Sniper Elite: Resistance is the meat and potatoes of Nazi-killing games, and that's okay. It doesn't, however, do anything at all to shake up the gameplay from Sniper Elite 5, apart from introducing us to yet another generic protagonist. If you're going to stick with the same old template for the main character's design, then just give us Karl back again.

Kudos to Do My Best. For a debut game, I'm very impressed by the level of quality and thought that has gone into The Final Station. While some may feel like pixel-art is overdone in general, I can't fault Do My Best for going down that route for their first game -- its simple design allows for a lot of creativity.

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.

Striking Distance Studios' debut title is a horror game that delivers a high-quality experience all the way through. It won't sway anyone new to scares and frights, but fans of the genre should make this a priority.

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

Madden NFL 23 is a step up from Madden NFL 22, which itself was a step up from its predecessor. This continues to show that EA Sports has found a groove for itself when it comes to updating the yearly sports title, and with some new changes to gameplay, Madden NFL 23 feels even more like a brand-new title than it has in perhaps a long time.

Planetbase proved an addictive little time waster for around five to 10 hours before I realized that there wasn't really much more to it than what I'd experienced in the first few hours...The game could have done with more dynamism and perhaps more customization, there are only three vanity buildings available, and the "upgrades" you get amount to color swaps and larger models, which gives it an unfortunate sense of grind.

The performance was solid throughout my testing, I had no issues with gameplay improvements and the graphics looked great. There were some pathfinding issues and units did enjoy clashing with one another, which made battle rather hectic, but the clunky controls and movement were among the things I loved most about the original.

If Deadlight: Directors Cut is the first time you've played, go for it. This atmospheric action platformer is still a great game despite its couple of flaws, and the new modes make for a longer and more difficult game if you choose it.

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.

If Golf Club 2 played like Mario Golf or other traditional golf games but had all the same features, I'd play it forever. But the golf mechanics here are an unforgiving and acquired taste, limiting the game's appeal. If you can handle the analog swinging and steep difficulty, this might be just the club for you.

While the gameplay and story of The Long Reach are lacking in a lot of ways, its look, sounds, and feel encapsulate the best of the horror genre. Therefore, I think it's a good game you shouldn't miss, despite the problems it has.

While Jurassic World Evolution has a great concept, it fails to achieve anything close to greatness once you get past the first day of gameplay. Excellent graphics and nostalgic euphoria can only carry a product so far.

Gear Gauntlet starts as a slow burner, and plays as though it suddenly got doused in gasoline.

A modest and enjoyable game, with a selection of great characters, and a storyline often giving pause for thought. Dex is a solid project, clearly put together with love. While its combat mechanic and hacking are lacking, the majority of the experience is deep and interesting.

While Sea of Thieves offers some unmissable fun you won't find elsewhere, the game currently struggles to justify its $59.99 price point at launch.

Ubisoft should be rewarded for its ambition, but ultimately ambition has translated into an overly busy experience that's got a little too much going on.

Shenmue III is a good game, but feels quite dated.

While both the difficulty and frame-rate issues hold Lichtspeer back from a perfect score, it's still a fantastic title that all indie players should play at least once.

If you're willing to adjust to the game's age (which Capcom fails to hide) Resident Evil Zero is a decent horror purchase for the patient and methodical gamer. If you're a long-time fan of the series, you'll enjoy what Zero represents. Besides cashing in, I like to think that Capcom is gauging interest in the classic formula and in that respect, Resident Evil Zero is a history lesson worth bringing back from the grave.

That familiarity with what's lacking is repeated throughout NASCAR Heat 5 in both good and bad ways. Sure, it's a yearly update and to expect too much would be foolish, but this game really feels like NASCAR Heat 4. In a good way, nothing got worse and long-term fans will be able to jump right in and have an enjoyable time. On the other hand...could this have just been a DLC for NASCAR Heat 4?

Once you're through the early stages and you have a little more openness on what you can build and where, there's a ton of enjoyment to be had. But all the while there's still some underlying linear aspects to the gameplay that keep you in check.

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.

Aside from the disappointing lack of playable characters, Raging Justice is an impressive blast from the past that puts a forgotten style of fighting game on center stage and shows why it's still fun all these years later. It's a fighting game you'll love.

While GRIP is very enjoyable and plays wonderfully in singleplayer, it falls apart the second you try to access the multiplayer. This effectively strips you of half of what the game has to offer, and it's hard to recommend buying while the game is in this state.

New Tales from the Borderlands is a solid narrative adventure game, but it fails to live up to the standards set by the original. Even though it has great gameplay systems and presentation, the story's disjointed structure, lack of adequate character development, and spotty comedic writing left me feeling disappointed.

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.

The WWE 2K series needs a comprehensive tutorial more than anything. Hopefully that's on the agenda for next year's game. WWE 2K17 has all the authenticity a wrestling fan could want – I just wish it would ease new players into the gameplay better.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood provides some fleeting $30 amusement, but it's such a step down from previous games that I can't help but wonder if there will be lasting damage to the Wolfenstein name.

Awkward movement controls always held the original game back, but now Rush plays great with a controller – and you can still use the Kinect if that's your thing. The sheer variety of franchises and gameplay make this a game that parents and Disney-loving gamers won't want to miss.

Dark Arcana: The Carnival is a simple, but fun game that plays to its strengths. With tons of different puzzles to keep you occupied and a story that is consistently interesting, it does a solid job of keeping you entertained. And it's a good choice for anyone who enjoys a brain workout.

Ubisoft promises Hyper Scape will shape "the future of battle royale," but as it stands, it's not as fun as it could be. Wonky weapon balancing and floaty combat steal the game's momentum and stop it from being a stand out in its genre.

Technomancer is a great RPG that isn't quite as good as it could be. The few small flaws that it has are outweighed by a fantastic story that will pull you in piece by piece. The story isn't something we've seen before, the gameplay is well done, and the graphics are all on spot.

The ease of being able to pick up and play Heart&Slash should be a huge deciding factor if you're thinking about purchasing it. It is brilliant for filling in time between mainstream title releases, if not a game worth picking up just for the hell of it.

Black the Fall might not hit the same level as the games it tries to emulate, but it does a damn good job of trying. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and found the puzzles to be varied enough to hold my attention, and difficult enough to be persistently rewarding.

With its interesting plot, unconventional setting, and mixture of physical combat, stealthy assassination, magic, and ranged attack abilities, as well as satisfying interactivity with the open world, Seven: The Days Long Gone is an excellent and ambitious isometric role-playing game you definitely shouldn't miss.

Black Forest Games did a fantastic job recreating the original Destroy All Humans, but its problems run deeper than superficial graphics. Its nostalgia and a few gameplay enhancements, while welcome, won't make this an adventure worth revisiting for most.

While Wartile is a gorgeous and beautifully sounding game, the lack of challenge or depth in its gameplay and the risk of severe crashing problems holds it back from being something greater.

NBA 2K24 is a great game that features some of the best features the franchise has had in years. A streamlined MyCareer mode, additions to MyNBA Eras, and more should make this a classic. However, microtransactions litter nearly every meaningful mode, ruining what would be a stellar entry.

Dear Ester, is in no uncertain terms, amazing. Its mysterious storytelling, haunting soundtrack and stunning visuals create an experience you won't want to wait to throw yourself back into.

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.

Atlas Fallen is an above-average action RPG with plenty of positive qualities. It’s fun to explore the gigantic open-world desert, the Wraiths are formidable and entertaining enemies to fight and the combat system is satisfying thanks to the risk-vs-reward Momentum Gauge mechanic. While the story is formulaic and some gameplay mechanics could use some ironing out, they don’t bog down the overall experience.

Serious Sam 4 fails to capture the spirit of older games and somehow manages to feel like a step back for the series. While there is a Serious Sam game here, it's wrapped in a shell marred by consistent visual and audio glitches, ugly graphics, and some seriously dated game design.

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.

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.

Marvel Heroes Omega is free to play. Want to grab a relatively affordable Founders Pack while they're still available? We recommend the Spider-Man Homecoming Founders Pack, which includes Spider-Man, two movie costumes, and other bonuses; or the Deadpool Founder's Pack with Deadpool, an extra costume, $5 of currency, and an XP boost. Both packs are $19.99 each.

Othercide could use some quality-of-life improvements, but this is one of the most stylish games I've played in years, complete with oppressive gameplay that is as thrilling as it is rewarding.

Everything is absolutely fantastic, and while in-game performance isn't perfect, it's hardly enough of a downside to affect my view of the game overall. Avalanche has truly brought the thunder.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is more of a live service than a standalone game, one that continues to recover from a catastrophic launch. It relies so heavily on streaming its assets and world textures from the cloud that it's plain to see how its offerings could disappear should the service ever shut down. Nonetheless, Asobo Studio's developers have worked tirelessly to recover this visually breathtaking but temperamental simulator into something that appeals to a broader audience rather than a tight-knit niche. It could become a category-leading example of post-launch improvements if it continues its upward trajectory, and I encourage everyone to try it at least once.

I found the screen lock and wrap mechanics repetitive at times, and I definitely wished for a story and greater meaning from the adventure. Still, considering the $9.99 price, puzzle platforming fans might still want to give this fantasy a shot.

Gravel is a lot of fun, offering an enjoyable arcade-racing experience with oodles of sideways flare. It's well presented and has plenty of appeal for fans of single-player games that just want something they can pick up and play without much of a learning curve...The lack of HDR is disappointing, but at least the Xbox One X has been considered, though personally I'd trade 4K support for 60 FPS every day.

This year's WWE game has a lot to love, from the huge roster to the revamped MyCareer mode. But it also suffers from the same old issues, such as the lack of a proper comprehensive tutorial, stiff and unintuitive controls, rough character models, and a general lack of polish.

Despite my love for the art direction and music of BELOW, the gameplay's flaws have led me to ultimately dislike the game overall. It's not completely bad, but a lot of it feels shallow and bland compared to other roguelikes.

Small flaws only minorly detract from an otherwise uplifting and enjoyable game. While TurnOn is a game about restoring power, it also leaves us with the feeling that just once in a while, we should probably turn (everything) off, too.

With a vast virtual park to explore, loads of beloved characters, and plenty of minigames, Disneyland Adventures is one of the best Disney games out there.

Some fluffy dialogue moments came off as immature, but in all, this fairly priced RPG packed more punch than first met the eye.

Mafia 3 isn't without its problems, but they should be overshadowed by the depth of the story of the game. It is really carried through its use of narrative cut scenes, which unfortunately lets the gameplay elements of Mafia 3 down by a wide margin.

Given the impact that Outcast originally had on open-world PC games, it's wonderful that original developer Appeal and Big Ben have rescued this game from obscurity by bringing it to modern console and PC audiences. If they really wanted to win over new players, though, they really should have improved the controls and added the ability to skip past dialog during conversations. Outcast: Second Contact is still a great game, but you'll have to tolerate some dated elements to enjoy it fully.

Dead Island Definitive Edition puts a facelift on an old favorite. While it holds up fairly well, Dead Island is definitely starting to show its age. If you're an old fan, or you've never checked it out before it's a fun game until it becomes repetitive.

The problems that I brought up prevent Blair Witch from being truly excellent, but Bullet's glitchy moments and the performance issues are things that the developer can hopefully improve with an update, making a great game even better. Even as it is, though, I still highly recommend Blair Witch if you're a fan of horror titles.

City of Brass is a great game that's mostly elevated by its setting and visuals. Once you get into the rhythm and understand how each enemy reacts, it becomes rather enjoyable, even addictive. It's a shame that the controls aren't optimized and there aren't other visual options. It's easy to overlook these drawbacks though.

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.

Resident Evil Village: Shadows of Rose provides yet another compelling excuse to return to the gorgeous locations from the base game. With a tangible sense of heart and meaningful character development, this campaign expansion establishes Rose as a standout figure in the world of Resident Evil. This delicate story of growth and self-identification is viciously contrasted by psychological horror visuals that will unquestionably haunt players for quite some time.

If you buy this game, you'll have an insane amount of fun, whether you buy loot crates or not, but after spending dozens of hours playing my Heavy, it's apparent to me that EA has designed progression to become a struggle for those who don't want to buy crates. If there's a line to cross, EA didn't just step over it, they blew it up with the Death Star.

For the first time, EA has brought a full Sims experience to console, with all of its features intact – even cheats. The Sims 4 doesn't always feel at home on Xbox, though, with clunky menus, confusing controls, tiny text, and a mess of tutorials. But if you prefer to game on console rather than PC, The Sims 4 is still worth the time and effort. The character creation, building, and social interactions are engaging enough to keep simulation-minded players busy for years.

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.

Those who welcome demanding, reactive and deep gameplay will find a lot to love about the Cobalt. It harshly punishes the impatient, but it'll reward those who take the time to master it.

Compared to its predecessor Neon Chrome, Time Recoil falls a bit short. The campaign structure is too linear and doesn't give you any larger goals to work towards other than advancing the story. The powers system is a bit unintuitive and would work better if it didn't require kill combos.

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.

American Fugitive stands as a decent homage to classic GTA titles, but its rough mechanics, annoying gameplay quirks, mediocre story, and lack of side content left me disappointed.

What should have been a staple of VR shooters to come turned out to be little more than what feels like a rehash of a 2000's shooter. While the gameplay might have you yawning at times and racked with frustration in others, The Gallery at least provides an incredible wealth of stories from real WWII veterans that brings a level of intimacy to what could otherwise feel like a soulless experience.

State of Decay 2 is by no means a perfect game. It retains the quirks of its predecessor, complete with mixed production values and a litany of smaller problems. That said, the game has never crashed on me, and is wonderfully atmospheric, with great music, sound, and masterful use of lighting to create fear and tension.

FlatOut 4 is a little rough around the edges. The frame rate could be better, the single-player difficulty can be unfair at times, and online multiplayer lacks some popular event types. Still, it's an impressive package on the whole. 20 different tracks and several race types ensure that single-player and online multiplayer won't get stale too quickly. And you won't find another racing game with such a delightful emphasis on destruction.

Rise & Shine reminds me of the original Battletoads from Rare, a game that would've been excellent had it not been so punishing. All of the work that went into creating such beautiful art, packing in so many gaming references, and creating the interesting bullet abilities, is undermined by the excessive challenge. Players who like tough games will love Rise & Shine, but it will never truly shine unless the developers rebalance the difficulty.

The Hitman HD Enhanced Collection leaves a lot to be desired, despite supporting 4K resolution on Xbox One X and running at 60FPS. I'm not discounting each game's greatness for the time that they first launched — they were regarded as solid entries and still are — but as an HD collection they fall flat.

Saber Interactive has a decent framework here. With more polish (and perhaps a less hideous character art style), an NBA Playgrounds sequel could potentially live up to the NBA Jam legacy. But I can only recommend this particular game to basketball fans with local friends to play against and a tolerance for clunkiness.

Bleeding Edge misses its mark, but there's a spark inside this game worth keeping your eye on.

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter delivers a gratifying story-driven experience, interwoven into an authentic representation of 19th century London. With great voice talent behind its cast, the game manages to form engaging inter-character relationships. While the game is held back by its level design and some unintuitive mechanics, it provides a consistent depiction of a mystery-filled London.

Saints Row (2022) succeeds at returning to the roots of its predecessors by paring back the outlandish absurdity without losing an ounce of chaos, but sometimes feels as if it's holding on too tightly to a past best left forgotten. Plus, it has a distinct lack of polish.

This episode feels significantly shorter than episodes from other franchises, but it isn't. Three hours just flew by and you won't miss any achievements because they're all chapter based.

Torchlight 3 is a lighthearted, simple co-op ARPG that might provide some fun to casual ARPG players or serious fans of the series, but doesn't do much else to justify its existence.

Where Brawlout excels is its accessible—if shallow—combat, its tight controls, and its vibrant characters with appealing visuals to boot. But balanced gameplay is everything in a game like this, and Brawlout falls short in that regard.

One must put up with a lot of rough edges to enjoy Farming Simulator 17. But if you can do that, it certainly offers a deep farming experience and plenty of realistic licensed machinery.

Twin Mirror has some great ideas, including a visually and narratively appealing Mind Palace system, but the weakness of its main character and its "tell don't show" method of storytelling drag the whole endeavor down.

Windbound was most definitely inspired by Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but with a much heavier focus on survival and crafting. If you enjoy survival games and want something to scratch that Zelda itch, you should check this game out.

If you're in the mood for a challenging and dark adventure, you could do worse than 2Dark. The pulpy subject matter and tone are different from the average horror game. The unique perspective and art style actually serve the material quite well, too. Despite the rough edges, horror fans should give 2Dark a chance.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is nothing short of ambitious, expanding on the classic Call of Duty formula with more cooperative gameplay opportunities and just enough nostalgia to keep things interesting. Not all of the game's "seven pillars" hold up due to light content at launch, but there's potential for post-launch seasonal content to make up for shortcomings.

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.

The Falconeer is an undeniably beautiful game with unique storytelling and jaw-dropping environments, but repetition ultimately keeps it from being great.

Star Trek: Infinite is a fun strategy game and a great entry point to the genre for newcomers that doesn't cost as much as many big games, but a plethora of bugs bog down the gameplay and mission design.

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.

Outward is an RPG with bold new ideas that it executes really well, but it's lacking when it comes to fundamental things like combat feel and open-world design — two things that are important to do well. Overall, the game is good, but it could stand to be a lot better.

Conan Exiles is a good game which seems like a much more substantial experience than when it first appeared on Xbox One. If Funcom can perfect the console frame rate and eliminate the stuttering, then there's a chance that the title might be one of the most popular survival games on the system. However, even in its current state, Conan Exiles is addictive and will keep you coming back for more. The structured milestone system eases you in.

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.

FBC: Firebreak is a lot of fun, at least when you've got a friend of two to play with. It's the most different a Remedy game has dared to be, taking a first-person perspective and introducing co-op play. There's a large number of fun gameplay systems that interact in enjoyable or unexpected ways, and if you're okay with a little chaos, it's a fun ride that seems perfectly suited for hopping in and playing a bit without spending thousands of hours in-game. [Review in Progress]

The Viking setting and Norse mythological themes make for a perfectly interesting alternative to Diablo's standard holy-warriors-versus-demons setting.

Sea of Solitude is a tremendously moving and well-thought out narrative adventure that nails story and art direction and offers solid gameplay, but could have better voice acting and a longer overall length.

Lovecraft fans will have to look elsewhere. While Moons of Madness has some exciting ideas and goes a long way on its premise alone, the story is too dense, and the gameplay is too simple to make it worth your time... unless you need to kill five hours.