DOOM Eternal (Xbox One)

DOOM Eternal takes the hugely solid foundations laid down in id Software's excellent 2016 franchise reboot and adds more of absolutely everything. This is a bigger, faster, funnier and more relentless game than its predecessor, and it's one that gives you a ton more variety in how you go about dishing out death to the hordes of hell that await you across its meaty single player campaign.

It adds more systems, more upgrades, more guns, more enemies and bigger, more varied arenas and then cranks the speed and carnage to eleven. Once you're in the zone here, you're part of an intricately choreographed and impressively strategic death dance where every movement, every weapon swap, gunshot, explosion and melee attack is a carefully considered choice made in a blood-soaked instant. DOOM Eternal is, quite simply, one of the most strategic, intense and hugely satisfying first-person shooters we've ever played.

  • Xbox Game Pass? Yes

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age (Xbox One)

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age is, quite simply put, one of the greatest JRPGs ever made, and it manages to retain that prestige whilst simultaneously doing very little in the way breaking of genre conventions or covering new ground.

This is a game that's so well regarded because it perfects its genre's conventions, making each element the best it can possibly be, instead of attempting anything massively new. The combat here is easy to learn, but hard to master; the world is a colourful, vibrant joy to explore; and the story is an epic tale jampacked full of magical twists and turns and memorable characters. With the Definitive Edition adding new side-stories, a cool 2D mode, fully orchestrated mode and more, this is a sumptuous experience that every RPG fan should have right at the top of their list.

Xbox Game Pass? Yes

Elden Ring (Xbox Series X|S)

How does FromSoftware do it? First blowing our collective minds with Demon's Souls all the way back in 2009, they continued their hot streak with the masterful Dark Souls series followed by the absolutely phenomenal Bloodborne and Sekiro.

Now they've returned with Elden Ring and, true to form, this latest outing is not just a great game, it's one of the very best action-RPGs ever made. We had concerns this time around, chiefly with regards to how they'd factor an open world into proceedings, but we needn't have worried as what's here is a glorious meshing of classic Souls combat with an astounding and enormous world full of secrets, challenges and lore to get absolutely lost in. An instant all-timer.

  • Xbox Game Pass? No

Elite: Dangerous (Xbox One)

Space is mad innit, it's just like...pure massive and that, and Frontier Development's Elite Dangerous, perfectly captures just how pure massive it actually is and then absolutely nails your place in it all. This is a game of truly unlimited freedom and spectacular scope, an endless, achingly beautiful galaxy stretched out before you, and all around you, beckoning you forth for adventure, exploration, economic dabbling, power struggles and good old-fashioned blasting about and shooting stuff in cool spaceships.

There's tons of depth here, unfathomable intricacy, endless possibility and the freedom to tear off into space and become whatever kind of intergalactic adventurer you fancy. With constant updates and additions - although we're still waiting on the Odyssey update to allow us to set foot on planets as we discover them - this is a game you'll install once and never remove from your hard drive. Truly essential stuff for sci-fans that's a blast for single players through its solo player mode which serves up all the same space action without the need to worry about other players!

  • Xbox Game Pass? Yes

Forza Horizon 5 (Xbox Series X|S)

Playground Games' latest open world racing effort is an absolutely spectacular affair, easily one of the very best games of 2021, that takes the storied franchise to new heights with its best setting yet, Mexico.

Forza Horizon 5 features a seemingly endless array of amazing cars to unlock, non-stop events that take in road racing, off-road, rally, stunts, one-off showpieces and more, and it all looks and sounds incredible to boot. Yes it's got some persistent online aspects and multiplayer activities, but if you're an offline player or prefer to do things solo, there's still an absolute ton to enjoy here through the game's offline mode. This is one of the very best Xbox exclusives currently available and easily one of our favourite racers of the last decade.

  • Xbox Game Pass? Yes

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Gears 5 (Xbox One)

Gears 5 is an absolutely essential entry in the long-running Xbox exclusive franchise that sees the Gears right back at the top of their game in an action-packed adventure that's fully playable solo. There’s a strong campaign here, surprisingly character-driven stuff for a series that’s known chiefly for its brutal battles, it manages to pack an emotional punch while serving up all the carnage fans have come to expect.

With the Ultimate Edition of this sprawling adventure available on Game Pass alongside the excellent Hivebusters expansion, there’s no excuse not to ready your Lancer and get blasting some Locust scum across the main campaign. Gears 5 is a massive package of brutal, bloody good times.

Xbox Game Pass? Yes

Grand Theft Auto V Next Gen Update (Xbox Series X|S)

A total no-brainer and a must-have on any serious list of Xbox single player games, GTA V is still, nine years later, an utterly essential open world experience that's never been topped in many ways. We know you know all about this one so we're not gonna prattle on, it's one of the greatest of all time no questions asked and it's never looked or felt better thanks to this next-gen upgrade. Go grab it, play it, live it

Xbox Game Pass? No

Hades (Xbox Series X|S)

Supergiant Games had already delivered us the stunning trifecta of Bastion, Pyre and Transistor before unleashing Hades, a game that really feels like this amazing developer fully reaching its potential.

This is quite possibly the very best roguelike we've played to date (and, boy, have we played a few) an adventure that's been polished to perfection, featuring exquisite visuals, top-notch writing, a cleverly evolving narrative that keeps you hooked in to the end and silky smooth combat that expands and evolves to suit your chosen playstyle.

Zagreus' journey through the underworld is critically acclaimed for good reason, it's a slick and stylish romp that can't fail to put a big fat smile on your face. If you've ever been tempted to jump into the roguelike genre but were afraid you might not completely jive with it, this is the game to get you in the mix. Hades is, quite simply, a modern classic.

  • Xbox Game Pass? No

Halo: The Master Chief Collection (Xbox One)

Six Halo games crammed into one great big beautiful package? Count us in! Halo: The Master Chief Collection is an absolute dreamland for FPS fans, and a fantastic offering for those looking for enough top-class single player action to last them a good long while.

Each and every Halo campaign here is fully playable solo and all of them are presented in glorious 4K (and running at up to 120fps on Series X) – amounting to an essential collection of classic games that’s an absolute must-play for shooter fans. If you've ever been curious about Halo, or just want to relive the whole thing all over again, the MCC has got you well and truly covered.

  • Xbox Game Pass? Yes

Halo Infinite (Xbox Series X|S)

Halo Infinite is the big Xbox exclusive that we were all been waiting impatiently for over the past couple of years and 343 Industries didn't let us down in the slightest, taking the series' spectacular combat and honing it to perfection, then successfully fusing the narrative-driven gameplay we know and love with a brand new open world setting that gives players a great big playground in which to indulge their Halo fantasies. As we said in our review:

"Halo Infinite feels like a big step forward for the franchise, a slick shift into the open world arena that manages to strike a fine balance between the traditional narrative-driven Halo of old and all-new levels of freedom and emergent gameplay."

  • Xbox Game Pass? Yes