If you are a really big fan of the Power Rangers (from any version or era) and want to feel nostalgic then go ahead and download Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid from Xbox Game Pass for free. If you are a major fan and want the extra characters and the coolest skins, then go ahead and get the Super Edition, but for me I do not think this would have been something I would have bought on my own as the cost for me does not equal out to the value since I'm not the biggest Power Rangers fan out there. I have had a lot of fun with the game and my friend online, but aside from that I would still likely choose Street fighter or Mortal Kombat for its mechanics if given the choice.

There’s some roughness around its edges and it does frustrate in certain aspects, but Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground does do a good job at being accessible for newcomers to the strategy genre while adding tons of replayability, as long as you enjoy the roguelike grind that follows. While it feels priced a little high, the value is there if you’re willing to sink the hours into the lengthy and challenging campaign.

Bunny Factory was a pleasant surprise and a real step up in quality from DillyFrame’s previous game. I found the puzzles were fun, logical and variations on the core mechanics in the game kept me engaged enough to work my way though more levels than I intended to in each session. The game could have used a tutorial to ease players in and explain what to do but after a few minutes with each new mechanic, pieces started to click and fall into place. Other than the absence of the tutorial and rather annoying walking back and forth in the factory, there weren’t many other faults to the game. If you’re in the market for a straightforward puzzler, this will likely fit the bill.

It’s hard to complain for a simplistic and entertaining game that’s only priced at $6 USD. REKT! High Octane Stunts is a blast in short bursts but probably won’t have much longevity. When you finally land that full run combo and see your Gamertag appear on top of the leaderboards it’s exciting but, prepare to get REKT countless times.

The ship battles were quite exciting and got me going and really into the adventure of being a pirate on the open seas. King of Seas can be a lot of fun if you give it the time to understand what you need to do and start to customize your ship. So if you like customizable RPG style games I absolutely recommend King of Seas for you.

If you’re really into this type of hardcore survival game and can get over the dated graphics, controls and overall feel and this was the only game you wanted to play everyday, 7 days a week for 8 hours a day, then I can honestly see you really enjoying Rust: Console Edition. If that doesn’t appeal to you then this might be a hard pass otherwise.

While the challenge may be a little too steep for some, gamers from my era should know exactly what to expect. It by no means does anything new with the genre or gameplay but was an entertaining yet frustrating few hours of nostalgia gameplay I mostly enjoyed aside from the final two levels. It's a good thing I’m the perfect demographic for Jay and Silent Bob – Mall Brawl; an 80’s NES kid that loves Kevin Smith movies. Snoochie Boochies.

Block building mixed with RPG and survival elements and even farming works quite well within the Dragon Quest backdrop. Slimes and traditional enemies are fitting for a cute aesthetic like this and I kept wanting to progress further to see what new items I could craft and build with. Able to focus on any aspect you desire, DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2 is a great blend of genres and may surprise you with how expansive its world actually is.

It’s been quite a while where I’ve been at my paying job simply waiting to come home so I could dive right back into a game; Biomutant did that for me. Even after completing the game I started up NG+ right away and continued on my journey with the same excitement. For such a small team, all of their hard work has paid off, as Biomutant is easily my top contender for Game of the Year at this point.

I’ve never really experienced anything like Cosmic Top Secret before; part game, part documentary, where I actually learned quite a lot of fascinating information about the Danish Intelligence and Cold War. This makes me think that gaming could be an interesting format and medium for teaching history to gamers, but in a unique way that could resonate, as even days after completion Cosmic Top Secret still lingers in my head and I'm glad to have experienced it. Ending Transmission...

I've really enjoyed every minute of my time with The Colonists. Even with the bump in the road with its pacing, I'm beyond happy with the whole experience. I'd play with these cute little robots any day of the week and developers CodeByFire should pat themselves on the back for the effort put forth. For me, I'm going to board the rocket back to Earth and move onto the next adventure with my adorable robots.

Flowing Lights is quite unique in a number of different ways. An Arcade Puzzle Shooter that will seriously test your skills the whole way through its 200 hand crafted stages and may fool you with its simplistic and bland visuals, its challenge becomes borderline infuriating until you get that inevitable “ah-hah!” moment and see a simple solution all along.

My wife and I both agree that El Hijo - A Wild West Tale is super cute and age appropriate for kids and adults alike as there is no violence or bad language. I mostly recommend El Hijo for young people interested in puzzle games, or adults who need a game cleanser or break from their main games now and then and want to complete a few levels at a time.

While many of its fundamentals have changed, some of which veterans may disagree with, it still has that same essence that made Super Meat Boy so great in the first place. I won’t lie, some levels took me well over a hundred deaths to complete, yet I still wanted to keep going to save Nugget thanks to the generous checkpoint system utilized. Super Meat Boy Forever has the potential to be played almost forever, or it may take you that long to simply beat it.

While more interactive encyclopedia than traditional game, Little Mouse’s Encyclopedia has a beautiful aesthetic with an emphasis on learning about nature along the way. For what it’s worth, my daughter said she would have scored it at 7 for its “cute art and mouse”, but by the last area even she was skimming the fact cards and wanting to go back to her regular games.

While the main narrative is likely to confuse you at first, it does become interesting the further into the dream world as you progress from chapter to chapter. While there may be some symbolism and meaning behind many of its characters and scenes, but you’re most likely to come away with some frustration as you try and figure out some of the most obtuse and odd puzzles in a point and click adventure that I can remember in quite some time. That being said, Bad Dream: Coma is creepy, dark and disturbing, but it was also quite memorable and has decent replay value with its three unique endings.

I have no doubt that Outriders will improve over time but I’m kind of torn about how I feel for it in its current state given its issues. On one hand I’m addicted to the shlooter treadmill, but on the other, having already reached endgame and grind the hell out of it, I think I see my end in sight without much further to do aside from yet another run for hopefully a new piece of gear. That said, Outriders is currently included with Xbox GamePass, so there’s no reason to not jump into the shoes of an Altered to save Enoch, even if it does turn into quite a grind later on and having to suffer through numerous game crashes daily.

DARQ: Complete Edition is an example of quality over quantity, as it is quite short and doesn’t offer much replayability, but it’s a unique and memorable experience with its surrealism. Just as you start getting into it though, it’s over, and while not all that challenging, it may be a little too expensive at its full price, but find a good sale and you’ll have a short but sweet time exploring Lloyd’s dream world in a single sitting.

The story of Lost Words manages to be both sad and beautiful at the same time. Having been written in part by Rhianna Pratchett (daughter of Sir Terry Pratchett), the game excels at taking you through the grieving process in a safe and comfortable way that may help prepare some for when they inevitably have to experience it for themselves. I highly recommend taking the time to check out this moving game, but please bring your tissues.

It’s likely unnecessary to state that Gangsta Paradise will not be for everyone. In fact, I only see this appealing to a very limited and niche audience because of how basic and dated it is. Those stuck at home may find a bit of fun playing through it with a friend (through local co-op), but there’s so little here that I even wonder at that. The good news is that it only costs $8.99 CAD, but even then it's hard to find the value.

Dungeon Defenders: Awakened is a perfectly serviceable Tower Defense with action elements to it, but it just feels a bit janky, especially navigating the menus, swapping heroes and cumbersome loot management. If you’ve got a few friends to play alongside you should have an entertaining time with Dungeon Defenders: Awakened, not so much if you’re going to play alone or solo though, even if there are plenty of modes to challenge yourself.

On top of a really dramatic and passionate story with excellent voice acting (Tama's voice actress absolutely nailed it) and some really cool bosses, you have a pretty sweet game that I recommend you check out if you dig dungeon crawler roguelikes and at the same time want something different.

At the end of the day, Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse Remastered is a flawed but appreciated return to yesteryear. Although it’s never been the most polished or expertly made game out there, it’s always been fun to play and remains so. Furthermore, there aren’t many campaigns like it, where you get to play as a zombie and have some good, old-fashioned fun.

What the Dub?! is a fun way to spend a night with your friends either in the same house or miles away. It is an easy party game for friends and family to pick up and non-gamers will be able to just jump in with their own devices and play. They really do have a lot of clips to work with and it has us looking forward to playing more with the same friends and introducing new ones. It’s a great addition to our party game rotation which includes Jackbox, Cards Against Humanity and Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. That is good company to be in.

Overall, I have really started to enjoy Spacebase Startopia because of the humorous comments from VAL about your various upgrade choices and chosen actions within each mission. I can wholly recommend Spacebase Startopia to anyone who likes simulation builder games with a good sense of humor through insults because VAL has quite the opinions about you and your decisions.

Even for the biggest Tony Hawk game fans out there like myself, asking gamers to fork over a full repurchase if you happened to buy a disc version instead of digital on Xbox One is quite a steep ask, one that may put a bad taste in some mouths. The $10 upgrade fee for previous digital owners is also going to put some people off, as many games are offering the free upgrade for the Series X versions via Smart Delivery, so it's a shame to not see that here as well. That said, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 - Xbox Series X|S is absolutely worth it if you have a newer 120hz capable TV or haven't already purchased it on Xbox One, as there’s no better arcade skate game out there on the market today nor one that will play as smooth.

Much like most fighting games, the barrier of entry is low as Samurai Shodown is simple to pick up and play, but there’s plenty of underlying mechanics that will take some dedication to master. While button mashers won’t fair well, Samurai Shodown plays quite differently from many others in the genre. Being full priced still two years after its launch is a little surprising, but there’s also no other fighters on the market that can boast about 120 FPS.

I Saw Black Clouds was just enough supernatural to keep it interesting, if you took that branch of the story, and enough character development for each person I met to see that everyone had a role to play in the outcomes. If you are the type or person who likes drama and suspense type of movies/TV, or campy psychological thrillers, you’ll likely find something here to entertain you.

While not the most exciting game, you’ll spend the majority of your time simply trying to find your prey, tracking it in a number of ways with a trusty canine companion by your side. When those moments of discovery finally come and you only have a few moments to take your shot, this is where Hunting Simulator 2 becomes quite exciting. Be ready to take long lonely strolls through the woods though, as that will be the majority of your experience without any campaign to guide you.

Signs of the Sojourner is a really unique and fascinating way to approach dialogue in gaming. While some may see the gameplay as simplistic card placement, there’s an underlying reasoning for your card choices. It’s simplistic to understand the card game mechanics but will take some dedication to not only master its deeper intricacies, though it will require multiple playthroughs to see everything Signs of the Sojourner has to offer. Regardless if you aren’t generally into narrative heavy games or even card based ones, Signs of the Sojourner is a really unique experience that I’m glad to have had.

Kill It With Fire is a worthwhile experience for anyone that can handle seeing spiders practically at their feet. Even if you don't like spiders at all or have a phobia, this may be a fantastic way to seek revenge on them, even though throwing a C4 or lighting hairspray on fire in your own home is strongly frowned upon and not advised.

Kaze and the Wild Masks brought me back to a simpler time where I just enjoyed playing a memorable platforming game. It pays homage to numerous classics but makes a name for itself along the way. While it may not gain the same level of appreciation and following as the classics, it can certainly hang in there with the best of them. If you yearn for those 16bit glory days of 90’s platforming, Kaze and the Wild Masks will bring back those waves of nostalgia while giving you plenty to strive to collect.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Black Legend after watching its trailer, but came away with an addictive combat and class system that made me want to fight every battle I came across in the streets of Grant to create even more unique class combinations. With an interesting narrative I wanted to find out what caused the deadly fog that had engulfed the city and enjoyed doing so, even if there were bumps in the bloodied road along the way as I became lost after every turn without a map.

While it has some good ideas, its execution still feels sloppy and having to rebuy the game again for a slightly prettier version on Xbox Series X for early adopters might leave a bad taste in some mouths, especially when many other publishers and games are offering the free upgrades. While it may not have the licensed trucks we’ve come to love in real life, Monster Truck Championship for Xbox Series X does entertain in short bursts when you get a hang of how to control these 2000hp monstrosities, plus it's the most visually appealing and best performing version of the game if you've not played previously.

Although Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame 4 looks better and has seen noticeable improvements in its menus, career mode and some of its racing mechanics, it’s simply not fun due to punishing physics and cheap A.I. A lot of this could be addressed with a patch, but I have no idea as to whether Milestone sees the shocking difficulty curve as a problem. Skip this one. For now, at least.

For being priced under $13 CAD, you must absolutely pick up 3 out of 10: Season One if you enjoy over the top humor and want a relaxing experience that you can choose to sit back and watch, or challenge yourself to earn all of the stars available. While many might think that they’ve jumped the shark, 3 out of 10: Season One is simply a ton of fun that had my laughing throughout all five episodes. I’ve already marked Season Two’s release date on my schedule.

If you like Tetris style puzzle games, you may enjoy Kick It, Bunny!. For me, since there was no real dynamic game balancing or progression evident, and I found myself bored quite quickly. My recommendation would be to hop, skip and jump to find better games elsewhere.

While normally walking simulators aren’t my thing, In rays of the Light was a really unique experience, albeit quite short and able to be finished in a single sitting. While some will find aimlessly wandering searching for notes a bit dull, you need to look deeper for its actual meaning. For a world that’s so desolate, empty and gloomy, there’s a lot of beauty within if you look hard enough for it.

Monster Jam Steel Titans 2 is a big improvement from the previous game in many ways, and while this is a good thing overall, there’s a lot of tedium having to do many of similar events repeatedly. While some will enjoy searching the worlds for the collectables and unlocking all of the trucks, once you’ve completed all of the events and have all the vehicles, there doesn’t seem to be much longevity afterwards. For those that really enjoy monster trucks, Steel Titans 2 is a fun excursion as long as you keep your expectations in check and want to have some mindless fun with larger than life trucks.

I’ll be honest, I initially wasn’t expecting much from Killer Queen Black with my first impressions after getting through the tutorial, but once I started to really understand how each class is integral in their own way, you realize there’s a surprisingly amount of strategy needed to succeed. I’m not sure if it could hit eSports levels of competition, but it certainly did impress me overall once you start to really understand its gameplay and depth, constantly having to adapt on the fly. Games like Killer Queen Black will only be relevant as long as there is a large community playing it, so thankfully it has landed on Xbox Game Pass, removing much of the barrier to giving it a chance. There aren’t many games that allow you to win by riding a snail over a finish line, but this surely is one of them.

Although I can say that Star Renegades was an enjoyable game in short bursts, it isn’t a game to sit down and beat in one sitting, as it will most likely cause bouts of rage quitting. The strategy elements combined with the nostalgia factor in the atmosphere of Star Renegades still doesn’t overcome the drain factor of continuous gameplay. This is a game that I feel would be better built into a full-blown RPG, as the strategy and the basis of a story is there but definitely needs to be fleshed out a bit more. Fans of the rougelike genre should enjoy Star Renegades for a bit, but probably wouldn’t go back to it after completing it.

While most roguelikes eventually frustrate me, Curse of the Dead Gods has a rewarding treadmill that I didn’t really tire of, especially because of its excellent combat that feels great once you learn its intricacies. While certain aspects did frustrate me, that simply comes with the territory in the genre. Never once did I die and felt as if it was unfair, as I knew it was something I did or didn’t do, and the blame was directly on me. If you’re looking for a challenging yet gratifying roguelike, Curse of the Dead Gods should be on your list.

Overall, Gods Will Fall was a rather decent experience. I won't lie; I wasn't a fan of gameplay in the beginning, most likely due to not being taught enough, and even now I'm not their biggest fan. However, for a player who is looking for something that will not hold your hand at all and drop you in a random cave with a bunch of enemies to kill, rinse and repeat... then Gods Will Fall may be your kind of game. If you are going to go ahead and give Gods Will Fall a try, you'll have to keep an open mind regarding its mechanics. I don't know about Gods falling, but I sure know I fell more than I'd like to admit. Nevertheless, I kept trucking along and trying different approaches. For now, I'll put my spear away and let the others go first.

It’s not hard to recommend TOHU, especially if you love hand-drawn game environments and puzzles. This game made me really think for some of its puzzles, and also made me smile a lot. It may have elevated my blood pressure at times, especially the previously mentioned shooting part in the swamp, but I am delighted I had the opportunity to play it.

As much of an ode Taxi Chaos is to Crazy Taxi, the experience feels incredibly lightweight and unfulfilling thanks to understocked options as well as the quickly tiresome nature of it all. More vehicles and characters are needed to spruce up the gameplay, as well as new locations and passengers who don’t repeat the same few lines over, and over, and over again. All told Taxi Chaos has the ingredients to be a really cool Crazy-Taxi-aping jaunt, but unfortunately this one is worth little more than a squirt of ketchup and mustard in both eyes from one of New Yellow City’s hotdog vendors.

Control has that signature Remedy feel to it, from its unique combat to its completely out there narrative, something only Sam Lake could be a part of. Although the story is Control’s strongest asset, it will take a lot of concentration to piece it all together. While I’m not a fan of forcing a rebuy to get the Series X|S version if you bought the base game at launch, Control: Ultimate Edition is without a doubt the definitive edition you want to experience, even if it’s for the second time, as the 60fps Performance Mode makes it feel like a completely new and better game. Welcome to the FBC Director.

While fans of the original Redout might be wondering why Space Assault isn’t a lightning speed racer like its predecessor, it’s a competent on-rails shooter, but doesn’t really stand out either. The visuals will most likely impress you at first, but once you start to get into the core gameplay, you might start to question some of its design decisions like I did. I didn’t hate my time with it by any means, but I can’t seeing myself hopping back into the pilot seat any time soon.

Taking clear inspiration from Deus Ex and Metal Gear Solid, Disjunction rewards you for being patient if you’re going to play a stealth run. While the game simply devolves into avoiding vision cones more than anything else, the three playable characters are not only are for narrative purposes, but showcases different ways you can play based on your playstyle. Cyberpunk enthusiasts will no doubt enjoy their time in 2048 New York, as will fans of stealth games, though casual fans will probably enjoy Disjunction best in bite sized sessions rather than a longer playthrough.

Olija feels unique, original and has a lot of charm to it. It’s abundantly clear it was created with a lot of love and care, and while the journey didn’t last as long as I’d hoped, I enjoyed every minute in the lands of Terraphage with Faraday.

Co-op is needed to get the most enjoyment from these space monkeys’ construction workers, but the lack of online co-op for console was a major drawback and disappointment. If you have some local friends or family to play alongside with, Bonkies can be quite an entertaining night of gaming, but if you’re planning on playing alone, you may want to wait for a deep sale before blasting off.

Overall I found Morkredd to be super enjoyable and fun to play, especially as a game for an opportunity have a stay at home gaming and dinner night with the spouse. For those that like a serious challenge of a punishing game experience, try Morkredd solo. Sometimes a great challenge is just what might be needed to help give you a bit of a break from the normal gaming routing, or just something different from what you always play. Just remember to always stay in the light.

If you like extremely difficult rougelikes then you might want to take a look at SYNTHETIK: Ultimate. It’s not hard just for the sake of it, but you need to be very deliberate and methodical in your approach to every level, as it’s quite easy to become overwhelmed. It’s also going to take many hours to put in the work to become proficient, but there is a decent reward at the end of the tunnel for those that make the commitment to learn all of its intricacies. While I wouldn’t suggest it for the casual fan, it does make for a unique one, even if it’s frustrating at times.

A lot of modern gamers may not appreciate the retro appeal of a game like Scott Pilgrim or the excitement for it’s long awaited return. A lot have become accustomed to the realistic graphics and heavily detailed designs of current AAA games, and in that case, Scott Pilgrim isn’t likely to change their mind for their preference in games, nor convince them to play it. For the indie loving or retro fan like me, this was exactly what I needed to remind myself of the joy and the frustration of the genre.

There’s always two sides to a story, and you only know half until you see The Medium to its conclusion. Rather than winning, The Medium is meant to be an experience, which it more than succeeds in. With a deeply immersive narrative and symbolism throughout, it never wore out its welcome with its 8-10 hour length and will be one of those games that I’ve been thinking about long after its credits rolled. The Medium truly is something unique and special.

While fans of the original might be turned off from the drastic combat changes, what I will say is that it feels much more accessible, as my daughter was able to easily jump in and start doing cool moves without having to memorize a bunch of inputs. While this opens it up to a larger audience, it by no way feels even remotely balanced and usually degrades into who’s spammed special moves can outperform the others spammed move sets.

My only real complaint is that there’s very little replay value outside of getting the second ending (though it’s just a final choice you make, so you could just play the final chapter again), searching for hidden collectables and cleaning up missing achievements. The setting and narrative are fantastic and it’s an adventure I’m glad to have been a part of. You can tell that Call of the Sea was made with much care and love as it’s one of those games that simply has a lot of character and heart.

While not the best movie based game out there, John Wick Hex is far from the worst as well. It’s got an interesting story that is cannon within the movies’ timeline, and some of the actual actors, aside from Keanu, reprising their roles adds some authenticity to its commitment of being more than just a simple cash grab most movie based games tend to be. While you might not feel completely like the deadly Baba Yaga from the movies, you’ll still feel like quite a badass hitman once you learn John Wick Hex’s intricacies.

The Falconeer has some smaller issues, but those are easily overlooked when you take into account this was made by one person. The story is pretty interesting even though the missions aren’t, and the voice acting can be a little annoying at times. But exploring The Great Ursee for new locations, dogfighting with challenging opponents and discovering that thin line of balance between offense and defense is all very rewarding. I was expecting the game to be beautiful, but I wasn’t expecting the combat to be so challenging and deep. It was a wonderful surprise.

Chronos: Before the Ashes is a capable Soulslike that isn’t terrible by any means, but when comparing to it to Remnant, the lack of guns and complete genre shift simply doesn’t feel as satisfying or stand out. Maybe this is partly due to its VR roots, and while it makes some interesting changes to the typical Souls template, Chronos: Before the Ashes is a much simpler experience overall, not just with its combat, but overall design.

Indie games often get overshadowed by their much larger and longer counterparts, but sometimes a solid indie title is just what you need to shake up your gaming experience. While it may not be an exceptionally long game, Shady Part of Me is worth the time playing it through. It has interesting gameplay and a beautiful aesthetic that surrounds what is a pretty somber story. In a game that revolves around themes of darkness, sadness, uncertainty and fear, one quote from the game was a bright spot for me: “Hand in hand, we break free from this nether. Step by step, we will rise together”.

I thoroughly recommend Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate to anyone who has wanted to try a fighting game with substance, or who might be like me playing the series throughout the years. The graphics blew my mind when I first started playing, which makes me wish I had a 4K TV even more. I also found that I really got into the interesting story. And as usual for Mortal Kombat, the gameplay is amazing yet classic all at once. Overall, I found Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate as one of my favorites in the franchise and I wholly recommend it to everyone who is into this kind of fighting game, filled with plenty of blood and gore because it's effin' badass!

I honestly was expecting to be quite bored with a management game that is quite menu heavy; however, once I started getting the hang of how to prioritize my research and start to make enough cash, I became hooked at trying to win the space race to Mars and furthering my reach into our solar system. It might not have much replayability, but Mars Horizon might just be something that you'll be positively surprised with if you give it a chance.

I’m all for a challenging roguelike if it’s fair, and while Exit the Gungeon is absolutely beatable, it’s quite a journey to get to that skill level to actually do so. The small elevator level design feels cramped and claustrophobic at the best of times, and the bullet hell on screen at certain times can be overwhelming with all the chaos happening simultaneously. While Exit the Gungeon might be a drastic change in its gameplay from the first game, it still has all the charm and essence that you fell in love with in the first place.

Sometimes you want to simply turn off your brain and shoot a bunch of aliens, and this is where Serious Sam excels, as not many brain cells are required to play or enjoy this collection. Like a movie that has a cult following, most won’t see what makes Serious Sam so special, but to those fans that do love the series, the nostalgia should be worth the price of admission, even if it’s priced a little high for little to no extra care or content added.

I thoroughly enjoyed Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! for its content, gameplay, culinary dishes and delicious looking food that I'd love to actually eat. I really enjoyed the chaos and atmosphere that a chef on a food truck must deal with every day, going from stop to stop to serve hungry customers. I'll be serving for a long time past this review, so grab a frying pan and give Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! a try, you won't regret it. I've got to go, my ribs need to be sauced again!

While not the most difficult platformer out there like others, more than once I felt like quitting due to frustration of having to redo large sections over again due to inconsistent checkpoints. More than a handful of times it felt like a slog to get through the same sections all over again, or backtracking to get somewhere I needed now that I had a new power. The time travel mechanic is interesting but slightly overused, as you’ll come to expect having to explore each area in both timelines. Even with all the issues and frustration that I had, YesterMorrow was one that I’m glad to have played. It’s not perfect by any means, but you can tell it has a lot of heart and charm to it.

Regardless if you’re new to the series or a longtime fan, Dragon Quest XI is the perfect game to experience what Dragon Quest is all about. Not only is Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition one of the best JRPG’s you’ll find on Xbox, but it’s actually in my top 5 of all time. Easy enough for new fans to get into but enough optional challenge for those that crave it, this Definitive Edition really does live up to its name and is the version I wish I originally played two years ago.

Twin Mirror on Xbox is a good game, and for fans of the genre like myself, it's a solid experience. For those who aren't as keen on the genre, nothing here is going to change your mind. With its compelling story, some fantastic characters, decent gameplay and moments of something that could have been brilliant, I enjoyed both my playthroughs. I was, however, left wanting more from the title and it feels like it sits in the shadow of its better DONTNOD adventure games.

Yes, Your Grace does make you feel like a King, but that comes with making difficult decisions where you won’t always know the exact repercussions until much later. While it may be a kingdom management game at its core, it does have a certain charm, personality and feels like a completely unique experience, plus it’s on GamePass, so there’s no reason to not check it out Your Grace.

Shoot 1UP DX took me by surprise, as I really wasn’t expecting much from it initially, but its unique mechanics really made for a great experience. It’s also fairly priced at a couple bucks so even though there isn’t much content wise, there’s just enough replayability with its online leaderboards for those that want to challenge themselves. While it won’t catch the world on fire, it’s a decent shmup none the less.

Visual Concepts has made the jump to next-gen and has done so incredibly well for players jumping into NBA 2K21 for the first time, making it seamless for players since its initial launch to transfer to their progress to Xbox Series X|S. Aside from some created players needing a bit of an upgrade graphically, NBA 2K21 Next Generation is a solid sports title that fans will surely enjoy for the gameplay, its visuals and love of the game.

PHOGS! puts a smile on your face, is utterly weird yet charming, and unique. Give a two headed dog a bone, or two, and download PHOGS! on GamePass if you’re looking for a unique puzzler that is simple yet entertaining.

Whether you are a longtime Kingdom Hearts fan looking to enjoy the iconic music interactively, just enjoy rhythm action games, or want to see what all the fuss is about as someone new to the series like myself, go ahead and give KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory a try!

Difficulty is one thing, unfair is something completely else. GONNER2 fits somewhere right in the middle, though leaning slightly towards unfair and almost out of spite. If you enjoy brutally difficult roguelikes then GONNER2 is exactly what you’re looking for. GONNER2 is also on GamePass, so there’s no reason to not check it out and see if you can handle its challenge.

All in all, IMMORTALS FENYX RISING surpassed my expectations. It was a fun and beautiful game, full of exploration, puzzles, combat and humour. Despite being left with wanting more from the combat in the game, I could not stop playing it. Between the humour and the sheer delightfulness of Fenyx, I was captivated and found myself wanting to continue exploring and playing its world more. In the end, it is a game that I can wholeheartedly recommend if you are looking for something new to play this year.

At the end of the day, Bright Memory is a bit of a tough one to score. I went in not knowing much of anything about it, and would be lying if I said that I didn’t end up having some fun with it despite its faults. Still, regardless of how impressed I am by the fact that only one man developed this thing, there’s not a lot to it that stands out. It’s dated, it’s buggy and it’s beyond short. Still, it can be pretty fun if you temper your expectations and understand that you’re not going to get a lot for your money.

Overall, I have to say that I have become a fan of WRC 9, as it is definitely a deep and rewarding game. It portrays the ins and outs of managing a rally racing team as you are in charge of all the major decisions. As we are in the midst of the COVID pandemic, the actual WRC did not have the chance to race all of these real life rally courses, so you have the chance to represent what could have been. While the visuals do suffer a few hiccups over the course of the game, it still looks great and the sound is impressive. If you are a rally fan, or an all around racing game fan, then you should seriously look at WRC 9, as it will keep you busy for quite sometime and it is worth the investment.

With the vibrant, colorful choices, the art style gives off a very positive, happy vibe to a narrative that unfortunately seems to be a mix of Cinders' feelings, both negative and positive. It's nice to see that throughout gameplay, the art style stays consistent. Cinders is a true work of art. Even with a few hiccups along the way, I'd recommend Cinders to anyone that finds visual novel games even remotely appealing. Cinders clearly is made for a certain audience and bravo for their merits. As for me, I'll keep looking for my Prince Charming and explore some more.

Even though Gears Tactics is a shock to the franchise’s core gameplay, the new strategic take still works for its unique setting. It may not play like any Gears that you’re used to, but it still fits and feels like a true entry into the series without feeling forced. While I could have done without the padded side missions, Gears Tactics still has amazing visuals, writing, gameplay and everything else that fans have come to love about the series. Super fans will obviously get the most from its narrative as it has deep ties into the series’ overall narrative, though strategy game fans can jump in and still enjoy the experience without being a Gear-head.

Perhaps you have a friend or family member that isn't into gaming but is really into drones and you want to crossover the hobbies to spend a little extra time together without the overall cost of the drone equipment and/or potential damages. If so, then go ahead and give Liftoff: Drone Racing a try, but otherwise, maybe see if you know anyone who does play with drones in real life and see if they have one you can learn on; it might be more fun.

I really enjoyed the tonality and setting, but it’s hard to justify the asking price of $47.99 CAD for a single player only affair, though a decent sale at half price would be more in line with a solid recommendation. Somehow the different gameplay elements do blend together well, making for a very strategic experience, though it will take a lot of trial and error to fully understand it. Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars may not be the most robust strategy game out there, but has a unique setting with an interesting narrative if you’re starved for a new strategy game.

All in all, I think anyone who plays either roguelike's or platform genres will enjoy playing ScourgeBringer. I found it an entertaining game for when I wanted to get in a game and smash some bad guys, even for a short period of time. As an action platformer, ScourgeBringer is a really great example, even if it is a bit short. As a roguelike, it checks the boxes but doesn’t really do much else that's unique. Give ScourgeBringer a shot if you like either of these styles of games and want a challenge, plus it's on GamePass as well.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is well executed on several levels, sans the bugs that I ran into. It is a true AAA title that is a worthy playthrough for fans of the game old and new. It is a tale of fate, loyalty, glory and morality. Eivor must make tough decisions as to how to grow their settlement and how they navigate relationships in the world. The decisions you make will change components of the story, so you are in charge of your own destiny.

While previous DIRT fans might not be so sure about its arcade direction this time around, for everyone else, it’s an accessible and fun racing game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you happened to get one of the new consoles, playing DIRT 5 in framerate mode is how you can showcase what your new TV can or can’t do. While there’s not much length to the career mode, Playgrounds allows you to create or play anyone else’s track, adding longevity, even if the overall package is a little light on substance.

Sure, this latest COD does not break any ground for bringing a new and innovative COD title; however, when you look as the game as a whole, and realize that a major chunk of it was developed during a Pandemic where everyone was working remotely, and you can appreciate the title including the story, the multiplayer and the Zombies mode. Given all of this, you will probably be playing this title for quite some time given that there will be free content arriving in the future that enhances both the multiplayer and Zombies mode. If you are a Call of Duty fan, Black Ops Cold War is a decent addition to add to your game library. If you are a casual fan of the series, or even new to the franchise, then this game will still be something you can enjoy too.

Stories Untold celebrates early adventure games with its narrative text format, telling a suspenseful story through limited visuals and thrilling narrative. It’s a compelling journey, and much of the excitement comes from one’s own imagination. It’s not a long game, but the tale kept me hooked. However, Stories Untold is not for everyone. Players not used to the text format may find the gameplay tedious or unintuitive.

I always appreciate games with such important historical importance like this and was thankful it wasn’t just a dry history lesson. At the same time, it was quite challenging to keep on top of everything needed to survive, especially when much of my success felt luck based at times. While it has its moments of enjoyment when everything goes according to plan, having to restart numerous times because you lose an important squad member like your medic becomes quite frustrating. There’s a lot of depth and strategy to be had within WARSAW, but surviving will be the priority and fun being a distant second.

There’s just enough musical variety that FUSER can appeal to nearly everyone from any musical taste or genre. No matter what mix I was trying to attempt, my head was constantly bobbing and my foot was tapping along to the beat. While I don’t fully understand the scoring system, as getting 5 stars on songs seems quite difficult, I still have fun every time I play and try out some new combinations of songs, always having a smile on my face and grooving to my own beat before sharing it online for everyone else to hopefully listen to. FUSER has recaptured that something special that Rock Band did years ago.

I’m not sure if anyone was really clamoring for this double pack on console, but here we are. While not a bad pairing, the main issue is that both games, Commandos 2 and Praetorians, suffer from showing their age. Time has not been kind to them, and while they’ve been given the “HD Remaster” treatment, it’s still quite a rough go visually and mechanically. I actually ended up enjoying Praetorians moreso than Commandos 2, but time has not been kind to both games.

When I first checked out Dustoff Z, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this game, as I had never been introduced to the Dustoff line of games previously. The first time I played Dustoff Z though I got so caught up in it that I played it for about 4 hours before I had realized that much time had went by. It has enough of a challenge that I can continue to play and not get bored, but I also get frustrated because I can't get past a certain boss until the chopper and shooters get a bunch of upgrades, so there’s a bit of grind to it. That being said, after playing for a few days and losing a handful of hours playing it, it dawned on me that I rather enjoyed Dustoff Z more than I expected.

Ary and the Secret of Seasons feels like needed to be worked on just a little longer. There are far too many glaring issues that need to be addressed before I can give someone at least a 'Give er a try' recommendation. I mean, I can't tell you what to do, but I would proceed with a bit of caution while playing through Ary and the Secret of Seasons. It has a fantastic idea at its core, but this one I just can't fully stand behind right now.

Watch Dogs: Legion really impressed me with its ‘recruit anyone’ mechanic. While I wasn’t initially sure what to make a the non-central main character, it really didn’t affect things as a whole expected it to. The city of London is visually impressive and I’m constantly deep scanning NPC’s I come across to see if they’d make a worthy DedSec member. If you’re a fan of the series, Legion improves many facets of its gameplay, has a great campaign with clever writing and had me wanting to hack the planet by the time the credits rolled, even if the odd crash here and there frustrated.

Put in the time to learn its nuances and you’ll come away with a game that rewards you for the time you put into it, it just takes a very long time to get to that point. There’s a lot of potential to be had, but I found missions to be much too lengthy and tedious to keep my attention with its excruciating slow pacing, especially when losing an hour’s worth of gameplay and having to redo it all over again. Necromunda: Underhive Wars is going to mainly appeal to diehard Warhammer 40K fans and those that want to play anything similar to X-COM with its tactical gameplay, but it’s a hard sell for the casual fan that will mostly likely feel it’s a little too clunky.

NBA 2K21 is a good, but severely flawed game. Once those flaws get fixed though, there won't be a better basketball game on the market.

If Monster Truck Championship was a budget title for $20 to $30 or so, I’d have no problem recommending it for a fun weekend that is much like a guilty pleasure. Sadly, it’s priced at basically double that, and while it has some good ideas, its execution feels sloppy and comes across more arcade than simulation, even with having to use both sticks to control your monster truck. Like your favorite fast food you know isn't great for you, you still enjoy it every time you pull up to that drive through window, though you may have to crush a few cars in the way with your monster truck.

Wasteland 3 is about adapting to a situation and environment while managing a "choose your own story" adventure. While the main story is fairly straight forward, how you experience that story is totally in your hands. This is why I can say that Wasteland 3 is one of the best CRPG games you will ever come across. It provides a depth that would allow you a seemingly infinite way to experience the game without being overly complex and hard to manage and all the while not taking itself too seriously in its delivery. If you want a good RPG there are a ton out there that are a dime a dozen, but if you want one of the best CRPG experiences you can have, then you absolutely have to purchase Wasteland 3.

Even after a dozen hours and more, I still want to log on every night with my friends and grind some genie challenges out to try and get a new piece of gear and upgrades. Best enjoyed with friends, visually it can become quite chaotic when four players are all casting their spells and abilities, filling the screen with particles, explosions and damage numbers. I don’t normally get hooked on ARPG’s like this, but Torchlight III is addictive, beautiful to look at and sounds great, it’s just a shame that there’s so many issues and crashes that are a constant frustration. With a patch or two that fixes its main problems Torchlight III could easily hang with the bigger names in the genre, but until then it’s still an entertaining game to enjoy, but you’ll constantly have to battle against the game itself.

Once you’ve completed a few levels, not much changes aside from a few new enemies and the odd puzzle here and there. The boss fights can be fun and challenging, but there’s really no replayability unless you really want to do it all over again with another character. While it has its flaws and is not your typical twin-stick shooter, Bartlow’s Dread Machine is utterly charming with its old-timey aesthetic design, regardless of how often I may have become frustrated with it.