Jordan Campbell's Reviews
Vampire Survivors is not only my game of 2022, but it is also my biggest surprise of the year. It has a moreish gameplay loop like I have never experienced before, and it really has the opportunity for endless replayability and longevity. The levelling process and the spontaneous nature of what abilities the game throws at you each time you can make a choice makes for a different experience each and every time.
I’d never have imagined seeing this game come to fruition on the Xbox family of consoles in all of its beautiful glory. This is no watered-down and rushed version of the game, it is the fully-fledged all-singing and all-dancing edition that you’d see on PC.
Well, I am glad I listened to all the great feedback about this game and picked it up for a review. If you’re into RPG titles with simplistic turn-based combat that doesn’t have you diving into millions of skill trees and classes, then you’ll love the experience. This will go down as one of the most memorable indie titles I have played not just in 2024, but probably ever. Every year I collate a pot of indie titles that are bordering on masterpiece status, games like Cuphead, Cult Of The Lamb, Deaths Door and Balataro. This belongs in that pot and stays there for sure, and is worth every single penny of the £14.99 asking price. As indie titles go, this is a must-buy, don’t even hesitate just go and play it.
Still Wakes The Deep is just a must play experience and whilst it does sound short at around 6-8 hours for a playthrough, it is sheer quality gameplay throughout. Everything about the adventure from the setting on an oil rig in the middle of the ocean, to the personalities of the colleagues who work there and the sheer randomness throughout just consistently shines through. The development team have done wonderful work at setting the tone and atmosphere both in the design of the rig and the events that unfold. If you’re looking for a horror title that constantly has you on the edge of your seat filling you with that anxiety in the dark that something will jump out at you, then this is the game for you. Horror fans will adore this one and if you’re normal go to games are titles such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill and the likes, then there is more than enough for you here. Those on Xbox will be happy to know that it is part of the Xbox Game Pass catalogue, so you can dive right in now and get stuck in. But for those on other platforms, not only is it well worth your time, it is well worth a purchase. One of the best games I have played so far in 2024 which gripped me from start to finish!
Studio MDHR has done it again and blasted it out of the park. Whilst it has taken a fair amount of time to get it out there, it just goes to show that you should only ever really release something when it is truly ready.
Two Point Campus becomes my game of the year of 2022 so far and whilst there are still four months left to go, I can see it remaining there. The entire package oozes quality and I was looking so hard to find something to criticise and there was nothing that stood out whatsoever. The structure and progression of working through the 12 locations on offer will keep you going for a lengthy period of time with more DLC promised to be on the way.
Football Manager 2023 Console Edition is perhaps one of those games that many look at and say it’s the same every time. I can tell you that it has drastically improved year after year with controller functionality and its incredible performance on Xbox Series X.
It is early days for Warzone 2.0 and I imagine this early phase will be all about listening to the community and engaging in their feedback. I do have some things I’d love to see changed or altered over time, but the gameplay loop is absolutely perfect for me. It feels less about players constantly rushing for loadouts and more about fighting with a mixture of what you can find on the ground.
It’s clear that Tango Gameworks took a gamble with a whole new project after Ghostwire Tokyo and The Evil Within, and they have absolutely smashed it out of the park. Hi-Fi Rush is hand on heart one of the most memorable and special adventures I’ve had on Xbox and the surprise element of the shadow drop straight onto Xbox Game Pass has thrust 2023 into a promising year for the brand.
Well, I think we have found the first near-masterpiece indie game of 2025. Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders takes everything that made Megagon Industries’ first title great and strides forward with a super-polished experience. I’ve managed to play this across several devices for this review: Xbox Series X, Lenovo Legion Go, and even cloud gaming on my mobile phone. It is the perfect game to engage with anywhere you are and with the Xbox play anywhere feature it is available freely once in your personal library too. The addictive nature of just one more run, as you strive for perfection, is ever-present. It’s a game which is a challenge to master but is oh-so-satisfying when you hit courses perfectly. If you’re an Xbox player, you’re in luck since it has been integrated into the Xbox Game Pass library for January 2025. But even at its £20.99 price point, it is well worth every penny for the number of hours you could sink into its slopes.
Two Point Studios and SEGA have done it again and smashed it out of the park with Two Point Museum. The presentation of the entire game oozes quality and fantastic polish in every aspect. In my review of Two Point Campus which you can read HERE, I touched on how I felt each individual had their personality, that is still the case here. The satisfaction of starting with a blank canvas and fine-tuning your very own museum becomes a slight addiction. One of my first play sessions for this review weighed in at about 7 hours and I had to force myself away from my Xbox Series X to sleep. If you adored Two Point Hospital and Campus, you’re getting that same moreish formula here with the unique atmosphere of the museum setting with interesting and wacky artefacts. If you can, I’d urge you to go for the deluxe version of the game that comes with all the extra goodies and kudosh, but you’ll have an equally cracking time with the base game if you can’t stretch to it. After close to 50 hours for this review, I still find myself going back for more so I can assure you the amount of gameplay on offer could easily run into hundreds of hours. This will be one of the best games of 2025, one for the history books!
Admittedly I was sceptical about what Knockout City would be like looking from the outside in. As an adult, it is difficult to take games with cartoon-style graphics seriously sometimes, I’m looking at you Fortnite. The truth is when titles like this are developed properly and pushed in the right direction they can be a massive success. Being old enough to recall the 2004 hit movie Dodgeball (which was hilarious by the way), I often wondered how well this ideology would transition to a video game.
I first played Super Bomberman R Online back in September 2020 when it became a “First to Stadia” exclusive. My experience with the game was exceptional back then but I was left wondering whether it would arrive on other platforms at some stage. Fast forward to 27th May 2021 and we see the introduction of the game to Xbox (including Series S/X), Playstation 4/5, Steam and Nintendo Switch. The great news is that Super Bomberman R online features crossplay. This means we can expect to see busy servers and super quick matchmaking.
If you haven’t played the Yakuza games then I guess you may have been hiding under a rock. Either that or you simply haven’t stumbled upon the series just yet. Judgement is essentially a spin-off of the Yakuza series and an excellent place to start for newcomers to this genre of game. Judgement was originally released way back in 2019 for the Playstation 4 and has now found its way to other platforms.
Train Sim World 5 builds on the previous games and just keeps getting better. You won’t find a more true-to-life simulation of train driving. The beauty of the yearly releases means that you can pull across any previous routes you’ve purchased and have them all accessible at any given time. The introduction of conductor mode brings a new aspect of working a train from the perspective of the exterior of the driving cab. If you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber then there has never been a better time to give it a go if you haven’t tried it. If you’re a fan of previous games or just into your traction, then you will find hundreds of hours of gameplay here if you want to divulge in the hundreds of timetable scenarios both in the driving seat or dispatching trains from stations. The creator club will allow you to customise and curtail your experience alongside creating your very own scenarios. Train Sim World 5 is the best in the genre and the greatest it’s ever been.
I won't lie, I become invested for countless hours in creative games like Planet Coaster 2 and it retains the qualities from 2016 and then some. As someone who pretended to be ill in my school days so I could stay at home and plough extra hours into adventures like Theme Park and Rollercoaster Tycoon in the 90s, this sends me back to that headspace. What we have here is a joyful, addictive and rich park builder which will no doubt become more fruitful with updates over time. The real draw though is how reasonably priced the game is. At just £39.99 for the base edition and £49.99 for the deluxe version, it is well worth the money and your time investment if you adore this genre like I do.
Parkitect: Deluxe Edition is honestly fantastic and well worth the purchase if you are into park builders. Not only does it give me the nostalgic nod to the past that I very much needed, but it does it in a modern style with beautiful polish and shine. The fact that you get access to the already-released DLCs in this entire package makes for potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay if you want it. I found it difficult to draw any criticisms from the entire experience other than some fiddly controls especially when laying underground pipes and some other fine-tuning elements. Aside from this though, this is an incredible indie title which has all the same vibes as Bullfrog Productions Theme Park from 30 years ago. For £19.99 it is an absolute steal and well worth every penny and a game that I will continue to play even after this review it is that brilliant.
Dotemu and Tribute Games have not only beautifully re-energised and crafted a well-loved retro title, but quite possibly have created one of the best games of 2022 already. Whilst the game can be clocked in 2-3 hours, it is a reminder that sometimes quality eclipses quantity, and that rings so true here.
Whilst As Dusk Falls can be done and dusted in 6-7 hours, it may come across as a bit short for some. But the content that is there oozes quality in visual presentation, marvellous voice acting and intense decision making. The fact they have made the game interactive with several players using different devices gives the game longevity with friends
Rustler is by far the greatest indie I have played in 2021. It took my hand and brought me back to two decades ago. Whilst it is a totally different setting and era, it echoes all the happy memories I had with the GTA titles. Playing a game with those same top-down mechanics is still as enjoyable now as it was back then