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.

King of Seas is solid, but unremarkable. Lacking the diversity of actions and depth of simulation required for something within its genre. For those craving a pirate game it will definitely entertain, but maybe not for very long.

The truth is that to truly appreciate Fractured Minds and leave the game having been rewarded and touched by its content, it is imperative that you approach it in the knowledge that the actual gameplay and puzzling is entirely secondary to the experience and the message. Not that the puzzling is completely pointless, it’s just heavily weighted to the simplistic...If you can do that, what awaits is wholly unnerving and uncomfortable. Fractured Minds is an insight intended to open eyes wide to the daily turmoil mental health can raise. From the half-light of paranoia to the all too bright light of anxiety, this is a game that makes its mark, and in my opinion, makes those who play it all the richer for having done so.

Neither interesting, nor dull. Neither exciting, nor boring. 2URVIVE is simply mediocre. The game’s campaign is its weakest link, offering very little depth and play variety throughout. The mercenaries mode, on the other hand, is better structured, better refined, and a lot more engaging. Still, even when it’s playing at its best, the whole ordeal comes off as relatively average in regards to its overall quality and functionality.

Overall, we came away pretty underwhelmed with The Last Case of Benedict Fox. While there are seeds of good ideas here, the package as a whole just throws up too many hurdles for us to look past in order to seek them out.

Velocity G is a mixed bag of pros and cons. On the one hand, it’s accessible, it handles pretty well, and it’s got a shed-load of races to take to. On the other hand, it’s got little mechanical depth, its track design is overly repetitive, and its visual and audio presentation is substandard at best. Overall, it’s a valiant effort on the developer’s part, but at a time in which futuristic racers are on the rise, despite its cheap cost, it’s wide of the mark.

If you’re into tough, obtuse adventures that may or may not reward you for exploring and soldering on through multiple deaths, then there’s a good chance you’ll jive with Cryogear. If it’s more of an action type platformer you’re after though, then absolutely steer clear. The lack of direction, the unclear inventory and crafting system and combat mechanics will likely have you reaching for the off switch soon after starting.

Nefarious is a game that could have been much more than what it is. Instead, what we get is an adventure that does something wrong for everything it gets right. Despite its interesting bad-guy concept, Nefarious handles about as well as a lizard on ice. There’s some good ideas running through the game, but it’s ultimately bogged down by some poor design choices and an overall lack of refinement.

Snakeybus is fun, for sure. Seeing our bus stretching out behind us, ever increasing as we drop passengers off and weaving in and out buildings is oddly satisfying. If only there had been a little something extra to alleviate the fact that it’s hook gets old far too quickly.

Attack of the Toy Tanks would have been a great modern take on Atari’s Combat if it housed more depth, more variation, and a better core structure. Sadly, as it stands, and due to the somewhat lack of all three, it’s merely a serviceable action game that becomes far too repetitive, far too quickly. If you’ve a penchant for this sort of experience, I recommend giving it a go, but if you’re seeking something more weighted, look elsewhere.

Barry the Bunny does nothing spectacular here for gaming but you probably didn’t expect it to. It looks like a very basic game and plays as such. Not much meat to this bone but if you are here for achievements or trophies, the completion is just a short game away.

Shoot 1UP DX is a short and sweet game that is good for a quick pick up and play session. I did enjoy trying to max out getting 30 ships at once but I actually found the mode where you only control one ship more fun.

Demolish and Build may have its issues, but the game can be enjoyed on many different levels. Fun and creativity can be found in this title, and it’s good to see some more simulators of this calibre to come to Xbox.

Despite some eye-catchingly colourful visuals, Flowing Lights is unlikely to keep you around for long. Too many niggles in the moment to moment gameplay mean that any fun we might be having is quickly undone by frustrating failure.

Through solid world design and intelligently structured detective mechanics, The Sinking City provides a commendable basis for its intriguing adventure. The game is every bit as seemingly interesting as it is unique, and makes for a strong story that knows how to toy with perception. It’s a damn shame that it sits in the midst of so many technical drawbacks, so many bugs, and so many poor design choices. This, is squandered potential at its finest.

Purple Chicken Spaceman is a very hit and miss affair. Whilst it’s quite fun, easy to pick up and understand, and sports a vibrant presentation, it’s far too tempting to throw the controller down in the face of its overbearing difficulty and one horrendously annoying track. Bear with it though, because there’s much satisfaction to pull from success here, it’s just a shame that it takes a great deal of perseverance to get there.

While the idea is novel and decent on paper, God of Rock left us wanting thanks to a tricky learning curve and music that fails to inspire replayability.

Decay’s biggest drawback is that it hasn’t aged very well at all, in fact, it’s aged terribly, and for as scary as it can be, it’s a tough one to recommend. If you’ve a soft spot for the series, the game’s comeback, with all of its additional extras, will no doubt please you. If you’re a newcomer, on the other hand, and you’re looking for a horror that’s engaging, deep, and diverse, there are far better options available in the storefront for around the same cost.

Heavy Duty Challenge is at best just fine, and at worst actively off-putting to play. A dreadful opening might put players off, but the course on the other side of it can be somewhat fine, if not all that taxing. There are better physics-based vehicular games out there to play, though if you’ve had your fill of them, this may fill the gap for a night or two.

All in all then, I came away from Transient: Extended Edition underwhelmed entirely. What could have been an interesting mix of two popular genres ended up missing the mark on both aspects while also just being really rather boring to play. It’s short enough that people keen to give it a go won’t have to waste too much time on it, but I can think of many other titles I’d rather give my evenings up to play.

Generation Zero sports many of the components that you would expect to see in an open world shooter with online play. Whilst entertaining in short doses, and fairly interesting when it wants to be, the whole ordeal has a tendency of being massively undermined by its poor design choices and its several technical issues. Indeed, it’s a serviceable loot shooter at its core, but the developer really should have held the game to a much higher standard.

At best, Gekido Kintaro’s Revenge is a passable game that should please just about anyone who enjoyed the original. The additional features within deserve a special mention and they certainly make the price of the game much more generous. However, there’s no denying that the game’s age shows far too much and despite its limited capabilities, the difficulty can make for one hell of a frustrating and repetitive experience.

RemiLore clearly has some heart. The problem, unfortunately, is that its execution seems to be all over the place. I found myself almost constantly questioning the game’s many systems rather than enjoying them, simply due the fact that they don’t feel very unified overall. Still, I’ll credit the game for its tight combat, its accessibility, its healthy serving of modes, and its lush visuals, but even so, it’s not worth its rather steep and greedy asking price.

Hot on the heels of Bloodstained, Paradox Soul comes across quite simple, especially for a metroidvania. The game lacks many of the qualities that its contemporaries house, and it’s perhaps a bit too straightforward for its own good. That being said, if you’re looking for a much less serious take on the loved concept, you’re unlikely to be disappointed. This, at the absolute best, is merely a serviceable adventure. Nothing less, and certainly nothing more.

Jack N’ Jill DX offers quite a decent portion of content in return for its very generous asking price. I take issue with the game’s simplicity and its utter lack of difficulty, ultimately making for an adventure that can literally be completed with just one finger. However, with that being said and despite its repetition, its homage to the Game Boy era remains somewhat endearing throughout.

Waking has almost convinced me that I’m not very good at reviewing games, because it is so difficult to convey what it’s about and how it plays. I’ve taken more time than I normally would thinking about this game and how I was going to explain and grade it. It’s definitely an unenviable, uncomfortable position that I find myself in because indie developers live or die by reviews. In the end I had to ask myself if I enjoyed playing it and the answer is that it wasn’t exactly fun, but it wasn’t exactly bad either because I got what Jason Oda was trying to do. The reality is though, if a developer creates a game meant to be personable, that’s a hard thing to nail down. It will only impact head-on with a sliver of players, and those on either side will like or dislike to varying degrees.

Whilst it does manage to offer up a more relaxed take on the likes of Race the Sun, the game’s singular novelty, despite its short length, wears off a lot sooner than it should. Indeed, there’s enough content present to justify its very generous cost, but even so, it’s content that lacks variety, and as such, ultimately fails to remain interesting throughout. Those looking for silly, short bursts of fun, will get the most out of Bird Game +.

Dawn of New Riders will likely please its young target audience, and to its credit, it just about manages to capture the fantastical vibe of its source material. It’s a shame then, that outside of its well designed puzzles and its distinct locations, there’s little else to praise. Whilst its technical issues hinder the experience, it’s the game’s lack of depth, its weak gameplay variation, and its poor overall quality, that greatly holds it back.