Latest Reviews
Review Metaphor: ReFantazio - Atlus Proves It's Still The King of JRPG-Land
School's Out
It seems odd now, looking back, that we hadn't really been particularly excited for Metaphor: ReFantazio over the past couple of months. Maybe it's the fact we've played so many Persona revamps and remakes lately, but something or other has had us feeling as though a return to similar JRPG ground was gonna take a lot of digging in,...
Review Undisputed (Xbox) - Finally, The Wait For A New Boxing Game Is Over
Update: Our final score is in!
Update: This review was originally "in-progress" while we tested out the multiplayer side of things, and has now been updated with an new paragraph about the online experience along with a final "Good" score of 7/10. What happened to all the boxing games on Xbox? That's a question we've been asking for the past...
Review Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (Xbox) - A Super Take On Budokai Tenkaichi
Your wish has been granted
Dragon Ball fighting games have a rich history, but one series that has arguably ascended above the rest is Budokai Tenkaichi. Since the original title was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2005, these games (known as the ‘Sparking!’ series in Japan) have been expanded upon – recreating the legendary battles and...
Review The Patrick Star Game (Xbox) - SpongeBob's Best Character Deserved Better
Bikini bottom of the barrel
Are ya ready, kids? To be honest, probably not. Following on from last year's The Cosmic Shake, the SpongeBob IP is back again for another Xbox outing - this time starring everyone's favourite cartoon starfish, Patrick Star. However, this SpongeBob spin-off really does feel like cutting room floor leftovers after the last...
Starship Poopers
Well, this is a bit unexpected. As big fans of Starfield, who had plenty good to say about the base game upon release, we were pretty sure that Shattered Space was going to be a slice of DLC that was right up our intergalactic street. Sure, there were plenty of reasons to be irked with this hugely-anticipated sci-fi universe when...
Review Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns (Xbox) - A Pricey Expansion That Doesn't Last Long
Is it worth your hard earned koins?
A year after the release of Mortal Kombat 1, NetherRealm Studios has now delivered Khaos Reigns - a story expansion for Liu Kang’s new era. Titan Havik is craving even more "kombat" after the finale of the main game and is now out to plunge the realms into chaos by merging the timelines. And so, the story begins...
Anyone for tennis?
Let's be honest, none of us were expecting much from Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports. We've been burned too many times with collections like these in the past, and even though the studio behind it created the fun Nickelodeon Kart Racers games, we've not really seen anything to suggest Wacky World of Sports could be an unlikely...
Review Ara: History Untold (PC) - Xbox Game Studios Delivers Yet Another Great Strategy Title
History evolved
Following the release of Age of Mythology: Retold earlier this month, the Microsoft-published simultaneous turn-based “historical grand strategy” game Ara: History Untold has now arrived exclusively for PC under the Xbox Game Studios label. This isn’t exactly your average take on history – blending all sorts of histories,...
Review Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (Xbox) - Nintendo Wii Classic Gets A Modern Makeover
A lovingly-crafted remake
Hopefully you'll forgive us for not having that much experience with the original Disney Epic Mickey for Nintendo Wii, as although the sequel arrived on Xbox 360 in 2012, Xbox fans have never been treated to the first entry in this series until now. It's been a long wait, but the good news is that developer Purple Lamp has...
A bit Lionel Messy, innit
It's EA FC's second season filling a FIFA-shaped hole in our hearts wallets and, after a strong debut that we scored 8/10 last year, we've been feeling pretty optimistic about how this new series could look to cement itself in 2025. As it turns out, it's a new tactical depth, in the form of FC IQ, that EA FC 25 is choosing...
Review The Plucky Squire - A Super Storybook Adventure For Younger Players
Y'know, for kids!
Disclaimer: Despite our best efforts, we've been unable to get access to an Xbox copy of The Plucky Squire prior to release. Therefore, the following review is based entirely on the PC version, and our intent is to update it with Xbox impressions as soon as possible. We used an Xbox controller throughout the duration of our PC...
Review Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (Xbox) - Capcom Classic Gets No-Frills Upgrade
We wanted more deluxe
Dead Rising is back. Yep, a solid eight years on from 2016's Dead Rising 4, Capcom returns to its whacky zombie-slaying series with what's now a second re-do of the Xbox 360 original. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is certainly a more comprehensive overhaul than the game's Xbox One release, with vastly improved visuals, steadier...
Review Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP (Xbox) - The Cheerleader Zombie Hunter Juliet Returns
A remaster of an Xbox 360 cult classic
Lollipop Chainsaw started out as a light-hearted collab between No More Heroes designer ‘Suda51’ and the eventual Guardians of the Galaxy movie director James Gunn when it originally debuted on the Xbox 360 in 2012. Since then, the legendary zombie hunter Juliet has become a bit of a cult hit, with her...
Review NBA 2K25 (Xbox) - The Best NBA 2K To Date Is Marred Somewhat By Microtransactions
Hoop dreams, and microtransaction nightmares
We didn't get a chance to review 2K's NBA offering in 2024, but after playing the game in our own free time, we found ourselves hanging up our Air Jordans in pretty short order, as the whole thing just felt way too familiar to 2023's effort - which we'd already pumped hundreds of hours (and an...
Review Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown (Xbox) - An Open World Racer That Needed More Time To Shine
This crown needs polishing up
Disclaimer: Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown has been suffering from some major server issues since its early access launch on September 5th, and given that the game is always-online, we've deducted an extra point off the score as a result. Without these issues, we'd be looking at one point higher than what the game has...
Review Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions (Xbox) - An Enjoyable And Surprisingly In-Depth Sports Game
Oliver Wood be proud
You know, if there's one thing that Hogwarts Legacy didn't do very well a couple of years ago, it was the total lack of playable Quidditch. The reason behind that was seemingly because Warner Bros. and developer Unbroken Studios were working on Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions in the background, and although it appears to have...
Review Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 (Xbox) - Swarm Tech Shines In A Superbly Brutal Co-Op Shooter
A swarm feeling inside
Know that bit in a big action movie where two beefy bruisers spot each other from a distance and then square off in the midst of an enormous battle? Lesser enemies unceremoniously brushed aside as these behemoths charge at each other for a proper beatdown? Well, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 gives you that. It lets you do...
Review The Casting Of Frank Stone (Xbox) - Supermassive Delivers Engaging Small Town Horror
Popcorn at the ready
Creepy abandoned sawmills, labyrinth-like basements, imposing stately homes in the English countryside, small-town teens trying to keep their hormones in check. Aye, The Casting of Frank Stone isn't exactly original, but Supermassive Games has delivered yet another popcorn horror experience that we can't say we didn't enjoy...
Review Age Of Mythology: Retold (Xbox) - Microsoft's Godly RTS Classic Revitalised
Go beyond history
Age of Mythology might not be a major numbered entry, but it's still played a significant role in the Age timeline – transitioning the series from 2D to 3D following the success of Ensemble's real-time strategy king, Age of Empires II. Mythology wasn’t just there to fill the void when it landed on PC in 2002 and is still...
Review Star Wars Outlaws (Xbox) - Robust Stealth & Immaculate Vibes Make For A Super Star War
Hokey Religions And Ancient Weapons Are No Match For A Good Blaster At Your Side, Kid
Alright. Let's not beat about the space bush here. We genuinely thought that Star Wars Outlaws could have turned out pretty bad. A mediocre-at-very-best sort of affair. Just reskin any old Ubisoft-style open world game with Star Wars stuff and be done with it...
Review Kena: Bridge Of Spirits (Xbox) - Slick Combat & Cute Companions Smooth Over Some Rough Spots
Spirited Away?
Kena: Bridge of Spirits was well-received by the majority of critics when it first released as a PlayStation exclusive back in 2021. A slick and incredibly good-looking action RPG - as well as an extremely impressive first effort from Ember Lab - it may lack the polish and fancy final touches of some of Sony’s other big tentpole...
Review Star Wars: Bounty Hunter - After 22 Years, Jango Fett's Adventure Comes To Xbox
Is this the way?
Jango Fett isn’t quite as famous as his son (or even Dinn Djarin from The Mandalorian) but during the height of the movie prequel trilogy, he was lucky enough to get his very own game - known as Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. This title never actually got released on the original Xbox, but now, after more than 20 years, Force-sensitive...
Review F1 Manager 2024 (Xbox): The Best And Most Affordable Version Yet
A place on the podium
When F1 Manager first arrived on Xbox a few years ago as a brand-new franchise from the simulation geniuses at Frontier Developments, we were genuinely surprised at how well they'd managed to combine the thrill of EA's F1 series with the addictive strategy elements of Motorsport Manager. Then, F1 Manager 2023 ended up being a...
Review Nobody Wants To Die (Xbox) - An Immersive Outing That Nails Its Cyberpunk Aesthetic
The price of eternal life
Nobody Wants to Die has sort of come out of nowhere, hasn't it? The brand-new IP, developed by an entirely new studio, has largely been kept under wraps since its initial announcement earlier this year - and in truth, that had us a bit worried about what we were in for. Well, that worry was needless; Nobody Wants to Die is...
All the right moves
If, like us, you're the sort of Gridiron gaming fan who loves to run the offense, but hasn't got a clue what all those silly pictures mean on defence, we reckon EA Sports College Football 25 might just actually, finally, teach you something...even if it's just a little...about what on earth is going on during those parts when you...
Good, or a load of Herzwaffeln?
Dungeons Of Hinterberg is a very, very good name for a computer game. It has a vibe, the word Hinterberg, you see, a very specific sort of vibe that Microbird Games has absolutely nailed. When you say Hinterberg to us, we sense adventure, we demand mysterious mountains and picturesque (but very weird) villages. We...
Review Flintlock: The Siege Of Dawn (Xbox) - New Game Pass RPG Hurt By Its Own Ambition
Ran out of ammo
Back in December 2018, A44 Games released Ashen. With a striking art style, gorgeous atmosphere and great combat, it is still an indie gem of the soulslike genre. Now, five and a half years later, the team is back with Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, which is a soulslike far greater in scale than the small adventure Ashen was...
Dancing Machine
Is it just us, or has Capcom been on some sort of record-breaking streak of fantastic form since around about 2016? The Resident Evil 2 Remake upped the game for revamps in general, Street Fighter 6 is the best the series has been since Street Fighter 2 Turbo (fact) and the likes of Monster Hunter and Devil May Cry are enjoying more...
Review Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1 (Xbox) - A $5 Game That'll Give You The Creeps
Cheap thrills
Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1 was always destined to be a hit on Xbox. You take a game with Five Nights at Freddys inspirations, slap a ridiculously cheap £4.19 / $4.99 sticker on it, and it's bound to wind up in the "Top Paid" Xbox charts before long. That's exactly what's happened within its first few days on sale, but is it any good?...
Review The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road (Xbox) – 10 Years Of Tamriel With A Trip To West Weald
Eight chapters and counting
The Elder Scrolls Online might have started its life a lot later than certain other MMORPGs, but that hasn’t stopped it from making a name for itself over the past 10 years. Since its initial launch in 2014, which was propelled by the popularity of Bethesda’s solo adventures, it has evolved in all sorts of ways, and...
