Dandara: Trials Of Fear Edition on Xbox One is a well crafted, thematically consistent title with some truly great design, but this is displaced with occasionally mediocre platforming and a terribly disappointing final boss. The Trials Of Fear expansion certainly adds enough content to justify another playthrough
Neon City Riders on Xbox One is a refreshing ‘80s neon interpretation of The Legend of Zelda with plenty of inventive ideas, both in its game design and stylistic presentation. It is certainly not an experience for the faint and impatient, but it may be just the thing for players yearning for those brutal gaming experiences from that decade.
Hidden Through Time appears to be a modern spin on the antics of Britain’s greatest hide and seek champion. So, is Hidden Through Time a cheap, cheerful and chilled out hidden object experience that can fill that void during breaks from the big budget games, or is it a poor homage to a long-forgotten chap who had terrible fashion sense?
Doom Eternal on Xbox One manages to be bigger, bloodier and somehow better than its predecessor. iD have built on their successful comeback from 2016, retaining what makes Doom great, whilst also subtly adding to it. Simply put, It’s the first must buy Xbox One game of 2020.
It’s clear that Explosive Jake on Xbox One is a game that is stuck in first gear. Rather than building upon its concept, it seems content to stay simple and forgo any sense of development.
Aside from a few weird game ending issues, Roundguard is decent fun. Fans of Peggle will love what it brings, and even though the roguelike elements don’t always come off, throwing in some dungeon crawling brings a nice touch of variety to the usual peg-puzzling scene.
It’s often described as a ‘pop album video game’, but Sayonara Wild Hearts is more than that. It’s a love letter to both gaming and music, perfectly marrying the two mediums together in one expressive package. It’s an art form and one of the best indie titles to hit the Xbox One generation.
Unlike other games of the genre that are plagued with steep learning curves or slowly distilling new abilities to the player, Bayonetta provides a wealth of combat opportunities from the get go. Backed by a lusciously crafted world and creative level design, Bayonetta is one of the best hack & slash games of the genre.
One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is a 3D arena fighting game essentially, so one must ponder how it’s going to differ enough from similar Bandai Namco offerings such as Jump Force and Dragon Ball XenoVerse 2. What’s going to make us want to get to know this unprecedented hero a little better in his debut title? Or will we in fact be left wishing we’d never heard of Saitama and his extraordinary power?
Syrup and the Ultimate Sweet on Xbox One is mostly delightful, occasionally shocking and a little underwhelming. It follows the stereotypes of visual novels a little too closely but I have enjoyed my time with it. Its characters are charming and develop nicely over the admittedly fairly short playtime.
The Division 2: Warlords of New York expansion on Xbox One is a mid-sized expansion that delivers fun engaging gameplay and more of the brilliance of The Division, especially when you team up with others. When you take into account the price you’ll be found paying, it’s pretty fair considering just how much gameplay there is available.
Grizzland on Xbox One won’t set you back a whole lot with its modest asking price, so really, it’s an acquired taste that certain type of gamers will self-select into. If you’re old enough to remember playing Adventure on the Atari as a child, or are after an alternative and minimalist Metroidvania adventure, then Grizzland might be worth a look.
If you're a veteran of the genre, or an old-school player who loved the original, then you'll be very pleased with what's on offer here. Wasteland Remastered on Xbox One is quintessentially an Apple Two/Commodore game re-painted and re-released on a modern day console. It’s very difficult for me to recommend this to any newcomer though, unless they are specifically interested in it from a historical perspective.
