While I can’t recommend Jurassic World Evolution 2 based on it being a park management sim, its real draw are the dinosaurs which are undeniably intriguing and captivating. The large variety of them kept me looking for more species to unlock through expeditions and gene splicing. The Chaos Mode was enjoyable as a fan of the Jurassic Park movies with ‘What If’ type scenarios, but Sandbox mode left me wanting more from the game. I would say this was more geared to fans of the Jurassic Park movies as opposed to fans of park management sims, and there are much better ones out there. For fans of the movies and dinosaurs, you’d be hard pressed to find a game more in line with the franchise.

Beholder is an absolutely unique experience and made me feel all sorts of ways I didn’t necessarily want feel about a video game. It was both stressful, but rewarding. It made me think quickly and gauge priorities. It’s a game that makes you understand that not everybody is going to have a happy ending, and that it’s within your power to choose who goes to jail and who stays free. If you’re up for a challenge then I recommend you give this game a go. It may not be for everyone, I’m not even sure it’s for me, but you’ll never know the outcome of something unless you give it a shot.

The fast-paced and dynamic-yet-simple gameplay is guaranteed to keep people hooked for hours and hours on end. And as I am one of those fps fans who has Xbox Live, I would like to thank the guys at VALVe for providing me with another reason to keep myself broke just a little longer.

Yes, the graphics aren't up to par, the AI is bad, the port at times tells you to input PC commands and there's so little combat that the game turns into a managing resources simulator. Regardless of all this, Piranha Games delivers an enjoyable single player mech experience that will keep you playing for many months to come. If you're a fan of mech games, then this should definitely be on your radar.

Even with the grind that hits at later levels, I kept telling myself to do just one more mission. It’s a little intimidating and overwhelming at first, but stick with it for an hour or two and you’ll start to make sense of the complexity and chaos, resulting in a lot of enjoyment when missions start to go the way you expected. Don’t be like me and initially judge it by its cartoonish visual style, as there’s some serious strategy involved with each bombing run to ensure your crew survives.

I have to be completely honest, I spent 98% of my time with Career Mode. I enjoy Career Mode the most in the Nascar Heat series and feel that overall it's generally a solid experience. This time around though, I'm not sold on the overall racing experience of Career Mode, which leaves me somewhat disappointed. My standards are usually very high for video games I know very well and I had high hopes that Nascar Heat 4 would be a great sequel. Now, I'm not even sure that this sequel is worth while knowing the main part of Nascar Heat 4 feels like an afterthought. I'm gonna go into the pit stop for a while and think about this.

While more tricks and options would have made Tanuki Sunset more enjoyable, if you’re looking for something chill to occupy your time, or as a palate cleanser between games, I’d recommend this indie title, even just for the soundtrack.

Overall, I found myself quite happy with Minecraft Dungeons. Developer Mojang Studios, along with Double Eleven, have taken the Minecraft franchise into a new realm as an ARPG that succeeds on many levels. Sure, the game may not be as deep as the hardcore ARPGs out there, but its simplicity, along with the hidden depth of character management (e.g. artifacts, armor, weapons), makes for a deeper game then some may initially think. The fact that you can be any level of gamer, from casual or new to a diehard one, and enjoy the game’s content is a testament to what they have created. You can’t go wrong with this title, whether you play the standard version on Game Pass or if you decide to purchase it outright on its own.

Even with the few issues I encountered, Moo Lander is wacky and nonsensical and just about the most ridiculous and best thing I’ve played this year. I couldn’t stop playing it or talking about it. It was a refreshing reminder that not all games have to have a deep story or even take themselves seriously. Sometimes ridiculous and fun is all you need. Moo Lander was, indeed, an aMOOsing adventure through space and I enjoyed my time with it very much.

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.

Subterrain is a deep and complex survival game. It gets a few things wrong, but for such a large undertaking I think overall it is a success; but it is certainly not a game for everyone. There's a large learning curve at the start, and some things you don't use often will have to be re-learned throughout the game as you forget them.

This is a truly stunning sequel to a very unique game. While most of the issues from the first offering have been addressed, it’s the additions in this game that really drives it over the top.

The sound was actually pretty good. The in-game soundtrack which was heavily influenced by the New Orleans jazz scene was actually quite good and I didn't mind listening to the same songs over and over again as I repeatedly restarted a level.

If Bugbear could solidify the vehicle control in the racing mode, this game would be 100% solid in every aspect. Even so, a great sophomore effort.

For a game that tries hard to create a flamboyant image for itself, Just Cause simply lacks the punch and the personality to truly deliver on that front.

In all, The Saboteur is a very enjoyable game; for me. Some may be disappointed but given the chance you'll find the game play features (of which I've only touched on in this review) are comfortable, if not revolutionary.

Do yourself a favour (Canadian spelling) and pick up this great XBLA title and do the world a favour by supporting (thereby, showcasing) a truly outstanding Canadian production.

Mystery Castle doesn’t necessarily do anything crazy or unique to separate itself from others in the genre, but what Runestone Games did perfectly was recapture that nostalgic feel of the older puzzle games, much like my beloved Adventures of Lolo.

Your enjoyment will surely depend on your resilience to frustration when it comes to dying over and over again, and while I would at times border on rage from having to do a certain section dozens of times, finally completing that section or boss was exciting and felt incredibly rewarding. Completing Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril, even on Very Easy, was quite a challenge, and I can’t fathom Unfair where you get one hit and life, but the challenge is there should you desire. While not as polished as some of the greats of the genre, Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril was an exciting yet infuriating time down 8-Bit nostalgia lane.

This is a great re-visitation to the roots of my gaming experience... Thank you for doing such a great job on this game, and the only improvement I would say is make it harder to miss jumping between vines... And that's a minor complaint, really.

Overall I did enjoy Typoman for what it is; a fun, short 2D platform puzzler. It may not have a long gameplay length or much replayability, aside from achievement hunting, but I enjoyed the majority of my time with HERO. Well, at least the times I wasn’t dying repeatedly or standing around trying to figure out what word I needed to create to get the opposite word, so I could construct a different word, and the opposite of that, to solve a puzzle. Its biggest downfall is that you’re essentially shoehorned into solving the puzzles in a way they were specifically designed, not allowing much freedom or the ability for your own creative solutions. Typoman may be a short one-off adventure, but its best parts are fun and work well, making up for its those sections that bring frustration.

I will continue to sound like a broken record, but it's true. At a day and age where you can hold 60 bucks in your hand and have dozens of suitable unique gaming options in-hand, the Lego franchise is very quickly falling behind in my mind's eye for where my gaming money should go.

A mixed bag of both good and bad, Steel Rain X tries to bring a new evolution into the world of shoot 'em up side scrolling games with its take on the RPG elements. Sadly, while the idea was well conceived, the execution could have been better.

While the gameplay will only last you 2-3 hours, depending on your puzzle prowess and knowledge of Artifex Mundi titles, including the short bonus epilogue, once again I did enjoy my time with it, even if it’s a lot more of the same that I’ve become accustomed to. It seems there’s been two more Queen’s Quest titles released, so here’s to hoping that we’ll get to experience those sequels shortly as well, as I had a calming time with this one, even if it wasn’t their best offering.

With a Story and Arena mode along with the two included DLC’s, there’s plenty of content to sink your teeth into if you can get over the cumbersome and confusing menus. Once you learn its intricacies and how to upgrade your characters efficiently, Deep Sky Derelicts: Definitive Edition becomes a much more enjoyable turn based card battler. The writing is well done, combat is incredibly strategic and there’s plenty of depth for anyone looking to be a space mercenary and earn their citizenship while fighting aliens and raiders.

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER starts out strong with an interesting cyberpunk narrative that had me intrigued with its cast of unique characters, but with a short runtime of around four to five hours, the final chapter seemed quite rushed and made the ending feel unsatisfying since it was just starting to get good. Even so, Neurodiver was still a psy-fi adventure I’m glad I was a part of, even if it didn’t quite and as strong as it began.

Makes a nice transition to the Xbox with just enough of the old and the addition of something new keeping it fresh and original even for a character that's been around so long.

It’s an above-average experience, and one that is worth checking out if you’re a fan of arcade racers. The driving is fast, frenetic and fun, and there’s quite a bit of content to be found within. It also attempts to build on every aspect of the 2019 reboot, though I admittedly got into and enjoyed that game more.