Demetrios - The BIG Cynical Adventure is a low budget point and click title that relishes in being unconventional. Its characters try their hardest to be cynical and toilet humour is everywhere, even if it pushes the boundaries a bit too far at times. Despite this, the title's storyline and its gameplay are extremely conventional and functional. The puzzles vary in difficulty but there's always the clever cookie hint system to help things along if you get stuck. Even if the mini-games are hit and miss, players of all abilities will be able to make it to the end as long as you can stomach it. If you take offence easily and you're just after another easy completion, avoid this one like the plague. If you appreciate risque jokes and silly humour, this point and click will be the equivalent of a breath of fresh air for you.

Ninjin: Clash of Carrots starts out as a silly, colorful beat 'em up, then takes a dark turn down a surprisingly frustrating and challenging path. There is a huge arsenal of weapons and perks with which to engage enemies in both local and online co-op. New gear is constantly unlocked along the way, which keeps things interesting (until you rage quit, that is). A little challenge is fine, but in Ninjin, many mechanics feel unfair, and the later bosses' difficulty level is a sharp contrast to the rest of the game. A bit of balancing of the end-game missions would do wonders, but unless that happens, Ninjin remains hard to recommend to everyone.

Battleborn does well in offering you both multiplayer modes and missions without pressuring you into concentrating on a certain mode. They're interesting and exciting, but do begin to get tedious when you have to play them continuously due to the small selection of modes and maps.

Fishing Sim World is perhaps one of the most niche titles on the Xbox platform, and despite its popularity, angling is not a sport that you may expect to translate well to a digital world. Yet, Dovetail Games have captured the essence of coarse fishing surprisingly well. The ambient sounds of nature surrounding you are very realistic, and there's that same sense of tranquility you have when fishing.

Young gamers are the target audience of Prospect Games' Unbox: Newbie's Adventure. There's nothing wrong with that, but there isn't much here to appeal to the older and more experienced gamer, something at which other kids' titles have succeeded. The developer holds your hand throughout the adventure, which is annoying unless by chance this is the first video game you've ever played, and Unbox's one-trick combat and easy tasks won't captivate an adult's attention for long. Unless you plan to collect all 800 Golden Tapes, it's also a brief experience, clocking in at roughly 5-7 hours. The graphics are lackluster with a noticeable difference between advertisements of the game and how it actually looks. Provided the developer fixes the broken achievement, the list of 15 achievements is straightforward and simple with not much to it, much like the game itself.

Devil May Cry 2 remains an uninspired title, but Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 3 are masterpieces to this day. While people who've played these games a thousand times may find nothing new, everyone will find titles worth their time. These games are classics, and for the most part they still hold up today.

Episode four has set us up for an exciting conclusion to Minecraft: Story Mode - Season Two. We have another exciting boss fight, some more genuinely tough decisions and some serious topics that make you really feel for the characters. There are bits within the episode that can be skipped, which make them a little pointless, and the sudden ending feels like there has been something cut out; it could have benefitted from a little more set up for the last episode. Overall, though, it's another solid entry into the season and will have you excited for what is to come next.

The Medium is an interesting and enjoyable game, but one let down by some awkward animations that constantly threaten to break the immersion created by an otherwise captivating game world, and those weak stealth sections that Bloober Team can't seem to leave behind. It's very much a one-and-done game — you can easily see everything it has to offer inside of ten hours, so the pricing might be a little questionable for both the quality and quantity of what you get here. Still, price won't be an issue for Game Pass subscribers, for whom The Medium is a unique yet flawed gem that we'd absolutely recommend checking out as part of the service.

Spellspire takes a simple word game and spices it up with some interesting RPG elements, adding some tactical thinking to the usual “spell big words to win” formula. Upgrades actually feel useful rather than being tacked on and don't end as an afterthought. Unfortunately there is very little variation in the actual gameplay and the move from mobile to console does come with some drawbacks, mainly when it comes to inputting words quickly and precisely. It is, however, a fun game to play in short bursts; with an entire tower to climb, there is plenty for people to sink there teeth into here.

It breaks my heart to criticise Sable so. The first few hours are truly remarkable, packed with moments of beauty, creativity, and childlike wonder, but the more you play, the more the mask slips. Despite the technical issues, it's testament to the abilities of the small team that it has been able to create a world so inventive and interesting, if one whose sparseness starts to work against it once the initial sightseeing tour is over. It's a crying shame, though, that those who want to see everything that this captivating setting has to offer — whether through inherent completionism, chasing achievements, or simply being drawn in by the lush playground itself — are those who will suffer Sable at its worst, even if the highs should still prove strong enough to carry you through the lows in the end.

AER - Memories of Old is a beautiful story told in a beautiful world. Allowing you to access memories is a great way of telling a back story without taking up too much of your time, and allowing you to piece it together yourself helps involve you more in the game. Flying around the land as Auk is simply a delight, and there is something to be discovered at every single turn in the well designed world. Yes, there are minor issues with some elements of flying, and the lagging in the temples really does break you out of the hold the game has on you, but the biggest issue you will have with this game is that you simply want to play more, and that is one of the biggest compliments that you can offer.

Impact Winter can be an immersive survival game for those who are able to look past the technical issues that could possibly hurt the gameplay for some. Stepping out into The Void in order to scavenge numerous locations while trying to keep your team alive means having to brave the constant stuttering. Discovering new landmarks is addictive, but the odd loading screen slowdown along with some other grating issues threaten to overshadow what should be a tense and gripping experience.

With old-school design comes both nostalgia and frustration. It knows that and it's surprisingly proud of that. It's clearly made with a lot of love for the genre. If you're nostalgic for such games too, there's really not much to dislike, but neither is there anything new to behold.

Episode 3: More Than A Feeling isn't Telltale's best work. The pacing is poor and the dialogue is a repeat of emotions you've already seen in prior episodes. At least we get an interesting look into Gamora and Nebula's past with Thanos, their now-deceased father. There's also an impactful decision requiring your attention at the end of the episode. Once the whole series is released, Episode 3 won't be memorably bad, but when you've been waiting months to progress Guardians' story, it's a short and disappointing installment at best.

oOo won't appeal to everyone, but for those willing to accept the flaws as well as the challenging nature of the game, oOo can be an addictive experience and a fix for that satisfying, 'just one more go' experience.

Despite issues in several areas, Just Cause is ultimately about the scale of its action moments over which players have complete control, and the freeform sandbox in which players run amok, and to these ends Just Cause 4 is the best in the series.

Covering horror as often as I do, I know by now the telltale signs of a horror game that is little more than a walking sim with a few scripted door slammings. Conarium thankfully rises above this regularly faulty approach by including just enough actual threats to keep players on their toes. It is still an adventure game in part, but it gets that part mostly right too thanks to a good atmosphere and a story worth following whether or not you've read its original inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft. Puzzles and controls leave a lot to be desired, but Conarium does much else well, making it an easy recommendation for any fans of the author.

If you’re looking for a rally game to play on the Xbox One, or if you follow the sport closely, WRC 5 offers a solid racer that has a nice balance between being accessible for all and offering a challenge to those looking for a more simulated experience.

Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink will surprise many gamers. While genre aficionados might find the gameplay a bit too simple, most will appreciate its accessibility.

Earth's Dawn is a solid little title with a few minor niggles that hold it back from being a great title.

The way in which its story unravels alongside Caleb and Madeleine's motivations will fascinate you throughout the game and potentially even have you asking what's right and wrong as you progress towards the end.

Despite its name, Grim Legends 2 has no story links with Grim Legends, meaning that both Artifex Mundi veterans and newcomers alike can enjoy the game. The Brothers Grimm fairy tale upon which the game is based makes the story feel stronger and the characters more believable, even if there aren't many surprises. The standard point and click gameplay returns along with Artifex Mundi's customary hidden object games and this works relatively well with just a couple of very minor hiccups. There's a lack of alternative to the hidden object gameplay but there's a bonus chapter to make up for it. While it might not be the best title that Artifex Mundi has released, it's a fitting and competent middle installment to the Grim Legends trilogy.

WRC 7 is racing for the sake of racing. In its purest form, it is full to the brim with exciting tracks across a huge variety of locations. The handling model fits as a simcade and it’s extremely fun, feeling rewarding while still offering up plenty of challenge even for veterans of the series. It does suffer from a completely forgettable career mode, but at the end of the day the game was never trying to be a rally career manager. It was trying to be a rally racing game and, in that, it has succeeded with flying colors. If you’re just looking to play in the dirt, WRC 7 is an excellent experience you’ll be glad to have played.

Episode 3 is the best episode yet in this new series. The story continues to be both interesting and exciting as we find out more about the Admin's past and how he might be beaten in the future. Prisoner X was a good addition to the story with her intriguing character arc to follow. Couple this with another fun to beat boss fight and a good location to explore and there's not a lot of places this episode has gone wrong. The only minor blips were with a very abrupt ending and the Admin seems to act like more of a little child than a big bad guy at times. Overal,l though, this is a great third episode and sets up for an exciting penultimate episode to come next.

The game is straightforward and fun except for the frustrating lack of instructions on how things work.

Beautiful moments of platforming brilliance exist, but so do moments of needless frustration. Still, the game has its charms and is worth a look if you're either obsessed with or brand new to the last decade's worth of arthouse gaming. There are far more brilliant games in this genre to recommend, but Fe will certainly do you no harm over its short play time.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Aliens: Fireteam Elite and aside from a handful of bugs, the game shows promise of a solid third-person co-op survival game. The rich lore and stunning level design put it on par with other successful Alien titles in terms of presentation (if not in terms of being faithful to the source material with its hordes of papier-mâché Xenomorphs), and although there isn’t anything revolutionary about the gameplay, the experience itself feels well crafted. I hope to see some of the issues resolved in the near future, but can happily say that this isn’t just another game to toss on the Aliens failure heap.

The gameplay inconveniences are easier to overlook than the rush of endgame exposition, but both of these issues are slightly outweighed by the narrative hits, which come along more frequently than the game’s misses.

Pix The Cat offers some truly frenetic gameplay and finds modest success in being the Snake/Pac-Man crossover as which it's billed. Sometimes the game presents itself as too busy to allow for focus on what you're actually meant to be doing, and when you are focusing, the controls don't always respond how you'd want.

Tricky Towers is game that strikes you as simple from the outside, but once you start playing you realise it's actually quite hard to master. The game is enjoyable and addictive both online and offline, with a good choice of modes to play either against others or on your own. Unfortunately building towers isn't always easy to do as the trajectory beam doesn't always seem to be accurate enough and you have no idea what your spells do until you actually try and use them. Overall, the game is fun for a short time, but it's never anything on which you are going to spend a huge amount of time.

Anodyne is indeed reminiscent of 2D Zelda titles, but it manages to not be bound by comparisons as it offers a fresh and welcome take on this style of game. Though some brute force combat hinders the experience, it uses certain ingredients from the games that influenced it while also injecting its own brand of humour, presentation, and gameplay into the mix to create an experience that fans of the genre should not miss.

Bright Memory: Infinite is a promising new entry from a small studio, with visuals and a gameplay loop that give it the opportunity to sit alongside some of the heavy hitters in the genre. While it's lacking in a few elements that could carry it through to greatness, it's also dripping with potential and could be the start of a successful franchise if FYQD-Studio polishes some of the game's foibles. All-in-all, it's a short romp through action-focused levels that's sure to offer any FPS fan a burst of fun and have them feeling like a killing machine in the process.

Planetbase is a nice change of pace from the usual building simulators as the space environment brings up new challenges. Trying to make sure your colonists have enough of everything to keep them alive, and balancing this with fending off potential hazards and trying to earn yourself some money at the same time, is a genuinely fun challenge.

Struggling is a game that I was sure I was going to dislike but had me changing my mind with pure joy from the earliest stages. Struggle by name, struggle by nature, this is one title that will challenge your mind and your patience, but reward you with great comedic moments, a varied soundtrack, and more “what the hell?” moments than you can shake a stick at.

Amazing things are possible in the ARK — the gun-wielding soldier set high atop the most badass predator of all time comes to mind — but the experience is clouded by the best ones being locked behind excessive grinding, boring farming and the need for a large group. System commands and customizable settings can ease some of the pain, but the base concept remains a chore. A messy UI and the lack of a tutorial leave you alone in the dark, forced to spend hours researching on your own in order to figure out what's what. But there's no denying that if you're willing to put in the time, you will be rewarded with some incredible gameplay moments, especially if your friends join you on the ARK.

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.

Overall, Deadlight: Director's Cut is a good game even for those not into zombie apocalypse titles, but beware of the drawbacks.

The hidden object and puzzle gameplay is solid, and is only let-down by the clunky mahjong controls. However, the story is an enjoyable romp across a cursed island. If it's one thing that Artifex Mundi fans have learned, it's that you never go anywhere on a dark and stormy night when there is no shortage of supernatural threats.

The Sun and Moon has great mechanics and very creative level design, but the game is hamstrung by a brutal difficulty curve. When the game is so difficult you need to stop playing, it better have something else to back it up like a story; The Sun and Moon doesn't have that.

Whilst it's not quite the next Rocket League it's still a rather good arena-based team game that's easy to drop into and play for short periods.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a popular IP that has strong action and emotion, all backed up by a rock-solid soundtrack. Telltale held the power to make it a memorable addition to the Telltale library, but they let it slip away. The story hits some of the notes of a feel-good superhero story, but falls flat when it tries to evoke more powerful emotions like sadness. Flashbacks to prior episodes are often used as a crutch as well, making the final episode thin on new content. When you strip away the lackluster storytelling, all you have is an outdated engine, QTE sequences that have been wearing thin for a long time, and clunky gameplay that can't stand on its own.

Man of Medan is a game we want to love – for all of its B-movie nonsense and cookie-cutter characterisation, there’s a “so bad it’s good” vibe that would be entertaining for playing in couch co-op. Unfortunately even this slight praise is undermined by some frustrating gameplay and a host of easily avoided accessibility issues. Players will probably find themselves rattling through the game just to see things through, and might even get a kick out of tweaking some outcomes – but the first Dark Pictures tale is unlikely to linger in the memory for long.

While it's a fun for a while, the game soon becomes frustrating and repetitive.

The heart of MX Nitro is fast, fluid, and exciting. Many levels provide a tough but fair challenge with a physics model on which you can rely — crucial to the game's merits. Unfortunately, it's bogged down by some strange design decisions, lackluster customization, and sparse online modes that ultimately add up to something uneven. Getting on the bike and trying again and again can be fun for a while, but eventually you may find it's best to put it back in the garage and find something that doesn't break your spirit as much as your avatar's body.

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.

Sea of Thieves is all journey with no real destination, but if that doesn't immediately turn you away, it'll be a pirates life for you.

Whilst The Spectrum Retreat is an enjoyable, well-paced puzzler, it never quite hits the heights of other similarly styled puzzle games. You learn the backstory at the same pace as your character, which means you face the twists and turns together, but it feels like the story could have been expanded on more. The puzzles themselves are never too difficult, but challenging enough to hold your attention. Overall, it's a short but sweet puzzle game that whose greatest fault is coming after several similar but better games.

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.

The racing on offer in The Crew 2 is fun and there are a wide variety of different events and vehicles that will keep you entertained. For some genre fans, that may be enough, but sadly, it’s a game that feels like a jack of all trades and a master of none. Throw in some odd design choices, a dull story, and lukewarm presentation and The Crew 2 is an ambitious game that doesn’t achieve its potential, nor does it approach the standard of some other open-world racers available today.

It's fun for most audiences, but if you have kids of a certain age, My Memory of Us is a fantastic game to play together as it offers good puzzles for younger players and important themes worth your family time. Teaching kids about the worst parts of humanity is a delicate subject but also necessary so that they may grow up more loving and intelligent than some people in our history books. My Memory of Us is at its best as a teaching tool that reminds players of the power of love over hate.

LEGO Worlds can be a bit hit-or-miss. The game has switched up the series' formula and it is refreshing to be let loose and explore the vast amount of worlds on offer. The freedom that comes with all of the creative tools makes for an enjoyable experience as you explore and the addition of dungeons adds a new layer of challenge that LEGO games have never seen before. With all of this exploration, though, comes regular lag and slow texture pop-in. This causes the long hunt for gold bricks to be an even longer one but it's nothing exceedingly drastic. It's a disappointment that to create your own world you need to first amass a great number of these bricks, meaning that a feeling of repetition will creep in eventually. Despite these issues, hopping into your rocket and soaring through the galaxy for more discoveries can still be a worthwhile adventure.

If you're aching for a throwback to Belmont's heyday and don't care about your achievement ratio, give Slain a shot, but otherwise, give it a pass and catch some z's.

Shift Happens is a rewarding and challenging puzzler that is especially enjoyable in co-op. The gradual introduction of new and increasingly complex mechanics is done right and you'll feel on top of the world as you grow more adept at utilizing them.

Ultimately, GRIP has fun gameplay at its foundation, I'm just not sure this first attempt takes the game everywhere it needs to go.

For fans of Burnout’s crash mode and the first Danger Zone, Danger Zone 2 offers more of the same addictive gameplay. It’s simple, but there’s a certain joy to creating catastrophic wrecks that other games simply can’t match. Each level plays out as a puzzle mixed with an automotive calamity that you’ll need to solve and the system really works. You’ll enjoy reaching those high scores and then moving on to the next level.

It excels in many ways from fast and challenging combat to well-designed boss fights and good level design. The only problem is that it feels like the "lite" version of all of its inspirations, offering a taste of a masterpiece instead of a new take on those archetypes. You'll get Dark Souls without the measured combat, Bayonetta without the intricate weaving of combos, Castlevania with far fewer utility abilities to learn, and Zelda with puzzles that are far too easy for most. Still, what's taken from each of those games is mostly good, which makes Darksiders III a successful comeback story.

Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame certainly captures the atmosphere and the essence of the high-adrenaline sport. The arenas are well-crafted reproductions of their real-life counterparts, and out on the track, the bikes and riders look decent. It gets slowed by jarring moments such as strangely routine lag or sometimes frustrating handling and physics. There is a feeling of the game being not quite finished, with a little polishing still needed in places. That all said, when it works, it works well and there is plenty of content to keep players entertained, especially with the advent of community created tracks. In short, it feels one patch shy of being a great racing title.

Those who have played previous Artifex Mundi titles will know if they want this or not depending on their feelings with previous titles, and for those that haven't we recommend picking this one up, especially if or when it goes on sale.

Heart&Slash is a highly fun game that presents a real challenge and requires a lot of determination in order to progress. Unfortunately, the sporadic camera spoils what would have been a great game.

Black The Fall is an exaggeration of an Orwellian communist lifestyle but it's one that successfully drives a point home. This dystopia is bleak, it's miserable and like the anonymous protagonist, you don't want to spend any longer in it than you need. Bearing this in mind, the game's 2-3 hour length seems perfect. The platforming is responsive and the puzzles just challenging enough to make you think while not outstaying their welcome. There may only be one way of solving each puzzle, but then this fits in well with the restrictive regime that the game is depicting. It's a game that is worth experiencing once, even if it's a world to which you never want to return.

Cubot - The Complexity of Simplicity does indeed offer complex puzzles set in an extremely simplistic environment. Featuring an easy-to-use control system, minimalistic design and clever game mechanics, players get a competent puzzler that has made the jump from mobile to console with few issues.

Frustrating mechanics can and probably will deter some people. However, those who persist and train themselves to learn the fundamentals will find a gem underneath the initial muck that is the first couple of hours. Being a budget title, there is a slight lack of polish and a few technical issues will arise, but Warhorse has clearly mustered all its effort in creating an immersive world and engaging story.

Dear Esther is a boring slog with little narrative payoff. Although it does encourage an ideal of "interpret as you will", it lacks the foundation and support to drive discussions of death, life, and grief to the point to which it strives. Fortunately, the experience is short, cheap, and a good boost to an achievement score, but beyond that, is worth a pass.

The Ascent is a beautiful and entertaining action-RPG when everything is working as intended, but those moments are sadly much rarer than they should be. We know the team already has several patches planned so hopefully, a lot of the issues we encountered will be ironed out by the time you dive into the game — I'll be keeping an eye on these updates and will look to update and/or modify this review should things be significantly improved, because I'd have liked to have scored The Ascent higher. Combat is frantic and fun, the world is amazing, and there are some really satisfying abilities to bust out against foes, but you need a hell of a lot of patience to put up with all the technical nonsense going on with the game in its current state.

Whilst initially amusing, killing the bad guy soon starts to feel like a chore. The killing is originally hilarious, becomes annoying in the middle and seems to pick up again towards the end. The deaths and the animations are amusing, as are the bonus levels, and the story of each bad guy is funny and unique. Unfortunately, the game is let down by some jerky controls and the fact that, essentially, you are just doing the same thing over and over.

Switch – Or Die Trying is for those who look for a real challenge in their platformers. It can be likened to Super Meat Boy in that respect. Switch – Or Die Trying is truly a platformer that was made for the diehard fans of the genre.

This feels more of an incremental installment which builds on the previous outing, retaining all of the key features whilst adding more content and that's not a particularly bad thing. Outside of the US, NASCAR is still seen as a niche sport, but Monster Games has managed to make a game that will appeal not only to those dedicated fans but one that should satisfy those players looking for a good sim-cade racing title. Even with some new toys that feel incremental at best, it makes for a strong foundation for the years ahead for the series.

Whilst Dirt Rally is aimed at the drivers, WRC 6 is definitely for the fans. The game wants to bring the thrill, the sensation and the enjoyment of rallying to all of the fans of the sport regardless of their driving ability. It wants all players to be able to compete in this season's events and to feel a part of the motorsport, and WRC 6 has achieved this surprisingly well.

Atlas Fallen continues Focus Entertainment's run of publishing enjoyable new IPs and features the type of fast-paced action-RPG experience you'd expect to see from Deck13 Interactive. While it seems to lack much in the way of exciting story-based side content, which ultimately upsets the pacing of the main story, there is no doubt that Atlas Fallen is a feast for the eyes and a sand-surfing ride filled with plenty of high-octane combat encounters.

What we have is a game that is based on one core experience — an exceptionally good one — which comes at the cost of a solid gaming experience and ultimately feels like a title of missed opportunities.

Biomutant really feels like it has so much heart behind it, and that’s more than enough of a pull to keep you coming back for more. You could just focus on those end-game bosses, but it would be a crime to do so — Biomutant’s expansive world offers so much that you’ll lose hours to exploration before even thinking about taking on some of those sidequests. It’s also a breath of fresh air to see the unique combination of inspirations and themes behind the game, which do indeed help it to stand apart as a real mash-up of genres wrapped up in a “post-apocalyptic kung-fu fable.” The only issues are where Biomutant doesn’t quite measure up to the scope and complexity it offers, leaving it feeling as though a little more polish would complete its transformation into a real gem.

What's there in the game is quite good, the issue is that there isn't very much of it. Once you've had your fill of the challenges in the main game, there's nothing else to do except speed run those same levels again. That on top of a complete and utter lack of production value of any kind leaves the game feeling more like a prototype of a cool idea than a full game.

Despite some awkward controls and less-than-exciting missions, the game gives a loving nod to the Star Trek universe. Its fine eye for detail in the Star Trek mythos and its excellent customization options add an extra dimension of depth to what would otherwise have been a hum-drum game.

There are a few minor graphical issues, the experience is short and replayability is rather limited, but Four Sided Fantasy is a truly unique experience that’s easy to pick up and just as easy to enjoy. It might not be a title players can return to again and again, but it is a short and sweet puzzle platformer that shows that there is still plenty of life left in the genre.

MercurySteam promises Raiders is a living platform that will look very different a year from now. Thankfully, that means a lot of these issues could disappear by then. Nothing the game does wrong, outside of its characters and story, is irreversible. If you like third-person shooters it's worth grabbing a team and trying out the free prologue for yourself. Just be aware that there are parts of this game more broken than the planet on which it's set.

Gravel attempts to create a full arcade racer with a serious side. It feels like a welcome amalgamation of a number of familiar arcade titles, distilling the racing elements and doing away with distractions and diversions. While this allows the player to jump into race after race after race, it makes it feel one-dimensional at times. However, the arcade racing is certainly fun and engaging, and it's fully adaptable to any racing level. Fans of old-school racing games should certainly enjoy Gravel. Milestone has created something that's been missing in the genre, and though imperfect, it's a good start to what may be a new recurring franchise.

Overall, Somerville has a fantastic and intriguing world that’s begging to be explored from the off. Wonderful art and sound design compounded with excellent character animations really bring this narrative adventure to life, but a smattering of bugs, lacklustre puzzle elements, and an ambiguous story that left me feeling unrewarded after posing so many initial questions, really hampered the experience.

The game is fun, especially for fans of matching games, despite its awkward controls. Successfully completing levels opens up new challenges and new abilities, keeping the game fun while encouraging the improvement of skills. The main campaign can be done in under fifteen hours, giving gamers plenty of time solving puzzles without turning into a major grind.

Lost Grimoires 2 is a sequel that carries only minimal ties to the game that preceded it, meaning that it is perfectly playable on its own or as part of the trilogy. The casual adventure title can be enjoyed by all audiences due to the simple nature of its gameplay. Neither the hidden object scenes nor puzzles are too complicated, although the lack of alternative to the hidden object scenes will be jarring for some. The transfusion mechanic makes a welcome return and provides the most challenging puzzles of the title, although there is nothing that will see players rushing for the hint button or a guide. The title is a more worthwhile experience than its predecessor, but there have been better games in the Artifex Mundi portfolio.

Outcast was plucked straight out of 1999 and dropped into 2017, but in many ways it's better than what we have today. Sure, the combat is horrific and there are other details that clearly show the game is dated, but it doesn't matter. If you're looking for a modern masterpiece, this isn't it; instead, Outcast trips back to a time when games were all about exploration and being absorbed in the world. The alien Talan feel like real people who you'll want to help and they live in a world that feels alive in a way even games like Skyrim do not. Cutter Slade is an outrageous protagonist but he's lovable in his own way — the Nathan Drake of the 90's. These elements come together to create a package that's a pure joy to play through. This game simply exudes charm in a way that few others do. Outcast was the adventure game of the year in 1999, and it's my adventure game of the year in 2017. Outcast is a special piece of gaming history that surprisingly and against any reasonable expectation withstood the test of time. It absolutely should not be missed.

The aerial combat genre is a very under-represented and niche genre on the console. FT:SOC is a budget-priced game and it does feel like this; it might not be the title to bring in new fans but it gives existing fans a new title to while away a few hours. There's a fair bit of content, and the combat can be intense and challenging. However, the lasting appeal of the title will depend on the multiplayer arena, and given that the virtual skies were already relatively deserted and there is unreliable network behavior, this doesn't look too promising. This is a shame, because when it worked, it was good fun. Casual players might enjoy picking up the relatively quick achievements that are available, but this is mainly a title for those fans of the aerial combat genre.

Razed is fun and flashy. It’s a platformer focused on speed and precision and it’s backed up with fair level design and good mechanics. In its dash towards the finish line, it hits every step almost perfectly. Unfortunately, the couple misses hold it back from top marks. It’s got an uneven difficulty curve that will undoubtedly turn away some casual players. It’s also got an almost required backtracking element to find hidden upgrades and that’s not fun when all you want to do is break records and keep moving through the levels. Razed is nevertheless a joy to play on many occasions and that’s often enough to make it worth playing.

Hard Reset Redux is a fairly competent FPS that channels the pace and tenacity of the old school shooters that inspired it. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough meat on the bone for it to be great.

City of Brass gives you no reason to play through it multiple times, and frankly very little reason to play through it the first time.

The tracks are expertly designed to ensure you're always on your toes and always challenged when driving any track, and those tracks themselves are absolutely beautiful and a refreshing experience after years of the same locations from the FIA rally championship tour. There are sore spots, namely the lackluster career mode and an issue with pace notes, but overall this is an unrivaled experience in the rally genre. V-Rally 4 is a game worth experiencing and Kylotonn Games should be on every racing fan's radar after this release.

Even with a lackluster story and a barebones arcade mode, Star Wars Battlefront II would be one of the year's best games if — and it's a big, almost tragic i" — it didn't involve pay-to-win tactics. These microtransactions are disabled at time of writing, but they are promised to return in some form. Even if they never return, they've already gifted early adopting big spenders with a shortcut to success that other people can't or won't access. In so many ways, Battlefront II is exactly what fans want it to be. It finally feels like the games so many cherished from many years ago. It's hard to ignore the problems caused by purchased Star Cards, but if the creators can find a way to fix the system so that it is fair for everyone, what will remain is one of the year's best video games and a Star Wars experience for the ages... but again, that's a big if.

If you are a fan of The Sims and desperately want it on your console, you will probably be able to overlook this console port's abysmal user interface and controls in order to get at what is essentially the same game you've always known. The Sims themselves are still charmingly over-animated and the audio-visual design is pleasing enough. For anyone else, the struggle to overcome the nastiness of even the basic controls and menus only leads to the same old gameplay loop, albeit with a couple of interesting features bolted on. As a series, The Sims has simply failed to evolve enough.

The Sinking City is just the latest in a long line of horror games to be delivered via the Lovecraft Express. Because it's not adherent to any one of the author's tales, it manages to feel different from the crowded pack due to the blending of noir storytelling, its big open world full of side quests, and an investigative loop that asks you to put on your thinking fedora. Lousy combat and a low-res, buggy, lifeless land are blemishes for sure, but overall while this may not be the best of the bunch, The Sinking City is certainly the most ambitious of all recent Lovecraftian horror games.

Another solid adventure game from Artifex Mundi. Despite bringing the gameplay back to basics with hidden object scenes and point & click problem solving, players must use their own initiative to progress through the game, while the new Evidence Wall means that players will truly become immersed in the story rather than watching the events play out. Unfortunately, the amount of backtracking and sometimes cluttered hidden object scenes can lead to some frustration, and the variable quality of the voice acting can be grating. Despite this, adventure fans shouldn't pass up the chance of another easy completion.

The puzzles challenge players without being overcomplicated and the game manages to mix humour and decent gameplay that will appeal to most players, even if some of the British humour will be lost on players from other regions.

Eventide 2 takes the standard Artifex Mundi point & click gameplay and tries to innovate a little. The improved item combining mechanic fits the casual nature of the title perfectly. Meanwhile, a new morality system attempts to let players add some personality to the story, but with little effect on the overall picture, its attempts to add replayability only succeed if you're after the relevant achievement. Outside of these changes, the standard hidden object and logic puzzle gameplay returns and mostly works well, with just a small issue causing some frustration. The result is another solid effort that will keep new and returning players entertained for a handful of hours.

There is some enjoyment to be had in Sigi – A Fart for Melusina, but that fun quickly dissipates when you begin to feel like an unstoppable force in every level, including boss stages. Searching for hidden caves and grabbing a few hard to reach items definitely adds entertainment value, but the brief 20 level experience is made even shorter by a serious lack of truly fulfilling gameplay.

Fans of the genre might be able to enjoy Van Helsing's latest adventure through the city of Borgovia and its surrounding areas, but only if they have the patience to wade through its many problems.

Very little player interaction is involved, but conversation options can allow players to shape the characters so that it feels like they are creating their own story. Unfortunately, that feeling is short lived when all choices lead to the same story conclusion and characters are left underdeveloped. The puzzles that are intended to add extra gameplay end up falling flat because they're too easy. The result is an experience that is satisfactory for a single playthrough but becomes repetitive and boring across multiple playthroughs, which is something that the achievements encourage.

All things considered, it's a decent point-and-click title although the asking price seems way off the mark for a game that's only five hours long, which doesn't offer enough time to flesh out the story and characters.

A fun game with its quirky humor and innovative concept. The game is easy to learn and enjoyable to play as one helps Sam through his day, but it can begin to pall from simple repetitiveness as one replays chapters and hears the same jokes a few too many times. With its mostly easy achievement list and fast playing time, it will be a fun addition to most achievement seekers' collections.

Through The Woods is a horror game that delivers some good scares, just not really in the way that was intended. Enemy encounters are easy to overcome and at worst take just a bit of trial and error. The more effective scares come from the many stories you'll read as you span the woods of Norway looking for your son. Throw in some solid sound design, including an infrequent but effective soundtrack, and it's a game that's worth playing for horror fans, so long as you know it's not just some branches that are broken in these woods.

Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion is a great introduction to turn-based combat for those who need such a thing. Its systems work well and the repainting of typical RPG elements with Adventure Time hues is a joy for fans. Unfortunately, the combat is so easy that for many fans, especially adults, it can all feel like it's mind-numbingly simple. Still, if you're a big enough fan of the franchise and just want another game set in the world of Ooo, this is the best Adventure Time game to date.