It Takes Two is an absolute delight. The consistently creative gameplay is on par with, if not better than any co-op experience available on Xbox today, and if you have a partner in mind to play it with (don't forget they can access a free "Friend's Pass" if playing online), we think you'll have a real blast with it. We had such a great time playing through its highly memorable adventure, and you know what? We feel like the constant laughter, enjoyment and need for collaborative teamwork even reinvigorated our real life relationship a little bit. That's how good this game is.

Tekken 8 is a little light on single-player content in comparison to some of the other big fighters out there right now, and it does give off the initial impression of being super-slick over strategically balanced early on. Stick with it though, dig down beneath all the fancy new heat moves and screen-shaking rage attacks, and you'll find a classic fighting system that feels better now than it ever has. Once you're in the zone, pulling off Phoenix smashers, dashing fists and sandwich claps whilst side-stepping like a pro, any slight shortcomings this game may have are left at the entrance to the arena.

It's the best version of an already fantastic game, a game that's aged superbly well for the most part, and one that arrives on Xbox Game Pass with high resolution visuals, a quick save function, gallery mode and the ability to select your difficulty from the get-go. If you've yet to sample the deep delights of Persona 4, we really can't recommend it enough - it's perhaps our favourite entry in the franchise, doing so much that Persona 5 does but without that game's sometimes unnecessary bloat. This is a richly crafted and utterly absorbing RPG, and a game that cemented this series as one of the truly great JRPG franchises.

Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways is a delicious slice of DLC that serves up more of the same high standard survival horror action we got in the main game. Smart changes have been made here, this is a more believable and fully fleshed out Ada Wong, and she's thrown into a seven chapter adventure that dishes out some excellent boss fights, explosive set-pieces and fun surprises for new players and returning diehard fans. If you enjoyed Resident Evil 4 Remake, this is unmissable stuff.

The game itself is still absolutely great, and has added minor updates to multiplayer and the ability to replay the career since launch, which were welcome additions. It's one of the best examples of a Tony Hawk's game in over 15 years, and while the next-gen upgrade is nice, the backwards compatible Xbox One version is also still really good, so you don't need to hand over any extra cash to enjoy it.

Cyberpunk 2077 in its 2.0 form and with Phantom Liberty finally in place, feels like a game reborn. This is every bit the experience we wanted back in 2020, a deep and addictive action RPG that can now sit alongside The Witcher 3 as one of the greats. We've had our ups and downs with this one, oh boy it's been a rollercoaster, but entirely reworked skills and perks, refined and refreshed combat, retooled loot and menu systems and a cracking new slice of CDPR narrative magic makes for a game that we're finally able to recommend wholeheartedly. They've only gone and bloody done it.

Fallout 4 isn't perfect by any means, but the sheer scope of the game as a whole and the incredibly well-structured world means that should you dare to take the plunge, you'll be swimming around in these waters for dozens, if not hundreds of hours. The bugs may threaten to spoil the show, but every time one rears its head and makes you want to stop playing, you'll feel the pangs within the hour to go back and give things another go.

Immortality is easily Sam Barlow's best game to date and, when you consider the delights he's served up previously, well, you get an idea of just how good this one really is. It's a dazzling display from any angle you to choose to admire it; top-notch acting, brilliant writing, a core mechanic that's mind-bendingly complex but carried off with style and grace, intuitive controls that draw you into your role...just remember to avoid spoilers, dive into the mystery of Marissa Marcel completely unsullied, and you're in for one of the most exquisite gaming experiences of this year, or any other, by quite some distance.

The new additions don't extend the length of the game by much, but they do freshen things up and breathe some new life into an already wonderful experience.

DOOM Eternal takes the hugely solid foundations laid down in 2016's excellent franchise reboot and adds more of absolutely everything. This is a bigger, faster, funnier, more relentless and endlessly replayable game than its predecessor and it's one that gives you a ton more variety in how you go about dishing out death to the hordes of hell that await you across its meaty single player campaign. It looks stunning, plays beautifully and is quite simply one of the most strategic, intense and hugely satisfying first-person shooters we've ever played.

Guacamelee is a fusion of intense platforming and beat-em-up combat, framed in Metroidvania conventions and topped off with a memorable cast, distinct setting, a stellar soundtrack, and zesty humor. These ingredients combine to make for a flavor that’s genuinely fresh and incredibly satisfying.

The greatest compliment we can give to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is that it's a very faithful remake of the original two classics. And for the first time in a long time, the franchise feels fresh again. The game does a great job at recapturing the magic of Pro Skater's early days while also modernising them for the current generation (despite a couple of wobbles), and now we can't wait to see where Activision takes the series next. Welcome back, Tony!

Ori and the Blind Forest isn’t just a magnificent video game with impeccable mechanics and brilliant design, it’s a work of art. What could’ve easily been a journey so wrapped up in delivering its poignant narrative that it squandered away its gameplay potential, ends up being a Metroidvania that can hang with the greatest the genre has to offer.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is an epic RPG in every sense. This is a big, brutal world that works according to deep rules and mechanics that it's never shy about enforcing. Combat is tough, there's a heft and realism to everything, and you'll need to work hard for the things you achieve, but if you're up to the challenge, if you can spare a whole lot of time, this almost obtusely tough RPG will reward your persistence in spades. With top-notch writing and voice acting, one of the most convincingly real worlds we've ever roleplayed in, and an absolutely filthy line in humour, violence (and foul language), this is every bit the sequel fans of Henry's first outing will have been hoping for.

Xbox might not necessarily be the go-to system for fighting game fans, but it’s great to see Capcom showing its support for Microsoft’s platform with this amazing tribute to the Marvel series. It’s not only a history lesson in Capcom’s fighting game spin-offs, but also a hell of a collection (or should we say ride) bundling games that many fans feared might not ever see the light of day again due to licensing. In all honesty, just having Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes return is already a massive win, and the rest is a bonus – even if there are some oversights. Now, if you don’t mind, we’re going to get back to reliving the arcade glory days.

While Death's Door borrows a lot of elements from many other games, it mashes them all together and refines them into its own thing. Not one single element feels undercooked and the result is a mysterious world you'll instantly be lost within. Outside of the odd frame dip in certain situations, we absolutely loved Death's Door. It's a game filled with surprises, nods, humour, and moves at such a pace we could barely put the controller down. Games this well-crafted don't come along very often, but when they do, they're something to celebrate. Death's Door deserves all the attention it will most likely get, and is a contender for one of 2021's best games.

The much talked-about Nemesis System also plays a big role in injecting personality and connecting the player to the game world.

Doom is a big, loud, visceral experience that not only impresses visually with a silky-smooth framerate and detailed texture work, but which reaches into your soul and jacks up your heartrate as it does so.

Should this truly be the last time we seek respite in the warm glow of a bonfire, we can rest easy knowing Dark Souls III is a deserving and satisfying end to a phenomenal series.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastically clever return to the franchise that serves up slick 2.5D action wrapped up in a delightful art style and satisfying story. There's a smart balance here between old-school levels of action and challenge, moreish combat and neat puzzles, mixed with accessibility options and fine-tuning that open this traditionally tough genre up to newcomers. We knew Ubisoft Montpellier was a pair of safe hands, and it's not let us down here, serving up the first must-play of 2024, and we're only just getting started.

Warts and all, this is well worth the investment.

Relatively very minor gripes aside, Rocket League is a genuinely new type of game that provides addictive, enjoyable, skill-based fun that doesn't prevent new players from joining the fray and which never threatens to become dull. Even folks who aren't necessarily excited by football, sports in general, or cars will find something to love here and for many, it'll become their new favourite pastime. This is absolutely superb and will keep you entertained for many, many hours.

It's honestly astounding how incredible Psychonauts 2 is. After 16 years, the expectations for the sequel were so high it felt as though they were impossible to meet. We don't know how they did it, but the wizards at Double Fine not only met them but smashed through them with ease. Psychonauts 2 is an extraordinary achievement in both its gameplay and storytelling, balancing heavy themes of mental health with its whimsical world. In lesser hands, it could have been a disaster, but the team has taken every aspect of the original game, built upon it and respected the fanbase in the process. Psychonauts 2 is the best game of 2021 so far and one of the greatest sequels ever made.

Hitman 3 is a superb final entry in what must now be regarded as one of gaming's truly great trilogies. This is a fittingly slick and satisfying send off for Agent 47, a succession of expertly crafted and endlessly replayable missions - omitting that final level dud - that sees our favourite assassin wind up his story in triumphantly fine form. IO Interactive really has brought all of their mission crafting expertise to bear here, resulting in a handful of levels that rank with the very best Hitman has to offer, and all while throwing in a couple of genuine curveballs and surprises as they go. This is essential stuff.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is a lovingly crafted and supremely entertaining return to the glory days of early 1990s Turtles action. With a look and feel that painstakingly recreates classics such as Turtles in Time, whilst adding in a ton more detail, refining combat and giving you six player online/local co-op to boot, this is a fantastic slice of arcade beat 'em up nostalgia that old hands, diehard fans and newcomers alike can enjoy in equal measure. It is, in short, one shell of a good time.

In terms of this new port, well, you've got all the expected upgrades, high resolution graphics locked at 60fps, a quick save system that can be utilised at any point during the action, and the ability to choose your difficulty right from the get-go. All told, it makes for the slickest version of this classic that we've played so far and, if you've yet to play it, we can't recommend it enough really.

Monster Hunter Rise is another amazing mainline release in Capcom’s ever-expanding action-RPG series. It brings enough new ideas and mechanics to keep the hunt feeling fresh, and is even better with friends. The setback here is for original players, with no cross-progression features to carry over existing save files from the likes of Switch and Steam. As mentioned, there's also limited cross-play, meaning you can’t team up with your friends on rival platforms. Still, what’s here is a great game, and if you have ever wondered what all the fuss is about, Rise is a great entry point into the Monster Hunter franchise.

There's an infectious, easy-going joy to this whole adventure and it's backed up by addictive melee gameplay that strikes a masterful balance between having enough depth to challenge rhythm game aficionados whilst also making sure there's enough flexibility that, even if you're not particularly great at sticking to the beat, you'll still have a great time. It doesn't take itself too seriously, in short, and it's all the better for it.