Top PC Games 2023

While Sherlock Holmes Chapter One may have its own fair share of flaws, it was still reasonably competent as a detective simulation. In comparison, this remade version of The Awakened feels far more like an inferior throwback to old-fashioned point-and-click adventures where trial and error was just as effective an approach as logic and reason, making its forensic deductions feel more like foregone conclusions. This wouldn’t be so bad if its Lovecraft-inspired mystery was compelling enough to sustain interest in its run-of-the-mill casework, but unfortunately it fumbles that too, with its hamfisted attempts at horror more likely to tickle ribs than raise hairs. Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened could have been an intriguing clash of Cluedo/Clue with Cthulu, but instead it’s just a case of squandered potential.

Need for Speed Unbound is a beautiful street racing game that features a cool soundtrack and welcome cross-platform play, but frustrating car physics and CPU drivers sully the experience.

Layers of Fear serves up a series of atmospheric and often surreal trips through the shattered psyches of some seriously tortured artists. It’s made all the more eye-catching thanks to Unreal Engine 5, and the addition of the flashlight provides some interesting new ways to both interact with your surroundings and mitigate the frustration of the stalker encounters previously suffered in the original games. However, its sleight of hand scare tactics are still all too clearly telegraphed and this predictable formula grew stale long before I reached the end of each of its main story threads. Ultimately Layers of Fear comes across as a largely scare-free 13-hour crawl through a string of mildly creepy hallways as opposed to a truly terrifying trek into darkness.

Battlefield 2042 is an ambitious shooter that features the excellent Portal mode-creation tool, as well as a few, cool game types. Unfortunately, technical issues and balance problems mean that you may want to hold off buying the game until EA Dice irons out the kinks.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint seems to be trying to please everyone. Its slow-burn of a single-player story coexists with an open-world bombastic romp with friends, which leads into a play-everyday grind for PvP-rewards, faction and raid gear with seasonal content, and a realistically gritty wargame of survival. But almost every ingredient clashes with another, making them all feel a little more padded, underwhelming, or contradicting than they need to be. But fun can be salvaged if you focus on one or two of those and just limit your expectations.

Jump Force makes combat its focus, giving you addictive, if unbalanced, manga-inspired gameplay at the expense of a compelling story. If you want to beat up your buddies with your favorite Shonen Jump character this is the game for you, but don't expect much else.

Heroes of the Storm is Blizzard's attempt to bring multiplayer online battle arenas to the masses, and it succeeds, which isn't necessarily a good thing.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is a “return to form,” but maybe a change would do the series some good.

The Double Dragon Trilogy is an enjoyable nod to the nostalgic action games of old. Publisher DotEmu has made subtle changes to the classic gameplay, however, with mixed results.

Visually, The Legend of Korra looks very much like the TV show on which it is based, but the paper-thin story and repetitive fights make for a lackluster game.