If you’ve had an increasing feeling that gaming is in a bit of a rut, that the same old ideas are percolating downwards, then play What Lies in the Multiverse.

Aaero 2 - there’s no doubt that this is a game that is right at the very top of its genre; a ribbon racer that excels in nearly every aspect. Aside from the slight lack of enthusiasm for XP gathering, daily and weekly challenges and player levels, this is a game that constantly wows - from the visuals, the mechanics, the premise and the sounds.

HELLDIVERS 2 on Xbox Series X is a triumph of co-op design featuring resourceful, percussive, and dangerously fun gameplay. The missions strike a sweet balance of duration and intensity, loadouts reward experimentation, and team synergy just works. But it’s not flawless.

Other than these small issues, Lies of P is an extremely enjoyable game to play through. The feel of the world, the setting, and the combat all seem to have real impact; frankly, these elements are great. The camera and jumping are not quite so good, but in all, Lies of P is an absolute pleasure to take in...If you like a Soulslike, you will like Lies of P. And that pretty much sells it.

Many will be happy to see the most popular side to Call of Duty given the main focus this time around, but the lack of anything new and intuitive makes it feel more like a rushed out cash grab than a genuine new entry into one of the world’s most popular franchises.

Quake is a certifiable classic that hasn't aged a day and this remastering of all its original content is masterfully done. The console may not be the preferred place to play it, but it’s well done nonetheless and is still an incredibly worthwhile experience.

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.

If you’re a fan of Assassin's Creed, hooked from the very first game, you’ll find a lot of love for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. It feels very familiar, but still manages to do a great job of adding extra relish in terms of combat, visuals, and storytelling. There's no doubt that the double protagonist pivot, with different playstyles, is a winning formula.

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’ve played any of the other Assassin’s Creed games in the franchise, then stop reading this and buy Origins right now. If you’ve always been curious about playing, and want to try an action adventure, with RPG elements, or feel like taking in a great story and beautiful locations (that will look even better with the Xbox One X), then give it a go.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is a gloriously gory game which manages to feel familiar but fresh at the same time. Adapting the gameplay may well have seemed like a gamble, but in the capable hands of id Software, it has certainly paid off.

The Dark Souls plot is as mysterious in its conclusion as it was in its beginning. Of course there are a myriad of scattered clues, references and story points scattered throughout the Ringed City. And I’m sure there’s a myriad more I’m yet to discover.

It’s easy to say that Episode 4 of The Walking Dead: The Final Season brings the Clementine journey full circle, which it does, but what’s more impressive is how the storytelling throughout this season has allowed us to see all of her best traits. As a finale it never lets up and not once will it deliver a dull moment.

All in all and The Outer Worlds on Xbox One is so much more than Fallout in space, and I honestly think you owe it to yourself to play this game. This is one of the most entertaining gaming experiences I’ve played this year, and I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone and everyone.

Simple enough to grasp within seconds, complex enough to have you playing for hours on end. Freshly Frosted is a delicious delight.

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

Date Everything! is a very different take on the dating sim genre, but it is bursting with character and the characters to match. It’s hard not to be impressed with the creativity on show, and be sucked into the bizarre but brilliant world the team at Sassy Chaps Games have created.

This is the perfect entry point into the series for newcomers. And for everyone else, it is one of the best JRPGs of all time.

Apart from little issues that you can learn to drive around, Hot Wheels is a worthy addition to the greatness that is Forza Horizon 5.

If you enjoyed the first Blasphemous, then getting hold of Blasphemous 2 is a given. Everything that was great about the first game has been built on in the second, with nearly all issues addressed.

A game for all the ages, there’s a ton of content included so take out your wand, put on your most magical of hats, and go and enjoy the thrills of Hogwarts Legacy.

We want to play a double-bill of DREDGE and Moonglow Bay. Because while Moonglow Bay is the positive, life-affirming and wistful side of fishing, DREDGE is the opposite. It is monstrously gorgeous, hideously compelling, and has our fingernails down to bloody ends. We’re going to need to update that best fishing games list.

Nothing pleases more than being in the worlds of Remnant II. There is no greater satisfaction than hitting a weak spot with a critical hit and seeing a big red number rise up from an enemy corpse.

It’s often described as a ‘pop album video game’, but Sayonara Wild Hearts is more than that. It’s a love letter to both gaming and music, perfectly marrying the two mediums together in one expressive package. It’s an art form and one of the best indie titles to hit the Xbox One generation.

Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan is a platformer, RPG, puzzle game, pet-collector and Wind Waker-style exploration game, all rolled together and spraypainted in glorious technicolour. It may be knowingly kooky, it may occasionally sound like a cat motivation poster, but we forgave its failings. Rainbow Billy is greater than the sum of its parts, and the developers have absolutely overloaded it with parts.

Q.U.B.E. 10th Anniversary is a game you’ll find hard to put down - even if you played the original a decade ago. This one is worth picking up for the extra content, improved visuals, and audio.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall on Xbox One is easily one of the best in the genre, putting so many elements together into one fantastic package. It’s an easy recommendation for anyone who loves the genre, and will be able to sustain strategy fans for weeks and even months on end.

If you were a fan of Innocence then you are going to adore A Plague Tale: Requiem. It’s a familiar experience but one in which the mechanics, visuals, sound, and story have all been ramped up. Lasting around thirteen hours, A Plague Tale: Requiem manages to eclipse the first game; pretty much every minute is heavenly.