Latest Reviews
Review NHL 23 - A Fine Hockey Game, But A Disappointing Lack Of Ambition
A "not bad" follow-up to last year's effort
When we reviewed NHL 22 last year, we noted how the transition to EA's Frostbite engine had been a success, so we were happy to forgive the lack of major changes to its game modes. That said, we also mentioned that we were hoping for "some ambitious new modes and features in NHL 23", and unfortunately that...
Review Scorn (Xbox for PC) - Ebb Software Serves Up A Memorably Gruesome Puzzlebox Adventure
Escape From Hell.A.
Note: This review is based primarily on the Microsoft Windows version of Scorn (which is where we finished it), although we have also spent a few hours testing it on Xbox Series X where the game feels like a match for the PC version in terms of both visuals and performance. It appears to be running at 4K, 60FPS on Series X...
Review No More Heroes 3 – Travis Touchdown Returns To Xbox
From the creative mind of Suda51
Where do you start with a series like No More Heroes? If you have played it before, you’ll already know it’s absolutely bats**t crazy. And well, if you haven’t played it before, just so you know – it’s absolutely bats**t crazy. Legendary Japanese game developer Suda51 and his studio Grasshopper Manufacture...
Review FIFA 23 - EA's FIFA Franchise Hits The Showers On A High
The final whistle
Yes, after 30 years of EA's all-conquering FIFA franchise, it's finally time to bid farewell to a series that's been a constant companion to footie-loving gamers since all the way back in 1993 (as of next year, EA has confirmed its football games will be known as "EA Sports FC"). It hasn't always been top-flight stuff, there's been...
Review Deathloop - Arkane's Best Game Finally Arrives On Xbox
Groundhog Slay
It has, quite unbelievably, been a year already since Arkane Studios' superlative Deathloop launched on PS5 and PC. It was a rather frustrating exclusivity deal that came as something of a surprise given that the game's publisher, Bethesda Softworks, had just been snapped up by Microsoft in the months before release but, finally, Xbox...
Review Isonzo - A Brutally Brilliant Depiction Of WW1 Italy
Rifles at the ready
The 'WW1 Game Series' is back with another entry following the cult 2016 hit Verdun and its 2019 follow-up, Tannenberg. Isonzo takes the battle to the Italian Alps, which puts a veritably vertical spin on the realistic tug-of-war battles the series is now known for. This third entry doesn't reinvent the wheel by any stretch, but...
Review NBA 2K23 - A Surprisingly Strong Season For Basketball Fans
A nostalgic trip through b-ball history
It's once again reached that time of year when another entry in the NBA 2K franchise slam-dunks onto our consoles and, yes, it's sometimes difficult to muster much excitement for these annual instalments, easy to dismiss them as just another incremental update that looks and plays almost identically to the...
Review Metal: Hellsinger - A Delightfully Devilish Rhythm Shooter Blasts Onto Xbox Game Pass
Danse Macabre
Back in 2016, Bethesda rebooted the DOOM franchise to spectacular effect with a game that took the series' frantic FPS action and carefully reworked and rebalanced it, adding a delicious layer of strategy and a striking new sense of rhythm to the bloody violence at hand. More than ever before, players were required to think on their...
Review Steelrising - Spiders Serves Up A Super Solid Soulslike
To be this good takes Aegis
Hot on the heels of the rather disappointing Thymesia, we've got yet more soulslike action inching its way methodically onto Xbox consoles in the clockwork form of Steelrising. Spiders, the developer behind the excellent Greedfall, has come up with another cracker of a game to add to its resume here too, as this is a...
Hands On Disney Dreamlight Valley (Xbox for PC) - A Slice Of Animal Crossing On Xbox Game Pass
A whole new world
When Disney Dreamlight Valley was first revealed for Xbox Game Pass a few months ago, we didn't quite know what to expect from it. Was it more like The Sims or Disneyland Adventures? Well, it's actually a bit of both, and it also incorporates plenty of familiar elements from games like Animal Crossing and
Review F1 Manager 2022 - A Podium Finish For Frontier's First Effort?
It's definitely in the points at least
For whatever reason, we've never seen the excellent Motorsport Manager on Xbox before, so the arrival of Frontier Developments' brand-new F1 Manager series is a huge breath of fresh air for the genre, and we've been eagerly awaiting its arrival ever since it was announced earlier this year. The good news is...
Review Immortals Fenyx Rising - A Fantastical Adventure That Draws Heavily From Breath Of The Wild
Now available on Xbox Game Pass!
Update (Aug, 2022): Two years later, Immortals Fenyx Rising is now available with Xbox Game Pass! Below, you'll find our original review from 2020, which was just after the Xbox Series X and Series S first released. Enjoy! Read More: Four Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (August 30, 2022) Original...
Review Immortality - Sam Barlow Serves Up A Cinematic Masterpiece On Xbox Game Pass
Who Wants To Live Forever?
What happened to Marissa Marcel? It's the question posed at the very beginning of Sam Barlow's latest intricately woven interactive experience and, in order to discover the answer, you're gonna need to embark on a journey that takes you to some seriously unexpected places. Marissa Marcel starred in three movies during the...
Review Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection - A Radical Bundle Of Beat 'Em Ups
Totally not bogus
It's been quite a year for fans of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We've already had Tribute Games' outstanding Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, a game we called a "lovingly crafted and supremely entertaining return to the glory days of early 1990s Turtles action" in our 9/10 review, and now the heroes in a...
Review Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed - A Shiny Remake That's Unashamedly Stuck In The Past
Watch your behind
A couple years back, THQ Nordic began pumping us all full of nostalgia with a number of PS2-era remakes; namely Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated and of course, Destroy All Humans! Well, you better get ready to be pumped full of errr, alien juice, as Destroy All Humans 2 is returning this month to...
Review Pac-Man World Re-Pac - Classic 3D Pac Is Back After 23 Years
How does it hold up?
You don’t often see Pac-Man outside of a maze, so whenever it does happen, it’s often a weird and sometimes wonderful sight. Over the years, we’ve seen the dot eater cameo in fighting games like Super Smash Bros. and even race around in karts in certain other games, but did you know he’s also featured in his very own 3D...
S'(Rank) Express
Disclaimer: We reviewed the PC (Steam) version of Midnight Fight Express as it was the only version available to us prior to launch. Therefore, we haven't included any details about the performance on console in this review. Jacob Dzwinel's Midnight Fight Express continues the grand tradition of slick and addictive indie arcade...
Review Saints Row - A Truly Disappointing Return For The Saints
Saints Low
Volition's decision to reboot their long-running Saints Row franchise has had us intrigued, excited even, ever since this brand new entry was officially announced back in 2021. A ground-up reworking seemed like a great opportunity for the developer, a chance to make a clean break, to refresh and reset a series that was struggling somewhat...
Review Thymesia - Sadly, This Soulslike RPG Isn't As Great As It Looks
Does Hermes deliver?
The Kingdom of Hermes has fallen into an age of calamity. In a world where the use of powerful alchemy was once widespread and welcomed, things have gone terribly wrong. The now blood-soaked streets are filled with plague-ridden monstrosities and it's up to you, Corvus, to take out the mutated trash. OverBorder Studios'...
Review Arcade Paradise - A Great Simulation Game That Deserves Your Attention
A combination of laundromat and arcade management
It feels like Arcade Paradise kind of came out of nowhere. We'll admit that we reviewed it on a whim, not really sure of what to expect, but we're pleased to say we've been having an absolute blast with it so far, and we've still not yet seen everything it has to offer. So, what is Arcade Paradise?...
Review Two Point Campus - Near-Perfect Marks For This Superb Sequel
Game Pass is in session
The excellent Two Point Hospital has offered up countless hours of simulation fun on Xbox Game Pass ever since it joined back in early 2020, and now the developers behind that game are back with Two Point Campus, taking us out of the medical wards and into the halls of various school academies — complete with the signature...
Hands On Turbo Golf Racing - Good Fun In Short Bursts With Xbox Game Pass
Rocket League meets golf and racing
One of the additions to Xbox Game Pass this week that went somewhat under the radar was Turbo Golf Racing, which launched on Thursday, August 4th in Xbox Game Preview, meaning it'll remain in an early access state for some time. As a result, this isn't your typical review — we're not going to score it or...
Review Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels – Back For An Enjoyable Second Lap
The skies above Mexico are calling
There was definitely some confusion when the first Forza Horizon 5 expansion was leaked on the Steam Store – indicating it would be Hot Wheels (again). While it was thought to be placeholder artwork for something else at the time, it was in fact another Hot Wheels expansion. This announcement received mixed...
Review Bright Memory: Infinite - Tight Gunplay In A Gorgeous World, But Lacks Depth
Shining bright
In the run up to the Xbox Series X|S launch, Bright Memory caught the attention of many Xbox fans for its incredibly impressive and stylish visuals, especially considering the game was made by just one developer. Well, with a little more time, and money from sales of the predecessor, developer FYQD is back with more in Bright Memory:...
Review As Dusk Falls - A Cracking Crime Thriller On Xbox Game Pass
Free fallin'
Going into As Dusk Falls we were a little apprehensive. Xbox's marketing push has been somewhat light with this one considering it's an Xbox Games Studios effort, and we've only just seen Road 96's similar tale of loss and hope through to its fantastic conclusion. As it turns out, we needn't have worried at all; As Dusk Falls is a...
Review PowerWash Simulator - A Great Way To Chill Out With Xbox Game Pass
If you like simulators, that is
We all had a good laugh when Lawn Mowing Simulator was released and later added to Xbox Game Pass last year, but it ultimately proved a popular addition for many. Simulator games are clearly enjoying a resurgence at the moment, and the latest unlikely PC hit to join the Xbox lineup is PowerWash Simulator, which...
Review Road 96 - An Education In Empathy, And A Delight To Experience
The road is all I know
Update (July 2022): To celebrate the arrival of Road 96 on Xbox Game Pass, we're republishing this review from a couple of months ago when the game was first released on Xbox. Spoiler alert, it's definitely worth playing! Original review (April 2022): Every once in a while a video game story just hits you right where you...
Review Matchpoint Tennis Championships - The Sport's First Xbox Game Pass Title
A good addition, but with a couple of unforced errors
We've been waiting for a great new tennis game on Xbox for the best part of a decade now, and while the likes of AO Tennis and Tennis World Tour have kept us busy in recent years, they haven't managed to live up the high standards of the Virtua Tennis and Top Spin series' from the Xbox 360 era.
Review F1 22 - Another Solid, Surprise-Free Entry In Codemasters' Superlative Series
Hot Lap
With Codemasters having taken the wheel of the F1 video game franchise all the way back in 2009, this is a series that's been in pretty good shape for the past thirteen years - Codies are racing kings after all - with the worst we've really had to moan about being a lack of big marquee changes between yearly iterations. It's par for the...
Review MX vs ATV Legends - Two Wheeled Racing Leads The Pack
Pile-up on the mountain
MX vs ATV is an off-road racing series that's flown somewhat under the radar in recent years. We can attest to that — this reviewer hasn't played one since the original Xbox release — but we were looking forward to jumping into MX vs ATV Legends to see how things have evolved since way back when. Legends is a more focused...
