REVIEW: MAVRIX by Matt Jones (2026 Video Game) - Early Access on Xbox

Review by Jon Donnis

Mountain biking games rarely get the space to breathe, but MAVRIX by Matt Jones goes big straight away. This is not a tight circuit racer or a handful of curated trails. It throws you into a sprawling 100 square kilometre playground and simply says go. Downhill tracks, slopestyle lines, bike parks and open stretches of wilderness all sit side by side, inviting you to carve your own routes instead of following a prescribed path. It feels loose, free and refreshingly confident.

At its heart, MAVRIX is a mix of racer, trick sandbox and social space. One minute you are blasting down a timed downhill run chasing a leaderboard spot, the next you are stitching together your own line over jumps and berms just to see what works. Then a mate drops in and suddenly you are riding together, hunting hidden challenges or trying to sync huge sends for the laugh of it. That sense of shared play gives the world a bit of life. It never feels like a sterile menu driven experience.

The physics system is easily the headline act. Dual stick controls split braking and body movement in a way that takes a little learning, but once it clicks, it feels great. You feather the brakes, shift your weight, and manage the suspension with a surprising level of intention. Landings have heft. Drifts feel earned. Even a simple bunny hop has a bit of character. The recent console updates help too, with the bike and rider feeling more grounded thanks to suspension tuning and improved turning physics. Being able to move the rider's body to tighten a corner adds just enough finesse to separate good runs from great ones.

Tricks and the new Slopestyle mode are another strong addition. Three fresh slopestyle courses join the existing jump trails, and the fact that those older trails can now host competitions makes the whole map feel more useful. Instead of isolated arenas, everything connects. You start looking at the landscape differently, spotting transfers and creative lines that were not obvious before. It leans into the playful side of mountain biking, which suits the game well.

There is a pleasing layer of authenticity running through the rest of it. Real world brands let you tweak frames, components and clothing, and the sponsorship system, including the new Red Bull deal, pushes you to grind for contracts like a pro rider would. Add global rankings and competitions with genuine prizes and you have a clear reason to keep pushing for cleaner, faster runs. It is not just messing about in the dirt. There is a bit of purpose behind it all.

Visually and sonically, it does the job nicely. The landscapes are broad and inviting, the parks look the part, and the sound of tyres on dirt and suspension chatter sells the speed. More importantly, it is simply fun. That is the thing that kept pulling me back in. Even after a messy crash or a failed trick line, you just want one more run.

Still, this is early access, and it shows. Bugs crop up, rough edges remain, and there are moments where systems feel unfinished. You can sense that the foundation is strong but the house is not fully built yet. It also wobbles a bit between simulation and arcade. For something marketed as serious and authentic, it sometimes drifts into slightly exaggerated, gamey behaviour. Personally, I did not mind the lighter touch, but hardcore riders looking for a strict sim might raise an eyebrow.

Having played the early access version on PC before this console release, the improvements are obvious. It feels smoother, more considered and generally better put together. The steady updates and clear signs that the developers are listening to players give it a lot of goodwill. You get the sense this is a project that will keep evolving rather than sitting still.

Right now, MAVRIX by Matt Jones is not perfect, but it is promising and already genuinely enjoyable. With its huge world, flexible riding, strong physics and regular updates, it has every chance to cement itself as the go to game for this niche. A bit more polish and it could be something special.

I score MAVRIX by Matt Jones a solid 7.5 out of 10. I look forward to seeing what they have planned next.

Out Now on Xbox

https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/mavrix-by-matt-jones-game-preview/9nzx67j81x6f

REVIEW: Assassin's Creed Shadows - Revisiting the Game with Updates and Claws of Awaji

Review by Jon Donnis

Assassin's Creed Shadows has changed a lot since its 2025 release. Initially, the game felt rushed and uneven, with delays and criticism about pacing, narrative, and character execution. Now, with multiple updates and the first paid DLC, Claws of Awaji, the game has matured into a more polished and engaging experience. Ubisoft has added meaningful content and quality-of-life improvements that make revisiting the game worthwhile.

You can read my original review at https://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2025/06/review-assassins-creed-shadows-2025.html

Claws of Awaji, released in September, takes players to Awaji Island with Naoe and Yasuke. The new region is distinct from the main Japanese provinces, offering fresh environments, hidden treasures, and a story campaign lasting around ten hours. The DLC introduces ambushes from enemies hiding in bushes, traps along roads, and missions that require more tactical attention, making travel between areas far less passive than in the base game. New gear and abilities, including a new weapon type for Naoe, expand combat options and give the expansion its own identity. The missions feel more challenging than the base game, and the combination of exploration, combat, and narrative keeps the experience engaging.

Updates to the base game have also improved the core gameplay. New Game+ allows players to restart the main story with all gear, hideout progression, and skills intact while facing tougher opponents. The level cap has been raised, and skill trees have been expanded, pushing players to experiment with more advanced combat tactics. The forge system has been upgraded, allowing weapons and equipment to be enhanced beyond previous limits. The "Corrupted Castles" activity provides replayable zones with altered enemy patrols and stronger foes, offering meaningful rewards and making revisits feel worthwhile. Combat animations have been expanded with new finisher moves for both protagonists, giving encounters more variety and visual flair. Updates to the Animus meta-layer, including rifts and projects, add small puzzle-like challenges with their own rewards. Access to story logs and the Vault has been streamlined, while quality-of-life improvements like skill tree resets, quieter horse auto-follow paths, clearer visual options, bug fixes, and stability improvements have refined the overall experience.

Despite the improvements, Shadows is not without flaws. The Claws of Awaji DLC introduces Nowaki, a boss that is arguably the trickiest and most frustrating in any Assassin's Creed game. The fight is designed in a way that tests patience rather than skill, and its mechanics are widely irritating. Yasuke remains a mixed experience. Playing as him can be chaotic fun, allowing players to smash through enemies, but the historical liberties taken with his character are hard to overlook. Naoe remains the more enjoyable and classic Assassin's Creed experience, with refined stealth and combat options that feel true to the series' roots.

Since release, Assassin's Creed Shadows has shed much of the criticism it initially faced. While there are narrative choices and "woke" elements that some players may not enjoy, these can often be navigated through player choice. Naoe continues to embody the series' core gameplay, and even Yasuke, despite being over-the-top and historically inaccurate, can be entertaining if approached casually. The main drawback remains that five years earlier, Ghosts of Tsushima offered a similar setting with arguably stronger execution, although Shadows benefits from being available across all platforms rather than restricted to PlayStation.

With the updates and Claws of Awaji, Assassin's Creed Shadows is far stronger than at launch. The game feels more stable, rewarding, and replayable than it did in 2025. While it may never surpass Odyssey or the series' most beloved entries, it is now a solid and entertaining game, deserving of recognition for the improvements Ubisoft has made. My original score of 6 out of 10 now feels outdated. In 2026, a score of 7.5 out of 10 reflects the game's growth, its expanded content, and the enjoyment it offers through both the base game and its DLC expansion. Shadows is no longer a disappointment but a worthwhile addition to the Assassin's Creed catalogue, proving that patience and continued support can turn a flawed launch into a genuinely rewarding experience.

Out Now - https://amzn.to/3MeaUmP

REVIEW: POCO M8 5G (2026 Smartphone) - 8GB ROM, 512 GB RAM

Review by Jon Donnis

Using the POCO M8 5G over the past week has been surprisingly enjoyable. It has a way of feeling reliable and capable without drawing too much attention, quietly handling everything thrown at it. Everyday tasks, from messaging and scrolling through social feeds to watching videos and snapping photos, all feel effortless. It is the kind of phone that settles into daily life so smoothly, and when you need it to perform, it does so without fuss.

The first thing that struck me was the design. At just 7.35mm thick and weighing 178 grams, it feels slim and light without feeling fragile. The curved front and clean camera layout give it a look that would not feel out of place on a phone twice the cost. It actually reminds me a lot of the Redmi Note 15 5G I reviewed last year, which is no bad thing. In the hand it is comfortable, easy to pocket, and just looks smart.

The 6.77 inch Flow AMOLED display is easily the star of the show. A 120Hz refresh rate keeps everything smooth, from scrolling through social feeds to gaming, and the 2560Hz touch sampling makes it feel properly responsive. It reacts instantly. The headline figure is the 3200 nits peak brightness, and while you will not be staring at that number day to day, you definitely notice how visible the screen remains outdoors. Even under harsh daylight it stays clear and colourful. Blacks are deep, colours pop, and it is simply a pleasant panel to use.

Photo of my colourful Playstation Controller, taken with the POCO M8

Performance is handled by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, built on a 4nm process. In everyday use it feels quick and efficient. Apps open without fuss, multitasking is generally smooth, and gaming runs better than you might expect at this price. I threw a few heavier mobile titles at it and it never stuttered or complained. It just got on with the job. Nothing flashy, just reliable.

Battery life is another highlight. The 5520mAh cell easily stretches through a full day and often well into the next. For most people this is a charge once and forget about it situation. When you do need to top up, the included 45W turbo charger gets you moving again quickly. It is also handy that the phone supports 18W wired reverse charging. More than once I have used it to give my wife's dying phone a quick boost. It sounds like a small thing, but in real life it is surprisingly useful.

Durability deserves a mention too. POCO uses high durability glass on the front and claims it can survive face down drops from 1.7 metres onto marble. I had no intention of testing that. Still, I have accidentally dropped it a few times and it has come away without a mark. That kind of peace of mind matters on a daily driver.

Storage is generous, which I really appreciate. Moving over from last year's POCO M7 5G Pro, the added ROM meant plenty of room for photos, videos and games. The full transfer from my old phone took around three hours over WiFi, but everything came across cleanly. No starting from scratch. That alone saved me a lot of hassle. Nothing go lost in the process, and considering the sheer amount of photos and videos I have on the phone, I was surprised how well it all worked. All the settings easily were moved across, passwords, logins and so on. Makes life with a new phone a whole lot easier.

Photo of my newborn child's Hello Kitty toy taken on the POCO M8

The 50MP AI dual camera system is solid rather than spectacular, but that is perfectly fine for this class. In dull winter weather there has not been much to shoot, yet even so the photos look sharp and balanced. Blacks in particular come out deeper and richer than I remember on the M7 or the Redmi Note 15. There is 4K video support as well, and footage looks clean and detailed. It is not a flagship camera, but it is more than capable for everyday use and social media.

Of course, it is not perfect. The usual bloatware shows up during setup, which is always irritating. A handful of apps you never asked for quietly install themselves. The good news is that I was able to remove everything I did not want without any trouble. It takes a few minutes, but once cleaned up the experience is much better.

Available in Black, Silver or Green. The Silver versions looks incredible!

The other downside is RAM. This model comes with 8GB, which is fine for most people, but I was slightly spoiled by the 12GB on the previous Pro model. If you are a heavy multitasker or constantly juggling loads of apps, you may notice the difference. In that case the Pro version might be worth the extra spend. For anyone coming from 8GB or less, though, this will feel absolutely fine.

All told, the POCO M8 5G feels like a genuine step forward from the M7. It looks better, feels sturdier, and the screen alone makes the upgrade worthwhile. Despite similar specs to the Redmi Note 15, this one just feels nicer to live with day to day. Sometimes that intangible bit of polish makes all the difference.

At around the £230, it is very hard to fault. It is fast, bright, long lasting and tough enough to survive real life. For most people, this is more phone than they actually need.

I would happily recommend it to anyone shopping on a budget. A strong, dependable all rounder that does nearly everything right. A very easy 9 out of 10.

Thank you to the good people at  Xiaomi for providing the phone for review.

Out Now in the UK at

https://www.mi.com/uk/product/poco-m8-5g/

POCO M8 5G is available in three colours: Green, Black, and Silver, with the following

storage variants:

- 8GB+256GB, priced at £229

- 8GB+512GB, priced at £259

POCO M8 Pro 5G is available in three colours: Silver, Black, and Green, with the

following storage variants:

- 8GB+256GB, priced at £299

- 12GB+512GB, priced at £349

REVIEW: FreeStyle Football 2 (2026 Video Game) - Closed Beta Test on Xbox

Review by Jon Donnis

I loaded up FreeStyle Football 2 and my first thought was simple, I loaded it too early and the playtest is not live, ok wait an hour, and.... ok this looks good. The menus are clean, the presentation is smooth, and everything has a bright, street style edge that gives it a bit of personality. On Xbox it runs sharp and sounds great, so before you even start playing it already feels polished and lively, more like a fun arcade kickabout than a serious sim.

The core idea is simple but quite different from the norm. Instead of controlling an entire squad, each player takes charge of a single character in five versus five online matches. Every one of the twelve launch characters comes with their own special skills, whether that is firing off lightning quick passes, lifting team morale, or smashing in a perfectly timed power shot. On paper it adds tactical depth and pushes teamwork to the front. In practice it often does work, especially when everyone sticks to their role and plays with a bit of discipline.

When everything clicks, the game feels fresh. Matches are quick, intense and full of scrappy street football moments. The unique abilities give each character a clear identity, so you start to recognise who should be setting up plays and who should be finishing them. I liked that. It stops everyone feeling the same and encourages coordination rather than just button mashing. Visually, it all ties together nicely. The fields inspired by locations around the world look lively, and the whole thing has a bright, almost festival atmosphere.

There is also a decent amount of content around the edges. A story mode promises ten to twenty hours of single player play, digging into each character's background. You can customise your squad, collect items, and even form clubs to compete in ranked divisions. The companion app features, the management side and the push towards competitive play suggest the developers are serious about building a long term community rather than a throwaway arcade title. Dedicated servers and an eSports focus give it a professional backbone.

Still, for me, the biggest sticking point never went away. I simply do not enjoy football games where you control only one player. The behind the back camera never feels quite right and always leaves me wishing for a wider, more traditional view. Years of FIFA, now EA FC, have set a certain expectation for how football games should handle, and stepping away from that formula feels risky. Instead of feeling immersed, I often felt restricted, like I was watching the action rather than directing it.

Online play also throws up some frustrating moments. I picked a character built to attack, only to find myself placed in defence, which makes those carefully chosen skills almost pointless. It breaks the logic of the system. If most players gravitate towards strikers, which they almost certainly will, you end up with lopsided teams full of people chasing goals and ignoring the rest of the pitch. The concept of one player per person sounds tactical, but in reality it can turn chaotic very quickly.

That leaves FreeStyle Football 2 in an odd place. As a high energy, arcade style take on the sport, it works well in short bursts. Jump in for a few quick matches with mates and it can be good fun. But as something you would sink dozens or even hundreds of hours into, it struggles to compete with the established heavyweights. Outside of the US style arcade crowd, it is hard to see why many players would choose this over the more traditional alternatives.

The training modes were easily the most fun, which is a problem when they are supposed to be there to just get you used to how to play.

Right now, based on the closed beta, it is an interesting experiment with some strong ideas and slick presentation, yet one that never quite fits the way I want to play football games. Unless major changes are made, and the kind of changes needed would alter the very identity of the game, it is not something I see myself returning to at launch.

FreeStyle Football 2 earns a disappointing 5 out of 10.

REVIEW: UFOPHILIA (2026 Video Game) - on PC Steam

Review by Jon Donnis

UFOPHILIA leans into the unnerving investigation type feeling from the very first mission. This first person psychological horror game casts you as an investigator whose obsession with UFO sightings has pushed them into the wild, chasing reports of close encounters and trying to prove, with cold hard evidence, that we are not alone. It is a simple hook, but an effective one.

Each mission begins quietly inside your cramped RV, which serves as both headquarters and safe haven. Screens flicker, equipment hums, and your tools are laid out like a ghost hunter's kit bag. Cameras, motion detectors, EMF readers, magnetic wave sensors and more sit ready to be deployed. From there you select a location tied to sightings, then step out into the dark with only your gear and your nerves for company. It is a strong setup that immediately sells the fantasy of being a lone field researcher rather than a typical horror game protagonist.

The structure is clear and methodical. First you pick the job, then you gather clues and identify what sort of alien might be present. After that you narrow down the spawn zone where it first appeared, before finally facing the thing itself and attempting to photograph it. That final step is where the tension spikes. The game constantly reminds you that this is not just a checklist. Each alien behaves differently and you must understand its quirks before getting close enough for proof. It turns the act of taking a photo into something that feels risky and oddly personal.

Where UFOPHILIA shines most is atmosphere. Missions are unpredictable, with randomised spawn zones and alien types, so you never feel entirely comfortable. One run might involve something curious and almost playful, another might feature something openly aggressive or even prone to abduction. The uncertainty keeps you alert. There are some genuinely sharp jump scares and a steady, lingering unease that follows you from start to finish. It is not constant screaming horror. It is the quieter kind, the sort that makes you hesitate before stepping into the next patch of darkness.

The investigative side is also handled well. There is a satisfying learning curve as the game gradually teaches you how to use each tool and how different bits of evidence fit together. You begin to think like an investigator, cross referencing phenomena back at the RV, trying to narrow down possibilities. Certain devices work better together, and discovering those little synergies feels rewarding. It gives the experience more depth than simply wandering about waiting for a monster to appear.

That said, the whole thing feels rough around the edges. The core ideas are solid, but the execution sometimes struggles to keep up. Movement and general gameplay can feel clunky, which chips away at the tension the game works so hard to build. Instead of feeling scared, you occasionally feel frustrated, and that is never ideal in a horror title.

Lighting is another sticking point. Dark scenes are not just moody, they are often so dark that basic navigation becomes a chore. You end up staring at the night vision screen on your camera just to see where you are going. That might be the intended design, but it is not especially enjoyable. What should be tense becomes fiddly, and the constant reliance on a tiny green display takes you out of the world. 

Then there are the aliens themselves. Despite nine unique types with different behaviours and weaknesses, they can come across as a bit bland. For a game built around discovering and documenting unknown lifeforms, they do not always feel as striking or memorable as they should. The concept promises the unknown, but the reality can feel oddly familiar.

Even so, there is potential here. The mission structure, the randomisation, the use of specialised tech and the uneasy tone all point towards something that could be genuinely special. Right now it feels like a project that needed more time in the oven. Another year of polish and refinement could easily turn it from a decent curiosity into a standout horror experience.

As it stands, UFOPHILIA is intriguing, tense in places and occasionally very effective, but also clearly unfinished. Worth a look for fans of slow burn investigative horror, just with tempered expectations. I score it 6 out of 10.

Out Now on Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3851320/UFOPHILIA/