Teardown is a surprisingly addictive and compelling experience that takes the very simple concept of breaking stuff into bits and runs with it, serving up some of the best-looking destruction we've ever clapped eyes on. Yes, the lack of multiplayer modes is a bit of a sore point, but a well-designed and surprisingly meaty main campaign, alongside curated mod packs, means there's still plenty to dive into here for solo players. If you like wrecking stuff it's hard to knock what's on offer here, especially at the smart budget price point.

Rematch is an addictive blend of Rocket League and real football that's sure to prove a hit on Xbox Game Pass and beyond. The difficult controls might put some people off in the early hours, but its "just one more game" feel should keep most people playing beyond the teething period - and that's when it really comes into its own. The developers have done a fantastic job with this one, and I can't wait to see how it evolves in the weeks, months and years to come.

The Following content itself - whether bought separately or as part of the new Enhanced Edition - offers a very different but yet worthy test, with the open fields and buggy opening up a completely different set of rules to exploit and best the legions of undead.

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.

Age of Mythology was already a respectable package and Retold adds some additional shine. Like other Age games, it’s got near-endless replay value and is packed to the brim with gameplay and lore (even if some content is locked at release). All up though, this is a promising start and it will likely only get better from here on out with more updates and some expansions planned. If you skipped this one back in the day, or just want to revisit it, Retold is a great modernisation of Microsoft’s RTS classic.

Islanders doesn't necessarily reinvent the wheel and may have a few control issues, but it still provides a hugely enjoyable time that's always there to dive into between other games. It also has a very enticing price point of £4.19 / $4.99. The game has quickly become a perfect title to wind down with when extended sessions of Splitgate have aggravated us or the intense subject matter of Lost Judgment has become too much. If you’re looking for something to break up your gaming life, Islanders: Console Edition is a fantastic choice.

WWE 2K23 builds on last year's already impressive effort to deliver arguably the best wrestling game Xbox fans have ever seen. The gameplay feels smoother and more entertaining than ever, nearly all of the game modes have received welcome improvements, WarGames is a fantastic addition to the array of match types, and this is ultimately the most enjoyment we've had with the series in well over a decade. It's still a little rough around the edges in some places, but you'll most likely be having too much fun to care.

Overall, GRID Legends feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. Its on-track racing is really good fun, and with the right AI and event tweaks, and a little more content, it'd be a really solid sequel to GRID 2019. As it stands, it feels very safe and lacks the personality to really stand on its own amongst the competition. It gets real close to mimicking what PGR did so well all those years ago, but something's missing. Sparks often fly out on the track, but Legends doesn't quite have the spark to make its arcade action stick.

An opportunity to use your creativity in dastardly ways; 101 Ways to Die's use of physics and Rube Goldberg-style chain reactions is an enjoyable entry into the puzzle genre.

The integrity of Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is cheapened due to the constant presence of performance issues. Other than that, though, this is the same Borderlands you know and love – or don't.

Rainbow Six Extraction, while it lasts, is a super solid time, a delightfully warped addition to the Rainbow Six stable of games that is a total blast when played with the right people. It also sweetens the deal that it's available via Game Pass, meaning there's really no reason not to jump in and get down to some good old co-operative strategy action.

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.

A few moments of wonkiness stop it from hitting perfection, but there's still an extremely enjoyable game hidden within Nightmares from the Deep's haunted decks.

Puzzle platformers are a dime a dozen in the modern era of gaming, but there's nothing that feels quite like A Boy and His Blob. Taking advantage of blob's shape-shifting abilities to solve environmental puzzles, while seeking hidden treasures that unlock challenge stages, is mentally stimulating and very rewarding. Even though a handful of issues do frequently nag at you throughout the course of the adventure, they don't weigh the game down enough to keep it from a recommendation.

Although the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection could have been much more, the three games included run better than ever and should still be satisfying enough for returning fans. The bloody and brutal gameplay is just as exhilarating and will keep you coming back for more, and the collection is a great way for newer audiences to learn about Ryu Hayabusa's history.

All up, Gold Road offers another familiar slice of adventure in the land of Tamriel. If you are going in expecting big things for the 10th anniversary, try to temper your expectations. We've enjoyed our time with the story and what the rest of the expansion has to offer so far, and we're looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Elder Scrolls Online.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite mostly delivers the goods with a super solid squad-based shooter set in the Aliens universe. There's plenty to enjoy here, lots of fun nods to the movies, tons of lore, impressive attention to environmental detail and slick Xeno-slaying action that's enhanced immensely by taking the fight to the alien hordes with a couple of friends. It may be a little repetitive, there aren't nearly enough surprises and the campaign fizzles out towards its end but, grab some buddies, get your headsets on and crank up the difficulty and there's hours of properly intense, team-based action to get stuck into with this one.

It would be harsh to overly punish Kaiju Panic for the problems that it contains, simply because the mix of tower defence and RTS gameplay works so well. It surely won't be to everybody's tastes and some will get frustrated when a lack of knowledge or a varying enemy attack path causes them to fail a level, but those that like a challenge will enjoy what Mechabit have created here.

Scorn may make a few missteps here and there, with some short-lived but shoddy combat sequences and puzzles that grow a little repetitive as the game reaches its climax, but none of this really takes away from the artistic achievement at core of this adventure. Ebb Software's debut is one of the most gruesome, thought-provoking and completely alien experiences we've had in a very long time. It's a game that flings you headlong into a blood-soaked nightmare, leaves you to push and prod and make your own way forward, to draw your own conclusions, and it's one that's left a lasting impression on us as a result of some truly superb world-building and startling imagery. It's absolutely not for everyone, but if it sounds like your cup of tea, we urge you to give this one a whirl.

EA FC 25 still plays a fine game of football in all of its online and offline modes, but it's fairly hard to get excited about any of it this year. The new depth to tactics, and ability to switch them up on-the-fly, are welcome additions. However, Rush feels a bit flat and forced, whilst the rest of the modes on offer are overwhelmingly familiar. We can see what EA was going for, and it's worked in some respects, but the focus on Rush, and a lack of big changes elsewhere, make for a bit of an uninspired year in the land of football/soccer.

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.

Resident Evil Village may not quite live up to the highs of its terrifying predecessor but it's a still a solid entry in the long-running series that's well worth checking out. Eastern Europe makes for a fantastically atmospheric and surprisingly open setting here, it's chock full of delightfully oddball characters and features a handful of properly entertaining set-pieces to blast through. There may well be a few rough edges, with a rather painful protagonist and some duff boss battles to contend with but, overall, this is one truly messed up village that's well worth a visit.

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.

It may sound like we're being a bit down on this year's Call of Duty, but it's only because we know the franchise has potential. Warzone has proved it with multiplayer and Black Ops Cold War showcased it with its campaign. We hoped this would build upon those foundations, but instead it steps back into familiar territory. It's not a bad game by any means - in fact, even at its worst it's better than most first-person shooters out there - but as the games industry evolves, it's time for Call of Duty to bring something new to the table, and this isn't it.

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

Level 22: Gary's Misadventures is a fun puzzler that doesn't take itself too seriously. Even with that in mind, the developer has obviously lavished love and attention on the game and produced a product that, while not the longest or most challenging game in the world, is enjoyable enough.

The key thing to take away with Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 is that even though it has some issues and is essentially more of the same, there is still plenty of fun to be had here.

What it comes down to is that, even though it's a redesigned version of its mobile counterpart, BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition is experimental and rich enough to justify its existence on a home console.

The new content is well-constructed, but the big noises being made about the new race types are a little bit overblown for our liking. The new weather is good but not necessarily as varied as it could have been, and the event types could have been more outlandish. However, there's absolutely no doubt that Playground’s island adventure extends an excellent game by more than enough hours to justify the price of the ticket.

There are some truly fantastic ideas here, some super-smooth parkour, brain-tingling puzzle challenges and occasional flashes of brilliance when it's time to get down and dirty in combat. Some ideas haven't been explored as thoroughly as we'd have liked, and there are a few rough spots, though.

Minecraft Legends looks like Minecraft and somewhat feels like it, as you would probably expect, but it really does play like its own proper game with the action strategy elements - even if it doesn't quite match the depth of certain other titles within the strategy genre. Overall, Mojang and Blackbird Interactive have done a good job adapting this mega video game IP to yet another category, and have definitely provided a fun multiplayer experience, despite some learning curves which might be a challenge for younger Minecraft fans and newcomers. This is a welcome introduction to the strategy genre and is worth a look if you're seeking more adventures in the Minecraft universe.

It'll definitely be one that you'll pick up every now and again for a quick hour of cathartic Survival mode gunplay though, that's for sure.

If you liked Zuma – which unfortunately for Sparkle Unleashed now runs on Xbox One via backward compatibility – you'll probably enjoy the challenge this provides, even if there isn't anything majorly groundbreaking going on.

Shredders is an ideal Xbox Game Pass game. It's a game most players will get a few hours of enjoyment from, complete the missions and grab some achievements, and then move on. The dedicated fans will keep coming back for the fluid and rewarding gameplay, and maybe to get perfect scores on all those missions. If you go into it expecting a big-budget rival to the likes of SSX and Amped, you might be disappointed with what you find, but taken at face value, Shredders is a fun time and a worthy addition to the sports library on Game Pass.

Pumped BMX+ is a good advertisement for mobile game ports on Xbox One.

This means that your time with PES this year will be spent playing for an hour or two and then putting the controller down in frustration. It's to Konami's great credit that it somehow always calls you back to it.

Aspyr's remastered collection doesn't reinvent these classics by any means, and that was probably the best route to take here. While we don't agree with every decision the team has made, these remasters manage to retain the feel of the original trilogy, and options like the classic visuals toggle and a modern control scheme make this well worth a play - especially on Xbox where all three games are making their debuts.

Asteroid Base have done a fine job with Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, providing that you're a co-op gamer. Single players will likely find that they enjoy things up until the game becomes too overwhelming. Still, as a whole, there's a lot to like here – including genuine innovation - and it's definitely something different.

Unless you have friends to play online with right away, wait for a price drop before pinning on your police badge or slipping into a ski mask. Hardline is good but it's not exactly a necessity.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake is a short, snappy puzzle platformer that's definitely worth playing - if just for the game's engaging, emotional familial tale. Having said that, this remake isn't the biggest technical upgrade we've ever seen, and unless you're desperate to play in local co-op we think the original still holds up mighty fine. However you choose to experience Brothers, it provides some great Sunday afternoon entertainment in a bite-sized package, even if it doesn't have quite the same impact 10 years later. Newcomers will likely have a great time with this one, but returning players shouldn't feel the need to rush out and pick up this remake right away.

Despite its shortcomings, we were always drawn to come back for 'one more run'. It nails the roguelite gameplay hook and has a unique gameplay mechanic to support it all. While it at times feels as though the game's fighting against you when everything comes together, there's nothing quite like it. Clearing a room of monsters in time to the guitar shredding soundtrack never gets old and the constant progression of unlocking new characters and skills is an incentive to keep trying. It's not a home run, but those who buy into BPM: Bullet Per Minute's charm will certainly have a good time.

Marvel's Avengers is sprawling and spectacular, messy and bloated all at the same time. There's a surprisingly fun and lengthy campaign here, excellent writing and acting and some of the best superhero brawling in the business. It excels at allowing you to really feel like you're fighting alongside your favourite superheroes as you decimate enemies and destroy scenery, but it loses some of that swagger as it enters its online endgame. There's a half-baked gear system, convoluted menus and questlines and some technical issues that make fighting online feel a little rough around the edges at this point in time. However, with a couple of patches, with the right support down the line in terms of new heroes, costumes, bad guys and story beats, Crystal Dynamics could be on to a winner here. This is a properly solid start and a pleasant surprise.

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.

As penultimate episodes go, Episode 3: Judgment does a rock solid job of keeping players engaged in its story as it leads into the game's final chapter. We’re now eagerly anticipating the finale, but we’re also a little bit apprehensive about where things will go next.

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell is a bargain for fans of Saints Row IV. There's less content included, but what is on offer here is good.

There certainly seems to be a lot of adventure games around these days, and we're happy to state that Blues and Bullets is yet another one you should keep your eyes on.

Perhaps the initial asking price is a bit high, then - we think $19.99 would have been the sweet spot for RetroMania Wrestling at launch - but it's still nevertheless an enjoyable game. The art style is fantastic, the gameplay is classic 90s style fun, and you can tell it's been made by people who really love the business of professional wrestling. It's not going to replace WWE 2K's series for casual fans, but hardcore wrestling aficionados might just fall in love with it.

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.

We aren't sure all of the design decisions work, but if you're into the concept, Commander Repeatski and crew are still assuredly worth hanging out with for a weekend or two.

Enjoyable and thrilling while it lasts but also all too short and a shade too easy for those with any sort of skill in the genre, it's one that will surely hit the spot to while away an afternoon. Just don't expect it to last all that much longer than that.

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.

The terrific melee combat system and intriguing story are more than enough to warrant a recommendation to anyone yet to play it, but if you’ve experienced the streets of Hong Kong before then the slightly sharper visuals and included DLC are a tougher sell.

Fan service is what South Park Pinball does best, so if you're reading this because of your affinity for the television series, rest assured that this mini celebration of the brand totally delivers in that regard.

For anyone looking for traditional Pac-Man, you’re better off with something like Pac-Man Museum+. However, if you are hungry for some 3D platforming, or just want to relive old times, Pac-Man World Re-Pac should be enough to keep you invested until the credits roll. Sure, it’s not up there with the likes of Mario, but it’s a part of Pac-Man’s own unique history as one of the video game industry’s leading mascots that we’re happy to welcome back with open arms.

Dungeons of Hinterberg is a hugely stylish and hipster-cool action-RPG that does a fantastic job in building a world that feels worth exploring, replete with dungeons that require effort whilst remaining fittingly chilled out. This is a puzzle-orientated affair more than an action-heavy thing, and that's a wise choice, as the puzzles here easily trump the fairly average fighting. Make peace with some naff dialogue and simplistic but likeable social aspects, and you've got yourself a unique and addictively atmopsheric adventure that puts vibes over violence.

Slender: The Arrival is a must-play for any horror fan who hasn't played it on PC. You may get frustrated with it at times, but overcoming any cheap moments makes beating each chapter and the overall game all the more rewarding.

The mechanics are simple yet engaging, and the merging of tower defence, brawler and castle destruction is the ideal balance of easy-to-play yet difficult-to-master. Simply put, CastleStorm has a lot going for it.

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.

A game without a goalkeeper slip-up is still a much better game than you'd find anywhere last year, but those slip-ups happen too often for our liking. Still a fantastic game for football fans, but probably not one that those prone to tantrums should play.

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.

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.

LEGO 2K Drive is at its best when it focuses on the last word of its title - driving around and taking part in wild and wacky side missions as you run into them is the best way to tackle this open world racer. The actual racing lets it down a touch, and we think the game is a bit pricey for its presentation levels, but this is still a fun and varied affair for all the family. If you're itching for a bonkers LEGO-themed take on Forza Horizon this pretty much nails it, just don't expect the same levels of AAA sheen as you'd get from the Xbox exclusive series.

Destiny feels like the key elements of an FPS and an MMO gently resting shoulder to shoulder, instead of being fused together in a truly creative way. It plays and looks great, and offers many, many hours of entertainment to anyone okay with repeating the same tasks, but it isn’t exactly the game-changing science fiction epic we felt it was aspiring to.

Double Fine has given us another charming Xbox first-party title in the form of Kiln, which might be light on content, but nevertheless is a fun time both on and off the battlefield. The pot-creation system is a genius take on a character creation suite, matches are frantic but offer plenty of room for strategy, and the overall presentation is really high quality. Moving forward though, it's going to need regular new content to remain fresh and give players a reason to keeping coming back, otherwise I fear this online-only game might get doused a little too prematurely.

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.

Dividing the game into episodic chunks is already shaping up to a successful experiment for Capcom, and we can’t wait to see where it all leads to in the coming weeks.

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

It's a transitional year for NHL, then. It's arguably better than ever on the ice, playing a mostly authentic and enjoyable brand of hockey that implements some subtle, but worthy new features to satisfy hardcore fans. It also looks meaningfully improved thanks to the Frostbite engine (and clearly a lot of hard work). But in terms of content and game modes, it's largely the same offering as last year, and that gets pretty old after a while. Hopefully, now that the engine transition is out of the way, we can look forward to some ambitious new modes and features in NHL 23 and beyond.

It may never reach the high points of a Metal Gear Solid or Thief game, but it does provide a constant helping of highly polished fun.

As an almost full-price title, things had to be pretty much on point here and though it isn't perfect, the development team have done well to provide a game that does the sport proud.

The Big Con presents a fun, addictive gameplay loop to embrace - despite never truly sitting right with us narratively. Its world is a delight to explore, the characters are fun and the 90s vibes wrap around you like a warm winter's blanket. It's a shame its morals are never presented in a truly challenging way, but if you can look past its messy narrative, you'll find a fun, charming indie adventure that's hard to put down.

Easy Red 2 is a cheap as chips WW2 shooter that serves up a bloody good time amidst all of the expected micro-budget jank. There's a genuinely solid FPS here, with an atmospheric bunch of battle maps and shooter mechanics that require just a little more thought than usual. With tons of period-specific weapons and vehicles, impressively large arenas of engagement and zero bloat, battle passes or micro-transactions, this is a cracking slice of old-school WW2 action for the cost of a cheap lunch. Just ignore the awful menus.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a super solid debut for Ember Labs that serves up an enchanting atmosphere, slick and challenging combat and some very cute companions in the form of the ROT. It does all feel a little muddled in who it’s trying to attract at times, with simple puzzles and streamlined upgrade options attached to combat that pulls no punches. However, a respectful run-time, stellar visuals and a procession of very decent boss scraps ensure that this one still manages to find itself on our recommend pile.

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.

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.

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

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.

Episode 4: Metamorphosis has a lot resting on its rotting shoulders and, for the most part, it does an adequate job tying up all the loose ends.

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.

AEW Fight Forever is an enjoyable and competent wrestling game that we've been having a good time with so far. The Road to Elite career mode is fun, and the wild match types with their huge varieties of weapons are a blast to play with friends. There are definitely some downsides such as the barebones creation suite along with a general lack of game modes, but if you're an AEW fan or you're simply looking for a decent alternative to WWE 2K23, Fight Forever is well worth adding to your wishlist this summer.

So, yeah, where do we even start with summing this one up? To be honest, a recommendation depends on your own interest with the world of Atomic Heart, we must admit. The game's premise remains intriguing throughout, and its main missions provide some great combat scenarios to get stuck into, especially when it comes to using powers and the skill tree system to create different characters builds. Yet, the game's overworld is largely skippable which is a huge bummer, and its main storyline does little to enhance the incredibly interesting world Mundfish has created. Atomic Heart is well worth a play for the immersive FPS fanatics out there, but it's wise to temper your expectations when names like BioShock and DOOM are being thrown around in comparison. Atomic Heart is a solid alternate-history shooter, but it takes a bit more than building an intriguing world to become a true great in the genre.

Although it's easy to pick up, Tropico 5 is a deep and complex strategy title which keeps things interesting by throwing ever-changing challenges in to the story structure to mix things up.

When you add everything up though, including its lower price point of just £24.99 / $29.99, Lawn Mowing Simulator is a worthy purchase if you're keenly interested. The core gameplay is where it shines brightest, highlighted by intuitive driving controls, and the career mode is just about engaging enough to keep you invested — we'd just love to see a more in-depth version of it with multiplayer support in the inevitable Lawn Mowing Simulator 2.

The fact that we can say that true fans of golf who are looking for a new challenge might well have found their new home in spite of those technical issues, is a testament to how brave and revolutionary the game really is.

Shadowrun Trilogy is an excellent trio of tactical RPG titles that serve up wonderfully atmospheric worlds, well-written stories and entertaining turn-based combat to boot. With surprisingly breezy core mechanics and fairly short running times for all three entries it's a perfect series for newcomers to the genre and tactical RPG veterans alike, and another fantastic addition to Xbox Game Pass that we highly recommend you check out ASAP. Let's just hope that freezing bug gets patched out nice and quickly.

For the first entry in a brand-new series, Frontier has done a great job with F1 Manager 2022. The 3D race engine is consistently engaging and visually stunning for a management game, the user interface is well-designed, and even the controls are easy enough to get to grips with on Xbox. There are definitely balancing issues that need to be ironed out at launch, but if Frontier can add some updates pretty sharpish, we'll happily bump this review up to at least an [80].

Though the legitimacy of the AI's intelligence is questionable, the level navigation and difficulty options make it as challenging as you want it to be.

It isn't as fully-featured as we'd have expected it to be off the bat, but being able to jump in and spin through a selection from the 200+ tracks (with lots more to come, we're told) for an hour while earning rewards and upgrades is pure addiction.

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.

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.

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.

Tales of Symphonia is a wonderful experience if you’re a fan of classic Japanese-made RPGs and has aged surprisingly well for a game that's now two decades old. Its real-time 3D combat is still just as enjoyable and the way the story and characters evolve throughout the journey remains just as compelling. Returning players are likely to feel the most let down here, as this really doesn’t feel like the proper remastered experience it could have been. In saying this, the fun battles & RPG elements shine through, which might be enough for some players to overlook the shortcomings of this remaster.

The Division doesn't have many ideas of its own, but the way it unites traditional open-world design with online multiplayer makes it an addictive social shooter. The repetition does wear thin after a while, and the end-game content isn't as robust as it needs to be, so there's a legitimate concern as to whether the game will remain engrossing in the long run. Still, Ubisoft has erected a solid foundation.

If you enjoy this genre, Fortified is worthy of your time and you should consider dropping it into your multiplayer gaming rotation.

The high point of Jusant is definitely its well-designed climbing mechanics, which are endlessly enjoyable aside from some occasional (but minor) issues. Sadly we weren't quite as taken by the game's story, but we still wanted to reach its summit regardless. It's the kind of Game Pass title we think some fans will absolutely fall in love with, while others will bounce off it pretty quickly. In any case, it's a worthy addition to Xbox's fantastic subscription service.

Ultratron is a slick twin-stick shooter with some great and novel ideas at its core. The initially laid out challenge is a pretty simple one, meaning that some players will ultimately be left wanting. Achievement hunters and score hunters will absolutely relish what's in front of them, however.

Battlefield 2042 is a bit of a mixed bag as things stand right now with the excellent Portal mode overshadowing almost everything else on offer. The futuristic large-scale battles are spectacular stuff, for sure, but it's all a little disjointed so far with the all-new Specialists underlining a feeling that solo soldiering has somehow taken precedent over the series' signature teamwork. There's still plenty to enjoy in this meaty package for early adopters, and we've no doubt DICE will be busy improving things as the months roll on but, outside of a mode that celebrates the series' history more than it embraces what's new in this latest entry, what's here struggles to feel absolutely essential at launch.