It is most certainly an addictive little well paced game – but only really for those who wish to go cheevo hunting in the process. If you’re not interested in those, and couldn’t care less for Gamerscore, then the random world generation, random loot placement, random boss fights and random item pickups could quite possibly see you failing to see this story through to the end.

It’s packed full of destruction and most definitely builds adrenaline, and they are the two real big draws, but I’d be hugely impressed if you were still playing it on a consistent basis a week or two down the line.

The tale of Prison Island is a very interesting one, the new characters complement the old, and the cut-scenes are exhilarating. As far as gameplay goes, the combat is fun and the variety of enemies is decent, without both aspects ever reaching greatness. What’s disappointing though is how long it takes for the game to get going, the crafting is far too basic and the movement lacks finesse.

From my first moments with Weakless on Xbox One, I really wanted to love the experience. The world, characters and unique gameplay see this come across as the type of game that I adore, and it cries out to be just that. However, whilst the gameplay is good, the running time is very short and it doesn’t do quite enough to live up to its full potential; at times it feels like a beta playthrough for a much bigger game or idea.

Cyber Protocol on Xbox One is a kind of PAC-MAN/TRON hybrid; one that takes the shiny neon visuals of the 1980s, mixes in a collect-the-dots, maze-based mechanic and runs with it. The story is completely redundant - it makes literally no difference to the game that you are playing - and while the challenge is good, the input lag and repetition aren't.

Papa’s Quiz on Xbox is probably the textbook definition of a fine game. It does exactly what it sets out to accomplish, and while the UI, presentation and minor design issues do hold it back from being something more, this is still a solid trivia game.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a good game; one that is enjoyable almost despite itself. The visuals are very old-skool - and that’s being kind - the animation is ropey and fights don’t ever feel balanced, but it still provides a decent amount of fun; all helped along by the story that unfolds.

Fatum Betula is a game - and an experience - that feels old school yet completely new and unique in the same breath. The lack of guidance is something that will split the gaming community, but it must be agreed that the surreal visual design is fascinating, disturbing, and brilliantly designed.

It may be something of a marmite genre, but Broken Pieces tells a story worth hearing, despite its elements not quite fitting together perfectly.

Ed-0: Zombie Uprising is built on sound ideas and there’s so much to love about the setup. However, the brutal, inconsistent difficulty coupled with the repetitive, imbalanced gameplay prevents it from reaching full potential.

Dustborn has a lot going for it. There’s a great story that goes down many different pathways, all while meeting a ton of interesting and diverse characters along the way.

If you want a polished single-player adventure then Pigeon Simulator is not the right perch. But if you are looking for a light-hearted co-op romp filled with physics-fuelled disasters and ridiculous pigeon-antics, this is well worth a dive.

If you love the idea of spontaneously chatting with fascinating strangers, then Night Call will most certainly give you a long list of memorable characters.

I think you can tell straight away whether you’re going to like Train Sim World or not. If you like trains and sims, then yes you’re are going to have a ball with this.

While the combat may not be super engaging, and the story is a bad egg, the gorgeous world of The Falconeer on Xbox is a triumph. Paired with the spectacular music and breathtaking feeling of flight, this game provides what feels like an exceptional concept rather than a complete game.

Songbringer is neatly designed, written with wit and humour and has some fun gameplay, but it struggled to keep my interest through its entirety and I found it hard to replay dungeons after many a death.

The story of The Casting of Frank Stone is engaging, if a little half-baked during a first playthrough, but with the ability to replay certain sections you can fill in those gaps. Just don’t bother to turn off the lights with this one - scares are lacking.

The core driving experience found in Super Toy Cars Offroad is fun. It’s fast and hectic, the majority of races will keep you engaged and you will really have to prove yourself to be first across that finish line.

Things in Pathologic 2 on Xbox One come together to create a game that deserves to be tried - but only really because it's unlike anything you will have ever played before.

Martha is Dead is a brilliant era-based thriller. The headlines will focus on the sections that have been censored by Playstation, but that would be a shame because there is so much more to this game than those moments. Experience Martha is Dead and it will stay with you for some time to come.

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.

Many may be frustrated by the average gameplay and - at times - bog-standard combat offerings that are found in Industria. However, I found the narrative, the ambition of the game, and the sense of wonder and place all very intriguing; at times, melancholic.

It’s sad that the combat is dreadful, and visually it’s a poor experience, but away from that, Outward is an in-depth and fulfilling adventure that will force you to think about your actions, as you plan ahead and walk a weary path as you slowly traverse the land.

Save your cash and buy some new lycra instead. I promise you it’ll be more fun.

Home Sweet Home is at its best when relying solely on atmosphere and sound design, much less so when the hero is pursued by an awkwardly animated being. Nonetheless, the second part of the game delivers a substantial fright factor, making it an excellent choice for a Halloween playthrough.

If you’re a fan of off-road racing, love bikes and can’t take your eyes off the excitement of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championships when it lights up the TV, then this is a game you’ll find plenty of enjoyment in. With Monster also providing branding usage rights to the MXGP series, it is however hard to see much of a difference from the two set of games.

If you’re a fan of Lovecraft and want to take in some old fashioned arcade action then this could well be the story for you.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is a lot of fun, with a really good amount of thought put into each playing position to ensure they all feel worthwhile. And the small changes to the rules make the game more exhilarating. It’s just missing something to keep things fresh.

Yes, the crafting does get overcomplicated, the first few hours are a real slog and there are some visual stutters, however, if you loved ARK: Survival Evolved and other games of this ilk, then this is a must buy title for you to experience.

It’s not a game that is going to be for everyone, and there are problems with direction, getting lost, and the onset of motion sickness. But overall it works great.

Surgeon Simulator 2 on Xbox has a few things going against it which will unfortunately put a lot of people off. Things such as a buggy launch and a high degree of difficulty for a starting point hinder it somewhat. If you can get over these stumbling blocks, there is a fair amount of variation in here.

Slave Zero X will certainly put a smile on the face of those who played the original in the late '90s, and oozes a distinct biopunk style. However, a short and shallow structure prevents it from being a must play, even though the gory hacking and slashing is a lot of fun.

Shoot 1UP DX on Xbox is a chaotic mess of interesting gameplay ideas and a visual onslaught of sci-fi innuendo. As far as shmups go, it definitely deserves points for originality and for the interesting game design. It does, however, lack the level of polish and thoughtful designs that are evident in some of the best games in the genre.

Pac-Man Museum+ is not the compilation that Pac-Man deserves, but in all honesty, that doesn’t come as too much of a surprise.

In the end, all our fears have been realised. Romancelvania’s dating sim half is frivolous fun, but its other half, the Metroidvania, drunkenly crashes the party.

New Tales from the Borderlands takes the core structure of what makes a Telltale game so good, but forgets to flesh it out with an interesting cast, intriguing narrative, or a reason to care.

If you’re looking to jump in as a fan of the brawler scene, there are many other options out there that already do the job much better. Unfortunately, with little to keep players interested and overly simplistic options dominating the more complex potential of the game, Override: Mech City Brawl is one fight we’ve already forgotten about.

Whilst an entire playthrough of Spheroids will only take you four or five hours tops, and nothing put in front of you is likely to test any of your gaming skills, you’ll probably still enjoy the mindless ball popping mayhem that it brings – whether or not that statement says more about me and my gaming ambitions though is another matter.

Wick is a game that isn’t bad to play, but it isn’t overly brilliant to play either. It delivers a horror experience with some nice jump scares and brilliant sound effects, but the gameplay lets the experience down; becoming frustrating and boring rather too quickly.

The final episode of The Walking Dead: A New Frontier ties most of the loose ends up, has a great middle, but is sandwiched by mediocrity at best. ‘From The Gallows’ is only worth grabbing if you’ve made it this far already.

From my time with Bite the Bullet on Xbox One, its charm and uniqueness was made clear, but the more traditional sides of its game design and combat ultimately let me down. The RPG systems are rather shallow and progression feels hollow throughout most of the game. The general level design, whilst pretty decent, does not reward exploration, and some of its systems don’t really matter that much to the overall experience.

Necromunda: Underhive Wars on Xbox One has raw potential, but as it stands at the moment the game is a bit of a mess and you’d need to stick with it and look beyond its faults to see the potential in there. And even then, the story-mode and operations may not quite have enough to keep you coming back.

Rust Console Edition is shonky, feels unfinished and looks like an Xbox 360 title. It is stuffed with the most hostile player base ever, and even surviving for five minutes feels like a win. However, there is fun to be had, particularly if you enjoy grinding for materials and living on your wits.

The House of the Dead: Remake stays faithful to its roots and is an incredible upgrade visually compared to the original version.

For skateboarding fans who have actually skated, Session: Skate Sim will be great - when it is complete. For casual fans looking for instant fun, they may want to think twice about jumping on board.

Gotham Knights is the game that everyone wants to hate, but that shouldn't be the case as there is a lot to love here. It's a good open-world game that explores a brilliantly realised Gotham City, powered by some fun, fluid combat and a wicked world that is easily explorable. Hanging around the rooftops as you take in the main story, smaller incidents or even as you hunt secret challenges allows Gotham Knights to shine, even if the Batcycle sections don't feel particularly great.

Danger Zone had the expectations of being a spiritual successor to Burnout, encompassing everything that was good about it. That gameplay is there, somewhere, but it gets lost between the generic level design, and over-reliance of pickups.

Train Station Renovation is a strange one, however if you fit into the niche market it is trying to appeal to, there’s a chance you will love the game. It's well-designed, works absolutely fine and the mixture of cleaning and subsequent designing of old abandoned train stations will satisfy many. It’s pretty unique though, and slightly weird, but there is plenty of potential for what it can provide in the right hands.

It’s fair to say that if you enjoy games such as XCOM, or other turn-based tactical combat games, then Jagged Alliance: Rage is going to appeal to you. It doesn’t quite match the quality of its gameplay in terms of the visuals, and the sound design certainly isn’t going to win any awards, but if you’re after a game you can really sink your teeth into for hours on end – and still come out with a real sense of accomplishment at the end – then this is a game you should be adding to your collection.

PROJECT ZERO : Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a very scary, very compelling game that, even with a couple of control niggles, is still more than worth a play. The atmosphere that is summoned up is great, as are the ghosts and the story, but an overhaul of the controls would have been welcome.

I love Planet of the Eyes. It’s a short game, but a perfect adventure that comes with a smart sci-fi story.

Greak: Memories of Azur is the very embodiment of a game of two halves. It looks incredible, there’s no two ways about it, and when playing as a single character, the gameplay is extremely good. It’s in the later stages when trying to manage three characters at once that annoyances creep in. Overall, Greak is a good game, but there are some control gremlins to overcome.

Batman: The Enemy Within is flying high at the moment, with a cast of intriguing characters bearing their own identities which feel unique to the series, despite many of them having multiple incarnations in other forms of media.

It is by no means a bad game, but OmegaBot needs a little polish in the platforming sections to make it a great one. As it is, it is firmly middle of the pack.

Should you be intrigued by the fish-keeping occupation or hobby, then Aquarist is a decent enough sim. There is a weird satisfaction found in collecting and buying different types of fish; trying not to kill them.

Even though the gameplay comes with its occasional glitches, has a bit too many things going on and is run by some strange mechanics, the story, characters, and overall tone are all brilliant and extremely well put together.

Moons of Madness on Xbox One offers some fascinating slow-burn horror and nostalgic Alien-esque visuals, but it lets that down by bogging down playtime with arbitrary objectives and attempts to go much bigger than the story should be. If you are a fan of cosmic or slow-burn horror, Moons of Madness is certainly worth checking out, but it won't be forging any new fans for the genre.

At the end of the day I just can’t see any reason why any gamer – or bike fan for that matter – would want to fork out on a game that is pretty much a carbon copy of the game that came before it, and of the one before that. For that reason, recommending a purchase of Tour de France 2020 on Xbox One is a seriously hard push.

Flint: Treasure of Oblivion may be an average adventure at best, however it’s just about entertaining enough to shake off accusations of style over substance.

Super Lucky’s Tale is still a good-hearted family fun title that should pride itself on being a game that all ages can enjoy, and by completion, you will truly feel you have been treated to a game that does well in immersing you into the story of a small young fox, and the adventure he embarks on.

Summing up Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is tricky. While the fighting action is as spectacular as it ever was, and still remains fun, the management side of things just seems to slow everything down. It feels like a slog and you’ll want for nothing but the next battle. Basically the battles are good, but the rest of Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is poor.

If you’re a fan of off-road racing, have an appreciation for bikes, or simply want something a little different from a racer, then MX vs ATV All Out Anniversary Edition is certainly no bad way to go. If you’re after a polished experience then you may find slight disappointment with a few areas that are in need of some extra work, but that doesn’t mean this is one that you should be avoiding, especially when you take into account the amount of content on offer.

High On Life: High On Knife is not as funny as the base game, but it is just about as good in every other way.

While there are elements to like in Unknown 9: Awakening, it doesn't feel particularly innovative, except for the enemy possession mechanic.

Super Bomberman R is just a bit of a non-starter. The lacklustre campaign is only good to hold your attention for so long and the modes that really matter are criminally held back by a low player count.

Lost Grimoires: Stolen Kingdom delivers an interesting adventure involving alchemy, transmutation recipes, mini-games and a new take on Hidden Object scenes.

If you want to take a little trip down memory lane and are ready to get your platforming skills working again then Wenjia just about gets the job done.

If you’re looking for a new twin-stick shooter and fancy firing some destruction towards a bunch of pink aliens, then you could do a ton worse than to fill your boots with It Came from Space and Ate our Brains on Xbox One.

Citadel: Forged with Fire on the Xbox One doesn’t get off to the best of starts, throwing you in at the deep end with nothing to cling onto. The tutorial does a terrible job of explaining anything, even causing you to re-assign many of the buttons on the controller. But it’s worth sticking with. Figure out what you’re supposed to do and the game becomes a delightful sandbox for you to become the mage you were born to be.

A local two player run isn’t going to save 8DAYS from the mid table mediocrity that it’ll find itself in for the vast majority of gamers. If it wasn’t so damn annoying and completely irritating, then I’d happily be gifting it a bigger, better score, but the truth of the matter is that many will find too much they dislike for it to ever be a fun little title...And that’s a shame, because it could well have been pretty damn neat.

If you are a big fan of horror games and enjoyed the first Layers of Fear then you are in for a bit of a bonus with Layers of Fear 2. The developers have enhanced their storytelling skill, their puzzles and their fright-night tone in the making of this new game, and I’ve loved the writing, the visuals, and the amazing sound design.

There are definitely better co-op games out there, and there are better space shooters for sure, but RiftStar Raiders can still be a fun game.

It’s a novel game for the first few tries, but its slow drip feed of progress prevents you from getting anywhere near the end, failing to really entice you to return after logging out.

A proper storyline from the perspectives of both the DEA and Narcos could’ve elevated the base game into something far more sumptuously involving too, but what’s here is serviceable and will readily satisfy anyone who wants to sink their teeth into a quick-fix strategy game.

60 Seconds! features some great dark humour, interesting stories and fun references but its overall presentation and amount of content included lets it down, seeing things done and dusted rather quickly.

Neighbours back from Hell on Xbox One has a style and a tone that is going to split the community - you're either going to fall in love with it straight away, or it will just make you cringe. The humour and style is cartoony while the game mixes stealth and point and click adventuring to a reasonable degree. However, after a while the game doesn’t do enough to keep interest levels high, and it needs to switch up the gameplay dynamic.

Within the Blade has a lot of promise. Sneaking through levels, dispatching enemies silently and then fighting big bosses sounds like ninja game heaven. At least on paper. It’s when that idea is translated into an actual game that the issues seem to have crept in and spoiled the party.

Steel Seed is a solid new IP of a game; one that does mostly everything okay. There are some good action sequences, platforming mechanics that are fun, stealth, combat and skill trees to invest in. The story is good too, but fails to ever wow or do anything to keep your attention for the long term.

Serial Cleaner is a very good stealth game. It controls well, the levels are well thought out and a real challenge, and the level of difficulty is just short of pad biting.

Skull and Bones is a live service game that has arrived in a world where that kind of trend seems to be dying. There’s no doubt that it starts off great, but very soon it all becomes a bit of a grind, not helped by a weak story and too much time at sea.

Aside from answering questions, the atmosphere and overall presentation of the game certainly makes a decent fist of engaging players, but that short play time hamstrings The Station before it can ever really get going.

It is always an exciting time to see a new release from the guys at the Virtual Air Guitar Company, but Air Guitar Warrior for Kinect isn’t one that I find myself as happy to recommend as I had hoped. With a shocking motion detection system that messes with the controls when aiming directly above or below, and an incredibly tough difficulty curve for the later levels, the early fun never really continues.

While playing Morphite I had to keep reminding myself that this is a low budget indie game, because the developers have crammed in an awful lot. Yes there are moments when the mechanics jar, the space travelling can get tiring and it sometimes looks too old fashioned. But there’s a lengthy campaign, a lot to explore and a good story.

Maid of Sker on Xbox One is a very good horror experience; one that manages to create an extremely creepy atmosphere and delivers a good story throughout. The whole sound department needs a round of applause, especially the renditions of the hymns, but it is the entire save system that dampens the enjoyment of the game.

Youtubers Life 2 may be tacky and noisy, but sorting through the mess begins to approach fun. Fewer and fewer of the keywords are confusing. The open world starts to make sense. And then the game’s loop emerges: make videos, get cash, buy equipment, make better videos, make more cash. It’s Animal Crossing in designer headphones.

King of the Arcade is missing a ‘why?’. Why are you returning to the games? Why should you persist through endlessly repeating levels? King of the Arcade can’t find a half-answer. Global leaderboards, hard-fought achievements or CPU rivals would have at least rewarded our persistence. But King of the Arcade is too busy creating game after game to care.

Aztech Forgotten Gods is not a perfect game. There’s a lack of entertaining side-content. There’s no voice talent. It’s relatively short. But does that mean you should avoid it? No. Because it largely delivers with its story and its core gameplay - the two most important elements of any good video game.

With the majority of the game able to be pushed through without paying any real attention, there’s not enough on show to keep players engaged for long periods.

With disappointing mechanics that really should be a lot more polished than they currently are, this isn’t a game that will live long in the memory for many. If you are after a colourful racer that can be enjoyed by the kids, this could be worth a look, but if you’re in need of a new joyful karting experience, then maybe you should be looking elsewhere.

I have really enjoyed my time in the world of Albert & Otto. It’s a hard but fair platform puzzler with some great level design, innovative sections, great visuals and a cracking soundtrack. It does feel a trifle short, but I hope it sells well and allows the development team to create further episodes in the future.

It seems a plethora of physics-based games have hit the market over the last few years. They have gathered a large audience so it’s only predicted, but now it feels as though the joke has run its course. For the first time, the genre is starting to show its age in Totally Reliable Delivery Service on the Xbox One, with a repetitive and frustrating experience. While there’s some fun and laughs to be had with co-op, and inventive customisation options, the laughs stop there.

It’s not realistic, it’s not a world beater in terms of gameplay or likenesses of your favourite players, and it’s not going to challenge FIFA on any level, but as a bit of short-term fun, Legendary Eleven has put a smile on my face.

Overpass on Xbox One just about fills a spot in the racing genre without it ever really being a game for the racing fan. In fact, if you’re looking for all-out speed then I’d tell you to stay as far away as possible. This is instead a precision motorsport brawler that pits you against the clock and tells you to get on with it - faults and all. While the Career is reasonable fun, working well across the obstacle courses, the sheer hellish nature of some of the hill climb events knock this off-roading beast down a notch or two, quite possibly causing far too much frustration and annoyance for anyone outside of the ‘scene’.

How to Survive 2 is definitely a much improved sequel, the added player count is a neat addition giving you the option to enjoy the cool parts of the game with more people, including the interesting community building mechanics that you could literally get lost in, or the upgrade and survival-able systems. Nevertheless a culmination of small, but meaningful issues, leaves me with a sweet but bitter taste in my mouth.

Hunting Simulator 2 is a bare bones version of its predecessor, and not even man’s best friend can save this from being an inferior sequel.

If you’d like to try a new approach to horror and like a slow paced game then go right ahead, but personally I want something with a bit more variation and bit more speed.

Don’t expect to be blown away, but should you fancy spending some time with a reflective puzzler, then Samsara will get you thinking.

If you’ve got children, then Woven is a very viable option to satisfy their sense of wonderment, if not then there are better puzzling adventures available for your money.