Out of control

The rising quality of performance capture means we grumble less about cutscenes these days. Even so, we sometimes can’t help but tut; our masthead isn’t looking to ‘the future of non-interactive entertainment’, after all. When the cinematics are of the standard found in The Last of Us Part II (p88), you won’t find us complaining too loudly – and yet even here we frown. Having spent the last half-hour avoiding conflict, is it fair that we’re forced to watch helplessly as Ellie gruesomely undoes all our good work in a few seconds?

Possibly, but then maybe that’s the point. It’s an uncomfortable feeling when your instincts are at odds with those of the character you’re playing. And it’s a reminder that while videogames are defined by interactivity, they can say something profound when they take that control out of our hands.

In If Found (p100), a single, simple mechanic lets you explore the diaries of protagonist Kasio, as you use your mouse or finger to erase entries, and by extension her memories. The very first time that ability is noticeably taken away comes during an argument with her mother, and it’s breathtaking.

Narrative-led deck-builder Signs Of The Sojourner

(p102), meanwhile, forces you to take a single card from each conversational encounter in exchange for one you’re holding. But no matter how much you try to stack the deck in your favour, you’ll find yourself in situations – as in the real world – where you no longer hold all the cards.

Traditional power fantasies are still in fashion elsewhere, though we’d perhaps recommend the pleasantly mindless

Minecraft Dungeons (p96) over Tripwire’s shark-’em-up

Maneater (p107), which doesn’t even earn the title for this month’s most fearsome predator. That award ( the first of many, no doubt) comfortably belongs to Naughty Dog.