For Honor's learning curve can be punishing at first, but if you're willing to stay the course and invest some time into understanding the nuances of its deep combat system, you will begin to appreciate how exciting and truly addictive the "Art of Battle" can be.

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

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.

Life Is Strange: Before The Storm may well take place before the literal storm but that doesn't mean that events run smoothly. Chloe is struggling to come to terms with the events of the last couple of years, but her burgeoning relationship with Rachel Amber looks set to change all that. When it comes to moral decisions, the options may not always make sense with Chloe and some awkwardness can ensue, but this is a minor issue in an otherwise solid episode, especially when the new BackTalk mechanic is very fitting and adds some realism to conversations. Depending on how much you like surprises, familiarity and prior knowledge from Life Is Strange can be either a blessing or a boon, but regardless of this, Chloe's new (old?) adventure looks to be a fascinating storyline to follow into the remaining two episodes.

In an age of remasters that don't always feel earned, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is one for which fans have been rightfully clamoring. Vicarious Visions' recreations are simply stunning. The nostalgia overflows from this collection for those that played them so many years ago, and if you're new to the series, they mostly still hold up today.

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

Torment is a game for anyone who's a fan of a good book, an epic tale, or that simply wants a fresh take on RPGs that consoles have never seen. It may not be a great novel, but it's certainly a very good one.

Despite showing its age in occasional places, the purity and simplicity of Burnout's arcade racing is as refreshing now as it was when the title was first released. Its world may not be as expansive or as good looking as some of today's titles, but its racing experience is still up there with the best and arguably superior to some modern-day counterparts.

Creative Assembly has taken the groundwork set out by Ensemble’s Halo Wars and improved on some of the areas that were lacking in the original, all while still keeping the game accessible and easily playable using a controller. It feels as if the campaign has been released in an unfinished state, but it still offers a decent amount of action and a compelling story. The relatively low number of missions, the unsatisfying conclusion and the fact that 343 Industries and Creative Assembly have already announced that campaign DLC will be coming in the near future can't help but leave a bitter taste in the mouth. The new Blitz mode adds a different approach to the RTS combat to which we have become accustomed, and the shorter, more action-oriented, matches give newcomers and veterans alike something into which to sink their teeth.

Overall, A Walk in the Park is easy to recommend — if you liked The Surge and you want more of it, that’s what you’ll get here and you’re in for a great time at the theme park. If you couldn’t get over the issues in The Surge then there’s nothing here that’s going to change your mind.

World To The West is a 'Sunday stroll' type of game. It's pleasant and enjoyable without being too taxing or stressful for the player. It's all well presented with a fun soundtrack playing in the background and the puzzle elements are challenging without becoming overly complex. In short, this is a well presented and a well crafted little puzzle-adventure if you can accept the necessary back-tracking as part of the overall puzzle. It may well be a little too straightforward for hardcore fans of the genre, but for most it will be an entertaining little diversion.

Mantis Burn Racing is trying to be nothing more than a fun, top down arcade racer and it easily succeeds in this.

Fortunately for players old and new, Clem remains a crucial part of the story while Javi has given the series a fantastic new protagonist. If "Ties That Bind" is any indication of the level of acting, pacing, and writing to be seen this season, fans can rest assured that The Walking Dead will remain high atop their must-play lists.

Whilst the days can get a little repetitive and boring if you have to catch up on sleep and not much else, the game challenges you, your morals and your survival instincts against the backdrop of the serious subject of war.

There have been much shorter and less polished games for the price point of £15.99/$19.99, so even though it's not exceptionally long, the quality easily counteracts this. If you're after an enthralling experience, horror fan or not, Layers of Fear is a great way to satisfy the itch.

Tell Me Why has an engaging narrative that will keep you glued until the end. Although it's not as emotional an experience as the Life is Strange series, there's more than enough there for you to care about the character's outcomes and work towards a good ending. The memory mechanic provides for some tough decision making, and the light puzzles break up the heavy dialogue and exploration, which makes for a satisfying gameplay experience. It's just a shame that Tell Me Why is dragged down somewhat by poor facial animations and some shaky voice acting at times, but if you can get past that, there's an intense and enjoyable story here that's been crafted and handled well on several different fronts.

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

If you're looking for a game like Borderlands to play with friends on a modern console, you'll find that Shadow Warrior 2 is an excellent game that is more than worthy of your time.

Overall, despite the bugs, it's an enjoyable experience that requires the player to stay on his or her toes while keeping the crystal's light alive.

Yonder is the type of game I wish we had a lot more of on Xbox. Its quaint and relaxed nature is a breath of fresh air and an easy recommendation for families playing together. While its more structured story leaves less post-game life to live compared to its genre counterparts, it also manages to find a comfy middle ground between simplicity and depth. It's approachable, adorable, and sows the seeds of happiness in its characters and players alike.

Candleman is a great platformer with beautifully rendered graphics and wonderful attention to detail.

With a short completion, excellent main characters, and good production values, the highs reach far higher than the lows. It’s an altogether lovely experience, especially if you have siblings to relate to, and it stands clearly among the better adventure games available on Xbox One. The only issue is its cost. This is a game that would firmly benefit from a sale, so I suggest you keep your eyes out because you won’t want to miss this memorable experience.

If "Ties That Bind" is any indication of the level of acting, pacing, and writing to be seen this season, fans can rest assured that The Walking Dead will remain high atop their must-play lists.

Thankfully, even as some features are conspicuously absent, nothing else in Battlefield V feels rushed. It's a smooth experience, offering yet another audiovisual master class, and regularly delivers a true sense of spectacle in a way that other console shooters simply can't match.

Ashen is a soulslike, but to call it a clone would be a betrayal of the awesome job A44 have with their debut project. It manages to stand on its own thanks to rewarding exploration, deep combat systems, and an audiovisual experience that masterfully builds atmosphere. You'll see the game over screen often in the game, but you'll keep coming back and fighting again because Ashen never ceases to reward your victories with a world of stones begging to be overturned.

We're off and running with Episode 2 of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series. What we're running toward isn't quite certain yet, but Telltale seems to want to take us on a ride to get to know each of the members of the team better. The dialogue in Under Pressure is much better than Tangled Up In Blue, but other aspects of the game are struggling, such as the unfitting implementation of the Telltale formula. All in all it's a solid episode that feels decidedly rushed in the end — Rocket Raccoon's story is compelling, but it seems like the developer forgot they need to carry the main plot forward too, and left us on a massive cliffhanger to make up for it.

The Pillars of the Earth isn't your typical video game; it's an interactive novel that weaves a rich and intriguing story. Developer Daedalic Entertainment has cast aside annoying gameplay tropes often found in point-and-clicks to create an experience that allows the player to focus solely on the narrative. Aside from occasional pathing problems, there isn't much to complain about here. They've gone to great lengths to give Pillars the beautiful presentation it deserves, creating a rich world and atmosphere. Each background is painstakingly hand-drawn and every line has been given life through voice acting. Only the first of three episodes has been released, and if the other two carry on in the same tune, there are more good things on the horizon for both diehard Pillars of the Earth fans and newcomers looking for a well-told tale.

Where Q.U.B.E. was enjoyable but a bit simplistic, Q.U.B.E. 2 really excels. The story is engaging and the puzzles themselves have been improved dramatically from the first game, with new elements being introduced on top of the already great puzzle mechanics. Nothing ever feels too hard or out of reach and you'll find yourself in the mindset of completing just one more puzzle before you call it a day. Q.U.B.E. 2 is a must-play for any fan of the first game or puzzlers in general.