Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a solid soulslike experience that serves up top-notch combat in a hugely atmospheric setting which incorporates real-life historical events, Chinese mythology and dark fantasy elements. There's a clever battle system at the heart of proceedings here with deflections, ripostes and screen-shaking fatal attacks the order of the day, whilst an innovative morale rank and recruitment system makes for action that's flexible enough to cater for newcomers to the genre. The narrative isn't particularly cohesive, and a handful of the missions on offer are a little too short for their own good, but overall this is Team Ninja's finest soulslike experience to date and a must-play for action fans.

It all feels good in practice, and you can compete in quick races, online multiplayer, and a primarily story-less, but nevertheless enjoyable enough career mode. Some of the races are definitely more engaging than others though, with more standard races tending to be the most thrilling, whereas events focused around destroying other players, for example, are a bit too hectic and luck-driven to get overly excited about. Pacer is at its best when you're flying past other racers at ultra high speeds, rather than being forced to follow other objectives such as destroying them.

Riders Republic is a fantastic open world sports game that delivers big on massively multiplayer arcade mayhem whilst also giving solo players a ton of content to dig into. There's an enormous, breathtakingly beautiful world to explore here that delivers carefully curated tracks and events for each every one of its sports disciplines, whilst also giving you free reign to head on out and cut your own path through its seven national parks' worth of wonderful wilderness. Yes there's some painful dialogue here and there, as well some issues with bugs and crashes during this launch period, but none of that is enough to put us off getting stuck in and just enjoying the smorgasbord of arcade sports action that Ubisoft Annecy has served up.

Drinkbox Studios has served up another great time here with a colourful and clever dungeon-crawling adventure that gives you a ton of options as to how you approach its challenges. Switching up forms, mixing and matching skills and hoovering up an absolute ton of loot is addictive stuff here and, although it can be a tad repetitive, this is one of the slickest indie RPGs we've played in quite some time.

The Quarry sees Supermassive Games back on top form with a spiritual successor to the superlative Until Dawn that comes mighty close to knocking that classic off its lofty perch. There's a fantastic cast of well-observed characters to get to know here, a narrative that packs in several threats and plenty of twists, turns and light-hearted moments to sit alongside its shocks and juicy revelations. With jaw-dropping visuals, a cracking soundtrack and plenty in the way of replayability in order to see every outcome on offer, this is an interactive horror experience that's well worth jumping into.

FIFA 23 marks the end of a thirty year era for EA and, thankfully, it does so by sending this long-running series off on something of a high note. FUT has seen some excellent changes in its chemistry mechanics and the addition of single player Moments, whilst on the pitch this is the best the game's felt to play in quite some time. Women's club footie finally arrives on the scene, set-pieces have seen a slick revamp, power shots are a fantastically arcadey addition to the action and overall this is just a hugely engaging and generous package that's stuffed full of ways to play on and offline.

While some archaic design choices and patience-testing difficulty spikes will attempt to compromise your enjoyment on occasion, the moments to follow generally smooth over any past transgressions.

Overall, we can recommend a second dive into Agent 47's murky world.

SteamWorld Build is yet another triumph from the maestros at Thunderful. Here we have a slick and addictive addition to a wonderful steampunk franchise that manages to meld elements from across the entire series into one cohesive whole. You've got wonderfully detailed city-building, addictive mining action and intense tower-defense aspects all in the mix here, and it tells you everything you need to know about this one that all of these elements work in harmony. Xbox Game Pass just netted itself another banger.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 is a massive improvement on last year’s edition of the game. The general off-pitch interface is still pretty amateurish and clunky in places and desperately needs a full overhaul.

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is another fine slice of Yakuza action from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio thart serves up a little bit of everything over the course of 15 or so hours. This may be a shorter affair than usual by quite some margin, but what's here still manages to deliver lots of exciting action, very silly gadgets, drama and deep cuts for the fans. If the intent was to whet our appetites for Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, then consider that mission well and truly complete. Roll on January 2024.

Its slow pace and lack of true action will not appeal to everybody but with popular culture references galore and a cast of heroes that you can't help but develop a fondness for, it's a title that can sit proudly with others in the genre...if it can get away with mocking them all mercilessly, of course.

Company of Heroes 3 survives the jump to consoles pretty much intact. This epic WW2 RTS is still an absolute treat - one that plays well with a controller, and gives you a wealth of modes to dig into in solo, co-op and PvP flavours. The Italian campaign is the highlight here for sure, mixing old-school Company of Heroes with the dynamic map antics of Total War, but a super strong story mode also delivers a more traditional helping of Relic's RTS magic to boot. There are some performance issues to resolve; quality mode stutters whilst performance can look a little underwhelming in places, but overall this is a huge win for console RTS fans and another fine entry in one of our favourite strategy franchises.

Like A Dragon: Ishin finally arrives in the west via a slick remaster that polishes up the visuals whilst also adding some fresh new combat mechanics to boot. This is another super solid entry in the long-running Yakuza franchise, it's perhaps a little more action-focused than usual, a little more on the serious and grounded side in terms of its story, but it also remembers to pack in plenty of the sort of madcap Yakuza substories and side activities that we all know and love. There's an excellent combat system to get stuck into here alongside an epic main campaign storyline that benefits greatly from the game's fascinating historical setting. This one comes highly recommended.

It's great fun in short bursts though and fans of the genre will enjoy the challenges offered by some of the more intense game modes.

This War of Mine: The Little Ones is a fantastically atmospheric, emotional, and compelling game that constantly makes you doubt what you're doing, in a way that feels entirely natural as part of the experience.

Tell Me Why is a thought-provoking narrative adventure that will stick long in the memory, and for the right reasons. It delivers an imaginative and emotional tale that isn't afraid to address mature topics along the way, and does a commendable job of making you care about its characters and remain invested in its conclusion. It won't suit everyone due to its slow pace and lack of action-packed gameplay, but it nevertheless tells a worthwhile story that deserves to be experienced, and we're grateful to have gone along for the ride.

For fans of the Alien series, the films, books, comics, and every other form of entertainment imaginable, Alien: Isolation is simply a must-play, given that it fits so well into the storyline that it nearly seems to be a chapter in it's own right.

The third outing for Frontier's excellent F1 Manager series is the best yet, implementing a series of new features that don't reinvent the wheel by any means, but add up to a more enjoyable and in-depth experience overall. Better yet, it's launching at a price of just £29.99 / $34.99 on Xbox consoles, which makes it significantly cheaper than this time last year! Casual fans may be perfectly happy with F1 Manager 2023 on Xbox Game Pass for now, but anyone who really enjoys this series will want to join F1 Manager 2024's starting grid ASAP.

Road 96 is a masterpiece in storytelling and depending on your own experience, you may even be moved by its through line of hope, loss, and the ultimate goal of personal freedom. Many of the game's themes haven't directly applied to my life, but Road 96 is an education in empathy and it really makes you feel for the folks out there who are scrambling to get their lives in order because of other people's actions. It's not a perfect game — mechanically things could be improved at times — but its story is about as close to perfect as you could ask for, and for that, we recommend it without a shadow of a doubt.

Ultimately then, you're going to need a little bit of patience with Football Manager 2021: Xbox Edition, whether you're brand-new to the series or a PC player looking to transition to console, but once you've spent a few hours with it, the control scheme becomes easier to wield. After that, you're free to enjoy the best sports management sim on Xbox by a country mile, and a game that football fans owe it to themselves to try at least once, especially now that it's available on Xbox Game Pass. Watch out, you might get hooked.

We're pleasantly surprised by FIFA 22 on Xbox Series X. The franchise had a good first outing on next-gen consoles last year, but the gameplay has really been taken up a notch this time around, seemingly proving that "Hypermotion Technology" isn't just another throwaway buzzword. It's not perfect, and there are certain areas off the pitch that we wish could have received even more attention, but this is the best FIFA has been in quite a few years, and we just hope it isn't ruined by unnecessary gameplay patches down the line.

But it's a game that, once it has you hooked, will reel you back in over and over again because you just know you can do better this time, or perhaps you think you've discovered a new strategy - it's all very compelling.

All in all, while EA Sports FC 26 isn't perfect by any means, I commend the development team for providing a more "authentic" style of gameplay compared to what Ultimate Team offers. Combine that with the fantastic suite of modes and excellent presentation as always, and we've got a great and memorable entry in the series this year.

WWE 2K22 isn't going to surpass the likes of "No Mercy" and "Here Comes The Pain" in terms of fan favourite wrestling games, but in our opinion, it's the best WWE 2K game to date. The gameplay is improved, the graphics are improved, and there's enough content here to keep you busy for a long time, even if some of the new modes haven't quite reached their potential yet. There are still some unwanted series staples here, such as clunky collision detection, but for the most part it's obvious how much progress has been made across the board over the past couple of years, and it's now up to 2K to take things to the next level with WWE 2K23.

If you were expecting Watch Dogs to take the genre in new directions then you’re going to be sorely disappointed. With that being said, Watch Dogs is still an engaging and often times surprising action game.

OlliOlli is a fine indie game that will most likely get its hooks into you and not let go.

However, the game itself can be more-or-less completed without additional purchases and is such a wonderfully-crafted and enjoyable experience that even without spending extra cash, it will keep kids (and adults…this reviewer is 33 and has about 25 hours logged so far with a lot more to come) busy for a good long time.

For the younger players especially, bouncing around as a Jedi or flying the landspeeder around the desert is unlikely to get old anytime soon.

The focus is back on single player stealth and freedom, with the final game giving us the feeling that the franchise is absolutely back on track. Excellent fun.

Oxenfree is truly unlike any other experience that you can pick up for the Xbox One right now. While it isn't heavy on gameplay, the narrative and aesthetics really build a superb atmosphere and give a great sense of weight to proceedings. It doesn't necessarily score a direct hit with every story beat and we could definitely live without the crashes.

Midnight Fight Club might drop the ball slightly in terms of its narrative aspects, but it gets the important stuff absolutely bang on. This is a slick and addictive arcade brawler that gives you an expansive arsenal of moves, skills and weapons with which to slink off into the night on a blood-soaked mission to take back control of the city. There's tons of replayabilty here, with S-ranks to chase and leaderboards to climb, impressive variety in level design and a pumping soundtrack to bop along to as you take the fight back to the criminal underworld. This one's another Game Pass indie banger.

While its early difficulty may deter some people, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game's complexity and how it opens up makes for a highly enjoyable experience. It’s felt like an eternity since we’ve seen this title on our Xbox systems, and having a Complete Edition with touched up visuals and all previously released content is an absolute treat. Whether you’re a fan of the series or a newcomer to the genre, there’s something here to enjoy, and it's a reminder of why so many fell in love with the original game all those years ago.

Ironcast is the very definition of the saying "easy to pick up, difficult to master".

Star Wars: Squadrons combines a solid campaign with a truly fantastic multiplayer element that throws players into an immaculately rendered vision of classic Star Wars action that contains enough depth and detail to satisfy hardcore pilots while still remaining accessible and fun for more casual players. There's not too much in the way of modes as things stand right now, and some players may be put off by the rather bare-bones upgrades and cosmetics on offer, but what is here packs a mighty fine punch, enabling fans of the franchise to live out their fantasies in epic dogfights full of truly iconic moments ripped straight from the classic movies. This is the best Star Wars space-battling action currently available on consoles and a must-play for Force freaks everywhere.

EA Sports FC 24 isn't the big overhaul that some might have expected, but it doesn't need to be. Instead, it makes subtle but impressive upgrades to most areas of the game, especially in terms of presentation, Ultimate Team and the actual action on the pitch. There's an argument to say that FIFA 23 is worth sticking with for another year, but if you're a big fan of the series (and Ultimate Team in particular), we'd say it's worth your hard-earned money.

Little Kitty, Big City is a purrfect addition to Xbox Game Pass and, in our view, is worth checking out if you have a subscription. If we’ve learned anything from our three hour romp through the city, it’s that… we’re glad humans have faces. Also that contributing to a circular economy by recycling cans is important. But most importantly, we affirmed what we thought we already knew: that being a silly cat is very good fun. This is the first ever release from Seattle-based developer Double Dagger Studio, and we think they should feel proud for delivering some much-needed, cat-shaped joy to Xbox.

Even if you’ve been looting and shooting in the Borderlands for the past decade, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is still well worth a look. It’s got fantastic and addictive gameplay, the pacing feels quite good as well, and there are enough new features, enemies, and bosses that will keep you and your friends coming back for more adventures. Tina's fantasy spin-off proves it's more than worthy alongside the mainline entries.

It's not particularly long but the challenges, quests and collectibles are pitched just at the right level to keep you engaged long after the main story is over.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is a successfully stripped back return to the roots of this long-running franchise that ditches the bloat and enormous scale of Odyssey and Valhalla in favour of a very manageable romp that doesn't waste any of your time. Baghdad makes for a fantastic setting, Basim is a likeable protagonist, and the pure stealth gameplay has been tweaked and refined to provide the slickest sneaking experience this series has seen to date. There are a few niggling issues regarding repetition and some sticky parkour controls, but overall this is a fine adventure that more or less gives us the game we'd hoped for when we took our first leap of faith back in 2007.

If you have even a slight interest in post-apocalyptic games, we don't think you'll be disappointed here.

Infinity Ward has delivered its best Call of Duty game since the original Modern Warfare 2 (from way back in 2009) with this year's release. The game's campaign mixes things up rather nicely, delivering a more tactical outing this time around, and the game's multiplayer caters to almost every type of Call of Duty player out there. While the non-Zombies co-op mode is an expected low point, MW2's multiplayer component is jam-packed and well-balanced, creating a compelling reason to keep returning to its huge online sandbox. Modern Warfare 2 won't convince the CoD haters out there, but this year's release is a return to form after one of the franchise's major lows in 2021's Call of Duty: Vanguard.

Ultimately, the main impression we've taken away from Golf Club: Wasteland is that it's an alright golf game on its own, but it's really not about the golf. You'll want to settle in with a nice pair of headphones when playing this one, let the game suck you into its unique concept and narrative, and we think you'll have a really good time with it. At a standard price of £8.29 / $9.99, it's a definitely a reasonable fee for an other-worldly round of golf.

Shadow's latest chapter is arguably his best video game outing yet and easily the definitive experience in Sonic X Shadow Generations. The remaster of Sonic's existing campaign tops it all off, even if it has aged a bit in 2024. Fans of the ultimate lifeform (and the blue blur) should have a blast with this one.

Quantum Break's commitment to delivering a rich, layered narrative isn't always conducive to gameplay, but that doesn't diminish how engrossing this is an entertainment experience. The combination of intense time-bending action, gripping story, and cutting-edge presentation make this the kind of game that sucks you in and doesn't let go until the credits roll. While it's not quite as inventive as it thinks it is, Quantum Break is fresh, ambitious, and a heck of a lot of fun.

Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure is not only a love letter to the actual motorsport but also the video games that have paved the way and inspired series like Horizon. It might not be what everyone was necessarily wanting from the second and likely final expansion for FH5, but the driving experience here is fun from start to finish and remains the core focus - with dirt roads and tracks that will keep you on the edge of your seat with all sorts of bumps and surprises along the way. It’s well worth your time if you’re looking for more adventures in the land of Horizon.

No More Heroes 3 is a solid addition to Xbox's growing library of games by Japanese creators. If you've not played a NMH title before, this is worth a look, but you will get more out of it if you start from the original game. As for returning fans, the third outing plays better on Xbox, and while it might not necessarily be the standout chapter for everyone, it’s still a fun send off for Travis Touchdown.

Sniper Elite 5 is the very best entry in this long-running franchise to date. Karl Fairburne's latest WW2 adventure effortlessly mixes jaw-dropping campaign environments, improved close quarters combat and ruthless enemy AI, resulting in a game that puts this series firmly into the top tier of action titles once and for all. With highly replayable missions stuffed full of secrets and side quests, a clever new PvP Invasion mode, full campaign co-op and a ton of unlockables and multiplayer modes to dig into, this is a hugely entertaining offering that's sure to delight long-term fans and new recruits in equal measure. It's time to get to work perfecting those slo-mo X-Ray balls shots.

Party Animals takes the Gang Beasts formula and turns the cuteness up to 11, and its well-designed maps encourage plenty of strategy, fun and hysterical laughter. In our opinion, it's one of the best party games available on Xbox Game Pass in 2023, especially if you've got a bunch of friends to enjoy it with in local or online multiplayer, and its pick-up-and-play nature means its accessible to gamers of all ages and skill levels. We've been waiting for this game for years now, and we're glad to report Party Animals lives up to the hype.

NBA 2K25 is the best the series has ever been on the court. This is slick and addictive stuff with improved passing and defending, hundreds more animations and a ton of big modes to sink your teeth into. Eras is a standout again, it's great to see the women's game included, and fans of digging deep into stats and shoes, badges and builds will be more than happy. We'd love to slap a higher score on here, we really would, but there's gotta be a penalty for such egregious and constant microtransaction badgering when players have already coughed up a bunch of cash for the game.

If you like the sound of a challenging platformer that will push you to the edge of frustration when things are going badly but make you feel like a gaming god when things are going well, Electronic Super Joy may be just the game you're looking for.

While its story falls short, Scarlet Nexus is expertly elevated with stunning combat. The consistent evolution, polished control scheme, and powerful feedback make each fight more satisfying than the last. If only the game had managed to incorporate a stronger story, more depth to its character bonds, and more things to do outside of combat, Scarlet Nexus could have been something special. As it stands, it feels like a solid first step for a new IP, and one where a sequel could really steal the show.

Amnesia: The Bunker is Frictional Games' scariest title since the team made a name for itself with 2010's Amnesia: The Dark Descent. The game's new approach to an 'open world' style environment is welcome in enabling player freedom, even if we'd have liked the team to push that design principle even further. You don't get as direct of a storyline told here as you do in Amnesia: Rebirth, but the game is certainly spookier as a result of its new setting and its move to free the player of any linear shackles. We reckon fans of the original — or horror game aficionados in general — will very much enjoy exploring this monster-filled bunker on Xbox Game Pass.

A game of highs and lows. The highs are extreme, and while the lows are less so, they are still indeed lows. You’ll see the credits roll in single player mode within a few short hours and while there are still plenty of mixes to unlock once that happens, for a few reasons it’s tough to see where the replay value will come from outside of the odd multiplayer battle.

FIFA 21 is very much an incremental upgrade to last year's outing, but what has changed here makes for a much faster, more fluid and fun game of footie than we've seen from the series since perhaps as far back as 2017. New tweaks to off-the-balls runs and passing are welcome, headers are viable options once again and keepers have been nerfed to the point that all-manner of long-range efforts, vicious volleys and fancy finished shots are back in vogue. Volta still feels like a bit of an afterthought - with its new Debut story mode as cheesy as you might have been expecting - but a slick new simulation option in Career mode, alongside that smart player customisation system and customisable stadiums and co-op Rivals and Squad Battles in Ultimate Team, mean there's just about enough here for diehard fans to justify splashing out once again. This is, for all its faults and foibles, a comprehensive and undeniably fun swansong for EA's behemoth on this current generation of consoles.

Combining first-person shooting and dungeon crawling with a roguelike framework lends to a vibe that feels distinct, and it’s one that we think fans of fantasy themes and old-school shooters will appreciate very much.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania isn't going to win any game of the year awards, but it's undeniably fun. While it's perhaps not the entry that will put the series back into the mainstream, fans of the original will likely have a good time and newcomers will see what the fuss is all about. While there are some questionable design choices, such as a finicky camera and microtransactions that feel out of place, this is an enjoyable adventure with AiAi and his friends.

Nobody Wants to Die's short announcement-to-launch window and its ambitious concept made us cautious, but that caution was unnecessary in the end. It's a tight, gripping adventure that knows exactly what a great sense of place can do for an experience like this, and we had no trouble blasting through the game in one sitting. A little more gameplay depth wouldn't have gone amiss, and Nobody Wants to Die is overall quite a short game - but it's one that's definitely worth picking up if the visuals and themes on show here speak to your gaming sensibilities. Now, we need to see some sunshine after blasting through this one.

For me, South of Midnight is a bit of a triumph, and exactly the sort of thing I want to see more of from Xbox Game Studios. It's not perfect, and its combat mechanics are a bit lacking, but the game has so much soul, personality and charm that it's hard not to fall in love with it. I was engrossed with the storybook visuals, the well-delivered narrative and the satisfying traversal from start to finish, and I really can't recommend this one enough on Xbox Game Pass. Those of you that are more combat-first may not take a shining to this game quite as much as I have, but if you're looking for an engaging adventure that delivers soulful stories in spades, South of Midnight shouldn't be missed.

Older fans may dislike the way things look but find an overall experience that's more tailored to their likes, whereas newcomers to the genre may love the looks and find themselves lost by the more obtuse puzzles.

The most surprising and exciting addition in Bad Blood is the ability to tackle the new Street Sweep missions with an online co-op buddy.

As Dusk Falls is a cracking crime thriller and feels like the exact thing we should be seeing on a regular basis from Xbox Game Studios on Game Pass. Its 6-8 hour length feels just right for a game of this nature, and that also makes it feel right at home on Xbox's subscription service. Oh, and the fantastic storyline that never let us wriggle free of its grip? Yeah, that's not a bad reason to play it on Game Pass either.

Rita’s Rewind is well worth checking out if you’re a fan of Power Rangers or retro-style tributes to the beat ‘em up genre. It also offers up some great fan service and nostalgia, with its super scaler segments mixing up the gameplay with all sorts of blockbuster arcade scenes that do a respectable job honouring the source material. And hey, if you’re a lapsed Power Rangers fan, the memories should come flooding back in no time! This truly is a great way to mark the series’ 30th anniversary and goes to show just how much fun this franchise can still offer after all these years. So go, go Power Rangers!

As a package, The Banner Saga is addictive, attractive, compelling, enjoyable, and truly challenging on the higher difficulty level.

There are gameplay elements that miss their mark, and the pacing isn't perfect, but it's not enough to kill these dark dreams dead. Someone tell SWERY that we're ready for more.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War combines a bombastic campaign that desperately attempts to shoehorn as much classic CoD action as it can into its rather short running time, with a solid multiplayer suite that feels a little light on exciting new modes and content at launch. However, what's here is still undeniably fun, the campaign introduces a few neat ideas along the way and multiplayer has got its classic modes, the safety net of Warzone and returning Zombies chaos to fall back on, resulting in a Call of Duty offering that may not throw up any big surprises but manages to scrape a pass regardless.

Nightdive Studios serves up another fantastically thorough revamp of a retro classic with Star Wars: Dark Forces. It may not quite have the reputation of the likes of Quake 2 or System Shock, but this is a fun Star Wars shooter nevertheless, one of the better efforts from the '90s, and a game that looks and feels the absolute business thanks to enhanced graphics, modernised controls, fancy lighting techniques and all manner of other bells and whistles. Not quite essential, then, but a damn good time regardless, especially for fans of the original Star Wars franchise.

While the remaster may not fix all of the flaws of the original game, it does manage to breathe new life into one of Capcom's most beloved series.

The fact that Dead Island 2 is finally here and enjoyable to play is nothing short of a miracle given the game's 10+ year development cycle. We feared this one may end up being a real mess, but Dambuster has largely delivered on what you'd expect from a sequel to Dead Island - just not much more than that. We'd have loved to see the team expand on things a little more to fully capitalise on the game's absurdity, but a safe sequel will do just fine in this case. Dead Island 2 won't blow you way, but it's shiny and dumb and fun, and definitely worth a play if you're looking for a light hearted zombie romp on Xbox.

Sonic Superstars may not keep up with certain other Sonic side-scrollers of the past, and level design and boss battles can be frustrating at times, but it’s arguably the best 3D take on the 2D Sonic series to date. Even if some of the new ideas could use extra polish, it's still a fun adventure for Sonic and friends from start to finish.

Every corner has been rounded off and every surface has been polished here, and that's much to the developer's credit. Excellent stuff.

NBA 2K22 is an excellent next-gen addition to the franchise on Xbox Series X, delivering revamped gameplay that feels better than ever before on the court, smoother transitions between modes and all manner of graphical bells and whistles to boot. My Career's new City area has been well implemented and could well be a huge timesink for those who are into that mode and, although there's no other major changes to speak of, what's here is undoubtedly still the slickest basketball ticket in town right now.

Dying Light 2 is a pretty disappointing sequel to one of our all-time favourite zombie games. The parkour and combat here feels slightly off-point, light, floaty and unsatisfying. The first game's signature tense melee encounters feel diluted in a setting that gives you far too much space to catch your breath and night-time sorties lack the straight-up fear factor that made them so appealing first time around. With a lacklustre campaign that offers little to enjoy in the way of drama, some serious performance issues - which we hope will be patched day one - and an enormous world stuffed full of basic busywork padding, this is one zombie apocalypse we're finding quite hard to recommend.

Skylanders Superchargers could have been a contender, but the enforced arena vehicle sections mean that it only sputters along in the middle of the pack.

RoboCop: Rogue City is a very average shooter that becomes more than the sum of its parts through an exacting attention to detail displayed by its developers. There's some excellent world-building here, lovingly crafted recreations of places, people, cars and weapons that'll immediately excite fans and, although it's hardly electrifying, the shooter action undeniably gives you RoboCop in all his slow-moving, smart-assed glory. If you've got a love for the movie, you'll likely have a good time roleplaying here, and it's great to see Peter Weller reprise his role. However, if you've got no stake in the franchise, you may be left wondering what any of the fuss is about as this one deals in wholesale nostalgia.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a solid debut for Surgent Studios and a genuinely heartfelt and moving piece of art to boot. We love its focus on narrative aspects, and the obvious time and effort that's been put into its characters and dialogue. For anyone who's had to go through the pain of losing a family member there's a genuinely emotional and uplifting adventure to undertake here, regardless of some slight clunkiness along the way.

Star Wars Outlaws has been a thoroughly welcome surprise. We expected a great big open world dullard of a thing, but instead we've got clever stealth systems, excellent level design, fun combat and a wise refining of the usual collectathon and busywork mechanics. Kay Vess and Nix make a highly competent stealth/death squad, the whole thing looks and sounds great and you even get to take off from planets, fly into space and blow stuff up. What it lacks in new mechanics or originality in gameplay, it makes up for with vibes. It's got it where it counts, kid.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a slick and satisfying spiritual successor that gives Suikoden fans a great big dreamy treat whilst updating, modernising and streamlining its most retro aspects into a brand-new and exciting adventure for newcomers. With a timely tale to tell, excellent battle systems, an amazing cast of characters and plenty of experimentation and puzzling in its dungeons, this is a big win for Game Pass, and a fine farewell for one of the industry's true greats. Now, isn't that a lovely thing.

Persona 5 Tactica is another very solid and self-assured spin-off for Atlus' stellar RPG franchise. Placing the Phantom Thieves in tactical turn-based battles works a treat here, with addictive and challenging strategy complimented by a slick sense of style, strong writing and a campaign narrative that will keep fans happy. Whether you're here for Persona specifically or you're just wanting a solid slice of tactical action to dig into, this one has got you well and truly covered.

If you’re hungry for a new hunter-style experience that isn't Capcom's premier franchise, Wild Hearts is probably as good as it’s going to get right now. It's perhaps an easier entry point with fewer things to overwhelm newcomers and has plenty of fun moments for sure. For veteran hunters, it does bring some new ideas to the table – especially with the building mechanics, but it might not necessarily meet your expectations in other areas of gameplay, and can be rough around the edges at times. If Wild Hearts does have a future beyond this (and there's DLC on the way, we should mention) it would be nice to see it form its own proper identity.

Q.U.B.E: Director's Cut is an excellent physics based puzzler that offers enough variety and challenge to its puzzles to satisfy even the most lateral of thinkers.

In conclusion, Teslagrad is a very polished puzzler, which ramps up the difficulty almost mercilessly until the very end.

We’re hopeful that Formula Retro Racing’s myriad issues can be fixed further down the line, because otherwise this is a fantastic modernised version of vintage arcade racers. For only £9.99 / $11.99, anyone who remembers the good old days of Virtua Racing will be in for a treat, and even those who don’t may still appreciate its minimalist art style and high-speed action.

Stick it To The Man is a total blast to play. The puzzles may not be all that challenging, but the beautiful visuals, catchy soundtrack, and wonderful humour make it stick out above other adventure games.

In many ways, Immortals of Aveum feels like an old school FPS. It may be modern in how it lays on dozens of systems, skill tree options and character abilities, but fast-paced combat in a bright & colourful alien world is definitely the order of the day here. The game's story is a huge miss admittedly, and a more cohesive narrative would have surely bumped our score up a notch, but as it stands Immortals of Aveum is still a slick first-person shooter that's definitely worth a playthrough. Its $70 price point is questionable, but we still recommend playing this one, especially when it eventually drops onto Xbox Game Pass via EA Play.

Time will tell if these issues get fixed but for the moment, Rebel Galaxy is several light years from where it truly wants to be.

It probably isn't a game that you'll blast through in a single sitting and it certainly won't be for everybody, but Not A Hero is definitely a good deal of fun.

Combat feels clunky, and the graphically impressive game ends up looking bad in motion. At least Nordic Games didn't technically call this a definitive edition, as it's really anything but.

There are a lot of things to admire in Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, and when it works, it all comes together in a fantastic new way. Unfortunately, there are far too many instances of clues that perhaps made sense to the team that made it, but not the player. Just when you start finding your stride, a roadblock appears as you struggle to figure out your next steps. The jump to an open-world setting ultimately feels unnecessary and adds to the confusion. Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is not a bad game at all, but the experimental gameplay feels like a missed opportunity that a sequel could perhaps refine.

It's a really chill addition to Xbox Game Pass that you'll likely end up enjoying a lot if you're into this sort of thing, while others will inevitably think it's boring and too repetitive. It does what it says on the tin though, executing on its concept very effectively, while the addition of online co-op with cross-play between Xbox and PC is a great touch.

There are a few moments that visually provide a nice atmosphere, but it really needed more of them to help spice things up.

Despite its flawed interface, Unepic is a very enjoyable title with a ton of content.

If you can make peace with a few missing options and don't mind the paid DLC aspect you'll still have a great time here, and if you're coming to these games fresh you're in for an almighty treat, it's just a shame that SEGA has chosen to sully the endeavour with unnecessary greed and a few glaring functional omissions that could so easily have been included. So there you have it, Sonic Origins has got it where it counts but a little more TLC would have seen our score bumped up by a few points. Maybe next time, SEGA.

All in all, Hitman is a very promising start to the reboot series.

Despite these flaws, Demon Turf is still an incredible platformer - one of the best in years. It's easy to learn but hard to master and is filled with content ranging from easy challenges to devilishly challenging gauntlets. With such a fine-tuned platforming experience, it's easy to overlook the boring combat and performance hiccups. While the latter will most likely be ironed out, the combat is here to stay, but if you can get past that hurdle, Demon Turf is a joyous throwback to the platformers of old.

This is a strong return for the Battlefront moniker, but there's much room for improvement.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster pretty much does what it says on the tin, but we were hoping for a little bit more from the game's 'Deluxe' moniker. The new visuals and performance improvements are nice, and the game's fresh control schemes and autosave options make this the best way to play Dead Rising in the modern era. However, the game's ever-controversial timer feels even more restrictive in 2024, and we feel like other dated elements such as the constant load screens could have also been brushed up for this new re-release. If you're looking for an excuse to replay the original Dead Rising, this is it, but if you were hoping for a big modernisation of this Xbox 360 era zombie-slayer, Deluxe Remaster falls short of delivering on that.

Despite its many shortcomings, GRID Autosport is a decent game. There’s plenty of fun to be had in single player mode generally, even though multiplayer is pretty much a bust.