The Escapists 2 is a game that largely expands on the original, offering new modes and bright humour along with exceptionally well-designed labyrinth-like prisons. But it is by no means a perfect sequel. There are repetition issues, as well as some poor design choices. The game is a frustrating but largely rewarding management sim which is worth a look for sure.

Giant Consequences delivers an unexpected plot twist, but overall it falters where it should shine. The combat, while an admirable attempt to make it more interactive, makes for slow action sequences and clunky gameplay. The mystery behind the gauntlet and Admin is interesting enough to keep my attention, but I’d honestly like to see more conflict between the characters like what Jesse and Petra are going through. It's still early in the season, so there's time for Telltale to correct course by the next episode.

A barebones and lifeless open world experience that suffers from a lack of innovation, repetitive gameplay, and poor mission design. Its characters are interesting on their surface level and its laughs are cheap, if they make you laugh at all, but Agents of Mayhem is certainly Volition’s most disappointing entry in the Saint’s Row-Red Faction universe.

For such a cheap price, there’s no real reason to not recommend at least trying Oh, Sir. It’s simple, it’s underwhelming but it does have short bursts of fun. Alright on your lonesome, fun with friends, incredibly amusing with a couch full of drunk mates; Oh, Sir is an amusing and eccentric party game that is definitely on that list of games to boot up when you’re boozed.

I do acknowledge the complaints from critics about the killer being overpowered compared to the survivors, but personally, I found it made the game more true to the horror genre. As a survivor, winning should feel next to impossible, and the challenge makes escaping all the more satisfying. Overall, this is a solid horror-themed survival game with the promise of good fun. Should they fix the servers and tweak some of the less successful elements, it could even be great!

Serial Cleaner is a neat idea that isn’t as fleshed out as it could be. A killer art style and soundtrack help the game leap just a step above what would be an otherwise dull, albeit unique game of hide-and-seek. Outside of a few bonus missions, Serial Cleaner lacks replayability and a deep hook to keep you playing.

This puts me in a difficult position because I’m currently stuck with two viewpoints on this game. On one hand, this isn’t what I wanted. As a fan I am pretty disappointed with the direction they’ve taken and I’m certain this is going to drastically lower my play time. On the other hand, it’s still not a bad game. Racing is fun and mechanically speaking I don’t see all that much wrong with World Series at all. There’s enough game modes to get by and customisation options are plentiful for now considering more will probably come later. There’s just that 6-year-old inside me who is crying right now because the game he’s waited 11 years for is just alright. A truly underwhelming experience from start to end.

Perception is a short experience but a bit of a dull one for those looking for a good story. It can be really frightening, especially if it manages to play into your own personal fears and crawl under your skin, but the story is nothing super fresh or remotely interesting. The game’s mechanics can be too frustrating and unpredictable which is a shame because there’s a lot of potential at the game’s core. If it weren’t for the game’s fantastic sound design, it may be a complete swing and a miss but it’s more of a foul ball in this case. If you’re looking for a really juicy new horror game, you may have to wait for something like The Evil Within 2 later this year.

Newcomers and experienced players alike can find value in Chess Ultra’s variety of challenges, but it doesn’t exactly break the mold in terms of innovation. Playing against the computer can feel impersonal, though you’ll encounter difficulties otherwise inaccessible to some, and the online multiplayer is a barren wasteland. It is competent at both teaching the game and providing an outlet for players to experiment and learn themselves. If you don’t have anyone to play with, Chess Ultra is great for its convenience, but I recommend playing it in real life if possible. You can easily go out and pick up a cheap chess set for the price of this game.

Get Even is the very definition of a mixed bag. While its gameplay might be varied and thoughtful, its narrative sees a staggeringly sharp decline as you enter the final third. The sound design might be truly phenomenal, but the level design loses its stride about halfway through. If you’re a fan of the walking sim genre but you crave something more interactive, Get Even is certainly a game to consider, but not one that is in any way essential.

Overall, this game should absolutely be your introduction to the genre or a new addition to your cycling game collection; just wait until it’s a wee bit cheaper or until it’s on sale.

Without rather some serious improvements or a sale that brings it down to a more reasonable price, Lock’s Quest is probably not worth your time or money. The developers needed to do more when bringing it over to Xbox One.

Narcosis could easily be one of the best survival horror games on Xbox One if the Xbox One had VR. But without VR, Narcosis becomes clunky and nauseating after long periods of play. The game comes in at just under 5 hours, which I had to break into multiple sittings in order to avoid throwing up. The story, environment, and level design make the game worth it if you can get past the shadow that VR has left on the game.

The Town of Light is a fantastic story trapped inside a bad game. Tedium, repetitiveness and extremely slow movement combined with a purposefully dreary locale halt what could’ve been a great package. If you’re looking for a deep, emotional story that explores the abuse of mental patients in the 20th century, The Town of Light is well-written and features an ending that will definitely stick with you.

While I enjoy the Power Rangers inspiration and numerous pop culture nods, Chroma Squad never provides enough incentive for me to continue playing after a while. You’ll end up finishing seasons and upgrading your studio more out of the knowledge that you should than because you want to. The combat which starts off strong wears thin, and I lost motivation to oversee my studio around the middle of season two. For all of its faults, Chroma Squad still manages to capture the charm of the television it emulates. In that regard, the game succeeds at being both a cheesy form of entertainment and a delightful tribute.

Although I do understand it isn’t the place for this game to depict reality because of the main purpose of the genre and series, this just saddened me that the Japanese developers don’t really want to share their stories outside of the usual pop culture aesthetic. I truly hope that we will one day receive a historically-accurate game based on Japanese history, instead of another mindless rendition of what they’ve done for the last ten years.

Black and White Bushido is simple. Without much complexity to itself mechanically, and a tiny amount of content available for the price, this isn’t a game that you need to jump out and buy straight away. Outside of the draw of its unique color-based mechanic, Black and White Bushido is an extremely average indie title that would be tempting to pick up during a sale but undeniably forgettable outside of one.

Overall, if you’ve got a thirst for some puzzle platformer fun, Embers of Mirrim is a well-made title which may lose you when it comes down to its story and visual appeal. It’s certainly worth your time and money.

Overall, Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island is a good game which is let down by its short duration and technical problems on Xbox One. However, one element that stands out the most is the phenomenal and hilarious voice acting. If you’re looking for a casual platformer which can be completed in a few hours without the need for an extraordinary amount of skill, then this is the game for you. However, in its current form—especially with the frame rate issues—it’s not a title we can recommend. The developers need to patch this game as soon as possible.

Endless Space 2 really pushed the boat out with great animations and pretty decent graphical elements, but the constant performance issues do detract from the overall experience. I would recommend you check out a few gameplay videos before jumping in unless you’re a 4X fan. The game takes a lot from titles like Stellaris when it comes to politics, but stops short of being a great overall strategy game. If Amplitude pushed the envelope a bit further with a more nuanced political spectrum and ditched the turn-based aspect, I could have seen myself loving this game. But at the moment, it's just adequate.

The Surge is a fantastic starting point for those who may be intimidated by the likes of Dark Souls or Nioh. It may not be as polished or well designed as the games it’s trying to emulate, but it is more accessible for the mainstream audience. With satisfying combat and a unique dystopian setting for this genre, The Surge is still a good game regardless of its shortcomings.

NBA Playgrounds doesn’t look impressive, it’s quite repetitive, and there isn’t much content on offer. With the right setup and good enough reflexes, Playgrounds is a cheap and effective substitute for the still-missing NBA Jam series.

Dreamfall Chapters for me was a wake-up call to a series I had previously missed. As an introduction to the series, it’s exciting as a standalone title, while long-time fans are sure to find a satisfying conclusion to this twenty-year saga within a package of interesting story and competent gameplay.

If you’re looking for a simple, affordable game to remind you of the days of '90s hyper-violence, Butcher has you covered. Offering you hardcore, gut-blasting fun throughout over twenty levels is a good deal for its price tag. While it doesn’t get old, it does distract from the feeling of variety that the games it takes inspiration from had in excess.

Overall, Death Squared is a successful, fun puzzle game for all ages. Entice your non-gaming friends with it before throwing them to the wolves of competitive first-person shooters. Just be sure to play it with someone.

I really am not sure what Valhalla Hills was trying to accomplish. It is a bit god simulator without the fun of being able to terrorize your humans. It is like a city simulator, but the city gets destroyed every few minutes as a new map is generated. It is like a puzzle game where every puzzle is solved the exact same way. I really liked the first few levels of this game while it was new and fresh, but it just doesn’t have the staying power I was hoping it would have.

There’s clearly a great game here, but I’ll be playing it on PC instead.

We’ve seen a lot of horrendous Kickstarters recently which I’m sure has put people off the idea of funding games this way. I assure you though, games like Shiness should give us all hope that it’s worth it still. It might not at all be perfect but with a fantastic world and unique combat system, Shiness at least offers a well-built and brand new experience to enjoy. At $30 (£25) or your regional equivalent, Shiness is worth considering picking up even if it does lack in some areas.