Wonder Boy Collection is a surprisingly decent collection of classic games from a franchise that most people in the West probably have not played. It is missing Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair and Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap, but there’s enough variety here to keep you entertained for a while.
The Kao the Kangaroo reboot was unexpected. Although it generally follows the formula of early 3D platformers – and thus will satisfy gamers looking for nostalgic gameplay – it’s light on challenge and long on cheesy dialogue. I do appreciate what they are going for here, but the execution could have been better. Plus, the bugs make this feel like a not-quite-finished product.
Evil Dead: The Game is an interesting take on asymmetrical multiplayer where you can either team up as survivors or try to wipe them out as a demon. It has some annoyances like frustrating driving mechanics and fairly repetitive gameplay, but it gives you plenty of freedom to play how you want.
Ayo the Clown is a decent budget platformer with cute graphics and too high of a price tag.
Moto Roader MC is worth picking up if you’re looking for a cheap and casual racing game to play with friends. I don’t recommend it for solo play since the computer players are annoyingly good and there aren’t difficulty settings.
If you like the idea of a Western-themed stealth game with cute graphics, El Hijo: A Wild West Tale is just the game for you.
Marsupilami: Hoobadventure is a fun platformer that draws inspiration from classics like Crash Bandicoot and Donkey Kong Country.
This is close to a must-play for fans of rally racing games. However, it's not much different from WRC 9 and doesn't look next-gen.
Far Cry 6 is sure to please long-time series veterans and newcomers alike. It just doesn't break any new ground.
Within the Blade is a decent 2D action-stealth game. If you’re a fan of ninjas and NES-style graphics, you may want to check it out when it’s on sale.
Necromunda: Hired Gun looked promising. It turned out to be a throwback to shooters from the early 2000s with fast-paced gameplay and quick reflexes demanded. I just didn’t find it terribly compelling on virtually any level.
Bonkies is a fairly entertaining co-op game. Just be sure to play with someone who is patient.
The Medium seemed like one of the more promising games coming to Xbox Series X. Visually, it makes pretty good use of the hardware, and the environments are stunning at times. Unfortunately, poor controls and seriously flawed gameplay design choices hold this back from being the instant classic that it could have been.
Drunken Fist quite obviously does not take itself very seriously, so I am not going to treat it like a regular game. It relies on gimmicks and gags in a similar way as games like Goat Simulator. Once the gimmick wears off – and it will very quickly – there’s not a whole lot here.
Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer’s Edition is a standard run-of-the-mill dungeon crawler that’s quite similar to Diablo. It features strong combat and good graphics on next-gen consoles, but you retread the same areas way too frequently – so much so that it becomes tiresome.
Super Mario 3D World is the game that the Wii U needed at launch.
The Pillar: Puzzle Escape is a competent puzzle game with light adventure game elements. It's short and not overly challenging, but it is fairly entertaining.
Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is one of the best free-to-play casual puzzle games on the market.
Tetris Effect Connected is a fun and fresh take on the classic franchise.
Call of the Sea is easily one of the best Xbox Series X launch titles. It's a short adventure with clever puzzles and a heartwarming love story.