Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is another example of how to do a FPS game right, and even though the single player format may not be as popular as it once was, Wolfenstein II delivers much of what many of us would love to see more of in the future.

The decision to provide a two-part ‘Ties That Bind’ premiere for A New Frontier allows time for the characters to settle in, to initiate the connections and reintroduce players to the deadly world they now live in.

The decision to provide a two-part ‘Ties That Bind’ premiere for A New Frontier allows time for the characters to settle in, to initiate the connections and reintroduce players to the deadly world they now live in.

CYGNI: All Guns Blazing is a cracking game, complete with outstanding graphics and a proper challenge. This is one of the best shoot ‘em ups you’ll have played in recent years.

Constance is certainly a compelling game, through its light vs dark narrative, fantastic implementation of Metroidvania design, and blending of old mechanics and new ideas alike.

Should you have fallen for the likes of Balatro, and feel you need something similar yet different, then Luck be a Landlord should 100% be taken in. The luck-based gameplay may sometimes see runs fail, and controller input isn’t quite as intuitive as that of a touchpad, but there’s still some real appeal and addiction found from the combo-building mechanics and slot machine ideas that Luck be a Landlord brings.

Despite some hurdles, Moving Out proves to be a more than solid cooperative journey into the lifestyle of a removal service that I quickly found myself recruited for.

Ultros is a form of art that you can so easily lose yourself within. It’s a vivid tapestry of sound, art and emotion, woven together into an unforgettable journey.

All in all and The VideoKid ticks all of my boxes for a great game. It’s a fond look back at a bygone age, with all the best references cherry picked and presented for your gaming pleasure.

If you’re looking for an ambient, indie, alien adventure to embark on, Dome Keeper excels in risk-reward driven space solitude, and it is bound to keep you gripped despite the replay value perhaps not being as long as more complex genres.

Whether alone or with friends, and regardless of existing knowledge of the IP, Scott Pilgrim EX’s expertly crafted gameplay and graphics deliver a great time.

If you've any interest in running bullet hell experiences, or working with a whole variety of weapons and abilities, then NeverAwake allows for it. Chuck in a nifty little narrative to tie it all together and speedrunning opportunities for those looking for them, and there’s no debate this is one you should be playing right away.

Tiny Bookshop is inordinately clever. Even the smallest systems have knotty, interesting bits to them, from the stat-boosting furniture to the newspaper classifieds. It’s not a cozy game that coasts on you being relaxed and low-maintenance. It is generous, full of things to do, badges to earn and books to sell.

If you value your free time, or have a backlog of games to get through, then be warned: The Colonists can put you under the same magical spell as the original Settlers and ANNO. While its slowness can be occasionally irksome, particularly in the Campaign, it has a habit of dragging you back in. Book a week off, find a log cabin with wi-fi and no intrusions, and watch the time disappear.

Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy surprises, both with how good the actual adventure is and just how much effort has clearly gone into this remake.

Hindsight 20/20: Wrath of the Raakshasa on Xbox is a creative tour de force from industry veterans, which integrates its thematic philosophy into both the narrative flow and game design. The game incorporates the weight and consequence of choice into the way the story unfolds, but also into enemy encounters as players have a choice to forgive their foe rather than simply vanquish these polygonal constructs.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is perhaps the best thing to come out of the Star Wars franchise since Disney took over.

If you like Aliens or strategy in real time, Aliens: Dark Descent is the game for you. Don’t come to it as a brainless blast-a-thon though - you will need to be cunning to finish off the threat!

Whether you’re looking for a relaxing adventure to immerse yourself into, or simply want to revitalise those dormant feelings of mystery and curiosity from your childhood, Pilo and the Holobook exceeds in both and so much more, providing a refreshing experience through its unique gameplay cycle.

If you have any interest in motorsport and are looking for a new speed fix, you’d do well to get behind the wheel of New Star GP at the earliest opportunity. Lack of online multiplayer aside, New Star GP is probably the best arcade racer currently available on the market.

The new characters are fun, the gunplay is as cool as ever, and the additional mechanics add an extra layer. The only fly in the ointment is that the sheer amount of fights do start to get repetitive, but with a crew, Borderlands 4 is about as good as it gets.

If it wasn’t for the weird camera angle and the oddly shaped hit box, Whacking Hell! would be getting dangerously close to Vampire Survivors territory. But as it is, it just falls short.

Exoprimal is extremely enjoyable. With so many permutations of levels, missions and suits to play, it’s a game that is always fresh and fun. I mean, it is dinosaurs fighting robot suits after all!

Perennial Order does enough to distinguish itself from the rest of the field. The mechanics certainly require you to adjust your usual Soulslike playstyle, but the way that the game unfolds and explains more of what is happening the further you get spurs you on.

I’m finding it hard to fault Milestone for what they’ve produced with MotoGP 20 on Xbox One. With multiple game modes, a career which is as deep and immersive as you want it to be, and an online offering which has so far worked flawlessly, there has hardly been a wheel misplaced in the development of this latest racer.

Should you have enjoyed the previous DLC offerings, or simply want more Sudden Strike 4 on Xbox One, then Pacific War is a must-buy DLC. It may prove a little more expensive than the previous packs but with plenty of new content chucked in, and some fantastic naval combat to be enjoyed, it’s hard to argue it doesn’t add incredible value to the game.

Observer: System Redux on Xbox is an example of the ideal remaster. The best bits are amplified; in this case the mangled, filthy cyberpunk visuals and the immersion in a grotesque horror story. Equally, the worst bits are excised, as the terrible stealth sections and the thin exploration are left on the neurosurgeon’s floor. What you’re left with is an emphatic horror title, an easy recommendation to the acquainted and unacquainted, and an experience that will live long in the memory.

EA SPORTS UFC 3 doesn’t provide a massive change over last year’s entry other than the few extra game modes and the striking system, but the changes that have been introduced are certainly for the better.

Gears Tactics on Xbox is one of the best attempts to craft a new turn-based squad shooter game. A rough-hewn, challenging game with a long campaign and lots of options to customize your characters, along with a whole new game-mode, means that Gears Tactics is a must play game for any fans of the Gears universe, turn-based strategy titles or squad tactics games.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Rise of the Golden Idol. The core gameplay loop of solving intricate mysteries remains addictive, whilst the enhanced visuals, new puzzle types, and expanded narrative create a rewarding detective experience.

If you have previously found love with Sonic or Mario, Donkey Kong, Crash or Rayman, you'll find yourself having a fabulous time with Nikoderiko: The Magical World. Beautifully bright, full of secrets, collectibles galore and some superb platforming moments will see this one appeal to pretty much all.

Even if the film has flopped, should you have Jurassic World Evolution 2 in your library and have nigh-on maxed out what it brings, the Dominion Biosyn Expansion is one that will bring a host of new, exciting content.

What Amanita Design have done with Creaks pretty much nails everything you could ever wish for in a puzzler. Surreal, interesting, weird, intriguing, gorgeous and sounding superb. Creaks is a masterpiece. And rarely does it ever exasperate.

Just Dance 2022 doesn’t change up the tried and tested formula of Just Dance too much but what it has added in terms of improved visuals has made for a more entertaining and immersive experience.

PUSS! on Xbox is absolutely worth picking up and trying. If you have the patience to get through its often brutal levels, you will find a surreal, rewarding experience that is simply unlike anything else. This is a game that will make you scream in both anger and delight, but it's also a game that comes with some of the most satisfying gameplay I’ve experienced in a long while.

You know those cheap and cheerful games that play better than many Triple-A offerings? A Short Hike is one of those games. It’s an experience that will put a smile on your face and even though it’s not particularly lengthy, it's one that comes across as the perfect length for the asking price.

Although it has been part of the Xbox PC line-up for quite some time, having Star Renegades on Xbox consoles is a great thing. For most this is a combat-focused RPG with an addictive battle system, smooth pacing, and fantastic neon presentation. If you are a fan of Battle Chasers: Nightwar then Star Renegades is the perfect game to fill that niche.

Super Blood Hockey will keep you entertained for hours with its simple and addictive gameplay. You’ll find that there is simply nothing more fun than starting a brawl just for the sake of it, and the humour in the Franchise Mode is on point. An all-around brilliant game.

Doom 3 is a gripping re-imagining, offering a new take on the original but retaining the classic Doom DNA. It’s a different, hellish experience, and that’s exactly why you should play this game.

Okami HD originally had me in two minds. The start of the experience saw the old PS2 ghosts of Christmas Past hanging around like a bad smell, with long cutscenes, strange sounds and a weird camera. But when the game kicked on, I began to be amazed at the visuals, the invention and the whole experience.

The Artful Escape is well worth the wait. An exciting, well-acted feast for the senses, it does not disappoint. There are a couple of technical issues that need to be sorted, but on the whole, games this imaginative and enthralling don't come along very often.

Man of Medan is one of those near must play titles, and I can’t wait for the next instalment in The Dark Pictures Anthology.

Ultimately, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is a definite improvement on its predecessor and delivers exciting arena fighting befitting of the anime. Story Mode is packed with intense encounters, stylish cutscenes and rewards you constantly. Beyond that, the Training Paths are the only guaranteed source of longevity, with The Path of a Demon Slayer lacking in depth and the versus modes hardly lighting the world on fire.

The story isn’t as moving or emotional this time around, but the invention and co-op addition is very clever and works extremely well. It is beautiful to look at and even more sumptuous to listen to, and I for one can’t wait for another sequel to come along soon.

There should be no hesitation in recommending Persona 3 Portable to any fans of the RPG genre.

The Bard's Tale ARPG: Remastered and Resnarkled on Xbox One is a rather delightful experience. The dialogue is hysterical, the characters memorable, the RPG mechanics solid as a rock and the combat decent. There are definite performance issues, and it is not as Remastered as it could have been, but when the core game has held up this well, does that really matter?

Dive in to Still Wakes the Deep: Siren's Rest and you’ll be totally hooked by the few hours it takes to run. There are a few tiny bugs, and you can find yourself lost a lot, but overall the story is tight, exciting, and a great extension of the Still Wakes the Deep universe.

We can’t be the only ones who have a hankering for an old-school graphic adventure, one that takes the genre as seriously as Sierra Online did thirty years ago. Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders does that and more, delivering one of the most sensual and adult examples of recent years. Pssht, Sherlock has nothing on Magistrate Di Renjie.

Amnesia: The Bunker is ahead of the class, achieving what many of its peers aspire to but often fall short of. If you’re a horror fan, this is a must play.

Rogue City offers a true RoboCop experience, immersive gameplay, and a story that keeps players engaged. The attention to detail and faithful recreation of the iconic character makes this a must-play for fans of the franchise and newcomers alike. I can happily ignore the niggles because Teyon have remembered the most important thing for licensed games - authenticity and fun gameplay.

Age of Mythology: Retold is great fun to play, complete with a real “just five more minutes” vibe. It helps that it comes with plenty of ways to play, as well as a wide range of units.

Episode one of Minecraft: Story Mode Season Two is worth grabbing, especially if you enjoyed the first season. It’s more of the same, but with improvements.

Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox Series X|S takes a very good but very familiar shooter RPG system and gameplay, and layers this incredibly designed world over it.

Baobabs Mausoleum Grindhouse Edition on Xbox is one of those underground sleeper hits likely to become a future cult classic - if it hasn’t already done so. This release comes packed with all the chapters and other extras, and it is the best way for the uninitiated to jump right in and experience a game world and adventure like no other.

The Elder Scrolls Online - Blackwood is an excellent inclusion. The new companion system is an awesome gameplay enhancement, and despite their lacking in combat it's incredibly cool to have a partner to explore these worlds with. The new region is dense and gorgeous, offering a great selection of content to work through.

If you enjoy an ARPG, spending time with Scarlet Nexus is a no-brainer - the story and action is strong enough to suck you in and keep you playing. With time travel, psychic powers and huge monsters to kick in the teeth, it’s one hell of a roller coaster ride from start to finish. The slight let-downs of the side quests aside, this is a more than assured entry into the genre, that wholeheartedly deserves a whirl.

Control Ultimate Edition on the Xbox Series X|S is just about every reason to play Control, conveniently stored in a plastic green box. If you’ve played before, the stellar AWE DLC, the stripping away of old infuriations, and the showpiece graphical improvements are convincing arguments for hopping back in (even if it demands that you pay extra for the privilege). If you haven’t played Control before, then you have the reassurance that this is a deserving Game of the Year, in its definitive format.

Even in the presence of so many great options for a Metroidvania experience, the quality of Timespinner is strong enough to warrant interest from not just genre fans, but anyone looking for a consistently engaging and polished 2D adventure epic. Timespinner is definitely worth your time.

As someone who grew up on Zucker Brother comedies like Airplane and Naked Gun, who adored the Hot Shots movies, UnMetal felt made for me. It captures their freewheeling spirit, their blunderbuss approach to comedy where miraculously most of it finds the target. Miraculously, it’s also tethered to a perfectly fine, surprisingly taut stealth game that would have been solid without the jokes. As it turns out, come for the humour, stay for the surprisingly tight stealth game.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy could’ve easily ended up being a lacklustre attempt at recreating what makes this group of oddballs so endearing to the Marvel community, but that’s not the case. The acting is top drawer, with a script in place that can make you laugh one minute and bring a tear to your eye the next.

It’s funny, sad, compelling and in places murderously hard, but rewards extended play and is without doubt the most fun I’ve ever had with a tower defence game.

Even knowing nothing about the previous games or the anime series, Record of Lodoss War - Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is still hugely enjoyable. It is the right kind of hard, with exploration and experimentation combat bringing rewards; so much so that the more you throw into it, the more enjoyable the time you will have.

When The Past Was Around on Xbox is an alluring point-and-click adventure featuring a wonderfully told tale exploring the highs and lows of love. You’ll no doubt feel for Eda while attempting to understand her suffering as well as the moments she’ll never forget. Yes, it’s sad at times, but also heartwarming and charming. Thanks to the puzzles, it’s very engaging too, with a real sense of achievement garnered from solving them.

Disc Room is a straightforward game that’s built on a simple concept, but is also incredibly addicting and challenging.

Signalis punches above its weight in almost every aspect. Don’t miss out on this riveting, polished journey into a brutalist, nightmarish world.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is one of the best entries in the Yakuza franchise, so any chance to play it again is a welcome one. This Xbox Series X|S version may not feature as many upgrades as the other two recently re-released Yakuza games, but it doesn’t need to. It’s visually a step-up from those and the pacing is a lot better too.

With a stunning visual upgrade brought in, a suitable soundtrack accompanying events and some fluid controls ensuring players are constantly able to keep up with the action, Mega Man 11 is one of the best titles in the series – although the incredible difficulty won’t be something that all will enjoy.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga oozes the feel good factor. It’s a comprehensively charming and loving tribute to the source material that also happens to be the biggest and best LEGO game to date.

The Hidden Ones carries on the excellent standards from the main game and provides a thought-provoking story with an excellent selection of side missions.

With all the content available, the beautiful charcoal art style, the tense survival gameplay, the wonderful stories, This War of Mine: Final Cut is something that is absolutely worth your time.

I have loved every minute of playing through Borderlands 3: Guns, Love, and Tentacles: The Marriage of Wainwright and Hammerlock on Xbox One. It has the missing secret sauce that Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot unknowingly skipped on: atmosphere, a theme of horrifying star-eating monsters with ghosts, evil magic and a story with characters you really care about. This is one of the best Borderlands expansions to have released, and is a must-play for every Borderlands fan.

In a nutshell, this is one of the most complete sports games on the market and you will not be disappointed with NBA 2K23. Simply put, it’s the best basketball videogame of all time.

LEGO The Incredibles exceeded my expectations, as it contains a lot of fun to be had, plenty of variety throughout the levels and a dose of humour when needed. The roster is jam packed with exciting characters that possess every single ability you can think of, and the bonus Pixar ones are the icing on the cake.

If you've got even the slightest interest in a proper platforming experience, you should be swinging for Grapple Dog, hook and line.

Humanity is a great game. Pretty relaxing initially, things build as progress is made, until the latter levels come across as proper tests.

Not only is Rematch a wonderful game built for football fans, it’s a one of a kind multiplayer experience that everyone should try, regardless of their football enthusiasm.

Super Cyborg is one of those games that will draw you in, as you test yourself with one more try, again and again. The sense of accomplishment you receive from completing a stage certainly makes it worth it.

In Classified: France ‘44 you’ll find the atmosphere is authentic, the gameplay is deep and enjoyable - especially with the effect of the morale system - and there are a variety of ways to approach each mission. It all feels fresh, as you go levelling your team, recruiting new members and managing factions.

The Spectrum Retreat comes across as a great success from a special talent – one who has provided a fun, rewarding puzzling narrative game that sticks with you.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a great addition to the Borderlands universe. The characters and story are great, the presentation is bang on, and the combat is as good as ever.

What Room-C Games have created in The Hand of Merlin is pretty special, mainly due to the fact that there are so many paths to take, the abilities are random, and because it’s challenging in the right kind of way.

Bang-On Balls: Chronicles is a beautiful platformer that you will have a ball with. It provides some fantastic gameplay and exquisite ball-on-ball action. The humour is absolutely spot on and the various huge worlds are a delight to bounce around and explore.

As a complete package, FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a wonderful game - and suddenly the world has another cracking life sim to sink all manner of time into.

MXGP Pro is certainly one of the best bike racers out there. With every action felt, every race demanding skill and every track bringing its own unique challenges, it seems Milestone have finally brought us the Motocross game we’ve been asking for.

Despot’s Game: Dystopian Army Builder is a pleasant surprise. It has a real one more go appeal, a hook that will drag you back in over and over again. The sheer amount of team building options is remarkable. Every run is different as well, so the replayability is nailed on.

You may take a look at Teardown and wonder what all the fuss is about. Those thoughts may not change much after the first hour or two of play. But once Teardown clicks, it clicks like nothing else you’ll have played for a good while.

If you like Hollow Knight or the games which have come out of the Ori franchise, then you’ll be in very good company with Islets. The world is adorable, as are the characters, level designs, and creatures.

If you are looking for a slice of rock hard gaming nostalgia, I can recommend 20XX to you. It is hard but not unfair, demanding more of you as a gamer than any game I’ve played in recent times.

BIT.TRIP RERUNNER isn’t just a remaster, thanks to numerous updates and additions that are present compared to the original game. There’s an awful lot to do beyond the core set of levels which will keep new and existing players happy.

Fully remastered with a lot of extras, SEGA have achieved their goal of making Sonic Origins the best way to play the classics going forward.

There’s a good chance that you will love Omno just by looking at the screenshots, but get hands on and you’ll very quickly learn why that love is real. Yes there are a couple of niggles, particularly in the accuracy of the gliding, but apart from that this is a gaming experience that is near damn perfect.

The biggest compliment I can give Wildfrost is that it gets better and better with every playthrough. Failure is actually a good thing as you unlock cards to try and invent new tactical approaches in a bid to complete a run.

It’s funny how a story about keeping the universe together has released as everyone has been told to isolate. But that irony almost makes this game just what is needed. As your unlikely group of heroes go out and save the universe, they also manage to spread a sense of warmth and joy that permeates across nearly all aspects of StarCrossed on Xbox One. And while I was left wishing there was more content for these characters to interact with, I felt satisfied in a way that few games in recent times have managed to achieve.

If you have a reliable squad to run Elden Ring Nightreign with, then this is as easy a sell as the original Elden Ring, but I’m at a loss to understand why crossplay is not in place.

As a gameplay experience, you owe it to yourself to play Dark Souls Remastered – which to my mind is what Dark Souls should have always been.

I love games that are clever, beautifully designed, tell an amazing story and make you feel for something or someone. Black the Fall ticks all my boxes.

Shogun Showdown is a very cool and addictive turn-based combat game that will test your tactical prowess. The variety of weapons, skills and enemies lends itself well to creating awesome moments in the heat of battle.

Marvel Rivals is a blast. A well-designed game with love for its characters, settings and universe. Yet, even if these characters mean nothing to you, it still more than satisfies as an incredibly diversified hero shooter experience where you CAN bring a demonic sword to a gunfight!