Outside of some cheap boss battle tactics that arbitrarily crank the difficulty up, Huntdown is an excellent retro styled action game. The combat is fun, brutal and often funny, the visuals and audio are top notch and each stage is just short enough to keep us feeling like we’re moving along nicely.

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.

Trusty ol’ Game Pass does it again. Flynn: Son of Crimson is a joy to play, look and and listen to. It’s difficulty is nicely paced (even if the bosses can give us a good kicking), there’s more to explore than meets the eye, and Studio Thunderhorse keep the game moving brilliantly with new powers and abilities dished out frequently. Whether you’re into these kind of retro adventures or not, Flynn is well worth a look.

Chances are that you’ll already know what you’re getting into with FIFA 21; while it may be broadly similar to last years effort in its game feel, with a few good tweaks and subtle changes, that’s kind of to be expected with an annualised sports franchise. The improvements that have been made across some of the modes are welcome, and offer up new ways to enjoy the series. It’s also rather lovely to look at, and should be a fine showcase for the upcoming Series X|S come launch day!

If you are an Xbox gamer and have any interest in action roguelites and platformers I think it’s a no-brainer that you give Dead Cells a try – it is on Game Pass after all. The base game has a ton of content to enjoy, and if you like what you see then definitely consider picking up the DLC. Each one is only $5 USD and you can get them all together in a bundle at a reasonable discount. Motion Twin might have moved on from Dead Cells, but Evil Empire plans to stick with it and I look forward to seeing them make a fantastic game even better.

Lost Judgement is in my eyes a superb addition to the Yakuza series and is jam-packed with content. The graphics are great, the voice acting is great and the amount of activities that will distract you from the main quest is mind-blowing. It used the same formula which made its predecessors so much fun to play and improved on it. Even as dark and gruesome as the main story is there is always something around the corner in this game to put a smile back on your face.

The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa is clearly inspired by many games, but this brooding, slice-of-life brawler has its own voice – that voice is profane, deadpan but honest. There is nothing else really like it in the mainstream.

Despite Breaking Point not hitting the mark with me, F1 2021 is an exceptional game for their first entry onto the Series X consoles and will keep F1 fans happy for another year.

There’s no shortage of 2D puzzle platformers out there, but few are done with such style, pacing, and intuitiveness as DARQ. A thoroughly enjoyable 2 hours of play that knows not to try and artificially pad the runtime and dilute the experience. The fantastic audio/visual work helps suck us into the atmosphere, and combined with smart puzzle mechanics and movement these add up to make DARQ an easily recommended play.

Super Meat Boy Forever might not be the game I expected, but it’s a game I thoroughly enjoyed. Good sequels take the best elements of the first game and build on them. The gameplay doesn’t have to be exactly the same but in this case, it’s familiar enough, while adding many interesting new elements. The new high definition art style is on point and the level design and generation makes the sequel truly stand out. One of the designers said he wanted something that could be played forever, hence the name, and when I heard this I was worried that this might be the last entry in the series; however, thankfully the cut scenes hint that there might be more to come. I look forward to seeing what Team Meat will do in the future, but in the meantime, I have plenty of Meat Boy content to enjoy, I think I’ll go try again to beat that warp zone backwards.

And really, Star Hunter DX nails the Bullet Hell Shmup package as a whole. The gunplay is fast, fun, and energetic, the visuals and audio are fantastic, and even though I am terrible at it I cannot stop playing. Shmup fan or not – you need to check this out.

I could talk for ages about Twelve Minutes as I loved everything about it, but there’s not much that can be said without spoilers. The voice acting is fantastic and the gameplay is very enjoyable. It’s a fantastic title and the fact it comes straight to Game Pass is brilliant. I can’t recommend this enough.

I am more than a little surprised at just how much I enjoyed Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Having skipped the series for a few years due to being a bit burnt out on it all, Cold War manages to feel fresh and exciting while familiar at the same time. The solo campaign is over too soon, but what’s there is excellent and offers more than a simple rollercoaster of action. Multiplayer is as solid as ever, with a great variety of modes to dip in to. The combat feel is still among the best out there, making even the worst defeats still enjoyable. Zombies has great potential if you’ve a crew to play with, and brings some welcome levity to proceedings. An excellent all round package then, and well worth a look.

The Complex is, quite simply, fantastic. Some dodgy CGI and a few plot holes aside, the story being told here is gripping, the characters well acted and brought to life and there’s a ton of variety on offer through the many choices we make along the way. A brilliant example of an interactive movie, and one that you’d be well off to play.

Crow Country is top-tier retro survival horror. It has fun, engaging puzzles, some excellent presentation work, and is a tightly paced affair that keeps the gameplay flowing nicely. Easy recommendation for players familiar with the genre and new players alike.

As someone who is not blinded by nostalgia I personally loved this game. It reminded me of Super Mario 64 or, at the least. Banjo and Kazooie. It’s a fun and entertaining platformer, whether you believe it’s just a kids game or not. There’s a reason why this game was called a classic and I can see why now. With its new paint job it just renewed its title. You have a few problems with the load times and hit detection, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this game is amazing.

If you take one thing away from this review, be it this; playing Haven is utterly mesmerising, a wonderfully written and performed tale of two lovers taking a chance on each other even at the cost of their very way of life. Yu and Kay have become two of my favourite characters this year, and even now I can’t help wonder where they will go next. Exploring Source is an exercise if joy, even when we have to repeat sections a few times, and there always feels like there is something else to find or see. It could have been a tad shorter, but when what’s here is this enjoyable I’ll allow it!

With the release of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin, Frontier now has two games released this year that will be in contention for my GOTY. There is so much to do, and Realms of Ruin will keep fans of Warhammer and RTS games busy for a long, long time with Frontier proving you CAN have quality and quality in a video game if done right.

All in then, Vicarious Visions and Beenox have absolutely knocked this remake out of the park. Not only is it a great source of nostalgia for older players who have fond memories of the originals, but the core gameplay is just as fun as ever and will no doubt find a new legion of fans today. The updated visuals are excellent, again playing homage to past titles while adding extra little touches and details. Online is fun, if a challenge, and the custom skater and park options are deep and full of potential, though it would have been nice to be able to set custom challenges too.

Tales of Arise is a JRPG that ticks a lot of boxes of what I expect and what I want such a game to be. It has a great story, great characters, wonderful designed areas that are vibrant and a combat system you can tailor to your preference. It proves not every RPG needs to be open world and if you do all the other elements very well then it makes for a great experience.

Of course, Shenmue is showing its age, but both games are still more than capable of capturing attention in a way that many other games simply can’t. Everything from the characters, to the world, to the amazing score and story, is clearly a labor of love. Even if, like me, you still have the old DC copies kicking about, this collection is absolutely the best way to experience these games.

Trine 4 is an absolute masterclass in 2D puzzle platforming. Everything about it – from the brilliant use of physics, through the wonderfully crafted world to the constantly engaging gameplay – is a step above most other titles out there. Combat is about the only weak point I can think of, but even that manages to be fun, just not as much as the puzzling. Whether you’re new to the series (pro-tip: the collection of all 4 titles is out on the same day) or a returning veteran, Trine 4 will keep you enchanted from start to finish.

Resident Evil 3 is another solid Capcom reinvention. There’s a wonderfully tense atmosphere punctuated with an action slant that means it’s never really as scary as it could be, but it still manages to get a good few moments in. Nemesis is initially terrifying, though his best moments come when it’s a one on one fight, the encounters in the world with him tend to be brief and easily overcome. Even at it’s worst though it’s still better than the majority of titles out so far this year and well worth a look.

DOOM is back, and it’s just as good as we’d all hoped. The action is fast, brutal and unforgiving. The soundtrack and pacing are perfect. You know when that music starts, it’s time to lock and load and get ready to fight. The campaign is long and always keeps you on your toes. It’s one of the most satisfying first person shooters I have played in quite some time. There is so much more to say about DOOM Eternal, but I’d rather save it and let you enjoy the blood and gore.

343i are trading heavily on Halo nostalgia with Infinite, and for the first time since taking over the series they have delivered a game that can easily stand shoulder to shoulder with the Bungie originals. The combat is excellent, it looks stunning, the hits of nostalgia at points are perfectly placed, and outside of the lack of co-op for now, this is exactly what I’d expect from a new Halo game.

Stick to the main path though, and The Talos Principle 2 is about as rewarding a puzzle game I’ve ever played. It’s smart and challenging while not being overly obtuse and difficult and the depth to the story and writing is a nice surprise. Trimming some of the bloat down a tad wouldn’t be a bad thing, but as it is, this is yet the latest hit in a stellar year for game releases.

I can say with absolute certainty that Gears 5 is an astonishingly fun video game. The excellent flow of combat established in prior entries has been implemented here almost flawlessly, the audio/visual feedback is intense, and there’s even a compelling, touching narrative in there to boot. The open world areas let the pace down a bit, and some difficulty spikes can frustrate, but overall if you’re after an action experience, you cannot go wrong here.

I loved the SteamWorld Dig games and was excited for SteamWorld Build to give Xbox fans another opportunity to play in this fun universe. SteamWorld Build took what some might consider a niche genre and made it super easy to get into no matter the player’s prior experience. The fun persisted and the progression was constant which made for a great time even in my replays. I recommend this to anyone looking for a chill game to help pass the time.