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.

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

Kill It With Fire on Xbox is brilliant. It’s original, preposterous, but more importantly an absolute hoot. It does what few games have the power to, which is put a smile on your face and fill your heart with joy. The only snag is that you’ll never look at a house spider in the same way again.

There isn’t much to grumble about in regards Midnight Fight Express. If you like to fight, this is certainly a game you will enjoy.

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

Nocturnal is a short, yet enjoyable experience. The platforming and visuals are the best aspects of the game. While I wish there was an expansion to some of the mechanics, the fact that it doesn’t stretch out the playtime unnecessarily somewhat offsets that desire.

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.

If you're looking for a golf game to play, there is only one title you should be bothering with - PGA TOUR 2K21. As a golf simulation there is nothing else on the market to beat it, and much of that is down to the power of The Golf Club.

No matter what you may think of the whole toys to life idea that Ubisoft are pushing, the truth of the matter is that Starlink: Battle for Atlas is a very good game that should be embraced by all – with or without the physical additions. It brings together a great story, some utterly stunning visuals, and superb sound. These mix well with a variety of quests, missions, objectives and codex fulfilments that wouldn’t look out of place in the likes of Assassin’s Creed.

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

EA Sports FC 24 has really stepped up for the rebrand and the gameplay is the most interesting it has been in years. The majority of game modes are improved, with changes across the board and Ultimate Team finally incorporating the women’s teams. It’s authentic, professional looking and exciting to play time and time again.

AQUA KITTY UDX won’t appeal to all, but that would be a huge shame. It’ll whisk you back to the golden age of arcade games, before hitting you smack in the face with its modern day feel, bringing enjoyment that very few other side scrolling shooters can manage...Each and every year, an indie title pops up and wows me. Here, in 2017, AQUA KITTY is that title.

Brilliantly addictive, fantastic world building that comes with a superb combat system and great looking lands. Because, you see, it doesn’t just do them well – it does them great.

Spaceland on Xbox One is a game that wears X-COM influences on it’s sleeve, including tons of references to other pop culture stalwarts like Gears of War and Duke Nukem. It successfully captures X-COM’s gameplay with quickfire missions that always keep you on your toes, but ultimately does next to nothing with its plot, characters and presentation to entice players new to the genre to give it a spin.

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

Rain on Your Parade is up there with some of the most fun, the most unique, the most humorous and the most well-designed, crafted, created and developed games I’ve played in recent years.

It may not be that much of a surprise but Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master! is massively enjoyable. While the songs range from easy to “surely only an octopus can hit all these notes!”, the challenge can be tweaked to suit everyone, and it turns out that a little drumming is a surprisingly relaxing pastime.

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

Saturnalia is a truly original survival horror game. It's almost an arthouse game in which the narrative and characters are brilliant, even with the claustrophobic location.

If Escape Academy: Escape from Anti-Escape Island is anything to go by, then we’re in for a treat with further DLC drops. It’s very much more of the same, but that same has been twisted into fiendish shapes and the stabilisers have been kicked off. You should see the state of the notebook that we used for the puzzles. It’s like the Zodiac Killer sent us some light reading.

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

There isn’t a lot to complain about with The Last Faith. I would have liked a little bit of signposting as it is very easy to get lost, but the style and the crunching combat more than make up for this. With a bit of a better map and a couple more clues, The Last Faith would have been very close to a perfect score.

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

Little Kitty, Big City is an utterly charming adventure while it lasts. No matter whether you are a cat lover or not, there’s an unrivalled sense of joy gleaned from the escapism of something as simple as experiencing life as a cat.

Ushering up memories from years gone by, twisting it with modern day touches, NeoSprint is a superb arcade racer. Some online head-to-head racing would be preferred, but include the various game modes, the easy-to-use track builder, and some classic racing action, and there should be no reason to not check NeoSprint out.

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

Mecha BREAK does enough to keep you playing, attempting to get better in the process; a clear sign of a good game. It isn’t perfect, as the controls for the weapons are a bit tricky, but the actual combat, whether across the multiplayer or single player modes is enjoyable.

The big takeaway for Reus 2 is this: don’t give up on it in the beginning. It might feel overwhelming at first, what with the sheer number of options and the short, hands-off tutorial. But it is so worth carrying on, because this is a gentle and amazing god sim game.

One Piece Odyssey is a darn good RPG, but it’s hampered by being very slow out of the blocks.

This game will only be of true interest to sim fans – railway sim fans in particular. It is maybe too expensive for the newcomer to take a punt on, but should it hit a sale, I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending it.

Aside from little niggles, and all in all then, Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs Royal Edition just works. Apart from the loading and the saving, the game is very entertaining, and plays like a love letter to earlier JRPGs. The story is very entertaining, the voice acting of the characters makes you care about the story, and the hook of trying to complete all the quests in the available time leads you to some tense moments.

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

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.

Although there still needs to be a proper tutorial present in order to entice the most bike-shy of gamers, if you are a fan of MotoGP, or are interested in the sport, then MotoGP 24 is the best way to get involved virtually.

It is held back slightly by a lack of difficulty, a shorter runtime and a handful of technical hiccups, yet it remains a charming, joyful platformer that understands its audience perfectly.

The Inner World deserves your time, and for the price, it really shouldn’t be missed. Take yourself to this world of zany characters and have a chuckle for a good while, all whilst testing your problem solving skills.

The Jackbox Party Pack 6 on Xbox One is another solid compilation of games guaranteed to make you laugh. You’ll struggle to enjoy the full extent of what this bundle has to offer without getting your mates round, however if you do you’ll struggle to find a more entertaining way to spend an evening.

If you’re a fan of old-school Assassin’s Creed, you’ll love what has come about in Mirage, what with the more compact story that is told. Others may still long for those previous hundred-hour adventures though…

For me, this is a journey where every time I turn No Man’s Sky on I have an idea of what I would like to achieve in this episode, but all it takes is a look through my visor and I see something new on the horizon and I’m off exploring again. I know right now I will never make it to the centre of the universe in my playthrough, but I understand now that isn’t the point of NMS anymore. The point is that, well, you need to discover your own place within this wonderful universe. And I am having an absolute blast in doing so.

If you have been a fan of previous Just Dance titles, then once more this will be one that will appeal, especially if you have a subscription to Just Dance Unlimited.

There really isn’t much to dislike about the wonderful world of Aven Prime, so if you are in need of a new city sim, then there will quite possibly be nothing better than heading to Aven Colony for a brand new space travelling adventure.

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.

Modern Warfare II is most definitely a Call of Duty game; a good one to boot; things are going in the right direction with this iteration.

You’ll enjoy your time with Turnip Boy a lot more on the second go around in Turnip Boy Robs a Bank.

LEGO CITY Undercover manages to create a charming and humorous experience for all the family, with a definite old school cop show vibe in style, writing and soundtrack. It provides childish jokes and slapstick style to bring on the laughter, as well as cheeky parodies which are easily recognisable.

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.

Riddled Corpses EX is a great, action packed, twin stick shooter, and the graphical style and chiptune music are the icing on a rotten cake full of zombies.

The humour, both in character design and the dialogue, is the stand-out winner here with The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos - Chicken Edition, and the rest of it is swept along nicely by the energy these factors bring. The story is good in its own right, but it is brought to life by the silly squabbles amongst the party. All in all, you can’t go wrong with The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos - Chicken Edition on Xbox.

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

Some may find Exo One to be a bit too strange, or just not interesting enough. The narrative might be too disparate and oblique to keep interest, and the gameplay may feel too similar throughout. But if you do begin to love Exo One, you’ll start to understand the draw; the great experience of travelling through wonderful magical alien worlds.

The Wanderer: Frankenstein’s Creature has done pretty well on the awards front elsewhere, receiving critical acclaim when it released on other formats. It’s easy to see why too - I’ve loved what has been created here and the integration of the Mary Shelly Frankenstein story has been an inspired choice.

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

If time management and using your head to think outside the box are things that get you excited, then you’ll no doubt love The Escapists 2. It’s a bloody impressive sequel.

There may constantly be talk about redefining the racer for a new generation of gamer, but that chatter can now stop as Codemasters have done just that with brilliant effect in ONRUSH. And all by just removing that finish line.

Road to Boruto tells a great story, drawing in the player to becoming emotionally attached to the next generation of heroes. The battles are generally entertaining and using characters I’ve never used before certainly helps to keep things fresh. That being said, the best battle on paper is a real let-down and the side quests can drag on a little.

Outlast 2 isn’t a bad game, sure it has its moments that can feel terribly unfair, but in this day and age, that’s something you should expect from a horror game. The story on offer is fantastic and any fan of horror would be kicking themselves if they didn’t try out the gritty and thrilling experience that is found within Outlast 2. From the enemies, to the environment, to the blood and guts and to the scares, everything in Outlast 2 adds to the unique experience that this game brings.

Samurai Warriors 5 is no doubt the best iteration of the mainline series, be it Dynasty Warriors or Samurai Warriors (or even the Warriors Orochi spin-off). As it stands right now, this is as good as it gets for the Warriors series. It has a lot of ideas and systems which integrate in an interesting way, and the core gameplay is as fun as ever. The only caveat here is that the core gameplay loop present feels no different to that which we’ve experienced for the last two decades, and inevitably it will run thin.

11-11: Memories Retold is a fantastic way to mark the 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day.

It would be nice to see Circuit Superstars filled out with more circuits and possibly even additional vehicle classes, but if you’re looking for a fun little top-down racer that is able to provide some serious racing both online and off, you’re going to be hard pushed to find anything much better.

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.

I can’t do anything but recommend getting stuck into this very good start to Batman: The Enemy Within, especially if you enjoyed season one. Big things are coming and it’ll only get better.

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.

Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure is a lot of fun, but there are just minor annoyances that stop it being a stone cold classic. If you are still fully immersed in Forza Horizon 5 on a daily basis, this will be a hugely enjoyable accompaniment - a no-brainer. Just don’t expect perfection.

There may not be many new locations to discover, but the expansion of the story and the writing is, once again, top notch. It makes it all the better that the development team have managed to drop plenty of hints and huge expectations for what will occur as the episodes begin to conclude.

There is a lot to love about SpellForce III Reforced, especially if you are an RPG and RTS fan. The world it builds and the story it creates are immersive and compelling, whilst the visuals add a layer that makes it stand out from the cheaper version of games of this genre.

Thirsty Suitors may not boast the best mechanics or the flashiest gimmicks, but it more than makes up for that by telling a wonderfully evocative, charming and often funny story. In my mind, it achieves exactly what the developers set out to do. And that is something that should be celebrated.

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.

It is hugely obvious that a whole load of love has been thrown into this game over the course of development, and whilst that alone shouldn’t be the single reason you buy it, when you combine that commitment, that passion and that love with brilliant gameplay mechanics, fantastic visuals and a story that just keeps on unfolding, you’ll get a great outcome.

No More Heroes 3 is a slick, stylish, and aesthetically cool game, one that will go down a treat with hack and slash or beat ‘em up fans.

Sniper Elite 5 is a triumph. The campaign is great, Survival is brilliant fun and Axis Invasion gives an insight into how other players think. PvP sits in the mix like a wasp’s nest at a picnic, generally being unpleasant and spoiling things, but ignore that and this is a quality title that demands to be played.

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.

The presentation, gameplay, and sheer number options on offer make NBA 2K25 an amazing package; a brilliant sports game.

Not original, but a deep, challenging romp through loot filled dungeons awaits. What more could you ask for?

Whilst there isn’t really much to the gameplay aspect of Infinite Minigolf, it must be said that the simplicity throughout only helps to make the game even more addictive.

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

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

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.

For newcomers, it’s a hard one to recommend, because the whole thing can take its toll at times, but if you are already accustomed to farm life, then this is as good as it gets.

For a real challenge, and for a quick blast when you have a few moments to kill, One Finger Death Punch 2 on Xbox One is perfection. It’s not the deepest game ever, but it’s not trying to be: it’s been designed to deliver fast, fun, furious martial arts mayhem, and as such it’s a success.

Doom 64 on Xbox One is exactly what you have come to expect from the franchise. There's nothing new or surprising here, but it's another solid set of demon slaying levels nonetheless. In all honesty, as Doom II was to Doom, it feels as if it could simply be an expansion to the original game. However, as the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

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.

If you like a shoot ‘em up, then Sophstar is an easy sell. It is challenging and manages to pack a good amount of content into a small package. Even if you don’t usually like shooters, the sheer variety of ways to play and tackle the levels will mean that you are likely to find a combo that works.

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.

Evil Wizard takes twisted humour and easy to learn mechanics to craft a Metroidvania, action-RPG that you should take the time to play.

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

Samurai Shodown on Xbox is an excellent fighting game; one that is incredibly well-made and able to provide a return to form for the franchise. It’s runs at a different tempo to many other popular fighting games available today, but it’s wild fun. Unfortunately the story mode is disappointingly light and the online multiplayer is sparse.

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.

It’s testament to the newly implemented features that FIFA 21 is worthy of your cash and, if certain aspects are patched, then this will be the best FIFA instalment in years.

Portal Knights is a great game that is definitely worth the price tag. If it came delivered as a full price title, I would still have highly recommended it.

Farm Together really is a huge and extensive game, happily providing many hours of varied gameplay.

Throughout my roughly three hours with Mosaic, I found myself constantly awe-stricken. The world is beautiful in its design and, though sparingly used, colors are bold and breathtaking. The sound design between BlipBlop’s constant dings of success and the haunting music that’s played as you simply go to work is superb. Krillbite Studio has done an amazing job at crafting an experience.

There’s a lot to like about Kombinera. Yes, it can be a hugely frustrating game, but like the very finest puzzlers, the moments in which things just click and you fully understand what is needed for a level completion are right up there with some of the most joyful moments in gaming.

As I walked the streets of Europe with my partner, decimating the oncoming zombie invasion, I was reminded of how simple games can be so much fun. Zombie Army 4: Dead War isn’t a genre defying resurrection on the zombie formula, but it is a satisfying mutation of the franchise, and I can’t wait to dive back in and tear some guts apart.

With several modes to get lost in, addictive gameplay and incredible replayability, SEUM is one of the most promising platformers of the year so far and is well worth playing even by the most casual platforming fans.

If you have ever wanted to smash police cars/racers off the road then Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered on Xbox is the game for you, and that goes double if you've never played it before. It’s fast, furious and will have you on the edge of your seat as you hurtle round corners, inches from disaster, winning a race by the skin of your teeth. If you played the original then there’s not a lot new here, but it looks and plays great - that in itself means it’s got to be worth a punt.

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

Is it an improvement on the franchise? Well it has NHL Threes, new additions to the career modes and some nice cosmetic touches. Maybe next year there will be a story mode to help really connect with a new audience, but for now I am having a blast like it was 1993 all over again.

Whereas Darksiders III missed the mark by straying too far from the path, Darksiders Genesis on Xbox One proves that the formula from the first two games was successful enough for their franchise. It’s true that this is a more linear experience this time around, but none of what made Darksiders a cult hit in the first place has been sacrificed in translation.