As with all Jackbox games, Party Pack 6 is a great game to play with a bunch of mates. I have loved playing these games in the past, so naturally had high hopes for this pack. But I’m afraid it fell a little bit short. The games weren’t bad bad and I had great fun playing the 5 games on offer, but I just found this pack a little lacking. It feels as though the ideas may be running thin. Audio is always amazing and if you’re a Jackbox fan then add this to your collection. Push a Button is a must play, but lets face it, Fibbage is king and you always will go back to that.

For cat-lovers and Xbox lovers, Stray is a pleasant and uncanny feline-centred adventure game that’ll be purr-cisely what many will be looking for. The various cat behaviours are cool, the dark alleyways and neon evoke a particular kind of foreboding atmosphere, and there simply isn’t another game out there quite like Stray. However, Stray’s presentation is a mask for routine gameplay dynamics, and the overarching dreariness of the dystopia setting doesn’t mesh convincingly with the playful moments found dotted throughout. There’s a sense BlueTwelve Studio wanted a big-time mainstream experience condensed down to the length an indie title, and they’re successful in achieving that, it’s just the world they created could’ve been cheerier and less predictable. Thankfully though, this cat game never outStrays its welcome.

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.

As far as the racing game genre goes Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is one of the coolest and freshest around. Of course, the brilliance of Hot Pursuit stems from its original release in 2010 and the remaster doesn’t bestow a bountiful bouquet of bonuses, but replaying it ten years down the line hasn’t changed the recipe one iota – and that can only be a great thing, although the changes are minimal beyond aesthetics. If you haven’t played Hot Pursuit and want an exhilarating racer this is a must own and while you’re at it bump up the score below by 1.0, but as a remaster it only does enough to make it competent and does little to stand out from the litany of remasters out there.

This is probably one of the best versions of this style of game I’ve played (which isn’t many as I am a bit of scaredy cat) and it is helped by the visual style. Most of the level is bathed in a blue hue, reminiscent of the afterglow of a static TV, and it feels like it takes a lot of its inspiration from the low-budget-but-with-a-ton-of-style film Skinamarink. It is a good visual inspiration as the long drawn out shadows make it look like everything is a threat, and the hues support the theme of the mundane turned terrifying. It is fairly short experience, but the difficulty settings give you the option to make it more challenging (or you can turn the monsters off entirely to just soak up the environment). But at the price point, this game is unassailable as a purchase recommendation.

Overall, Gunkid 99 is a truly fantastic game. At present, you are unlikely to progress too far thanks to a mixture of true difficulty and the apparent freezing issues that plague the high-score screens, but should they be sorted with a patch in the near future, then Gunkid 99 is certainly a game worthy of your time. Whether you’re a platform maestro, a fan of simplistic games, or just looking for a challenge, this is somehow one of the most addictive games you’ll play for some time, yet equally one of the hardest.

Bish Bash Bots is tight, smartly put together game. A single screen tower defence game, with the wobbly controls of a party game. Well worth the price of admission with plenty of variety in each level.

First person puzzlers aren’t rare, but Summertime Madness is a great effort from DP Games to add to the growing entries in the genre. Outside of one incredibly sharp difficulty spike I enjoyed my time with it a lot. If you’re in for an evening or two of abstract puzzling then this gets a recommendation for sure, just have a walkthrough ready for that last section so as to not completely undermine the good experience up until that point.

Defenders Quest is a solid RPG/Tower Defense hybrid that offers up hours of content, spread across a dark and compelling story. The visuals and the sound are the weakest points here, but to judge this merely on how it looks would be doing it a disservice. It’s accessible, it’s refreshing, and above all else, it’s well developed.

Landflix Odyssey holds its own in a sea of competitors by combining many ideas, yet never overwhelms the player. If you’ve ever been watching your favorite TV shows and wished you could play a video game version, Landflix Odyssey has granted your wish – in a comedic pixel platformer that will challenge your platforming skills one minute and have you smiling at its parodies the next.

El Paso Elsewhere is confident in its visual and audio delivery, the combat is great, it suffers from uneven pacing that drags some areas unnecessarily.

Crash Drive 3 is a wonderful idea of a game and plays with no major issues. The game is a wonderful addition to the series and the hard work invested by the team shows. Lovers of goofy arcade racers will enjoy.

Pirates Outlaws is a solid deck-building roguelite that adds tons of content and lots of interesting spins on familiar formulas, it is an easy recommend for fans of the genre. For those that are new to this style – there are better places to start.

Ancestors Legacy is a game of historical greatness, featuring real battles from times gone by, easy to grasp controls and some great stories. It has its bumps, but is a title that you will keep coming back to. Whether you’re a Viking lover or a Polish shield bearer, there is a faction for you. I’d liked to have seen some element of multiplayer through the campaign – as it is, though, there’s a pretty great RTS here for console players to get stuck in to.

Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 & 2 offers a great blast from the past, complete with new and upgraded features as well as some additional extras, such as the history-rich museum mode, added modifiers and more. The gameplay is solid and is still as hard as ever, offering a real old-school and varying challenge, if you so choose it.

It has been a while since I have had the need/want to replay a game over and over because of the carrot and stick. Astro Flame Starfighter gives a good balance of making you want to play more because of the enjoyment factor and the need to upgrade your ship to finish off the level/mission or get the 3 stars you wanted for completing said mission. Graphics are good when playing and handling of your ship is good too. Each boss has its own unique look and attack which was a good surprise.

Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition is a thinkers delight. Full of multiple paths and novel sized stories which will keep you playing for hours, along with a beautiful hand drawn backdrop to set the tone. Twisted communities and imaginative concepts, Sunless Sea is a great game for those with a hunger to explore.

Obey Me is a fun and fresh take on the Beat-Em-Up genre. It is quite easy for games in this genre to become repetitive and dull, but with the variety of weapons, moves, enemies and dodging of traps things are kept interesting. The story may seem vague at the start, but it builds things nicely and with some humorous dialogue it does keep you gripped. This is a fun game to pick up and play and is much better enjoyed with a friend.

Mighty Goose is solid run-and-gun fun, borrowing from the classics of the past and adding a modern spin. The campaign is on the short side, but there’s a new game plus option offering some extra challenge. The over-the-top, hectic action gives the game a carefree feeling, but I never felt like I was mastering the gameplay since a lot of the enemy attacks are hard to see and avoid. It’s by no means a golden egg; however, if you’re a fan of the genre or looking for some careless action then it might be worth giving Mighty Goose a try.

In my opinion, I feel that Destroy All Humans 2 should’ve been remastered instead since it was made and released at a later time period in gaming. While first time players might find it a little stale, bland, and repetitive, old players regardless will have fun with the game as it throws them back into a more simpler time period than the one we’re living in now.

While it lasts though Dead Dungeon is a fun, challenging platforming title that will have you pulling your hair out as you press the retry button for the hundredth time. It’s not up to Super Meat Boy’s superlative design, but it’s a decent alternative and well worth a look.

If you’re thirsty for a cool anime open-world adventure based on a new TV show, Sand Land is a really cool offering. Beelzebub and his crew are a diverse set of personalities, the tank battles are pleasing, and the plethora of upgrade abilities and accessibility features means Sand Land is worth digging into. These Sand Lands can be too empty, the sense of open-world repetition seeps in all too soon, and navigating that open-world can be troublesome, but Sand Land is otherwise an unexpected oasis in the desert that’s worth necking back and savouring while it lasts.

Sisters Royale is a fun and amusing bullet hell title that offers up some solid arcade action, but little else. The specific anime styling will either draw you in or put you off (you know what I mean), but the light-hearted tale will likely win over even the most prudish players. Some online leader boards or alternate modes wouldn’t have gone amiss, but even so I still think Sisters Royale is worth a look if you’re into, or curious about, the bullet hell genre.

Hyperdot encapsulates brilliant the short, snappy arcade thrills that used to dominate places such as Xbox Live Arcade. Super simple to grasp, yet with a real challenge for dedicated players, it will no doubt keep most hooked for far longer than they intended to sit down and play.

Pure Farming 2018 is a very deep and diverse farming experience, but it doesn’t come without fault. The visuals are far from impressive, the draw distance remains very limited, and the game can become overly repetitive. With that to the side, Pure Farming 2018 accomplishes everything it sets out to achieve. Simply put, this is multitasking made fun.

Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection brings age but also wisdom to the table. Most gamers have heard of Ninja Gaiden either by reference or by playing one of the original games. This collection brings the games to players who have not experienced it before and with the addition of the Hero easy mode there is no reason to fear the gruesome challenge these games used to be if you just wanted to experience it. For fans of the series, while it has not been remastered it has been spruced up with the new framerate and plays very smoothly on a Series S and X. If you need to get your ninja on and enjoy a fast combat action game, then this collection could be for you.

I am not a fan of serious racing sims, luckily this is far from that. But it’s not solely a Micro Machines/Mario Kart clone either. It’s found its niche somewhere in the middle and it’s quite enjoyable to play. With a variety of power-ups and cars, there is plenty of fun to be had. I feel this game would have benefited if it opened up online play other players other than just friends.

Everyone appears to be having fun and that gusto carries some of the weaker moments. This becomes the crux of what makes Bloodshore great, it isn’t aiming for high-minded art but at larger-than-life entertainment with energy and gusto. As long as you, the audience, are game then you will have a blast.