This is not a bad game by any means – although it can be as frustrating as hell – but the amazing world design feels second fiddle to the lacklustre gameplay and it would have been a lot better to focus on the exploration, or even make it an out and out stealth experience.

Star Overdrive is a game that delivers a lovely sci-fi retro adventure, and for that, it deserves your attention.

Hats must be tipped to Disaster Band for being able to capture the pain, celebrating the non-gifted musicians out there.

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.

It’s not perfect, but look beyond the bugs and there is a deeply rewarding game to be found in Fallout 76.

While The Coma 2B: Catacomb doesn't drastically deviate from its predecessors, it delivers another enjoyable, yet chilling, adventure.

It’s a joy to play something so substantial and well crafted in Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Rise of SH1FT3R. Sure, Forza will trump this in every way, but for the younger player – particularly one who’s bought into the TV series – this is an unexpected gift.

There's a Gun in the Office is an unconventional and effective game that, if nothing else, might just prepare you in case the worst should ever happen.

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.

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

The single player side of things is fantastic, at least short term, and if only there was online multiplayer play included, House of Golf 2 could well have been found pushing Golf With Your Friends for a place on game session rotation.

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.

This 2D platformer has a healthy mix of different obstacles to battle your way through, which can prove to be quite challenging. While the graphics and music make for a great gameplay experience, the lack of story and difficulty can see things getting old really fast. However, if you have quick reflexes and love a challenge, then Alteric may be the game for you.

Despite legitimate questions around longevity, Arcadegeddon is an absolute blast that takes place across a lush, digital battleground. With the right support, the future should be bright for this one.

As a family, we enjoyed JoJo Siwa: Worldwide Party. The music immediately went on our daughters’ playlists, and the blend of platforming and rhythm action was reasonably smooth. But while it tries hard to remix things and offer new takes on the gameplay, it can’t disguise the repetition.

Heroes Battle Awakening is undeniably Plants vs Zombies. It just is: it borrows all of the mechanics and many of the troops. Strategies that worked for Popcap’s game will work well here.

Aquadine is an original visual novel that plays with a unique and absorbing story. It comes with some good writing, likeable characters, beautiful visuals and a great soundtrack.

If you’ve got a hankering for some old-school, 8-bit platforming thrills, without any concerns about bugs or quibbles, then Super Onion Boy 2 is cheap and plenty cheerful.

As a freebie, Space Science Investigations is a delight and despite its brief running time it packs a lot of information in.

If you are wanting a more modern JRPG, Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom PRINCE'S EDITION is still well worth a look. Just be prepared to do a lot of reading, as there is far too little voice acting in here.

3D Don’t Die Mr. Robot is a little too true to its arcade origins. Like the games it homages, there’s an immediate kick of adrenaline, but not much in terms of staying power.

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.

Sidestep the obvious criticism that there’s no interaction or choice to speak of in The Fairy’s Song, and you have one of the better kinetic visual novels. It’s polished to a crystal-like sheen, and the characters all grow to become endearing versions of themselves.

While Deadfire is still a fantastic game and one of the best isometric RPGs in recent years, it’s clearly much better suited for a PC audience. If that isn’t an option for you, there’s still a solid port here with the Xbox One version, if you can see past any of the technical missteps.

Gravitators brings something a little bit different to the table of an overcrowded market, and as such is worthy of a look. While it isn’t massively original, bringing things together as it has, does deliver a spark of originality.

Edna & Harvey: The Breakout - Anniversary Edition on Xbox One is a big old game, but if you wish to get your teeth into a world of eccentricity and the bizarre it should just suffice.

Awesome Pea 3 bears all the hallmarks of the many, many platform games that came before it. That doesn’t prevent it from being a solid couple of hours of fun however, and possibly the best in the series. It’s always good to go out on a high.

If you can look past the rather hefty problems – i.e., the silly amount of loading screens found in the campaign – then the rest of CastleStorm II on Xbox One is absolutely fine. The humour is stupid but on point, the battle scenes are fast and frantic, and the world-building is just deep enough to let you feel like you’ve got a proper control over proceedings.

Aimlabs is a very difficult game to score, mainly because it’s not really a ‘game’ and nothing else like it exists on the Xbox. If you want to get better at shooting, the exercises will help, as will the ping of achievements, something that Aimlabs is quite generous with. But this is far from something that you will fire up just for the heck of it.

At some point those behind Puzzle by Nikoli W Shikaku will have to reveal what demon pact they’ve signed. It’s the only way to explain how they keep creating original puzzles that we haven’t encountered before in the wild. We’ve never played a Shikaku before, but we’re Shik-hot at them now.

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.

Don’t Sink isn’t a micro-managing RPG experience that you’re going to sink a ton of hours in to, however the time spent with it will be mostly full of charm and provide a decent amount of joy.

Whilst there could be some work done with the combat and control system, The Wild Eight performs well enough in all other aspects and presents you with more than enough gameplay to keep you entertained for hours.

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.

Find Love Or Die Trying is a little bit pricey for the amount of time it’ll take to finish, but if you enjoy visual novels with a sadistic twist and a spot of romance, then it’s worth considering.

Limb Hunter is a fierce but fair action-platformer, and its big idea - the ability to swap in and out different robotic limbs - makes it well worth a play.

If you’re a sucker for these puzzle games, or you’re one of those people who supposedly thinks about the Roman Empire four times a day, then buy The Myth Seekers: The Legacy of Vulkan. It will get you ordering a toga before the week’s out.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite - Pathogen is pretty good and in fact the only real issue I have with this expansion is the price. There’s no easy way to say it, but £11.99 for about an hour or so of gameplay in the new campaign seems too high.

Invector: Rhythm Galaxy may well appeal to many, especially those who previously loved the AVICII instalment. But a boring campaign story, mechanical issues, and a track roster that will split opinions will all need to be overlooked.

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.

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

Aery - Vikings glides pretty close to all the Aery games that have come before it. It is as serene and welcoming as its flight-sim forebears, but also as glitchy.

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.

The best of the supernatural survival games introduce new mechanics and enemies throughout the play time, yet Yuoni doesn’t, and it suffers for it. If you fancy a bit of a scare, you could do worse than play Yuoni, but there are better games out there as well.

FRONT MISSION 2: Remake is a game worth checking out if you like the genre. For rarity alone, it has to be worth a try. The conversion isn’t flawless, and there could be a good deal of tweaking to make it work better with a controller, but you should find yourself enjoying what is on offer in FRONT MISSION 2: Remake.

If you’re an avid viewer of Adventure Time, then it’s worth experiencing for the narrative at least, but everyone else should wait for Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion to get a discount.

There’s no doubt that Terminal 81 is a very unique and charming indie game. It has an unusual setting and plays with the idea of horror in a realistic setting with proficiency.

With achievements and Gamerscore flowing, if you’re looking to spend some time fitting your feline friends into a grid, over and over again, then Fit My Cat does the business. It’s probably a game that you’ll forget as soon as the last achievement pops, but it can more than tide you over for a couple of hours.

Twin Mirror on Xbox is a good game, if a little inconsistent. It's not the best adventure game out there, but for fans of the genre, it's still a solid experience. For those who aren't as keen on the genre, nothing here is going to change your mind. Still, this is a good experience with a gripping story, some great characters, decent gameplay and moments of brilliance. It's just held back by some unfortunate issues, and the shadow of its better Dontnod adventure siblings.

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.

Conarium is a fun game, especially if you’re a fan of H.P. Lovecraft. The developers are clearly huge fans and you can tell by how much they’ve crammed into this 4/5 hour game. They’ve taken solid base material and made it their own, which is fantastic to see. Sadly, the game feels like a bit of a slog, even though it isn’t that long, as there is just so much reading and very little action.

The Last Oricru is a bit of a mixed bag, even if it is mostly one filled with goodies. What it does, it does pretty well, but basic things like a hysterical camera that is keen to show you anything except the bloke smacking you with a sword, do put a dent in the enjoyment. Playing cooperatively is a great idea, and having a friend along can make things better, but even then there are better entries in the action RPG genre.

If you didn’t play it back in the day, and want to know what all the fuss is about, Crysis Remastered may just be worth a shot.

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

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.

The price tag is a bit steep and obviously I’d not recommend Ice Age: Scrat’s Nutty Adventure for grown-ups as the easiness would get tiresome too quickly, but for young Ice Age fans it’s worth a go. Just about.

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.

Creepy Tale 3: Ingrid Penance is a very bewitching, rather fascinating adventure. It comes with a unique story and a neat way of using good/evil choice dynamics.

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.

Obey Me on Xbox One is a lot of fun to play. It’s challenging, fast and furious, and thankfully comes with an appealing story and graphical style. There are issues with the camera, but nothing game breaking, and with lots of fun to be had pushing back demons, what more recommendation do you need?

You may find Farmer’s Life to be a bit of a pleasant surprise. You should learn to like Kazimar, even though he is flawed, and similar goes for the gameplay, quests, visuals and sound. It's all fine, without ever wowing.

Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed is bold, brash and bombastic but somehow still works in a world which has changed significantly, even if the game fundamentally remains the same as before.

The Chant has some really interesting new game mechanics, and a structure and story which are both very original. However, there is a sense that the narrative is rushed through and the horror feels low budget rather than something stranger.

Calling the main character’s company ‘Fizzle’ is appropriate. Going Under on Xbox One burns brightly at first, witty and wonderful in its design, and with a lot of joy in its dungeon crawling. But then the fizzle comes, with the lack of depth and vacuum of progression soon burning your interest out.

If you’re fine with threadbare rewards from your Survivors-a-like or dungeon crawler, then Halls of Torment isn’t much of a risk; a compact little battler that, at the very least, gets the blood pumping for its first few hours, and offers a multitude of ways to personalise after that.

Dreaming Sarah on Xbox does skew more towards the good dream rather than the nightmare. The game is mostly a visual treat with fantastic music, and it is dripping with endearing dream logic; something which is even more impressive when you consider it is primarily the effort of three creators. As one of the cheapest Xbox Series X|S optimized titles, I think there is a lot to love here, but some awkward controls and frustrating design decisions do hold this back from being an indie Metroidvania darling.

A Perfect Day is a very original experience, especially in terms of gameplay and the structure of the narrative. But it is also original in terms of allowing westerners to play a game from a different cultural standpoint.

Out of Moves is a bright little puzzle game inspired by some classics of the genre. If you’re after a brief distraction to get your brain blossoming, you could do a lot worse.

We had a lot of time for Rogue Wizards. It’s unashamedly retro, it’s not the prettiest of RPGs out there, and it has near-gamebreaking faults in its controls and loot. But it’s decided that the best parts of an RPG are in its upgrade systems and randomly generated dungeons, and who are we to argue? Some of gaming’s greatest joys come from diving into a dungeon and emerging twice as powerful as before.

Tetragon is an attractive puzzle platformer, but not without its niggles. It’s enjoyable for the most part, however the final boss exposes the control scheme issues that otherwise don’t prove too troublesome elsewhere.

Vampire Hunters successfully adapts the core elements of Vampire Survivors to a first-person perspective, creating an engaging and unique experience.

At the end of the day, there is nothing wrong with Bombslinger per se, but it fails to really ignite the multiple player enthusiasm. It is worth playing for the single player however, especially if you’re a fan of randomness and rogue-like elements. Just be aware that you’ll need to be happy looking past the slow, rather painful, first hour or so as you gather up enough loadouts choices for the fun to begin.

Lanternium on Xbox One does what it sets out to do pretty well, providing value for money and keeping younger gamers entertained for a good few hours. For the rest of you out there, its gradual pace, cutesy appeal and shallow gameplay may struggle to hold your interest for the long haul.

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.

DETECTIVE - Rainy Night is a low-budget horror detective game that gives you an hour or so of entertainment, playing out like an episode of some mysterious TV show.

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.

£15.99 is a reasonable price to expect to pay if you fancy a trip down memory lane or aspire to own every Atari title ever made. There’s enough here to please those who enjoy a bit of retro gaming, but if you don’t, move along as there’s nothing to see here.

Breakout Beyond delivers a bit of a unique take on an old classic. It may look to reinvent, but ultimately this is Breakout, flipped. Long term play may be an issue, but if you’re looking for a big old hit of nostalgia, mixed in with plenty of modern day touches, this is one to consider.

Cramming so many games and levels into a box as small and cheap as the Cronostase Electric Collection is undoubtedly an achievement. But we kept sifting through the sheer amount of stuff, on the hunt for something challenging and different. But only one, maybe two of the games had the spark of potential.

Anuchard is a solid adventure which should keep most invested until the end. Despite some balance issues, there’s no getting away from the fact that all the components are here for an engaging and enjoyable experience.

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.

Sometimes all you need is some insanely fast-paced and extremely fun gunplay, great enemy designs, and huge open levels to have a good time. And that’s exactly what Turok achieves.

Next of Kin is a simple game in many ways, but this doesn’t stop it from being a solid retro inspired, narrative driven mystery thriller.

Task Force Kampas on Xbox One can be a fun and unique experience for those who have never stepped into the fascinating world of Japanese doujin shooters. All things considered it’s a pretty basic arcade shooter, and the gameplay variety is fairly limited, but the challenge and level design can be compelling as you slowly improve and get a higher score.

Spirit of the North 2 is super impressive with some amazing locations and detail.

For all its flaws, it’s lack of challenge, looks, content and variety, Restless Night is still a cheap shot of adrenaline. It won’t work for everyone, but - in our case - we regret nothing.

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.

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.

Much like it’s prequel, The Dark Eye: Memoria on Xbox feels like you’re peering through a window into the richest of rich fantasy settings. It’s a parade of fabulous characters and scenarios, and the storytelling matches the pace. If Daedalic can untangle the control issues for future titles, and perhaps add an in-game help system (or file off the edges of their more abstract puzzles), then they’re on the way to creating a classic.

While some puzzles could well require a bit of head-scratching or online assistance, you should gather your family and share in the joy of uncovering the tales of Tell Me Your Story together.

Beach Buggy Racing 2: Island Adventure on Xbox is a bit of a surprise. After the original game fell flat, I was expecting pretty much the same to occur here, but whilst it’s not quite a good enough racer to compete with Crash, Mario and Sonic in the very finest kart racing league, it can easily hold its own in the formula below it.

Xbox owners certainly have viable means to experience these titles in other forms, but when it comes to convenience and accessibility, Ninja Gaiden Master Collection is a solid value proposition all the same.

We would happily go on another date with ValiDate: Struggling Singles in Your Area. They’re a talkative partner, slightly self-absorbed and clearly dealing with their own issues, but they are also charming, witty and not quite like anyone else we’ve met.

If you’ve been picking up these additional table packs for Pinball FX3 as and when they release this is a solid addition to the collection. If, however, you are a pinball dabbler, there may be one or two better licensed packs more up your street than this one.

Godfall is worth playing. It’s an action-RPG looter that focuses almost all of its efforts on the fruits of its combat flow, which leaves the story, loot and level-variety shrivelled on the branch.

You may well be shocked by how good Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe is. Or at least how addictive it is for a couple of hours. With two distinct ways of playing, plenty of levels, speedrunning if you want it and some fun cosmetics to collect, this is one of the better games in the JanduSoft catalogue.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 is going to be the perfect game for some people and the most tedious of ones for others. Presenting a more directed take on the classic Minecraft structure, this succeeds at retaining that creativity while actively giving players something to work for and something tangible to do. But, more impressively, Builders 2 never feels like a pale imitation.

If you’re a fan of the genre looking to explore its rich history and origins, then Renegade on Xbox One is a pretty insightful trip down arcade brawling lane.