A very different take on strategy/action that uses difficulty spikes as a design feature. [July 2018, p.78]

A great retro RPG, but a few niggles make it tough to enjoy by modern standards. [July 2018, p.76]

A memorable, emotional journey you won't want to miss that looks very attractive. [July 2018, p.74]

Rough around the edges but with a very shiny centre, and the toughest race on Xbox. [June 2018, p.88]

Origins is too good to return to the Assassin's Creed games of yesterday. [June 2018, p.86]

A sensitive portrayal of mental illness and rigorous combat: Hellblade is almost perfect. [June 2018, p.84]

A poorly polished, poorly realised and remarkably underwhelming action game. [June 2018, p.82]

The thrill of a 400-foot homer can't make up for many faults. Swing and a miss. [June 2018, p.80]

A novel, if somewhat stressful, take on what is a fairly familiar theme. [June 2018, p.76]

Murderous and mad, this is one of the silliest, most immersive open worlds on Xbox. [June 2018, p.73]

Crude, confusing, but also charming, this creature feature's teeth remain sharp. [May 2018, p.90]

It's a genuinely bad game in every respect. [May 2018, p.82]

Fast, furious, if a little fussy, this blistering remaster rejuvenates a cult classic. [May 2018, p.89]

A busy, challenging, and intriguing take on the city-building genre. [May 2018, p.86]

Makes co-op gameplay more worthwhile than anything else before it. [May 2018, p.84]

A pleasantly straightforward and playable racer, Gravel is capable but ordinary. [May 2018, p.80]

A game that doesn't always balance the line between reward and challenge. [May 2018, p.78]

An amazing world full of promise, but currently rather empty. More updates will be key. [May 2018, p.74]

Takes all comers in a stand-up fight, but somewhat flounders on the ground.

A huge action RPG that is bursting with love and detail. And a fair few bugs, too.

Somehow Dynasty Warriors 9 fails to meet even the lowest expectations.

A lighter experience than perhaps the developer intended - which is a bit of a shame.

A pleasing fusion of brawler and bullet-hell, this is a co-op game brimming with personality.

A unique but flawed puzzle game set in a world that is never less than engaging.

Charming, beautifully odd, if a little taxing, this hunter will devour your nights.

Intentionally slow pacing is admirable, but it derails an otherwise enrapturing game. [March 2018, p.84]

A flawed but still enthralling narrative adventure that's worth experiencing. [March 2018, p.82]

A tiresome Diablo pretender that's somewhat elevated by a fangs-sharp script. [March 2018, p.80]

No honor ever inflicted on a Sim compares to this. Be brave and enter its dark world. [March 2018, p.78]

A wonderfully emotional return, but struggles with some poorly written characters. [March 2018, p.76]

A stupidly fun fighter: fast, aggressive and oozing with love. [March 2018, p.74]

One of the best and most disturbing horror stories you'll play on Xbox One. [Issue#160, p.86]

A crisp HD upgrade for one of the finest and most elegant games of its genre. [Issue#160, p.84]

A throwback party game that's clearly aimed at a very specific audience.

An honest and charming attempt to reinvigorate the 3D platformer genre.

A stealth game with frustrating AI, horrible controls, and game-breaking bugs.

Though ponderous in places, there's nothing quite like this curious sandbox caper. [Jan 2018, p.90]

A well-refined iteration that plays it safe for the most part, but is still good for a boogie. [Jan 2018, p.88]

A fan-pleasing odyssey into Marvel lore that's a little overshadowed by past glories. [Jan 2018, p.86]

A tightly-designed, child-friendly, cute platform game that will challenge adults too. [Jan 2018, p.84]

It's business as usual for dear old Sonic. Which isn't necessarily a very good thing. [Jan 2018, p.82]

The game plays better with a mouse but this is still the full Sims 4 experience. [Jan 2018, p.80]

Turns out that fighting the machine has rarely been this dull. [Jan 2018, p.78]

A stunning audio and visual presentation doesn't cover the cracks at the core. [Jan 2018, p.75]

Does a few good things, but is horribly basic compared to other big sporting titles. [Christmas 2017, p.90]

A winning tribute to TV's crassest kids, wrapped up in a fresh and fun RPG shell.

Far from great, with a fair few bugs, Morphite is enjoyably shabby all the same.

A beautiful but unchallenging exploration game that's a little on the brief side.

The wrestling is superb - but its teething problems must be patched quickly.

A gripping, well-told horror story held back by occasionally awkward handling.

Egypt and star Bayek make this a promising forebear to a new age of Creed.

A wildly ambitious fantasy fighter that's sadly lacking the fundamentals.

Capcom's cult favorite is worth the attention of any RPG/adventure fan out there.

A streamlined multiplayer and less gimmicky single-player gives CoD a nice refresh.

Smart, satisfying, brutal: Undoubtedly one of the best shooters of the generation.

Performance issues and progression complaints compromise this survival fantasy. [Nov 2017, p.86]

A spin-off that unfortunately fails to scratch that irritating Saints Row itch. [Nov 2017, p.85]

A simple hit of pure nostalgia, pulled off with aplomb. Welcome back, hedgehog. [Nov 2017, p.83]

A clever and satisfying experience that'll test your creativity and patience. [Nov 2017, p.82]

This exceptional tactical stealth game gives new life to what was a tiring genre. [Nov 2017, p.80]

A great action-RPG - a few slight tweaks to the formula could see it become utterly essential. [Nov 2017, p.78]

Rewarding and engrossing, it's a fine F1 game. Fix that framerate and it's perfect. [Nov 2017, p.76]

It suffers from a slow and repetitive first act, but once Chloe and Rachel meet, sparks fly. [Nov 2017, p.74]

Whether chatterbox, lone wolf, newcomer, or old hand, Destiny 2 is unmissable. [Nov 2017, p.70]

Stealth fans, heed our warning: Serial Cleaner might promise a hardcore genre fix, but behind the '70s veneer lies a game that takes pleasure in leaving you fuming. And unlike actual cleaning, it awards you with none of the satisfaction of a job well done.

Doesn't fully realize its potential, but these are early days.

A satisfying if uninventive tribute to the new era of dark, narrative platformers.

Personality overwhelms in Unbox: Newbie's Adventure, making the world feel alive and kicking - if boxes had feet, that is.

A beautiful and haunting exploration of life, death and family tragedy.

A clever and absorbing interactive story set in an expertly built sci-fi world.

Initially quite interesting but ultimately frustrating and unsatisfying. [Sept 2017, p.91]

Grows enjoyable source material into the finest mind game available on Xbox One. [Sept 2017, p.90]

Scrappy and limited, this is a disappointing return for a gaming classic. [Sept 2017, p.89]

A comprehensive bike sim that benefits massively from its new management mode. [Sept 2017, p.88]

Turgid storytelling, poorly explained mechanics and abysmally unoptimised code. [Sept 2017, p.86]

A giant but vacuous superhero battle frenzy that disappoints in many areas. [Sept 2017, p.85]

Performance problems spoil a slick city-builder with a lot of potential. [Sept 2017, p.82]

Superbly tactile, and with that track generator this is the sign of a racer done right. [Sept 2017, p.76]

Some great stories reside within, and Vvardenfell is excellently recreated. [Sept 2017, p.74]

Bugs aside, this trip to Camp Crystal Lake is a bloody irresistible delight. [Sept 2017, p.73]

Good ideas are drowned out by a confusing story and frustrating controls. [Sept 2017, p.72]

An astonishing world and fun gameplay are hampered by fiddly controls. [Sept 2017, p.70]

Very difficult to get past the button-bashing stage, but persistence pays dividends. [Sept 2017, p.68]

A competent FPS with questionable jokes, entertaining gunplay and overlong missions. [Sept 2017, p.66]

The story has a lot more heart than any movie offering from the DC Comics stable. [Sept 2017, p.65]

Maybe a bit flat compared to previous seasons but still pretty nerve-jangling. [Aug 2017, p.78]

Accept its slow pace, and Cities: Skylines will reveal depth and drama you couldn't plan. [July 2017, p.90]

Glimpses of horrors can't save this horrifically frustrating experience. [July 2017, p.88]

A carnival of grotesque and gothic fancies makes up for the finicky platforming. [July 2017, p.87]

A sloppy sci fi swing for the Dark Souls crowd which sadly misses. [July 2017, p.82]

An encouraging start for the series, but future episodes need to pack more punch. [July 2017, p.80]

A jack of all military trades that could have been master of one. [July 2017, p.79]

Despite choppy performance issues, this magic puzzler is still a prize catch. [July 2017, p.76]

The aliens don't quite cut it, but Prey offers one of gaming's best settings in years. [July 2017, p.73]

Sleek, sleazy and stylish, but lacking the punch and mouldable story that we crave. [June 2017, p.86]

The puzzles may be easy, but this is a beautiful and genuinely moving ode to childhood. [June 2017, p.84]

What should be lighthearted fun turns into a grind in this knockabout arcade racer. [June 2017, p.82]

Strange, brilliantly original and almost impossible to stop playing until you've solved the puzzle. [June 2017, p.80]