Halo Infinite
In order to appease a fanbase on the brink of disillusion, 343 Industries has abandoned some of the narrative extravagances from Halo 5 and built an unapologetically gung-ho sci-fi blaster with Master Chief doing what he does best: running about blasting aliens with cool guns. The open worlds and new grappling gun add variety and the standalone multiplayer is a frenetic competitor to the Battle Royale big fish, but this is classic Halo fare.
Read the review.
Baja bonanza … Forza Horizon 5. Photograph: Playground Games/Microsoft
Forza Horizon 5
A racing game that really captures the feel and fantasy of the open road, set in a sumptuous virtual Mexico. It offers an overwhelming buffet of racing events to take on by yourself or with others, in hundreds of different perfectly-recreated cars, through jungles, deserts and around volcanoes, on the streets or off-road in Baja buggies. A unique way to see one of the world’s most interesting places.
Read the review.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Even if it weren’t beautiful, this game would be a delight – but man, it certainly helps that it is beautiful. Little spirit creature Ori flows gorgeously around the screen as you explore a watercolour forest full of strange creatures, winkling out all its secrets and probing its hidden corners. This is like a playable painting that you can sink into, where every daring jump and fast-paced fight feels great.
Read the review.
Messing with your mind … Psychonauts 2. Photograph: Double Fine
Psychonauts 2
This endearingly bizarre adventure is a true original, effortlessly funny and unapologetically itself. You play Raz, a trainee psychonaut and reluctant acrobat, learning the fine art of delving into people’s brains to understand their psyche (and, sometimes, mess around with their motivations). You will not soon forget the weird escapades that you have in this game, from competing in a gameshow constructed inside an agoraphobic psychic’s mind, to fleeing a witch made of bees.
Read the review.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
With its technically astonishing, AI-augmented recreation of the entire planet and surprisingly intuitive controls, Flight Simulator has appeal far beyond the core audience of sim fanatics. Whether you’re landing an Airbus A320 at Seattle–Tacoma airport or swooping over Strasbourg in a Cessna 152, the feel of being in flight is wonderfully replicated. A lovely surprise.
Read the review.
Sea of Thieves
Originally released in 2018, Rare’s wonderful pirating adventure has continued to evolve and expand, with fresh stories, monsters and hidden loot to discover. It is, in effect, a vast story generator allowing friends to get together on a …….
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/games/2021/dec/14/the-10-best-games-on-xbox-series-sx