DayOne

Dave the Diver is a fantastic game, and In the Jungle is every bit as good. The quality and variety on offer are something few games can match.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is an uneven, but ultimately satisfying title. An incredible soundtrack, solid gameplay, and, at least for me, fantastic visuals help carry it — despite the grind needed for its true conclusion.

I think Junkster is well worth a download. If you’re a fan of classic 3D Platformers, and want to play something relatively light with some surprisingly novel gameplay mechanics, I can think of worse ways to spend a weekend.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth manages to do something so few games do. It balances the very optional exploration moments with a tight and gripping central narrative. By switching regularly between giving you the freedom of what to do and then bringing you back into a linear direction, I never felt tired of either one, quite the opposite, instead. While the low resolution and sometimes lacklustre combat would drag the game down for me at times, pretty much everything else had me hooked from start to finish. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a game every fan of the franchise, old or new, should at least try, if not outright devour. And be sure to let yourself get lost in this expanded world as you truly soak in and savour all that this game has to offer. You won’t regret it.

Mina the Hollower was well worth the wait. It gives you all the vibes of the best old-school games, while bringing its own modern sensibilities with smartly paced exploration and tight gameplay. It is an incredibly difficult and rewarding experience that lets you fine-tune things to match what you are capable of. At $20, with over 20 hours, it is well worth picking up.

Echo Generation 2 is a major improvement over the first game. They’ve sanded away most of its gameplay rough edges, with only a final chapter that requires too much repetition as a standout issue. It is a gorgeous title, with fun combat and great music that is well worth a playthrough, especially if you have Game Pass.

With a great cast of characters, tons of imagination and just the right amount of player agency and replayability, this is a delightful playground full of gadgetry and spycraft that players will want to return to again and again. A confident return for the Double-O program, and – sorry Goldeneye – this is without a doubt, the best James Bond game ever made.

I had a good time with Luna Abyss. It doesn’t quite reinvent the wheel, but its fast-paced yet relatively accessible bullet hell shooting makes for an interesting gameplay loop, coupled with various fun gameplay twists and great visuals. It could have been a bit more unique or daring, with some padding and replayability issues here and there, but especially as a Game Pass day one title, it’s easy to recommend shooting through the many mysteries of Luna.

Forza Horizon 6 is the best and most familiar the series has ever been. The festival’s arrival in Japan is a feast for the eyes, running incredibly well on every type of hardware I tried it on. Despite some issues with the ending grind, if you have ever enjoyed the series or thought about trying it, Forza Horizon 6 is an incredibly fun time.

Black Jacket is an addictive, well thought out and stylish gem of a game. I was very pleasantly surprised at how involved I got with the narrative, with each memory uncovered making me yearn for even more information. Overall, the developer has done an excellent job of elevating a simple game of Blackjack into something genuinely special. If you like card games, then Black Jacket should definitely be on your list of games to play this year.