Reviews Essential

Essential | Inscryption review: a wonderful nightmare, and a vividly memorable game of cards

Bloody hell.

24

Essential | Metroid Dread review - a sublime return for a Nintendo icon

The Chozo one.

145

Essential | Outer Wilds Echoes of the Eye review - a wondrous, spooky addition to the solar system

Look again.

30

Essential | Toem review - a photography puzzler and a journey filled with lovely moments

Camera lucida.

7

Essential | Deathloop review - not Arkane's most surprising game, but possibly its best

All-rounder.

198

Essential | Death's Door review - wonderfully honed Zelda-like with a soulful edge

Caw!

123

Essential | Microsoft Flight Simulator Xbox edition review - occasionally clunky port can't dull the magic

Heavens above.

273

Essential | Mini Motorways review - a city builder that balances precision and beauty

Where we're going...

24

Essential | Wildermyth review - a proper RPG marvel

Never trust a dream you dream in moonlight.

42

Essential | Dorfromantik review - gentle elegance from a deceptively challenging village builder

Hexcellent.

47

Essential | Monster Hunter Rise review - the Switch's best game since Breath of the Wild

Magnanimalos.

169

Essential | Astro's Playroom review - a uniquely tactile platformer that's the beating heart of PS5

Touching.

76

Essential | Hades review - Of myth and mayhem

God tier.

60

Essential | 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim review - a heady mix of sci-fi, passion and big ideas

Virtuosity.

56

Essential | Spelunky 2 review - the depths beckon

To the moon!

96

Essential | A Monster's Expedition review - true charm through puzzle perfection

Shrekmate.

28

Essential | Microsoft Flight Simulator review - a sim for everyone, and one of the best sims yet

Flight of fancy.

258

Essential | The Last of Us Part 2 review - a gut-wrenching sequel

Emerald city blues.

177

Essential | Streets of Rage 4 review - beloved beat 'em-up gets the Sonic Mania treatment

Blaze of glory.

175

Essential | Paper Beast review: a transformative VR odyssey

The Rite of Spring.

58

Essential | Animal Crossing: New Horizons review - a magical vivarium, and one of Nintendo's best games yet

For whom the bells toll.

76

Essential | Black Mesa review - a masterful remake that improves upon a classic

Xensational

90

Essential | Manifold Garden review - rewiring strange architecture in the void

Its roots must hold the sky.

48

Essential | Grindstone review - an instant puzzle classic on Apple Arcade

Capy clappy.

26

Essential | The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Switch review - a dream come true

Tal Tal signs.

222

Essential | Astral Chain review - a Platinum-plated masterpiece

Chain reaction.

115

Essential | A Short Hike review - dreamy brilliance

The living mountain.

51

Essential | Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer review - Zelda fans rejoice because this is the real thing

Merger on the dancefloor.

86

Essential | Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled review - a generous remaster of a cult classic

Authentic banger.

278

Essential | Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice review - a stripped and scarred masterpiece

From dust to dust to dust.

333

Essential | Dirt Rally 2.0 review - Codemasters' finest driving game yet

True grit.

166

Essential | Sunless Skies review - a rather more accessible literary space monstrosity

Victoria's secrets.

93

Essential | Ketsui Deathtiny review: arcade, perfected

A storm in the port.

113

Essential | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate review - a messy, magical festival of video games

Nintendo power.

193

Essential | Tetris Effect review - the eternal puzzler reimagined on a truly cosmic scale

It's all connected.

194

Essential | Return of the Obra Dinn review - prepare to be transported

Stirring stuff.

51

Essential | Lumines Remastered review - a puzzle masterpiece finds a perfect new home

Shinin' get.

94

Essential | Laser League review - an instant modern-day multiplayer classic

Major laser.

44

Essential | Nintendo Labo review - an ingenious and generous cardboard triumph

Excitement in crease.

285

Essential | Burnout Paradise Remastered review - driving perfection

She's, like, so whatever.

284

Essential | Shadow of the Colossus PS4 review

Giant steps.

206

Essential | Dragon Ball FighterZ review

It's Krillin time.

90

Essential | Monster Hunter World review

Dragon's breath of the wild.

195

Essential | Street Fighter 5 Arcade Edition review

A Blanka slate.

174

Essential | Gorogoa review

The magic lantern.

48

Essential | Super Mario Odyssey review

Highway 64 revisited.

351

Essential | Stardew Valley review

Dig for victory.

106

Essential | Divinity: Original Sin 2 review

God killer.

98

Essential | Windjammers review

The best Neo Geo game of them all? Discus.

114

Essential | Sonic Mania review

Lord of the rings.

232