With The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle, ZeniMax Online Studios proves it can deliver a solid story without invoking massive, world-altering threats. The coastal regions and Feudal Breton society of the Systres Archipelago are compelling to explore, even if this chapter doesn't go as far in on some of the details as I'd have liked.

After sinking my teeth into this game for over 100 hours, I confidently say that not only has Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak fixed all my problems with the original base game, it is now one of my new favorite games in the whole Monster Hunter series.

With loads of easter eggs and nods to genre-defining classics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is the ultimate throwback for fans of TMNT: Turtles in Time and the TMNT arcade game. Additionally, a host of critical gameplay enhancements amplify the appeal for a modern audience.

The Quarry elevates the blueprint popularized by previous titles like Until Dawn while showcasing gorgeous visuals, fantastic character performances, and an engaging overarching narrative. This is a well-crafted modern love letter to classic campy horror.

Sniper Elite 5 takes the foundation of the of the familiar franchise and builds upon it with improvements to world design, historical accuracy, and accessibility.

Solo players will likely be disappointed by the content offered here, but if you have a squad of dedicated friends who enjoy sinking their teeth into class-based meta, there’s so much to love with this gory, campy, and mesmerizing video game.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a promising taste of what players can expect from the visual presentation of this captivating franchise. What it's lacking in enemy variety and mission diversity, it makes up for in style and flashy combat.

Achievement hunters and completionists may find Trek to Yomi more daunting with its multiple playthrough requirements and the cursed decision to forego a chapter select feature. The majority of the game's challenges come from completing boss encounters without taking any damage, and failing to do so means rerunning the entire campaign or manipulating cloud saves to try again, which simply feels like forced padding of otherwise solid gameplay.

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe expertly expands the original critically acclaimed narrative adventure with hours of brilliantly written new content and a lot more of Kevan Brighting's incredible narration. Even if you played the original, you shouldn't miss this updated version.

MLB The Show 22 continues to improve in small, key ways, and with major changes to some of the biggest modes in the game, it's another great entry in the series.

If you're a fan of the Star Wars series you will love the humorous twist LEGO puts on your favorite characters from another Galaxy far far away. All nine movies are in the game and you can play any trilogy in any order. Plus, the game offers plenty of replay value to keep you entertained for hours.

Weird West's astounding world-building and intriguing singleplayer campaign are worth the cost of entry on their own, but the game's lackluster technical performance and polish are huge negatives that prevent it from achieving greatness.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands takes the classic Borderlands formula and puts its own spin on it in a mostly successful attempt to blend fantasy and sci-fi. Though the ending didn't land as well as it could have, the entire journey is well worth playing.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is an intriguing investigative thriller where players weave elemental magic against angry apparitions in a Tokyo-inspired limbo spirit world.

With some updates to the game's loot system and improvements to performance, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin has the potential to be a worthwhile action RPG for diehard Final Fantasy fans. However, there are just way too many things this game doesn't get right. It certainly isn't one of the best RPGs on Xbox, but if you have a few dedicated friends willing to endure this adventure via online co-op, you can undoubtedly share in a few great laughs. Still, I can't recommend Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin for anyone interested in a serious Final Fantasy story.

Shredders is a fun, straightforward dive into the world of snowboarding, with mostly great controls and movements, and plenty of real-world influences. Some rough edges and often poor performance are all that hold this title back.

Tunic's world is as mysterious as it is beautiful. The world is a treasure trove of puzzles to solve coupled with a myriad of bosses determined to test your fortitude.

WWE 2K22 adds some big improvements to core functions like gameplay and combat, while also introducing new modes like MyGM that make the game feel much fresher. Add to that a big graphical overhaul, and WWE 2K22 is a major step forward for this franchise.

FAR: Changing Tides is the follow-up to FAR: Lone Sails, following a little boy named Toe as he leaves his home in a makeshift boat after an unseen apocalyptic event. There is no dialogue or combat, leaving all of FAR's storytelling to be interpreted by the player as they solve puzzles to overcome obstacles on their travels.

he Witch Queen offers Destiny 2's best campaign to date, an exciting new weapon archetype in the Glaive, and takes its first steps in revitalizing the Light Subclasses in line with Beyond Light's Stasis Subclass with Void 3.0. It also adds the enticing prospect of weapon crafting, which is unfortunately hampered by extremely grind-y requirements to truly experience the most weapon crafting has to offer as well as a raid that could be the most convoluted yet.

Miyazaki and company have delivered a fantasy epic that viciously scrapes and claws its way into the pantheon of unforgettably important video games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Elden Ring is FromSoftware's most remarkable work so far and stands confidently as one of the greatest RPGs of all time.

New features, factions, and gameplay options make Total War: Warhammer 3 a must-play strategy game. Lacking blood at launch was expected, but still disappointing.

Hints of a solid, finished shooter shine in CrossfireX at times, but at the end of the day, all you're getting is a short, average campaign and a multiplayer experience that lacks content and feels torn between two worlds.

Initially, I was concerned Dying Light 2 wouldn't find its own voice in a world crammed with shallow open worlds designed for busy work rather than fun, but the more I played, the more I found that wasn't the case. Dying Light 2 truly shines with its high-stakes nighttime gameplay, which turns the modern and tired open-world formula on its head. While some of the writing isn't the best and next-gen console performance is a bit disappointing, Dying Light 2 offers a tight experience that builds on the original.

Please, Touch the Artwork is a subversive, heartfelt, and cheeky love letter to modern art and minimalism.

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is a fantastic expansion that pays homage to the series' legacy and is a beautiful send-off to a ten-year-long story arc. The plot me had engaged throughout its entirety, the characters are memorable, and the new dungeons and Trials are satisfying to conquer. While some Job changes could be improved with future patches, many of them are welcome additions to the game.

With excellent gunplay, awesome destructibility, a huge roster of playable characters, and a suite of well-designed stages, this experimental entry in the long-running military shooter franchise checks many of the right boxes.

Nobody Saves the World is a humorous romp through a 2D world where the hero is little more than a pale, pantsless shell that players can magically transform into a colorful cast of characters. RPG elements let players customize the experience even further as they rack up a body count of baddies.

You already know God of War is hailed as a masterpiece, with top-shelf acting and writing, next-level art direction, and varied and satisfying combat. A question emerges of any console to PC port: Is it faithful to the platform? That answer is a resounding yes.

Overall, the PC port of Monster Hunter Rise is superior to the Nintendo Switch version, thanks to the PC enhancements. It has some of the best combat mechanics in the Monster Hunter series, the new monsters are an absolute delight to hunt, and the improved frame rate and resolutions enrich the hunting experience. It does have a couple of flaws, but they are minor issues in the grand scheme of things.

Farming Simulator 22 manages to scratch the itch of any hardcore simulator fan looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life for some time in an idyllic rural setting where they can raise livestock and produce. The mechanics can be a little convoluted for new players, but online multiplayer and a robust modding community can help anybody become an experienced farmhand.

The Gunk is a satisfying puzzle-adventure game where two down-on-their-luck space scrappers must help save an alien planet from a destructive black goo. The combat in The Gunk does feel frustratingly underbaked, but solid story pacing and excellent puzzle challenges help overshadow the struggle.

Halo Infinite is a phenomenal game that completely exceeded my expectations. By seamlessly blending exciting new elements with Halo's traditional formula, 343 Industries has crafted its magnun opus.

Football Manager may be an annual release, but Sports Interactive continues to find ways to improve the best footy management sim out there. This is the installment to get back into the swing of things.

Battlefield 2042 has a strong core and has the potential to be one of the best games in the series. However, balancing quirks, performance issues, and some fundamental design decisions are holding it back from true greatness.

Call of Duty: Vanguard's campaign and multiplayer are serviceable enough, but nothing exceptional for the series, while Zombies is disappointingly limited in scope and ideas.

Forza Horizon 5 is the culmination of all of Playground Games' efforts to perfect its craft, and the result is the best open-world racing game you can play. It combines the most beloved parts of Forza Horizon 3 and 4 into one ultimate racer.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water suffers from some dated design decisions and redundancies in level design, but the unique combat and evocative environments make this a worthwhile adventure for horror fans.

Guardians of the Galaxy looks good, sounds great, plays well, and above all else, is an authentic experience based on Marvel's misfits.

Age of Empires 4 builds greatly on the series' reputation that began in 1997. If you're a fan of RTS games, world history, or both, this should be an easy recommendation. With dozens of hours of campaign play, eight unique civilizations, hours of live docu-style video segments, and a ton of maps for skirmishes, there's no shortage of well-polished content to enjoy.

If you're a fan old school RPGs with unconventional gameplay, I would recommend Echo Generation. If you didn't grow up with those sorts of games but enjoy mysteries involving cosmic horrors like Stranger Things and Gravity Falls, I would also recommend this title. It's certainly a worthy addition to the Xbox's extensive library of great JRPG-styled indie games.

New World is one of the most beginner-friendly MMOs available, but its lacking quests and PvE makes me worried about the future. The PvP, however, is a blast.

Lone Echo II is a pristine example of how a sequel can be better than the original in every way. More mature and varied gameplay elements, impressive graphics, and a story that wouldn't feel out of the place in a novel make this the must-have swan song of the Rift platform.

Despite a few shortcomings, Back 4 Blood is nevertheless an excellent and fresh take on the beloved Left 4 Dead formula.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is brimming with fantastic characters, fun combat, and legitimate potential. However, limited content and a laundry list of bugs keep it from thriving as a platform fighter right now.

FIFA 22 adds some big improvements to the way the game functions, and better yet, makes the game feel even better as you play. Add to that some big changes to modes like Career Mode, and FIFA 22 is a huge improvement from past entries.

Astria Ascending's 2D puzzle platforming blended with turn-based combat and stunning art style does all the heavy lifting to keep players interested as the game's writing feels a bit generic.

Far Cry 6 is like Far Cry 5, 4, and 3. Despite an incredible performance from Giancarlo Esposito of Breaking Bad fame, there's very little new or fresh about this latest sandbox shooter.

Alan Wake Remastered compiles a polished compilation of the original game and its DLC. A few more extras would've been nice but this is the best way to play through Remedy's horror adventure.

With its striking art direction, haunting soundtrack and focus on exploration, Sable is a great journey about understanding yourself. Frequent stuttering and some bugs bring the experience down though.

Lost Judgment is a great mystery game with the signature Yakuza flair. If you're a fan, or even if you're not, you'll have a fun time with this game despite its dark subject matter.

Bottom line: Aragami 2 is a fun stealth-action game armed with an abundant variety of ninja killing skills and tools which are sure to please fans of the genre, especially in co-op. However, the monotonous missions, low-production quality cutscenes, and slightly clunky combat system may cause a modicum of annoyance for some.

If you've ever desired to roleplay as a variety of avian creatures with a tendency to pull off sick tricks on four-wheeled boards, then SkateBIRD is basically your only option. This cute indie game successfully delivers a goofy skateboarding experience most of the time, but annoying and plain inconsistent movement as well as some boring level design prevent SkateBIRD from being great.

Deathloop is one of Arkane's finest games yet, featuring incredible gameplay, excellent levels, tons of charm, and writing that's sure to bring a smile to your face. Watch out for the overly demanding specs and the occasional performance dip on PC, though.

Lost in Random is all about randomness, and while that idea doesn't go far enough in some cases, the game is still a great coming-of-age tale with tons of laughs and tension.

Tales of Arise sets a new gold standard for traditional action JRPGs. This stylized adventure's presentation and lavish production is a treat for anime fans and RPG enthusiasts, and it brings new life to the long-running Tales series.

The Artful Escape has been in the works since around 2015, and the effort shows. The game is precise in what it wants to portray and doesn't overstay its welcome. It tells a contained story about one guy, his famous uncle, and the whole of the cosmos, and does it well. It's also a story about the power of music, the art of creating, and the journey to becoming your true self. You can take what you want from it, make it one of your best comfort games if you want, but at the very least, it's a cool game to look at. It'll look great as one of the best Xbox games joining Xbox Game Pass this month.

Life is Strange: True Colors struggles to justify some of its earlier chapters, but makes up for it with strong characters and a fun LARP session to mix up the gameplay. Though it doesn't quite live up to the mystery and intrigue of the original game, True Colors still shines on its own.

The Big Con delivers a heartwarming story set in an iconic time period filled with beautiful characters and stunning environments.

From its distinctive art style to its decently fleshed-out world, Kitaria Fables is as cute as they come and filled with its own personal brand of charm. However, surprisingly engrossing combat and a stable experience don't cover the myriad of strange game design decisions that cause Kitaria Fables to move at glacial pace.

FUGA: Melodies of Steel cuts through the bleakness of its setting with heartwarming characters and childlike optimism, although its punishing turn-based tactical play may force you into gut-wrenching perma-death situations. FUGA is an underrated gem, and deserves the attention of JRPG fans everywhere.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite does the franchise justice by delivering an addictive co-op shooter set in iconic locations from the films.

Psychonauts 2 is a fantastic love letter to fans of the original Psychonauts and 3D platformers. If you're in the mood for a game that offers tons of laughs, thought-provoking storytelling, striking visuals, and fun gameplay, look no further than Psychonauts 2.

There's a lot to like in Twelve Minutes, but when you start to get into the puzzles at the core of the game, things begin to get bogged down.

Madden NFL 22 injects some much needed improvements into a series that was dangerously close to growing stale. Coupled with some big changes to core modes, Madden NFL 22 elevates itself into one of the best from the long-running series.

The Siege of Paris takes us to a brand-new location and brings back the wonderful black box assassination missions from Unity, but mostly fails to provide a compelling narrative to back that up. Like Wrath of the Druids before it, a few new gameplay mechanics don't prevent The Siege of Paris from being more of the same.

The Ascent is a solid evolution of the twin-stick formula, offering some of the most detailed and impressive visuals the gen has to offer so far. However, The Ascent needs a couple of polish passes as of writing, due to bugs and other glitches. Additionally, the game suffers from a lack of testing, with balance problems and structural issues that weaken the latter half of the game.

Despite the occasional framerate stutter and character pop in, Samurai Warriors 5 manages to be a solid hack and slash experience with an interesting — albeit slightly predictable — narrative.

Chernobylite's great survival horror gameplay, top-notch atmosphere, and excellent audiovisual presentation make it a must-play title for any fan of games like STALKER.

The Forgotten City is a fantastic entry in the oft-forgotten mystery-adventure genre, but a handful of flaws slightly detract from the experience.

Microsoft Flight Simulator expands to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S as a truly next-generation experience, presenting a technical showcase to flex these new systems. The title sports commendable optimizations on console and maintains solid performance, especially as a title reputable for pushing the best PC hardware out there. While Xbox Series X renders striking vistas with a 4K target, it's the Xbox Series S that takes the spotlight with incredible results on this $299 box. It's the toughest test yet on next-generation systems, but a slick port makes it snag-free.

Last Stop takes a lot of risks, and for the most part, it succeeds. It's a game about interconnectivity in a modern world, but a few flaws keep it from rising to the heights it wants to.

Death's Door is a near-flawless isometric action-adventure full of heart, humor, and honest-to-goodness combat excellence.

The only major flaws holding this game back are that there only two playable factions and only one faction gets their own single-player campaign. But aside from that, Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector is a great, addictive strategy game that wonderfully translates the rules and action of the tabletop into a video game format.

Bloodline represents Ubisoft going back to its roots on the Watch Dogs franchise, and your mileage will vary. Either way, it doesn't feel like a Legion DLC.

Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a fun, anime-inspired ride that gets better the further you delve in. It has a huge roster of Monsties to tame, a simple to learn but difficult to master combat system, and an insanely addictive Monstie development system.

Thanks to optional content warnings, heartwarming and separate Side Stories, and some collectibles, the game feels a little less gruesome and terrifying, but more whole. It feels more well rounded and complete in its message about relationships, mental illness, isolation, and guilt. Doki Doki Literature Club is a horror game first and foremost, and that hasn't changed, but its Plus version feels more steadfast in its messaging, making the game feel almost sadder and more beautiful. Sure, you might not be able to truly romance any of the actual literature club members in the end, but you'll have a lot to think about, whether you want to or not.

Scarlet Nexus looks and performs really well, especially on next-gen hardware, but its gameplay is noticeably last gen. While it doesn't do anything new, it also doesn't screw up the basics either and should please Xbox fans looking for an anime fix.

Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is a decent brawler if you're looking for casual fun while chatting with your friends on Discord. If you're expecting much depth from the plot or combat mechanics, you'll likely be disappointed.

Chivalry 2 is perfect for folks who want to have a chaotic good time and enjoy the fantasy of fighting in romanticized medieval battlefields. There are a couple of downsides, but it's still an amazing game that we can't recommend enough.

Guilty Gear -Strive- will impress longtime fans of the series and has made significant changes to lower the barrier of entry for newcomers, but there might not enough content for some.

Rust: Console Edition is ruthlessly challenging survival sandbox that can make even the most tedious task feel like a victory when properly executed. The console port is around three years behind its PC counterpart in updates, leading to poor quality that makes the struggles of an already unfair world feel exacerbated.

Biomutant has an interesting setting and world but is held back by technical issues, an unintuitive combat system, lack of proper characterization, and very repetitive missions.

Knockout City is a simple concept that feels great to play, both alone and with friends. It's the kind of live service game you dream of — one that's fun and fair, packed to the gills with unlockables, and thanks to its dedicated team, will only get better over time.

For being Valhalla's first big expansion, Wrath of the Druids plays it a little too safe but still delivers an exciting adventure in the end.

Resident Evil Village is one of the first games that feels truly "next-gen," with absolutely stunning tech bolstered by the industry-leading RE Engine. Stunning visuals, truly bizarre creatures, a memorable parade of eccentric characters, and truly satisfying gameplay make Resident Evil Village soar, even if a few quirks in the plot delivery deflate the spectacle. Resident Evil Village is a truly excellent game and one of the best entries in the legendary franchise. Long may it continue.

The game runs smooth as butter on the Xbox Series X, and loading times were almost nonexistent. The bump to 60 FPS also makes the game just feel so much smoother than its original PS4 incarnation.

A great addition to any city management gamer's library, Buildings Have Feelings Too! uses limited resources and space to craft complex puzzles wrapped up in a charming setting.

Rain on Your Parade is a fun and worthwhile title. It's a cheeky indie that pokes fun at video game classics while providing quite a few laughs. With a simple premise, silly characters, and a very low price, it is time well spent ruining everyone's day.

The NieR Replicant remake is an excellent action RPG with one of the best game stories ever and updated combat, but it's not without a few problems.

Spacebase Startopia is a great time if you like city sim resource management-based games, but unfortunately doesn't excel in any one area. Caution to those highly susceptible to motion sickness.

If you're willing to overlook some questionable design choices, there's plenty of fun to be had with Outriders. Despite its numerous flaws, Outriders manages to provide loads of incredible, over-the-top fun.

UI anomalies and enemy pathing issues aside, Evil Genius 2 is a deep and addictive simulation strategy game that will satisfy your inner desire to, you know, take over the world.

Yakuza 6: Song of Life is an excellent conclusion to Kazuma Kiryu's story while also improving and streamling the gameplay and exploration.

While the game's creativity shines in its beat-by-beat gameplay and level design, It Takes Two's selling point — its narrative — feels half-baked.

The final DLC for Doom Eternal was worth the wait, providing some gorgeous new locations and challenging fights worthy of concluding the Slayer's saga. However, they won't let you pilot the big mechs, and that's disappointing.

Whether this Viking simulator can differentiate itself from other survival games remains to be seen. However, as an early access game, it works well, and it's definitely worth a look, especially if you're a fan of Assassins Creed: Valhalla or the recent God of War reboot. [Early Access Impressions]

Little Nightmares II builds on its predecessor as a sequel should, expanding the scope of the universe both in terms of lore and mechanics. Little Nightmares II is one of 2021's first must-play titles.