Paul Renshaw

Ah, Dead or Alive, the guilty pleasure of adolescent male gamers everywhere. This is a series that has always been more famous for the attention to detail in the animation of it’s female protagonists than for the actual gameplay, but is the sixth entry in the series, Dead or Alive 6, any different? With promised tweaks to the way the game plays, and the addition of a "super" gauge and extra moves, has the Dead or Alive franchise finally come of age, or are we going to need seasickness pills to cope with the heaving bosoms? It’s time to strap on our black belts and find out.

News from Funkotron has been on the thin side, at least until now. See, HumaNature Studios, with the backing of a successful Kickstarter campaign, have brought a new entry - ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove!. Playing like the original game, is this a step too far for our funky aliens, or will the gameplay still work today? Let’s strap on some spring shoes and find out!

Ah, Bioware. How I’ve enjoyed your games in the past; apparently one of only three people in the world who actually liked Mass Effect Andromeda. Now Anthem is here have they managed to break the curse of Andromeda to be able to create a universally good game? Is it the masterpiece to catapult Bioware back to the dizzy heights that they used to occupy?

Coming from developers Ludomotion is a new entry in the roguelite genre - UnExplored: Unlocked Edition. Boasting an almost infinite variety of dungeons to explore, with randomly generated levels created using some mysterious new tech, and a difficulty level that promises to make even the most hardened dungeon crawlers cry, is the world ready for this game?

As I'm sure you are aware, the juggernaut that is The Division is still going strong, with healthy player counts and continued support even to this day. However, as I'm also sure you are aware, the march of time waits for no man or game, and The Division 2 is gearing up to launch. In readiness, Ubisoft have decided to run down the ‘Private Beta’ route giving gamers the chance to check out the general state of affairs. With that in mind, I present to you my impressions of the state of the game, and thoughts about the beta in general.

Every now and then, a game comes along with the most simplistic gameplay, but still manages to keep dragging you back for "just one more go". The latest release from the good people over at Sudden Event Studios and Whitethorn Digital are hoping that their latest release, Bombfest on Xbox One, will be the latest entry into the party game Hall of Fame. Is it "Explosive Fun" as the title screen promises, or more of a damp squib?

Have you ever wondered what would happen in the event of a vegetable apocalypse? You know, like a zombie apocalypse, but much healthier and with a lot more than 5 a day? Developer Still Running has obviously had this preying on their minds, as The Walking Vegetables: Radical Edition features hordes of ambulatory fruit and veg, turned evil by aliens and set free to attack the human race. With a proper ‘80s, neon pixelated style running throughout, is it worth a blast or should it be be left to one side... like sprouts at Christmas?

DreamWorks Dragons Dawn of New Riders appears to be set between the events of the second and third films in the series, so is not, and should not be thought of as, a direct port of the film. Does this mean that the whole experience is something more than a cynical cash grab? Is it even a good game in its own right? I spent some time with the latest title from Outright Games and Bandai Namco to find out.

The Grand Tour, Amazon Prime’s "car" show with the presenters from the old Top Gear, has just started to air its third series. To tie in with this, there is now a video game available that puts you in the shoes of Clarkson, Hammond and May, letting you drive the cars in the same situations that they find themselves in. But does this format work as a game, or is it a stretch too far?

Those busy beavers over at KEMCO have released yet another RPG from their seemingly endless back catalogue. The latest, Alvastia Chronicles, was initially launched back in the summer of 2018 on Android and iOS platforms, and now that it has made its way to Xbox One, those roots are certainly showing. With a very retro, pixelated graphic style and many hours of gameplay in store, can this game make a successful leap to the current generation of consoles, or should it have stayed in the past?

How I had looked forward to the VIP demo of my most anticipated game of 2019, Anthem. How I sat there, on my sofa, controller in hand willing the time to click down to the promised 5pm GMT start time. How blue the air was at exactly 5:01 pm as the first of the many messages popped up on screen telling me that the EA Servers were full and for me to kindly sod off and try again later.

After seeing the base game release back in 2017, Deck 13 have released more content for The Surge. Called The Good, the Bad and the Augmented, it is a series of Western themed rooms that are secreted deep in the bowels of the CREO facility and it has a real Spaghetti Western feel. Promising new outfits and weapons to be unlocked and crafted as you progress through the series of rooms, is this DLC too little, too late or the shot in the arm that The Surge needs? Strap on a stetson and let’s find out.

Coming from Dynamic voltage Games is a curious mash up of game styles - Final Star. Playing out as a horizontally scrolling shooter with RPG elements, it would appear to be a fairly unique proposition. But can the actual game live up to the potential, or will it be ultimately disappointing?

If the first Asdivine Hearts has passed you by and you’re jumping in green with Asdivine Hearts II, then you need not worry - KEMCO have thought of this, and helpfully included an in-game booklet to make sure you are up to date with the events. However, should you not wish to read that either, then in a nutshell, Light Deity and Shadow Deity have a scrap, make up, then have to take out the Creation Deity (who made them) to save the world. Make sense? No, me neither. However, what with forewarned being forearmed, I set off into the world of Asdivine Hearts II to try make sense of it all.

It’s that time of year again, when our thoughts turn to all the games we've played in the previous 12 months and how best to rank them. In this list I will share what were, for me, the best games I played and attempt to explain why. The thing is, you won’t be seeing Red Dead Redemption 2 included in here! So, in no particular order, here are my Top 10 Xbox One Games of 2018 - excluding that behemoth!