This a fighting game that is enjoyable almost despite the gore, not because of it. It’s bonkers story mode is the highlight here, the great animation and crunching impacts help, but then the Towers of Time throw a spanner in the works at the last moment.

There is a lot of action on display here in Mullet MadJack, and there is also quite a lot of content included, what with things like an Endless Mode. But the issue is the lack of soul. It is fast, it is furious, but it unfortunately also feels meaningless.

The next-gen enhancements are nice for Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time on Xbox Series X|S, but they don’t change any of the larger issues to make this any better than the Xbox One version. 4K and 60fps are pleasant enough and it is a good thing this is a free upgrade for existing owners. Yet while many of the modern improvements make a much smoother game, it can’t quite reach the heights of Cortex Strikes Back or Warped available in the N. Sane Trilogy.

Barring some technical issues causing the odd crash or hard lock, for the most part, the core of the game works well. There is definitely enjoyment to be had however, as all artistic aspects of Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom are beautiful, and the combat and platforming mechanics are solid.

Outer Wilds provides an incredible and imaginative solar system to explore, one that is filled with genuine mystery and wonder, immersive music and an imaginative sci-fi lore. Still, the issues in control, gameplay, and level design hamper the intended blissful exploration which it tries to build its premise around.

Whilst definitely touted as a reboot in pre-release info, Mortal Kombat 1 has taken a few too many steps back. The fighting feels stripped back from previous editions, reverting to a technique that fighting games were using years ago, rather than evolving.

It’s not the best Sam & Max game, or even the second best, but Sam & Max Save the World is a milestone in the series, preserved with love by the best people to do so. If you’ve been looking for a reason to spend time with two of gaming’s best characters on an Xbox, grab it with all four paws.

The visuals don’t live up to the standards that one would normally expect at this price range. Bloodstained doesn’t offer much in terms of narrative either, and most of its characters – bar Zangetsu – are downright awful. If you really want to experience this latest project by Koji Igarashi, then consider waiting for it to land on sale, which I think will happen sooner rather than later.

It feels like Crash 4 is stuck somewhere down the middle in terms of Crash games; way off the lofty heights of Crash platforming at its peak in Warped, but well above some of the stuff that followed the original trilogy. Does it try to introduce too much? Maybe. But then in a weird paradox it doesn’t do much more to bring the franchise to modern consoles. Much like the plot of Crash 4, it is unsure which time period it is in.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a better game than the other more recent Call of Duty games, but if you hark back to the classics like MW2 and the original Black Ops games, then you won't find it reaching those same heights.

For fans of the genre, WRC 9 is a very good facsimile of what it must be like to run a WRC team, but for those of you who want their rally driving to be more enjoyable and less like being mugged, then DiRT Rally 2.0 is where the smart money goes.

All in all then and Path of Exile is an enjoyable game, held back by some peculiar design choices, both in game and in the UI.

Super Hydorah is sold on the premise that it is a challenging opponent. I have no issues with that – but you need to be sure this is a game for you before you drop that all-important cash.

The foundation of Frostpunk 2 is fun and challenging. Managing resources and relationships throughout the campaign is a satisfying process, and the story itself is engaging. But the performance issues on Xbox bring the experience down significantly.

The neon-clad battle for survival between an adorable snail and a killer AI gives Will You Snail something of a distinctive feel. However, ultimately, you will need to be a talented, patient platformer fan to get the most from it.

Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic is more of the same, but it really is a whole lot more, and that more is created with real care.

Offline, everything in Tekken’s garden is rosy, but online it looks like someone has been at it with the weedkiller.

In a world where every video game idolises the hero, a villain stands up and says “enough is enough!”. Underhero is a playful take on stereotypical conventions that have plagued many gaming genres for years. Developer Paper Castle may miss the mark occasionally, but Underhero on Xbox One is an inventive take on classic gaming tropes.

Queen and Freddie Mercury’s personality may not come through in Let’s Sing Queen on Xbox One, but you probably won’t care. These are the 30 songs you would want, set against a backdrop of the videos you would want to see, with crisp presentation and faultless audio pick-up. Queen’s particular kind of magic comes through the songs, but not the game, and that’s enough.

We found Potion Permit to be an immense amount of scaffolding built around a tiny building. The supporting systems are great and numerous, adding plenty to do and fiddle with between your alchemical excursions. But the excursions themselves are thin and repeated, offering up too little to justify the extravagant scaffolding.

We Were Here Forever is the biggest game of the series so far, and it’s pretty good without reaching the upper echelons of its genre. Sure, the story isn’t going to put you on tenterhooks, but the ingenuity of the puzzling more than makes up for its shortcomings in that department.

The design, some gameplay elements and the audio are excellent, and the ambition of telling a straight forward teenage love story with some family drama thrown into the mix should be applauded.

Crash Drive 3 is a fun little game. There’s not a huge amount of longevity here, especially not once you’ve unlocked all the worlds, yet it’s all good as a quick pick up and play affair, before forgetting about it again. Playing with friends is always better than strangers, but even if no one you know is online, with cross-play support it’s easy to get into quite intense contests.

Should you be in the market for a retro-styled ninja game, Cyber Shadow on Xbox is quite possibly the game for you. It plays well, it sounds good, and aside from an odd use of powers and damage from knockbacks, there’s not an awful lot missing - just be aware that your controller may come out the other side with more teeth marks in it than when you began.

Chivalry 2 is easy to pick up and play, with much of the draw coming from the fact you don’t have to worry about learning a crazy amount of moves. There is nothing better than meeting a worthy opponent on the battlefield and going 1-on-1, block for block, slash for slash, countering each other carefully. Some may need more in terms of game modes and further incentives to keep them there for the long term, but for now, you can't go wrong with a bit of medieval PvP mayhem with Chivalry 2.

In recent years, EA Sports have added plenty of new modes across their licensed games, and NHL 21 on the Xbox One is no exception; there is a lot of ice hockey on offer. The variety will offer something for everyone, but there are issues with the gameplay on the rink that mean some modes work better than others.

It’s a very slow paced game overall, so whether Valkyria Chronicles 4 is for you depends on how patient you are and whether the deep story can cover over the gameplay drawbacks.

Unpacking is a very original title, and one that is a lot more than virtually unpacking boxes. The ebbs and flows of the story will make you want to see it through to the end, even when the lines between unpacking items and Unpacking (the game) start to blur.

As it stands, there is something missing from Expeditions: A MudRunner Game. Whether that be the online co-op (due out later), a lack of meaningful activity in Free Roam or just something to spice up the lifeless main campaign; it feels a bit empty right now.

Fundamentally, art of rally on Xbox is a more than competent rally game that proves you don’t need a fully licensed game to make an interesting arcade racer. Initially players will be sold on the unique and gorgeous art style, but it is here where the issues reside. The design suffers as a result of porting the game to Xbox consoles with problems we shouldn’t be seeing on this new flagship console.

EA Sports College Football 25 offers a variation of American Football that may be more appealing to those who take issue with the stop/start nature of the game itself.

The illustrations are truly breath-taking and the way the panels fit together and interact are ingenious. It’s just missing a way to truly appreciate the artwork outside of the main narrative, as crucially these are what you will remember most about Gorogoa.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season Episode 3 on Xbox One does a fairly decent job of creating enough moments to be remembered, from the gruesome and utterly shocking to the rare opportunity for beauty to thrive in adversity. What stops it from being a great episode is the monotonous section in the middle that’s pointless filler and the action scenes that require some input.

Thanks to a finely-tuned combat system, Anomaly Agent is a solid beat ’em up throwback that’s, in many ways, better than the retro titles that inspire it.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is a brilliant collection of all the mainline arcade games we know and love, but in reality it is only a small slice of the past 30 years. Capcom could have given us so much more with this and I can’t help but feel slightly disappointed by the lack of content available.

Kingdom Hearts III is a fitting conclusion to this Dark Seeker saga; and by fitting, I mean a hodge-podge of ideas and sub-plots that don’t always seem to work but still manage to muster something pretty decent.

If you are playing on an original Xbox One, and haven’t played it before, then Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition is without a doubt, a five star game. If you’re on an X, or have played it before, it’s not. There’s a great deal of fun here, even for returning players, but it’s hard to recommend this over the Backward Compatible version.

Superliminal on the Xbox One offers the tools to fully enjoy this concept for what it is. Playing with perspectives is a novel idea and you can have a lot of fun with it. Repeat playthroughs are encouraged with plenty of secrets to uncover, but there is a bit too much repetition within individual sections of Superliminal.

Aside from a few weird game ending issues, Roundguard on Xbox One is decent fun. Fans of Peggle will love what it brings, and even though the roguelike elements don’t always come off, throwing in some dungeon crawling brings a nice touch of variety to the usual peg-puzzling scene.

F1 Manager 2022 is certainly a decent effort; a well-worked management experience that does a lot right - Frontier must be applauded for that. But move away from the stats and you find a numbers-powered management game that just falls short of those higher podium steps.

TowerFall is certainly a very good local multiplayer game that a group of friends can enjoy night after night, honing their skills with the virtual bow and arrow. So it’s difficult then to say the rest of the game, and the price, lets it down. But it does.

You won’t be wowed, a better save system would be great, and you’re not going to find too much in here that hasn’t been done a million times over before, but should you be in the market for a good, fun, stress free Metroidvania-fuelled journey, then you could do a lot worse than help Sarge, Bear and Dex take down that damn Doctor Omega.

Tormented Souls will be loved by fans of the old-school survival horrors. It's almost a homage to them, delivering a fun narrative with some great puzzles along the way. It's whether or not you can handle the fixed camera, limited saves, and clunky combat that will decide how long you can stick with it all for.

On the whole, Flipping Death delivers a creative idea that will satisfy for a little while as you have fun possessing weird people, working out which one’s the key to progression and, of course, literally becoming Death himself. You’ll either giggle a lot at the humour or find it a bit too inane, but I personally enjoyed the daftness.

Project Warlock on Xbox One is a run of the mill clone of classic shooters, but it doesn’t incorporate the ingenious and thoughtful level design that made its forebearers such timeless classics.

Metal: Hellsinger on Xbox Series X|S isn’t quite the Symphony of Destruction we were hoping for. It feels more akin to a band’s debut EP; a noteworthy introduction but one that is just a snapshot into the potential.

The Star Wars Pinball: The Last Jedi pack should’ve been just a sole table inspired by the events of the film, because The Last Jedi table is utterly thrilling and accessible to Star Wars fans of all skill levels. It was always a risk to base an entire table on Ahch-To and that risk didn’t pay off at all, for all the Porgs in the world can’t save it from being a boring and overly difficult experience.

The Devil in Me isn’t the best game in The Dark Pictures Anthology, but it isn’t bad at all. It’ll keep you entertained all the way through, and it's a brilliant laugh to play alongside others - the scares that play out when you have a room full of people are second to none.

It all leaves Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 - Turbocharged to be seen as a decent alternative to its predecessor. If you want to blast around with your favourite Hot Wheels vehicles, this is as good as you're going to get. But if it's a massive racing overhaul you were expecting, you'll be left disappointed. More of the same will have to do you.

Damning Ufouria: The Saga 2 with faint praise, but this is a sturdy, enjoyable and accessible platformer. It’s almost impossible to dislike thanks to its gorgeous feltworks world, and it’s equally impossible to fall foul of its difficulty levels.

What was once the standard-bearer for open-worlds has been overshadowed in the near decade since its first release. Grand Theft Auto V still holds up really well, but playing it now does feel like stepping into a time machine, such is the way that real-world and video game development has changed in the years since.

Perhaps you shouldn’t come to SteamWorld Build looking to pile in hundreds of hours, but this is an extremely likeable, bite-sized city creating adventure.

If you’re looking for a casual platformer with some classic Metroidvania style elements and plenty of varied enemies to blast away at for a bit of afternoon fun, then there is no reason not to jump into Mystik Belle.

There’s an original, fantastic deckbuilder here, surrounded by an even more original, and just as engaging text adventure. But Black Book doesn’t stop there, and adds more and more layers until you’re left with a huge, unwieldy onion. If you can stomach its design quirks and scattershot understanding of what is fun or isn’t, Black Book has some of the best moments in modern card games. Only you will know if you’ve got the patience to get there.

PAW Patrol World isn’t made for us adults. It’s Adventure Bay and surrounding areas, with all of the barriers removed. It’s a glorious playset, the entire TV series ready for kids to reach in and enjoy. That’s something that none of the previous games have managed.

Halo Wars 2 irons out any issues that the original game had, and provides more of the same, but with a bit more polish. Whilst fans of the series will be glad to play this sequel, newcomers to the RTS scene might have a harder time.

If you can get over the numerous yet humorous glitches and expect them to be patched out later, then this is a decent cricket simulator with plenty to do long after the current Ashes series finishes down under.

Tandem: A Tale of Shadows offers up something refreshingly different and is bursting with charm, however the premature ending will leave you wanting more.

Frustrating combat and a world that expects you to be familiar with the franchise aside, Ghostrunner 2 has a good amount of fun provided you can keep up with the fast pace and the many button presses required to stay alive.

If you have a like minded group of friends then this is a good game, but if you are a single player, then only serious masochists need apply.

Herdling is not the game to convert those averse to walking simulators: It can drag, and has a confusing control setup. But it is also beautiful, heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measures, and that’s all done without a single word spoken.

If your love for all things Marvel or Capcom is strong, then Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is no doubt worth a look, but for everyone else it depends how much of a hardcore fighter you are and whether A.I. is enough of an opposition to keep you entertained.

Aside from the manic nature - and the rubbish music - the rest of Raiden IV x MIKADO remix is a joy to play. If you like old school shoot ‘em ups, then give Raiden IV x MIKADO a try, and be prepared to recalibrate what you think is a hard game.

The key takeaway with F1 Manager 2023 is that your enjoyment of the game will differ immensely depending on your knowledge of F1. What is here, as long as you are a real F1 nerd, is capable of captivating for hours on end. However, with niggling issues within Race Moments, a lack of sense of progression, and the engineering side difficult to get to grips with, F1 Manager 2023 is the nichest of niche titles.

There are no two ways about it – allowing for personal tastes – SUPERBEAT: XONiC is either going to be a huge hit or a massive miss.

At the end of the day, if you liked Overwatch, you’ll like Overwatch 2, or Overwatch 1.5 as it should probably be. If you didn’t, you won’t, and with the game playing community seemingly more toxic than ever

It is very clear from the outset that Freedom Finger on Xbox One is a niche game. It being a space shoot ‘em up is enough to put people off from the start. But if you also have an aversion to satirical, on the knuckle toilet humour, or more experimental music, then steer clear. If this does sound like something for you though, then Freedom Finger will offer a few hours of a lot of fun.

The introduction of Create A Team makes F1 Manager 2024 the most rich iteration of the F1 management sim series to date.

If you’re a fan of Battlefield then there is every reason to jump in with this year’s title, but if you want to experience the game as the developers have obviously intended, I suggest you hold off, enjoy the other amazing games released this year and come back to Battlefield V in about six months’ time when it’s no longer in its current state of being a glorified beta with a triple-A price tag.

I like magic a lot, but even I need something unique to look at, or a fantastic story told, to really keep me interested.

Souldiers is big, the bosses that you meet need serious planning, and there is a good challenge and learning curve.

If you are a dedicated fan of old-school survival horror and genuinely don’t mind the punishing nature of limited save points and the deliberate awkwardness of fixed cameras, then Tormented Souls 2 could be for you.

PGA Tour 2K23 is a decent effort, but one that EA Sports PGA Tour should easily blow out of the water in a few month’s time.

Broken Age is a good game, just one which is let down by a few absurdly tough puzzles and a lack of freshness for the second Act of the story.

I love the visuals, I adore the soundtrack and I feel the huge open world that is being delivered is ripe for exploration purposes. But the sheer ruthlessness of the bosses that have caged the poor children is just a bit too much to bear, as is the struggle back from the checkpoint after they have wiped you out for what seems like the millionth time.

Tropico 6 on Xbox One is a tasteful satire on the inner workings of politics. But it’s also a satisfying simulator of building and organising your very own nation. It’s a fun and challenging process of gradually erecting a complex infrastructure and then seeing everything function like clockwork. And of course, it’s also all about the contents of that Swiss bank account.

WRC 9 on Xbox Series X|S will certainly appeal to existing WRC fans. It features tricky and technical racing that may be off-putting to others, especially when you consider the likes of Dirt 5 that offer a much more accessible experience. With the free updates and Series X|S optimisations, there are several improvements over the initial launch. But the resolution and frame rate improvements only highlight the differences between the details on the cars compared to the surrounding areas.

A bit like BROK himself, BROK the InvestiGator is a bit of a hybrid. It’s a brawler spliced onto a graphic adventure, yet neither half of the gene pool is quite stable enough to support it.

Charm is perhaps the biggest thing Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: The Game - Complete Edition on Xbox has going for it. Unfortunately, the fighting isn’t quite as tight as it could be and occasionally lets down the wonderful music and great visuals.

Star Wars: Squadrons on Xbox One is probably one of the best of all the Star Wars games. It comes with a decent price that is suited to both its campaign length and the fun that is found in multiplayer. However, something is lacking in the story, the pacing is problematic throughout and I found the lack of modes in the multiplayer to be a tad disappointing.

Let’s Sing 2021 on the Xbox One and Series X|S is a cover version of last year’s release, and it hits slightly higher notes. In all other respects it’s the same song, so it’s appeal to you will largely be down to the track listing. As with other years, the production is strong and slick, and with eight players and smartphones all welcomed, it’s one of the most inclusive music games out there.

Blast Brigade Vs the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread has plenty of hidden depths, despite the fact the journey is something of a bumpy one. If you can see past the occasional gripe, there’s an engaging adventure here that is difficult to put down.

When it comes to playing The Outer Worlds, the Spacer's Choice Edition is not the best choice - the performance is quite frankly shocking.

In a way, Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator feels like a small flower that’s been given the best soil, the biggest pot and plenty of love, but it’s too tiny and too dainty to make use of that space. It’s a bedding plant that needs more around it to really flourish. As it stands, it feels lonely.

Palia doesn’t reinvent the cosy game wheel, opting instead to add MMO elements and a well-structured story to a tried and trusted trope.

Death Road is most effective as a sprint rather than a marathon. It’s clearly not meant as an immersive, hours-on-end experience and playing as such will only burn you out as the same scenarios crop up time and time again. But as a pastiche to the arcade greats, booted up for bitesize sessions, it’s incredibly enjoyable.

Fans of golf games are unlikely to be blown away by the golf side of Golf Club: Wasteland on Xbox but they should enjoy the story on offer. Likewise, narrative fans will hugely enjoy the tale that unfolds, but won’t necessarily find anything to tempt them to try other golf games. How the story unfolds and how it is told requires you to piece it together, but the mature themes and ideas will make a lasting impression on anyone that completes it.

Stick with SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS long enough, and you may find enjoyment there. Somewhere, deep, deep down.

After spending a fair bit of time with the many fighting games that have released this year, it’s fair to say Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite is both slacking and lacking in comparison.

WRC Generations takes a decent stab at the rally scene with some great clock-beating racing, a deep career and a beefy challenge system. Away from that though and it all feels as though the series needs a little reset.

Completing the puzzles in A Little to the Left does provide some enjoyment, and we have always wanted to return to the game each time to tackle more. However, it does not offer the relaxing ‘switch off your brain’ kind of experience that you might expect in a self-titled cozy game.

Unruly Heroes is a really good 2D platformer with gorgeous animations, backgrounds, and a hand-drawn art style which is nothing but stunning. The enemies and bosses stand-out, and the combat feels good. The story however is seemingly nowhere to be found, and that is despite some cleverly written and humorous dialogue, while the gameplay can become repetitive and a bit stale over time.

Maybe this is not a game of the year contender, but it’s probably a good starting point for the new direction and rejuvenation of Double Dragon.

Assassin’s Creed III Remastered on Xbox One is a good game which is fun to play. The graphics may be significantly improved but this is essentially the same as it was seven years ago, albeit now up against much stronger competition. If you’ve never played it before, at £29.99, with all the DLC, it’s worth a look.

Sadly, Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly can’t match up to its predecessor. It lacks the emotional impact of the first game that meant it stuck with you long after completion. There are still some very touching moments towards the end, depending on how you choose to play it, and the additional endings are welcome, but this reunion of old friends and acquaintances is lacking the same spark that the first game had to spare.

I’d argue that wrestling aficionados will still find WWE 2K19 to be joyous in short spells and it’s definitely an improvement, so it’s worth a look. Maybe, just maybe, wait for a sale if you’re not entirely convinced.

Yes, I Am Your Beast falters at times. There are moments of clunkyness, slight repetition, too-short campaign. But when it works, and more often than not, it absolutely does, it traps you in the most beautiful kind of loop.

We have no illusions about which of the two Teslagrads we prefer. The first game, recently remastered, is just that little bit more considered, clever and rewarding. Teslagrad 2 ups the cool factor by handing you a breakneck slide, letting you glide about like Sonic, but the result lacks the first game’s finesse.