What My Friend Pedro does really well is offer a sense of variety in the weapons, the ways you can kill and the level design. While some missions may be more fun than others, no level is quite the same as the last. This makes every new encounter feel fresh and exciting. The ability to tackle each battle in a multitude of different ways means you’ll find yourself returning time and time again to see how much better you can clear them and achieve a higher final score. [Issue#187, p.85]

The isometric environments themselves are subtly beautiful. Dominated by piercing blues, robotic greys and icy whites, the whole planet gives off a pleasing sci-fi vibe, and every new area is just begging to be explored. With the world so interesting, it would be helpful to have access to a map, which is a feature absent from the game in another oversight. It’s little missteps like this that niggle at you whilst you’re playing the game, although they never come close to ruining what is a solid Souls-like experience. [Issue#187, p.82]

Everreach overreaches, struggling with a strong but overly ambitious concept. [Issue#187, p.81]

The studio shows a clear love for the source material and a devotion to creating the most faithful adaptation, however the experience is marred by too many poorly executed parts. Ardent fans will, of course, be able to overlook the game’s disappointments to appreciate the story and combat – this is the most impressive way to experience the DBZ saga, after all. As an action game, this would be fine, but as an RPG it hasn’t quite scratched that itch just yet. [Issue#187, p.77]

Bugs and overpowered AI aside, a really good simulator-style tennis game. [Issue#187, p.91]

A simple, soothing flight experience marred by a handful of frustrating issues. [Issue#187, p.88]

Numerous bugs and frustrating glitches cause Jalopy to stall, splutter and conk out. [Issue#186, p.89]

A puzzler homage to Portal that’s arguably better to read than it is to actually play. [Issue#186, p.83]

Despite its issues, there’s no question a lot of love has gone into Arise. This is a deeply personal story of love and loss, a point hammered home by affecting end credits where the team leave little messages of gratitude for their loved ones. Though this pumped-up OAP may stumble along the way, his time-tweaking quest ultimately rises above. [Issue#186, p.74]

Ancestors contains all manner of intellectual joys – whenever you launch an evolution, for example, your efforts are rated against what science projected – and while it might not feel like much of a game at first, it certainly does when you fathom out how to approach it. As long as you aren’t afraid of games that make you work hard before yielding their rewards, you’ll find that Ancestors comes closer to letting you play god, while still entertaining you, than any game we’ve ever come across previously. How’s that for vaulting ambition? [Issue#186, p.72]

In the end, the titular journey proves to be far more satisfying than the eventual destination, but so it is with all adventures into outer space in search of unknown powers, right? The success here is how it meshes and moulds so many familiar ideas and motifs, while remaining so alien. [Issue#187, p.87]

A sorry mess at the time of launch, but worth persisting with if you’re a series fan. [Issue#184, p.73]

Breakpoint is huge and meaty, but fundamental flaws suck most of the fun out of it. [Issue#184, p.65]

A unique survival strategy story that really knows how to rack up the tension. [Issue#184, p.81]

Destiny 2 is still easily one of the best shooters on Xbox One. Taken as a whole, its eclectic blend of strikes, night-devouring raids, and exhilarating PvP action outguns most of the competition with ease. As for Shadowkeep, despite some welcome additions, its reheated campaign reeks of a rush job that needed a bit more cooking time. [Issue#184, p.88]

If you don’t mind being killed by the odd nuke – how anyone can score 30 consecutive kills is beyond our tiny minds – PvP could swallow your damn life. Pair it with a gutsy (if insensitive) campaign, and this tonally conflicted series continues to stay relevant thanks to the best guns in the biz. [Issue#184, p.68]

A charming game with a wonderful story, but let down by its repetitive combat grind. [Issue#194, p.78]

As a budget, somewhat unambitious retooling of the Wolfenstein engine, Youngblood offers impactful shootouts that showcase some truly brilliant guns. Yet by aiming for co-op grind, this offshoot loses the charm of BJ’s blasters. A slight misfire, then, but the sisterly slaughter on display still has its moments. [Issue#181, p.75]

A belated hit-and- myth successor to a SNES cult classic that doesn’t quite hit its mark. [Issue#181, p.79]

Hard to put down – but even harder to pick up, thanks to inscrutable controls. [Issue#181, p.83]

An intriguing premise with flawed execution. But what does it all mean? [Issue#181, p.85]

All in all, it’s a fun throwback, hugely disposable and with a shelf life about as long as people are still talking about Stranger Things. Still, don’t let that stop you from enjoying it. [Issue#181, p.81]

Citizens Of Space’s endless well of enthusiasm makes pointing out these flaws feel like kicking a puppy, but they’re impossible to ignore. It’s not a massive game, but it’s still overly ambitious – the weight of its duff ideas threatens to drown its respectable share of great ones. A leaner, tighter, quieter experience would be easier to love. [Issue#181, p.91]

Nails the atmosphere of the films, but falls horrifically flat in gameplay terms. [Issue#183, p.77]

A new Volta mode lights up a bumper footy package, but FIFA could do with an overhaul. [Issue#183, p.75]

A mishmash of all your favourite RPG classics, distilled into an ambitious colonial adventure. [Issue#183, p.89]

This sequel feels like more of the same, but The Surge 2’s combat remains satisfying. [Issue#183, p.91]

A fully featured, officially licenced rally simulator, but it lacks flair and personality. [Issue#183, p.90]

Stunning art direction can’t quite save Vambrace from RPG mediocrity. [Issue#183

A pretty fun co-operative horror adventure that falls flat on its key selling point. [Issue#182, p.89]

A little sedate, but a finely crafted slab of horror for those who enjoy cinematic games. [Issue#182, p.83]

At just under £20, The Church In The Darkness feels disappointingly insubstantial. [Issue#182, p.86]

This leaves a loving homage to Castlevania which doesn’t really advance its ideas. It’s faithful to a fault, right down to the bars that run down either side of the screen, locking it into the aspect ratio of a boxy cathode-ray TV. Timespinner could easily be a long-lost classic of the 16-bit era, a cartridge exhumed from a dusty storeroom and ported to Xbox. If you’re in need of a blast from the past, that could be perfect – but don’t expect something that can compete with the best modern Metroidvanias. [Issue#180, p.90]

Without the sharply deduced cases or clear focus of Crimes & Punishments, Frogwares’ latest is a damp squib of a detective. Though its open-world city has a grimy appeal, and the odd “ah-hah!” moment satisfies, this snoop is sunk by its own uneven, outstretched ambition. [Issue#180, p.77]

A considered fighter that’s wrapped up in a stylish, if slight, package. [Issue#180, p.75]

Loads of appealing content for MotoGP fans, but it’s sluggish and all-too familiar. [Issue#180, p.89]

A decent but forgettable kart racer that’s lacking the variety of All-Stars Racing. [Issue#179, p.83]

A solid FPS that delivers on the shooting, but fails to provide much else worth doing. [Issue#179, p.75]

A darkly poetic homage to horror cinema, but one that lacks its own identity. [Issue#179, p.89]

Occasionally thrilling, often banal, this cricketer may stump you. [Issue#179, p.80]

A fast, scrappy FPS with gorgeous art that’s sadly much less than the sum of its parts. [Issue#179, p.76]

This GTA-a-like will make you nostalgic, and grateful that AI is a lot better now. [Issue#179, p.86]

A faithful sim that overcomes bland presentation thanks to fabulous potting. [Issue#178, p.80]

Heavily inspired by Hotline Miami, but sadly with none of its precision, purity or style. [Issue#178, p.84]

This really is just like Burnout. Less flamboyant, sure, but supremely enjoyable. [Issue#178, p.82]

Despite the largely one-note action, noticeably low budget, as well as the lack of imagination on show, there’s at least a scrappy charm displayed here that makes this zombie romp just about worthwhile. If you have a few Xbox Live chums who have an undead-annihilating itch to scratch, you could do worse than waging this brain-biting battle [Issue#178, p.78]

A sprawling ramshackle mishmash of a game that somehow works. [Issue#177, p.82]

A tense and immersive adventure – but with one too many rough edges. [Issue#177, p.85]

An interesting concept and setting, held back by its rather lacking execution. [Issue#177, p.78]

Ghost Of A Tale is repetitive, but quite endearing in a rough-edged sort of way. [Issue#177, p.86]

In comparison with even the base Destiny 2 – let alone that game expanded by all its excellent DLC – Anthem feels not so much unfinished as barely started. It contains some good ideas which it fails to develop, and some of its basic pillars, such as the insistence on fourplayer co-op, somehow convey the impression of being tacked on rather than fundamental. And even with the huge early patch, it’s still glitchy – we had to play three quarters of a 45-minute Stronghold without sound, for example, which was disconcerting.

A short, funky old-school nostalgia trip that fails to fulfil its potential.

Salt and Sanctuary offers a notably different experience from the Souls games anyway, simply because it’s presented side-on, but here in 2019, it faces some seriously tough competition in that space. Compared to Dead Cells, its combat feels positively sluggish, and its map can’t hold a gloomy candle to the exploratory delights of Hollow Knight.

A decent Lovecraft puzzler that’s low on action but high on hallucinogenic plant spores.

Astroneer is both gentle and brutal, and which you see more of depends on your own play style. Occasionally, though, you might wish it just had picked a side.

A challenging fighting system is only the bare bones of what could be a better game. [Issue#225, p.84]

Spectacular but spotty, this demanding sim both fulfills and frustrates. [Issue#225, p.76]

After such a glacial wait, it's not unreasonable to expect more. Still, in spite of its pared-back ambitions, it is such a chorus line of brainless, sugar rush thrills, you'll rarely be anything less than entertained. Let's just hope we don't have to wait until 2024 for Crackdown 4 to arrive. [Issue#225, p.65]

Creepy and confusing, this cartoon chiller still delivers some unique scares.

A solid bike sim, but one that lacks a bit of atmosphere and excitement.

A decent but unremarkable game, tied to a wan Lovecraftian setting.

A nice idea, with several fun bits, let down somewhat by poor action sequences.

An arcade throwback that should please gamers of a certain vintage.

A lower-tier fighting game that mech fans may nonetheless appreciate.

Frustrating combat game with little reward to make the effort worthwhile.

A nicely remastered, pretty JRPG let down by a slightly dodgy battle system.

A decent tribute to From Software's masterpiece, elevated by its co-op mechanics.

Not an especially great game, but an enjoyable nostalgia-trip nonetheless.

Playable and expansive, but extremely familiar-feeling and technically clunky. [Christmas 2018, p.84]

A simple, strange, and flawed game. But quite memorable at the same time. [Christmas 2018, p.83]

A lot of fun at heart, bloated by a cluster of dubious design decisions. [Christmas 2018, p.77]

Tired and lacking ideas, this is the most disappointing CoD in years that follows, not leads. [Christmas 2018, p.72]

Brilliant fun until the difficulty level reaches Valhalla and you risk losing the entire game. [Dec 2018, p.94]

Basic rally racing with some strong track design, but there's little else worthy of note. [Dec 2018, p.88]

Challenging puzzling with a beautiful backdrop. Certainly worth a quiet peruse. [Dec 2018, p.84]

Solid yet underwhelming, shadow fails to send Lara out on a high. [Dec 2018, p.75]

A truly beautiful setting undone by balance issues. Fingers crossed for future fixes. [Nov 2018, p.91]

A compelling science fiction drama that just misses the mark of greatness. [Nov 2018, p.90]

There's a general technical ropiness. [Nov 2018, p.80]

An HD re-relase of a beloved series. It's a pity that it hasn't received the remaster treatment. [Nov 2018, p.78]

A proper [if short] RPG which perfectly captures the joys of Adventure Time. [October 2018, p.94]

Fiddly but disarming, this patchy locomotive just about stays on the tracks. [October 2018, p.91]

Though admirable in ambition, it doesn't quite deliver the punch we'd wanted. [October 2018, p.90]

A fun, frenetic first-person shooter that suffers from a few frustrating flaws. [October 2018, p.86]

A mostly forgettable, by-the-numbers JRPG which can try the patience. [October 2018, p.84]

A playable and competent - if lightweight - crack at a Left 4 Dead style shooter. [October 2018, p.78]

An ambitious but watered-down racing experience that rarely satisfies. [Sept 2018, p.92]

A delightful, violent sandbox occasionally hobbled by so-so missions. [Sept 2018, p.84]

Reasonably fun in local multiplayer, but too basic to justify the price you pay. [Sept 2018, p.82]

Fantastic music and a few new features make this LEGO game good, not great. [Sept 2018, p.78]

Perfectly competent retro adventure that's missing a certain modern spark. [Sept 2018, p.76]

A flawed yet ultimately winning tie-in that serves up the best dinos on Xbox. [Sept 2018, p.72]

Atmospheric taste of life as a vamp, nicely balanced between action and investigation. [Aug 2018, p.88]

A nostalgia-filled, well-rounded collection which will keep gamers absorbed for AGES. [Aug 2018, p.86]

The mix of solid arcade play and deeper-deluxe sports sim should please tennis fans. [Aug 2018, p.84]

Beautifully made if somewhat linear. Fun to play through even though the town is quiet. [Aug 2018, p.82]

A great concept for a game, but probably somewhat lacking in long-term appeal. [July 2018, p.90]

A very limited online shooter with a somewhat superficial design mode. Shame. [July 2018, p.87]