Need For Speed Unbound, even at its launch, is certainly rather packed with content. The story sees the player throughout 4 weeks of days and nights throughout many events, some mandatory and most optional, with players always being able to decide how many seen-before events they wanna rush through again for some extra cash. With tons of unlockable and upgradable cars, a robust if uninspired multiplayer and an open world with plenty of things to do, Unbound’s unlikely to last you less than a couple dozen hours, unless you get bored before the end credits of course. But boredom isn’t what I’d associate with the latest installment in this everlasting franchise: Need For Speed has found its identity, and while a few concepts require some finetuning, it’s the best episode in a long while and one of the most stylish and generally finest racers of the generation thus far.

After a tumultuous dev cycle, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 shines despite some rough edges.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii brings about solid 3D brawling combat back to the series alongside tonnes of minigames, fun pirating sections, and intense set piece battles the series is known for. It's more Yakuza---are you going to say no to that?

Shin-chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is a fantastic adventure game in that it is laid back, funny, and easy enough to be enjoyed by just about everyone be they child or senior. You might not know who Shin-chan is, but don’t let that stop you from taking it easy and looking up once in a while.

Team Ladybug’s latest release is a grand one—the slower-paced nature of the action feels good to play especially as you get a better grasp of Shin and his companion’s move sets. The downtrodden Osaka city landscape has plenty of exploration potential and baddies to encounter, meaning that I can wholeheartedly recommend Blade Chimera to the 2D Metroidvania aficionado and novice alike.

Tchia is the latest, and one of my favorite, late ports to Xbox that’s arriving thanks to Game Pass. It’s a beautiful game, with an incredible soundtrack, fun gameplay, and an emotional story full of loss and love.

Atomic Heart is an excellent game, and it’s an incredible debut title from Mundfish. Clever storytelling, massive set pieces, fun combat, and more make this one easy to recommend.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is an epic ass-kicking time. Featuring ridiculously cool characters, stunning music, and a deeply engaging combat system, this one is an easy recommendation for purchase or downloading on Game Pass.

Assassin’s Creed Nexus is a success in bringing the movement and combat stylings of the ever-popular series into the VR space. While it is playable on a Quest 2 it’s downright gorgeous inside the 3. It’s the first time in a while I’ve played a VR title that felt close to a Triple-A release. There may be a hell of a lot of AC games, but after this solid entry, I hope there’s more to come in VR.

Darkest Dungeon 2 is a beautiful, great-sounding, difficult, and addictive roguelike. If you’re into the genre then it’s an easy recommendation on whatever platform you prefer. It works great with a controller and can last 100+ hours if you want to see everything.

In the end, either solo and especially in co-op, it’s an easy recommendation for me. All four heroes play fantastically and are quite different from one another. It also looks great on a Series X. I hope that Gotham Knights becomes a series because this is one hell of a first entry.

Dredge is an absolute gem. It features a rich, compelling narrative alongside an excellent gameplay and upgrade loop. It doesn’t overstay its welcome and has an excellent narrative. It is a game that you should not miss.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a brilliant reboot of the series. Playing as a central character instead of hopping between classic heroes works. It looks damned good most of the time, sounds great, and features an excellent mix of group and single-fighter combat. For those new or returning to the series you’ll find dozens of hours of combative bliss.

I think a lot of us often struggle with something, and A Pizza Delivery does itself few favours by stitching together a random set of experiences under self-doubt and confusion. But life really is just a road of things happening until it’s over—self reflection may be in order, but there’s no point wallowing in it. I really liked this game.

Ivy Road brings up the question “is something wrong with me”, something we all might ask ourselves at one point. You’re probably narcissistic if not. It’s a question lots of stories ask and, for many, said stories never really answer the question in any satisfactory way. Wanderstop instead opts to do what we all do when faced with questions like this—trudge about, skirt the line, use lots of adverbs. And for what it’s worth, it’s a refreshingly grounded take on the matter. Yes, something might just be wrong with me and will likely be the death of me. Can something be done about? Maybe. A bit of self-awareness never hurts, though.

BLACKTAIL is a well-made, highly polished title that is easy to recommend. Make sure you have the time to properly level up and explore. This beautiful, haunting world is one I hope to come back to time and time again.

Expeditions: A Mudrunner game looks great and is a more palatable entry in the series. It’s still full of that truck-puzzle maddening charm though, so both new entrants and fans of the series alike have a lot to enjoy in this 100+ hour-long title.

Humanity is an excellent blend of puzzle and platformer that has an enormous amount of content. It’s one that will be in my Quick Resume for a long time as I jump in for a quick puzzle or two. It’s in Game Pass at launch on Xbox and I highly recommend anyone interested give it a spin.

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is an excellent remaster of one of the Wii’s best games. It fixes its shortcomings, adds to it with quality-of-life changes, and most importantly makes it available to all on modern platforms. Rebrushed does a good job being both a 3D platformer and a narrative driven-adventure title, sprinkled in with a lot of love for old Disney animation—a fun, unique adventure game for all.

AEW: Fight Forever rekindles the flame of the classic N64 wrestling titles. Featuring a fantastic mix of nostalgia and new it is only let down on occasion by budget and scope constraints. I hope this is the start of a new, long-running series that takes this excellent foundation and adds more variety on top of it for years to come.

Saints Row is a big, over-the-top, extremely fun game and if they can sort out the bugginess quickly it’s an easy one to recommend.

This type of game has a ceiling it can normally hit. It’s a lower-budget genre-bending revival of a beloved but older IP. Leikir Studio has managed to find an excellent blend of old and new. While it can be insanely difficult on hard, it’s just the right amount of punishing on normal. As it is available on Day One on Game Pass for Cloud, Console, and PC I think this one is an easy download or buy for any tactics fan.

RoadCraft is a ton of fun. It smartly evolves the MudRunner series, taking one of my favorite physics-based puzzle games and adding in some deliciously creative chaos.

Eriksholm is a tough game to fully review, as giving away the gameplay mechanics and plot elements that made me enjoy it should be experienced without spoilers. If you have the time, in this never-ending deluge of excellent games, consider adding this one to the backlog. It’s fun and not frustrating stealth and shockingly high production values make this one of my favorite surprises of the year.

Ultimately, Fear the Spotlight doesn’t really try to reinvent the formula, serving as a smart, respectful and well-designed homage to the PS1-era of horror games and the 90’s aesthetic in general. Lovely visuals, great voice acting and genuinely spooky vibes more than make up for the fairly simplicistic gameplay loop and short length, making this retro horror game one of the better picks for a playthrough in a spooky season.

Mindcop is a great detective adventure that puts emphasis on creativity and critical thinking for the player to find the perpetrator. The tools you’re given are adequate for its open-ended approach to game design, and ultimately, it’s up to you to help Mindcop uphold his reputation against a townspeople who carry plenty of baggage.

Assassin’s Creed: Mirage is a solid entry in the release-filled series. Featuring a far shorter campaign than previous titles it sacrifices “value in hours” for “valuable hours”. Mirage is a tight package that any Assassin’s Creed fan, new or old, will enjoy.

Graven is an old-school dark fantasy first-person shooter that somehow feels like no other, taking cues not only from classics like Hexen but also throwing in elements of RPG, immersive sim, and more, creating a mix that feels unique and engaging. The game’s lengthy campaign does feature some questionable progression at times, with somewhat needless soulslike elements, time-consuming puzzles, and an uneven balance, but none of these flaws could ruin the game for me. Graven is not just a mechanically fun FPS, it’s also a great journey worth experiencing for yourself – but next to spellbooks, metal swords, and medieval armor, do remember to pack a healthy dose of patience, as its often convoluted design can cause some frustration.

NASCAR 25 is a great videogame of an entertaining racing series, offering all sorts of thrills online and offline alike. Solid graphics and presentation, satisfying handling, tons of settings to allow every kind of player to find the experience that suits them most. A gripping, if relatively safe career mode is the highlight, but the online leaves me wondering. It can be exhilarating, and the netcode is strong, but the game seems uninterested in punishing unsportsmanship. The result is the most chaotic online racing I’ve ever seen – at least in a game that isn’t supposed to be a destruction derby. It’s a safe, but a quite exhilarating title. Perhaps, with a few tweaks to the online racing, we could have one of the all-time greats for this sport. Definitely one to have for NASCAR fans.

Ultimately, Promise Mascot Agency is just a great time. Excellent humor, hilarious characters, great dialogue, and just enough nonsense to stand out from the masses. The actual mission structure and open world formula is hardly anything special, borrowing most elements from the countless similar titles out there. Yet, Kaizen Game Works’ virtual trip to late Showa Era Japan is full of charm, making its 20 or so hours of content fly by like a spring breeze. When you’re done with some of the big games of the season, such as Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, the Oblivion remaster, or Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, consider hiring these mascots, alright?

Eternal Strands is a fantastic first title from Yellow Brick Games. It’s an IP I hope to see more of in the future, as its excellent gameplay felt like a breath of fresh air for the genre. It’s out Day One on Game Pass and even in this bloated 2025 release schedule I wholeheartedly recommend checking it out no matter where you play.

Lil Guardsman is funny, occasionally heartwarming, and a ton of fun. It takes a simple premise and builds it into a unique and excellent video game.

It’s an audiovisually captivating journey through liminal spaces, a dream-like experience that masters the concept like few other videogames before. Personally, I absolutely can not wait to play the upcoming levels, because Dreamcore is already an amazing and unique ride. This is one dream I won’t immediately forget.

The addition of 2-player modes and various improvements make a lot of sense, and do improve the Aaero formula a good bunch, but at the end of the day it’s hardly a hugely transformative sequel. Still, I fail to see that as a devastating flaw. Aaero2 brings us more awesome tracks to ride rails and shoot alien creatures on to the beat of the rhythm. Sure, it could have been a slightly more ambitious sequel in terms of game mechanics, progression and variety. Yet, even so, Aaero2 is one of the most interesting music-based games in recent memory, one that will have my grinding rails while banging my head back and forth for quite some time.

With Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark, there’s a solid solo and fun cooperative campaign that offers a good 15 plus hours of action, depending on how often you get lost. Level design has improved since the last game, humour is on-brand with Gal Guardians’ preceding series of games, and movement feels great. Here’s another Metroidvania I can recommend to the newbie and veteran alike.

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is both an excellent unofficial sequel to the classic Jet Set Radio games and a smart evolution and modernization of the formula to better fit modern sensitivities and to offer more variety. Sure, the story could have been better and maybe Team Reptile could have swayed farther from Jet Set Radio… but this is exactly the game fans of the franchise want and deserve.

Prodeus is stupidly fun, looks incredible, sounds fantastic, and is launching into a subscription service many people reading this may have. It’s been a bit of a weird marketing cycle leading up to the launch of the game, but I hope as many people as possible at least try it out. It’s one hell of a love letter to the FPS genre for both the old and the new.

Aside from some surprisingly gory moments, in Chucky’s table in particular, there isn’t much here that Pinball FX players haven’t already seen many times before, making Pinball M a far from essential buy. Yet, it’s more of the studio’s trademark bloody brilliant (pun intended) pinball mechanics, with a couple cool additions, a better progression system and none of the controversial elements of the previous game. Sure it doesn’t have the crazy list of available tables of the other games, but it’s not meant to replicate that game, just to offer something slightly different as a side dish. And that is reason enough to recommend Pinball M to all fans of the pins and metal balls – provided they’re up for the M-rating of these violent tables!

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is about as much of a continuation as one should expect from an arena fighter sequel. You’re here for the spectacle, for Demon Slayer, and a game you can pull out to play with friends on a whim and not much more. The fights are extravagant as they are beautiful and for me, that’s more than enough. And I’m sure anyone eyeing this game feels the exact same way.

Barring a middling ‘middle’ entry, The Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy brings a set of great games from a series I love to the big screen. There’s no beating the bush around this one: this collection does Apollo Justice.

NBA 2K25 features phenomenal on-court action, every major mode you could hope for, and is one of the prettiest games of all time. Whether you’re a mtx loving maniac or just looking to shoot some hoops like you’re an all-star it has never been a better time to jump into this long-running franchise.

If you fancy moonlighting as a budding scientist battling for survival against other-worldly forces and scientific experiments gone wrong, you’re going to love Abiotic Factor. It’s a refreshing and charming take on the survival genre, full of great mechanics and systems, an engaging story and world and importantly it’s an absolute blast to play with friends. Go in as blind as you can, because like with all scientific endeavours, the joy is in the discovery.

Revisiting the original trilogy is still a blast, especially online, despite many other collections already exploring those games. Padding out the title count with many ports of the same goes is a bit futile, but a good exercise in game preservation.

For fans of Destiny, The Division, and all the loot-focused games-as-a-service titles, this is a damned good one at launch. We’ll see if they can continue to grow and improve it over time.

Path of Fury: Episode I – Tetsuo’s Tower is a tonne of fun and makes me a believer in fitness through virtual reality. Strong visuals are backed by a fast-paced rhythm-and-arcade style of gameplay, not to mention a story that’ll peruse you through thugs and police alike. This is easily one of my favourite VR games, even with its rocky caveat.

The Invincible is a great game, full of wonderful storytelling and choices that feel impactful. The narrative suffers a bit near the end, but it’s an easy game to recommend to any genre fan. The gameplay is enjoyable, Regis III and everything on it is gorgeously realized, and it is a dream prequel to an excellent book.

GRIME is a series of good to great-pieces that are slightly held back by performance issues. Depending on when you’re reading this review I hope those are fixed because this game is fantastic. It’s beautiful, ugly, terrifying, and something any Metroidvania Soulslike fan should love.

Teslagrad 2 is a short but well-designed and pleasant experience. Perfect for those who just want to master speed and puzzle solving in a Metroidvania over fighting hordes of enemies.

It isn’t the prettiest nor does it feature the best translation, but Gunfire Reborn is stupidly fun to play. The controls feel fantastic, the character and build variety is top-tier, and as someone who adores roguelikes/lites, it had everything I was looking for. It’s out Day One on Game Pass for PC and Console so there’s no reason why you should give this one a try, especially if you’ve got a few friends to play with.

Majogami is a fun, fast-paced romp with a fair bit of replay value. It can get a bit repetitive due to the nature of the main character’s gimmick, but you’re encouraged to finish up each level as fast as possible. And despite the speed of the game, the composition of the visuals makes it easy to distinguish between foes and the direction you’re going to rend unto them. A great action-platformer all around.

From solid level design and an extremely well-done character controller, this game is an easy recommendation for the momentum-favoured platformer player.

PowerWash Simulator is a very simple, and very good game. Alone or with friends it’s both fun and stupidly satisfying to clean dirt with water. A healthy variety of locations, tools, a solid upgrade path, and even new looks are on hand to make this one well worth checking out.

Despite bugs and some questing that isn’t all too interesting, Drova drives home a sort of old-school design that is simple, fun, and frustrating when the going gets tough. This is a damn good 2D RPG that action and computer role-playing game fans won’t want to miss out on.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is finally on Xbox, and of course, it’s on Game Pass. It features fast and fluid combat, that takes a little too long to get going. The gorgeous recreation of Japan is hampered by severe performance issues in all but the ugliest graphical mode, but the story is interesting enough to push on through. It might not reach the highs of the studio’s title Hi-Fi Rush, but few games do and Ghostwire: Tokyo is a damned fun game in its own right.

System Shock is an all-time classic, and this is by far the best way to experience it. Nightdive Studios have followed through on their promise and delivered a full remake that gets what made the original so special.

Does it make for a compelling videogame? Despite a few shortcomings, I feel that it does, as the game’s excellent graphics and tense atmosphere put a nice little ribbon on the package. But this isn’t a game for everyone, and not just because of the (optional) microphone gimmick, so beware what you get yourself into. I still think it’s one of the most unique and memorable horror games in recent times, which is something that mostly makes up for the other flaws found.

I enjoyed my time with Discounty quite a bit, in part thanks to the pacing of the game’s narrative beats and because I can run a store from the comfort of my home. The town of Blomkest is in desperate need of a hero, and it’s got to be you that shines a light on the smog encroaching upon this secluded bit of land.

The gameplay is the best it has ever been, and the live service is the most predatory feeling, but there is enough other content on offer that I’d still recommend this year’s title. It’s stunning to look at, thanks in part to its jaw-droppingly large install size, features tons of classic teams, and far better WNBA integration. If you haven’t played an NBA 2K game in a while this might finally be the year for you to jump back in.

Bright, bold and absolutely bursting with vibrant colour and the kind of charming quirkiness that constantly teases a smile; this is truly a world of creature comforts. It doesn’t do a lot ‘new’, but what it does do, it does brilliantly. If you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, you should absolutely add this one to your download queue.

Gears of War: Reloaded is a solid graphical update to one of Xbox’s most important games. It is nearly 20 years old now, though, and some of that age is starting to show. With no true gameplay improvements it would be tough to tell Xbox’s hardcore to spend $40 on it. Thankfully it’s both a free upgrade if you ever played GoW: UE and is of course a Day One Game Pass release. For PlayStation and PC players who have never touched the franchise, this classic is still well worth checking out.

I haven’t finished my own journey with Egging On, but after plenty of hours with this egg-cellent game, I’m comfortable in saying that this is one Game Pass release Xbox gamers shouldn’t miss out on, and PC and PS5 gamers should consider taking a crack at. It’s unique, egg-ceedingly challenging, and yet, full of fun and good humour. Just like all my egg jokes, it’s cracking stuff.

NHL 24 is a solid improvement on-ice over last year’s title, with the exhaustion engine adding technical depth that the series has lacked. Outside of that, some minor presentation and control improvements are countered by mostly the same overall package of modes. If you love the NHL then this is the best playing game in the series, but if it’s $70 worth or better over last year’s is tough to say.

All in all, it’s a very promising start for Sker Ritual – I’m eager to see patches, balance changes, DLCs or even a sequel tackle the few shortcomings, because, underneath it all, it has all the elements that made us fall in love with the Zombies formula and then some. Bravo!

Outriders: Worldslayer is a solid 8 or so hour expansion that adds a seemingly long and quite enjoyable endgame grind to what was already a solid title. With the base game on Game Pass, it is worth giving that a shot and if you like it just know that this expansion is available, and it’s damned good. It takes everything the main campaign has and dials it up to eleven in a brilliantly dumb-fun kinda way.

Sea of Stars takes formulas and gives them a nice fresh coat of paint. Even though the narrative won’t hold your attention, you’ll find a game that offers stunning visuals and sound design that accompanies a fun battle system with unique mechanics. Easy to pick up and play for everyone, old and new.

The developers have once again done a wonderful job of bringing one of the classic and legendary games from history to the present day. Are you interested in a strategy game with a twist? Are you tired of the human/historical conflicts exhibited in Age of Empires and the like? Then take a look at the mythical world of Age of Mythology: Retold. I think you won’t be disappointed. If they can fix some of the AI problems and balance issues in future patches, Age of Mythology can truly stand among its peers. It might even become the true fan favorite it was always destined to be. Maybe we should ask the gods for their favor and start praying.

This is possibly one of the most deeply emotional gaming experiences out there and boasts an art style that works perfectly for a visual novel. As well as serving up a unique game mechanic this is an inexpensive title that could easily go unnoticed in this world of AAA behemoths, but hopefully, it will get the attention that it rightly deserves. Delivering a truly different gaming experience, fans of the genre are sure to appreciate what is on offer here. After all, any game with a pumping theme tune in the style of the soundtrack to Road 96, which shouts out the classic French indie game “Night Call” has to be worth anybody’s time. It is strangely cathartic to lead a broken character through one of her darkest days and succeed in leading her out into the sunshine with the hope of a better life going forwards.

Atelier Marie Remake is a fun game. The clock system keeps you on your toes, making you plan out your days, and the town of Salburg always has something to surprise you. An easy recommendation for the systems-driven or RPG player.

Spellforce III: Reforced is a great package with a lot of content for players who are into a vibe of playing games like Baldurs Gate and Diablo or fans of RTS games like the original Warcraft 3 or Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War series. While the campaign story is good and understandable it is easy to become overwhelmed by the forced dialogue and the RTS gameplay is intuitive but it can take a while to take it all in and program your hands to use the radial wheels efficiently.

Autumn with the Shiba Inu offers a unique blend of dystopia and mystery, making it all work with a doggy feel to it. It works quite well and the writing does a great job of conveying intrigue throughout a playthrough. If you’re looking for a good, short read with a tad bit of an unsettling atmosphere throughout, look no further than this doggy’s story.

Metal Eden can’t, nor it wants to hide its Doom Eternal inspiration in a more sci-fi theme, but it’s hard to fault a game for trying to live up to one of the best shooters ever made. Metal Eden is an adrenaline rush of a high speed shooter with excellent shooting, great traversal, lovely visuals and soundscapes, one that keeps throwing fancy new moves and brutal new weaponry to play with. It’s a short ride, ending just around 4 hours, and a couple technical gremlins and perhaps its lack of innovation may deny it a spot among the gods of the genre. Still, if you wanna burst through a fast-paced FPS’ campaign before the barrage of massive releases in the next couple months, Metal Eden is an excellent choice!

Game length is about right and although there is very little narrative, the story does come full circle and has a satisfying conclusion. If you are looking for a chilled-out, unusual puzzle-solving game I heartily recommend this one.

Still Wakes the Deep was an incredible game. Siren’s Rest shows the aftermath and how it affected at least one family. For $13, I think it’s well worth checking out for anyone who’s beaten the main game.

Last Time I Saw You turned out to be an enjoyable narrative adventure. I love the attention to detail, not just in its artwork but the stories of its cast members. A perfect little play for everyone.

Gamers who have been craving more mascot platformers should definitely give the Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series a shot. It’s a great little time capsule to a period where this was one of the dominant genres in gaming, in a franchise that I feel never got the recognition it truly deserved.

Bloodshed doesn’t pack a sensational amount of depth and variety. It does, however, offer lots of enemies to burn through in a very satisfying first person twist on the bullet heaven formula, rolling the credits before its repetitiveness could become a huge issue. Definitely one to check out, if you’re looking for your next survivors-like and you’re into boomer shooters.

Bannerlord, in spite of its shortcomings, is a great game to play for tactics enthusiasts and players that love huge battles. Its simulation style of gameplay is fairly unique and keeps me coming back. An easy recommendation to all that love their sandboxes.

SAND LAND offers a big beautiful dust bowl for players to explore to their hearts’ content. I found its story and its characters to be the main driver for my playthrough, but the fun vehicle combat went hand-in-hand in my enjoyment of the game. A great adaptation of a legend’s work.

Although TRANSIRUBY isn’t particularly evocative, it’s a solid Metroidvania through and through. Completion is a couple of hours, and its slow pacing makes it a game that I can recommend to beginners of the genre.

Overall, Thank Goodness You’re Here is an absolute gem of a game full of humanity and fun. Coal Supper really have done an excellent job capturing the heart and soul of the community of Barnsworth, and the game took me nostalgically back to TV I watched when I was young, whilst also making me laugh out loud from the start to the end. If you want something extremely silly, absurd and exceptionally well made to spend a couple of hours with, then you should definitely check it out.

NHL 23 looks great, is fun as hell, features a ton of modes, and will set you back $70 at the time of launch. If you’re a big fan of the sport, and especially if you’re into the Hockey Ultimate Team mode then this latest entry is worth getting. For others, especially on Xbox if you have Game Pass Ultimate, use your 10-hour trial and try before you buy.

To conclude, this is a competent, satisfying and, while admittedly not ground-breaking, a very comprehensive package that will keep ARPG gamers and Warhammer fans happy for a long time – especially with some fellow Inquisitors to play with in co-op. Warhammer 40,000 Inquisitor: Martyr – Ultimate Edition is a game I’d happily recommend to anyone into fans of both of those things.

Resident Evil Village’s Gold Edition is a solid way to experience the full campaign and all its extra content for newcomers. It’s $50 for the whole thing, or $20 if you already own Village and want the new expansions. RE:Verse is a huge miss, but the third-person camera, expansion, and Mercenaries content more than make up for it.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake is still a journey worth taking, and remains a shining example of how gameplay and narrative can combine to produce something that only this medium can provide. However, fans of the original will find little new here outside of a very nice coat of fresh paint and some easy to obtain achievement points.

I had a great time with Milestone’s take on the Monster Jam world. The gameplay is tight and surprisingly accessible, with these behemoth vehicles bouncing and flipping left and right in such fun and satisfying ways in both racing and stunt modes. With a great technical background, too, what’s a bit lacking is the inventive in the single player campaign, with merely a largely repetitive sequence of events to beat with little reason or rhyme – one that even shows how little variety the game itself has, as of now, before all DLC or eventual sequels arrive. Personally, that’s a prospect I really look forward to, because Monster Jam Showdown’s base gameplay is really good, so I’d really love to see the format get expanded upon from here on.

Go Mecha Ball is a fantastic title to get on Game Pass. It looks great and plays incredibly well. The audio package and setup may leave me wanting but I can see this being one I dive back into repeatedly over the coming months to experience its sublime gameplay.

BALL x PIT is a brilliant mish-mash of two genres, with excellent strategic choices in its main gameplay sections. The town building may not be for all, but I enjoyed it well enough. The only minor issue was the sameness of the progression between the base game and new game plus. Still, it took me nearly 60 hours to get to that point; it’s in Game Pass on Day One, and I had a blast while doing it.

I can’t help but thoroughly recommend I Am Your Beast. It’s a neatly designed, satisfying game that combines the addiction of great ‘one-more-go’ titles with some solid, satisfying gunplay, all wrapped up with a surprisingly engaging narrative to help keep you invested. If you’ve ever had the urge to indulge in a secret-agent-revenge-fantasy, consider that itch thoroughly scratched.

F.I.S.T. Forged in Shadow Torch is a well-made, beautiful action-focused Metroidvania. The combat starts off slow but when it clicks it is excellent. The traversal and platforming are top-notch, and even though I’m not too much of a furry I grew to enjoy the characters and story quickly.

Priced at $30 and only lasting two or three hours I wouldn’t normally recommend the game unless it was something unique and special. As a father of two, this story hit me in a way that few others have, though. If you’re looking for a game that is gorgeous, heartbreaking, and that tackles the most serious issue our and future generations will face then Endling – Extinction is Forever deserves your attention.

When there is an alternative path, you can sometimes find bits of lore about the world which is pretty neat. It can be annoying, but despite getting pigeon-holed a bunch of times, I still came back to METRO QUESTER again and again over the week. I feel that all its systems mesh together really well and it’s definitely a unique RPG experience you’ll not often find on consoles.

Indiana Jones and The Order of Giants doesn’t quite rise to the incredible heights of the original game’s story, but what’s here is more of what I wanted. More incredible locations, puzzles and maze-like tombs, dripping with atmosphere and history. What more could a budding archaeologist ask for?

These yearly sports title releases can be tough to review. I don’t get to live in them like so many people reading this will choose to do. From someone who has reviewed the last few, this one feels like a solid iteration on what last year accomplished. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel so much as refines it to run more smoothly. WWE 2K25 is a big game, with an enormous amount of content on offer whether you’re into the online part of it or not.

Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator is the best kind of laidback experience you could ask for. Being able to cook meals at your own pace as well as making the restaurant your own space feels cathartic and you could spend hours unlocking and upgrading meals. Not to mention how you decorate your restaurant to appeal to certain crowds, building your own wardrobe, etcetera. A Michelin-star worthy game.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is loaded with even more content and more ways to play said content. The changes to the weapons, to the gear and the added variety in both monsters and locale, make this an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys the game and wants reasons to either keep playing or to come back. If you haven’t gotten your fill of hunting monsters yet, Elgado Outpost could surely use your help.

There is added depth and complexity to this title that elevates the experience above the solid game that went before it.

It’s not transformative, but what it adds is excellent.

My biggest hope is that Tribute Games can implement some of the combat tweaks I mentioned earlier to really take this title to the upper echelon of games in the genre because as good as it is, it doesn’t quite stand toe to toe with the greats, but it’s agonisingly close.