Jordan Campbell's Reviews
Formula Legends is a quirky and unique racer that celebrates the decades of Formula One. Sure, it isn’t on par with the offerings of the official games that arrive annually, but it does serve as a solid alternative that can be fantastic fun. It can be occasionally frustrating, but that’s more of a skill issue on my part. If you don’t mind the fact that there is no licensing or online multiplayer, then it’s a vibrant and fun experience that will give you a good amount of enjoyment.
Dovetail Games has made significant strides forward in Train Sim World 6. It is refreshing to see them experimenting with how trains run along routes. Having random events added this year made me feel like I was in the cab, having signal delays, temporary speed restrictions, and even rescuing trains from the Dawlish Sea Wall are part and parcel of what we may have to do on a tough day. Whether you’re a driver, conductor or even a dispatcher in TSW6, the game feels more true to life than it ever has. It’s not just about driving trains anymore; it’s about living the railway. The changes the development team has made have introduced more immersion, unpredictability and the familiar polished product we are used to.
Sonic Racing Crossworlds is an impressive return from SEGA and Sonic Team. This outing easily stands with its arm around Mario Kart World on the same pedestal. With its depth, numerous tracks, and customisation options, alongside competitive online racing, there is plenty of replayability and longevity here. Having the crossworlds mechanics makes for spontaneous races that can turn on their head in a split second. It’s a seamless experience on Xbox Series X, running at a solid 60 frames per second, even during maximum screen intensity. It may have taken some time, but this Sonic kart-racing formula is perfection after several instalments and experimentation. There is an excellent fusion of brand-new mechanics and true nostalgia alongside its roster of well-loved characters and excellent soundtrack. For fans of Sonic and the karting genre, this game is a triumph that is well worth buying.
EA Sports FC 26 feels like it has made some exceptional strides forward this year. Having played for approximately 25-30 hours since Early Access was released and having invested a similar amount of time in the Closed Beta build, I can confidently say it’s the best version of the game we have had in several years. The key feature is the introduction of two gameplay modes: Authentic and Competitive. It’s nice to see that a lot more attention has gone into Career Mode as well as Ultimate Team. EA have for sure put the work in this time around to try and please every player type that dives into the yearly release. The game is almost polished to perfection this time around, and whilst I have struggled finding my feet in Ultimate Team so far, I am having a bloody great time. If you haven’t dipped into the series for some time, then this year is an ideal opportunity to return. If you’re a regular, then you’ll be right at home with a sprinkle of exciting new features.
Bad Cheese is a truly unique experience that has a fantastic art style that is clearly inspired by the early days of cartoons. I’d liken it to a mash-up between Steamboat Willie and Cuphead. The storyline is what kept me playing through this, with some emotionally heavy narrative and unsettling gameplay that has you on edge. Whilst the game is super short at around 4-5 hours to finish, it is quality rather than quantity. Whilst I was left wanting more, I felt satisfied with its runtime, but the replay value is limited since there aren’t any alternative paths or endings that I am aware of. For the reasonable price of £10.74, it’s worth buying.
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor is a standout experience in the bullet-hell auto-shooter roguelite genre. It stands toe-to-toe with some of the best experiences out there, such as Vampire Survivors, Brotato, Army of Ruin, and more. Since the game landed on Xbox Game Pass, I have poured close to 30 hours in so far, and I can still see so much replayability and longevity here. The fact that I’ve wanted to install the game on all of my devices to get my fix just speaks to me about how much of a great game this is. If you’re on a budget and want a game that will give you potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay, then for the price of £19.99, it is so worth it. Alternatively, if you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription, get it downloaded immediately; it’s an addictive masterpiece.
Ruffy and the Riverside is an enjoyable experience and clearly draws inspiration from platformers from the early ’90s and beyond. With its unique SWAP mechanics and neat presentation, featuring hand-drawn visuals, this platformer caters to gamers of all ages and skill levels. The game is surprisingly deep with a lot of NPCs to engage with, plenty to collect and lots of puzzles that’ll see you clocking around 10 hours of gameplay. For the reasonable price of £16.99, it’s well worth the cost for the amount you’re getting in return.
Deadzone: Rogue is an incredibly moreish rougelite shooter that I can’t get enough of. So much so that I’ve played it for a week straight at every opportunity I could get, and I still want to keep playing. The game features exceptional gunplay and cross-play co-op, allowing players to drop in and out with randoms. For the reasonable price of £19.99, it is well worth it
Cronus: The New Dawn is a challenging slog of a game, but if you’re determined to get through the tough times within the game, it is fantastic. If you’re into your survival horror titles, then you won’t be disappointed with how this game plays. They have nailed the atmosphere, audio and strategic combat throughout. As someone who isn’t too fond of challenging experiences, this was just on the edge for me. Bloober Team have certainly delivered with a beautifully polished and presented adventure that easily nestles amongst the best titles in the genre.
Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights is a decent competitive racer that isn’t going to break the bank. During the early hours of the night, I had difficulty finding races with human opponents, so I do have some concerns about its longevity. Overall, though, for its price point and the fact that it features crossplay functionality, it can be an absolute blast, and I had a great time with it. If you’re into racers that are quick, short and snappy with a quick adrenaline rush, then I do recommend you check this one out. Especially if you’re into some of the older arena racers such as Blur, Wipeout or even Mario Kart.
There aren't many free-to-play titles that have wanted me to keep playing and be my go-to game. Delta Force is far from perfect, but it gets the key ingredient right, and that is fun and engaging gameplay. As you'd expect with any game that has no entry cost, it is riddled with opportunities to spend cash. However, it is all cosmetic-based, so you have peace of mind that no one will have the upper hand on you unless they are cheating. I've poured in excess of 30 hours into Delta Force in the first week on consoles, and I would highly recommend anyone to try it. It'll be a game that I'll keep dipping into if they keep the content fresh and exciting, which I'm sure they will. It's hard to tell if it will be a gap filler for me until Battlefield 6 arrives, but I know this will always be here if I need to switch. Don't hesitate, get it downloaded!
Shinobi: Art of Vegeance becomes yet another classic game that has been exceptionally well recreated. I had no doubts that Lizardcube would do great work, given their success with Streets of Rage 4. It retains what made the original games so memorable and becomes a well-polished experience. It’s visually stunning, combat is super satisfying, and the story is well told. There is plenty of bang for your buck here as well, depending on how much you want from the game. If you want to achieve everything on offer, then you’re easily going to push 30-40 hours of gameplay. But if you’re just after ticking through the levels and seeing out the story, then you’ll still have a reasonable 15-20 hours. They say it’s all about quality instead of quantity, but here you get both with a big green tick. This is a beautiful game and will be one of my most memorable of 2025 for sure. A must buy!
If you’re a fan of the cosy simulation genre, then Discounty offers a 20+ hour experience that is fun to engage with. It’s charming, colourful and well designed. Nothing is ever too complex, and despite a few moments where controls are a little fiddly, on the whole it’s an excellent indie title. It takes a lot for this type of game to keep me invested all of the time, but Discounty hooked me from the start.
A Dream About Parking Lots is a truly unique game that is one of the shortest experiences I’ve played, one that you can finish in under an hour. I can’t describe this as a video game if I’m honest, it is more of an interactive process of thought with minimal gameplay. That said, I admire that the development team at Interactive Dreams has pushed out something that is a little out of the ordinary in the gaming space. At just £4.19, it isn’t going to break the bank, and if you fancy a casual walking sim that brings thoughts and feelings lost to the forefront, then it may be worth having a short blast with this.
It’s worth noting that Mafia: The Old Country won’t demand hundreds of hours of your time. I clocked it in just shy of 12 hours, doing so in about four short sessions. The game features an exceptional storyline that is well-told through its structure, with a strong emphasis on story over substance. If you’re after an open-world style experience like GTA or Saints Row, then sadly, this won’t be what you’re looking for. However, if you’re after a well-executed and rich story with beautiful visuals, fantastic voice acting, and you aren’t overly bothered about a linear structure with fairly shallow mechanics, then you’ll love it. It is a good Mafia game, but I don’t feel it’s the best out of the bunch so far.
Cook, Serve, Forever is a fresh experience that I wouldn’t personally classify as a direct sequel to the others. For me, it came across as a far more accessible title in comparison with some great storytelling with incredibly vibrant and polished visuals. Essentially, what you’re getting here is more of a rhythm-based button-pressing game than a dash attempt to serve several food items at once in a successive order. For those who loved the formula of the Cook, Serve, Delicious titles, you may not enjoy this one as much. But I admire the way Vertigo Games has attempted to try something new. I do think the game is a little pricey for £24.99 on Xbox, especially since there is probably only around 5-10 hours of gameplay involved. It’s a short but wonderfully illustrated and crafted journey, though one that even casual players may love.
Achilles Survivor is an exceptionally polished and moreish title that nestles in with the likes of Vampire Survivors and other popular roguelikes in the genre. This one has some unique aspects, including building structures that assist you in the heat of battle. It blends tower defence strategy with fighting hordes, which I haven’t yet seen with any other similar experiences. For the same price as the average pint of beer here in the UK, it is well worth a punt for several hours of fun.
I was pleasantly surprised by Rally Arcade Classics, and I’ve had a ton of fun dipping into the huge feast of content on offer. If you’re a fan of older rally games such as V Rally or Colin McRae, then, like me, you’ll enjoy your time with this.
Spirit Of The North 2 builds upon the goodness of the first outing, improving the experience by offering a larger world and extended playthrough. If you played the original and loved its calm nature, the compelling storyline, and the gorgeous worlds, then you’re in for a treat and will love this adventure
Star Overdrive is a unique title that is fantastic fun and compelling enough to see through to the end. I can’t fault the ambition of the development team in creating something that feels enjoyable to play and explore. It misses the mark in some areas, but the core gameplay loop and cruising around on the hoverboard kept me engaged from the start.