Mugsters is a game that contains a good amount of entertainment, and the short length allows for some quick, explosion-based enjoyment. Nonetheless, every so often, the good times can be diminished by small irritants and annoyances that begin to add up. Most of the game will see you repeating the same tasks over and over again with a few tweaks and changes.

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.

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.

If you're a fan of simulations, Prison Architect is one of the best there is.

While the game sorely lacks a decent story to match its competitors, METRICO+ is still a decent puzzle platformer at its core. Fans of Braid will feel at home with its complexity and innovation, often requiring a similar level of spatial awareness and movement conservation to get through a stage. It manages to balance on the fine line between being too simple and too difficult, only occasionally driving players to frustration due to a lack of contextual instructions.

With throwback games being all the rage in independent development, many developers have chosen to go the 8/16-bit, pixelated, "ain't this cute?" route to tap into nostalgia while bringing along more modern systems and mechanics. Chime Sharp goes the opposite route; it may look like a modern game, but it feels like an older game in the best ways possible. With its highly accessible gameplay style and a difficult-to-master level of play, Chime Sharp is an easy endorsement for virtually all gamers.

It pains me to have to score Rematch so low. As an online action game fan, my heart was an open goal here. However, a rushed launch has led to a mountain of problems that make this a recommendation only for Game Pass subscribers. Do not spend money on this game in this state. My hope is that we can revise this score at a later date, should Sloclap address the issues.

Echo Generation is a gorgeous turn-based adventure game with an awesome retro vibe. It doesn’t always live up to the adventure it promises, with combat sometimes feeling too lengthy or repetitive, and it’s not always clear what you should be doing, but if you’re browsing that Xbox Game Pass library and wondering what to try next, or if you’re looking for something that captures that sense of childhood adventure, you should give Echo Generation a try.

The game is a fun, pretty experience with only occasional frustration resulting from finding oneself running around in circles. Seasons after Fall is a rare treat that shouldn't be missed.

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.

Adventure fans shouldn't pass up the chance of another easy completion even if it involves two playthroughs instead of one. For those who don't normally play this type of game, Grim Legends, or any Artifex Mundi game for that matter, continues to be a great starting point for their entry into the genre.

Onimusha: Warlords wasn’t revolutionary when it launched in 2001, but it was certainly good and time has been kind to it. This remaster offers a fresh overhaul of the game’s visuals and gameplay that make it feel accessible and enjoyable for a modern audience. The gameplay itself holds up quite well despite lacking the depth some other action titles have, with a variety of enemies and weapons to fight and wield. The story is horrendous and the camera can be difficult, but exploring the world has a nice flow to it that alleviates some of that. Onimusha isn’t a 2019 classic, but it has earned its place as a 2001 classic that’s still more than worth playing today if you’re in the market for good games from bygone eras.

A solid racing game that offers more content than any of the previous releases in the series. The single-player offering is vastly improved thanks to a much deeper, personal and varied career mode, and the introduction of the Valentino Rossi experience which gives players a genuine insight into one of the sport’s most iconic riders. It’s just a shame that the game’s engine can’t quite can’t quite keep up the pace with all of Milestone’s other improvements.

A Hat In Time is a game that is proud to wear its influences on its sleeve and largely does them justice. The 3D platformer features a quirky story, diverse and memorable levels, interesting well-voiced characters, and collectibles that actually have a point. The platforming is responsive and the difficulty scales appropriately on the whole, but the game is let down by camera issues — clipping through objects, zooming in at inappropriate times, and shaking all contribute to unfair deaths for the player, often at the worst possible moment. There's something here for players of all abilities and most will be able to look past its faults for another enjoyable completion.

88 Heroes is a game that tells the same old saving the earth story but in a unique way. With 88 heroes on offer here, each time you play the game you'll get something different, be it good or bad. The 88 levels themselves are quite short but are more than challenging enough, especially as you get nearer the end. Unfortunately, some of the heroes are literally useless and make it almost impossible to get through the level without them facing an untimely death. Aside from that, and a few control issues, the game is 88 kinds of fun and offers plenty of replayability if you want to earn all of the achievements.

A satisfactory launchpad for the rest of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series. So far the game has a distinct identity chock-full of cheesy dialogue, catchy tunes and badass superheroes, although moments of seriousness and sadness that seem to come out of nowhere don't fit in. There is no prerequisite that you have prior knowledge of the franchise, so feel free to just dive right in regardless of whether you're a newcomer or a die-hard fan. However, it's a Telltale game so be ready for all of the usual culprits of their aging engine, like awkward walking animations and some hiccuping and freezing.

Masters of Anima is an excellent game that serves as conclusive proof that Pikmin’s legacy is alive and relevant today as much as it ever was. The game’s foundation is its characters who are humorous and lovable throughout the adventure, with exceptional dialogue and voice acting to back them up. The world itself is lacking a bit in visual variety but it makes up for it in level design, which features linearity combined with a reward for off the beaten path exploration.

Aside from the pacing, the episode is let down by a variety of technical issues which add a layer of frustration and detract from the experience. Fortunately we can see that the pace of Episode 3 is likely to pick up, and hopefully that finally reaches the potential this story is promising.

If you're looking for a game like Dark Souls, you should absolutely buy this immediately. It may not convert those who didn't already love that style of gameplay, but it's giving more of that style of content with its own unique twists that make it a worthy entry in the genre.

Snake Pass is a real gem in the ID@Xbox program and you can almost sense this as soon as you start up the game. The bright colours and upbeat jungle soundtrack jump right out at you and Noodle feels like such a likeable character, without him ever saying a word. The levels are short but substantial — they feel really well designed, with a good amount of obstacles and collectibles that don't feel overwhelming. Your time with Noodle and Doodle might be a bit short, and some of the camera angles will really have you struggling, but overall it's a fun and exciting experience that you shouldn't misssssssss.

Saturday Morning RPG's welcome nostalgia trip to the eighties provides five fun episodes and two bonus modes for its players to sink their teeth into. Although its combat eventually grows tiresome and its quests verge on lackluster, the well-written dialogue, outstanding music, constant infusions of humor, and nonstop pop culture nods keep it from feeling like it overstays its welcome.

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.

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.

LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 is a testament of how far TT Games has come in perfecting the LEGO formula. From tiny hubs focusing on story completion, we now have a gigantic and diverse open world to explore as we see fit. Chronopolis is great fun and uncovering all of its secrets is a hugely entertaining and rewarding experience. The wide range of characters and story levels help to keep that exploration fresh, but unfortunately a few problems with glitches and controls hold it back. Nonetheless, comic-book fan or LEGO fan, this is a title that will no doubt satiate your appetite for some superhero goodness.

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!

The Fall Part 2: Unbound manages to improve on the first game in most ways. Intertwining ARID's story with others is a smart move for the sequel, and each host serves as their own character with their own story to tell. A lot of the improvements come with ARID herself, with extra combat and movement abilities making for much smoother gameplay. The puzzles are genuinely tricky, maybe a little too tricky towards the end, and the lack of hand-holding may mean a few head-scratcher moments. Aside from these small issues, Unbound is an excellent continuation of The Fall and sets up for an exciting trilogy finale.

At the end of the day, this title is a satisfactory end to the Enigmatis story arc, and it's concluded in a satisfactory manner with no loose ends left behind.

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.