Gareth Brierley

Nubarron: The adventure of an unlucky gnome on Xbox is a great little indie platformer; one that is perfect for lockdown life. It will transport you to a magical, whimsical world full of colour, delight, and strange angry clouds. Even though it's a short experience, that is truly reflected in the price tag; it will easily provide some entertainment for those long winter days.

If you are after a night of horror and are looking to play something a bit different with unusual gameplay techniques, The Childs Sight might be worth a punt, mainly as it's very cheap to pick up. The sound design is excellent and the concept is unique, but for me the gameplay wanes quite quickly and eventually you’ll become more frustrated than scared.

I love quirky games that try something different, especially when they bring storytelling into the gaming arena, and that is the case with Life of Fly on Xbox. It's short, but I don’t have an issue with that as it’s just long enough to not outstay its welcome.

For the price asked, ADVERSE is good for what it is - a trial action-adventure game for skilled gamers to flourish with. If you hate repeating things, or have nightmares with anything that involves precision platforming, then this isn't the game for you I'm afraid, however if it is, there is plenty to get your teeth into.

TAURONOS on Xbox is a game that I have enjoyed playing, particularly due to its old-school visuals and fascinating take on the old great myth. I like the idea of being stalked by one creature and experiencing a hero’s strange journey to escape the maze. However, some of the traps are utterly unforgiving and having to restart the game from the beginning makes things tiresome.

Jet Kave Adventure on Xbox is something that you’ll begin to enjoy the more you progress. The extra gameplay features that are brought about via the use of the jetpack add a new dimension to the platforming genre and manage to give the game a sense of urgency and speed. However, whilst those elements are good, I could easily do without the chase sequences and the boss fights are quite bland.

Spending time in the Bermuda Triangle with Down in Bermuda on Xbox is tremendous. It's a game where you can just kick back and relax, solving puzzles in your own time without anything trying to kill you, or you ever needing to worry about silly time restraints.

Unto The End on Xbox is a game that you're going to either utterly love or will find just too difficult to play. Fans of old school titles like Another World and Prince of Persia will like the tricky elements and challenges that have you trying again and again. But it's a brutal world that brings all this together; one full of traps, death, and mystery, and I would personally have liked to be able to explore a little more without the constant threat of death and danger.

So, Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox. This is a game I had been looking forward to for what seems like a lifetime, and it was never going to live up to the high expectations that CD Projekt Red, I or the world as a whole has been putting on it. It's a great RPG, but at the same time it doesn't do anything grounding breaking in terms of style and gameplay. Yes it has bugs, there is an annoying UI and I can’t ignore the mission stutters, but similarly it's a game that I constantly think back to when I’m not gaming, looking forward to my next deep session with it.

If you’re in the market for a new horror title, and just so happen to love a puzzle or two, I’d highly recommend you spend some time with DARQ: Complete Edition on Xbox. The main game with added DLC brings together a decent chunk of gameplay for the price, and whilst it’s not a huge game the Complete Edition seems to deliver exactly what is required.

The world and atmosphere of Goetia on Xbox is something to love. It's a very cerebral, clever, and originally designed point and click adventure. The story and writing are excellent throughout and the puzzles are both interesting and unique. I do however think that it can all become needlessly complicated at times and you really do have to think outside the box in order to find some of the solutions.

Mørkredd on Xbox is hugely enjoyable in co-op, delivering a delightful game full of mystery, magic, and wonder, complete with puzzles that test both your brain and your friendship. In the single player it’s a little more of a struggle though. My advice? Grab a buddy and play the wonderful Mørkredd right now - It’s both challenging and unique.

NBA 2K21 Next Generation on Xbox Series X is a great addition to an already packed amount of content. It’s visually more stunning than anything that has come before it, with a complete sheen to the gameplay and stunning work in how the players move and react. Everything is just topped off by some amazing work in the audio department.

Mad Tower Tycoon on Xbox is an entertaining and addictive sim game that can well be enjoyable for a good few hours, particularly once you get to grips with the control system. However, the asking price may well place it out of reach of many, and I would suggest sim fans give this a go when it drops in price a little.

Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer Edition on Xbox Series X is a game that will appease its fanbase massively. With this new updated version everything feels great to play and is extremely good to look at. There is a whole load of content all packaged together, and even though a single adventurer may find repetition coming to the fore, those who can find like-minded fans to join them will discover this to be a blast.