Little Orpheus is an experience more than it is a game. This hilarious story takes you on a wild ride with awesome aesthetics and funny quips all over the place. Where the simple and sometimes boring gameplay lacks, the narrative picks up the pieces tenfold. Don’t go in expecting a challenge and you’ll enjoy your time.

Cult of the Lamb might not have the most complex systems, but it has a magnitude of quick and fun activities for you to engage in, and everything fits together wonderfully. The management system can feel a little frustrating at first while you learn the ropes, and there were many times when I just wanted to get back to the frantic action of the dungeon diving portion, but once you understand the best ways to proceed you’ll have a ton of fun just like I did. Massive Monster have created a winning combination here and they plan to add more content in the future so I’ll definitely keep my eyes open for it because I would love to continue my tenure as a cult leader.

For those who like a bit of fast, hectic scrolling shooter action, Andro Dunos II II is worth a look. Some lovely, detailed visuals help sell the madness, while the abilities on offer to the player are good, if a bit cumbersome to get to grips with. It’s not my favourite example of the genre then, but still a fun evening or two to be had for those interested.

Thymesia is a game that has a story as complex as the pronunciation of the title itself. If a brutally tough game that puts your reflexes, memory and patience to the test like many Dark Souls-type games then there is some joy for you here. The combat is tricky to master but fast and fluid. If you are willing to commit yourself to the game and repetition doesn’t phase you then I would recommend you try this out.

PAC-MAN WORLD Re-PAC is not only a mouthful to say but it’s a great take on the game from yesteryear. PAC-MAN WORLD Re-PAC is the remastered version of PAC-MAN WORLD and it holds up great. The platforming is crisp and fun. I really like taking a beloved character like Pac-Man and changing his gameplay mechanics on their heads. You get the best of both worlds of classic Pac-man and classic platforming gameplay. Recommend!

Tinykin has utterly caught me off guard in all the best ways. It’s a joy to play from start to finish, with simple yet fun mechanics letting us explore this giant house and find something new and exciting in every nook and cranny. A lack of real challenge lets it down a fraction, but that’s a small gripe in what is otherwise an excellent experience.

You can tell a lot of time and effort has gone into making F1 Manager to be as polished and as detailed as it is, I genuinely wasn’t expecting this much detail and depth as a first entry into the series. F1 Manager can easily be labelled as the best F1 Management game ever and I hope all fans of management and strategy games pick this up and enjoy it as much as I am!

Destroy All Humans 2 Reprobed in my opinion is better than the original due to the fact that there is more for players to do as it has more variety. While the game takes a more goofy and playful tone to the whole “conquer the human race” trope, it still proves itself to be a fun experience that any player should try out.

Saints Row is a new take on the franchise, one that focuses heavily on the RPG aspect of the game. It’s a fun underdog story set in the beautiful Saint Elos about this new version of the Saints. The customization options to make your boss truly your own delivers in such a remarkable fashion. However, it is the number of glitches and bugs that hurt the game’s reputation.

Overall, I had a great time with Cursed to Golf. The golfing mechanic is simple to learn, but between the random course layouts, hazards, and Ace Cards, actually beating a hole is anything but. Constantly fun, with the only drag being the boss battles, this is an easy recommendation.

Aniquilation is a twin-stick shooter that seems to have forgotten it is a twin-stick shooter, or that putting so much mayhem on the screen at once doesn’t always equal fun. Shooting seems to be the attack I am using the least and although the game looks pretty enough it’s not really a joy to play for me.

Arcade Paradise takes you back in time to experience the thrilling life of owning a laundromat AND an arcade! In this simulation/management game, you’ll pass the time by doing some laundry here and there as well as playing your cabinets to promote the games. While the management side is light the variety of retro games you can actually play makes up for it. Gamers with an eye for old school videogames should give Arcade Paradise a try.

We cleared all of the rooms in roughly 5 hours over a couple of nights, and we had a blast doing so. The lack of replayability aside, there’s a lot to enjoy within Escape Academy. Each room feels different enough, even when all we’re doing is finding another four digit number or word, and the fluffy tale underpinning the affair is easy enough to just sit back and enjoy without too much thought. Launching into Game Pass was a great choice, hopefully exposing it to more players, and whether you play it alone or in co-op, this is a great way to spend an evening or two.

After Wave: Downfall will no doubt attract many achievement-hunting players, but Shoot ‘em Up enthusiasts looking for something new and different should also consider picking up the game. The gameplay is fast and fun, it has a unique aquatic setting and viewpoint, and it provides a great challenge to anyone willing to work their way through each of the difficulties.

RimWorld is a difficult game starting out. Your community will either die from starvation or will be killed by enemy factions or wildlife. That’s normal. It will take an hour at most to get a grasp on what needs to be done and figure out how the controls on the console work. Once everything becomes a fluid motion you’ll feel satisfaction from having your community thriving and surviving. RimWorld Console Edition has a big learning curve and will need players invested if anything is expected to come out of it. Give it the love it needs and players will have a surprisingly enjoyable experience.

As I mentioned earlier it’s hard to review games like The Quarry without spoiling the story, but I hope I’ve been able to whet your appetite enough with what could easily be Supermassives best entry to date. With the beautifully crafted scenery, soundtrack and great cast it’s certainly one I’ll be playing again and again once I get my Series X version!

The We Were Here series is in a class of its own, and Forever is the best entry yet. Grab a buddy and get ready to test both your brains over about 15 hours of gameplay that constantly impresses and brings new things to the table.

I was very surprised by Endling – Extinction is Forever. I enjoyed it for the most part, with a lovely visual style and story, although the gameplay felt a bit repetitive at times which held it back slightly.

Fans of 90’s style platformers will want to check out Adventures of Chris. It can feel a bit unfair at times, especially in regards to the boss fights, but persevere and there’s a decent platform adventure to be found here.

South of the Circle is an enjoyable experience. If you are looking for something where you can chill out and let the story do most of the work, then this is for you. You will grow to love Peter and Clara and I thoroughly enjoyed my playthrough.

If obscene and dark humor is your thing and you have the urge to play a 3D platformer, look no further than Hell Pie. Hell Pie does 3D platforming well which is something I think is hard to do. It has unique techniques to make the gameplay enjoyable and satisfying for pulling off complex combos and saves. Definitely check it out if the humor is not off-putting.

As someone who plays horror titles as often as I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there have been few titles to truly give me a scare, but MADiSON is one that has delivered in every aspect. It’s not often you’ll find me raving about a near-perfect horror game but for me, this one may well be up there for me as one of the best horror titles available hands down, and without a doubt one of the best titles of 2022.

Severed Steel is a must have for this year, nothing else has come close in a long time to distilling the definition of ‘fun’ into a video game.

Overall, if you like horror but are fed up with the same overused tropes and want something a little re-energizing then this survival horror/escape room thrill is certainly one to add to your collection. With impressive gameplay ideas, a creepy setting, and some horrific enemies, this is a game that stands out amongst the countless horror titles available on Xbox and it’s one that is well worth a playthrough.

Overall and whilst MX vs ATVs arrival on current-gen consoles was always one we were going to expect, it’s shocking to see it arrive in such a poor state. With glitches galore and a real lack of polish all around, what has long been an exciting series release has this time turned into something that feels like a rushed release that would have really benefitted from utilizing the extra power of current generation consoles to push out something spectacular rather than another general churned out release. Unfortunately, this isn’t one I want to recommend.

All in all, Bright Memory Infinite might not quite live up to the hype it built up two years ago, but it’s still a solidly made and presented shooter. The action is fast and hectic, and the sword and glove powers are great fun to use and upgrade. A few niggles aside, you should consider checking this out if you’re after a bit of fun but brainless shooting.

Urban Flow is a clean, simple puzzle game that can lead to some frantic multi-tasking. If that appeals then this is must have.

Overall, whilst the combat could be improved, and if I’m being picky the enemy types could have been expanded upon, the 10–12-hour playtime is worth investing if you enjoy horror and want something refreshing to give you a scare. There may have been multiple horrors to have arrived recently, but this one certainly stands up there as one of the better releases of 2022, whilst the story is one that sticks in the mind from the opening moments and continues after the controller goes down at the end of the evening.