Memes aside, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is an aggressively ridiculous action-RPG with surprisingly deep combat and subpar performance.
Dying Light 2 should appeal to fans of the original game with is terrific graphics and zombie-bashing action, though it suffers from poor pacing, a bland story, and technical issues.
Scarlet Nexus looks and performs really well, especially on next-gen hardware, but its gameplay is noticeably last gen. While it doesn't do anything new, it also doesn't screw up the basics either and should please Xbox fans looking for an anime fix.
Guilty Gear -Strive- will impress longtime fans of the series and has made significant changes to lower the barrier of entry for newcomers, but there might not enough content for some.
Knockout City is a simple concept that feels great to play, both alone and with friends. It's the kind of live service game you dream of - one that's fun and fair, packed to the gills with unlockables, and thanks to its dedicated team, will only get better over time.
Judgment is a great spin-off of Yakuza, and is an excellent starting point for those interested in the series. However, the new detective elements don't go as far as they need to and end up feeling like scene dressing.
Yakuza 6: Song of Life is an excellent conclusion to Kazuma Kiryu's story while also improving and streamling the gameplay and exploration.
While the game's creativity shines in its beat-by-beat gameplay and level design, It Takes Two's selling point - its narrative - feels half-baked.
Valheim works very well in its current state, and it's worth exploring its procedurally generated world. With more updates on the way, Valheim has the potential to be a hit.
The Yakuza Remastered Collection adds three more Yakuza games to Xbox Game Pass, and they all are excellent story-driven action games that can be enjoyed on their own or as a single chapter in the series.
At just $5, Fatal Falls is a must-buy for Dead Cells fans. It adds plenty of new content worth risking it all for, and if you haven't been indoctrinated by Dead Cells, you can net both Fatal Falls and The Bad Seed in The Fatal Seed Bundle, coming soon to Xbox. Just be sure this is the right game for you. It's a fast-paced, action-packed game that's one of the rogue-likes on the Xbox, and it's not afraid to chew you up and spit you out. With that being said, the base game is available on Xbox Gamepass, so curious gamers will be able to dip their toes in the Malaise before committing.
Hitman 3 features some of the most complex and most creative levels in the series history while polishing the gameplay to perfection. Unfortunately, it's held back by some hefty paywalls, uneven mission pacing, and some occasional clunky AI.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition is still fun to play. It's a solid 2D beat em up with lots of charm and a sweet soundtrack, but there are better games in the genre since its 2010 debut.
Sam and Max Save the World Remastered is just as chuckle friendly as it was when it originally launched. Though some of the writing feels dated, and it's not as difficult as older adventure titles or as engaging as modern ones.
Star Renegades is a fun tactical RPG with a healthy dose of rogue-lite sensibilities. It's visually appealing, the gameplay is tight, and the dialogue is witty. It just doesn't do much different — but then again, it doesn't really have to. As it stands, Star Renegades shines like many other roguelites do. It combines multiple genres to make a cocktail that's easy to drink and hard to finish.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon feels like everything I ever wanted in a game. Once the game stomps on the gas, it very rarely slows down. Its unique cast of characters and gameplay had me hooked and wanting more, and it almost feels like it never stops giving. Even after the story ends at the 45+ hour mark, I was ready to fight more, complete more side missions, and squeeze out every drop of gameplay that this game has to offer.
Ghostrunner is a first-person platformer set against a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk world. With an emphasis on fast-paced action, Ghostrunner is fun but stumbles due to frustrating combat and repetitive environments.
Serious Sam 4 marks the return of Sam "Serious" Stone and his alien killing antics and promises the same chaotic arcade-style shooter fans are used to, but does it deliver? Unfortunately, Sam is unable to circle strafe his way around dated gameplay, poor pacing, and an unbelievably bad presentation.
Hyper Scape has enormous promise and some cool gimmicks, but its core gameplay pales in comparison to its more popular cousins. If Ubisoft can address some of its issues, they might be able to craft a game worthy of your time.