It's a little late to the party, but Super Meat Boy 3D represents the most seamless jump from 2D to 3D ever achieved by a mascot platformer (even if Meat Boy himself is kind of an anti-mascot). Series fans will find adapting to the game's new axis effortless, while newcomers will find a brutal, yet rewarding 3D platformer ahead of them. I loved every moment of my time with Super Meat Boy 3D, and I can't recommend it enough.

Screamer doesn't just harken back to a specific, lost era of arcade racing games — it marks a beautiful evolution of the arcade racer. It's not just faster and more engaging than other racers, but it's also more innovative, with ingenious systems assembled by designers with evident passion for the genre. A sequel might tighten up shortcomings in its presentation, but as it stands, it's already pretty much the ideal arcade racing package. If you're a racing game fan, do not miss it.

With a game design that encourages players to invest in its numerous complex, rewarding, and addictive systems, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection proves itself to be one of the finest JRPGs around. Small quibbles about its writing and combat aside, you'll find few games out there can match its quality. Just don't try to rush it. Enjoy it over a few months' worth of shorter gaming sessions — you'll soon find it comfortably becoming one of your favorites.

Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is a fantastic sequel that confidently builds on its predecessor with smarter, more complex puzzles and expanded abilities for both Lana and Mui. Combined with the gorgeous Ghibli-like visuals of the first game, an enthralling story with a big mystery at its heart, and a phenomenal soundtrack, Planet of Lana II is a gem of a game that is a must-play for puzzle-platforming fans.

One of my personal favorite games of all time, Kingdom Come: Deliverance's upgrade for Xbox Series X|S and PS5 fixes pretty much every performance-related issue I had. With load times effectively erased, and the game's visuals looking clean and crisp in 60 FPS, I've got all I could ever want from a KCD upgrade. The sequel might outshine it in every regard, but if you haven't played this RPG yet, there's never been a better time.

The Outer Worlds 2 is a glorious outing that provides some of the best RPG mechanics that I have experienced in a while. Its world, exploration, and combat are perfectly executed, providing a sequel fans will be overjoyed to sink their time into. While it has a few flaws in terms of story and companion depth, you'll find few RPGs that deliver such a robust and addictive experience.

We can call it now — Ninja Gaiden 4 is the best action game of 2025. Brutal, rewarding, beautifully presented; it's a return Ninja Gaiden fans could once only dream of. While it disappoints in a few places (mainly with its level variety and story), you'll find few action games have ever delivered gameplay as refined and cathartic as Ninja Gaiden 4.

Explosive, dynamic, and gorgeous… Battlefield is back! Battlefield 6 hits all the right notes with multiplayer, setting the franchise up for a promising future after its previous blunder. While the single-player is a short experience following a similar story we’ve seen many times before, it introduces us to the brutal war bubbling between NATO and Pax Armata. Newcomers and veterans will find a lot to love about this latest shooter.

Doom: The Dark Ages might be a prequel, but it feels like an evolution for the franchise. Packed into a tightly crafted campaign that ramps up the stakes at every turn, it's without a doubt the most bloodthirsty and satisfying Doom to date. With fresh additions like the Shield Saw, Atlan, and Cyberdragon, there is a ton of variety to keep you engaged and hooked to the very end. Another fantastic win for Xbox and Bethesda.

Should you play Atomfall? Absolutely, yes! It's a gorgeous romp across the British countryside that's easy to pick up and extremely difficult to put down. Filled with richly detailed environments, simplified systems that will appeal to players new to the survival genre, and accessible combat, Atomfall is a superb adventure that proves survival games don't all need to be complex and brutal experiences.

Assassin's Creed Shadows feels like a rejuvenated new entry for the series: more polished, more streamlined, and more feasible in terms of completion than some of the recent games. I appreciated how quickly this game gets going — especially when compared to slower openings, like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. It still boasts a massive open world, something which those older games struggled to make as rewarding to explore as they could have been, but I'm itching to see everything Shadows has to offer. It really does feel like that feudal Japan setting is more worth the wait.

The result of all this is that I’m pretty much obsessed with Avowed. After overinflated maps, exploration without reward, and other frustrations encountered in the last few years, Avowed feels like a dream to play. It fully embraces the fantasy elements for a wonderfully old-school RPG, and I can’t wait to keep playing.

Sniper Elite: Resistance is a safe follow-up to Sniper Elite 5 that doesn't add much in terms of new features and gameplay mechanics, and while it would have been nice to see Rebellion be a bit more ambitious, Resistance is still a fantastic game that gives the player so much choice and freedom. Each campaign level has been expertly designed to offer as much fun and replayability as possible, and the long-range sniping the series is famous for just never gets old, thanks to that gloriously gory X-ray kill cam.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the franchise's best entry since The Last Crusade. Machine Games' "adventure-action" game is one of the most alluring experiences on Xbox and delivers one of the best games of the year. Despite a few small faults, it's an adventure that could entice an introvert to leave the house. To me, that warrants a perfect score for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle!

It’s a miracle that we’re even playing Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl right now, yet GSC Game World has crafted a world so packed with detail and excitement that you’ll yearn to explore its mysteries from the moment you step foot in The Zone. While bugs are as rampant as its mutants, Stalker 2 outshines its adversities in every way, forcing you to face its darkest moments with courage and resilience — something its developer knows all too well. If you’re looking for a challenging survival shooter to lose hundreds of hours of your life to, this is it.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is yet another great example of Capcom's ability to breathe new life into a dated game. While it doesn't add any significant new additions to the original content like we've seen the company do with Resident Evil, the visual and quality-of-life improvements make this a fantastic game for Dead Rising veterans and a must-play for new players. If you're yet to experience the thrill of literally mowing down zombies with a lawn mower while suited and booted with a horse mask on your noggin, now is the time to dive in.

Ninja Theory has created an outstanding sequel with Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. An unforgettable narrative adventure that is brought to life through impeccable sound design, gorgeous visuals, and a story that will stick with you long after the final credits roll. Hellblade 2 is one of the best Xbox games out there and is absolutely worth your time if you enjoyed the original.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastic entry into the platforming and Metroidvania genres. While it falls short in some areas, which can leave you feeling somewhat frustrated, the overall experience is a sequence of satisfaction-inducing challenges. As the first new entry into the franchise we've seen in some time, The Lost Crown is a fantastic place for Ubisoft to start, and I'd like to see more.

We all wondered how much Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora would prove to be a colorful Far Cry reskin — while there are a lot of recognisable elements here, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora does more than enough to stand on its own Na’vi feet as its own very enjoyable game.

Overall, while Mirage does have its issues, I keep finding myself reluctant to put the controller down. I want to get back into Baghdad and hunt down every last treasure. I don’t have the same fatigue, this far through the game, as I might have felt when trying to mop up achievements in Valhalla. Mirage feels like the perfect length — far from outstaying its welcome, I want it to keep going. This refocus on stealth is so much fun, and while I’ll still be playing the next open-ended Assassin’s Creed game we get, it feels like Mirage pretty much achieved exactly what it set out to do.

With its gorgeous visuals, cars that feel amazing on the track thanks to an excellent physics model, and an approachable and fresh RPG-like progression system that will get its hooks into most players that get behind the wheel, Forza Motorsport is easily one of the best racing games of the year.

Is this the big shift that will win over people who bounced off Cyberpunk 2077 at launch? No. Instead what Phantom Liberty represents is a small slice of the best that Cyberpunk 2077 and CD Projekt Red has to offer.

Achievement-wise, this game is clearly going to take some time, and that can only be a good thing considering that Starfield seems to have delivered what it promised: an almost endless adventure we’ll still be discovering new details about years down the line.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is as gorgeous as it is brutal, terrifyingly unpredictable, and offers intense moments of dread as you attempt to escape the blood-stained clutches of the Slaughter Family. It's an exciting game to play on either side, and the love for the IP is apparent everywhere you look. While there are a few technical issues that can sully the experience, this is a game that any horror fan should play.

Lego 2K Drive is, without a doubt, a fun, chaotic arcade racing game for anyone that's a fan of the franchise. Its open world is enjoyable to explore and there are plenty of activities to get stuck into. While the story can be a bit of a slog due to its difficulty, Lego 2K it offers an inviting entry point for children interested in racing games, mixing in a dash of humor and a sprinkle of over-the-top mini-games. There isn't anything revolutionary to be found, but it offers hours of entertainment and a good few laughs — Visual Concepts has the building blocks of an awesome new series with Lego 2K Drive.

Was Dead Island 2 worth the wait? Hell yes! The sheer carnage you can cause on the streets of LA is marvellous to witness, and with Dambuster's attention to detail, uncovering hidden caches of weapons, meeting the colourful variety of survivors around the city, and hanging with friends is a ton of fun. My main concern is that there isn't quite enough endgame content to really appreciate the power you unlock with a fully-upgraded character, so my hope is that future DLC allows us to enjoy it more. While a few visual aspects could certainly do with being remedied, there is no doubt that Dambuster Studios was the right developer for the job, and I'll be looking forward to seeing where the team takes the franchise in the future.

"Resident Evil 4 is brilliant" is a statement that rings as true today as it did almost 20 years ago, with Capcom turning in yet another fantastic remake that revives and, to a degree, reinvents a classic for a new generation. Fans familiar with the original will likely appreciate a lot of the tweaks and improvements (even if they may lament a few of the changes, based on personal preference), while newcomers get to experience a stunning modern version of an all-time classic. What are you waiting for? It's game time!

It's a bit of a shame that the achievements don't encourage you to engage with the Rising Dragon endgame mode as it's a hearty challenge, but hopefully, Wo Long's fantastic fundamentals and rewarding combat will be enough to get you to explore the post-game on its own merits... I know they are for me.

Hogwarts Legacy is a magical experience that is bound to go down well with fans of the Wizarding World. Hogwarts and its surrounding areas are crafted in meticulous detail and give players a chance to truly explore some of the most wonderful aspects of the Harry Potter novels. Both open-world and Potter fans should feel right at home here, but anyone that dislikes having to clear a map of all landmarks is going to be in for a tough ride. Hogwarts Legacy is a fantastic addition to both the franchise and the RPG genre, and an adventure you won't soon forget.

Monster Hunter Rise is a fantastic action game that will keep you busy for hundreds of hours, and the upgrades on Xbox compared to the Switch original are considerable. Veteran hunters might feel like the streamlining has been taken a little too far in places, but Rise does often manage to add different kinds of depth in new ways, even if series fans are unlikely to find too much of a challenge here outside of a few notable quests. The Rampage being something of a chore is a shame, especially with it being a key part of the narrative, but it is what it is and aside from the handful of required quests and a related achievement for running 50(!) of the damn things, you can largely ignore it and enjoy the series' more traditional hunts in typically enjoyable fashion.

Blacktail is beautiful, from the sun-kissed rivers found in its summer-themed areas to its foreboding spider-infested caves, every inch of the world has been a pleasure to explore. While the morality system doesn't offer the impactful experience we had hoped, it's a lovely way to measure your interaction with the world, adding to the game's overarching enjoyability. Combat is fun and well-balanced but sits behind Blacktail's explorative elements as the most exciting feature on offer. It's stunning to look at, exciting to explore, and enjoyable to play... charming.

Gungrave G.O.R.E proves that keeping with a series' core elements, no matter how old, can be a positive weapon to use when bringing an older franchise back to the masses. Its arcade-style gameplay loops offer quick ten-minute bursts of explosive action that are thrilling to play out while challenging to master at higher difficulties or chasing top ranks. Iggymob has created a game that brings nostalgic PS2-era mechanics to the latest generation of consoles and Xbox Game Pass, and you should definitely check it out. Grave remains the badass hero we need in our lives.

Evil West feels like a fresh take on the typical 'Old West' settings we see, offering a satisfying combat system and enough gore to sate the appetite of the most bloodthirsty of vampires. Its dark narrative and compelling characters are both engaging, but some questionable level design choices hamper the experience a little in places. There is no doubt, though, that Evil West should be played by anyone with a love for the Western setting and occult references. In good cowboy fashion, this is a tale filled with sadness, pain, action, and perseverance through adversity, and it does a damn good job of it.

Pentiment is an artistic triumph, and a fantastic choice-based adventure game/RPG with a protagonist that you can genuinely mould to your liking to make everyone's experience with the game likely to turn up different versions of events. It's refreshing to play something so laser-focused on a single setting, and captivating to see how the town and its people change both with time and based on the events that play out around (and because of) Andreas.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a fantastic stealth game with an intriguing story (once it finally gets going) that Xbox Game Pass subscribers and fans of the original really shouldn't miss. Requiem's gorgeous, yet bleak and harrowing world is a joy to explore, and thanks to expanded combat and additional options that allow you to approach stealth sections in whatever way you see fit, the gameplay really is a step up over Innocence. A few performance issues, some slightly underbaked characters, and a constantly whispering Amicia do detract from the experience, but overall, Asobo has created a fantastic sequel here that demands a playthrough.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed brings a welcoming and whimsical approach to the asymmetrical multiplayer genre while ensuring that it remains faithful to the franchise's incredible history. Taking on the Busters as a Ghost offers you plenty of opportunities to be cheeky at every turn, just as you would expect from the creatures in Aykroyd's universe. While a couple of issues have stopped me from scoring this a little higher, I have no doubt that fans and newcomers alike will have a great time with this well-crafted gem. If you've grown a little tired of the dark and foreboding theme found in similar games, I highly recommend you pick up the phone and call the Ghostbusters now to apply as a new recruit. It's time to get busting!

Overall, I enjoyed my time with Beacon Pines. Its eye-catching storybook art style catches your attention which is then held by the game's fast-moving and suspenseful plot. There were times when this story felt too convoluted in some areas whilst a little lacking in explanation in others, but it's still an easy recommendation. Just don't trust its cutesy appearance too much — Beacon Pines might start out at the beginning of Summer, but that eerie undertone makes it a great contender to play in the run-up to Halloween.

I played this game during a heatwave, and it was wonderful to find a distraction from the heat in the investigative shenanigans of these well-spoken animals. Lord Winklebottom was full of unexpected surprises, and kept me laughing throughout. If you’re a fan of point-and-click games, detective stories, or are looking for something that’ll get a few chuckles out of you, you might want to consider stepping into the shoes of Lord Winklebottom. I spent around nine hours in the game, and aside from a few frustrations, I really enjoyed my time with it. Here’s hoping for more Lord Winklebottom cases in the future!

For the most part, As Dusk Falls excels as an 'interactive drama.' With wonderfully crafted and relatable characters, superb voice acting, and unique art direction and animation style that lends itself to the story. The first few chapters alone are excellent, and they’ll have you gripping onto your controller when things are tense and utterly deflated when you’re forced into making a tough decision. The game is only let down by a weaker second act and a rushed final chapter, but overall, it’s still a great narrative adventure filled with dramatic moments, tension, and tough choices.

The solid and gratifying combat system is perhaps not fully explored, but any mistake in Trek to Yomi is whisked away by its brisk pace complemented by a great artistic vision. Trek to Yomi is a katana-sharp experience that impresses with its flashy skills — use the joyous time it gives you well.

With close to 400 characters and well over 1,000 optional objectives all spread out across 45 varied story missions and dozens of fully explorable locations all over the Star Wars galaxy, it's an absolute love letter to the sci-fi franchise. It might not put up too much of a fight but it doesn't really need to in order to stay engaging, with ever-changing gameplay and a seemingly endless supply of gags to help it feel fresh all the way from The Phantom Menace's title card to The Rise of Skywalker's credits. Also, I got to play as Jar Jar Binks in 2022. What a time to be alive.

With a fantastic roster of stories to play through and characters to interact with, Weird West is sure to please any fan of the Old West. Its mix of fantasy and spaghetti western tropes blends beautifully to create a memorable experience that twists and turns around the believable and magical. While there are a few niggles here and there, the overall experience feels polished throughout and WolfEye's attention to detail is noticeable in all aspects. The Weird West is beautiful, deadly, and free from constraining gameplay choices.

The sense of wonder and magic as you make your way around this mysterious and grimly beautiful world is truly extraordinary and while that does taper off somewhat by the time you reach the endgame and have seen more or less everything the game has to offer — several times over, in a lot of cases — but that doesn't detract too much from what will have otherwise been a truly remarkable adventure. Souls haters shouldn't fall for the rebrand as they'll just get burned again — Elden Ring is very much 'just' From doing what From does best, this time performing its greatest hits on the biggest stage to date. And what a wonderful thing that is to witness.

Martha is Dead is a game that looks to throw you off balance at every turn, to seduce you with picturesque scenes before forcing you to witness Hell on earth. Aside from its 4K/30fps performance, Martha is Dead is a well-polished and appealing ride from start to finish, offering those looking for a dark thriller game filled with rich details an entertaining ride. Horror fans looking for an adrenaline rush, though, won't find anything here to sate their appetites, unfortunately, but some fairly gruesome scenes certainly lean into the psychological horror tropes, and never cheap out on the gory details.

OlliOlli World takes the tight, rewarding gameplay of its simple predecessors, dresses it up in a beautifully colourful and quirky new art style, and layers on a bunch of new systems that make it even more satisfying to master. It's a masterclass in how to make score attack games that can have players attack the same spot for hours at a time in search of those vital few points that would give them the lead over a rival, with dozens of awesome hand-crafted levels and countless procedural ones on which to chase those big numbers. The manual dexterity required coupled with the breakneck pace of the game can be a little scary at first, but once muscle memory starts to kick in and you find yourself going for timely tweaks and greedy grabs without even knowing you're doing it, you will have finally transcended and achieved Gnarvana. Now, just one more run...

Dying Light 2: Stay Human is more than a sequel — it’s an evolution that keeps everything that is integral to the franchise intact, but builds on it with enough engaging content that it’s incredibly hard to stop playing. There have been bugs, there have been comical glitches, but my experience has generally been smooth throughout, exciting, and emotionally motivating. I’ve put in around 60 hours so far, and it’s not lost its appeal, even though I might have to play through it again. If you’re looking to explore Villedor later this week, then you’re in for a treat.

Nobody Saves the World is a bold change of direction for the team best known for the Guacamelee! games, and the gamble pays off. It's a creative ARPG that rewards experimentation brilliantly, and even without memeing as hard as its lucha-masked stablemates (does anything?), it manages to entertain all the same with its own blend of tight combat, hugely customisable classes, daft humour, and a well-told narrative.

Overall, The Gunk feels like a weighty, enjoyable adventure that goes to some surprising places with its story. I had a great time clearing up the gunk and living my best adventurer life, and the length of the game seemed just right, ensuring that the gunk didn’t overstay its welcome. To make things even better, The Gunk launches straight into Xbox Game Pass today — so you can’t not give it a go.

Moment-to-moment gameplay in Halo Infinite feels fantastic, so it's just a bit of a shame that there isn't more to do with those tight mechanics right now. Multiplayer is superb but you likely already know that, and with that element being free-to-play anyway, there's a massive question mark hanging over whether that should even be considered part of the core experience. The open world setting both giveth and taketh away, but I think it works for the most part, and fair play to the team for trying something new. Right now, it's a damn good game... but when it eventually catches up to its ambitions, it could wind up being something much more impressive.

Jurassic World Evolution 2 certainly has a fitting title, because it's exactly that — a true evolution. The campaign might be a little on the short side, performance problems are unfortunate, and only having a handful of the movie actors reprise their roles can feel a little jarring (the Chris Pratt soundalike is kinda terrible). But rustling beyond the foliage of these superficial issues is a simulation game with the kind of depth and nuance that the original game promised but never really delivered. There's plenty to try out across its smattering of modes, with everything you unlock during regular play feeding back into the Sandbox mode, giving you even more options to mess around with there without limits. Certainly one of the better games of its ilk, especially on console, and while it can still get a little intense by genre standards, it probably wouldn't be a very good Jurassic Park game if it didn't.

Beautiful, vast, creative, varied, and exciting, Forza Horizon 5 is an incredible game that will have you hooning around Mexico for months. There's an amazing sense of variety to everything about this game, and the smart Accolades system should have many achievement hunters hooked as they explore the full extent of what this remarkable racer has to offer. Fantastic handling, interesting events, and a wonderful history-spanning selection of cars makes for an amazing experience — arguably the best game in the series to date, and inarguably the best game in the series to DOOT. See you in Mexico, amigos...

Back 4 Blood is the co-op survival shooter that we’ve been waiting for since Left 4 Dead took the world by storm. The introduction of Corruption Cards really helps the game stand out, while offering players varied gameplay that doesn’t feel stale at any point. The current issues surrounding solo play are certainly a turn-off, but not enough for me to not recommend playing it, especially if you have a group of friends ready to go. With a little TLC, Back 4 Blood has every ingredient necessary to flourish, and perhaps even dethrone its predecessors… maybe.

BPM is an amazing concept, realised wonderfully. It's not the easiest of recommendations due to the game's brutal difficulty level and heavy metal skew, but if you're on board with those things, willing to learn something new (and get your ass handed to you repeatedly in the process), and prepared to overcome the whims of some random elements to bring down Nidhogg, you're in for one hell of a time. Honestly, well executed passages are next-level satisfying, from triple-tap kill combos to the beat to the simple act of reloading some of the fiddlier weapons. Completionists beware, though — the list is a bit silly.

Far Cry 6 is without a doubt Ubisoft’s most ambitious entry into the series, offering a huge map and more activities than you could possibly want. Giving us a classic Far Cry experience the whole way through, with a smattering of new ideas and fresh takes, Far Cry 6 is perfect for fans of the series. Although some of the newer mechanics don’t seem to have the desired effect, I can still safely say that this is my favourite entry into the series to date, and I recommend you book a trip to Yara as soon as you can. Viva Libertad!

It's hard to call this an absolutely definitive collection of these classic gaming curios when aspects aren't perhaps quite as authentic as they could be, but when there's so little in it for the most part (and when the aspects that have changed more notably are still great despite feeling different), Banana Mania stands as a feature-packed reminder that 'simple' and 'easy' are not nearly as interchangeable as a lot of people might think.

Chernobylite is a lovingly crafted example of what a post-apocalyptic game can and should be, offering players a rollercoaster of a story with plenty of choices that naturally lend to an overarching sense of freedom. Aside from a few technical issues, Chernobylite does everything right and wraps it all in a tense, and oftentimes uncomfortable, package that has you wanting to see what’s lurking around the next corner. If there has ever been a game that makes you want to pack your bags and take a trip to a dangerous part of the world, this is it.

On the whole, though, the value for money here is ludicrous and every mode provides a different slice of footballing simulation goodness. Beyond all that, though: FIFA 22 is just a fun time! The game will change with patches eventually, but right now it is the best launch FIFA has ever been. It leaves you with a smile at every small touch and with a satisfied feeling and you ping a cross-field ball. FIFA has finally brought it home!

Overall, Tails of Iron ties together a beautiful medieval world with RPG mechanics and a brutal combat system for a challenging adventure RPG you’ll be thinking about long after you put the controller down. Combat is brutally difficult, but although you’ll often be left howling at a defeat, Tails of Iron’s charming world and in-depth combat customisation will have you back before long, ready to try again. Oh, and just one more time for good measure: Damn you, Clubba!

A cosmic rock voyage of self-discovery that doesn't folk about, The Artful Escape is a truly unique experience and a feast for the senses. Those looking for a challenge or who are deathly allergic to guitars will probably want to look elsewhere for their next game. But given what an unusual and aesthetically captivating experience it is — and the fact that it's right there on Game Pass — it couldn't be easier for me to recommend. It'll likely prove a little too strange for some people's tastes, but if you don't enjoy it, it's still a quick (and hopefully at least interesting) 1,000G boost in five hours or so from a game you likely won't remember playing this time next year. But if you do end up enjoying it, and I think a lot of folks will, there's a very real chance it could end up being five hours you'll never forget.

With its emotional gut-punching story, memorable and wonderfully crafted characters, and a beautifully designed setting that immerses you deeply into its world, Life is Strange: True Colors is a superb entry into the Life is Strange series. While the game's conclusion does come just slightly too quickly, and some technical issues spoil the show, you won't regret experiencing Alex Chen's story. Simply put, Life is Strange: True Colors is a must-play.

That bright, cartoony art style works perfectly for The Big Con’s nostalgic portrayal of the Nineties, and, combines with a touching story and witty dialogue to make The Big Con a very enjoyable adventure to play through. It can be a little easy at times, and I played through it more quickly than I expected, but I had a blast.

Both as a sequel and as a standalone game, Psychonauts 2 is superb. It's fresh, it's innovative, it's brilliantly presented and delivered, and it genuinely feels like the follow-up the original cult classic deserves. Stages flow fantastically on your first visit, and my only real complaint here would be that some can feel comparably rather bitty or unconnected when you return to them later to mop up things you may have missed, which couldn't really be avoided without forcing full replays, set pieces and all. It's an imaginative adventure that has been well worth the wait, and I'd encourage everyone to give it a go. If you think creativity is dead, you haven't played Psychonauts 2.

Although the main mechanic of the gameplay loop can become a little frustrating and repetitive nearer the end of the game, and the story can begin to feel a little muddled, Twelve Minutes unravels its mysteries so well as to leave you pondering long after you finish the game — I’m still trying to wrap my head around the ending, and I know I’ll be thinking about it for a long time to come.

There's no shortage of great action roguelikes on Xbox, but the arrival of Hades sets a new benchmark for the genre, and sets it high. Artistically gorgeous, narratively captivating, and always a delight to play, Hades goes above and beyond what you'd expect from a game like this, resulting in a unique experience that you'll likely still find yourself diving back into long after the completion is wrapped up. Supergiant has an incredible track record, but with Hades, the studio takes its throne alongside the gods of the indie scene. Cheers, mates.

Omno is a wonderful addition to the platform, puzzle, and adventure genres, even if it doesn’t go so far as to completely reinvent them. If you’ve been feeling a little cooped up over the last few years, you might find that Omno offers some much-needed escapism. It’s easy to get lost in Omno, and what you’ll find is a wonderful adventure into a mysterious world — made even better by the fact that it’s on Xbox Game Pass.

Overall, Dungeons & Dragon: Dark Alliance is a fantastic example of a third-person action RPG, offering a great amount of story and lore through varying missions. With only a few minor setbacks aside, I’d have no problem saying that Tuque Games has brought my Drizzt Do’Urden and companions fantasies to life in all of the best ways. I’ll be seeing this game through to the very end without a shadow of a doubt, and have no issue recommending it to anybody that enjoys action RPGs. Grab some buddies and head to Icewind Dale — you won’t regret it!

Chivalry 2 is a game that thrusts you into the brutality of medieval warfare without remorse and allows you to fully experience the reality that soldiers faced in those bloody times. The rewards come from extended gameplay and mastering your class and weapon choices, ultimately learning how to effectively defend yourself and go on the offensive. This is a must-have for anyone that enjoys melee combat within video games and wants to put their skills to the test. Aside from a few minor issues, the game feels polished throughout, and I look forward to playing it for many, many more hours.

Just Die Already is a game that offers you the odd few hours of reprieve from other, more serious experiences, handing you the reins and coaxing you into experimenting with every ridiculous idea that pops into your head. It's fantastic fun in short bursts, silly, but structured well enough to offer you a challenge if that's what you're looking for. I'd recommend grabbing a couple of buddies and seeing what chaotic exploits you can get up to. It's certainly worth the time — especially at the game's price point — even if it's not the kind of thing that you can sit down to play for hours at a time.

An incredible get for Game Pass and a superb game in its own right (issues aside), Outriders is comfortably one of the best games of the year so far, and it's only going to get better as the post-launch polish puts paid to the technical problems that currently hold it back from true greatness.

With Little Nightmares 2 Tarsier Studios has once again dreamt up a wonderfully unnerving world filled with grotesque and fantastical creatures that is a horrifying pleasure to explore. Gameplay is mostly the same as in the original, with the only significant exceptions being the addition of Six as an AI companion and some clumsy combat that actually feels more like a puzzle than anything else. If you enjoyed the first game, and you’re looking for more of the same creepy goodness, you can’t go wrong with Little Nightmares 2. Just maybe sleep with the lights on after you’re done playing.

All in all, IO Interactive has stuck with what it knows best with Hitman 3: gorgeously crafted open playgrounds for the player to wreak slick and murderous havoc in. There’s not much new here if you’re a fan of the series, but IOI didn’t really need to introduce any new mechanics to what was already a fantastic stealth experience. Agent 47’s final outing of the trilogy is his best thanks to updated and improved visuals, a fitting end to the story, and more superb sandbox level design. Sure, it could have done with maybe a different couple of tutorial missions to keep things interesting for the Hitman vets and the achievement hunting community, but other than that, there’s not much else to fault with the game. Hitman 3 is a must-play for all gamers.

It’s a gorgeous game with a gritty story; sometimes overwhelming or tiring, but nearly always beautiful. It might not reinvent the genre in every aspect, but for a fantastic story, an insanely detailed world, and brilliant dialogue, you’ve got to try it. The achievements will likely take you quite some time, mind: in over 30 hours of playtime, I unlocked six.

It's not the most original of games, with its basis being literally one of the oldest in the book and its gameplay coming straight out of the Breath of the Wild playbook, but there's a degree of creativity displayed in the storytelling and the activities themselves that really does let Immortals stand apart from its inspirations.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a shining example of how to do a remake properly, and sits in stark contrast to the last woeful effort to revisit these classics, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. Vicarious Visions demonstrates a wonderful understanding of what needs updating and what should be held sacred, even to the point that the team has bitten the bullet and let the lesser stages (yes, of course we mean you, Downhill Jam) stay bad just so the classics can stay superb without laying a finger on any of the layouts.

It's stylish, it's funny — as in, don't-drink-that-now-or-it'll-come-out-your-nose-too-late-it's-everywhere funny — and it's just such a unique experience that it'd be hard for me to not recommend it.

Battletoads was a pleasant surprise for me, and it’s great to see it really lean into the variety angle with so many different kinds of gameplay crammed into such a relatively small package. Presentation is fantastically stylish, with chunky characters and lavish animations, especially for some of the toads’ signature attacks. Combat is fast-paced and responsive, bombastic enough to make the simple act of mashing buttons entertaining yet still just deep enough to keep it interesting in the longer term. Sadly, though, some cool co-op features will be lost on anyone unable to get a same-room gaming session on the go, and it’s that lack of online functionality that ends up hurting the game the most. If, as Battletoads loves to tease, we do indeed see a sequel, a simple improvement there could be all it takes to bump it up to being a truly outstanding game rather than a really good one with several glaring and frustrating issues.

Minecraft Dungeons is a superb dungeon crawler with something for players of all ages. Although somewhat basic in terms of weapons, armour and abilities, there is just enough variety to keep some of the more hardcore dungeon-crawling fans satiated. Surprisingly, the game does offer up a pretty intense challenge, just not so much at first. The enemies are varied in their attacks, and the boss fights are a highlight that will have you gripped until you finally land that killing blow. As long as you're not expecting too much in terms of plot, customisation and stat building, Minecraft Dungeons offers a fantastic gameplay experience that can be enjoyed either on your own or with friends.

The wait for Ori and the Will of the Wisps will most definitely prove worthwhile: Moon Studios has created a masterpiece. The sequel manages to be more beautiful, heartfelt, and challenging than Ori and the Blind Forest. Some of the new changes feel a little superfluous to Ori's world, but only in comparison to everything which the game already offers. Will of the Wisps offers a real challenge and comes with its own share of frustration, but in doubling down on everything players loved in Blind Forest and going beyond it, Moon Studios has achieved a superb sequel.

Lightsaber combat is fluid, providing just enough challenge to entertain while letting players feel like a Jedi. Perfect music composition and top-tier sound design bring the whole thing together in a way that makes us excited for a sequel. There's some significant problems, for sure – especially in level design and signposting – but we're confident that the developers could easily evolve beyond these hiccups in the future. The Star Wars gaming universe is in pretty safe hands with Respawn – provided EA keep giving the studio enough opportunities.

This an experience that makes no demands, and expects nothing from you except peaceful, meditative creativity. It's total lack of meaningful progression won't be for everyone, but if you've been hammering at some stressful shooter all night, we recommend that you boot up a quick session of Tracks before bed to settle your nerves.

Gunplay, graphics and sound are all superb — everything you’d expect from a Call of Duty game. Each level is unique, and there are welcome changes of pace throughout. In recent COD releases, the campaign is often overlooked in favour of the multiplayer. But if you’re after an emotional, action-packed thrill ride, you shouldn’t skip out on this one.

Aiming for the stars worked admirably for Obsidian Entertainment with this fantastic sci-fi RPG. There are elements of Obsidian's earlier work, especially Fallout: New Vegas which will delight longtime fans. Yet The Outer Worlds excels most when it has fun within its own unique identity. The wealth of lore and world-building details could be a little overwhelming for brand new players, but a little confusion early on shouldn't stop anyone from taking The Outer Worlds for a spin.

Frostpunk can be overhelming and would benefit from a longer tutorial, so it’s understandable if those new to the genre find it too tricky. But a well-conceived narrative and premise makes it worth picking up whether you’re new to the genre, or have years of city-building experience behind you.

You no longer have to wait for new episodes and you may not stress over your decisions if you now know what lies ahead, but for anyone who's managed to miss the series til now, and for its biggest fans, The Definitive Series is unquestionably the best version of the seven-year The Walking Dead saga.

It's a smart, stylish, and daring genre mash-up that blurs the line between indie and big budget games. It's one of the most tightly designed games I've ever played in my life and that comes through in every possible way, from UI and art direction to combat and level design. It's without any excess parts, and so its design feels constantly well-reasoned and well-executed and expects you to play it just the same. Across the board, Void Bastards is unforgettable.

If games like Payday, Earthfall, and Overkill's The Walking Dead have left you wanting, World War Z should fill the Left 4 Dead-sized hole in your heart in most ways. It doesn't have the memorable characters and borrows all of its special zombies from other games, but it makes up for those problems with great visuals, stunning setpieces, and an addictive progression loop. It's one of 2019's biggest and best surprises.

We've known courtroom dramas are exciting and engaging for a long time. Who hasn't been swept up in an episode or two of Law & Order: SVU while flipping through channels? There's something thrilling about watching a case unfold before your eyes and to see justice ultimately brought to light. The Ace Attorney Trilogy nails that feeling perfectly. It'll take you through captivating mysteries that have plenty of twists while still leaving you satisfied that you solved the crime rather than being drug through to the end. It'll let you pretend to be an attorney and find the gaps in testimony that reveal the true story. Most of all, it'll be an experience you won't find anywhere else.

My Time at Portia tries to do so much at once and impressively gets most of it right anyway.

Overall, this remaster puts a nice coat of paint on a great experience and I'd recommend everyone, especially those who weren't so hot on it at release, give it a try to see how it's held up.

Ubisoft has taken criticisms to heart, and made changes that capitalize on the series' potential in ways the first game never did. Their approach to this title should be considered a success on many fronts, with their main downgrade from the predecessor coming in the form of a lackluster main plot and forgettable characters. Technical issues and instances of poor AI shouldn’t be ignored either, but they’re outshined by the superb gameplay improvements that include meaningful optional content, a deeper well of skills and gear, and a more level playing field in PvP. The Division 2 has something here for fans, critics, and newcomers alike.

Seven years, four seasons, 19 episodes, and one studio closure have all come down to this. Thankfully, the final episode delivers a sendoff worthy of Clementine's arduous and emotional journey. Beautiful and tragic often at once, and thematically tight, Take Us Back is a finale the team can be proud of as they move to whatever is next, and the fans can cherish as the story comes to its end.

The Occupation brilliantly blends elaborate levels, breadcrumb-chasing, gotcha journalism, and a politically-charged drama to become one of 2019's most interesting games. It deftly adapts to the many successes and failures you can have and always leaves the clues in the open for those with a keen eye, rarely holding your hand. It's ironic that a game that so smartly builds urgency through strict time limits would've done better with some extra time of its own in the studio, but the bugs I saw can't prevent The Occupation from being the game I won't stop talking about this year.

Devil May Cry 5 is so successful because it is impeccably designed from top to bottom with one goal in mind: be awesome. It knocks that goal out of the park in nearly every element of the game. Nero and Dante each bring something unique to the combat while still maintaining the trademark feel of the series, with plenty of depth to ensure they feel awesome to play. The enemies follow suit, ensuring every battle has plenty of challenge, and the boss battles are almost all excellent. The story is backed up by flashy set pieces that are fun to watch, though I’ll admit the story itself is not particularly good in any way. The only major negatives are that the new character V seems unbalanced and doesn’t control well and that the Bloody Palace mode has been left off the feature list. Devil May Cry 5 is excellent and you won’t be disappointed.

Wargroove pays homage to Advance Wars in both style and substance, with an obvious nostalgic appeal to Game Boy Advance veterans. It's a well-rounded game that makes turn-based strategy accessible to anyone new to the genre. However, it can still challenge seasoned players via custom difficulty settings and custom content. The inclusion of straightforward content creation tools increases its scope and longevity and gives it the potential to develop a community centred on amateur game development. It may resemble a relic from the Game Boy era, but Wargroove is far more than just another retro game.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown brings the franchise hurtling onto Xbox One with all guns blazing. For genre fans, it's a great time thanks to intuitive and compelling combat, an interesting variety of missions, a wealth of content, planes, weaponry and technology, all backed up with stunning graphics and a thumping soundtrack. Other than issues with difficulty spikes in missions and a substandard multiplayer offering, there is little to complain about with the title. It's a high-octane, jet-fuelled blast.

Fans of the series have been waiting for this game for a long time, and Kingdom Hearts III will not disappoint them. Both the new and old worlds are a joy to play through, and you are given the freedom to explore them as and when you want. The story is complicated, there's no denying it, and this is not an easy jumping on point for people new to the series. If you put your time into this game there's an abundance of rewards to get out of it, only tarnished by some minor gameplay issues. Sora's latest adventure is magical.

Exodus is an overall excellent experience that succeeds at nearly everything it attempts to achieve.

This is a team game, and it's hard to recommend if you'll be only playing alone as even things like magazine size caters to its team-centric gameplay. Even the innovative ping system can't change that. But as a team battle royale, Apex Legends is excellent.