where you can lose most of teamfights, lag behind in terms of levels, and still win the match thanks to map mechanics and NPCs. That’s why HotS isn’t a “simplified Dota 2” – it requires strategic thinking and ability to prioritize tasks properly. [Issue#199, p.68]

Returnal has everything you’d expect from an exclusive that comes early in a console’s life-cycle. It shows off everything PS5 has to offer, while delivering a solid roguelike experience. [Issue#254, p.54]

Of course, FM7 has its share of problems, like shortage of tracks for some car classes, lack of management options in career mode and all-but-braindead AI, but the point is – it’s finally possible to play for the driving experience itself.[Issue#224, p.50]

It must’ve been very tempting to fix some quirks of the original, to make a legendary game a bit better. And maybe add something that had been planned back then, but wasn’t finished in time, or perhaps brush up the dialogues. Luckily, team behind Special Edition avoided all these temptations and delivered a game that’s 99.99% faithful to the original (the only joke that got removed is “Fony” logo on a TV) [Issue#209, p.66]

As expected, Odyssey is basically Origins 2.0, bigger and better in almost every regard, from leveling options to wide open world with procedurally-generated mercenaries to keep you entertained for hours and hours. [Issue #233, p.54]

CD Projekt got into a Catch-22 situation with Cyberpunk 2077. Investors wouldn’t forgive another delay, and now no one will forget such a troubled release. Still, even with all its bugs, Cyberpunk is a great game: main story and sidequests are terrific, and Night City is probably the most immersive and detailed city in the history of video games. [Issue#250, page 38]

Everything is made just like fans of first few Colin McRae Rallies wanted. Now it’s up to them to reciprocate with high enough sales numbers – and classic rally sims will have a bright future again. [Issue#205, p.42]

Not only Twilight Princess was first released ten years ago, its development began five years earlier, when game design conventions were rather different. HD-version stays faithful to the original even when it shouldn’t have – for example, if you don’t approach a ladder from a right angle, Link will ignore it. Still, there are some improvements to the interface, and a few absurdly time-consuming tasks were toned down. [Issue#207, p.62]

Cadence of Hyrule might be THE surprise release of the year. Not only Nintendo let third-party studio to use its IP, but the result is on par with mainstream releases of the big N. [Issue#239, p.67]

It has its ups and downs. On one hand, there’s a lot to do and graphics are top-notch by 3DS standards; on the other – there’s basically no story and virtually no new ideas. It’s up to debate what outweighs what, but there’s no doubt that in its genre Monster Hunter has no real competition on 3DS. [Issue#211, p.61]

In the first few hours, you get to know and love Inscryption. Then, it genre-shifts to the point of total unrecognizability. [Issue#257, p.78]

Despite the sharp turn toward pacifism one can easily recognize Croteam style: unusual for puzzles large open locations, majestic architectural forms of ancient civilizations... It seems that you are about to hear the cries of a headless kamikazes. So when a screaming figure dashes nearby you start spinning the mouse wheel in search of shotgun on pure reflex. [Issue #195, p.68]

The game made its debut at a very fortunate time, when its closest competitors are at their weakest: new iterations of Cities XL content-wise are closer to a DLC, and SimCity remains a total disappointment. While Skylines doesn’t offer any groundbreaking novelties, it does genre’s basics very well and tries to make city-building interface as user-friendly as possible. [May 2015, p.60]

Nintendo brings back Samus Aran with a remake that’s better all-around than the original. Hopefully, N’s next move will be to finally make a completely new game starring her. [Issue#224, p.54]

Each fighter is very unique, so, even though there is a good tutorial, it will take a long time before you’ll learn how to fight properly. Still, if you have even a slightest interest in Japanese fighting games – you absolutely have to check out Strive. [Issue#254, p.56]

Clichés and predictability don’t make the playthrough of Wasteland 3 any less enjoyable. After all, good post-apocalyptic RPGs are always in short supply. [Issue#248, p.36]

Contrary to popular wisdom, Almost Human Games’ lightning did manage to strike the same place twice. Legend of Grimrock 2 is not ideal in any respect but still manages to keep players in front of the monitor with challenging battles and interesting puzzles. [Dec 2014, p.78]

At the very least BioWare managed to present a workable concept of an RPG which is completely detached from the legacy of pen-and-paper RPG. [Jan 2015, p.52]

Vanillaware’s signature style is evident in every scene of 13 Sentinels. Both long-time fans and newcomers will enjoy this gorgeous Japanese game.[Issue#248,p.42]

Somehow, monotone side activities are a perfect match for the game’s atmosphere of bad dream you just can’t wake up from. Disarm a bomb, secure an outpost, disable a watchtower; disarm a bomb, secure an outpost, disable a watchtower; repeat ad nauseam. After 100% completion you’ll feel as tired as Batman himself. [Sept 2015, p.68]