Burnout Paradise is already available through backward compatibility, however, if you’re yet to try out the original game, this remaster is certainly the definitive version of it. It looks great, it plays well, and above all else, it comes packed with heaps of additional content. With some minor issues to the side, this is one hell of an arcade racing experience.

Whilst not quite the best in the series, Mega Man 11 hits the spot. The game does a good job at modernizing the Blue Bomber’s latest adventure, and although the few subtle changes may not be for everyone, I have to commend the game for being widely accessible at the same time as respecting its hardcore roots. Despite its issues, this is a must have for Mega Man newcomers and returning fans alike.

Overall, this is a good first outing for The Expanse: A Telltale Series. The et up for the season has me intrigued, and the gameplay improvements are most welcome indeed. I eagerly await the rest of the season.

Ed-0: Zombie Uprising is a nice time killer if you want to play something to take the edge off. The replayability is insane as you can up the difficulty in the dungeons if you want more of a challenge. Sure the zombie slaughter may not be something to scream to the hills about, but it is definitely worth mentioning to a friend or two that love the hack n slash genre.

It might not stand shoulder to shoulder with the greats but for those looking for a new story driven FPS to play, Industria is one to check out.

The gameplay loop, despite its lack of mission variation and the need to grind later in, offers an empowering, captivating adventure from the outset. The game’s ingenuity is its strong suit, combining its core concept with combat, exploration and customization to great effect. This is further upheld by a collection of worlds that are as diverse as they are stunning. The bottom line, Starlink brings toys-to-life, back to life.

Fans of 90’s style platformers will want to check out Adventures of Chris. It can feel a bit unfair at times, especially in regards to the boss fights, but persevere and there’s a decent platform adventure to be found here.

Despite some spawning issues and the occasional technical hiccup, Hellmut: The Badass from Hell is a damn fine bullet-storm dungeon crawler. The game’s consistently fast pace, together with its non-stop action and its diverse content variety, collectively ensure that adrenaline is kept high, whilst repetition is kept at bay. Granted, this may not be the deepest game of its kind, functionally speaking, but it’s certainly one of the funnest.

It might be on the long side but I still found myself wrapped up in the tale of Ms. Lace and her cohorts as they try to overthrow a monopolistic corporation. Well worth a look for those who enjoy visual novels with a side of not so subtle messaging behind it.

Bahnsen Knights proves that LCB Game Studios are leaders in their field. A visual novel unlike most others, but also familiar to anyone that enjoys pulp entertainment.

Tell Me Why is a great adventure that, although could be considered almost as a playable movie, still offers a nice amount of interaction and story hooks to be a worthwhile experience. Fans of this narrative and thought-provoking genre are likely to have an enjoyable experience with Tell Me Why and its interesting and relatable characters.

Chasm is a shining example of the concept that it adopts, and although it doesn’t really do anything out of the ordinary as far as its core design is concerned, it does indeed offer an exciting adventure that’s neatly paced and brilliantly structured. There’s a few technical issues to be mindful of, such as a some visual blemishes and its slightly floaty controls, but for the most part, Chasm represents its genre remarkably well.

Infinite: Beyond the Mind brings back the simplicity of proper retro action platformers in a great way. There’s no fluff or unnecessary padding, just honest, simple action that keeps the pace flowing nicely. It’s definitely better as a co-op experience thanks to a slight leg up in tricky sections, though solo still manages to be damn good fun too.

Deep, fun, and wholly entertaining, Stranger Things 3: The Game is a must-have treat that sits remarkably well with its exceptional source material. Despite some hit and miss puzzle work, everything from the combat and the progression framework, right the way through to the world design and its many hidden secrets, collectively put forward a well paced, well balanced adventure that rarely grows tiresome. If you love the show, you’ll love this.

These D&D classic games rely so heavily on their storytelling and combat styles and they have aged very well. Both stories are deep and gripping and the combat is just the right level of complex to keep it interesting. The graphics and cutscenes do show their age but for near 20-year-old games, they can still hold their own as must-haves for RPG fans.

Steelrising is a Souls-like game based on automatons which tries its best not to be a clone drone. The historical setting, outfits and graphics are very immersive and interesting. The combat is challenging and given enough time quite easy to master. The bosses could have done with being a bit harder and the platforming elements need more work. But it’s still a very sizeable game with plenty to enjoy. I do wish they had some stronger background music to help with the historical immersion.

Soul Stalker was a fun palate cleanser of a game as I like to call them. With it’s short or long form game modes and one-more-run feeling it gives you, this is a great game to just pick up and play. “Auto-battler” fans will find something familiar here but with enough variances to give a little bit of a fresh take on the genre.

Conquest of Eo, to a newbie such as myself, was deeply accessible with a ton of good variety in its combat, exploration and scenarios. It is a strong recommend for fans of the RPG/Turn-based strategy hybrid.

Some stunning pixel art and music compliment a fun action platforming roguelite title. The aesthetics can occasionally mask enemies, but gaining upgrades and knowledge of what’s to come remains rewarding for its brief runtime.

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.

Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories is a brilliant, cute title that was built off their original RPG so many years ago. This feels like a step up for those who played the original story. The main takeaways will be the art and music for most players. You do have the freedom to explore, but the story only moves forward when finishing tasks assigned to you opening new sections. The game was updated back in May which added a quick save feature and fixed minor bugs. This title is very polished unlike many of the games flooding the Xbox marketplace currently. Melon Journey is not a shovel ware title and does have substance for those looking for a more relaxed game to pick up and enjoy. If you’re looking for heavy action, that will not be this title. It is low skill based and requires paying attention to text prompts to know where to go. This is a slower paced game, however, it is incredibly cute from the music production to character designs.

Space Otter Charlie is a lot of fun. The Zero-G puzzle platforming is great, as is the audio visual work. The multiplayer aspect is underwhelming but the campaign more than makes up for this with its inventive scenarios and levels. I highly recommend checking Space Otter Charlie out if you’re looking for a new platformer to play.

Syrup and The Ultimate Sweet isn’t a game that is meant for everyone. It is a visual novel after all. For its short playtime, you get to experience a satisfying story with 10 different endings and outcomes. I myself enjoyed my time with it though. Playing this game reminded me how much of a guilty pleasure visual novels are of mine; maybe it will do the same for you.

Like I mentioned this one was not on my radar, no pun intended, and I was pleasantly surprised. A few glitches with the enemies soured the experience a little but not enough for me to not recommend the game still. Even as someone who doesn’t gravitate to stealth games, this one was successful in integrating a system simple enough to pick up and swap between characters easily and make you feel satisfied clearing an area whether by yourself or through an automated, planned team effort. It has a thorough save system to boot which absolutely helped make the game more enjoyable with my trial and error. For sure, I recommend it as a really solid game.

PAC-MAN WORLD Re-PAC is not only a mouthful to say but it’s a great take on the game from yesteryear. PAC-MAN WORLD Re-PAC is the remastered version of PAC-MAN WORLD and it holds up great. The platforming is crisp and fun. I really like taking a beloved character like Pac-Man and changing his gameplay mechanics on their heads. You get the best of both worlds of classic Pac-man and classic platforming gameplay. Recommend!

Pinball FX brings virtual pinball action back to our consoles with this brand new iteration of the game. While it doesn’t feel great that previously bought tables don’t transfer to this game, it’s a great starting point for new players and there are options for returning. The premium pass is a good idea as a way to experience most of the tables that Pinball FX has to offer if you are okay not owning the tables once the subscription is up. Otherwise I’m happy with what I’ve played. It’s been fun to get a few rounds in each day and tackle the events to experience tables I otherwise might skip over. Worth the price of entry at free, but the microtransactions are a deterrent for some.

Another Sight does a wonderful job at making you feel invested in not only its characters, but its world, its story, and its deeper meaning. Whilst fairly short, it makes great use of its time through a constant influx of diverse, intelligently developed puzzles. Overall, despite some minor issues with its platforming elements, the game offers an adventure that’s every bit as engaging as it is intriguing, and one that’s unlike anything else readily available.

Welcome to Paradize is not going to set the world on fire graphically, but as far as zombie apocalypse games go this one is pretty fun and charming at times. The zombie hacking feature is pretty neat once you get a hang of it and the game has some length to it to keep you going for a while. I won’t lie it was a bit of a slow start but it did grow on me and is fun to play – something I plan to keep on doing.

Toy Soldiers was one of my favorite Xbox Live Arcade games back in the days of the Xbox 360. I’m delighted that a modern remaster in Toy Soldiers HD has surfaced today. It’s just as fun now as it was then and I hope more people give it a shot. Fun strategy game with a twist on the classic tower defense formula.

When you emulate some of the greatest games ever made it can be hard to stack up. Morbid: The Seven Acolytes is a decent game, its gruesome theme and vast lore that really bring the world to life. There’s a large variety of enemies but the combat is somewhat shallow. Exploring new environments is enjoyable, but trying to traverse them quickly can get tiresome due to the slow walking speed. If you enjoy the Soulsborne games, are a Lovecraft fan, or take pleasure in beating up on strange grotesque pixel art monsters, then Morbid: The Seven Acolytes is worth a look.

It’s gross, heartfelt, morbid, mind-fucking, and touching all at once, and how much you get out of it will depend on your penchant for the bizarre. Now I need to go lie down and think happy thoughts.

Doughlings: Invasion shows what a talented developer can achieve with the right mindset and tools. Not only does this game bring back a much loved classic, but like Doughlings: Arcade, it revitalizes the dated concept through the use of implementing fresh mechanics, heaps of variation, and a solid all-round pace. Sure, the audio is still very hit and miss, but in the midst of how fun the game is, this is easy to forgive.

The Legend of Tianding is a solid beat ’em up that offers a unique twist by allowing you to collect stackable buffs, making it a great way for you to customize their experience. The platforming and combat mechanics are superb, and fun. Overall, if you enjoy beat ’em up games, I highly recommend giving it a try.

We cleared all of the rooms in roughly 5 hours over a couple of nights, and we had a blast doing so. The lack of replayability aside, there’s a lot to enjoy within Escape Academy. Each room feels different enough, even when all we’re doing is finding another four digit number or word, and the fluffy tale underpinning the affair is easy enough to just sit back and enjoy without too much thought. Launching into Game Pass was a great choice, hopefully exposing it to more players, and whether you play it alone or in co-op, this is a great way to spend an evening or two.

AngerForce is an accessible yet challenging shmup that frequently rewards its players whether they win or lose. Its gameplay is tight, responsive, constantly packed with action, and comes complete with diverse environments, heaps of enemy variations, and a shed-load of upgrades. Not only is it one of the best looking shmups in recent memory, it’s easily one of the most entertaining. Genre fans would do well to have this on their radar.

Putting its slightly awkward handling and its tendency of dishing out cheap deaths to the side, Furwind goes on to get a lot more right than it gets wrong. The game sports quite a commendable amount of variation across its levels, its enemies, and its mechanics, and blends in a solid pace to keep things grounded, challenging, and fun. This may well not be the most sophisticated of platformers, but it does indeed provide a worthwhile adventure.

While the yearly Call of Duty is experience still remains fun, retreading old ground yet again is beginning to give off the feeling that there’s nowhere else to go for the franchise right now. I had fun playing Modern Warfare II, and those looking for solid shooting action will enjoy it, but I’d liked to see something new from the series going forward. Warzone 2.0 feels far fresher and more enjoyable to me, and is where I’ll be spending my time with COD until then.

SEGA Mega Drive Classics’ most impressive achievement is its vast and carefully selected collection of titles. There are games in this bundle that will appeal to everyone and although there’s a few performance hiccups to contend with, this is, by and large, one of the best compilations available on Xbox One.

Inertial Drift is a fun arcade racer that brings a unique mechanic to drifting that works very well. While the tracks can be a little hard to read at times, after a few plays this becomes much less of an issue. There are plenty of cars to unlock and try, twenty tracks to learn and a decent story mode to help with learning the intricacies of the controls and modes. There are better overall arcade racers out there, but Inertial Drift definitely deserves a look if you fancy something a little different.

This may seem like an easy cash grab scheme to re-release the same game and play on the nostalgia people have for the Ghostbusters. But they have done a lot of work to upscale the graphics to make it feel like the game belongs on the Xbox One. It is still a good fun game and it does feel like a continuation from the movies and great that you feel involved in the story. If you can ignore the few minor annoyances, then this game still holds up as a decent game for anyone and not just long-time fans.

Parkitect is a great little game that didn’t quite let me relive the glory days of the 90’s Theme Park game but it came closer than most. There’s tons of content to get stuck into for any wannabe theme park architect.

Odallus: The Dark Call was created in many ways to respect classic games such as Castlevania and it easily surpasses this goal. With an incredible soundtrack, engaging level design and easy to understand combat, the game really couldn’t be closer to the 8-bit gems of old. For gamers who want to enjoy a classic experience in a new game, Odallus: The Dark Call is certainly the game to do it.

The Expanse: A Teltale Series – Episode 5 ends the season on a spectacular high, rounding off the story with not only excellent beats but non stop, intense experiences. The entire series has been excellent overall, and is more than worth a high recommendation.

Odium is one hell of a challenging side-scroller, so much so that it walks a very fine line between being fun and being irritating. That said, Odium does a wonderful job at keeping its gameplay fresh through the steady flow of new, tricky additions. Furthermore, the game offers quite a decent chunk of replay value, and, thanks to its gorgeous monochromatic art style, together with its epic techno music, it rarely grows tiresome.

Selfloss wraps a touching, impactful tale in some clever puzzles, a gripping atmosphere, and some well designed areas. Bugs and a inconsistent camera let it down, but those willing to push through will find an experience that will not soon be forgotten.

In summary, Can’t Drive This is a fresh take on an already saturated party game market that’s a ton of fun with friends and gets very addictive, but loses steam after 10 hours with the few game modes it offers. There just isn’t enough content to play this game solo and unlock the majority of the cosmetics. With that being said, I personally absolutely love this game and would love to see the idea further expanded.

Lumines Remastered is an excellent puzzle game that offers hours and hours worth of content. The several varying modes ensures that there’s always something new to try out, and despite all of them leaning on the same concept, they’re equally as fun and addictive as one another. Issues with the difficulty’s fluctuation to the side, this is easily one of the best games of its kind in recent memory. Don’t pass this by.

Sea of Solitude offers a surprisingly deep adventure that not only toys with perception, but inadvertently encourages you to look inside yourself. Whilst the gameplay would have benefited from a bit more depth, what’s present is well balanced, well varied, and well paced. Collectively, this makes for a massively involved journey that showcases its developer’s heart remarkably. Whilst slightly flawed, Sea of Solitude is unlike anything else.

While it may be generally the same game as last year, If you skipped out on last year’s edition of NBA 2K this may be the year for you. Mechanically the game has improved and other than having to pay for VC to compete against other players I think you’ll find some enjoyment in playing My Career games or just with some friends.

MechaNika, although short, is one of the funniest puzzlers in recent memory. There’s next to no difficulty as far as its gameplay loop is concerned, but this game is much less about complexity and much more about the journey at hand. On that score alone, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any game of the like that remotely relays as much character and wit as MechaNika does.

Foreclosed excels with the visuals making this a unique experience I haven’t seen elsewhere, but could have used more work with voice recording and mixing with game audio. Fans of third person shooters or people searching for an interactive fun comic book game will enjoy this artistic title. It’s also a great selection for those who like Max Payne or Deus Ex as described by the developers.

Not only are there some well designed and challenging campaign levels on offer, but Levelhead dares you to come up with your own too. A powerful, intuitive editor makes it pretty effortless to get started, and really the sky is the limit for your imagination.

Dread Nautical is a rougelike I can see myself coming back to for some time yet. With a good range of classes to choose from, some helpfully accessible difficulty options and a fun gameplay loop it is well worth checking out.

Need For Speed Heat has done a fantastic job going back to its routes... with loads of cars, tons of customisation and the feel of two games in one with the day and night cycle. It has a couple of flaws with the police chases but you still find yourself having a fun, intense experience.

All in all, Bright Memory Infinite might not quite live up to the hype it built up two years ago, but it’s still a solidly made and presented shooter. The action is fast and hectic, and the sword and glove powers are great fun to use and upgrade. A few niggles aside, you should consider checking this out if you’re after a bit of fun but brainless shooting.

Deceive Inc. is a title that gamers haven’t seen in a while. Fresh off launch there are improvements that of course can be made but I’m willing to go on a stakeout to wait and see what happens with the title.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster brings us more than just updated modern graphics, with auto saves, fully voiced cutscenes and some of quality life features. It also brings the nostalgia back for us older gamers who remember it back on the Xbox 360. But whether you’ve played this before or not, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster still proves to be a fun, wacky, and somewhat unique experience, and this is the best way to experience Frank’s story.

When we’re paired up with some real life people though, there’s certainly fun to be had with Pool Party. It’s not a game that will remain on for the whole night, but as something to add to a regular rotation of multiplayer games with friends, snacks, and a few beverages Pool Party will fit the bill nicely. The simple and immediate gameplay will get a few laughs, a couple of swears, and maybe a bit of game-rage at times but a it’s light and breezy enough to overcome these with pure, simple fun.

Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator provides a calming experience for garden enthusiasts. Thanks to Stillalive Studios and Nacon, aspiring gardeners now have a new comfort game to enjoy. While performing tasks can be rather tedious there’s much more that the game can offer both visually and creatively.

Bang-On Balls: Chronicles is a fun, hectic, and chaotic action title that is fun enough solo, but far more so when paired up in co-op. A few technical issues aside, this would be an easy recommend as something for a couple of nights of fun.

Rogue Trader is a fantastic narrative embracing the satire, the self-importance, and the pompousness of the Warhammer 40K world. The turn-based combat is not quite a fully fledged but that doesn’t take away from it being a must play.

Trailblazers is undeniably fun, well developed and unique. Its distinct design and innovative paint-to-boost gameplay mechanic proves that a simple idea can go a very long way. With some AI issues to the side, this is one cooperative-specific racing experience that shouldn’t be overlooked. Whether or not its online community will flourish remains to be seen, but given its alluring foundation alone, I hold hope that it will.

For its asking price, you should definitely give Akane a try. Just because the game is lacking on the content side it doesn’t mean that there isn’t any enjoyment to be had. If you play the game in a short burst or for maybe an hour or two at a time, you’ll come to love the hack and slash brawler to its full potential.

Agatha Knife is well written, funny and unique. The gameplay doesn’t take the genre to new heights, but it does tick all of the boxes that it needed to, to ensure that the adventure remains fresh and engaging throughout. Group this with the fitting soundtrack and the colorful hand-crafted visuals, and there’s little reason to dislike what’s on offer outside of its potentially touchy controversial subject material.

Relic have done phenomenal work porting Company of Heroes 3 over to consoles. It does a great job of onboarding newcomers to the RTS genre and provides hours of content. That said, there is still a hefty learning curve and time investment which is going to cause some to struggle.

A downer to end with, but I do want to reiterate that the game otherwise is excellent in terms of quality. The roster (at least what is unlocked to start with) is stacked, the match types are more varied than ever, and there are so many modes here to play with I am honestly staggered how anyone could find the time to explore them all properly. Showcase does CM Punk justice, while MyRise is a great character builder for our custom superstar, and the creation suite is even more mind boggling in its scope than ever. If you’re even remotely into the world of professional wrestling, then WWE 2K26 is an absolute no brainer as the best game of graps out there.

It may be the same game as the 2019 release underneath, but this upgraded Complete Edition is well worth a look for both returning players and those new to it for the Annihilation Line story mode on its own. There are better shooters out there, but for a bit of AA-style fun, this is a solid choice.

Fall of Light doesn’t quite live up to its inspirational material, but even so, this is well worth your time and attention if you’re a fan of the core “Dark Souls” formula. There’s heaps of weapon, enemy and environmental variation across the board, all of which is tethered to an interesting world that’s full of lore and mystery. Camera annoyances to the side, Fall of Light is one that fans of the genre will thoroughly enjoy.

Kunitsu-Gami continues the trend of gameplay excellence that has blessed all of Capcom’s recent releases. There are just some parts outside that feel like they should be more streamlined.

CLeM maintains Mango Protocol’s track record of quirky, inventive, and slightly hampered-in-places gaming, with a great central premise and gameplay mechanics that are only really held back by slow movement and occasionally frustrating moments.

The shame of all this is that without these practices, NBA 2K20 can stand tall as the best basketball sim available. Even running unopposed with the retirement of the NBA Live franchise, it continues to get better and better on the court, but serious issues surrounding that experience leave it feeling less and less impressive year on year. Here’s hoping 2K can end that trend.

All in all, Party Animals is a fun, hectic online wobbly brawler. The levels are varied and have some clever ideas and set-ups, while the physics-based nature of the combat provides hilarity whether we’re on the good or bad end of the randomness. Matches can feel a little overly long, but as something to pick up for an hour or so with friends regularly, this fits the bill nicely.

Serial Cleaners expands on the original game nicely, with a good variety of missions and characters to play. It has its niggles, but for the most part this is a fun way to spend a few hours.

Eternal Strand is an immense start for Yellow Brick. There are so many perfect parts in this tapestry of ideas from other games, and its approach of letting players explore and figure out ways to use their powers is amazing. There are a few glaring flaws here, but I think it is a case of the rest of it being so good that those weaknesses are put into stark contrast.

Kill It With Fire is a unique game that offers a unique experience. As you carry out your job over 9 different levels you will discover an array of weaponry and technical upgrades to aid you in your battle. Although a short experience that can be fully seen within 6 hours, it’s fun 6 hours. I recommended it for everyone!

For me, director Paul Raschid’s The Complex is still the ultimate example of the live-action gaming genre, and while Ten Dates didn’t quite grab me as much as that title, it’s still a very decent interactive adventure. More inclusive and with a fuller, more robust cast than Five Dates, fans of Wales’ other titles would do well to check this out.

Demon Pit hit me right in the nostalgia. The classic feel of the 90’s arena shooters is perfectly represented here, with fast, frenetic action that won’t let you rest, at least until you’re dead. It won’t be for everyone, and some may feel a little short changed by the fact that the one mode is all you get. But the replayability of that mode will keep Demon Pit installed on your hard drive for some time to come.

OlliOlli World has released it’s last and final DLC aptly titled Finding the Flowzone. This expansion gives us 17 more levels of this game as you’d expect to see with fun twists. The levels have a new addition of wind that will carry you to newer and greater heights. Veterans will speed through the content but there is still fun to be had.

SuperEpic: The Entertainment War lays its feelings out for all to see on the current state of the big buck chasing corporate side of the game industry. That it does so with enough wit and entertainment factor is commendable; it would have been easy to fall on the wrong side of parody. The core gameplay is fun and engaging, the art is fantastic and – odd typo aside – the writing manages to get the message across in an entertaining way. Undercoders perhaps lent a little too heavily on the MetroidVania aspects with a hard to read map and even harder to keep track of side missions, but overall I had a blast with SuperEpic.

Jump Gunners’ most alluring feature is that due to its healthy serving of weaponry and its deep pool of destructible maps, the game constantly feels fresh and engaging, despite leaning on the same concept from beginning to end. If you’re on the market for a couch-play game that’s as over-the-top as it is action-packed and diverse, Jump Gunners should most certainly be on your radar.

Tunnel of Doom is a tight little package that has found a flourish on the roguelite formula that feels like more developers should be paying attention.

Bad Dream: Coma is morbid, depressing, and more graphic than the simple art style lets on, but that’s not to say it isn’t worth playing. Those that like point and click gameplay will be right at home here, while the dour atmosphere offers up an intriguing tone to the experience. Navigating the puzzles with a pad can get tedious at times, but for the most part this is an engaging time, and worth a look.

Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection is a love letter, or rather a love ballad to the original series, and fans of that series will know every word. I think most of them will enjoy this resurrection immensely. I was on the fence about recommending it to newer fans, but after completing the game on Squire I realized that I enjoyed the game a fair bit. The only caveat is the current price of $30 US which seems a little high. The watercolor art style is striking and the soundtrack is familiar and catchy. Although there are some moments of frustration, Capcom has created a game that any platformer fan should enjoy whether they are a fan of the series or a fan in the making, but the old school fans will get much more enjoyment from it.

Demon Skin has done an immense job of bringing a lot of complexity to the 2D hack’n’slash genre. The story may not be too detailed but the focus of this game is on the atmospheric level and character design and the hellish combat mastery. If you want a short but challenging 2D game which looks great and puts your reflexes to the test, then this is a solid game to pick up.

All in all, I enjoyed my time with You Suck at Parking. Its clever mechanics and designs outweigh my niggles with the physics and overworld map, though they aren’t to be discounted entirely. As a game to unwind with after a long day, this is a great pick up, and a good example of the kind of game Game Pass suits to a tee.

Depsite these niggles I enjoyed my time with The Observer; it looks great, has atmosphere for days and if you cankeep track of what is going on then there is a lot of additional lore to find and piece together. The mind hack sections were the most engaging parts, with some genuinely clever presentation and execution among some truly bizarre imagery and themes. It might not be Bloobers best work, but it’s worth a look if you’re a fan of the team’s games.

CrossCode is a fun medley of gaming styles which some can link to the older style Zelda games with its combat and puzzle elements. The RPG side of things does provide a lot of the content of the game, but it does sometimes seem the main focus is all the different puzzling elements, with the combat feeling a little filler to pad out the game until the next puzzling section. The variety of side quests will keep you busy, although some of the fetch quests can be a bit tedious. But the story is interesting, and it is very fun to play through, so I strongly recommend it.

The Minecraft brand is massive, and to create a dungeon crawler with all the familiar characters and architecture makes absolute sense. It was always going to be tough to cater for all ages and abilities in this genre, but I feel they have handled it quite well. The lack of co-op and online play with players outside of your friends list is, for now at least, a massive shame as it’s clearly at its best when teaming up with a few players. Gamepass should make this a much smaller issue, but it’s still not ideal. However, this is still a fun dungeon crawler that will keep you entertained.

All in all, Don’t Be Afraid is certainly not afraid to push certain boundaries, though whether you’ll get enjoyment out of that is down to your personal tolerance for child peril and harm in gruesome environments. Despite some unease at times I still enjoyed most of what the game offered, with some smart use of spooks and visual/audio work to really sell the horror at points. Horror game fans should at least look into Don’t Be Afraid, just make sure you’re braced for what’s ahead.

A tight, entertaining, and original co-op game. Operation: Tango is a perfect multiplayer game for two friends.

All in all, Blacksmith of the Sand Kingdom is an enjoyable and very charming title that soon turned into a repetitive chore to me. With everything that it has to offer, it motivates me to play more just to access those other classes and faiths and to see even more powerful enemies. While it’s not entirely my style of playing an RPG, for others they might feel right at home. If you’re up for the grinding or systematic playstyle then this RPG is definitely for you.

Andrade games have created a unique 2D homage to the games of yesteryear while adding a fair amount of new ideas and gameplay. The macabre setting is portrayed perfectly with fantastically detailed pixel art. While there are a few questionable choices made in the game’s overall design, anyone who is a fan of old-school 2D action platformers should definitely give this a try, alternatively, if you want to experience an over-the-top, horror-themed 17th-century Europe depicted in fantastic pixel art then Heidelberg 1693 is the game for you.

Heartworm is a love letter to survival horrors of the 90’s, with a great look and feel that apes those older games brilliantly. Boring boss fights, an uninspiring tale, and some user interface niggles stop this being a full-hearted recommendation, but if you’re in the market for old school Resident Evil-like gaming, then this should fit the bill nicely.

Episode two is of a much slower pace in comparison to its predecessor, and comes with less emphasis on heavy choices, as well as some minor bugs. The end result makes for a segment that doesn’t quite meet the quality that was paved by what came before it, but surprisingly manages to hold its own nonetheless. Rules is a solid addition to the Life is Strange world, and a great lead in to the challenging choices, inevitably still to come.

Real-time Worms action is something all previous fans of the series have probably thought about at one point, and it’s nice to not only see it happen but have it modernised in the popular battle royale style. It’s simple enough to pick up and play and the cross platforming means you can squad up with your friends using other platforms too. I found it fun to play and a decent addition to the Worms series. My only gripe is that sometimes there are too many explosions on-screen to keep track of your worm at times.

Of course, if you are someone who likes to keep an eye on new Game Pass entries, it doesn’t take much to see that Lemnis Gate is one of the recent Day One additions to the service, finding players, even with the cross-play option, is something that can take a bit of time but be patient and you’ll have a blast. The gameplay quality is definitely no reason for a lack of players, although it may be a sign of what’s to come with big triple-A shooters inbound.

Make Way offers something new and unique in the racing genre, and is perfectly suited to game nights with a few friends (and a few beers). Camera hang ups aside, the track construction idea is great, and it’ll no doubt be a fixture of our gaming nights for some time yet.

Extinction lacks refinement and complexity, that much goes without saying. However, for those that seek a non-stop action-packed hack-and-slash adventure, there’s a lot to look forward to within. It may be repetitive in the long run, but there’s no denying that Extinction offers a decent story, empowering gameplay and enough content to merit a recommendation.