If you're looking for an Xbox Pokemon alternative with a bit more teeth, Nexomon: Extinction fits the bill.
Thanks to modern hardware and quality of life improvements, this is one of the best Dragon Quest games to date that newcomers and veterans alike will enjoy immensely.
Biomutant has an interesting setting and world but is held back by technical issues, an unintuitive combat system, lack of proper characterization, and very repetitive missions.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a fun, anime-inspired ride that gets better the further you delve in. It has a huge roster of Monsties to tame, a simple to learn but difficult to master combat system, and an insanely addictive Monstie development system.
The only major flaws holding this game back are that there only two playable factions and only one faction gets their own single-player campaign. But aside from that, Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector is a great, addictive strategy game that wonderfully translates the rules and action of the tabletop into a video game format.
Psychonauts 2 is a wonderful, masterfully crafted platformer exploring complex themes while providing tons of fun gameplay. It retains the movie-quality writing, thoughtful character development, and artistic expression of the original Psychonauts while refining the platforming and combat systems.
Aragami 2 is a fun stealth-action game armed with an abundant variety of ninja killing skills and tools which are sure to please fans of the genre, especially in co-op. However, the monotonous missions, low-production quality cutscenes, and slightly clunky combat system may cause a modicum of annoyance for some.
Echo Generation may frustrate some players with puzzles with their unorthodox solutions and backtracking. If you can get past those parts, you will find a fun, quirky, and sometimes dark RPG that will keep you guessing just what supernatural or extra-terrestrial being you will be fighting next. If you're a fan of old-school RPGs that deviate from the norm, like Earthbound and Paper Mario, I highly recommend checking out Echo Generation.
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is a satisfying conclusion to ten years' worth of stories. It is rife with hundreds of hours' worth of content, tight gameplay, and a fully realized world to explore. MMORPG and Final Fantasy fans will not want to miss out on this epic finale.
Overall, the PC port of Monster Hunter Rise is superior to the Nintendo Switch version, thanks to the PC enhancements. It has some of the best combat mechanics in the Monster Hunter series, the new monsters are an absolute delight to hunt, and the improved frame rate and resolutions enrich the hunting experience. It does have a couple of flaws, but they are minor issues in the grand scheme of things.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is a fantastic expansion that doubles down on what made the original game great with new techniques to master and new monsters to hunt. A must-have for Monster Hunter fans and action game enthusiasts in general.
Soul Hackers 2 is a wonderful JRPG that features an intriguing story, a cast of likable characters, and addicting gameplay that is both welcoming to newcomers and challenging for veterans. While the beginning can be slow, and some of the dungeons can be cumbersome to trudge through, the rewarding payoffs are worth the effort.
Despite its flaws, Steelrising will reward those who give it the time. It's fun to explore, with a rewarding combat system and quality-of-life features that'd be welcomed in more soulslikes. While its easier difficulty and rough presentation may drive away some Dark Souls veterans, there's plenty on offer when overlooking its faults.
Persona 5 Royal is one of the finest JRPGS Atlus has ever produced, and thanks to the visual and performance boost of the Xbox Series X|S, it is better than ever. While I do have minor misgivings about the game's pacing during the opening act and its difficulty quirks, it is nonetheless a must-play for any JRPG fan on Xbox.
Overall, Sonic Frontiers is an above-average 3D Sonic game with potentially intriguing ideas, but the positives are constantly at odds with the negatives. While it may have an engaging combat system, classic Sonic platforming levels, and awesome boss fights, they do not make up for bland open-world locales and an overabundance of dull mini-games that break the game’s pacing.
It is a shame that Wild Hearts launched in the state it is in. The gameplay loop of hunting monsters and using their parts to create gear is addictive, the weapons are entertaining to use, the Karakuri system is deep and filled with secrets, and the world of Azuma is beautiful and immersive. Yet the horrendous optimization issues bring down the experience and, in worst cases, render the game unplayable on certain platforms.
I absolutely adored Live A Live from start to finish with its beautiful presentation, enthralling soundtrack, engaging combat system, and plentiful short stories. From light-hearted adventures to heart-breaking tragedies, nearly every story in this game had me invested in their well-written plots and characters. This game is a must-have for any JRPG enthusiast whether they’re a newcomer or a stalwart fan of Square Enix’s 16-bit era titles.
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is a fun and nostalgic gore-fest that will satisfy fans of the tabletop classic and retro first-person shooters. The fast-paced gunplay combat is challenging and enjoyable, with plenty of entertaining weapons for blowing enemies up. Its 2.5D pixel-art graphics are particularly gorgeous, oozing charm and adoration for the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
Exoprimal is a somewhat fun action shooter that can’t decide what it wants to be. What potential fun there is to be had in its awesome PvE boss fights and horde-mode missions are bogged down by tacked-on and unfun PvP-elements and locking gameplay content behind hours of story progression without informing the player beforehand. If it had launched with the PvE-only Savage Gauntlet mode and removed all PvP elements from Dino Survival, Exoprimal would’ve been a better and more focused game.
As a longtime fan of beat ‘em ups, I absolutely adored Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons. The combat system is extremely in-depth and addictive, the huge roster of characters is fun to play with and the roguelike elements massively improve the replay value. I highly recommend this game if you’re a fan of Double Dragon or beat ‘em ups in general as this is one of the best examples of the genre.