Well worth its asking price for its content alone. The game’s meta theme doesn’t run dry throughout and is often used as a clever tool to hold up the overall experience. Minor annoyances with its dialogue and the general grind to the side, those that relish RPG games and enjoy some light humor, will more than appreciate what’s on offer.

While my rose tinted nostalgia glasses may be firmly pressed against my nose, FOX n FORESTS is a wonderfully accurate reminder of the good and bad times of the 16-bit era. Younger players may balk at its simplicity given that things certainly have come a long way since, but the game pulls off its aim so well that it’s hard not to be impressed.

Offers a wonderful compilation of classics. Each game performs as well as you would expect, upheld further by neat additions such as online play and a range of filters. That’s not to mention its interesting history-rich museum mode. Sadly, not all of the games within get to enjoy these modern features, though with that being said, there’s absolutely no denying its value for content.

Birdcakes is far too taxing for its own good, far too steep in its difficulty and far too lacking in its content. The requirement to constantly grind and persevere with its tedious singular mechanic just isn’t fun nor thrilling enough to justify a recommendation. Birdcakes’ distinctly designed stages and its tight controls are certainly commendable, but these few pros pale in comparison to its several cons.

Super Hyperactive Ninja may have been a decent game if its stodgy controls, poor collision detection and its shower of cheap deaths didn’t dramatically hold the game back. There’s nothing wrong with a game that wants to seriously challenge its players, but when that challenge comes solely from its poor development and baffling design choices, it’s far too hard to overlook, or more importantly, enjoy.

Mines are often deep, resourceful and interesting. Mining Rail, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of each. There’s very little that I can say in its defense other than that of its decent and precise control feedback. The presentation is poor, the UI is ugly, the selection of stages are bland if indeed diverse, and its currency and progression system remains far too confusing. Though above all else, it’s just not at all fun to play.

Stay isn’t going to be for everyone. This is less of a traditional game and more of an interactive dialogue-heavy experience with a theme that largely revolves around motivation, self-esteem, will-power and anxiety. Stay’s clever “the clock is always ticking” mechanic holds up really well, as does the main character’s mood system. Though, issues with delayed input and the, at times, irritating pace, holds it back slightly.

Yoku’s Island Express is an achievement in itself, effortlessly mashing up two polar-opposite genres that ultimately goes hand in glove to wonderful effect. This excellent foundation is upheld by its endearing, well developed and interwoven locations, bolstered further by a cast of lovable characters and a warming story. Minor frustrations regarding traversal to the side, this is a perfect example of meaningful innovation.

SEGA Mega Drive Classics’ most impressive achievement is its vast and carefully selected collection of titles. There are games in this bundle that will appeal to everyone and although there’s a few performance hiccups to contend with, this is, by and large, one of the best compilations available on Xbox One.

Although not quite as refined as one would have hoped, Dark Souls Remastered takes the critically acclaimed 2011 game and brings it back for a sharper, more fluid experience. Bugs and annoyances occur infrequently, but in the face of its stable framerate, its improved lighting and effects and its inclusion of Artorias of the Abyss, this is easy to overlook. Simply put, this is the best version of the game to date.

I Hate Running Backwards’ deep pool of characters, weaponry, power-ups and unlocks will no doubt capture the attention of fans of the genre. Its procedural generated content ensures that subsequent runs, for the most part, remain fresh and engaging. It’s a shame, however, that most of this is almost completely undermined by its repetitive foundation, steep difficulty curve and lack of evolving gameplay functionality.

Disco Dodgeball Remix has a lot of potential, but is massively held back by its awkward sluggish controls, headache-inducing visuals, poor gameplay mechanics and puddle-deep functionality. There’s no denying that it has heaps of interesting and diverse modes on offer, though, this doesn’t really amount to anything when the core formula constantly fails on almost all fronts.

oOo: Ascension is a decent arcade experience that amply rewards the player’s perseverance and endurance. The ever evolving intricacy of each stage will constantly keep players on their toes, offering up new and interesting obstacles at each and every hurdle. Despite some frustrations with the, at times, imprecise controls, oOo: Ascension is definitely one for those that relish a challenge.

Dungeon Rushers doesn’t do much to break the mold, but it certainly does enough to justify its generous price tag and a recommendation. Though with that said, if it’s gameplay depth that you seek, look elsewhere. The game does indeed become repetitive before its conclusion and there’s a few technical issues within, however, if you can overlook that, there’s heaps of challenging and endearing content to get through.

Hide and Seek is a small step-up from The Mad Ones, though we do need to see more locations and opportunities to utilize its mechanics in subsequent episodes, in comparison to this. The minor issues with its frame-rate and character animations don’t persist as much as before, but they do hinder the experience to some degree. Regardless, The Council remains unique and interesting enough throughout.

State of Decay 2 is a huge step up from its predecessor. There’s a large and diverse variety of content within, all of which is upheld by well developed systems, fluid gameplay and easy to understand functionality. This isn’t going to be for everyone, however, there’s no denying that despite its niggling issues and bugs, it’s easily one of the best Microsoft exclusives in recent memory. It’s tense, action-packed and thoroughly entertaining.

Forgotton Anne houses a gorgeously fitting art direction that’s not too dissimilar to Laputa: Castle in the Sky. This design sits extraordinarily well with its carefully crafted platforming and puzzle elements, collectively putting forward a wonderful adventure that never loses its grip. The dialogue may well be hit and miss at times, but the overarching plot is captivating, well paced and thoroughly entertaining.

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.

Subaeria could have been fun if it wasn’t for the atrocious loading times, the poor controls, the tedious hit detection and the awkward camera angle. The whole experience just screams of wasted potential, offering up a slapdash game in place of something more refined and better developed. Putting its decent art style to the side, Subaeria simply hasn’t been constructed well enough to merit a recommendation.

Laser League has the potential to stand just as tall as other competitive multiplayer experiences, such as Rocket League. It’s fun, fast paced and constantly exciting throughout. The fact that it’s so easy to pick up and play makes it widely accessible, bolstered further by its unique and articulate foundation and design. This is a game of chaos, strategy and speed, unifying to produce a game that’s truly like no other.

Hyper Sentinel may well be overly chaotic at the best of times, but there’s no denying that it’s fun, well paced and full of action. There’s a lot of content to work through within and although it does become repetitive before long, it’s still worth its weight in gold. Those that enjoy the roots of this formula will thoroughly enjoy what’s on offer, despite its niggling issues.

The gameplay lacks finesse and refinement, serving up frustration in place of fluidity. Tennis is a game of endurance, precision and energy, three elements that AO International Tennis fails to deliver. With that in mind, its abundance of content means very little.

Grim Legends 3: The Dark City is a fitting end to the trilogy. The gorgeous artwork and varying puzzles remain engaging throughout, upheld by a decent story that helps to maintain player immersion. Sadly, issues with poor voice acting and its lack of a steady difficulty curve pulls this down from greatness. Though, even with that in mind, this adventure is well worth a visit.

Destiny 2: Warmind is better than Curse of Osiris, but only marginally better. We’re still fighting the same reskinned enemies within recycled locations, day in and day out. The same can be said about the design choices here, being that new activities are akin to the activities found in The Taken King and vanilla Destiny. Despite its interesting and compelling premise, Warmind is lazy, rushed and underwhelming.

Trailblazers is undeniably fun, well developed and unique. Its distinct design and innovative paint-to-boost gameplay mechanic proves that a simple idea can go a very long way. With some AI issues to the side, this is one cooperative-specific racing experience that shouldn’t be overlooked. Whether or not its online community will flourish remains to be seen, but given its alluring foundation alone, I hold hope that it will.

Raging Justice comes tethered to a particularly steep difficulty curve, yet ticks many of the boxes that it needed to to stand out as a solid beat ’em up experience. This may not be the next Streets of Rage II, but it’s certainly worth a visit if you’re on the market for a modern day version of that formula. It’s fun, brutal, often unfair, yet ultimately satisfying in the long run.

Death Road to Canada’s randomly generated content injects a great deal of replay value into the mix. This is further bolstered by its well developed functionality and charming allure. Unfortunately, tough difficulty spikes can often cheaply rob you of success, but even then, there’s no denying that this game remains fun, exciting and tense, throughout the entirety of play.

City of Brass remains visually pleasing throughout and houses some interesting ideas, such as the perk system and the shops. However, tools to make the experience even easier just showcases how fairly dull the actual gameplay is. The lack of a polished structure only leads to unnecessary cheap deaths, which when grouped with the enemy’s substandard AI, emphasizes how frustrating and boring this adventure can be.