Dave Ozzy

No, Mad Dash doesn’t count: Harvest Moon, the mainline series, finally makes its debut on Xbox One today, after taking its merry old time on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.

Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle on Xbox One is a step up from Slayaway Camp, but only a single, shambling step. If you’ve not had the chance to play the original then this is the superior entry point, filled to bursting with sliding puzzles from a developer that’s mastered the craft. You’ll be leaving behind a body count that would make Jason (and his mum) proud.

There aren’t too many biographical adventure games out there, but Triple Topping Games are looking to change that with the release of Welcome to Elk on Xbox One and PC via Steam.

If you’re like us, you have an old-school RPG itch that has to be scratched every so often. Baldur’s Gate III is some way off, so it falls to Vampire’s Fall: Origins to bring some 2d12 satisfaction.

Soldiers! Are you gunning for another tour of duty in a real-time tactics game? Then volunteer for Dog Duty, available now on Microsoft Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC.

There’s a lot to love in Party Panic. It’s garish and hilarious, and there’s so much value in its many game modes and 33 minigames. But boil away the more ramshackle of them and you’re left with a solid dozen, all of which have been done - and better - in Mario Party. For the affordable price, and for the opportunity to have a mid-tier party game on the Xbox One, that might be enough. For others, it might be worth waiting at the window for Fall Guys to come to the party.

The end result is a game that gets the adrenaline going at the start, but dumps landmines of imprecision and repetition in the way. By the end, you might have the thousand-yard stare of a war veteran. It’s certainly good value, and there’s challenge and length to the game, but your mileage may differ about whether the mission is worth taking. Dare we say it, Dog Duty on Xbox One might be a better proposition on PC.

If you’ve ever found yourself immersed in the strategic depths of Stellaris: Console Edition, you will be happy to know that the Third Expansion Pass kicks off today, the 15th of September, starting with the Distant Stars DLC pack. With two other DLC packs due to drop at the start of 2021, it sounds like a good time to return on Microsoft Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

There are experiences here that I’m not sure I’ve encountered before - at least not in a video game. If that’s not fodder for full marks, then I don’t know what is. Welcome to Elk on Xbox One is a game that’s going to stick long in the memory. For a story that deals in the power of memory, that feels like a suitable conclusion.

Wintermoor Tactics Club on Xbox One may not be your ‘new game+’, one-shot death brand of turn-based strategy; instead, it dares to be welcoming, and that’s something to be celebrated.

Talking Tom Candy Run on Xbox One is a competent endless runner and perfect as an entry-point for young players who might recognise the titular Tom. For more critical players, though, you’ll feel your hackles rise at the laziness of a free-to-play game dressed up as something paid for.

There have been 27 FIFA games. 2-7. Sure, you could get all cynical and say there’s only been five or so different FIFA games, but let’s not get facetious. Now, did we really need every one of those 27? Couldn’t we have lost a ‘Road to World Cup 98’, say, and given another sport a chance? An EA Sports Kabaddi? Games companies, are you listening? Stick an Ultimate Team on these and you’re minted.

While the presentation is a little bland and the price tag is north of the value it offers, Educational Games for Children on Xbox One has been made with real care. If your kids are anything like mine, they’ll love it.

It would have been difficult to make a case for this lightweight, unfinished game at a budget price point, but £14.99 for a game that’s a painful fart in the wind makes it a hard ‘no’. Find a copy of Bloodstained, Dead Cells, Hollow Knight or anything else, really, and you will have dodged an hour-long headache with Gleamlight on Xbox One.

Approach Cinders on Xbox One with caution. If you like a bit of melodrama in your life, and the prospect of a well-crafted, alternate take on Cinderella sounds appealing, this glass slipper may well fit.