Darren Edwards

Déjà Vu on Xbox One offers a charming, if brief, experience that is fun and utterly relaxing to play. Anyone with some cash or credit going spare should give this a look, even if it may initially seem a little pricey.

Lanternium on Xbox One does what it sets out to do pretty well, providing value for money and keeping younger gamers entertained for a good few hours. For the rest of you out there, its gradual pace, cutesy appeal and shallow gameplay may struggle to hold your interest for the long haul.

“XBOX NEEDS EXCLUSIVES!”. Sound familiar? It’s something that has been ringing in my ears since becoming an Xbox gamer nearly 20 years ago. It’s possibly the longest standing and harshest criticism levelled against Microsoft’s console family, and I can’t say I wholly disagree. However, there are some out there which can slip through the net every now and then. But bucking the trend was the original Crackdown, which was not one of them. It shifted a very healthy amount of units as well as drawing in universal praise from critics. A sequel then, would be a no-brainer.

If you can hack it, Horde of Plenty on Xbox One packs a challenging punch which will scratch an itch for some. However, it’s a simple experience that doesn’t really manage to deliver enough bang for your buck.

Warborn on Xbox One is stylish, easy to get to grips with and provides plenty of gameplay hours. However, this is a game aimed for all ages, and for that reason it may lack depth and challenge for the strategy nuts out there.

Jet Set Radio is still, without doubt, one of the coolest games around. An irresistible combination of looks, sound and gameplay (all of which hit the sweet spot) still make this a unique experience 20 years after its initial launch in the year 2000.

Depth of Extinction on Xbox One is a straight up, old-school turn-based RPG that is squarely aimed at fans of the genre. There's nothing else to be tempted by here, but what is on offer is a solid dose of strategy action for those with enough patience to stick it out.

You could do worse than Reed 2 on Xbox One if you’re looking to kill an hour or two. However, it’s most likely the price that will have it jump out at you, as whether it’s in the first game or somewhere else, frankly it’s a case of “been there, done that”.

Rockstar Games. Chances are you’ve fallen hard for one of their titles, and as a result lost several days of avid gaming to it. Red Dead Redemption saw their first big, open-world foray into the Wild West, in what has since fast become Rockstar’s trademark fashion.

The phrase “cult classic” gets banded around quite a lot these days, and I would challenge you to find a better fit for it than Alan Wake. It’s been ten years since we were introduced to the troubled writer, in a tale that channelled a lot of what made Twin Peaks so goddamn intriguing.

Unfortunately, everything about Infinite - Beyond the Mind on Xbox One screams average. It’s lacking ambition and gets repetitive quickly. Even at a modest £7.99 it’s hard to recommend, as beyond the lovely retro skin it’s not got a lot else going for it.

Generally, it’s a case of more of the same with World War Z - GOTY Edition on Xbox One. There’s nothing here that will win over new fans, but it is a decent offering to keep existing ones entertained, even if they might be left wanting more.

The latest instalment of Inside Xbox (7th May 2020) finally offered us a glimpse of Xbox Series X gameplay. After months of being battered by geeky technical stats, we could see for ourselves what all the numbers actually mean.

Cryogear on Xbox One is a stylish throwback which packs enough content to keep players entertained for hours. Despite not being the most challenging of its ilk, it’s a solid action-RPG platformer that more than deserves a look.

Machinarium is a beautiful, stylish little puzzler that provides a real challenge. More important than that however is the fact that it immerses you in a fascinating and mysterious world that is an absolute pleasure to explore.