One big problem that irks me about the game is that there is no spotter for you. Your crew chief will help you from time to time, but that’s rare, and with no rear view mirror, it’s even worse to race.

At 800 Microsoft Points, this game is a steal for fans of the genre, and those new to it a like. It's a perfect Arcade title, and a joy to pick up and play all at once, or in little doses over time.

The control system may sound complex and confusing, but the visuals and sound are done beautifully.

Although there are some extremely heartbreaking moments in the game, and I found myself ugly crying during parts of it, Herobeat Studios created a beautiful game with cute foxes and a really important message. I have not been this emotionally moved by a game in a long time. Many of the things shown in game are based on current real-world events, and a lot of it was hard to stomach. Enthusiastic social commentary, a compelling story and beautiful graphics really gave me something I wasn’t expecting from a game with cute foxes at the forefront. Even with the slightly basic gameplay and repetitive nature, the game (and particularly the ending) hit hard and will leave a lasting mark for some time.

Overall, Them’s Fightin’ Herds has a lot of dialogue to read, cool soundtracks, wicked action adventure and My Little Pony went badass kind of feel to it. The controls are easy to figure out for the most part but the amount of dialogue to read was a bit of a downside. While there was only one episode available to play at this time of this review, I look forward to continuing the adventure in the future.

Pirates Outlaws is the first roguelike game that I’ve played where I wanted to keep playing it even after covering enough to write a review. In fact, this review took a few days longer than anticipated because I kept wanting to check a few more things out in game before committing to the words. I really enjoyed my time with it and think I will spend a lot more time playing it in the future. It’s worth setting sail and discovering the bounty to be had in Pirates Outlaws.

Young Souls has a satisfying gameplay loop that has you exploring dungeons, attaining gear and delving deeper for more bosses. That said, with no New Game+ mode after the credits rolled, there’s little reason to go back aside from working towards the 100% completion. Given that Young Souls is available on Game Pass currently, there’s no reason that you can’t check it out and see if you become just as addicted with ‘one more dungeon’ as I did. I now live by the stone.

Elite Dangerous offers gamers a seemingly unlimited amount of gameplay, and this is reinforced when you settle in and see how titanic the scale and size of the game environment actually is with the amount of possibilities and opportunities that are provided.

Having watched UFC and MMA for many years, making sure I catch every main PPV I possibly can, and met a handful of fighters, I really enjoy watching the competition, and what UFC 5 does so well is recreating the brutal sport. Being accessible enough for those that want to simply stand and bang by button mashing, to the hardcore fans that want to showcase their submission skills online, UFC 5 is the latest contender to enter the octagon, being as real as it gets, though can feel like simply a prettier UFC 4 at times.

I honestly expected Roundguard to be a simple Peggle re-skin, but came away very surprised that this wasn’t simply a 'shoot and wait' experience. On paper a roguelike dungeon crawling Peggle game shouldn’t really make sense or work, yet Roundguard has manages to give an exciting experience that is just as addictive as the game that the genre is best known for, and in some ways, surpasses it with its depth.

I completely appreciate and understand what Salt and Sanctuary is accomplishing and trying to be. While some will be turned off by its difficulty, the elation that comes when you finally become better skilled and progress is unlike any other. Salt and Sanctuary isn’t simply a 2D Souls-like, as it has its own creative merits and is its own experience, something that needs to be applauded.

There’s something here for everyone, as it feels like almost three separate games based on what you prefer to play. Sledgehammer Games has become a great storyteller with their (mostly) exciting campaign, solid multiplayer that keeps you hooked as you level up and earn Supply Drops, and a Nazi Zombie mode that’s sure to have you and your friends scratching your heads trying to solve its mysteries. They could have played it safe, but they weren’t happy with the status quo, which is where Headquarters and War spawned from, a great multiplayer addition to the series, and one that I hope stays going forward. It’s time to get the squad back together and get back into some intense World War II action as Call of Duty is indeed back and this year’s entry is pretty much a ‘must play’ for fans of the series, and fans of video games alike.

Overall, FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage is a really good 'had a crappy day at the office and need to blow off some steam' game. There is enough solid racing action and wanton destruction to appeal to fans of all ages and just about any genre.

A glitzy, colorful, Japanese, demon bashing, sword wielding, magic using tool of mass destruction which actively encourages you to smash, bash, demolish, destroy, kill and maim anything that moves, or doesn’t move for that matter.

Slime-san: Superslime Edition is hilarious, perfectly tuned and has an astonishing amount of content, more than enough to keep you going for quite some time. Don’t let the simplistic graphics fool you like it did me initially, as the gameplay is near perfect and can suit nearly any play style or preference. Even after a dozen hours or so, I’ve still a long way to go and much to master. For its price, the value and replayability is enormous and near unbeatable.

The menu, currency confusion, being outclassed by pay-to-win players and lack of help is very off-putting in the beginning, but it does start to make sense if you can devote the time to learn it and stick with it. It’s not going to be for everyone, and I’d still wager it’s more catered towards the hardcore crowd, or those with disposable income, but War Thunder can be a deep and exciting game in the heat of battle. Once it’s free to play and out of Early Access, there’s no harm in giving it a shot, like your tank cannon.

Overall, I found Islanders: Console Edition to be a little under-stimulating, while my wife found it truly enjoyable. She appreciates the calming nature of the game combined with the ability to be competitive in the leaderboard. While we’re not 'wowed' by the quality of the graphics, we do feel that the developers hit the mark with what they were after. We recommend Islanders for anyone that likes Sim City or other such puzzle and strategy games as well as anyone, young or old, needing a quick brain break.

Train Valley: Console Edition was oddly addictive once I learned all of its intricacies and mechanics that wasn’t taught well from the beginning. Sure there’s not much substance under the surface other than delivering color coded trains to their respective stations, and the first hour or so will be frustrating, but it eventually clicks and become quite entertaining to make intricate track layouts and having trains narrowly miss one another as they pass by one another. Choo choo choose Train Valley: Console Edition if you want an addictive locomotive puzzler, albeit with some initial awkward controls.

Fight’N Rage may initially look like any other Beat’em Up brawler out there if you judged it solely on some screenshots, but for a solo developer, it’s quite impressive. That said, Fight’N Rage is incredibly challenging and I question some of the design choices for being unlockables instead of default options. No online co-op is a bummer, but if you have friends and family to play with on the same couch there’s some fun to be had. I missed Fight’N Rage the first time, but this is the best version to check it out if you've never heard of it before like myself.

Overall, WWE Smackdown vs Raw definitely lays the smack down on its predecessors and opposition.

While there’s a steep learning curve to reach high level play and a ton of content, there’s something for KOF beginners and veterans alike. The King of Fighters XV has a massive roster of 39 characters in the core game before any DLC, and with a healthy amount of mechanics to learn and master, it will take some patience, time and dedication to find your ideal trio to prove that you’re the true King of Fighters.

Highly entertaining, a little short on replay value, but heavy on production value I thought Kameo Elements of Power was a keeper.

Far Cry 6 may be my favourite entry into the series. The ridiculous weapons, wonderful Amigos, beautiful scenery and charismatic Esposito made it a fantastic experience for me. Although it doesn’t ‘reinvent the wheel’, it knows it’s audience and did improve and add some new ideas. If you enjoy the Far Cry series, you should definitely make some time to visit Yara.

Overall, Nuts and Bolts is a fairly fun platformer that most folks should enjoy.

I quite enjoyed A Way Out, save for the shoddy shooting mechanics. While some might scoff at QTE's for much interaction, it felt fitting here. Vincent and Leo couldn't be more different, but seeing their relationship go through stages throughout the course of the game was the highlight for me, leaving me shocked by the time the credits rolled. The pricepoint is perfect for the experience given and I'm glad to have enjoyed playing through it with a friend.

Despite the few bugs and glitches I encountered, I found myself easily sinking hours at a time into Moonglow Bay. Its familiarity, the need to help someone going through the same grief I had experienced myself, the nostalgic voxel art and delightful music all really made me escape into this coastal community and really feel like I was part of all of it. It was clearly developed by a passionate team who took care to really make it feel this way. I think it may have benefitted from a bit longer development time, but they pushed out a patch quickly and I will take on another playthrough of it before too long. I loved the idea of helping to save a small town like I grew up in and I look forward to spending some more time chilling in Moonglow Bay soon.

They have also brought us an improved AI that allows for a more challenging and realistic game. Not only have they revamped the skating, deking and shooting engines, now playing against the computer it seems that it learns and adapts to your usual moves with an overhaul to the AI you will no longer cut across the middle and shoot for the opposite corner and see the red lights go on.

Even more jaw dropping is the amount of detail in the characters, creatures and weapons creation. From the concept of thermal energy to the detail and realistic design of the VS, Lost Planet does a great job creating an interesting virtual world.