Wizard of Legend is easily one of the best dungeon crawlers of this gen so far. There’s a plethora of challenging content to get through and no shortage of magical combinations to enjoy. The gameplay itself, despite the occasional minor drop in frame-rate, remains fluid and precise throughout. This is further upheld by its natural charm, its energy, its general depth and its vast replay value.

Song of Horror is a wonderful psychological horror title with an even better story, the fixed camera and unique gameplay will keep players on the edge of their seats to avoid the perma-death feature.

While these issues can take the sheen off things at times, when we’re in the flow of a level, stunning pixel art whizzing by our retinas, cracking music filling our ears, and the thrill of the platforming keeping our palms busy, Freedom Planet 2 is a wonderful time. The levels are well designed, the boss encounters tough but fair, and there’s enough here to have people coming back for more, be it a new character or simply beating their best times.

I found my time playing Lunar Lander Beyond to be good fun in short bursts, usually in between something a bit meatier. At around 5 hours to complete it doesn’t outstay its welcome, though there are harder difficulties (and permadeath) to consider should you really want to test yourself. If you’ve not gelled with the previous releases then this make good strides to win you over, though the same tricky controls and movement are present as ever.

Thanks to a brisker pace and slightly shorter runtime, I found myself enjoying Tape 2 a bit more than Tape 1. It feels more exciting and engaging, and even the modern day parts pay off finally as we get to the bottom of the mystery that was frustratingly teased throughout the last episode. As a whole, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is one of the better choose your own adventure style games in recent years, and a welcome return for Don’t Nod indeed.

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.

The lack of enemy variants is a let down, which is surprising seeing as this was the chief criticism from the core game. I also found the story to be somewhat less interesting than it could have been. Outside of those two flaws, this new content is brilliant.

Tandem is a unique puzzle game that uses shadows on top of character swapping to help each character get through the levels. Emily is in search for Thomas Kane and chases after the only source of information she has. The story seems to be more an explanation to why you are solving these puzzles than a true adventure. If you enjoy a great puzzle game, then this game warrants a though I would personally recommend waiting for a small sale. The game does have value, but most will be done with the game in less than 10 hours fully and most likely not wanting to return for more unless a sequel is announced.

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.

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.

Wax Heads was a unique experience that definitely lived up to the cozy promise. It may not be difficult, and it may not be my style, but I enjoyed the actual gameplay elements. I believe this one is a see it and you’ll know type of game.

Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2 is a decent 2D platforming shooter when it wants to be. The game’s main issues sit with its short length, its dull boss encounters and its somewhat lack of evolution when comparing it to its predecessor. Still, its gorgeously detailed and diverse level variation, together with the sheer amount of carnage that players can unleash, collectively delivers a fairly fun experience nonetheless.

Brutal, deep, and stylish, God’s Trigger is without a doubt one of the most compelling top-down shooters of the gen. The game’s depth and variation, together with its one-hit-death mechanic, collectively ensure that the experience remains constantly fresh and engaging throughout. The only drawback is that it’s too easy to circumvent much of the difficulty, but even then, the fun rarely gives up. If you enjoy the likes of Hotline Miami, you’re going to love this.

Thankfully, there’s something about the core feel to the gun-play and movement that mostly makes up for things. Everything is snappy, even with the screen chock full of enemies, gunfire and gigantic bosses. Getting a particularly powerful upgrade early on feels like winning the lottery, while teaming up with 3 players online makes the grind far more appetising. It’d have been nice to be able to keep something from each run, and have online loot shared amongst the team, but as it is, Risk of Rain 2 is a great example of the genre.

Lonely Mountains Downhill is a fun, arcade style challenge that will test even the most hardened of gamer’s nerve. Some bizarre technical issues and dodgy physics let the side down a tad, but it’s far from unplayable. In fact, there’s something rather calming to the whole affair in between the rage that makes playing the game worthwhile – especially as it launches into Gamepass.

Mafia: Definitive Edition is how a remake should be done. By taking and meticulously remoulding the original game, Mafia: Definitive Edition sings with a deliciously authentic 1930’s gangster shooter experience that’s enriched to no end by a chapter-based story that keeps the focus on the story and its characters. The aiming and target reticule aren’t ideal, and the Free Ride mode is a missed opportunity, but when the smoke clears and all you want is a classy hard-boiled gangster shooter there are few better options available.

Olija oozes originality, from its cinematic storytelling to its uniquely retro graphics and the genre-bending award-worthy soundtrack that ties it all together. And don’t forget about its fluid combat and exploration-focused gameplay that slowly introduces new mechanics that keep the game engaging and fun but at the same never letting it get too complex. For a while I put off engaging in what I believed to be the final encounter because I truly enjoyed my time in the game world and wanted it to continue. While watching the final cut scene I was not so secretly hoping my character would get dragged back into the land of Terraphage. I felt like there were still mysteries to discover; maybe there was another island hidden somewhere. I’ll definitely be playing through the game again at some point. The bottom line is Devolver Digital has another winner on its hands in Olija.

I am a big fan of the Yakuza series and Like a Dragon Ishin! has all the qualities that you would expect from a game in this series. It looks and feels like a modern game but certain aspects do remind you that you are playing a remake of an older game. For those new to the series this is a great one to jump into as it’s disconnected story-wise from the Yakuza thread. There is so much content to enjoy and the different combat styles keep things fresh even if the story doesn’t feel too fresh.

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters is another great entry into the Warhammer Universe. With tons of different ways to customize your squad cosmetically and with talents, Daemonhunters has the ability to keep you coming back for more.

Replaced has been a long time coming, and for the most part we’re happy with how it has turned out. The combat and presentation are the highlights here, with incredible animation making every encounter look and feel awesome. A slow opening and generally heavy platforming and exploration can drag things down at times though. As it is, Replaced winds up being worth a play for sure, even if it isn’t quite the next best thing we were hoping for.

Torchlight 2 doesn’t explore new territory, but it doesn’t need to. It keeps true to what made the first Torchlight a decent RPG and built on it. Although it has taken a while for it to finally make its way to the Xbox One, fans of the first game or those into isometric RPG’s will be happy to tuck into this game as there is plenty of content and variety to keep things interesting. To also now be able to play this multiplayer as well can only make the game more interesting.

Relicta offers up some clever, challenging puzzle scenarios that use physics in a way that feels natural while also embracing the sci-fi elements of its presentation. The difficulty can occasionally spike, and the story elements, while entertaining, definitely take a back seat to the actual puzzle solving gameplay. But when that gameplay is so good and rewarding, that’s no bad thing.

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.

Much like Turok Remastered, Seeds of Evil is overpriced. The game doesn’t come without problems, many of which are due to its age. However, if you can overlook dated visuals, basic gameplay functionality, and a multiplayer component that lacks population, there’s a decent amount of refined chaotic fast-paced fun to be had, within.

I have enjoyed every moment of this game thus far. There’s been a few hiccups, but overall the game is solid, with its mix of RPG elements and fully obtainable upgrades that can be unlocked how ever you wish. Some wonky voice acting doesn’t distract too much from some great visuals and atmosphere too, really allowing you to get immersed in the world.

Frontier have worked their magic to ensure it’s the best F1 Manager game out there and have another smash hit on their hands. With the Race Replay feature and the ability to change teams coming down the road, F1 Manager will keep fans pinned to their team principle chairs.

Despite the AI controversy around the launch of Crimson Desert, I’ve found a lot to enjoy during my time with the game. There is a lot of content to explore, and freedom to do so at your own pace and style. So much so, that even with some annoying interface and controller decisions and an initially confusing storyline, I found myself compelled to keep coming back and enjoying the moment to moment experiences.

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.