Overview
- Website
- microsoft.com
- Average Review Score
- 6.8/10
- Average Game Rating
- 8.08/10
Review Age Of Mythology: Retold (Xbox) - Microsoft's Godly RTS Classic Revitalised
Go beyond history
Age of Mythology might not be a major numbered entry, but it's still played a significant role in the Age timeline – transitioning the series from 2D to 3D following the success of Ensemble's real-time strategy king, Age of Empires II. Mythology wasn’t just there to fill the void when it landed on PC in 2002 and is still...
Review Sea Of Thieves - In Truly Ship-Shape Condition Two Years After Launch
It's a pirate's life for me
When Sea of Thieves initially set sail in 2018, it was met with somewhat mixed reviews. Rare's pirate playground is undoubtedly a masterful creation; a vast, dynamic, hyper-stylised sea world dotted with mysterious islands and skeleton forts in which players are set free to create their own grand adventures. However, it...
Review Forza Horizon 4 - The Best Racing Experience On Xbox One
Fuel Britannia
Offshoots aren’t meant to surpass their source material. They’re meant to be unusual curios that take an existing concept in twist it in ways the mainline series never could. When the original Forza Horizon casually rolled up onto the scene in 2012, no one really expected it to attract the fan base that it did, but eight years on...
Review Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island (Xbox One)
Making it rain.
When crafting a DLC package of any significant weight for a game that has gone down really well with gamers and critics alike, developers have to be careful. What they add can’t interfere with the mix that they already had, as they really don’t want to be messing with a successful formula. Playground Games found a way to ensure...
Review D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die (Xbox One)
Look for D
Remember Deadly Premonition? It’s one of the most divisive games ever to be released upon the world. Poor production values, bizarreness to the extreme, and campy…well, everything else, meant it was one of those wonderfully weird games that either clicked with you, or it didn't at all. Now, four years after the release of Deadly...
Review Kinect Sports Rivals (Xbox One)
Do or die.
To say that Kinect Sports Rivals is a high-profile title for Xbox One would be something of an understatement. Being the only game (barring the violently bad Fighter Within, which barely passes as a game) available that’s been designed for the much-maligned Kinect device that’s included with every console, people were looking to...
Review Killer Instinct (Xbox One)
C-C-C-Combo Breaker!
Fans have been asking for it for years and finally Killer Instinct has returned, albeit with a new developer - Double Helix - who have adopted a free-to-play model for the game's characters, which is also now sporting fancy new visuals. However, fans can relax their cynicism and rejoice, as Killer Instinct on Xbox One retains...
Review BattleBlock Theater (Xbox 360)
The Behemoth Is Back
BattleBlock Theater is an Xbox Live Arcade platform puzzle game from The Behemoth, who are the developers of the excellent Castle Crashers and slightly-less-excellent Alien Hominid HD. The graphics are cartoonish, it features a good deal of laughs and some tricky puzzles that will test your dexterity later on. Also, it allows...
Review Kinect Party (Xbox 360)
Ain't no party like a Kinect Party.
Depending on when you pick it up, the decision on whether or not to get Kinect Party is a bit of a no-brainer. For a while after release day, it was available for absolutely no charge and should you have missed out, the price is 800 MSP. The product itself is also a bit of a no-brainer at times too, and while...
Review Red Bull Crashed Ice Kinect (Xbox 360)
Born slippy.
If you aren’t aware of what Red Bull’s “Crashed Ice” event series is, then you’re missing out. In short, the sport of ice cross involves a bunch of ice skater types starting at the top of an icy track that contains all manner of twists, turns, bumps, and jumps, and they have to race to the finish line in the fastest possible...
Poll How Would You Grade The First Month Of Xbox Game Pass In 2025?
Have you enjoyed the new additions?
January's Xbox Game Pass lineup is now officially complete with today's launch of Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector - and although it's unlikely you'll have had time to play that one just yet, we want to know how you feel about the first month of XGP in 2025. We've had some big Game Pass releases lined up in...
News Xbox Leaker Believes Gears Collection Is Real, Will Launch On PS5 Day One
The Cole Train ain't stoppin'
After what's been years and years of rumour and speculation, we might just have our strongest evidence of a Gears of War remaster collection yet. Well-known Xbox leaker eXtas1s has posted a new video that breaks down a bunch of
Soapbox As A Huge Forza Fan, I'm Fine With Horizon 5 Going To PS5
But I might feel differently about a day one release
Well, we've officially moved into the territory where one of the big three Xbox franchises (Halo, Gears, Forza) will no longer be console exclusive - as Horizon 5 plans its PS5 course this spring. I've been preparing myself for this moment for a while now, especially with all of the rumours going...
News Former PlayStation Exec Says 'The Game Is Changing' As Xbox Goes Multiplatform
"They were Blockbuster, they became Netflix"
With the announcement of Forza Horizon 5 moving over to PS5, Xbox has planted another flag in its new multiplatform landscape, which started to take shape around a year ago. Things are definitely moving forward as we head into 2025 though, which is causing lots of industry folk to chime in on the matter -...
News Halo PS5 Rumours Resurface Following Forza Horizon 5 Announcement
"But we'll see"
It's been another massive week in the world of Xbox, and after ongoing rumours, it's now been officially confirmed that Forza Horizon 5 will be arriving on PlayStation 5 this spring. If you are wondering what the plan might be for PS5 beyond this point, it seems Xbox's main mascot could be one of the next ones up with Halo: The...
News Xbox Highlights Six 'Must-Play' Indie Games That Launched In 2024
One year of 'Indie Selects'
A year ago, Xbox introduced its 'Indie Selects' program as a way to highlight a batch of indie titles each and every month - and at the program's one-year anniversary, the team has picked out six must-play indies from 2024. Team Xbox says that this selection showcases "six top Indie Selects titles from 2024 that we...
News Forza Horizon 5 Officially Announced For PS5, Drifts Over In Spring 2025
New horizons on PS5
Xbox developer Playground Games has announced that Forza Horizon 5 is officially launching on PlayStation 5, with the open-world racer set to move over in Spring 2025. First released in late 2021 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC, Forza Horizon 5 took players to Horizon Mexico in the series' fifth open-world outing on Xbox...
News Xbox Glitch Sees Alan Wake Remastered Get 100% Discount
Update: Microsoft appears to have removed it
Earlier this week, we highlighted a fantastic Alan Wake 2 deal that bundled in Alan Wake Remastered as a free bonus game - and now Xbox users appear to have found a glitch with the system that allows them to claim the remaster without making a purchase at all. Thanks to Alan Wa
News January's Final Two Xbox Game Pass Titles Arrive This Week (January 30-31)
A hot month for XGP
Welcome to your final Xbox Game Pass roundup for January 2025! We have two more titles coming to the library this week, including Sniper Elite: Resistance which we just reviewed here at Pure Xbox. <related ids="177309"> Anyway, here's a closer look at your last two
News Xbox Free Play Days Includes One Of 2023's Highest-Rated Games
Jump into a free trial right now!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Free Play Days lineup - and this one is quite a biggie. Headlining the selection this week is Alan Wake 2, with Remedy bringing a free trial to Microsoft's FPD program this weekend. Here's your full Xbox Free Play Days lineup this week: Alan Wake 2 (3-hour free trial) Sword Art Online...
News Xbox Cloud Gaming's Strong Momentum Continues With 'Record' Hours Streamed
Racking up 140 million hours in the latest quarter
Another positive to come out of Xbox's latest earnings report was regarding the "strong momentum" of its cloud gaming services. Alongside his comments about Game Pass's new quarterly revenue record, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed how
News Game Pass Sets New Quarterly Revenue Record, Grows PC Subs 'By Over 30%'
Microsoft CEO: Black Ops 6 and Indiana Jones played a huge part
Microsoft's latest earnings report is in and although its gaming division's hardware business has suffered another decline, Xbox's "content and services" are up. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has now gone into a bit more detail, revealing how Game Pass has set a new quarterly record in...
News Xbox's Multiplatform Releases Made Microsoft The Top Game Publisher In The World Last Month
Trouncing EA in the process
Data firm Ampere has released some interesting stats about the month of December in gaming - stats that name Microsoft as the top publisher in the world for the final month of 2024. According to the analyst group, $465 million was spent on Xbox games last month, making Microsoft the biggest publisher across Xbox,...
News Phil Spencer's Recent Gears Activity Has Nothing To Do With Rumoured Remasters
He's simply been training the rook
A week or so ago, Gears fans with a keen eye spotted Xbox boss Phil Spencer revisiting the old Xbox 360 games for the first time in over a decade - prompting fresh discussion about a potential 'Marcus Fenix Collection', as has long been rumoured. While the boss has neither confirmed nor de
News Xbox Is 'Evolving' Rather Than 'Losing' Its Identity, Says Phil Spencer
"I believe it's an identity that this industry needs"
With Team Xbox embarking on a major multiplatform push these days, there's been some concern in the community that without focusing on first-party exclusives, Xbox may essentially lose part of its identity and appeal in the process. This was brought up in Phil Spencer's couple of interview...
News Phil Spencer Reiterates Hardware Is Still A 'Critical Part' Of Xbox
"I think it's fundamental to what Xbox is"
There has been a lot of discussion over the past year about the future of Xbox's hardware division and now Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has touched on this subject again in a new interview with Gamertag Radio while responding to a question about the company's new campaign.
Reaction Xbox's Killer January Showcase Proves That Its Games Pipeline Is Finally Ready
ALL of this in the next few months?!
Well, that's a wrap on Xbox Developer Direct 2025, and wasn't that just an awesome showcase again from Team Green? We got a look at four new Xbox titles; three of which received release dates spread over the next few months. Oh, and who can forget about that fifth shadow drop title? Yep, The Ninja Gaiden 2
News DOOM: The Dark Ages Punches Onto Xbox Game Pass In May 2025
Right around the corner!
Id Software is back, and their next game is out sooner than you might think! Bethesda's FPS expert has announced that DOOM: The Dark Ages is launching in just a few short months on May 15, 2025 - and it'll be available day one on Game Pass now that the studio is a part of Team Xbox. This has all been announced during...
News Xbox's South Of Midnight Brings Folklore Magic To Game Pass This April
See you in the bayou
Compulsion Games has today announced the launch date for South of Midnight, its upcoming southern folklore inspired adventure for Xbox Series X|S. We're finally getting hands on with this one on April 8th, 2025, and we're glad - because it looks bloody beautiful! As part of the team's extended deep dive at Dev Direct, we've got...
News Xbox Is Hiring For Someone To Lead An Unnamed Dev Team, Starting Next Month
Job post spotted
An interesting Xbox job post has been spotted online today, leading to questions about whether this role is for an unannounced team or project over at Xbox Game Studios. Microsoft is looking for "an experienced Executive Producer" to "lead a game team" - but what that team is within Xbox remains a mystery at this time. Furthermore,...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (January 23-26)
Included with Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Free Play Days is back! After an EA-fueled return last weekend, the program continues into 2025, with four titles making up the lineup this weekend. Here's this week's full Xbox Free Play Days selection: A Little To The Left (two-hour trial) For Honor Train Sim World 5 Way of the Hunter You'll need a...
Guide Xbox Developer Direct 2025: Event Date, Start Times & Where To Watch The Showcase
We're getting VERY close now!
It's almost time for the Xbox Developer Direct! Yep, the 2025 edition of Microsoft's dev-focused showcase returns this Thursday (which is today!), with multiple titles confirmed for the show already. In this guide, we're going to tell you everything you need to know about the Xbox Developer Direct 2025 ahead of it...
News Xbox's Indiana Jones Voice Actor Wins 'Best Acting' Prize At New York Game Awards 2025
Beating out some stiff competition
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle may have launched too late to pick up any prizes at The Game Awards last month, but not all ceremonies have such a cutoff date, and a new prize for the 2024 title has now come in. Presented at the New York Game Awards this month, Troy Baker's performance has netted them the 'Best...
News Black Ops 6 Season 2 Brings Back Classic Maps & Modes On Xbox Game Pass
Alongside another new Zombies level!
Treyarch and Activision have announced the next season of Black Ops 6 and Warzone, set to kick off on January 28th with lots of new content. Season 02 of Black Ops 6 will bring five multiplayer maps, a brand-new Zombies experience, new weapons and more to the Xbox Game Pass FPS. Of those five multiplayer maps
Talking Point Have You Been Tempted To Switch To Xbox Game Pass Standard?
The library is growing fast!
Last year, Microsoft launched Xbox Game Pass Standard, phasing out its 'Console' tier of the subscription service at the same time. When it was revealed, we questioned the need for its existence, especially given how great Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is and the extras that are included in that service. However, with Game...
Poll How Would You Grade The First Month Of Xbox Game Pass In 2025?
Have you enjoyed the new additions?
January's Xbox Game Pass lineup is now officially complete with today's launch of Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector - and although it's unlikely you'll have had time to play that one just yet, we want to know how you feel about the first month of XGP in 2025. We've had some big Game Pass releases lined up in...
News Xbox Leaker Believes Gears Collection Is Real, Will Launch On PS5 Day One
The Cole Train ain't stoppin'
After what's been years and years of rumour and speculation, we might just have our strongest evidence of a Gears of War remaster collection yet. Well-known Xbox leaker eXtas1s has posted a new video that breaks down a bunch of
Soapbox As A Huge Forza Fan, I'm Fine With Horizon 5 Going To PS5
But I might feel differently about a day one release
Well, we've officially moved into the territory where one of the big three Xbox franchises (Halo, Gears, Forza) will no longer be console exclusive - as Horizon 5 plans its PS5 course this spring. I've been preparing myself for this moment for a while now, especially with all of the rumours going...
News Former PlayStation Exec Says 'The Game Is Changing' As Xbox Goes Multiplatform
"They were Blockbuster, they became Netflix"
With the announcement of Forza Horizon 5 moving over to PS5, Xbox has planted another flag in its new multiplatform landscape, which started to take shape around a year ago. Things are definitely moving forward as we head into 2025 though, which is causing lots of industry folk to chime in on the matter -...
News Halo PS5 Rumours Resurface Following Forza Horizon 5 Announcement
"But we'll see"
It's been another massive week in the world of Xbox, and after ongoing rumours, it's now been officially confirmed that Forza Horizon 5 will be arriving on PlayStation 5 this spring. If you are wondering what the plan might be for PS5 beyond this point, it seems Xbox's main mascot could be one of the next ones up with Halo: The...
News Xbox Highlights Six 'Must-Play' Indie Games That Launched In 2024
One year of 'Indie Selects'
A year ago, Xbox introduced its 'Indie Selects' program as a way to highlight a batch of indie titles each and every month - and at the program's one-year anniversary, the team has picked out six must-play indies from 2024. Team Xbox says that this selection showcases "six top Indie Selects titles from 2024 that we...
News Forza Horizon 5 Officially Announced For PS5, Drifts Over In Spring 2025
New horizons on PS5
Xbox developer Playground Games has announced that Forza Horizon 5 is officially launching on PlayStation 5, with the open-world racer set to move over in Spring 2025. First released in late 2021 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC, Forza Horizon 5 took players to Horizon Mexico in the series' fifth open-world outing on Xbox...
News Xbox Glitch Sees Alan Wake Remastered Get 100% Discount
Update: Microsoft appears to have removed it
Earlier this week, we highlighted a fantastic Alan Wake 2 deal that bundled in Alan Wake Remastered as a free bonus game - and now Xbox users appear to have found a glitch with the system that allows them to claim the remaster without making a purchase at all. Thanks to Alan Wa
News January's Final Two Xbox Game Pass Titles Arrive This Week (January 30-31)
A hot month for XGP
Welcome to your final Xbox Game Pass roundup for January 2025! We have two more titles coming to the library this week, including Sniper Elite: Resistance which we just reviewed here at Pure Xbox. <related ids="177309"> Anyway, here's a closer look at your last two
News Xbox Free Play Days Includes One Of 2023's Highest-Rated Games
Jump into a free trial right now!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Free Play Days lineup - and this one is quite a biggie. Headlining the selection this week is Alan Wake 2, with Remedy bringing a free trial to Microsoft's FPD program this weekend. Here's your full Xbox Free Play Days lineup this week: Alan Wake 2 (3-hour free trial) Sword Art Online...
News Xbox Cloud Gaming's Strong Momentum Continues With 'Record' Hours Streamed
Racking up 140 million hours in the latest quarter
Another positive to come out of Xbox's latest earnings report was regarding the "strong momentum" of its cloud gaming services. Alongside his comments about Game Pass's new quarterly revenue record, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed how
News Game Pass Sets New Quarterly Revenue Record, Grows PC Subs 'By Over 30%'
Microsoft CEO: Black Ops 6 and Indiana Jones played a huge part
Microsoft's latest earnings report is in and although its gaming division's hardware business has suffered another decline, Xbox's "content and services" are up. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has now gone into a bit more detail, revealing how Game Pass has set a new quarterly record in...
News Xbox's Multiplatform Releases Made Microsoft The Top Game Publisher In The World Last Month
Trouncing EA in the process
Data firm Ampere has released some interesting stats about the month of December in gaming - stats that name Microsoft as the top publisher in the world for the final month of 2024. According to the analyst group, $465 million was spent on Xbox games last month, making Microsoft the biggest publisher across Xbox,...
News Phil Spencer's Recent Gears Activity Has Nothing To Do With Rumoured Remasters
He's simply been training the rook
A week or so ago, Gears fans with a keen eye spotted Xbox boss Phil Spencer revisiting the old Xbox 360 games for the first time in over a decade - prompting fresh discussion about a potential 'Marcus Fenix Collection', as has long been rumoured. While the boss has neither confirmed nor de
News Xbox Is 'Evolving' Rather Than 'Losing' Its Identity, Says Phil Spencer
"I believe it's an identity that this industry needs"
With Team Xbox embarking on a major multiplatform push these days, there's been some concern in the community that without focusing on first-party exclusives, Xbox may essentially lose part of its identity and appeal in the process. This was brought up in Phil Spencer's couple of interview...
News Phil Spencer Reiterates Hardware Is Still A 'Critical Part' Of Xbox
"I think it's fundamental to what Xbox is"
There has been a lot of discussion over the past year about the future of Xbox's hardware division and now Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has touched on this subject again in a new interview with Gamertag Radio while responding to a question about the company's new campaign.
Reaction Xbox's Killer January Showcase Proves That Its Games Pipeline Is Finally Ready
ALL of this in the next few months?!
Well, that's a wrap on Xbox Developer Direct 2025, and wasn't that just an awesome showcase again from Team Green? We got a look at four new Xbox titles; three of which received release dates spread over the next few months. Oh, and who can forget about that fifth shadow drop title? Yep, The Ninja Gaiden 2
News DOOM: The Dark Ages Punches Onto Xbox Game Pass In May 2025
Right around the corner!
Id Software is back, and their next game is out sooner than you might think! Bethesda's FPS expert has announced that DOOM: The Dark Ages is launching in just a few short months on May 15, 2025 - and it'll be available day one on Game Pass now that the studio is a part of Team Xbox. This has all been announced during...
News Xbox's South Of Midnight Brings Folklore Magic To Game Pass This April
See you in the bayou
Compulsion Games has today announced the launch date for South of Midnight, its upcoming southern folklore inspired adventure for Xbox Series X|S. We're finally getting hands on with this one on April 8th, 2025, and we're glad - because it looks bloody beautiful! As part of the team's extended deep dive at Dev Direct, we've got...
News Xbox Is Hiring For Someone To Lead An Unnamed Dev Team, Starting Next Month
Job post spotted
An interesting Xbox job post has been spotted online today, leading to questions about whether this role is for an unannounced team or project over at Xbox Game Studios. Microsoft is looking for "an experienced Executive Producer" to "lead a game team" - but what that team is within Xbox remains a mystery at this time. Furthermore,...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (January 23-26)
Included with Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Free Play Days is back! After an EA-fueled return last weekend, the program continues into 2025, with four titles making up the lineup this weekend. Here's this week's full Xbox Free Play Days selection: A Little To The Left (two-hour trial) For Honor Train Sim World 5 Way of the Hunter You'll need a...
Guide Xbox Developer Direct 2025: Event Date, Start Times & Where To Watch The Showcase
We're getting VERY close now!
It's almost time for the Xbox Developer Direct! Yep, the 2025 edition of Microsoft's dev-focused showcase returns this Thursday (which is today!), with multiple titles confirmed for the show already. In this guide, we're going to tell you everything you need to know about the Xbox Developer Direct 2025 ahead of it...
News Xbox's Indiana Jones Voice Actor Wins 'Best Acting' Prize At New York Game Awards 2025
Beating out some stiff competition
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle may have launched too late to pick up any prizes at The Game Awards last month, but not all ceremonies have such a cutoff date, and a new prize for the 2024 title has now come in. Presented at the New York Game Awards this month, Troy Baker's performance has netted them the 'Best...
News Black Ops 6 Season 2 Brings Back Classic Maps & Modes On Xbox Game Pass
Alongside another new Zombies level!
Treyarch and Activision have announced the next season of Black Ops 6 and Warzone, set to kick off on January 28th with lots of new content. Season 02 of Black Ops 6 will bring five multiplayer maps, a brand-new Zombies experience, new weapons and more to the Xbox Game Pass FPS. Of those five multiplayer maps
Talking Point Have You Been Tempted To Switch To Xbox Game Pass Standard?
The library is growing fast!
Last year, Microsoft launched Xbox Game Pass Standard, phasing out its 'Console' tier of the subscription service at the same time. When it was revealed, we questioned the need for its existence, especially given how great Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is and the extras that are included in that service. However, with Game...