Home Sweet Home is a guaranteed heart-stopper and gets a lot right with the tools that it uses. There’s the occasional issue to contend with, but the bottom line here is that this is a top survival horror title for the enthusiast of games such as Amnesia and Outlast, developed meticulously to relay the same style as that of the infamous P.T. It’s stunning, it’s intriguing, and it’s very, very scary.

Considering that it’s a sequel, and despite its efforts, Monster Energy Supercross 2 doesn’t feel wholly refined overall. The game suffers considerably due to its loose handling, its steep difficulty curve, and its excessive loading times. That said, there’s enough diverse content on offer to keep die-hard fans entertained until next time. Just don’t expect the quality to have come on in leaps and bounds in comparison to its predecessor.

I was skeptical about Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions as it had some high bars to hit. I think for the most part the fun factor made an appearance, but I don’t know how long the legs are on this game, only time will tell. For the most part I don’t find the replay-ability high after a couple dozen hours but again, time and content updates could drive me back to it from time to time. I think for the price it’s a fun time and Harry Potter fans should feel at home on the pitch here.

InnerSpace is both relaxing and endearing, but fails to truly captivate due to the lack of meaningful progression and pace. It’s a game that encourages players to take a journey into the unknown, yet doesn’t quite relay what the player is journeying towards once there. It’s certainly pleasing at first, but it wears thin far sooner than it should.

Slave Zero X did not grip me with the story, however, the simplistic game mechanics were a nice change of pace. You move along the area from left to right, you can hack and slash your way through the enemies, there are various enemy types each with its unique attack pattern and weapons. As you can see from the video above the graphics are very “retro” but the developers, Poppy Works have added camera shifts as you move along the levels. This gives this 2D game more visual depth. I personally found some bosses very tricky to beat, add the fact they have no health meter, some battles can be are very frustrating. I did find myself on more than one occasion stuck trying to manoeuvre to the next section. The above “issues” did not take away the fact I did have a blast playing Slave Zero X.

Shoot 1UP DX is a short and sweet game that is good for a quick pick up and play session. I did enjoy trying to max out getting 30 ships at once but I actually found the mode where you only control one ship more fun.

Override: Mech City Brawl suffers from some minor framerate issues and the occasional character-specific bug that, once present, quite literally puts a stopper on your game. Despite those problems, Override is pleasantly accessible and goes on to provide structural depth, combat diversity, and heaps of action-packed, fun, and exhilarating moments from the get-go. This is one brawler that’s fit for the whole family.

Outside of these fixable issues Bite The Bullet is a fun action title that adds in a unique mechanic to proceedings, in eating foes to gain abilities. It’s challenging without being too punishing, has a pretty good sense of humour, and offers plenty to sink your teeth into in its upgrades, hidden areas, and side quests. Plus, that soundtrack is just awesome. Like, seriously excellent.

Necromunda: Underhive Wars needs a lot of work, and is littered with bugs, save issues, and an abundance of little annoyances that break immersion. But when you press past, you will find a competent game with some interesting mechanics, a rich progression and loot based endgame, hours and hours of potential tactical goodness, and a genuine effort to make a stand out, highly rewarding strategy game.

If you can get over the poor graphics, bugs and the constant attempts on your life, Rust: Console Edition has plenty to offer you. The game is definitely suited to a very niche group and that’s OK because once you overcome the initial learning curve, Rust can be great (especially if you can group up with friends or even other in game players).

As much as I’m left wanting for proper lightgun support – and a few extra modes – I can’t deny being utterly thrilled to see The House of the Dead back on my screen. The visual up-spuff is great, and MegaPixel have remained as true as they possibly could to the original game’s gameplay and beats. Even using a controller HotD is great fun, and those who haven’t spent the best part of 25 years playing it will just be treated to a gloriously fun arcade experience.

Those looking to Session to fill a Skate­-shaped hole in their gaming life are likely to be sorely disappointed. It is not an easy game to learn, but more importantly, it’s also not a fun one either. Some better tutorials or alternate control options might have saved the game a little, but as it is I just can’t find any reason to recommend this to anyone outside of truly dedicated skaters willing to put the grind in.

Overall Gotham Knights is a fantastic single-player game and an even better coop experience. Fans of the Arkham series will be right at home and inexperienced players will pick the gameplay up with very little difficulty. Beautiful skyscapes, brutal combos, and unreal levels of customizability put Gotham Knights right up there with some of the best Comic Book Video Games.

Overall, Train Station Renovation hits all the marks that it aims for, but sadly those marks weren’t set very high. It is a lonely, solitary experience that just isn’t very fun. As with all reviews this is just one man’s opinion. Personally it does nothing for me. I don’t dislike it but the whole premise of Train Station Renovation I find to be uninteresting. Achievement hunters can easily pad their Gamerscore. Other than that I just don’t see repeated playthroughs of this game.

All in all, there’s a lot to like about Greak: Memories of Azur. Combat is fun, traversal is engaging and the tale is told well, with the plight of the characters really sucking you in. There’s a little too much fetch questing going on for my liking, and those respawning enemies can do one, but on the whole this is something worth checking out.

Moons of Madness is a solid, well made horror cinematic experience which all horror fans should check out. The way Moons of Madness looks and feels is exactly like a sci-fi movie, featuring a great story and plenty of horrific action to keep you running.

Once you get past the boredom and try to strategize your way through the race, Tour de France does have some depth to it. But because of the niche market for which it is made I don’t find it worth the price of admission. Even local co-op doesn’t save it. In my opinion, the developers could do well to package this with an exercise bike rather than a console release with gamepad controls.

Flint: Treasure of Oblivion is an interesting turn-based pirate adventure, to say the least. The storyline is interesting even if it does go a bit supernatural. The comic book-style dialogue is wonderfully drawn and well-written. I know turn-based combat is hard to keep fresh and interesting but I think this game went a bit too complex with it. Maybe with a bit more on-screen hand it would make more sense but I found it too easy to get lost with the dice roll meanings and the upgrade configuration.

Nintendo has Super Mario Odyssey and PlayStation has Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, which is why I was really hoping that Super Lucky’s Tale would be more than what it is. Instead it’s an overly simplistic platformer that comes with annoyances such as limited camera control and forced replay value. Super Lucky’s Tale desperately wants to immerse you with how stunning and diverse it looks, but fails to totally captivate you due to how damn easy everything is.

I don’t know who Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is for. The base game has a big fan base and the 1 vs 1000 combat is always fun to wade through. That’s no exception here the combat is still as fun as it ever was but unfortunately, the maps all feel the same and that battlefield rarely changes. I can’t get any joy from the strategy element and for me, it sucks a lot of life out of the game for little reward.

Megaton Rainfall is one of those games that clearly houses a great deal of potential, but sadly fails to meet it on almost all fronts. Credit needs to be given to the one-man developer for the sheer amount of ambition here, that much has to be said. However, the end result, despite its environmental diversity and its clever mechanics, makes for game that’s short, sloppy, visually bland and ultimately uninteresting.

Super Bomberman R brings back the classic Bomberman formula and implements some interesting mechanics to shake up the fields of play. The game offers a decent campaign and supports both local and online play across a range of fun PvP game modes. With some poor voice acting and awkward camera issues to the side, this is one party-battle game that you should definitely have on your radar.

Despite the lack of evolving gameplay functions, Wenjia’s interesting use of its realm-swapping mechanic, grouped with its environmental puzzle design, is truly what keeps the adventure fresh throughout its short run. Wenjia is by no means a groundbreaking game, but its beautiful visuals, together with its simplified concept, makes for a decent adventure that’s soothing, charming and laid-back.

A decent arcade shooter that is definitely worth the price of admission. But I would gladly pay a few dollars more for a fleshed out story and character selection.

There’s clearly a lot of time and effort that has been put in to Citadel: Forged with Fire. An impressive amount of detail has gone into the systems and world and for those who get into the swing of things, this will likely hold their attention for quite some time. Unfortunately, the gathering and combat is tedious, the UI and control scheme is maddeningly unhelpful and to achieve anything noteworthy takes far, far too long.

Layers of Fear 2 is fairly hit and miss for a sequel. Whilst it manages to hold its own, it doesn’t quite meet the quality nor the ambition found in its predecessor. The gameplay may be considered to be too easy for its own good, and certain elements do feel somewhat rushed. Though, that being said, one has to commend its level of polish and its psychological approach, ultimately putting forward an experience that’s both unique, and provocative.

Narcos is an OK game with few new ideas brought to the turn-based action strategy genre. But unfortunately, without difficulty tweaks or in-game saves this game starts off tough and just gets harder from there. When you can’t be too cautious or throw caution to the wind it really limits the strategy element and instead means the game relies on luck and repetition to progress.

Played in short bursts 60 Seconds! has enough charm and wit to make the end of the world at least seem like a bit of a laugh. Sadly, reality kicks in sooner or later and we realise that our luck can be snuffed out at any moment. When we die yet again due to factors we couldn’t control, it becomes harder and harder to muster up the will for one more go.

Despite these niggles I had a lot of fun with Neighbours Back From Hell. It’s a simple premise, but one that is executed with a good sense of humour and nicely devised set ups. There are a ton of levels to work through and while the repetition across them can add up there’s enough charm to help us carry on making Mr. Rottweiler’s life a misery.

Within the Blade is a great proposition as a budget title. Tons of levels, and good variety throughout leads to a large amount of replayability. Some design decisions and nasty bugs mean that it is a close shave away from ‘excellent’, and instead just ‘good’.

Despite some early potential, we came away from Steel Seed underwhelmed by its muddled gameplay style and not all that compelling tale. It has its moments, but players looking for either stealth or action gaming are best off looking elsewhere.

The Station looks great, plays well, and builds suspense through its well designed atmosphere. I was quite disappointed with its short length, and whether or not this will be built upon in due course remains to be seen. This is an easy ride for completionists, but will certainly leave those that enjoy a meaty sci-fi serving, wanting for more, much more.

Maid of Sker is a compelling and visually stunning experience for any horror fan and brings true stealth horror with 3D sound against you at it’s core. This may not be the longest game ever, but if this is the future of horror gaming then I welcome it with open arms.

While the open-world transition was a welcomed concept it wasn’t utilized to the best of its ability. YouTubers Life 2 is exactly what it is. A YouTuber simulator. A constant grind to fame. Day in and day out it’s the same thing only a different trend than yesterday. It’s the smaller things that give this game life while the major elements such as the story end up lacking in the end.

King of the Arcade does a fair job of being a cheaper title that gives you value for money. It’s not too difficult, it gives you a feel of what arcades used to look like in the past and there are plenty of different games to play. Those born around that era they will find the knockoff titles fun to play if not just amusing. It could be a fun way for a parent to expose their kids to games of the past without it being overwhelming and without all the loading.

All in all, Once Alive is a promising first outing for solo dev Cem Boray Yıldırim, at least in the potential they show at being able to craft a world that is intriguing and somewhat unique in the crowded genre of the post-apocalypse. Unfortunately, the finished product here leaves too much of that promise on the table, with mechanics introduced and forgotten immediately in favour of slow walking and linear progression, and technical aspects that punch above their weight in not being optimised effectively.

All-Star Fruit Racing is a decently structured kart racing game that offers up quite a chunk of content in return for its fairly generous asking price. The main issue here is that despite being fun, much of the content lacks originality, refinement and depth. All-Star Fruit Racing may stand out, but it doesn’t quite manage to stand tall. Those that seek simplicity may enjoy this, but for those seeking more, hold out for Team Sonic Racing.

Albert and Otto doesn’t do much that hasn’t already been better achieved elsewhere. It’s an average puzzle platformer at best, but one that will no doubt please fans of the genre.

To me, Totally Reliable Delivery Service is a cute rag doll game which in my opinion is meant to be played with friends. As I have stated before the single-player experience turns somewhat lacking and you’ll find yourself getting tired and bored easier after a couple of dozen deliveries. Playing online or with friends is what you need to do to gain the full experience and richness of the game. If you do that I promise you that you won’t be disappointed.

If you’re looking for accessible arcade fun, Legendary Eleven isn’t really a bad choice. The game’s field of play and its fairly robust features remain well set for the most part, allowing even newcomers to sink right in and score some outlandish, memorable feats. Unfortunately, however, the game’s bugs, its technical issues, and its constant screen tearing, massively holds it back from greatness in the long run. Wait for fixes.

While it lacks the charm of Trials, Overpass mostly manages to get that one-more-go feeling of trial and error right. It can be quite frustrating at times, and a little more feedback for the player to use wouldn’t have gone amiss, but if you’re after a challenging racer there’s plenty to enjoy here.

I can see Hunting Simulator 2 working for some people, but it doesn’t work for me. It is clunky, slow and glitchy, and whilst there’s a base loop that could be intriguing, the lack of any real depth past the first few hours left me feeling disappointed.

Samsara is just another standard puzzle game that never really evolves throughout the entirety of play. Despite a few interesting mechanics, the lack of innovation is what lets this experience down in the long run. Fans of the genre will most certainly enjoy what’s on offer, and it truly is a visually pleasing journey, but that means very little when there’s just not much of a challenge within.

What’s most apparent about Woven is that it is clearly a labor of love and the game’s environment is very refined in its structure. It’s clear that the developers spent a lot of effort in play testing, in object placement, mood and setting. It’s a beautiful game with a difficulty that may be in the upper strata for some but an enjoyable challenge for others. If that sings to you then this is your game.

Wildcat Gun Machine delivers some great sound and art design but unfortunately that doesn’t make up for lack of explanations and repetitive gameplay loops. I do think isometric shooter fans may want to check it out but gamers wanting to try the genre have better choices out there.

A strong start to a potential franchise. Excellent environment art, compelling world and story, The Inquisitor just needs a little more polish in other areas.

Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion‘s remaster here is really only going to serve fans of the original release, being as it is a bare bones up-spuff of a game that isn’t all that memorable or worth rushing out to pick up. It’s not a bad shooter as such, just one that has since been outclassed at every turn in the years since.

Steels Rats is the definition of a ‘meh’ game. It has some nice ideas and elements, but nothing is really pulled off particularly well. Combat is fine, if repetitive, but the awkward camera view, the unreliable collision detection, and the general lack of any real character, collectively brings the whole thing down.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong feels like a bit of a flat, confused mess. The story has some intrigue about it and the characters are interesting but some of the conversations had in the game are so serious that it sometimes feels mundane. If you like detective games with a twist then there is some joy to be had here but I feel it is a bit of a disservice to vampires.

I loved the nostaglic feel to the 3D platforming action, though some of the puzzles had me reaching for the off button. Battling through them was ultimately rewarding though, and kept me cracking on through the adventure. While it’s unlikely Xbox exclusive players will get to tackle the brilliant Breath of the Wild anytime soon, A Knight’s Quest is about as solid an attempt as we’ll see on our console for now.

If you loved the remastered Tomb Raiders I-III released last year, then you’ll definitely want to grab IV-VI remastered as well. The nostalgia and the novelty of revisiting the old Tomb Raider games is certainly worthwhile, but with IV-VI you’re witnessing three Tomb Raiders that gradually lose track of what the series was all about. The Last Revelation and its new ideas are successful, and you’ll enjoy your explorations in Egypt, but Chronicles and Angel of Darkness reek of missed potential and both of them come off as rush jobs. The remaster efforts are good enough in terms of uplifting these relics visually, and the framerate is crisp as well, but you’ll still need to wrestle with terrible design choices inherent within these three games, and the pounding desire for these Tomb Raider games to be remade for a contemporary audience.

Giga Wrecker Alt. has all the markings of a stellar platform puzzler, but sadly doesn’t quite manage to achieve greatness due to its lackluster boss encounters, its at times frustrating design choices, and its somewhat floaty handling. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a hell of a lot to like about the journey at hand, from its intriguing story through to its several interesting mechanics, but the fun is religiously interrupted by the game’s aforementioned drawbacks.

Overall, Madden NFL 24 is a solid game that delivers a realistic and immersive football experience on the Xbox Series X. The game has amazing graphics, improved gameplay mechanics, new features and modes, and a smart artificial intelligence system that makes it challenging and fun. If you are a fan of American football or looking to jump in for the first time, you should definitely check out Madden NFL 24 on Xbox Series X.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends is a great idea in desperate need of more revisions – it is stealth game in which devolving into frenzied fracas is too easy to slip into.

Romancing SaGa 2 is a solid JRPG that houses some good ideas and interesting mechanics. Sadly it just doesn’t quite suit the large screen due to over-sized text within screen hogging text boxes. The control system also has a slight delay when inputting commands, which can prove frustrating when it occurs during battle sequences or evasion.

Twin Mirror is unfortunately bit of a mixed bag. With some great ideas and potential for a captivating story it’s a shame that the adventure was cut so short. It feels like the game was intended to be longer and this is evident in the relative potential. Sam’s mind place is a highlight and does provide a lift to the game in areas that are at times lacking substance. The foundation was set but fell short of the great detective story that Sam’s return to Basswood could have been.

For the first time in years, I actually enjoyed and looked forward to going back to a Sonic game and will continue to hunt those red star rings for a while yet. But the main USP of the avatars let the side down. I really hope Sonic Team continue with the duel Sonic crossover games as they seem to be providing them with their best output in years.

Phantom Trigger looks great and plays well for the most part, that much goes without saying. However, the game is far too taxing and fails miserably to fill its interesting world with meaningful content and lacks exploratory structure. It doesn’t help matters that the core loop remains dull and repetitive from the get-go. In a nutshell, this game is sub-par at best.

Little Big Workshop is a decent workshop simulation game and fans of this genre would enjoy it. However, I feel it could have done with a lot more hand-holding through the game for beginners. There are a lot of tools and tweaks that could be implemented to increase the efficiency of your workshop but with such a brief tutorial a lot of these will be missed and it will cause you to struggle.

Oh My Godheads is fun, bright, colourful and zany, but it’s somewhat let down by repetitive play, a lack of content, and no online support.

Some minor niggles in visuals and UI marr things slightly, but overall as live service titles go, Breakpoint is one of the better examples.

Technical issues aside, Absolver’s deep and innovative combat system, together with its seamlessly integrated social elements, easily stand as the game’s greatest achievements. Unfortunately, the game’s gorgeously ruined world is merely superficial beauty, being that outside of necessary acquisition, there’s little else to enjoy. This lack of overall depth is surely going to have a negative impact on its player count before too long.

Alchemic Cutie is a relaxing RPG that relies too much on the patience of the player. I have reviewed similar games like Monster Harvest so I wasn’t expecting miracles. But demographically this is all over the place. The quests and simplicity seem to feel it was aimed at kids but the sheer tedious of waiting for something to happen will make many lose interest. There is only so much crap you can pick up before your soul starts slipping away.

Hero Defense’s gameplay systems are serviceable, at best. Credit needs to be given to the game’s decent combat mechanics, which is arguably the game’s strongest aspect. It’s a shame, then, that much of everything else within is either half baked, too basic or fails to fluidly connect to the game’s core foundation. Hero Defense is definitely a lot of fun, but it’s hardly an ambitious, nor deep, adventure.

Tools Up! is off to a decent start here with simple, fun gameplay. Lack of online multiplayer really puts a limit on how much fun can be had however. But grab some mates and a you’re in for a fun – though rowdy – evening of construction together.

Overall, if you like creature catchers such as Pokémon, Nexomon, Temtem or any other inspired game of the same vein, then Monster Crown is another one that will join that list of options that can not only offer a significant number of monsters to get lost in but also provide a fair few hours of battling, levelling and breeding in a way we have become all too accustomed too over the years. It’s not original, it’s not unique, it’s not the best option out there, but it does offer more of what many players know and love on an Xbox console and for that reason, we’ll take it.

Brimming with ideas and invention Risen embarrasses most modern RPGs, although it shows its age in its infuriating combat. Nevertheless, it is worth playing for those that can look past that.

Destiny 2: Warmind is better than Curse of Osiris, but only marginally better. We’re still fighting the same reskinned enemies within recycled locations, day in and day out. The same can be said about the design choices here, being that new activities are akin to the activities found in The Taken King and vanilla Destiny. Despite its interesting and compelling premise, Warmind is lazy, rushed and underwhelming.

Snakeybus is fun, for sure. Seeing our bus stretching out behind us, ever increasing as we drop passengers off and weaving in and out buildings is oddly satisfying. If only there had been a little something extra to alleviate the fact that it’s hook gets old far too quickly.

Double Pug Switch is a challenging side scrolling platformer that requires good hand eye coordination for some quick responses. Although, very similar to The Impossible Game, the game does have a unique twist of adding the dimensional switching power as well as power ups and timed distance jumping. It also added its very own unique story, however comical it may be. I believe this game is a fun side scroller and shouldn’t be missed if you’re a fan of the genre. The current control mapping does make it harder, but can be worked around using console Accessory settings to remap controls for Xbox to however you may prefer. This game is appropriately priced for what it is and the amount of time of enjoyment you will get out of the game. The design is meant to be a cute, yet challenging game, to pick up and put down as you please and I know I will make my way back to finish Otis’ adventure.

The Forbidden Arts is a beautiful, vibrant and fun game for the whole family. Side scrolling action at its best, it also brings a tiny bit of nostalgia along for the ride. Challenging puzzles make this game addictive, while great design keeps you looking at the screen.

Bee Simulator attempts to educate through play, doing so in a charming, entertaining way. The solo campaign is short but sweet but it effectively highlights the role bee’s play in our ecosystem. Great for younger players due to not only the low difficulty but also the informative nature, I have a feeling even the adults will find more enjoyment here than you may expect.

With such a vast amount of iconic material on show here, it’s disappointing to see the sheer lack of effort put forward in regards to its overall execution. The game’s combat is indeed reliably fun, but this means very little in the face of its several shoddy design choices, its horrendously lengthy loading times, and its cast of characters that are painfully devoid of characterization. Fans of the IPs would do well to temper their expectations.

Apart from a few niggling bugs my overall experience of Battlefield 2042 was great. I had a blast sharpening my skills and learning the new mechanics of the game, like the addition of changing the capture points to sectors sometimes battling for 3 objectives in point A, bringing more tactics into your play. With a 10 hour trial thanks to Game Pass/EA Play subscriptions, I would highly recommend at the very least checking the game out this way – I think you’ll enjoy it!

Treasure Stack attempts to stand out on the basis of its concept mashup, but fails miserably to do so. The game’s difficulty curve is far too steep after even just a few minutes, with the overall product further hindered by its tedious structure and its lack of depth and refinement. Fans of block droppers that want a competitive online experience will no doubt find some value here, but I would caution against getting your hopes up.

There is so much negativity surrounding this title, but I don’t care. I have had a good time with it. Does it have faults? Yes it does. But this hasn’t ruined the experience for me. I’ve had fun playing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The first boss fight was bluntly rubbish however the second boss fight makes up for it in my opinion. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League feels like it was meant to be DC’s version of Marvel’s Avengers. I feel Rocksteady did a better job in keeping my attention and making missions easier to follow, even if they do have a repetitive nature to them.

Cyberpunk 2077 for me is the whole package of what I want from a game like this. Great looking, great controls, great storyline and plenty of choices, content and replay value. This was marked as many players game of the year before it came out. Regardless of the outside noise, I didn’t suffer any game-breaking issues and only a couple of graphical glitches. I am not saying its perfect, but I am saying its wonderfully immersive and addictive. There is a lot here to be impressed with and when the Series X version is released and all the bugs are worked out I am sure more will agree how great this game actually is.

As a newcomer, I didn’t particularly enjoy my time in the realm of Monster Energy Supercross 4. However, this is the same way I felt about all racing games in general. In particular, I would’ve loved it if Supercross 4 held onto newcomers’ hands more throughout the racing process and terminologies instead of having us come in last place every time. Still, I find myself determined to learn how to play and plan to have myself invested in the compound mode in order to learn the right and proper way to race. For long-time players, you may find this to be an enjoyable experience overall as you hop back into a fresh and overall amazing-looking game, but for the newbies out there you’re gonna be in for a rough couple dozen races.

Dawn of New Riders will likely please its young target audience, and to its credit, it just about manages to capture the fantastical vibe of its source material. It’s a shame then, that outside of its well designed puzzles and its distinct locations, there’s little else to praise. Whilst its technical issues hinder the experience, it’s the game’s lack of depth, its weak gameplay variation, and its poor overall quality, that greatly holds it back.

Here we are again, an absolute gorgeous game taken down a point or two by gameplay. If not for the bugs I encountered and the slowness that the game just seemed to me, this game could have been great. That said, I can realize when a game isn’t meant for me and ultimately, I don’t think this is a game I’d go in for myself after really thinking about it. But with visuals and audio like this, at least the ride was nice to look at it. I’d welcome a sequel even if we can just do without the sneaky, hide and seek bits.

The gameplay is tight, responsive and surprisingly accessible whilst remaining challenging throughout. The story may well indeed be basic in its delivery, but the plot does prove to be energetic and exhilarating nevertheless, however it is sadly held back slightly by a poorly voiced cast of forgettable characters.

With mixing ingredients, laying down machines and belts and money management Big Pharma certainly keeps you busy. However, when you get to a point where you are short some cash, you will be left to wait until you earn more money – and this means a lot of waiting. This isn’t helped by already slow gameplay and the meticulous amount of attention to detail needed, leading to easily made but hard to rectify mistakes. In the end, the time invested rarely feels worth the reward.

Less time spent on the needlessly long cutscenes and in-between mission sections, and more on the feel of the combat and we could have had a little gem on our hands. As it is, this only gets a recommendation for those willing to suffer for their entertainment.

Ary And The Secret of Seasons makes for a tough recommendation. There’s a pleasant premise, a decent sense of adventure and a surprising sense of humour nestled underneath the exterior if you search for it. The bamboozling problem for Ary though is that searching for a good time is buried beneath a gloomy fog of presentational flaws that do a service of drawing you out of its pleasant and colourful world, that undercut all the lovely ideas Ary has going for it. There are just too many flaws here to heartily approve Ary to anybody but the most patient and dedicated of players.

RICO’s a very hit and miss affair overall. There’s no denying that it wears its procedurally-generated content quite well, offering some exciting and constantly unpredictable gunplay as a result. Unfortunately, it’s hard to overlook its gameplay repetition, and there’s some irritating design choices and a bunch of technical issues to contend with throughout. I’ve no doubt that it will find its following, but I cant wholly recommend it as it is.

Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues is a unique surreal arcade scrolling beat-em-up. For me, it has mixed success as it does have cool characters with unique skills and some cool ideas. But as the gameplay is not robust this game will struggle to pull players in outside of fans of the film and series. I fell that some some features, like powerups, could have been cut if it meant the combat ended up more refined. It is fun to play with a friend and I’m sure fans of the series will enjoy the tie in, but it just leaves me with the feeling that this was rushed out before it was done.

Overall and if you like horror games that pick up on typically used tropes or ones that have atmospheric tension dripping from every angle, then Ikai is probably going to call out to you. If you’re wanting a polished Japanese scare-fest, then you may want to either wait for a few updates or skip this one until a sale rolls around. It’s not a game you should avoid entirely but even with incredible audio and fantastic atmospheric design, this isn’t likely to be the biggest horror you’ll play this year, but in the same breath it will be far from the worst.

Overall, whilst the general release of a Project Zero game onto modern consoles feels exciting, the long-beloved classic is no longer the same fright mongering experience we know the series for back on the original Xbox. Besides a few creepy images of certain ghosts, there is nothing that really causes much of a jump let alone a true scare, and whilst the story has the potential to be one of true Japanese horror, the horrible pacing and repetitive nature ensure that the Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water goes down as an underwhelming return for what used to be one of the greatest series in horror gaming.

Through the fun story and throwback gameplay of arcade skateboarding, SkateBIRD delivers a refreshing game. Despite some frustrating moments with the movement and controlling of skating, enjoyment can still be found.

Sometimes, things are better left in the past, and Dragon’s Lair Trilogy is a prime example of that. The whole ordeal is far too dated, and comes with frustrations that are born through a few poor design choices and shoddy transitions. Whilst the animation on show is commendable even today, there’s no shaking the fact that this compilation comes across as totally unnecessary and utterly boring.

Despite the UI downers, I still found myself rather charmed with Bus Simulator. It does exactly what it says on the tin, and for that I admire it. The act of driving about the city is relaxing, planning routes and getting to know them is oddly fun, and managing the back end of the business can get quite deep. Even if you may not think it’s up your street, hop aboard one day and you might just be surprised.

There are many trucks to level up and many customization skins to unlock by earning XP with each of the 8 groups of trucks and finding all the collectibles on top of secret vehicles. Overall, this is a fun arcade racer with some issues, but none that are game breaking.

It’s always a good day when I get to play a game that was thought to be lost in a forgotten era of gaming. Nostalgia hits hard for me with Enclave HD and although very excited to give it another go, it’s just a port of an old game. Am I happy it is back and playable on current hardware? Absolutely! Do I wish a little more love was done to it? For sure. I’d probably have a hard time convincing someone to give Enclave HD a try if they didn’t play it on original Xbox but for those that did, I think it’s worth the admission price.

Overall, Overpass 2 is a game that looks to bring the world of off-roading to players by offering what developer Neopica believes to be an authentic experience, but it does so without offering anything that truly simulates that experience. At best Overpass 2 is an arcade racer in an off-road setting, with events that slow the pace from the typical racing game, but with controls that don’t allow for a reactive play through, you’re instead left frustrated and bored by the midseason races whilst the visuals take us back to the days of Baja: Edge of Control, and as much as that wasn’t a hit when it arrived again in 2017, Overpass 2 won’t be either for 2023.

Crackdown 3’s campaign is shockingly under-baked, consisting of little more than overly repetitive mission structure, hit and miss functionality, and several technical issues. Things don’t fare any better in its Wrecking Zone. Whilst its multiplayer component does indeed house some potential that may be realized through post-launch support, as it stands in its current form, it’s a shameful representation of Microsoft’s lofty promises.

A ‘roguelite for beginners’ Haunted House has a charm to it, that anyone eager to dip their toes into something different should try. Definitely not for the terminally rogued.

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker captures the essence, the speed and the personality of Naruto magnificently well. It’s deep, engaging and distinct. There’s certainly some adjustments needed for class balance, and matchmaking can indeed drag on for longer than it should, but when everything clicks into place, there’s little else that comes quite as close to the source material as this does.

Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics achieves much of what it sets out to accomplish. Whilst the game excels as far as accessibility is concerned, those that relish an in-depth turn-based strategy game may be disheartened by the simplicity on show here. That said, and despite its recycled level design and its grind-like reward system, there’s a fairly compelling experience within that does more things right than it does wrong.