Still Wakes the Deep is a tight, narrative adventure dripping in atmosphere and oozing in that sweet Scottish personality we've all come to love (shouting and swearing lots, as it turns out). If you're happy with a total lack of combat and more of a focus on story and exploration, then this one is definitely worth playing through on Xbox Game Pass. We found ourselves rather engrossed with Still Wakes the Deep and its personal tale of loss and family, even if more player agency around the game's spooky oil rig wouldn't have gone amiss. If you've played anything from The Chinese Room before you'll know what you're getting into - Still Wakes the Deep is another successful effort for the British developer to add to its growing repertoire.
Late last year, Alan Wake 2 surprised us by how different a take it was from the first Alan Wake, and Remedy's venture into the true unknowns of the universe is carried on here with Night Springs. You'll have to wade through some of the team's weird multiverse stuff, which isn't always the easiest to understand, but that hasn't hampered our enjoyment of recent Remedy titles - and it doesn't here, either.Buckle up Alan Wake 2 fans, you're in for yet another wild wide with Expansion 1: Night Springs.
XDefiant has been built to scratch a very particular online FPS itch, and the more bloated and complex AAA shooters have become, the more we've come to appreciate an experience like this. The game could do with a little more content, and some tweaks to gunplay and progression wouldn't go amiss, but we can't see why XDefiant shouldn't have a bright future ahead of it. Ubisoft has shown us all that it has the patience to stick around with online shooters if they have a solid community - just look at the near decade-old Rainbow Six Siege - so this should definitely be one title worth investing some time into. XDefiant isn't perfect, but this is a very promising start and we're already becoming invested in where Ubisoft's latest Xbox FPS can go.
Alone in the Dark is back, and frankly, it may have been better left alone. THQ Nordic's revival isn't a bad game - we enjoyed chunks of it especially towards the beginning of the adventure - but it doesn't stand out in any meaningful way, and ultimately feels a little pointless in the end. We'd recommend keeping an eye on that launch patch to see how the game is shaping up on release, but it's best not to expect a Resident Evil-level reimagining from this Alone in the Dark reboot - even if it stands as a serviceable third-person adventure.
Forza Motorsport feels like a game that's set up for the future. The technical underpinnings on show in Turn 10's Xbox Series X|S debut are remarkable, and this sort of solid foundation is always a good start. While there's still hours and hours of fun to be had with what is here, genre fans will quickly be reminded of what's missing - making the new FM feel like a launch pad for what's to come rather than a complete experience at launch. When Turn 10 gets around to adding more unique career events, tracks and bonus features, this could become one of the very best sim racers ever to grace Xbox. For now, it's a brilliant effort that doesn't quite finish in first place.
LEGO 2K Drive is at its best when it focuses on the last word of its title - driving around and taking part in wild and wacky side missions as you run into them is the best way to tackle this open world racer. The actual racing lets it down a touch, and we think the game is a bit pricey for its presentation levels, but this is still a fun and varied affair for all the family. If you're itching for a bonkers LEGO-themed take on Forza Horizon this pretty much nails it, just don't expect the same levels of AAA sheen as you'd get from the Xbox exclusive series.
So, yeah, where do we even start with summing this one up? A recommendation depends on your own interest with the world of Atomic Heart, we must admit. The game's premise remains intriguing throughout, and its main missions provide some great combat scenarios to get stuck into, especially when it comes to using powers and the skill tree system to create character builds. Yet, the game's overworld is largely skippable which is a huge bummer, and its main storyline does little to enhance the incredibly interesting world Mundfish has created. Atomic Heart is well worth a play for the immersive FPS fanatics out there, but it's wise to temper your expectations when names like BioShock and DOOM are being thrown around in comparison. Atomic Heart is a solid alternate-history shooter, but it takes a bit more than building an intriguing world to become a true great in the genre.
All in all, what's here in Bright Memory Infinite is impressive, and the shooting feels super smooth throughout. However, even though the first Bright Memory was classed as a demo-of-sorts, Infinite still feels like an Xbox Series X|S tech demo, all things considered. It's still incredibly short at just two hours long, and the game's story, systems and world need more work for it to feel like a full game. We dig what's here, no doubt, but we were hoping Bright Memory Infinite would feel more like a full game than it ultimately does.
As Dusk Falls is a cracking crime thriller and feels like the exact thing we should be seeing on a regular basis from Xbox Game Studios on Game Pass. Its 6-8 hour length feels just right for a game of this nature, and that also makes it feel right at home on Xbox's subscription service. Oh, and the fantastic storyline that never let us wriggle free of its grip? Yeah, that's not a bad reason to play it on Game Pass either.
Road 96 is a masterpiece in storytelling and depending on your own experience, you may even be moved by its through line of hope, loss, and the ultimate goal of personal freedom. Many of the game's themes haven't directly applied to my life, but Road 96 is an education in empathy and it really makes you feel for the folks out there who are scrambling to get their lives in order because of other people's actions. It's not a perfect game — mechanically things could be improved at times — but its story is about as close to perfect as you could ask for, and for that, we recommend it without a shadow of a doubt.
With a little more time in the oven and attention to detail, MX vs ATV Legends could have been a fantastic off-road racer. As it is at present, it's just an okay one, with a general lack of both polish and event variety letting things down somewhat. The bugs and glitches currently present in the game have knocked our score down a tad as well, although hopefully, they'll be sorted soon after release. The game's cut-price $40 entry point makes this one that bit more appealing, but we can only really recommend it once the bugs have been fully ironed out. 'Legends'? Not just yet.
Trek to Yomi is a game of two halves, where slightly repetitive combat does bring things down a notch. However, that other half — made up of the game's visuals, characters, storyline, atmosphere and overall polish — is so good that you'll want to carry on trekking right until the end. More involved combat could have elevated this one to being potentially one of our very favourite Game Pass games, but make no mistake, this is an adventure you'll want to head out on.
Overall, GRID Legends feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. Its on-track racing is really good fun, and with the right AI and event tweaks, and a little more content, it'd be a really solid sequel to GRID 2019. As it stands, it feels very safe and lacks the personality to really stand on its own amongst the competition. It gets real close to mimicking what PGR did so well all those years ago, but something's missing. Sparks often fly out on the track, but Legends doesn't quite have the spark to make its arcade action stick.
Cake Bash is sweet and tasty all-out multiplayer mayhem, even if it lacks a little depth. There's enough variety in the mini games to keep you playing, especially in Get Tasty mode. However, we wish that unlocking mini games and stages in Recipe mode were more clearly laid out. Things can also get a little hectic and confusing on Nintendo Switch's handheld display, with docked play definitely preferable. If you're after another frantic and fun co-op party game, Cake Bash is a great addition to your Switch library.
All in all, Infliction: Extended Cut is a decent, if unremarkable horror game that probably clings onto its inspirations a little too closely.