A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead delivers plenty of spooks throughout its roughly eight-hour adventure, but it does run out of ideas somewhat during the back half of that runtime. When called upon, the cast is well-acted (even if the story is quite threadbare) and the whole thing does enough to cement itself as a worthy entry in the 'A Quiet Place' universe, which is a nice achievement for Stormind Games. Some more late-game variety and additional options for dealing with the enemy could have made this a horror great, but as it stands, The Road Ahead is just a decent romp through what's becoming quite a popular movie universe. Horror game aficionados and A Quiet Place superfans should definitely consider this one, but for those less experienced, there are better options out there on the horror game market.

In conclusion, this another Traveller's Tales LEGO game, with all the baggage that entails. As an example of the breed, it's a very good one, but the age of the model is now starting to show and some sort of revolution (rather than a gradual evolution) must now be overdue.

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.

Short, simple and fun, Factotum 90 is a must-have addition to any puzzle game fan's collection. With a unique premise and an interesting plot, it only ever tries to be exactly what it is and offers enough of a challenge to be a satisfying experience.

Kao The Kangaroo is a hard one to sum up, then, because while it definitely feels low-budget, clunky and frustrating at times, it's also a platformer packed with plenty of fun and memorable moments. It feels like the developer went the extra mile to inject some ambition into the series and craft something that deserves a place alongside the behemoths of the genre, even if it can't meet the lofty heights of a Crash Bandicoot or a Super Lucky's Tale. It's nice to see Kao punching above his weight in 2022, and not just being relegated to an easy cash grab.

The Battleborn experiment has been largely successful. Fusing humour and shooting together with the mechanics from a MOBA sounds like it should be a recipe for disaster, but the charm of the graphical style and characterisation lifts the whole game.

In conclusion then, Soul Axiom is a slow burning game, but one that satisfies if you engage with the world and its lore.

Neon Chrome is an admirable blend of genres that provides a stiff challenge and potentially massive amounts of playing time. There a feeling of repetition to be found for sure and the need to die, die, and die again won't be for everyone. Those with the mettle though, will find a fun and enjoyable shooter that has the potential to be both strangely compelling and unrelentingly addictive.

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.

Stranger of Sword City is an extremely solid dungeon crawling RPG. Fans of the genre will likely lap this straight up due to a lack of options on Xbox One. However, whether it deserves a place up with the genre leaders such as Etrian Odyssey is open for debate.

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

Blood of the Werewolf will put hair on your chest...and your back. All over, really.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine Master Crafted Edition (that's a mouthful) is a proper 360 throwback, for better or for worse. The game's tight shooting mechanics make this one worth a play for anyone who's into the genre, but its 2011 foundations are still showing here in this modern remaster. If you're properly into your Warhammer lore I'd expect you to get a little more out of the experience than I have, but the game itself is still a fun time, and we recommend giving it a go on Xbox Game Pass. The short and snappy campaign will take you just a few nights to finish, and who knows, maybe the multiplayer will find a cult following here in 2025. I'll be hopping on in the coming days to find out.

Gungrave G.O.R.E feels like a perfect title to release on Xbox Game Pass, the kind of thing most people really will want to try before they buy. It's absolutely not for everyone, it's old-fashioned, obnoxiously loud and highly repetitive, but if you fall under its spell, if you get into the murder rhythm of it all, you may well find yourself thoroughly addicted. It's a shame there's not better feedback when you take damage, and we wish there was an option to hold in the trigger for continuous fire, but beyond these shortcomings this one absolutely nails what it sets out to do. This is a loud, silly and gratuitously violent slice of old-school arcade action.

NHL 26 introduces some long-awaited improvements to Be A Pro mode, as well as some meaningful gameplay tweaks (particularly when it comes to goalies) that result in the best NHL game of this console generation. There's a lingering feeling that $69.99 is an expensive price tag for a series that's not changing that much from year-to-year anymore, but the development team have still done a commendable job with the seemingly limited resources at their disposal.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is the best-looking video game we've ever played. It sounds incredible, Melina Juergens acts herself inside out, and on a purely technical level this is just next-level stuff all round. However, we still don't feel as though extending Senua's plight into a Saga is a good idea. We remain unconvinced, and it's because this sequel feels like diminishing returns, as we had worried it might. It's not as vital or as unique in 2024, and it goes for bombast as a means of smoothing things over, resulting in a good game, an interesting eight hour romp, but nothing that screams must-play. Weak combat and dull puzzles are just more salt in these wounds, unfortunately.

NHL 24 feels like a positive step in a new direction, but there's more work to be done. The gameplay this year is really good, bolstered by the inventive new Exhaust Engine feature, and we're also liking a lot of the new presentation improvements. Because of all this, we're willing to overlook some of the new features that haven't worked so well, and now it's up to EA to listen to the community and shape their feedback into something truly special with next year's entry. This is a good game that will keep us entertained far longer than NHL 23 ever did, and we're very intrigued as to what the future holds for NHL 25 and beyond.

Tembo has an arsenal of flashy and destructive moves at his disposal, but he's a bit too stubborn to be considered a badass of the absolute highest order.

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

The technical issues make group play a bit of a chore at times, but the quests are varied and interesting enough to keep you coming back for more.

Bramble: The Mountain King is a dark and brooding slice of Nordic folklore that's well worth digging into, despite some notable technical shortcomings. There's an inherent jankiness to the gameplay here that permeates its platforming, boss battles and exploration. However, if you can make peace with these rough edges, you'll find a tale that's still dripping in atmosphere, packed full of wonderful details and a menagerie of foul fairy-tale beasties that draw you in and keep the short campaign well and truly interesting.

Rock Pocket Games have created a memorable puzzle game that is a solid fit for the new Sierra, even if its control scheme might take some time to get used to.

It isn't perfect, but this should provide hours upon hours of gory, blunt object, rabid deer and zombie-filled entertainment.

If you've played pretty much any Supermassive game in the past — from Until Dawn to The Quarry — you'll know what to expect from The Casting of Frank Stone. This Dead by Daylight tie-in doesn't quite match the lofty heights of those two games in particular, but it gets pretty close, delivering an engaging popcorn horror experience along the way. We'd have been well up for a few more hours in this universe, which certainly says something, but ultimately results in The Casting of Frank Stone sitting just below greatness.

Without a doubt, Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink is a good quality product overall, made by a developer that really seems to know what they're doing when it comes to point and click titles.

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.

It's definitely an enjoyable enough way to while away a couple of hours.

While the combat is undoubtedly satisfying and rewarding, the sense of repetition, the last-gen visuals, and the brevity of the adventure feel more matched for a budget price.

Getting to play more old-school Tomb Raider titles with the option of modern controls and modern visuals is another win from Crystal Dynamics, and I've had good fun revisiting these Lara Croft adventures. While The Last Revelation is the only game in here I'd consider a classic, both PS1 era games are still worth playing, especially now that Aspyr has given us the option to run through them with OG visuals at 60FPS. Despite being the newest title in here, The Angel of Darkness has aged the worst, and remains a stark reminder as to why the series moved to a new studio after this release. Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered's adventures might not be essential, but they're worth adding to your library as this era of Lara Croft makes its Xbox debut.

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.

Crimes & Punishments is one of the better, if not the best, Sherlock games out there, and if that's not saying much to you, it's also one of the better investigation-style games. The balance and variation of gameplay should be applauded.

Pneuma: Breath of Life didn't completely rock our world, but it did make for a captivating and satisfying afternoon in front of the television.

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.

If you are a long time D&D player or have played any fantasy action brawlers in the past, you’ll likely enjoy this game – either with friends, or even if you go for the more challenging route of playing alone. It certainly doesn't revolutionise the genre, but considering it’s available on Game Pass at launch, there’s no reason not to give it a go. There’s also some free DLC and a paid expansion on the way, giving Dark Alliance a chance to level up in the future.

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.

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.

Resident Evil 3 is a short, heavily scripted and somewhat scrappy follow up to last year's sublime Resi 2 remake. The series' trademark slow-burn tension and gentle puzzling are replaced here by all-out action that feels far too safe and linear – for the most part, a series of tightly confined corridors bookended by sloppy boss battles and chase sequences which tend to wrestle control away from the player in an effort to add unnecessary cinematic flair. There are a handful of highlights; graphically, it's the best the series has ever looked and both Jill and Carlos are decent re-imaginings of the original characters but, overall, this one struggles to reach anywhere near the heights of its predecessor. Combat feels disappointing for the most part, the Nemesis is underutilised and the whole thing is over far too quickly, with very little in the way of replay value.

Open Roads, in theory, should be another Gone Home-style success story. However, what we've actually got here feels strangely by the numbers, surprisingly short and very light on actual drama, mystery or thrills that genuinely compel. At around two hours long you won't need a lot of compelling to see it through, mind you, but overall this just feels like retreading the same sort of ground with much less of an effect. There's superb acting and it all looks great, but the narrative just isn't doing it for us this time, sadly.

Redfall sees Arkane experiment with melding genres, to mixed results. There's plenty of flashes of the style and narrative flair we've come to expect from this incredible studio as you explore the town and face off with its undead inhabitants. However, the mixing of FPS action and story beats with open world exploration and a relatively relaxed pace leads to a balancing act that may leave hardcore shooter aficionados and Arkane super fans alike wanting more. If you come at it looking for a chilled out bit of vampire hunting there's still plenty to enjoy here, but some irksome AI issues and a lack of clarity over what it really wants to be leave it feeling a little lost in a limbo of its own making.

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.

Rugby League Live 3 contains a multitude of impressive features that you'd usually really only expect from the 2ks and EAs of this world and that's to the developer's credit.

The Thing: Remastered, as expected from Nightdive, nails all of the technical aspects of a superb remaster. It gets full points from us on this front. However, the game itself is very much a tale of what could have been, had the devs stuck to the eerie exploration and atmospheric fear/trust system of the first couple of hours. Get past these opening hours, though, and overwhelmingly poor action sequences become more and more commonplace, resulting in a game that's just not much fun to play once it settles into its depressingly bland action rhythm.

Treyarch and its development partners have done their best to cobble something together with Black Ops 7, but you just can't get around the rushed nature of this back-to-back Black Ops release. The game's campaign is almost an insult to Call of Duty single player offerings of the past, and while the core of multiplayer is solid, technical issues are dragging that experience down on Xbox at launch as well. Zombies is the highlight for me and I can see myself dipping back into this mode a fair bit - in fact, it's probably the only bit of Black Ops 7 that feels truly finished on day one. It's probably worth checking back on multiplayer down the line when the issues I've mentioned inevitably get ironed out, but campaign can't be saved - and overall, Black Ops 7 just feels undercooked after the care and attention that was put into last year's release.

Starship Troopers: Extermination is a pulpy, schlocky and suitably violent take on the Starship Troopers universe that gives you big beefy guns and a ton of exploding alien bugs to get busy decimating in online warfare. There are some big old hordes to take down, thanks to some impressive tech on display, and everything looks and feels properly great when you're in the thick of the acid-spewing action. However, there are way too many technical bugs just now, this doesn't feel like a game that just left a prolonged early access, and so for now it's a janky-but-fun experience that, with a couple of patches and content drops, could become a great one.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 presents Kojima's genius in a package that could, and should, have been so much more. There's a bunch of stellar games to dig into here, you're guaranteed a great time once you're actually playing this iconic series, but this is a franchise that deserved more. Where's the TLC? Where's the resolution bumps, refined controls, visual upgrades and so on? Konami has managed to add a few nice extras, and there's a good showing in terms of how many titles are packed in here, but the overall performance and presentation, given the power and potential at the dev's disposal, leaves much to be desired.

Whether you can get over these glaring flaws or not is going to probably be the main thing that affects your opinion. We fought through the overall unpolished finish of the product, and we were glad that we did so, but this really isn't how anyone can reasonably have expected the game to have turned out.

It does manage to pack a lot of surprises into a short game with its interesting mix of powers but excellence is prevented as it gets bogged down in not allowing its own mechanics to properly flourish.

If you can look past the issues that we've raised in the review, can get past the somewhat steep £28 asking price and like space exploration, Starpoint Gemini 2 might be right up your space lane. It probably isn't going to drag many non-fans in, though.

More than two decades later, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is a tough one to recommend. If you do have fond memories of this game, you might be more forgiving of its dated design and gameplay, but ultimately there are much better Star Wars offerings out there. Aspyr hasn't changed much beyond adding the modern controls and camera, so unless that's a big enough reason for you to return, this might not necessarily be the Bounty Hunter game you’ve been looking for.

The Order of Giants is more Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, for better or for worse. Those of you who liked the base game's slower paced sections should get on well with the DLC, and its puzzles feel satisfying and fair throughout. Combat and exploration are lacking though, and just like the core game, I feel like the pacing is completely off - which definitely takes something away from the sense of adventure here. The Order of Giants is a solid expansion to MachineGames' 2024 title, but don't expect anything wildly different or unique from the team's brand-new DLC.

It's a fun game, but with realistically only six hours of playing time on hand, it may leave you wanting.

As a narrative focused experience, The Medium generally impresses. In terms of gameplay, it often just feels too easy and lacking in depth. But even with criticisms towards the latter, if you're looking to embrace a horror game for one dark night or two, The Medium is a worthy choice. It's clearly the vision of a team who loved the concept and wanted to take players on a narrative driven adventure, filled with dark themes and systems such as the dual-reality mechanic that feel integral to the story. If you can accept The Medium for the experience that it is, you're in for a good time that will continuously surprise you with its story beats and absolutely incredible visuals on the Xbox Series X.

Super Party Sports: Football isn't a complex game by any means, as it features just the one mode of play. With that said, it's certainly one that will draw you back in from time to time until you've beaten all of the levels.

There's plenty of customisation available to keep it fresh and the inclusion of AI opponents and a challenge mode will give this more longevity than other couch co-op titles released recently. However, some will find the controls frustrating and it is likely that the frantic madness of multiplayer will have a limited shelf life once the initial surprise of the silliness wears off.

An interesting diversion, but there are definitely ways in which it could have been better.

NHL 23 feels a bit more like NHL 22.5. It plays a good game of hockey without a doubt, but everything else around it doesn't feel meaningfully improved enough to justify another $70 purchase on day one. We really wanted to see some more ambition out of the series this year, and instead it seems to be quietly trudging along with relatively minor new features. You'll still have fun with it, but maybe it's worth waiting until it hits EA Play / Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Evil West is a thoroughly old-fashioned shooter that manages to entertain in short bursts but can't overcome how lacklustre and unoriginal its level design and narrative feels. If you've got a pal to play through this one with in co-op you could probably stick another star on the final score, otherwise we'd steer clear unless you absolutely must indulge in some seriously last-gen cowboy vs. vampire action.

Don't get us wrong, if this was cheaper, we'd be recommending this in a heart beat, despite our reservations. It's a great trip down memory lane, with some addictive combat that still holds up today. But when you can pick up more modernised and arguably better games for the same price, it makes the trip to Baldur's Gate one that's not worth breaking the piggy bank until a sale.

Undoubtedly, Wreckfest itself is an absolutely fantastic racer and you'll have a blast on Series X regardless of whether you stick with the free 4K, 60FPS patch or go one step further with this paid next-gen upgrade. This is without doubt the definitive way to play the game on Xbox Series X, but thanks to that free patch a couple of months ago, there's really no need to pay the extra money unless you're a devoted Wreckfest nut.

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.

F1 2014 feels like a half-hearted attempt at providing an annual update.

There could be more to it, but Cubot is a relatively fun experience overall, with a nice mix of difficulty and frustration.

The Callisto Protocol really is a game of two halves. Striking Distance Studios has served up a slice of sci-fi/horror that gets off to a reasonably strong start, introducing a jaw-dropping world and punchy new combat system that impresses until it becomes strained by busy enemy encounters, a handful of miserable boss confrontations and a narrative that goes absolutely nowhere. As much as this one dazzles from a graphical perspective, overall it's a shadow of the game that it most closely seeks to emulate. With little in the way of replayability and a final act we genuinely never want to sit through again, we'll be returning to the USG Ishimura for our action horror kicks long before we set down on Callisto again.

Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is a remake made under difficult circumstances and for that reason its shortcomings are certainly more than understandable. However, the fact remains that the resulting game falls short of the standard we've come to expect from Frogwares' excellent sleuthing series. There's still some reasonable investigative work and a nice atmosphere for fans to enjoy should they decide to bite the bullet here, but rough edges, a lack of scares, dialled back level design (compared to Chapter One) and detective work that plays it too safe makes for a Holmes outing that's rather hard to fully recommend.

Whilst Blood Bowl 2's strict adherence to the franchise's rules may dissuade some from even trying this out, those that do take the plunge and stick with it will find that despite its faults, it can be a deeply rewarding and enriching experience. The AI isn't really up to snuff though, so expect to ride a long learning curve to be able to become competitive online - if you can find a game.

But even though The Flame in the Flood is somewhat of a disappointment, that doesn't mean there's not enough tinder to sustain the flame for at least a weekend outing. You just have to decide whether or not you want to risk dealing with the pesky bugs hiding in the foundation.

It undoubtedly has the ability to grab players and take them on an outstanding tour of Simply Mad's racing world, and does look absolutely stunning at times. However, the game is ultimately frustrating with a controller and features more than its fair share of bugs.

This is a way off being number one with a bullet, but it will still provide a few hours of enjoyment if you decide to stick with it.

By the time we rolled credits, that was the prevailing feeling we were left with. While we found more enjoyment in the latter two thirds of Flintlock than in the initial intro and opening area, we couldn't help but feel let down by Flintlock in almost every way. It's still a competent action-RPG that you can have fun with, and the pieces of the experience have been stitched together decently - Game Pass is a great way to check it out. However, so much here feels underdeveloped or half-finished that Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn was likely most damaged by its ambition when the project was in its early days. Now, in July 2024, upon the game's release, we get the sense that the ammo in the development chamber simply ran out.

While the game is fun to explore and the sketch-book world is beautifully crafted, we can't help but feel it would be much more accessible on the mobile platforms it was originally created for.

The Lamplighters League is a stylish and smart turn-based adventure from a team that absolutely knows its way around this sort of tactical action affair. There's plenty to like about this game's melding of XCOM-styled combat with a tarot card system that gives you lots of variables to play with as you build out your team of misfits and rogues. However, as things currently stand on Xbox, there are some fairly notable performance issues here that drag the experience down from one we'd love to recommend to something that's a harder proposition in its current form. With a few patches in place you're looking at another decent addition to Xbox Game Pass, but for now we recommend hanging back and waiting for these Lamplighters to receive a little more polish post-launch.

While Episode 2 doesn't quite hit all the targets, the mature and creepy story already has its hooks in us.

Beach Buggy Racing is a decent attempt at bringing a kart racer to the Xbox One.

Matchpoint: Tennis Championships deserves your attention on Xbox Game Pass, as it's genuinely one of the better Xbox tennis games we've seen in years. It has its drawbacks, particularly in the presentation department, but it's also good fun when you get out on the court. Unfortunately, some of that enjoyment has been taken away for us because even on the highest difficulty, the game just feels far too easy at launch, rendering a lot of the strategic elements and Career Mode's features somewhat useless for now. It's still a pretty good game regardless, but definitely in need of a couple of balancing tweaks over the coming weeks and months.

Just Dance 2016 is a fun party game but its movement tracking does not offer enough precision to appeal to more competitive players. The track selection on the disk is a little lacking; with only a handful of big hitters available unless you are willing to pay for Just Dance Unlimited.

Amazing Princess Sarah is a good retro platformer, of that there is no doubt. There's also plenty to do, although the nature of the implementation means that some will feel that it crosses the line into repetitiveness.

While there are more complex and intriguing crime games out there and it isn't the longest game, The ABC Murders still offers good entertainment for the interested and serves as a decent port into the murder mystery puzzle genre.

It's best enjoyed by three to four players as this will crank up the chaos and avoid the lulls that often occur in two player when both fall into a rhythm of repeatedly smashing themselves into the sun. Alone, the player can only view the tutorial and dream of all the fun they could be having if they had three extra controllers and three people who wanted to engage in beautifully designed space warfare.

What's here in Bright Memory Infinite is impressive, and the shooting feels super smooth throughout. However, even though the first Bright Memory was classed as a demo-of-sorts, Infinite still feels like an Xbox Series X|S tech demo, all things considered. It's still incredibly short at just two hours long, and the game's story, systems and world need more work for it to feel like a full game. We dig what's here, no doubt, but we were hoping Bright Memory Infinite would feel more like a full game than it ultimately does.

Alone in the Dark is back, and frankly, it may have been better left alone. THQ Nordic's revival isn't a bad game — we enjoyed chunks of it especially towards the beginning of the adventure — but it doesn't stand out in any meaningful way, and ultimately feels a little pointless in the end. We'd recommend keeping an eye on that launch patch to see how the game is shaping up on release, but it's best not to expect a Resident Evil-level reimagining from this Alone in the Dark reboot - even if it stands as a serviceable third-person adventure.

If you're into puzzle games though, or if you're missing the good ol' days of Lemmings, you might like it as a substitute as it does cater to fans of both.

Fans of the series will chastise us for rating it so low, and that’s probably fair. If you’re a fan, you’ll enjoy it due to the sheer amount of characters on hand from all of the Warriors universes, and that over-the-top hack and slash gameplay that you already like. If you’re not already deeply involved with any of the franchises though, you’re going to find a game that is inescapably fun at times and that shows an awful lot of promise, but which is ultimately let down by some poor design decisions and some somewhat dodgy AI.

Skull & Bones isn't the disaster we feared, nor is it the definitive take on the genre we hoped it could be given all the money and time that's been pumped into it. Ubisoft has served up reliably decent naval combat, trading and exploration here, but it's marred by a lack of overall direction, by far too many bland early hours, and by endgame fun that requires a whole lot of plodding to reach. If you love the pirate life you will find enough here to keep you entertained, it all looks and feels suitably good, but it's gonna need more content and reasons to stick at it before it earns a more hearty recommendation from us.

In conclusion, Sparkle 2 is a lot like Sparkle Unleashed, which in turn was a lot like PopCap's Zuma.

Somerville is a super-stylish slice of sci-fi that nails its aesthetic and provides a solid narrative that comes to a pleasingly surreal and fantastical end. However, all of this good stuff is bogged down by dull gameplay, performance issues and the addition of a third dimension that, while certainly very cool to look at, leads to awkwardness as you attempt to solve puzzles and interact with environments. If you can make peace with the gameplay, you'll still find a story worth experiencing here, it's just a shame there wasn't as much creativity in those puzzles as there is in every other aspect of what Jumpship has served up.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong is certainly a super-stylish narrative RPG, and it's one that gets off to a strong start, offering up a truly intriguing premise, before falling victim to tedious investigative gameplay, undercooked conversational aspects and a host of bugs that make progress frustrating at points. There's just too much jank here, levels are too rigid, there's not enough freedom in how you go about your investigations or use your vampiric powers to really make things sing and, as a result, we're left with a game that fails to fully live up to its early promise. It's not a bad effort, but with a little more care and polish, it could have been so much more.

Mega Man Legacy Collection feels incomplete, even at the relatively low asking price. You get the first six titles that form the basis of the Mega Man Legacy (which is apt, given the compilation's name) but other than an entertaining challenge mode, there doesn't appear to be much in the way of love shown to the franchise here.

Le Tour De France 2015 has a relatively steep learning curve that those who aren't cycling aficionados may find to be just a little bit too steep to be going on with. Those who are bitten by the game will find that there's a good deal of enjoyment to be had and we have to take our hats off to the developers for making the long, drawn-out races as exciting as they've managed to do.

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.

Don’t get us wrong, Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP is a fun fling from start to finish but it was never really a role model student when it arrived on the scene in 2012. Despite the enhancements and improvements in this latest release, the core gameplay and level design can feel quite outdated at times, and the chapter-breaking bugs have been hard to look past. If Dragami's updates resolve these glitches, or you're just a longtime fan of this one, maybe consider giving the zombie slayer an extra star for her efforts.

Outside of the game-ending glitches and the poorly designed collection mission that we've mentioned, the experience is tension-filled and easily right up there with the best survival horror titles available today. The problem is that there's a very good chance that you'll give up after your umpteenth unfair death way before reaching the closing credits.

Even if it may be flawed, Lifeless Planet is a game that wanted to do something different and that desire should be celebrated.

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.

Layers of Fear 2023 is an odd remake and is ultimately one we don't really recommend. This new package is beautiful no doubt, but the first game just doesn't really hold up these days, and while the sequel marks a decent improvement in our eyes, the 2019 version is a much better looking game than 2016's Layers of Fear anyway - making the remake feel a bit pointless. If you've never played the series and are interested in a couple of one-time trippy horror experiences this package could be worth a shot once it enters your ideal price range, but the Xbox One versions often go dirt cheap on sale and remain an ideal way to face your fears - especially when you have the option to just grab the superior sequel on its own.

If you are primarily a single player, then we can't really recommend Toto Temple Deluxe. If, however, you have a group of friends who aren't averse to some couch multiplayer, or have children to entertain, then this provides some decent entertainment for as long as it lasts.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora sticks closely to the established Ubisoft open world formula, serving up a lush environment in which players can get busy skulking around, levelling up, gathering resources and taking out enemy compounds. Stealth and ground combat get the job done without any surprises, aerial combat is turgid, and there's a reasonable parkour system in the mix. However, the narrative here is a letdown; it's bland stuff all the way along, side missions are cookie-cutter stuff and really - unless you're a huge Avatar/Far Cry Primal fan or a younger gamer, there isn't much here you haven't seen before from this dev.

Ever since we caught wind of MachineGames making an Indiana Jones title, we've been very excited by the prospect, but ultimately - we're a little disappointed in the final product. The overall experience isn't bad, and it successfully sells the Indiana Jones fantasy, but the gameplay elements here just don't match up to the vibe of a fun-time Indy adventure. The pacing is all out-of-whack, the open stealth-driven levels don't work in the context of an Indiana Jones romp, and the game just feels at odds with itself overall. We're always up for trying something different and for teams breaking genre tropes, but in the end, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is at its most fun in fleeting moments - which is a shame considering the amount of care and attention that's been put into adapting this famous old franchise.

With a little more time in the oven and attention to detail, MX vs ATV Legends could have been a fantastic off-road racer. As it is at present, it's just an okay one, with a general lack of both polish and event variety letting things down somewhat. The bugs and glitches currently present in the game have knocked our score down a tad as well, although hopefully, they'll be sorted soon after release. The game's cut-price $40 entry point makes this one that bit more appealing, but we can only really recommend it once the bugs have been fully ironed out. 'Legends'? Not just yet.