Kylotonn has produced a much improved title that remains faithful to the original franchise whilst updating it for the current generation of consoles. Graphics, physics, handling, and racing have all never been better. FlatOut 4 starts fast, furious, and certainly makes for plenty of early fun. However, after that initial adrenaline boost has passed, there comes a question about the longevity of the title. The amount of grinding required to unlock all of the content subdues that early excitement, and it remains repetitive even deep into the game. Whilst fun for the short term, its lasting appeal will probably only be present to the most invested players, leaving most others in the dust.

Rise and Shine is a game that fans of the genre and those looking for a quick experience will enjoy.

Vesta is a quaint title that provides suitably challenging environmental puzzles for those who decide to take a shot at it. The story isn't anything special, but the gameplay is more than enough to keep you playing. Despite this, you may still find yourself getting needlessly frustrated at a few deaths due to the awkward controls that occasionally bubble to the surface. When everything works as intended, though, Vesta and the droid work well together, allowing you to comfortably test your brain to a satisfactory degree.

Where Blood Money offers classic levels and assassinations with unwieldy controls and gunplay, Absolution offers smart, tight controls and better action but unfortunately few sandboxes for which the series is famous. You can see in hindsight how IO put it all together for 2016's relaunch of the franchise, and how they built on that even further to release the very best Hitman ever this past November. The Hitman HD Enhanced Collection, thus, makes for a fun and nostalgic trip for longtime fans, but a contract not worth taking for most everyone else.

NBA Playgrounds follows in the footsteps of games like NFL Blitz, FIFA Street, and (of course) NBA Jam. It takes a simple premise — over-the-top arcade sports — and nearly perfects it. It misses an easy layup by excluding invitation options online, but hopefully the promised patch arrives to bring this game closer to an all-time great.

SkyKeepers is going on the short list of Xbox games that are easy gamerscore but just aren't very good.

Ninja Theory's first multiplayer outing could be something special, but it's a lack of game modes and a dedicated ranked mode stops Bleeding Edge from taking on the other big team-based multiplayer games. However, the game does feature some superb third-person combat and team play. Working together with a group of friends or dedicated players has never felt so satisfying. The varied cast of characters is exciting and fun to play with, while the Mods system adds a layer of customisation to the game. Bleeding Edge is definitely worthy of your time.

This title offers a typical Sherlock Holmes storyline and an easy completion, but its issues turn this into a mediocre affair rather than the elementary experience that you would expect from Holmes himself.

A simple point-and-click game that won't tax many of those little grey cells. The game constantly guides the player through the events of Agatha Christie's novel and the no-fail approach means that Adventure game novices can reach the end of the story, although the lack of challenge may discourage more ardent Adventure players from trying the title.

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.

Despite the addition of more bikes and tracks, not much has changed since the first RIDE, so those who come back for seconds will probably feel a bit of déjà vu when playing. Repetition can creep in, as well, but at least the game won't feel quite as monotonous because of the better load times. If bikes are for you, or you're a novice who wants to jump in, then RIDE 2 will give you some enjoyment.

If you're a fan of adventure gaming, pointing and clicking through puzzles and looking for clues, Investigations is a respectable callback to that era and whose fault might be in leaving the IP's younger fans behind. If you're a fan of the series, it's an inelegant trip into the peculiar land of Ooo that saves itself by adoring the series as much as the fans who might play it.

With unique and tricky puzzles, 39 Days to Mars will feel right at home in any puzzle fan's game collection. The simplistic art style allows the puzzles to remain the focus of the experience. The choice of solo or co-op mode is ideal but the controls are slightly awkward, making things a little off-putting in both modes. While not perfect, 39 Days to Mars is a great time filler when you and a friend want to put your brains to the test for a few hours.

Saints Row doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, but it doesn't need to — it's a solid open-world adventure with loads going on, and one that is really only a good helping of polish away from sitting among the genre's better games.

Fans of the studio, and especially fans of the character, can rightfully get excited for the season ahead. Under the cowl, and just as often not, Episode One: Realm of Shadows is a worthy introduction to comics' greatest hero.

Lightfield has succeeded in creating a new take on an old racing subgenre that is worthy of your time. The “omnidirectional” racing allows you to think creatively about how you approach each track and can lead to some very rewarding time trial runs. With good level design and solid game mechanics backing it up, there’s a solid foundation here. If a game can thrive on being unique alone, then Lightfield will be a runaway success, but there are significant blemishes that can’t be overlooked. There are only seven tracks and “three” game modes where two are functionally the same and the third is not enjoyable at all, leaving racing as the only real element to the game. It might be visually explosive, but the music sinks your energy and will have you searching for something more fast-paced to suit the game. At the right price, Lightfield is worth investigating, but at its current price it’s hard to recommend.

Degrees of Separation opens like a touching fairy tale complete with well-written narration and a soft tone of lovers determined to find one another. Sadly, the game betrays them and the player alike by structuring progression exclusively around collectibles. It results in a world that is pretty and pleasant to look at, but often tedious to move through. Still, it's better in co-op and won't take more than one or two date night sessions to see it all, leaving it a flawed fairy tale, but still one with heart.

It's not all bad. The combat and the flying are legitimately amazing in Anthem. They're so good that, despite everything else about the game being quite bad, I still thought about playing the game during my hours away from it. In a few years, Anthem might be a good experience. Today, it's hard to recommend.

2Dark is a mildly interesting stealth-horror fusion sadly dragged down by some bizarre narrative and visual decisions.

It’s hard to recommend this to anyone unless you’re sorely desperate for a new Burnout game. If anything, Dangerous Driving might leave you pining for a decent sequel more than ever.

REUS presents the world as if the almighty was an accountant. It is as much a game about crunching numbers as it is about creating a paradise for humanity, but its beautiful setting helps to mask how logic-driven it really is. It's both confusing and addictive in equal measure and manages to find a great balance between continuously providing a challenge and not overwhelming players.

As a horror game, Nevermind is a bit mediocre. While there's a well-built uneasy atmosphere throughout the main levels, the lack of danger does remove a lot of the potential for being scared.

While it lasts, Kitty Powers' Matchmaker is a great time killer that is oddly addicting.

Seems to be a reboot in name only. It neither feels like a reimagining of earlier ideas or a refining of the series' roots, but more of a mishmash of parts from the franchise's long history. As such, it lacks any sense of real identity.

The world of The Great Ursee is dramatic and looks gorgeous with its pleasing sunset vistas that really pop thanks to the game’s brilliant use of HDR. However, The Falconeer does fly too close to the sun in some areas. A largely forgettable and at times confusing story will be a disappointment to some, while inconsistent collision detection and a lack of mission checkpoints create frequent disappointing turbulence. Faults aside, for a game that’s been created by one person, and is one of the cheaper Xbox Series X|S launch day titles, you should definitely consider picking up The Falconeer along with your new console.

If you're in search of a game to play "pass the controller" with in a group of shooter-loving friends, Lovely Planet may be worth checking out, but is otherwise easily worth a pass.

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.

Sparkle 2 is a puzzle game that provides a nice surprise thanks to its user-friendly approach.

The Walking Dead: Michonne "In Too Deep" is easily one of the shortest episodes to be released and won't take you long to complete, but Michonne is an intriguing character and she has a lot of emotional baggage. Seeing how she will develop in the next two episodes is enough to make you want to come back for more.

Overall, Wondershot is a fun game for brief spurts of time, especially if one has friends with which to play. When alone, however, the game quickly becomes tedious and frustrating, and this can become a real problem since online play is not an option -- a serious oversight by the developer since the game is geared to be a party game.

If you are an avid cycling fan, Tour de France 2017 does hold a lot of appeal. There are a fair number of races in which to compete, and the proper riders and teams makes the game feel that bit more real. Accompanied by some great graphics, this makes the game perfect for a Tour de France lover. For everyone else, it feels tough and a little lacking. The long stages coupled with a non-existent soundtrack means the game can be boring, and the higher difficulty level can be disheartening even on amateur. Get on your bike and pick this up if you're glued to the Tour de France right now, but otherwise cycle on.

Home Sweet Home is an otherwise effectively scary horror game that is betrayed by some unfortunate bugs. One in particular stopped the game short with ten minutes of plot wrap-up remaining, preventing the full game from being seen. On top of that, even the game's best scares can get hindered by enemy AI that misbehaves by running into walls or getting stuck on loops that demand you hit reset. When it's all working, Home Sweet Home shows a lot of promise, but there are a few too many unintentional scares by way of the game's flaws to recommend it to most horror fans right now.

Conan Exiles is a game that is rewarding to survive in, considering you start off with nothing at all. Going from an exiled criminal to the owner of a large riverfront property is a great feeling. Learning the ins and outs of how to thrive in the Exiled Lands is enjoyable, especially when doing so with other players. These positives tend to be forgotten though, and can be completely eclipsed by the game’s main pitfalls. The frame rate is unacceptable at times, which then affects the already subpar combat.

InnerSpace takes place in a strange world, but it is also beautiful. The bright colours make the world seem friendly and welcoming, and the accompanying music provides a relaxing atmosphere. Players are free to explore the world at their own leisure, meaning that the gameplay should be relaxing too, but there are a couple of gameplay problems that sometimes get in the way.

The central concept is as mindlessly addictive as ever, while the audiovisual update is pleasing to the eyes and ears. Unfortunately the game is let down by being too short and too easy, while some unnecessary platforming gimmicks frustrate more often than they entertain.

A New Frontier could have been the beginning of the end for Telltale's The Walking Dead. Risks were taken but they paid off brilliantly. Players will still be chasing the summit reached by the first season's teary final moments, but this episode closes a season-long arc that is Telltale's most thematically satisfying and emotionally resonant to date. It's a tale of family, responsibility, atonement, and inevitably, loss. It captures what this whole season stood for and breathes new life into the series.

Gotham Knights' situation as a game aptly reflects the struggle of its protagonists — the new team has big boots to fill now Bats is gone, and while they can't quite live up to his legacy, they still manage to make an impression by doing things their own way. Combat is decent once it opens up, and traversal and the overarching gameplay loop are both great, but it's a shame that Gotham Knights' performance leaves a lot to be desired. Much of New Game+ feels like you're building a character for an endgame that doesn't exist at this point, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the four-player Heroic Assaults are like when they arrive in November. I'll be combing Gotham for those last few collectables until then, and despite its technical issues, I must say that I was surprised how much I warmed to Gotham Knights after it failed to grab me initially.

Our trip to India is not dissimilar to our original trip to China; the style and gameplay are almost identical to the first game, not that there is anything particularly wrong with that. Being given the choice to play stealthy or by using full on combat is refreshing and you are able to go through the whole game without directly harming a single enemy, but it does sometimes feel like you are forced into combat with the layout of the levels and the frequency of the enemies.

Planet of the Eyes makes for a brief but compelling sci-fi puzzle-platformer. Although it's bogged down quite drastically by puzzles that feel too familiar and often too easy, all other aspects of it do well to keep the game worthwhile. Sure it takes only an hour, but in that time it delivers a story well told with great voice acting, spacey music, and an assortment of colors that pop off the screen. It'll be a short stay in space with the unnamed robot hero, but it's an adventure worth experiencing.

With The Pact, Batman: The Enemy Within is hitting all the familiar notes for Telltale frequenters. For Batman fans, however, it's using those notes to play a really special tune so far. Some reservations are still in order as this trajectory mirrors last season's which fell quickly after the early parts of the season. For now, at least, The Enemy Within is giving longtime fans of the Dark Knight an exciting mix of new and old plotlines while carefully balancing the widest range of villains the series has dealt with so far. We'll know if The Enemy Within is a truly memorable Telltale product if they can avoid their middle episode valley, but for now, it remains worth getting into costume.

If We Happy Few had all of these problems while in Xbox Game Preview and a pre-release state, you'd be more likely to excuse it, but it's rare to encounter so many issues in a full game release. While none were game breaking, they spoil what can be a decent game, with a unique world, interesting characters, and a convincingly damning depiction of the perils of taking hallucinogenic drugs. It's a world to which you want to return, but it's also a world that throws up a new problem with every visit. With several patches, this game could be a fun experience, but right now it can often be an exercise in frustration.

Super Lucky's Tale succeeds in several ways. For anyone looking for a quick and simple platforming break, or introducing their kids to the world of gaming, this charming, beautiful and largely competently designed world will likely keep you entertained throughout. Unlike many child-friendly properties in the media, the characters, music and voice-work will likely keep the young ones entertained without irritating the parent. It's a shame Lucky himself is such a bland character in terms of personality and move set; what little interaction Lucky has with the world is hampered by fairly frequent and irritating design decisions. Little Lucky really could have given us a bit more to keep players of all ages entertained, and he will need to find a few more tricks up his sleeve in any future adventures if he wants to compete with the veteran mascots of the genre. Here's hoping that he gets the chance.

For some, the gameplay might get a little too repetitive too quickly, and the amount of luck that comes into it means that this game probably will make you angry along the way. If you can get past the need for trial and error, and just take this game as a bit of fun, then no doubt your journey with the King will be an enjoyable one.

After a great run of titles, Lost Grimoires: Stolen Kingdom doesn't quite match up to the standard of those that have gone before it.

The brightest spot in the whole game is Lola's flaming pink hair.

Despite its name, Layers of Fear 2's main problem is that there isn't anything going on under the surface. It's a competent enough walking simulator with a few decent jump scares and a little bit of mystery, but with no interesting mechanics to speak of and no effort to help the player feel attached to the vague story it's hard to justify the play time to anyone. If you were a big fan of the first iteration and need more in your life, you won't find anything particularly wrong with Layers of Fear 2. For anyone else, there's simply too many better examples of both horror games and narrative walking simulators to recommend stepping aboard.

Runestone Keeper is a game that may give back as much as you put into it. Mechanically it's extremely simple and anyone will be able to get to grips with it. However, if the core gameplay features frustrate you, it can be tempting to give up after a short while due to the fact that luck is regularly against you. If you do persist, though, it is an enjoyable title that offers a rewarding experience.

The campaign is the best part of the game but is halted in its tracks by gates that require players to grind before they can pass. The sole purpose of the game's open world is to be filled with collectibles, while the optional dungeons are inferior versions of their campaign counterparts. Long loading times and other smaller bugs interrupt flow and disrupt the player experience. Then there's the problem of the missing content. If ever a game felt like it was rushed to release, it is this one.

Serial Cleaner is a fun stealth game that doesn't hold one's attention for long. Despite the changing environments and balanced approach to ramping up the game's difficulty, the title can become quite frustrating with no checkpoints or ways to save on harder levels when you're sent back to the very beginning, no matter how much work you've accomplished along the way. The 20 challenge modes are more like on/off switches for making the game more challenging in different ways, not really different modes of play. It has a retro 70's vibe with good music and a fun pixelated art style and does a great job of being easy to pick up and play, but it doesn't add enough variety to keep you coming back for more. Bob Leaner is a seemingly cool cat who ends up being a rather boring dude in the end.

How much you enjoy The Station will come down to how soon you see its ending coming, as it's likely you will see it earlier than intended by the developer. In that case, you may still take away a memorable experience from the game, if you can forgive its derivative tale and enjoy it as a narrative adventure mystery with a bit to say about our role in the universe. It doesn't show or say anything that other science fiction tales haven't shown or told already, but if you're relatively new to the genre or don't mind rehashing previous themes, The Station is worth its short stay.

The music is the star of the show and what's there is decent, but nothing is memorable enough to really get stuck in your head. The complete package is a worthwhile one despite its flaws and should definitely be on the radar of anyone who's got any interest in the game.

Morphite's attempts to capture the adventurous spirit of the final frontier mostly fall flat, but its simplicity of approach may win over the casual gamer — possibly more so in its mobile ports than on home consoles. Muddled art direction, abysmal dialogue and uninspired side quests prove to be the greatest obstacles to enjoyment, but the main quest missions have a few moments of classic platforming entertainment. Ultimately the game boils down to exploring randomised planets and scanning the stuff you find there, which some will find pleasantly meditative for a while. Morphite fails to be a shining star in a crowded market, but at least it's an easy-going place to visit for a short refuel on your journey to greater discoveries.

The world is large, beautiful and full of content. The gameplay itself is exciting and fresh, with plenty to offer in terms of depth and accessibility. But TERA on Xbox is not a great MMO. In its current state, it's not even a good one. In a few patches, TERA might be good. As it is, any other MMO on the marketplace will offer a better experience.

All-Star Fruit Racing is as sweet as its name implies. With an irresistibly cheerful aesthetic, plenty of game modes, great track variation, and good customization options all built on top of a fun kart racing foundation, there's no reason to expect genre fans won't adore this game. Audio problems get in the way of making it exceptionally great, but in every other way, it's exactly what you would want from a kart racer and then some.

The mixture of resources and weapons can create exciting scenarios as rockets and lasers fly across the screen, but there is still a large element of strategy in what you're doing. The game leans more towards those who are a fan of the genre and others won't feel the need to play past the story, but it still does a serviceable job at trying to cater to a wider audience.

Outside of the officially licensed WRC franchise, Milestone’s first attempt at the rally sub-genre does little to reinvent the wheel. However, Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo does offer a pleasant alternative to the previously rigid career modes found in similar titles by offering a wide range of different events in which to take part.

It's a brilliant simulation, but it comes at the price of even being called a game.

While it looks like a low budget throwaway, the game's best features mostly come in how it sounds. The memorable music and legitimately unsettling EVP recordings go far to prove its legitimacy as a tool for scaring. If you've never played a horror game, don't start here as the game requires a few too many concessions from the player. If you're a genre veteran looking for something atmospheric, retro-inspired, and adding its own unique gameplay mechanics, Sylvio is worth the trip. It's a candlelit ghost story that leaves you not breathless or horrified, but disquieted, which is perhaps the most effective horror of all.

With subtle touches to the on-court gameplay, better and more numerous game modes, and an addicting player upgrade loop, it's a tough game to put down.

While there is fun to be had here, Super Mutant Alien Assault quickly gets repetitive because of the short levels and the fact that you only have 12 levels to complete.

While Gas Guzzlers Extreme attempts to fill a niche that is seriously lacking in today's marketplace, it falls short of success due to performance issues and a complete lack of multiplayer capability.

Baseball Riot contains a lot of content for a low price point, but it will only really be enjoyed in short bursts. The gameplay is easy to learn but difficult to master.

Whilst still being a very similar game to the first two instalments, our visit to Russia is definitely the most interesting of the three.

Oh My Godheads is a fun game if you are looking at it from the multiplayer side of things, but it manages to have something for the single player gamer too. Although the choice of modes is limited, there's plenty of fun to be had, especially with the different Godheads thrown into the mix. A little more introduction to the game and its controls would have been helpful at the start, and online multiplayer is always a sad thing to miss out, but ultimately there's easy gamerscore and some frantic fun to be had here.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint is the reigning poster child for the late-generation live service game. There is more on offer here than most people could ever dream of playing unless you retired from all other games — and maybe your family and your job too. But players should measure their content in quality, not quantity. There’s still a lot of fun to be had in Breakpoint, but you’ll need friends or good co-op partners to see a lot of it. For solo players, the gameplay loop wears out fast and even the awesome Jon Bernthal can’t save the project’s clashing design principles. Breakpoint measures its successes in stats like user engagement, but I still measure mine in memorable moments, and that’s one area this gargantuan game is not servicing.

Tiny Troopers Joint Ops is an easy to pick up, fun little twin stick shooter and it's hard to criticize the title or find any particular fault with the game.

Absolver had a chance to be something new and fresh. Its combat system is unlike anything else and comes packed with plenty of depth and skill that could get fighting fans pretty excited. The problem is the rest of the game. RPG elements have no place in a competitive action game yet here they’re front and center, granted with muted effect which makes it clear the developers were aware they were hurting their competitive balance and did it anyway. Perhaps worse for those of you who’re looking to play alone, the single-player adventure is dreadfully dull and plays like a short and mediocre Dark Souls. There’s promise in a sequel and I’d happily look forward to it, but this first attempt is better left defeated.

If you can wipe away all the preconceptions surrounding Konami, Hideo Kojima, and the Metal Gear franchise, you’ll find a competent game in Metal Gear Survive. The story is mediocre and the game has obviously cut corners to make the budget despite being full of microtransactions. However, it’s also fun as both a survival game and a horde defense game at times.

At the beginning of the season, I called The Council the new benchmark for narrative adventure games. In some ways that's definitely still true, and with any luck we will see this series inspire other studios to go deeper. Sadly, those developers will also come away with a clear example of how not to close out a storyline.

Hunter's Legacy is an action-adventure game that offers a story that has been told over and over in many forms without offering much that is different. With different locations to explore and teleporters to help you get around, the game feels quite large. Ultimately, though, you'll end up annoyed, potentially lost and feeling defeated on a number of different occasions whilst playing it; this lets the game down. The appearance of the game is one of its strongest points, but while it is fun in parts and generally an enjoyable experience, Hunter's Legacy just isn't quite the cat's pyjamas.

Deadbeat Heroes is an average game that is made far worse by poor design choices. At a quick glance, it's a simple brawler with a neat comic book art style that doesn't take itself too seriously. Upon further inspection, it's a frustrating game that encourages — no, forces — replaying missions with its minimum score requirements and strict punishments for failure, but it's excruciating to do so because dialogue, level intros and enemy introductions can't be skipped. Despite the emphasis on reaching target scores, the mysterious scoring system is never explained. Replaying levels isn't as bad in the early levels of the game when failure isn't as prominent, but the unfairness of the later levels may have players stuck in a painful cycle of dying and having their hard-earned scores wiped because of it. Do yourself a favor and leave this comic book on the rack.

Jump Force somehow only achieves mediocrity at best despite the star power found on its roster and the potential that comes with that cast. The characters are indeed faithfully recreated, stylish abilities and all, but nothing feels seamless. From the horrible cutscenes and choppy combat animations to the struggling frame rate, everything feels cut together haphazardly. Jump Force looks like an excellent idea on paper as a crossover containing over 40 characters from various Shonen Jump series, but in practice, the vision falls flat due to a serious lack of polish.

Right now, Battlefield 2042 is offering plenty of new features and gameplay elements that will benefit the series’ veteran players, although I’m not sure if there is enough there to hold the attention of players that don’t already have a vested interest in it, at least while they wait for the various problems to be fixed. That really is a shame because even though the persistent issues are frustrating, unnecessary, and annoying, underneath it all is a game that is brimming with potential, and one that I’m enjoying much of my time with — combat is tense, challenging, and unpredictable, and it offers the very best Battlefield experience in recent years... when it hits right.

While fun for a little while, Bridge Constuctor Stunts ultimately falls short. The game has a simple premise that ends up being a little too complicated at times. What starts off as enjoyable ends up getting repetitive and a bit boring. The actual look and sound of the game is bright, bubbly and upbeat and it's just a shame that the rest of the game doesn't match this. This game is not going to wow you and will only offer a flipping amount of fun for a short while; only the true architects out there will be able to fully appreciate the game.

Perception is the latest in a recent run of walking sim horrors to try and deliver a satisfying game in each genre. It's also the latest game to lend evidence to the theory that these two genres simply don't mesh well. Perception tells an intriguing story and if that's enough for you, it's worth playing. Its audio-visual experience is also unlike anything else and if you're looking for a fresh idea, The Deep End Games' debut is worth supporting. It's important to keep in mind, however, if you expect the game to also scare you, there's nothing to see here.

Underneath its flaws, Rogue Trooper Redux is good, old-fashioned fun. Its linear levels are solidly designed and offer a variety of ways to approach the objective at hand. Different play styles are also encouraged with stealth, distractions or running in and mortaring everything in sight all being viable tactics. Multiplayer exists, and that's about all that can be said about that. However, Rogue Trooper is a 2006 game, and Redux still feels like one. Just to name a few of its flaws, the cover system is clumsy, attempts at platforming are awkward, switching weapons is imprecise, the enemy AI have a collective IQ of seven, and it occasionally checkpoints when the entire room is shooting at you. Simply put, when you're not annoyed with Rogue Trooper, you're going to be having a good time with it.

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.

Anoxemia has a wonderful sense of tension and a dark atmosphere with an interesting enough plot highlighting Dr Bailey's isolation and possible decent into madness, but it begins to lose its charm as you progress. The lack of checkpoints can make repeating the areas very tedious if you die from any of the hazards or from your supplies running out, but the short levels do make up for this. There is some incentive to exploration and it does provide you with some helpful upgrades, but your main objectives rarely differ from collecting a number of items or reaching a specific location. There is enough to keep players entertained for a few hours, but the repetition and lack of variety in objectives holds back what could have been a far more exciting game.

Whilst there are moments when the arcade racing feels like fun, there is an omnipresent sense of Déjà Vu, that you've played this all before. NFS Payback doesn't bring anything original to the genre and if you've already finished with those other racing titles, you're unlikely to find anything new here. It feels like the game is following other racing games and has somehow lost its own identity in the process. It's not a bad title, but it also fails to distinguish itself. It feels like an option and an alternative; it no longer feels like a must-have title not even for arcade racers. However, the main issue is the progression system that relies more on luck than skill, and judgement that almost seems to debilitate the player's advancement. Despite the previous reboot and this latest title, Payback already feels aged and needs a dramatic rethink if it is to reclaim its crown from the likes of Forza Horizon.

Cobbled together from parts of previous games, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is one of the worst entries into the series. From the vapid campaign with those woeful DMZ-like open combat missions to the Multiplayer that relies on nostalgia for anything interesting and the toothless, uninspired Zombies mode that is just an awkward version of DMZ, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III absolutely nowhere near justifies its $70 price tag.

Wanted: Dead is very much an acquired taste, but those for whom its eclectic nonsense clicks will likely love it, even if it's not technically a great game. It's a throwback to a bygone age of gaming that's clearly made with passion, with the team just doing whatever the hell it likes rather than sticking to typical gaming standards to create something that certainly stands out in the modern landscape, if not always in the way it intends to. Stingy checkpointing can kill the game's momentum should you fall foul of a tricky encounter and have to replay large portions of a level, but there will be some folks who like that extra punishment for failure — just as with more or less everything else about Wanted: Dead, it's all going to land for someone out there, and I can see this one going down as a bit of a cult classic.

Unfortunately the game just gets annoying and repetitive after a while, ultimately falling short in keeping you engaged for any significant time.

The Town of Light has a story to tell, one that isn't afraid to shy away from its uncomfortable subject matter and creates a sense of unease that follows players throughout the game. The story is well-paced and encourages players to keep going, even if it leads to more horrifying discoveries. The developer has succeeded in accurately portraying both their subject matter and location, but this accuracy comes at the price of uninteresting exploration and technical difficulties that mar the game's walking simulator experience. You'll remember the story long after the game has finished, but you'll likely forget how you got there.

Gunscape's aim to give users a simple way to create and share their own arenas and campaigns is no small feat, but Blowfish Studios has managed to achieve it using an editor that is already familiar to gamers. The main downside is that the game's stability issues can be a major hindrance and lead to more frustration.

Kung-Fu for Kinect can occasionally suffer from problems with reading the more complicated moves that are required from players, and navigating through the side-scrolling levels is a chore, but players will feel like a kung-fu superstar with even the most basic of moves. Or they'll feel like a physical wreck.

The online pursuits and chases are genuinely good fun, more fun than possibly any other part of the title to date. Ultimately, splitting the difference between the highs and lows of the new content leaves the expansion feeling a little middle of the road.

Having the right expectations with Skylar & Plux is the key to enjoying it. Although its desire to replicate and resurrect the 3D platformer is handled well with reliable mechanics and familiar design, it seems to have forgotten to age the difficulty level in stride with its nostalgic but now adult demographic. In that fault also lies its greatest attribute, paradoxically. Because the game is well produced but just too easy, it ultimately serves as a great family game to experience with the next generation of 3D platforming fans. The puerile jokes, the hand-holding level design, and the forgiving difficulty won't keep a veteran video game enthusiast busy for long, but it may be the eye-opening, family-friendly experience a child in your life will remember for years to come.

It's fitting that just days after Microsoft announced the name change of their internal production branch from Microsoft Studios to Xbox Game Studios, Crackdown 3's launch screen displays the old moniker. After a year of exciting studio acquisitions for the company in 2018 and a stronger push for first-party moving forward, Crackdown 3 is the last remnant of the bygone era of Smartglass, live-action/video game hybrids, and forced Kinect purchases. It survived the purge where Fable Legends and Scalebound did not, but even in its best moments, Crackdown 3's campaign feels like it was born too late.

This is a game with no personality despite a can't-go-wrong premise of Nazis and monsters. This is a game with poor design, little depth and artificial intelligence so catastrophically bad that it is inexcusable. I love the genre, but I couldn't recommend this title to anyone.

One Piece: Burning Blood is enjoyable even for those unfamiliar with the anime, but the game is at its best for those who already have some knowledge of the story's events.

If you look past the frustration, though, Feist is a commendable title for someone who is after a simple story and simple gameplay.

NASCAR HEAT 2 is packed full of content for the fans and to get the most out of it, you really need to be a fan of the motorsport. The visuals are the weakest link and are the only thing to really complain about. Underneath, there is a solid racing title that is good fun especially when racing in the pack surrounded by other cars. Monster Games has done well to capture all of the glamour of the sport whilst keeping it authentic at the same time. For those looking for more diverse disciplines in their racing, other titles will be better suited, but for NASCAR fans it's a great title that pays homage to the sport.

Cars 3: Driven to Win is a competent kart racer that is accessible to players of all skill levels. There’s plenty of content on offer and the pleasant art style, cast of characters and location will keep fans of the films entertained for quite a few hours. It doesn’t do anything new to reinvent the genre and is lacking in a number of areas, but what is there is decent and that’s more than can be said for a lot of movie tie-ins. As a full priced title Cars 3: Driven to Win is hard to recommend to anyone except the biggest fans of the franchise, but for anyone else looking for a new kart racer to sink their teeth into, it might be worthy of your time once it hits a more realistic price point.

Zombie Vikings takes an interesting premise and a beautiful art style and squanders them alongside a bulk of other issues. Bugs that should've long ago been patched out before migrating to Xbox, a sense of humor that only induces cringe, and a campaign that overstays its welcome and rewards button-mashing come together to form something fittingly brainless. Minimal simple pleasures might be found here if you and a few friends are looking for just another co-op game, but even then there must be others you haven't yet played that more often reward you in nearly every way.

If you’re looking for a standard Japanese shmup, Defenders of Ekron is going to disappoint, but this Chilean gem offers a nuanced level design that allows it to excel, becoming far better than most of its contemporaries through a revolving door of fun, challenging encounters and enough content to leave you more than content. Sure, it’s full of awful anime tropes that make you resent every story section, and it’s got some game design systems that actively hinder your enjoyment, but those negatives aren’t nearly enough to weigh down the game.

The developers have done a great job in creating a tense adventure and if you're simply curious in seeing what it's like to play a live-action game, or if you're up for a little atmosphere in your next title, then The Bunker is certainly worth the trip.

Mount & Blade: Warband features some innovative ideas that many other games in the genre haven't explored. The focus on the political nature of warring countries as well as the actual combat gives players multiple ways to play. It is unfortunate that many of these features are left largely unexplained, though, and they require more than a small amount of trial and error to figure out exactly how to proceed. The steep learning curve and low production values may put many people off, although its open-endedness offers players far more replayability than many other games in the genre.

While the novelty is good for a few laughs, once that wears off, I Am Bread is a loaf of sourdough that's nine parts frustrating and one part fun.