Sean Carey
Asobo Studio has created something special with Microsoft Flight Simulator
All in all, IO Interactive has stuck with what it knows best with Hitman 3: gorgeously crafted open playgrounds for the player to wreak slick and murderous havoc in.
With its gorgeous visuals, cars that feel amazing on the track thanks to an excellent physics model, and an approachable and fresh RPG-like progression system that will get its hooks into most players that get behind the wheel, Forza Motorsport is easily one of the best racing games of the year.
A fantastic text-based adventure that will keep you coming back for multiple playthroughs. Combined with a fantastic soundtrack and superb writing, Electric Sleep is a must play.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has the best campaign that I have played since the original Modern Warfare.
Gears Tactics is a fantastic strategy game.
Minecraft Dungeons is a superb dungeon crawler with something for players of all ages.
With Little Nightmares 2 Tarsier Studios has once again dreamt up a wonderfully unnerving world filled with grotesque and fantastical creatures that is a horrifying pleasure to explore.
Simply put, Life is Strange: True Colors is a must-play.
For the most part, As Dusk Falls excels as an 'interactive drama.' With wonderfully crafted and relatable characters, superb voice acting, and unique art direction and animation style that lends itself to the story. The first few chapters alone are excellent, and they’ll have you gripping onto your controller when things are tense and utterly deflated when you’re forced into making a tough decision. The game is only let down by a weaker second act and a rushed final chapter, but overall, it’s still a great narrative adventure filled with dramatic moments, tension, and tough choices.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is a fantastic stealth game with an intriguing story (once it finally gets going) that Xbox Game Pass subscribers and fans of the original really shouldn't miss. Requiem's gorgeous, yet bleak and harrowing world is a joy to explore, and thanks to expanded combat and additional options that allow you to approach stealth sections in whatever way you see fit, the gameplay really is a step up over Innocence. A few performance issues, some slightly underbaked characters, and a constantly whispering Amicia do detract from the experience, but overall, Asobo has created a fantastic sequel here that demands a playthrough.
A hilarious 2.5D platformer which will have you wanting to play on due to the fantastic characters, solid storyline and first-rate voice acting. Flipping Death has a good mix of puzzles but is slightly let down by its somewhat forced platforming sections.
If you're looking for a first-person shooter that is slightly different from the standard run of the mill FPS, Tannenberg is the way to go. Gameplay, the feel of the guns and map choice is all solid and makes for a great experience, but Tannenberg is held back by its lack of players and a mediocre class system.
Bleeding Edge is definitely worthy of your time – hopefully more so in the coming months when fresh content is added.
Overall, Tell Me Why has an engaging narrative that will keep you glued until the end.
Developer Tomas Sala has created a unique and engaging aerial combat game with The Falconeer.
Grid Legends is one of the cheesiest games I've ever played, thanks to its Drive to Glory story mode. Putting that to one side, there is a good racing game here with an excellent AI system (that can go a bit awry), some beautiful and well-designed tracks, and cars that feel great to drive. However, Grid Legends is dragged down a bit by the easily-forgettable story mode, and the game is just far too easy even on the highest difficulty. Still, there is a competent racer here that offers plenty of thrilling moments and enough cars and modes to keep fans of the genre happy.
Overall, Minecraft Legends is a fun and compelling action-strategy game that is well worth checking out. While it does have issues with finicky building controls, wonky mob AI, and a lack of depth for the big strategy heads out there, more casual players will enjoy this one. The campaign doesn’t overstay its welcome, and PvP is a riot with other players, provided you’re in a party chat. If you have kids who are interested in Minecraft, Minecraft Legends is a no-brainer and a great way to introduce them to a new genre.
Attentat 1942 is a full-motion video game that hits you hard with a harrowing story and dozens of facts from the era. Although, the mini games are slightly lacking, they do create some tension for an overall exciting and interesting experience. A must play if you have an interest in history, and want to learn more about the German occupation of Czechoslovakia.
A solid, tense and enjoyable experience which is perfect if you have 15 minutes to kill. A lack of overall design and the small number of different levels however, might not keep you interested for long.