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.

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

As a vessel to transport fans of the series back through its many stories, World of Final Fantasy Maxima is an unqualified success. The game is filled with old friends to meet and side content to play through with them, but it's also completely accessible as an entry point into the series for new players thanks to a forgiving combat system and a story with great humor and characters. The combat can be a bit easy, and there's not a ton of side content to keep you busy, but these drawbacks are far outweighed by the special experience of playing through the story and getting invested in the world. If you come into this with eyes wide open regarding the combat, there's plenty to find and enjoy in this world.

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

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

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.

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.

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

Combat in this instalment is far more fluid and exciting, characters are unique in design and there are plenty of abilities spread throughout.

While the gameplay and storyline certainly aren't lacking and will likely keep Gears fans amused, The Coalition seems reluctant to let the past go and to move on. Away from the campaign, there are tweaks to competitive multiplayer that include a couple of new game modes, but the real focus of the title is the improved Horde mode.

Little Nightmares is a pick for Game of the Year right now and its first DLC chapter, The Depths, enjoyably builds on the intoxicating and mysterious mythos of The Maw. It doesn't resolve the long loading times seen in the full game and it's admittedly a brief stay, clocking in at just an hour of play time. Still, because of its world-building and new unsettling villain bolstering the gallery of the grotesque, The Depths returns to the surface all the reasons to love Little Nightmares.

Worms W.M.D continues to deliver exactly what we have come to expect from the series and fans will not be disappointed.

Considering the combination of the two genres that make up the game, Crypt Of The NecroDancer will certainly not be for everyone. With a great and varied soundtrack, there's at least one choice to suit your tastes. The gratifying gameplay offers a real feeling that it is the player's skill that has persevered over all obstacles and there are plenty of modes to occupy your time. The punishing difficulty may put off newcomers to the genre, but those who enjoy rhythm games or roguelikes may well find a new obsession here... just be ready to die a lot.

Sublevel Zero Redux is one of the standout shooters in the indie scene. Fusing "six degrees of freedom" shooting with permadeath, procedural generation, and crafting makes for a tense and unpredictable adventure each time you play. The rogue-like elements are enhanced by the tension of a traditional corridor first-person shooter, though it might feel a little simplistic to genre veterans. Some odd design decisions are a little frustrating, especially when they conspire against you in the game's more intense moments. If you can see past the game's hiccups, you will find a compelling and unusual experience that teases you into one last try with every Game Over.

If you're returning to Stoic's Saga then it's more of what you enjoyed, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you're a fan of the genre and new to the series, The Banner Saga 2 is absolutely worth your time, just make time for its predecessor first.

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

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.

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.

F1 2016 clearly shows that Codemasters are heading back towards the finest installments of the franchise.

Telltale is the master of the season debut. They've been building fantastic first episodes for years now. From there, their games have gone in all sorts of directions. Sometimes they've stayed superb, while other times they've fizzled out. The first episode of Batman: The Enemy Within is yet another great debut that does most of the things you'd want it to do. Fans of the last season or the hero in general will no doubt enjoy this first of five episodes. Some part of us can't help but worry that this one will follow too closely in the footsteps of its predecessor, which would mean it won't end as impressively as it has begun. Still, we're choosing to remain optimistic.

The high-octane action is constantly intense. It looks and sounds stunning, especially on the Xbox One X, and it's easy to pick up and play initially but has an added layer of depth thanks to its class-based gameplay that will make it hard to truly master. If you're looking for a standard arcade racer to play alone, it's probably not for you, but if you're looking for something different and have a few friends willing to team up, ONRUSH feels wholly new and chaotically fun.

Bulletstorm is still as good as it ever was. It's fast, fluid, highly vulgar, and incredibly addictive. In a world of hyper-serious shooters, Bulletstorm stands out as an oasis of non-serious fun and is head-and-shoulders above its competition... Duke included. Fans of shooters who missed out in 2011 are highly encouraged to pick up this remaster as it is going to be the best way to play through the exploits of Grayson, Ishi, and Trishka. That being said, if you've already played the original and aren't aching to be knee deep in viscera and vulgarity, there's not a lot here to encourage a second go, especially at the current price point. We wanted more and the post-credits stinger does a nice job of setting up a potential sequel. Here's to hoping that we get another round of nom juice and some more taints to shoot.

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

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

Table Top Racing: World Tour dares to be familiar, which could've been a deathwish. Instead, competitive gameplay, fun cars, adjustable tracks, and an enticing unlock system make the total package something greater than the sum of its common parts. Speeding around colorful tracks launching missiles, dodging oil slicks, and earning coins is something we've seen countless times in the past, but TTR gets most of it right so it still feels like a race worth winning.

Ultimately, this is one of those rare games that really is exactly what it looks like. It's an indie platformer with plenty of heart and a challenge worth staying for.

Episode 3 - Hell Is Empty brings Life Is Strange: Before The Storm to its conclusion, resolving the story of not just Chloe and Rachel but also that of many other characters. Unfortunately some of the story points seem rushed to conclusion, likely a result of trying to tell a story in three episodes instead of five, and Chloe's backtalk mechanic is still criminally underused. On the other hand, there are improvements to the puzzles in this episode. Along the way, players will make many decisions, some far easier than others, all of which have some effect on the story to truly make it a tale of your own creation. Some players may well prefer Max and her powers to the more grounded story of Chloe, but the prequel is still a worthwhile journey through Arcadia Bay and an appropriate telling of the events before Max returned to the area.

Amnesia: Collection groups one exceptional must-play horror game with two good ones in a trilogy that is well worth the time of any horror fan. Each game shares certain qualities, like fantastic audio design and atmosphere. Where they're different, it's sometimes for the better like A Machine for Pigs series-best ending, and sometimes for the worse, like much else in the same sequel. It's long overdue for Xbox players to finally get a chance to experience Frictional's seminal defenseless horror series.