Having a plethora of events is all for nothing if it’s just a blizzard of deja vu. If you can’t keep the grind compelling, you’ll freeze players out in no time. [February 2016, p80]

In a budget game, the occasional dino delights would be worth a punt – Crytek has crafted a sumptuous world that oozes effortless depth courtesy of PS VR. [February 2016, p78]

Still oozing with cool. Great game design (shamelessly Frankenstein’d together from other franchises) is timeless. Armageddon board. [February 2016, p77]

And on that bombshell, may the next fledgling Final Fantasy fly fans to a realm that values a clear plot and strong characters over pinball machines. [February 2016, p74]

By the time the post-credits wrap, this long-delayed production will have earned a place in your heart of hearts, alongside its predecessors. [February 2016, p70]

This gallery space shooter shares the loosest of connections with the EVE mythos, and it lacks the frantic spectacle and VR dogfighting drama of Valkyrie. [January 2016, p80]

CCP hasn’t adjusted the game’s free-to-play Oculus Rift structure, however, despite the game costing $79 on PS VR, and the resulting grind to acquire everything is spirit-sapping. [January 2016, p80]

Though Sports Bar conveys a convincing sense of space, any sense of immersion is nuked from orbit by wonky physics and jittery motion tracking. [January 2016, p76]

While they look lovely, the puzzles aren’t quite challenging enough, and more brain teasers would have been welcome in the game’s three-hour run time. [January 2016, p76]

It’s a shame Ace Banana can be so flustering, because there is a decent shooting gallery to unpeel here. [January 2016, p76]

For all its face-plants, still offers a reasonable amount of entertainment for what you’re paying. Maybe just wait a little while for Ubisoft’s Steep instead. [January 2016, p83]

Buy this for the best hero and plot of the series, and insane hours-for-dollars value. [January 2016, p81]

Thankfully, the base game itself remains as utterly essential as always. [January 2016, p78]

There are wonderfully horrifying moments and some lovely little details, but they’re too few and far between – and getting to them is an exercise in resilience rather than pleasure. [January 2016, p77]

Far from the footnote it could have been, Titanfall 2 is a huge, headline shock. In a standout year for the shooter, this interstellar adventure dares to go big and beyond the familiar. What it finds out on the frontier is worth seeing. [January 2016, p74]

There are many little bits to love in WOFF, but there’s far less cohesion than there should have been when it’s all thrown in together. [January 2016, p72]

Despite the MP issues, Watch Dogs 2 hacks this series back on track with its gorgeous locales, and silly emergent fun. Marcus isn’t *quite* our cup of tea, but he sure beats the hell out of the last guy. [January 2016, p71]

While patrolling that retail space, you’d be mad to ignore this as it lurks in the corner. It’s every inch a killer game, and worthy of Lasting Possession. [January 2016, p68]

Enlist the right team, and this is an incredibly rich adversarial experience where no one match ever plays out like the last. [Christmas 2016, p82]

Positively hypnotic in PS VR, this is an ideal showcase for your new virtual reality kit. [Christmas 2016, p80]

Positively hypnotic in PS VR, this is an ideal showcase for your new virtual reality kit. [Christmas 2016, p79]

Want a robust, strategic, deep VR game? Grab this, but be prepared to digest it in small chunks over time. [Christmas 2016, p77]

Even if you’re not coming into this with a brain full of nostalgia, the astonishing, zen-like freedom provided by Area X is unmissable VR. [Christmas 2016, p76]

Until Dawn doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but the sense of immersion is real, as are the heart palpitations. [Christmas 2016, p75]

A compelling companion piece for the Arkham franchise, and an impressive PS VR proof of concept. Held back by a high asking price for not a lot of content. [Christmas 2016, p74]

Thankfully, PlayStation VR Worlds is a crowd-pleaser solution. It’s essentially the Wii Sports of Sony’s PS VR. [Christmas 2016, p73]

Minor gfx hiccups aside, Battlefield 1 is as mustard as the gas it depicts. Winding back the clock and rediscovering its infantry roots has let DICE craft one of the best Battlefields in the series. Oddly, we want more solo DLC. [Christmas 2016, p70]

Redeems Infinity Ward, but is uninspiring. In the face of DICE’s efforts over the fence, this wasn’t the year to stick to the old formula. [Christmas 2016, p69]