Ravenswatch is a superb. Complex, innovative, and just downright satisfying to play.

Neon Blood was still an enjoyable ride despite the issues listed, mainly again due to that stellar presentation and a tale that, while not exactly original, was executed well (and briefly) enough to keep our interest high throughout.

Slitterhead is a fascinating game, with an over-the-top plot, routed in strangely grounded characters. The combat is good, with some genuine new additions to the character action genre. However, it goes on for just a bit too long.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival is a game that I enjoy playing for a few hours at a time. While I do enjoy the game for what it offers, it can get tiring at certain points and put a strain on your hands and fingers. I’ve been playing rhythm games for years so for beginners it may be a bit daunting and irritating at first. It sucks that 500+ songs are behind DLC and you shouldn’t get it unless you’re absolutely sure that this is something you want to sink your time in. Given that Xbox doesn’t have that many rhythm game options I would recommend Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival as a perfect jumping-off point for those looking to get the beat moving.

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.

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.

Wildermyth is unlike anything else on the market. A roleplaying game that really emphasizes embodying a character and a story, that also happens to have a good combat system in there. Quickly repeating story elements diminishes that vision a bit, but there is still so much that the game understands about generating drama and investment – this is a must-play that I hope gets a refined and honed sequel.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is exactly what I wanted from a Dragon Age game. I just wish I didn’t have to wait 10 years for it. It ticks all the boxes for me in that it has a great story to tell, there are tough decisions to make, the voice acting is great and the gameplay is enjoyable. My only gripe was that my rogue playthrough involved a lot of evading but that was my choice and it only makes me want to play it through again as a different class.

Park builders have come a long way in recent years, and Planet Coaster 2 tops the bunch for us as a game packed with possibilities. The menu system suffers on a gamepad for sure, and we found it quite laggy too, but if you can persevere and get round the shortcomings of this, then the parks of your dreams are just a few thousand button presses away.

If there was one thing to make an RTS game out of it would be ants and bugs! To me, it made a lot of sense and I’m glad we not only have that, but we have that in an absolutely stunning way. This game is one of the best-looking games which I think helps it tremendously. The game isn’t bad itself, but it can be slow at times so making it nice to look at is really great. Top that with a controller layout that works pretty well, and you have a good RTS on console which is not an easy feat. Empire of the Ants is a pleasant experience that RTS fans should not look past.

Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream Story Mode acted more like an extended filler episode than anything. Nothing to “Wow” a casual SAO enjoyer and nothing I’d personally believe would make a hardcore fan’s jaw drop.

A strong opening set of chapters set up an intriguing mystery with the return of Max Caulfield, new powers and friends, and a fantastic setting with some excellent audio/visual work. Unfortunately, it all falls apart by the end, with a confusing mess of threads that sweep the interesting stuff aside in favour of a side story that feels rushed, and a final choice that is set up poorly, leaving us underwhelmed and not entirely sure what fate we assigned ourselves too.

Phasmophobia has hit the Xbox and brings all its scrappy charm along with it. I think there are people who are going to love this multiplayer horror game, but once the scares wear off, there isn’t a lot to keep coming back.

Red Dead Redemption is a bona-fide gaming classic that until now had missed the PC crowd baying for it to come to the platform. If you’ve yet to play it, this is simply the best way to play if you have even a passable PC or laptop, and puts a shine on a game that we can’t recommend enough.

Technical issues aside from the moment this game has potential. I love the fact that the Turtles have been given a bit more complexity in this game, but the mark is just a bit off. I honestly would have called this an okay game but had to knock it down with all of the hoops I had to jump through to finish the game. This won’t be the end for TMNT games and after some patches and maybe even a good sale, a fan of the reptilian ninjas may enjoy this but for now, I don’t think I’d recommend to my friends.

The Tunes are back in videogame form, which is great to see however this compilation of sports mini-games falls a bit short for the wacky world in my opinion. I love getting to see and play as some of the Looney Tunes but the sports themselves feel too basic and sometimes even clunky to really want to go back or even introduce it to friends or my kids. Golf was good and tennis was not bad but at a 50% okay rate in terms of fun, it’s a hard recommend to seasoned gamers.

Necro Story made some bold decisions on ways to make the game challenging. The soul-catching mechanic is particularly interesting and adds a unique twist to the gameplay. The variety of characters with random perks and the comical undertone of the story provides a refreshing take on the dark fantasy genre. However, the game’s lack of clear explanations for certain mechanics, like the different coloured souls and plot direction can be frustrating. If you enjoy a mix of real-time and turn-based combat with a spooky humourous story there is plenty of content to be had here.

All in all, this year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 had a lot riding on its shoulders; big return after a poor showing last year, and the first big release straight into Game Pass. That it has come out this well in campaign and MP is no small feat, and no matter if you buy it or play on subscription, you’re almost guaranteed to have a good time. The campaign is the usual action blockbuster but shows promise for the future in its slower, more open-ended areas, and the MP is the best it’s been (in my casual eyes) for over a decade.

Farewell Northfeels like a deeply personal experience, and I really appreciated what it was doing. Some might find the ‘dog turns the grey world back to colour’ to be a bit on the nose, but those people clearly have coal in the place where their heart should be.

Predator: Hunting Grounds finally makes it to the Xbox Series, and it has been worth the wait. The game looks good, and plays well, with tons of fan service for fans of the dreadlocked hunter. There are a couple of annoying bugs but those didn’t stop me from really enjoying this entry.

It’s not often that a game can change your perspective on how you have previously enjoyed (or not) the franchise but Sonic X Shadow Generations has just done that. I’ve never been a full-blown hater of 3D Sonic games, but they were never something I sped to play (pun intended). This new game has changed my mind. The remaster of Sonic Generations is great as expected but Shadow Generations is like finding extra fries at the bottom of the bag. The 3D landscape that you get to explore as Shadow and the powers you acquire is like a breath of fresh air for the series. It gives me hope for the future of Sonic and it’s worth your time to check it out.

Overall, I’ve had a blast playing A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead. It nails the sense of dread and atmosphere, and regularly did I find myself on the edge of my seat as I just evaded the creature again. The use of Alex’s asthma is handled well, albeit a bit over-done at times, but it adds to the fear and horror of the experience. The use of a mic in real life is a short-lived gimmick, but other than that this is a great survival horror stealth title that makes tremendous use of the Quiet Place setting.

Where Shadows of the Damned stumbles is within its inability to be a horror game, and although its genital jokes can be chuckle-worthy, the sense of comedy is dimmed by predictable stereotyping. Nevertheless, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a treat as it pulls the blinds up and shines the light of straightforward satisfaction into your face in a refreshing way that few modern games can match. Sure, Shadows of the Damned is a hella remastering of a thirteen year-old product, but on current-gen hardware it stands out like Garcia and his uhhh hot boner….Remember it’s the gun in the game you filthy minded scoundrels! So yes, play Hella Remastered, though you may need some in-game Tequilla to not only heal Garcia, but to soothe the sense that not all the pieces in Shadows of the Damned fully jive together harmoniously. Now here’s to that cabrón!

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.

If you’re thirsty for a boxing game after all these years without Fight Night, then Undisputed does fit the bill well, but with so many areas that are unfinished, it’s a bit of a hard sell. Undisputed gets the fundamentals right though, and if the fundamentals are all you care about, this is definitely a good boxing game, but it could’ve been so much more than that.

I enjoyed my time with this game, simple as that. It’s not too serious (see the name) and it provides a nice mix of combat, platforming, and puzzle solving. I particularly like how obtuse some puzzles may seem but once you know the answer they are quite simple. The sheer exploration and process of figuring out the solutions was enough to keep me intrigued for the adequate time this game lasts which is likely going to be less than 10 hours for finding everything. Fans of other popular animal physics based simulators should feel at home here. Don’t expect a AAA budget banger and enjoy the wackiness here that Squirrel With A Gun is offering.

Starship Troopers: Extermination is a game full of tremendous potential. Two years after early access that potential seems within reach with a bit more polish. The action can be a blast, but often the bugs, some design choices, and unstable servers act against its overall vision. Often it felt like I was fighting the game itself and not the bugs onscreen.

Maybe Akimbot will play as a loving exploration of an old favourite for some. For those without rose-tinted glasses, this is a deeply unrewarding experience with a sidekick that needs to be launched into the sun.