Spelunky 2 doesn't advance the original's formula, but there's more stuff to sink your teeth into.

Ironclad's impressive sequel has made me proud to be a sinner.

A complex, challenging, and grimly satisfying simulator.

A well-crafted off-road racer that'll appeal to sim buffs and arcade fans alike. [Apr 2001, p.85]

Wargame AirLand Battle is European Escalation escalated: more Cold War kit, more tactical tension and more replayability.

How much you enjoy Inquisition will likely depend on what it is you enjoy about RPGs. If you want complex systems and hardcore challenge, it could potentially disappoint. I don’t. I want a rich world, interesting characters, and a dramatic and memorable plot. Judged on those criteria, Dragon Age: Inquisition sits happily alongside BioWare’s best.

A new adventure game classic, and a bit of a tear-jerker.

This is Armored Core. We are blessed to have it back.

A compelling story about rural America that is both surreal and thoughtful, if a little disorienting.

Looking dated, but it beats the first Dungeon Siege in every way. [Nov 2005, p.66]

While not quite a work of staggering genius, and a bit laborious in parts, the brazenly intricate 1701 A.D. handily sails into position as the best empire-builder of 2006. [Feb. 2007, p.67]

At times, Watch Dogs can seem like a game we've played before, just another open-world city to speed through in a series of stolen cars, another crowd of hoods and hitmen to add to your body count, another moody, growling protagonist to endure in cutscenes. When it deviates from the familiar, however, it really soars: hacking the city of Chicago and all its cameras, utilities, and communications is freeing and fun, and invading the games of unsuspecting players is an unusual and welcome thrill.

I can live with a few little pissers when the overall game is so exciting, exquisitely designed, and meticulous in its historical accuracy. [Oct 2002, p.92]

Although its foundation in Civ 5 makes it familiar, Beyond Earth is full of interesting surprises that are pleasantly difficult to master.

A layered and engaging space opera that triumphs both on and off the battlefield.

A fresh new style and smoothed out lines make OlliOlli World an unmissable skate 'em up.

Phantom Liberty doesn't reinvent Cyberpunk 2077, but it is CD Projekt firing on all cylinders to tell a great RPG story.

Delightful deckbuilding that uses starship travel to build upon the Slay the Spire formula instead of merely imitating it. Outstanding.

Innovative puzzle design and truly astonishing visual trickery make this puzzle game a must-play—even if it doesn't quite have the space to make the most of its best ideas.

This enthralling mystery quickly had me in its ghostly grip and refused to let go.

A hugely enjoyable addition to the world of Eorzea with plenty of room to spread your wings and explore.

Intricate, turn-based tactical combat delivered straight to your inbox. [Sept 2011, p.64]

A fun and engaging RPG with beautiful graphics and a bouncy pace.

In spite of its disappointing graphics, it's the best strategy game I've played all year. [Holiday 2003, p.110]

This is where universe sandbox succeeds brilliantly: players experience godly power to create or destroy, while almost unavoidably learning something about the physical properties or our universe. [Sept 2011, p.69]

A new bar for complexity in the historical grand strategy genre that sometimes buckles under the weight of its ambition.

One singular great idea is the foundation for a smart and occasionally thrilling action puzzler.

Simply the best rally sim around, building on its predecessor’s already fine foundations.

Not quite as amazing as Papyrus' "NASCAR 2003," but it's definitely on the lead lap. [Dec 2003, p.100]

You can race as many as 24 human opponents online, and apart from some sporadic large-field stuttering issues, the action proved largely seamless. [Holiday 2008, p.70]

Underneath the cosy exterior lies a complex, rewarding shopkeeping sim.

If you can overlook the minor niggles, Resident Evil comes highly recommended. [Nov 1997, p.215]

It'll remind even the most jaded RTS fan how much fun total carnage can be. [Holiday 2004, p.84]

This intense semi-sequel significantly ratchets up the enemy AI. [Holiday 2005, p.56]

An original and pleasantly demanding puzzle-style game that leaves you wanting slightly more and slightly more variety.

The story is lacking, but great environments, a new class, and more freedom—partially from the free patch—make for a better Diablo III.

A true wizard’s wheeze, and a fine return for one of gaming’s oldest tactical classics.

A clever spiritual successor to Civilization full of both novelties and big ideas.

Hrot's very final boss was a joke that didn't land for me after an unbroken string of ones that did, but otherwise it's pure boomer shooter excellence.

You'll be impressed by how much depth and fun it packs into its 10 hours. [Oct 2012, p.69]

By turns sentimental and ridiculous, Death Stranding 2 nonetheless offers best marriage of mechanics and meaning in Hideo Kojima's storied career.

The definitive version of Street Fighter IV, but not the best until its technical problems are solved.

Better than the original one in just about every respect. [Holiday 2001, p.79]

The best-yet marriage of third-person gunning and MOBA spellcasting.

Finishing it off and watching the credits roll is a bittersweet moment, as Pandemic's final game is also one of its finest. [Jan 2010, p.68]

Smite makes the MOBA more approachable with smart tweaks to the formula and action RPG-inspired combat.

If you find real history a bit bland compared to glorious nonsense made up by strange British people then Warhammer is the Total War for you.

Difficulty spikes aside, this is a great PC edition of a fantastic arcade shooter.

A slick RPG with superb tactical combat, a detailed world to explore, and a gleefully crude sense of humour.

A charming watery theme park management game where fish are friends, not food. Until they eat each other or you forget to feed them.

A handful of flaws, but this fun and addictive city-builder still climbs high.

A still excellent football game that has been overburdened by features and is hungry for some real innovation.

For its graphics, and those stunning action sequences that you'll be boring your buddies with for weeks, Max Payne 2 is a definite must-have for action fans. But it's not quite the revolution tht made "Max Payne" a must-have for everyone. [Holiday 2003, p.124]

At its best when the screen is full of enemies, Amid Evil is a badass monster mash.

An excellent remake, prequel, and game in its own right—Crisis Core has it all.

If you've never played an Oddworld, this is the best place to start. [Apr 2015, p.56]

A sprawling survival game in a beautiful subterranean world.

An emotive story that is equal parts terrifying and traumatic.

A slick, accomplished shooter that’s more than just an eye-grabbing art style.

Lots of nice tweaking and some sweet new courses. Otherwise, par for the course. [Dec 2005, p.70]

The most accessible, rewarding and endearing of DotA's offspring yet. [Jan 2010, p.72]

If you're not a fan, buy the original, become a fan, then buy this. [Jan 2010, p.85]

Devilishly moreish and hard to put down, only failed by performance snags and the absence of key quality-of-life features.

Not just for the masochists, Cuphead is a demanding but supremely rewarding modern 2D shooter that looks and sounds fantastic.

A great title with tons of customization and months of gaming stuffed into one CD. [Nov 1996, p.238]

Even if its new loot system is a bust, Battle for Azeroth is a vibrant expansion full of wondrous new locales to explore, characters to meet, and stories to tell.

Below Zero is a mostly brilliant sequel to the best survival game of all time.

It's very much a product of "WarCraft II" cloning, but Age of Empires is a surprisingly sound and enjoyable real-time strategy game. [Dec 1997, p.240]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

Not a mind-blowing leap above "Battlefield 2," but worth a return to the trenches. [Holiday 2006, p.58]

Monster Hunter: World’s thrilling fights with fantastic beasts never get old, even if they require tiresome item management during downtime.

A generous, history-respecting rethink that adds weeks of fun to one of 2011's finest strategy titles. [Holiday 2011, p.70]

Though slightly tarnished, Tactics Ogre: Reborn is still a tactical RPG jewel.

Peak is everything I'd want from a co-op game. It promotes creative collaboration, is cheap as chips, and with the map resetting every 24 hours there's the possibility of endless fun.

It took its sweet time, but it's still a genuinely skin-twitching survival game with an original twist to the combat. [May 2012, p.78]

While Horizon’s PC port can’t quite go toe-to-toe with the likes of RDR2’s conversion, this is still a highly polished, top-tier open world adventure. Though it lifts stealth and exploration elements from other games, Aloy’s imaginative combat and captivating metallic foes ensure the time I spent with Horizon will burn bright in my memory.

Satisfying sailing in a beautifully soggy apocalypse. I've never felt so connected to a vehicle in a game.

Combines robust storytelling with consistently inventive, surprising missions. Not just a return to form, but a new series peak.

Regrettably, most of AoM's missions suffer from one recurring, frustrating problem: a severe case of "build base-itis." [Holiday 2002, p.68]

The most exciting multiplayer shooter in recent years, held back from greatness by its questionable staying power.

A handsome and brutal strategy sequel that benefits from a range of intelligent improvements.

A huge improvement (thanks to a ground-up rebuild) over last year's version... Hardball fanatics everywhere owe it to themselves to try this great game. [Oct 2004, p.96]

Transgressive like Grand Theft Auto hasn't been for years, Hotline is violent, quick and compulsive but lacking in depth.

The most impressive aspect of the game is the engine itself. [Holiday 2002, p.86]

An exercise in heavenly multitasking that’s exhilarating alone but better with a friend.

Another dose of F.E.A.R. is always welcome, but this story goes nowhere. [Holiday 2006, p.56]

Some scuff-marks aside, A Hat in Time is a creative, playful, and polished tribute to a genre that doesn’t get nearly enough love on PC.

A brilliantly funny, disturbing, and entertaining visual novel, but the lack of interaction won't appeal to everyone.

Delightfully difficult combat and meaningful exploration make Tunic a retro-inspired modern marvel.

A novel and challenging survival game that puts you in the driver's seat of one the best cars in videogames.

Arc Raiders is a genuinely enjoyable extraction shooter thanks to interesting weapons, beautiful maps, and unpredictable, action-packed PvPvE encounters.

Eternal Strands is an unforgettable combination of intense action, inventive improvisation and an engaging story.

Server issues aside, Helldivers 2 is a bombastic, strategically engaging and funny squad shooter.

While Rainbow Six veterans will surely miss the familiar pre-planning elements of the hallowed franchise, most of the changes made for Vegas successfully ramp up its intensity, and more importantly, its fun. [Mar 2007, p.60]

No flashy new features or buzzwords, just magnificent racing stemming from a refinement of Grid 1’s greatness.

With its visuals, music and play all working in lockstep, this is the kind of game you can get completely immersed in.

A gritty, brutal WWII shooter that uses its scale, setting, and fidelity to great effect.

A great update of a classic game, even with the micromanaging. [Mar 1997, p.134]