There’s lots to love about DEATHLOOP, along with its sizzling style and refreshing gameplay structure. However, in practice, reliving your day over and over does come with limitations.

I would have liked more side missions and a greater opportunity to explore the beautiful world of Mafia: The Old Country, but the stunning visuals, exciting set pieces and immersive journey are more than enough to tempt you into a Mafia game again.

The story is a corker, bowling along at a fair old lick, and the way it all plays is great, with real tactics needed to win the later combat encounters. Sneaking people into place before getting the drop on a group of enemies never gets old. Add into the mix the multiplayer modes, getting friends in to help with tricky encounters, and the whole package found in Wasteland 3 on Xbox One is a big improvement on the previous game.

If you’re looking for an extra bit of challenge to your Cities: Skylines game then with Industries you’re in for a treat.

Atomic Heart may not feel wholly original, but you can’t deny the craftsmanship that has gone into building an immersive, vibrant world. It may be a familiar tale of tech gone wrong, but there’s enough creative flair here to justify treading the path once again.

The bottom line is that if you like retro platformers and are looking for your next game, you’ve found it. If you don’t like retro platformers, then I respectfully suggest you try Alwa’s Awakening on Xbox One, as I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it made you change your mind.

Z-Warp is pretty much a cookie cutter type of shoot ‘em up with a couple of features that make it stand out.

Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX is a remaster done right. The action is as good - and as hard - as ever and the new features included are all pretty good as well. The jury is out in regards the new music, but I am sure it will go down well with the younger generation.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance delivers a huge, complex world with a host of things to get involved in. The story is well written, brilliantly acted and expertly executed. I am worried that the buggy nature of the game will put many off and whilst the vast majority of the problems shouldn’t worry anyone too much, it can get a tad annoying.

The return of Morrowind will certainly be hitting the right notes with many fans of the series, but it also adds to a growing list of reasons as to why The Elder Scrolls series is better as a solo experience.

Tangle Tower is a fun and polished little game. A great weekend afternoon adventure. The care that’s gone into the visuals and audio make up for the simplistic gameplay, the puzzles are engaging, and the cast is excellently characterised. If only it had allowed itself to be weird and live up to the expectation it set itself - then it would be an absolute gem.

The story and setup of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster are still bonkers and fun, and there are great ideas and narratives all over the game.

The interesting mechanics of Iro Hero on Xbox One are enough for me to recommend it to any fans of the shoot-em-up genre.

Everything in Miasma Chronicles comes together to ensure that it is a blast to play through. The mix of real time exploration and turn-based combat is intriguing, but combine in a good story and it will keep you hooked.

Mundaun on Xbox Series X|S is extremely suspenseful, coming complete with an intriguing and beguiling storyline that will take you five hours or so to complete. The visuals are amazing, as is the soundtrack. It's a game that has a complete artistic vibe that generates class.

If you feel the need to have a religious themed couch co-op/competitive shooting game, then you’ve come to the right place.

Dandara: Trials Of Fear Edition on Xbox One is a well crafted, thematically consistent title with some truly great design, but this is displaced with occasionally mediocre platforming and a terribly disappointing final boss. The Trials Of Fear expansion certainly adds enough content to justify another playthrough.

If you have never played Shantae and are looking for an old school challenging platformer, the Ultimate Edition makes a lot of sense. If however you have experienced Shantae’s world before, there’s not a lot new here and unless you have a hankering to play the DLC, you may be better passing on this version.

State of Anarchy is a wonderfully charming and unique game that does an incredible job of evoking teenage fantasies with a brilliant art and sound direction. It may occasionally be marred by a lack of variety of challenge, but will most definitely give you more enjoyment than the cheap asking price implies.

Riders Republic on Xbox takes the basic framework of Steep and adds a whole load more to it to create a very fun arcade sports title. The skiing and snowboarding events feel like the SSX games in their heyday, the rocketsuit and wingsuit events are exhilarating, and the bike events ensure you are constantly one wrong move from total disaster.

With Creature in the Well on Xbox One, what could have been a novel and gimmicky take on pinball action is instead one of 2019’s best looking, best feeling indie games.

At its heart, Fishing Sim World is a worthy successor to Euro Fishing. It builds on what its predecessor did right, and expands the range of opportunities in a sympathetic way. It’s not perfect, and immersion breaking glitches are disappointing, but all in all, we have a new champion fishing game.

Fusion Paradox is a twin-stick roguelite that is a little rough around the edges, and its ideas don’t always work. But it’s so full of ideas that it’s hard to stay frustrated at it for long. There’s abundant care in the colour-matching mechanics and huge, rewarding dungeons, and that care wins out over the flaws. Shoulder the shotgun and treat yourself to a few runs.

Football Manager 2024 Console Edition allows you to create a story of your own, dealing with your destiny across one club or many, all as you get to oversee every last detail.

EA Sports UFC 4 on Xbox One is essentially a one-trick pony on the game mode front – the Career – but what a thing of beauty it is. Especially as it’s complemented by the most enjoyable and fluid gameplay to date, providing a real adrenaline rush. The online modes are fine and will keep the best fighters engaged for a little while, however it really could do with just something else bringing added substance for the sake of longevity.

Mr. Shifty is a great game that has a need for some TLC to get it into shape.

This is undoubtedly a Mana game, albeit for the present day. Visions of Mana may not break the mold, but it proves just how magical the series can be.

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is a deeply entertaining adventure that will please those who are happy to sink some serious time into exploring the dangerous but delightful Dwarrowdelf.

If you are looking for a casual puzzle-platformer that you can beat in an afternoon, then Overloop is a neat little game to pick up.

Silt is a stunner. It’s not quite able to deliver the same type of immersion that was honed by the Playdead team and their adventure telling, but it really isn’t too far off. This is an underwater playground that is full of mystery and aside from a few little technical issues, is one that fans of visual-led stories should lap up.

Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST The Adventure of Dai is one that you will enjoy a lot. Numb feeling combat aside, the way that our heroes grow and evolve as we go is classic Dragon Quest, whilst the finding of the Bond Memories soon becomes an obsession. The presentation of the story using scenes from the anime will draw you into the narrative more than you may expect and so this is most definitely a game worthy of the Dragon Quest moniker.

No Straight Roads is a love letter to the old school. From its rock versus electronic story to its gameplay and characters, this could fit in with any of the classics from the PS2 era and it's all the better for it. It doesn’t just appease this longing for the old, it entirely satiates it.

If you’re the type to be suckered in by a deckbuilder then be warned: Pirates Outlaws is so covered in suckers that it may as well be an octopus. Be prepared to be in its grip for a few months.

Countless Army is the most fun I’ve had in a game this year. There will be games that usurp that title, and those games will be infinitely more lavish and better executed. But for now, this little strategy-game-that-could, this reversed Tower Defence, is attached to me like a limpet. Frankly, I’m fine with that relationship.

Sunseed Island knows what it is, in fact, it relishes in the knowledge it’s a farming sim and never oversteps the mark into being pretentious or overbearing.

I can't fault what Active Neurons 2 has set out to do. It's a delightfully addictive puzzler that does what it needs to do brilliantly, without breaking any boundaries or ever reinventing the wheel.

What this amounts to is a superb story that occasionally dips into the sublime, but doesn’t manage to clasp its fingers around your heart like To The Moon, Gone Home and other similar narrative adventures. A Space For the Unbound deeply wants to be in the same category, but its earliest moments are too wayward, too slow to generate momentum. Regardless, this is a rich yarn with a fantastic ending, so find some space for it if you can.

The main character may need time to grow on you, but the complex narrative and the questions that arise in your mind will guarantee that you’re hooked in for a thrilling ride. Sure, it can occasionally be slow-paced, but nevertheless the puzzling sections keep things ticking over nicely.

King of Meat does a lot of things right, with its fun gameplay and co-op action that provides short, sharp hits of chaotic fun. It's a game that makes you want to keep coming back.

Gaijin Charenji 1: Kiss or Kill is perhaps the most absurdly metaphysical experience in gaming, but even when it dives so deep into abstract art and symbolism, it never forgets to be an addictive video game first and foremost. This is a unique video game experience which invigorates the gamer at their most base instinct, and yet it also creeps into their consciousnesses just as profoundly.

If you are looking for a short puzzle-game, with a nice, classic visual-style, and some satisfying puzzles to beat, then Gardener’s Path is well worth the buy.

If you love Jurassic Park and/or dinosaurs, it’s a no-brainer. And for anyone else, you could certainly do worse than give it a go - after all, the quality of the pinball is rarely in doubt where Zen Studios are concerned.

Got a hankering to return to your old Super Mario World cartridge? Give Armabilly a shot and it might just satisfy that urge.

Kaiju Big Battel: Fighto Fantasy is a worthy entry in the RPG genre. It is so silly and overblown that you can almost hear the voices of the wrestlers coming out of the TV. Knowing what Kaiju Big Battel is all about will increase your appreciation for the in-jokes, but even without that, the game is capable of standing on its own two feet.

As unwelcome as Drop Duchy can be in its mid-game, I have no hesitation in saying that it’s worth it. Tetris is a pretty awesome foundation to build on, and Drop Duchy - Complete Edition stacks resource gathering, roguelike runs and simple strategy on top.

Despite not breaking new ground, Sea Horizon is a thoroughly enjoyable card based strategy game that offers both challenge and adventure.

Ultimate Solitaire Collection might be a little sterile, but it plays well with a pad in your hands, and there are more features and modes than you could possibly exhaust. By rights, a collection this big should have cut corners somewhere, but Ultimate Solitaire Collection only has a few usability nobbles. It’s a modest triumph, then, and while it might not be the sexiest of purchases, it might be one of your most played when you look back in a year’s time.

The Precinct is pretty much all you would want from a game of this ilk, full of variation in crimes, with gameplay that is both clever and multifarious.

When we came to Blind Postman, we winced at the prospect of an ice-slider. We’ve rarely had a good experience with them. But our minds are changed: this is a little gift in the post that we absolutely didn’t expect. We’d suggest that you send a stamp-addressed envelope to get your own.

If you’re done with the whole killing thing, and are just looking for the most stunning of adventures that will leave you considering life as a whole, then AER – Memories of Old is the game for you.

The Railway Empire – Great Britain and Ireland content is, on the whole, another good bit of DLC for the ever interesting base game. It’s a bit more expensive this time around but in return there are more cities, trains, and features. If you liked what came before it, then hop aboard and head to the UK – for once more there is an empire to build.

When it comes down to it Westerado: Double-Barreled is a unique game. Its pixelated art style separates it from the crowd with great effect. The writing and sense of humour is executed well, as well as the overall story and motivations. It’s a simple but effective game that gives the player what they want – to be a badass cowboy.

You will enjoy SPRAWL if you like either platforming or first-person shooters; it is safe to say that MAETH have debuted with a solid outing. But - with their potential - there’s the chance they can move forward with a bigger, even better follow up.

If it’s a value for money puzzler you’re after then Minesweeper Genius on Xbox One ticks a hell of a lot of boxes. There are tons of levels that’ll see you racking your brain in the best possible way, it’s easy to grasp the concept, and greatly rewarding to solve all of the problems in your path. I think even those who don’t usually enjoy minesweeper may find this to be fun, thanks mainly to the Sudoku elements.

Raging Justice is a great addition to the beat ‘em up genre, and existing fans will enjoy the game hugely. It remains hugely faithful to the trendsetters of the genre – perhaps a little too much – yet has a couple of neat new features to separate it.

Railway Empire - Complete Collection on Xbox One is a fun game, it has beautiful visuals, in-depth systems, and allows a ton of freedom. It won’t be for everyone; the sheer amount of content can be overwhelming and learning some of the more complex elements of the game will seem like a daunting task. Get over the learning curve though and you’ll be rewarded with countless hours of fun, and there is always the option of going the easy route.

Hidden Cats in New York is an absolute steal. A little over £2 nets you two hours of hidden cat enjoyment, perfectly wrapped up in a black and white bow. The presentation is adorable, the art even more so.

Conscript is grim to play, but ever-so important. It's a brilliant homage to the war and the soldiers who fought there, as the horror of the situation and the relentless fear of the battle are clear and constant.

While Shady Part of Me doesn’t quite reach the heights of a Limbo, Inside or Little Nightmares, it more than belongs in that illustrious group of puzzle platformers. For a game that arrived with little hype or fanfare, it’s a welcome and unexpected light at the end of a dark 2020.

You’ll have a blast playing Starship Troopers: Extermination. The online community seems refreshingly devoid of the toxicity often found in games like Call of Duty and the gameplay is genuinely thrilling. While not perfect (occasional lag spikes and enemy teleporting can be frustrating), there’s a lot to enjoy.

For fans of XCOM and turn-based gaming in general then Mutant Year Zero: Road to Edenis definitely worth a look, especially if you are an Xbox Game Pass owner. The combat is satisfying and even though it isn’t you pulling the trigger directly, you can feel the impact each one makes.

An engaging story, with likeable heroes and despicable baddies, a deep system of jobs, team building and a proper challenge add up to make Monster Viator a good game in its own right.

The immersion in, and attachment to, Subterrain comes from the fear it causes – not so much from the threat of what’s coming but what’s not. I wasn’t half as worried about mutant attacks as I was about not finding oxygen, heat, food or water. And I think that’s where a lot of Subterrain’s charm comes from. It really takes survival horror back to its roots. Under all the monsters, jump scares and violence, these games are about people. With all its bad graphics and scarce monsters, this indie gem makes a good point: it’s not so much about killing, just surviving.

There’s no getting away from the fact that Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield is a very short game. Thankfully, it’s a truly enjoyable experience that will likely tempt you back to play more than once. It offers something different from the vast amount of games that are released in today’s market, and deserves full credit for it.

Achilles: Legends Untold may well deliver more than you think - especially in terms of enjoyment. The combat and exploration are fun, the loading times are world class, and there is a lot to do. If you like Ancient Greek mythology, or want a new Diablo-styled game, this is one you should be giving a whirl.

Train Sim World 3 is niche and so if you're not into the joys of the railway and don’t particularly get on with driving trains, then don’t expect much enjoyment from it. Veterans though will be delighted.

Puzzle by Nikoli W Akari has landed on a new brand of puzzles that feels utterly timeless, and fiendishly difficult to boot. If the world has any sense, they will ditch Wordle and start imploding their minds with these Sudoku-Minesweeper hybrids.

A little voice is grumbling in my ear saying that Dreamland Solitaire: Dragon’s Fury only represents a tiny step forward, and they would be right. But, for now, we are warm to the idea of a second instalment. This represents 200 levels of watertight, overblown solitaire levels, and the satisfying flow of clearing cards, setting off explosion after explosion, has lost none of its charm.

Deadzone: Rogue carefully combines FPS conventions with roguelite goodness through fleshed-out gunplay, hyper-focused builds from the plethora of perks, and a cozy overarching hub for upgrades. Even the few failures in level design and bit of boredom this title does face, can’t deny the sheer enjoyment it will bring you.

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened does a brilliant job of placing you in the shoes of the world renowned detective; something which should be the primary objective of any Sherlock game. There is a great sense of exploration allowed here, along with a good story.

Legend of Mana is an enjoyable throwback to the '90s, but its unconventional structure might not appeal to everyone. I personally prefer RPGs with a more linear and cohesive narrative, rather than a disjointed collection of missions. However, it's still a fun game with a wealth of content to explore.

Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition on Xbox One is a game that gets better every time you die. It is this which brings a great sense of a big wide world that needs discovering, as you are constantly tempted back in with a new character and the promise of a new story.

What we have here with The Riftbreaker: Metal Terror is a DLC pack done right, integrated very nicely with the base game and capable of offering new things that you feel like you have to work for.

There’s a magical alchemy in the bake that means Born of Bread rises above the issues. It should be weighed down by them, but, somehow, it emerges as a light, fluffy RPG all the same.

Did you need another Souls game in your life? Well maybe not, but there is something about Bleak Faith: Forsaken that will ensure you will want to keep playing. Yes, it feels like it treads very familiar ground in terms of combat, progression and sheer death. But there is something about this world that will demand your attention and game time.

The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story is a bit of a slow burn, but the more you play the more invested you will become.

While Nephenthesys isn’t the longest game ever, if you want to gather up all 2000 Gamerscore on offer, it will not be the work of a moment.

REZ PLZ on Xbox One is one of those games that comes alive with a friend. It’s good as a single player game, but multiplayer just lifts it to another level. If you have a spare friend lying about the place, I can heartily recommend this game to anyone. It’s tougher solo, there’s no doubt, but it’s a good challenge, and if you like inventive ways to kill cute characters then look no further.

Over the 3 to 4 hour running time, The Last Show of Mr. Chardish is one of huge enjoyment. Framed by theatre it takes us on a journey about regret, power, and ultimately love. It's a game that is ambitious, adventurous, and inspiring, so if you want to get yourself on stage and tread the boards then come join the drama that is The Last Show of Mr. Chardish.

In all, you’ll find much enjoyment from Grim Guardians: Demon Purge. It is capable of delivering fast and furious combat, teamed with careful exploration. The strong Castlevania vibes running through it help matters. In fact, Grim Guardians: Demon Purge looks great and plays well, ensuring it can be recommended to anyone with even the slightest bit of interest.

For fans of games like Overcooked!, Out of Space: Couch Edition on Xbox will likely hit a sweet spot, though there are question marks about the game’s longevity as there’s a limit to how many houses you can be bothered to clean up. There’s not really a campaign as such, but you do get to unlock new things each time you play and progress.

If you want a tricky puzzler that retains its relaxing vibe for the duration, then you should choo-choo-choose Railbound!

New World: Aeternum successfully makes the jump to Xbox, doing a great job of bringing the MMO experience to your living room. It offers a slew of content in a brilliantly realised world that has enough tricks up its sleeve to keep you hooked, even if it has an air of the familiar to it.

Party Animals is, in a word, promising. Whilst the launch version of this incredibly cute and colourful physics-based brawler is missing some key features that will boost replayability, the foundations are there for an excellent foray into the genre.

For a game that’s all about box-pushing, Sokocat - Combo does a rather good job of box-ticking too: it’s got plenty of levels, all well designed, with toy-like presentation and a streak of accessibility running through it.

At the end of the day, Razed is one of the more superior games to come out of the ID@Xbox initiative; it gets a lot of things spot on, and it never feels unfair which – for a game of this type – is an achievement in itself.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn has a lot of heart, and is more than capable of providing an enjoyable playthrough. There is a challenge there, and a good story, but it could have done with that final bit of polish to make it a classic must play game.

The Forgotten City is a game that many will thoroughly enjoy. It's got a great story at its centre and keeps delivering a standard of distinction in narrative design and dialogue throughout. The time loop dynamics and puzzle solutions are clever and will always make you smile.

Younger players can be reassured that this is made for them, with nary a niggle or frustration that would have them calling for help. PJ Masks Power Heroes: Mighty Alliance doesn’t patronise them with repetitive levels and a lack of jeopardy, and it’s an Owlette-sized leap from the first game. Yep, this brave band of superheroes will make your kids’ day.

The usual problems still persist – mainly the fiddly controls but put that down to this being a simulation game on a console – but this new Green Planet expansion on Xbox One literally gives the game a breath of fresh air.

Whether you are a seasoned veteran of Siege or looking for your first foray into a tactical shooter such as these, Rainbow Six Extraction will not disappoint.

Dead End Job on Xbox One is colourful, wacky and a huge amount of fun.

Super Tennis Blast on Xbox One is one of those games that you’ll have immense fun playing. Yes, it’s a shame that there is no online action, but no matter whether you are a solo player or one who can drag together family and friends for a ball smashing time, it will more than suffice.

Hidden Cats in Tokyo is a hidden object joy, even if we don’t particularly need that story to keep dragging us along for the ride.

My Lovely Empress is an engaging management sim that emulates the tremendously hard job of ruling an empire almost too well.

The story beats are far better than they deserve to be considering the scale of the DLC, and the main tale is satisfying because of the relatable villain and sense of threat, despite what we know about Borderlands 3. It sets up the start of Borderlands 3 nicely.

Perhaps it isn’t the deepest game in the world, and yes, the story is somewhat lacking, but for a quick blast with a friend, Bullets & Brains will more than scratch an itch.

For a free-to-play title, Rogue Company on Xbox One is worth every penny. As you'd expect, there are various options for buying cosmetic items, but as these have no effect on gameplay I'm okay with the opportunity if others want to spend real money to make their Rogue look a bit different. Rogue Company is certainly better if you can get a good squad around you, as playing with randoms is a bit like banging your head against a brick wall, but a team that talks is a team that wins.