Xbox Game Studios Xbox Reviews
Review Ninja Gaiden 4 (Xbox) - Platinum Propels The Series Forward On Xbox Game Pass
There's a new kid on the block
When it was revealed that PlatinumGames was helping with the fourth major entry in the Ninja Gaiden series, I had two immediate thoughts. How would the Bayonetta studio handle this kind of responsibility, and could another character really lead the next big entry in the modern series, in place of the 'main face' and...
Review Keeper (Xbox) - A Memorable Puzzle Adventure From Xbox Studio Double Fine
Reviewed across both Xbox Series X and ROG Xbox Ally!
I totally understand why Xbox hasn't been marketing Keeper very well ahead of launch. Microsoft has suffered some criticism for not putting the spotlight on Double Fine's new Xbox first-party game, but after playing it, I think there are a couple of key reasons behind the decision - the first...
Review Gears Of War: Reloaded - An Xbox Classic That Flourishes On Modern Hardware
A near-perfect active reload
We've been here before a few times, haven't we? Yep, the first Gears of War returns in a shiny new package for Xbox Series X|S, with Gears Reloaded largely based on 2015's Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. While this is a wholly new experience for PS5 — which joins the platform list this time around — Xbox players are...
Review Xbox Retro Classics - A Great Addition To Game Pass, With Just One Caveat
Stream Activision's classics from the '80s and '90s
Yesterday marked the surprise launch of Xbox Retro Classics for all tiers of Xbox Game Pass, allowing players to dig into a list of over 50 Retro Classics games from the 1980s and 1990s that are all based on Activision-owned IP. I've been checking out Xbox Retro Classics ever since it dropped...
Review South Of Midnight (Xbox) - A Fantastic, Soulful Outing From Xbox Game Studios
Worth headin' south for
Update (Tue 8th Apr, 2025): With South of Midnight available on Xbox Game Pass as of today, we're re-publishing this review to give you an idea of what to expect. Original review: Ever since wrapping up my early preview of the game almost two months ago now, I've been desperate to get back to Xbox's
So, Eora into action RPGs?
Have we ever told you how much we love The Outer Worlds? There was a little pushback when it launched; some folk thought it was too short, too lightweight and wishy-washy, but we loved everything about it. Obsidian seemed to actively decide to remove itself from what felt like bit of a race circa 2019, to make the most...
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 Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 (Xbox): An Incredible Spectacle That Lacks An Essential Hook
Diminishing Returns
If we cast our minds all the way back to 2019's The Game Awards, all the way back to that very first reveal for Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, it's a strange thing that, amidst all of the next-gen hype and excitement of that specific time, we still clearly remember considering a sequel to Ninja Theory's 2017 tour-de-force a weird,...
Review Forza Motorsport (Xbox) - The Next Generation Of Racing Is Here
All revved up with lots of places to go
It's been a long time coming, but developer Turn 10 has finally rounded the bend to deliver its vision for next-gen racing on Xbox Series X and S - yep, Forza Motorsport is here. We've been waiting for this one since 2017's Forza Motorsport 7 brought gorgeous 4K / 60FPS racing to Xbox One X, but the question...
Review Minecraft Legends - The Action Strategy Spin-Off That's Even More Fun With Friends
Rise up against the Piglins and save the overworld
Reflect on Minecraft and you’ll likely find yourself thinking about the original crafting, building and survival sandbox title which has gone from strength to strength over the past decade – becoming one of the greatest video game IPs of all time. Since Microsoft’s acquisition of Mojang in...
Review Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure - A Love Letter To Rally
Eat dirt in this latest expansion
Rally has played a significant role in the automotive industry over the years, and Forza Horizon 5 is now acknowledging this important history (and the many rally games over the past few decades) in its latest ‘Rally Adventure’ expansion. Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time there’s been a rally add-on...
Review Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition - Microsoft's PC Classic Makes Its Debut On Xbox
RTS historical battles…with a controller
Where do you start with Age of Empires 2? It’s arguably the greatest RTS (and perhaps one of the best games) of all time. When it made its debut back on Microsoft Windows in 1999, it received absolutely huge levels of praise for not only taking the series to the next level, but also bettering the genre in...
Review Pentiment - Obsidian's Medieval Murder Mystery Is A Game Pass Delight
A narrative adventure most unexpected
We've been really looking forward to getting our hands on Obsidian's Pentiment ever since it was first announced back at the Xbox & Bethesda Summer Showcase in June of this year. A uniquely stylised narrative-driven murder mystery, it ticked all the boxes for us in terms of presenting a game world so...
Review Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels – Back For An Enjoyable Second Lap
The skies above Mexico are calling
There was definitely some confusion when the first Forza Horizon 5 expansion was leaked on the Steam Store – indicating it would be Hot Wheels (again). While it was thought to be placeholder artwork for something else at the time, it was in fact another Hot Wheels expansion. This announcement received mixed...
Review As Dusk Falls - A Cracking Crime Thriller On Xbox Game Pass
Free fallin'
Going into As Dusk Falls we were a little apprehensive. Xbox's marketing push has been somewhat light with this one considering it's an Xbox Games Studios effort, and we've only just seen Road 96's similar tale of loss and hope through to its fantastic conclusion. As it turns out, we needn't have worried at all; As Dusk Falls is a...
Review Halo Infinite - Master Chief's Latest Outing Was Worth The Wait
Hail to the Chief
After a couple of weeks' worth of blasting around the same ten maps in its excellent multiplayer component, Halo fans are about to get their hands on the next part of their early Xmas present, the campaign component of Halo Infinite is finally here. It's been six whole years since our last mainline Master Chief experience and this...
Review Forza Horizon 5 - An Amazing Game, But One That's A Little Too Familiar
We feel like we've been to Mexico before...
When the Forza Horizon series originally showed up on Xbox 360 in 2012, it was quite a surprise for fans of the racing genre and was perhaps the first real competitor EA’s Need for Speed series had faced in a long time. The Xbox Game Studios franchise has since gone from strength to strength and is now...
Review Age Of Empires 4 (Xbox for PC) - The Return Of The King
RTS is back on the menu
Long before MOBAs hit their stride with titles like DotA and League of Legends, one of the most popular genres on PC was real-time strategy. We may no longer be in the heyday of RTS, but there are still many series from this period that remain an important part of video game history. One of the standouts alongside classics...
Review Psychonauts 2 - Bigger, Better And Crazier, Another GOTY Contender
Absolutely mental
Replaying the first Psychonauts this year felt as though we'd slipped back into our younger selves, sat in front of the TV on a Saturday morning watching cartoons. It has such a wonderful atmosphere, with characters we love, a world that's a delight to explore, and a beautiful insight into mental health that's portrayed with ease...
Review Microsoft Flight Simulator - Taking The Xbox Series X To New Heights
Come fly with me
Updated review (Xbox Series X version, July 2021): Microsoft Flight Simulator has finally arrived on Xbox Series X|S, and following on from our review of the PC version last year, we've had a chance (thanks to Xbox Game Pass) to get hands-on with the Xbox Series X edition over the past few days. Simply put, Flight Sim makes a...
Review Gears Tactics - Top-Notch Tactical Action On Xbox Series X
Let slip the cogs of war
Just over six months since it originally released on PC back in April, Gears Tactics finally makes its way to both the Xbox One and Microsoft's brand new Series X/S consoles. This really is an excellent - and very well-timed - addition to the console's Game Pass offerings, a thrilling top-down tactical effort that manages to...
Review Tell Me Why - A Memorable And Thought-Provoking Mystery
Ain't nothin' but a heartache
It appears as though the creative masterminds behind Life is Strange took the criticism about the second game's widely spaced out episodes to heart. This time around, Dontnod Entertainment is releasing all three chapters of its brand-new IP Tell Me Why across a three-week period (published by Xbox Game Studios) from...
Review Battletoads - A Hilarious And Hugely Entertaining Adventure
Grip it and ribbit
We’ll be the first to admit that the trailers for Dlala Studios’ reboot of Battletoads didn’t fill every member of the Pure Xbox team with confidence. Battletoads is an iconic series for many generations: older gamers remember playing it back in the day and enjoying it because of (or despite) its extreme difficulty, while...
Review Minecraft Dungeons - A Delightfully Breezy Action-RPG
Diablocks
It may seem like a somewhat risky move to make a Minecraft game that strips out Mojang's signature gameplay loops of digging, building and crafting endlessly in an infinite open world, but Minecraft Dungeons' shift to a Diablo-esque focus on looting and hack-and-slash combat against the many mobs that roam its blocky lands pays off...
Review Bleeding Edge - Lacking Content, But Packed With Potential
A good idea in Theory
Given that Ninja Theory has established itself as a studio with a pedigree for fantastic single-player games, it’s interesting that its latest title is a strictly online multiplayer affair. With the outstanding Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice still lingering in the minds of many gamers and its sequel on the way, Bleeding Edge...
Review Ori And The Will Of The Wisps - The Best Platformer On Xbox One
Over the moon
There's a quest quite early on in Ori and the Will of the Wisps that neatly encapsulates pretty much everything that's so wonderful about Moon Studios' superlative sequel. Charged with making your way through a windmill in order to get its great big wheels turning again so the poisoned waters of Niwen may run clear once more, you find...
Review Gears 5 - Brings The Series Kicking And Screaming Into The Present
Swarm and cosy
Once upon a time, back when then the Xbox 360 was just a babe, the original Gears of War was a much-needed dose of adrenaline. Third-person shooters were all the rage back then, but it wasn’t until Epic Games came along and created its own line of bulky space marines that the genre finally stepped up a gear (if you'll pardon the...
