“Hello, Bozo.” It’s charming enough when a game greets you every time you load it. It’s even more endearing when you can choose to be called, instead of your first name, a gently satirical nickname like Bossman, or Chief or, indeed, Bozo. The announcer sounds like she’s almost laughing whenever she says it, like it’s our little shared joke. So we’re proud to be a Bozo, and we feel welcomed. ...

In our first race, we took the corner too fast. As we smacked into the crash barrier, we saw the hood fly up and away. In the rearview mirror, about 20 cars thundered past in a billow of dust, and one of our wheels followed meekly behind them.

A lot of RACE On’s energies are devoted to letting you live your WTCC (World Touring Car Championship) fantasies. ...

What does RailWorks have in common with a Class 57 diesel? Answer: both rely on a lot of recycled parts. The Class 57s – or ‘bodysnatchers’ as they’re known – were built with bits of the long-serving Class 47s. RailWorks is built with bits of 2007’s Rail Simulator. 

If you own Rail Simulator and buy RailWorks you’re going to end up with a lot of content you already possess. ...

The urge to look for a door never quite leaves you. Which is hardly surprising, given that the regular gaming protagonist, carrying an arsenal that would embarrass an army, still can’t circumvent the flimsiest wooden obstruction. Yet in Red Faction: Guerrilla, Alex Mason makes his own entrances. With a hammer.

There is nothing in this game, aside from its mountains, that cannot be smashed to bits. ...