Xbox Game Pass Reviews
Review Harold Halibut (Xbox) - A Heartfelt & Handcrafted Narrative Adventure
For the love of bluglglgl
German developer Slow Bros has certainly lived up to their name: it’s been fourteen years since they gathered for dinner and serendipitously decided to make a game! Despite lacking the technical knowledge to actually make one, they set out to create a cinematic narrative adventure. Well, where most saw barriers, Slow Bros...
A surprisingly ineffective road trip
Open Roads has been described as "an interactive movie mystery thriller", one that plays out in the form of a deeply personal roadtrip. Of course, this particular roadtrip happens to be the creation of the devs behind the fantastic Gone Home, so it feels as though a good old mystery filled with plenty of thrills...
Review Persona 5 Tactica (Xbox) - A Successful Switch To Slick Tactical Action For Joker & Company
Love that Joker
Atlus games' phenomenal Persona 5 has already provided us with a couple of successful spin-offs in the form of Dynasty Warriors crossover Persona 5 Strikers and the rhythm action effort Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight. Now, the Phantom Thieves return for yet another side gig in the form of Persona 5 Tactica, a tactical turn-based...
What's the story, Morning Glory?
If there's one group of gamers who've been eating better than most lately, it's definitely Like A Dragon/Yakuza fans. Over the past few years we've seen Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio fully invest in revisiting, remaking and remastering important parts of its long-running RPG series, continuing to add stunning new entries to...
Review Lies Of P (Xbox) - Dystopian Pinocchio Slashes And Stabs His Way Onto The Best Soulslikes
We're telling the truth
FromSoftware games - especially Bloodborne and the Dark Souls series - are typically hard-as-nails, punishing experiences set amidst Gothic architecture with light horror elements and H.P. Lovecraft-inspired monstrosities for enemies. Non-FromSoft games in the genre often forego everything bar the difficulty, such as the Star...
Wrath of Scan
Dimfrost Studios' Bramble: The Mountain King initially released on consoles back in April of this year and, now that it's headed to Xbox Game Pass, we're diving in for a review of this dark and brooding Limbo-like set within a fantastical Scandinavian fairy-tale world. If you're already au fait with your Nakens and Skogras, Gnomes and...
Review Dordogne - A Heartfelt Indie Delight That's A Perfect Fit For Xbox Game Pass
Conte d'Eté
Un Je Ne Sais Quoi's Dordogne first appeared on our radars all the way back in 2020 via a delightful gameplay trailer that showcased its charming watercolour style and sun-dappled setting. What we got a glimpse of three years ago has now finally arrived on Xbox, and it's a genuinely touching little journey through long-lost childhood...
Review Amnesia: The Bunker - Frictional's Frightening Follow-Up Creeps Onto Xbox Game Pass
The horrors that lurk below
Frictional Games' Amnesia series has been one of the premier horror franchises in gaming over the past decade plus. The team's first Amnesia game, The Dark Descent, burst onto the PC scene way back in 2010 and is now renowned for being one of the spookiest games out there. We've had a few indirect sequels since, and while...
Review Redfall - Arkane's Undead Experiment Brings Mixed Results To Xbox Game Pass
Stranger Fangs
After multiple delays, and the somewhat controversial decision to launch on current-gen consoles at a locked 30FPS, Arkane Studios has finally managed to get Redfall out the door and into the hands of Xbox Game Pass players. This is a game we’ve been really digging the style of from what we’ve seen in pre-release footage, with its...
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 Hi-Fi RUSH - Tango Gameworks Drops A Beat-Bopping Banger On Xbox Game Pass
A shadow drop, no less!
Well, it's been quite an unexpectedly exciting few days on Xbox Game Pass, thanks to Tango Gameworks, which went and stealth-dropped a bonafide banger in the form of Hi-Fi RUSH during last week's Xbox Developer Direct. Yes, it seems the entire internet has had a very positive reaction to this cel-shaded rhythm action game,
Review Persona 4 Golden - Xbox Game Pass Gets Itself One Of The All-Time Great JRPGs
It's time to climb the stairway to maturity!
Persona 3 may have been a pivotal point in the evolution of Atlus' stunning JRPG series, shifting the tone away from the straight-up bleakness of parts one and two and adding the franchise's now signature social elements to the mix, but it was 2008's Persona 4 that really dug deep into the relationship...
Review Persona 3 Portable - Atlus' JRPG Classic Still Feels Essential
To be this good takes Aigis
Originally released on the PSP in November of 2009, Persona 3 Portable is an "enhanced" port of 2006's JRPG classic that makes a few controversial excisions to the core gameplay whilst also adding enough new content and combat improvements that we actually reckon it's the best version of Persona 3 overall. Controversial!...
Review Rainbow Billy: The Curse Of The Leviathan - A Wholesome Wind Waker Style Adventure
Coming to Xbox Game Pass this week!
Update: Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan is part of the Xbox Game Pass lineup for December 2022, arriving this Thursday, December 15th. Ahead of that date, we thought we'd republish this review so you can see what's in store! <related ids="141761"> Original review (October 2021): If you look at...
Like, seriously though bro, it's on Game Pass. Hahaha, you said ass.
Note: This review is for the PC version of High on Life, as we didn't receive Xbox code until this week. You'll find some early impressions based on the Xbox Series X version of the game in the "Second Opinion" section. OK. Look. We've been deep in conversation about High On Life...
Review Gungrave G.O.R.E - Addictive Arcade Action That's Definitely An Acquired Taste
Kick their ass (on Xbox Game Pass)
The absolutely ludicrous Gungrave has finally returned! This brand-new entry sticks resolutely to the script laid down by earlier efforts in the franchise, presenting exactly the same flimsy but satisfyingly flamboyant arcade action as its predecessors, just with much prettier graphics this time around. This is a...
Review Vampire Survivors (Xbox for PC) - One Of The Best Indie Games Of The Year
Included with Xbox Game Pass!
Disclaimer: This review is based on the PC Game Pass version of Vampire Survivors. The lead-up to the holiday period is often a battle between the biggest games and franchises. So, what’s all the fuss about with this indie game Vampire Survivors? If you haven’t heard about this roguelite bullet shooter, get ready...
Review Football Manager 2023 Console - Another Solid Season On Xbox
Help, we're addicted to FM again
For the second year running, Football Manager has arrived on Xbox Game Pass at launch in the form of both Football Manager 2023 (the PC version) and the newly renamed Football Manager 2023 Console, with the latter serving as a toned-down version of the PC experience for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. The...
Review Amnesia: Rebirth - A Halloween Horror Adventure Worth Taking On Xbox Game Pass
What lies below?
Amnesia: Rebirth is now available on Xbox platforms, including Xbox Game Pass as one of the service's latest day one drops! We played through Frictional Games' recent horror adventure when it first launched on PS4, and we've now dipped back into the title on Xbox Series X to see how things hold up. Thankfully, this remains a great...
Review A Plague Tale: Requiem - An Incredible AAA Adventure On Xbox Game Pass
Ratified
A Plague Tale: Requiem is pretty much everything we'd hoped for from a sequel to one of 2019's biggest surprises in A Plague Tale: Innocence. Asobo's much-anticipated follow-up doesn't reinvent the wheel by any stretch, but it successfully builds on the team's debut effort, mixing in fresh combat options, new varied locales and an...
Review Scorn (Xbox for PC) - Ebb Software Serves Up A Memorably Gruesome Puzzlebox Adventure
Escape From Hell.A.
Note: This review is based primarily on the Microsoft Windows version of Scorn (which is where we finished it), although we have also spent a few hours testing it on Xbox Series X where the game feels like a match for the PC version in terms of both visuals and performance. It appears to be running at 4K, 60FPS on Series X...
Review Metal: Hellsinger - A Delightfully Devilish Rhythm Shooter Blasts Onto Xbox Game Pass
Danse Macabre
Back in 2016, Bethesda rebooted the DOOM franchise to spectacular effect with a game that took the series' frantic FPS action and carefully reworked and rebalanced it, adding a delicious layer of strategy and a striking new sense of rhythm to the bloody violence at hand. More than ever before, players were required to think on their...
Hands On Disney Dreamlight Valley (Xbox for PC) - A Slice Of Animal Crossing On Xbox Game Pass
A whole new world
When Disney Dreamlight Valley was first revealed for Xbox Game Pass a few months ago, we didn't quite know what to expect from it. Was it more like The Sims or Disneyland Adventures? Well, it's actually a bit of both, and it also incorporates plenty of familiar elements from games like Animal Crossing and
Review Immortality - Sam Barlow Serves Up A Cinematic Masterpiece On Xbox Game Pass
Who Wants To Live Forever?
What happened to Marissa Marcel? It's the question posed at the very beginning of Sam Barlow's latest intricately woven interactive experience and, in order to discover the answer, you're gonna need to embark on a journey that takes you to some seriously unexpected places. Marissa Marcel starred in three movies during the...
Review Two Point Campus - Near-Perfect Marks For This Superb Sequel
Game Pass is in session
The excellent Two Point Hospital has offered up countless hours of simulation fun on Xbox Game Pass ever since it joined back in early 2020, and now the developers behind that game are back with Two Point Campus, taking us out of the medical wards and into the halls of various school academies — complete with the signature...
Hands On Turbo Golf Racing - Good Fun In Short Bursts With Xbox Game Pass
Rocket League meets golf and racing
One of the additions to Xbox Game Pass this week that went somewhat under the radar was Turbo Golf Racing, which launched on Thursday, August 4th in Xbox Game Preview, meaning it'll remain in an early access state for some time. As a result, this isn't your typical review — we're not going to score it or...
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 PowerWash Simulator - A Great Way To Chill Out With Xbox Game Pass
If you like simulators, that is
We all had a good laugh when Lawn Mowing Simulator was released and later added to Xbox Game Pass last year, but it ultimately proved a popular addition for many. Simulator games are clearly enjoying a resurgence at the moment, and the latest unlikely PC hit to join the Xbox lineup is PowerWash Simulator, which...
Review Matchpoint Tennis Championships - The Sport's First Xbox Game Pass Title
A good addition, but with a couple of unforced errors
We've been waiting for a great new tennis game on Xbox for the best part of a decade now, and while the likes of AO Tennis and Tennis World Tour have kept us busy in recent years, they haven't managed to live up the high standards of the Virtua Tennis and Top Spin series' from the Xbox 360 era.
Review Shadowrun Trilogy - A Superb Tactical RPG Series Hacks Into Xbox Game Pass
Hacker's Delight
Harebrained Schemes' superlative Shadowrun Trilogy first released back in 2013 after a successful Kickstarter campaign that saw its intriguing cyberpunk-meets-fantasy world drop onto PC and mobile platforms. Set in the same brilliant universe as the long-running Shadowrun tabletop RPG series, this is a trio of games that take place...
