REVIEW: Simon the Sorcerer Origins (2025 Video Game) - On Xbox

Review by Jon Donnis

Three decades after Simon first insulted a goblin and bumbled through a magical world of sarcasm and spells, Simon the Sorcerer Origins proves that a classic can find new life without losing its soul. Developed by Smallthing Studios and published by ININ Games, this prequel takes us back to the weeks before the 1993 Amiga adventure, showing how the world's most reluctant sorcerer began his journey.

From the opening scene, it feels like coming home. The humour is unmistakably Simon, dry, biting, and perfectly British. Chris Barrie returns as Simon's voice, and hearing him slip effortlessly back into character is a joy. His timing is spot-on, and every line lands with the kind of warmth and wit that made the original such a cult hit.

The hand-drawn art style is gorgeous. It's full of detail and personality, with lush backdrops and expressive characters that look straight out of a storybook. There's something lovely about seeing a modern game embrace traditional animation in this way, and it gives every frame a touch of charm. The world feels alive, packed with odd wizards, talking beasts, and peculiar devices that constantly draw your eye.

In terms of gameplay, this is pure point-and-click comfort. The puzzles are cleverly designed, often testing both your logic and your patience. Some of them are tricky enough to make you question your intelligence for a while, but the sense of reward when you finally figure things out is exactly what you want from this kind of game. The dialogue and item combinations keep things light, and you can tell the team had fun writing all the absurd scenarios Simon finds himself in.

That said, playing on Xbox takes a bit of getting used to. The controls work fine, but it's hard to shake the feeling that this sort of game still feels best with a mouse. Navigating menus or interacting with smaller items can be fiddly with a gamepad, though switching between control options is quick enough. On the positive side, playing on a big TV really shows off the artwork and helps you get lost in the world.

If there's one thing that might test your patience, it's the puzzle difficulty. A few of them border on obscure, and the temptation to reach for an online guide is always lurking. But if you can resist that urge, the satisfaction of solving everything on your own is worth the effort.

Simon the Sorcerer Origins is a fine example of how to revive a classic properly. It doesn't try to reinvent what made the original special. Instead, it leans into its roots with care, delivering a funny, clever, and beautifully drawn adventure that feels both nostalgic and fresh. For fans of the series, it's everything you'd hope for. For newcomers, it's a charming introduction to one of gaming's great comic heroes.

A well-earned 9 out of 10. Here's hoping Simon's next spell isn't too far away.

Out Now on Xbox - https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/simon-the-sorcerer-origins/9nnm6qrczx76

REVIEW: Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition (2025 Video Game) - For Xbox

Review by Jon Donnis

Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition delivers exactly what its name promises. This is the arcade experience brought straight into your living room, full of high-speed racing, over-the-top stunts, and explosions that make no sense in the real world. GameMill Entertainment has kept it simple and focused, which is both the game's biggest strength and its main limitation.

From the moment you start, it is clear this is a pick-up-and-play experience. There is no long tutorial, no narrative distractions, no slow grind through car tiers. You choose a vehicle, step on the accelerator, and race through cinematic tracks packed with shortcuts, hazards, and the occasional missile strike. It captures the thrill of arcade racing perfectly.

The positives are immediate. The full arcade version is faithfully ported to Xbox. If you have played the original, you will recognise every element of its fast, frantic style. Eight licensed cars, including the Dodge Charger and Shelby GT500, handle well enough to feel satisfying while still prioritising fun over realism. Split-screen multiplayer brings a nostalgic competitive edge, allowing two players to race side by side in the same room.

However, the simplicity also exposes its flaws. With only eight cars and six tracks, there is little variety. Everything is unlocked from the start, which delivers instant gratification but removes the sense of achievement that unlocks usually provide. The handling is exaggerated and sometimes absurd, which will delight fans of arcade chaos but frustrate anyone looking for a more precise driving experience.

The game also lacks additional modes or online play, meaning it does not offer much longevity beyond the initial thrill. The bonus objectives are fun for a short time but do not significantly extend gameplay.

Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition is a game that works or fails entirely based on expectations. If you want a deep, realistic racing simulator, it is not for you. If you are after a straightforward, high-octane arcade rush that can be enjoyed in short bursts, it is an excellent choice.

Having enjoyed the arcade original, I found this console version captures the same immediate fun. It is loud, fast, and shallow, but deliberately so, and that is part of its charm. I score Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition a solid 7 out of 10.

Out Now on Consoles

https://amzn.to/4hukvkT

REVIEW: Hot Wheels Let’s Race™: Ultimate Speed (2025 Video Game) - On Xbox

Review by Jon Donnis

Hot Wheels Let's Race: Ultimate Speed from Bamtang Games and GameMill isn't trying to be the next Forza or Gran Turismo. It's loud, colourful, and proudly aimed at the younger crowd who already adore the Netflix series it's based on. And in that regard, it mostly succeeds.

The first thing that hits you is how slick everything looks. The bright, looping tracks feel like they've been pulled straight off a living room carpet and dropped into a video game. Each course pops with colour, wild shapes, and over-the-top jumps that make even adults grin the first few times around. The cars themselves, from classics like the Super Twin Mill to the daftly charming Duck N' Roll, look fantastic and all have their own distinct handling quirks. It's the kind of game where even just picking your vehicle feels fun.

The handling is pure arcade. You'll be drifting around corners with ease, collecting flames, and boosting through loops before you know it. It's very forgiving, which makes sense given the target audience, but there's still a nice sense of speed and flow once you get the hang of it. Boss battles are a neat surprise too, especially when you're racing a giant cobra or dodging a fire-breathing dragon. They bring a bit of spectacle to the usual lap racing formula and help break up the action.

Track Builder mode is another highlight. It lets players create their own chaotic circuits filled with loops, jumps, and tight corners. It's not particularly complex, but it gives kids the freedom to make something that feels like their own. Add in four-player split-screen and you've got a setup that's perfect for family sessions, especially when siblings are involved.

Of course, it's not all perfect. If you're an older gamer hoping for a deep, skill-based racer, you'll be disappointed. The AI is simple, the challenges are fairly easy, and the whole experience is built to be accessible rather than demanding. There's also the fact that, outside of the Hot Wheels branding, it doesn't do much that's new. You've probably seen all these ideas before in other arcade racers, just dressed in different colours.

Still, that's not really the point. This is a kids' racer that does exactly what it sets out to do. It looks great, plays smoothly, and keeps little players entertained for hours. The £30+ price tag might raise an eyebrow for parents, but considering the quality and the tie-in appeal, it's hard to complain too much.

For younger players, Hot Wheels Let's Race: Ultimate Speed is fast, flashy, and genuinely fun. For everyone else, it's a charming but forgettable detour.

Score: 7/10

Out Now on Xbox, PS5 and Switch

https://amzn.to/4qslOVi

REVIEW: Reach (2025 VR Video Game) - On MetaQuest

Review by Jon Donnis

When a VR game makes you forget where you are, you know it's doing something right. Reach, from nDreams Elevation, is one of those rare experiences that aims high and mostly gets there. It blends shooting, climbing, and a touch of role-playing into a world that feels alive, dangerous, and genuinely inviting to explore.

The visuals are the first thing that strike you. It's easily one of the most impressive-looking games on MetaQuest, with sharp detail and light effects that give every space a sense of depth. The opening tutorial deserves credit too. It's clever, well-paced, and teaches the core mechanics without slowing the action.

Once you're set loose, the game shines brightest in motion. Parkour feels smooth and intuitive, from leaping across ledges to zip-lining through open stretches. Combat has an arcade feel, more forgiving than realistic, which keeps it fun rather than frustrating. The bow is a particular highlight, giving each encounter a nice rhythm between movement and aim.

Not everything hits the mark, though. Standing play feels unfinished. You can duck and crouch in real life, but the game still wants a button press to register it. It breaks the illusion a little, especially in moments where immersion should matter most. Motion sickness can also be an issue. Even with the comfort settings on, it can catch up with you if you're sensitive to it. Players used to VR movement will likely be fine, but it's something to be aware of.

Despite those small setbacks, Reach gets a lot right. It looks great, plays well, and feels built with care. The story has enough heart to keep you engaged, and the freedom of movement gives it a sense of adventure that few VR titles manage.

Reach might not redefine VR, but it proves how far it has come. It's confident, good-looking, and full of moments that make you glad you took the leap.

Score: 8/10

Out Now on MetaQuest

https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/reach/9707487579328855/

REVIEW: Moony: Black_Lotus (2025 Vide Game) by Icegrim Softwork

Review by Jon Donnis

Icegrim Softworks' Moony: Black_Lotus invites players into a world of corrupted memories and shattered identity, where a ruined city hums with mechanical ghosts of its past. It's a 2.5D side-scroller that blends traditional jump-n-run mechanics with puzzle solving and light stealth, framed by a hauntingly beautiful orchestral score. On paper, it's familiar territory. In practice, it's a moody and thoughtful experience that manages to charm, even if it occasionally stumbles.

The atmosphere is Moony: Black_Lotus's greatest triumph. The visual storytelling carries the weight of the game's mystery without the need for dialogue or exposition. Every flicker of shadow and echo of metal feels deliberate, pulling you into its dreamlike world. The environments, though restrained in palette, are textured with decay and memory. It's the kind of world that feels alive despite being long dead.

The live-recorded orchestral soundtrack deserves a spotlight of its own. It's rich, dynamic, and seamlessly adjusts to your actions. When the strings swell as you leap across crumbling platforms or fade to a lonely piano during quiet exploration, it hits with real emotion. It's a reminder that even smaller indie titles can reach cinematic heights with the right musical direction.

Gameplay is accessible and responsive. You'll be running, leaping, and solving environmental puzzles within minutes of starting. The introduction of special abilities such as teleportation or walking through barriers adds a welcome layer of complexity without overcomplicating the core flow. The stealth segments, while not revolutionary, bring tension and variety to the pacing.

That said, the genre is saturated. For every creative spark Moony: Black_Lotus offers, there's an unavoidable sense of déjà vu. It sits in the shadow of giants like Little Nightmares and Ori and the Blind Forest, which set a high bar for emotional storytelling and mechanical precision. Icegrim's effort doesn't quite reach those heights. 

Some sections suffer from mild repetition, particularly during climbing sequences where one small mistake sends you back through long, uneventful stretches. It's not difficult, just tiresome.

Still, there's heart here. The game's willingness to tell its story through imagery rather than dialogue gives it a poetic quality. It trusts the player to pay attention, to notice, to piece things together. That's rare, and it's refreshing.

Moony: Black_Lotus is a quietly compelling experience. It doesn't redefine its genre, but it doesn't need to. For those drawn to atmospheric platformers that whisper their stories instead of shouting them, this is a fine addition to the collection.

7.5 out of 10, Beautiful, moody, and familiar. Not groundbreaking, but well worth your time.

Out Now on PC (Steam) - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2900900/MOONYBlack_Lotus/

REVIEW: Motel Business Simulator (2025 Video Game) - on Playstation

Review by Jon Donnis

Motel Business Simulator, released in 2025 on PlayStation and published by Nostra Games, puts players firmly in the role of a motel manager. From the moment you step behind the front desk, the game tasks you with juggling housekeeping, guest satisfaction, and property upgrades. It is a straightforward management experience that keeps things simple, offering a glimpse into the logistics of running a roadside motel.

One of the game's strongest features is its addictive core loop. Cleaning rooms, furnishing them, and renting them out provides a satisfying rhythm, particularly during the early stages. The progression system, which includes achievements and opportunities to upgrade and expand the motel, adds a clear sense of purpose. For its price point, (£6.49) the game delivers good value, making it accessible for those looking for a casual management simulation.

On the other hand, the gameplay can become repetitive once the motel is fully operational. The early variety of tasks gradually gives way to a routine of repeating similar actions. Graphically, the game feels dated, with visuals that lack polish compared to other titles in the genre. Players seeking deeper management mechanics may find the options restrictive, as the game does not provide much beyond maintaining rooms, handling supplies, and keeping guests satisfied.

Motel Business Simulator is a decent, no-frills simulator. It offers enough engagement for a short playthrough or a casual gaming session, but it lacks the depth and variety to sustain longer-term interest. The straightforward approach is both a strength and a limitation, making it approachable but somewhat shallow for dedicated simulation fans.

Score: 6/10 - A simple, accessible management game that delivers a basic motel experience but lacks lasting depth.

Out Now on Playstation

https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/concept/10015006/

REVIEW: Sonic Wings Reunion (2025 Video Game) - For Nintendo Switch

Review by Jon Donnis

There's something oddly comforting about a game that still looks and feels like it just rolled out of a 90s arcade cabinet. Sonic Wings Reunion, or Aero Fighters Reunion if you prefer the Western name, is exactly that. A throwback to the days when your job was simple: fly up the screen, shoot anything that moves, and try not to blink.

I'll admit, as someone who sank hours into the SNES version back in the day, as well as spending a fair wodge of coin in the arcade game, firing this up gave me that instant jolt of nostalgia. The pixel art isn't trying to impress anyone, and maybe that's what I like about it. It's rough in places, sure, but it's faithful to what those games looked like. You can almost hear the hum of an arcade cabinet behind it.

To its credit, there's a decent amount packed in. You've got more than eight characters, each flying their own aircraft with little quirks, and eight stages that whisk you around the world in rapid bursts of colour and chaos. 

The local co-op is still a joy, especially if you've got someone who remembers how to weave through a wall of enemy fire. And the Tate Mode, where you can flip the screen into a proper vertical setup, is a thoughtful touch for purists.

But let's be honest, the price hurts. Somewhere between £25 and £33 for what's essentially an old-school shooter feels off. Nostalgia only stretches so far, and this one pushes it. The soundtrack doesn't help much either. It's serviceable, but there's not a single tune that sticks. You'll hear it once and forget it ten minutes later.

That said, I still found myself having a good time. Maybe that's habit talking, maybe it's comfort. There's something satisfying about that familiar panic when the screen floods with bullets and you somehow scrape through untouched. It's not thrilling in a modern sense, but it scratches a very specific itch.

Sonic Wings Reunion isn't going to win over anyone new, and maybe it doesn't care to. It feels made for the people who were there the first time round. I can't quite decide if that's charming or lazy, but it works well enough.

Score: 7 out of 10.

Out Now on Nintendo Switch

https://amzn.to/3W7oEkP

REVIEW: MotoTrials™ (2025 Video Game) - A Brutal, Beautiful Little Gauntlet

Review by Jon Donnis

You wake in a shipping container, groggy and disoriented, and the game makes you figure out a few things first before allowing you to get on a bike, the very first puzzle is a simple one, you need to remove your handcuffs, find a giant saw, turn your back to it, time it right and voila you are free, get it wrong and you are shredded to pieces. That blunt opening sets the tone. MotoTrials™ is a compact, 100 per cent physics-driven motorcycle platformer that asks one simple thing of you. Learn the machine. Keep trying. Survive the gauntlet.

Ricky is not a hero with a backstory laid out in cutscenes. He is a name, a body and a bike, and the environment does the talking. The concrete labyrinth is industrial and claustrophobic, full of moving platforms, flame jets, crushers and bridges that give way underfoot. The design merges tight, exacting sequences where momentum and balance matter as well as reflex and quick thinking. Everything is governed by the physics, crashes feel consequential and recoveries feel earned. That honesty makes success quietly thrilling.

Controls are the heart of the thing. The bike behaves like a real object. Throttle, brake and lean change outcomes in an immediate, tactile way. At first it is unforgiving, because the bike is twitchy and your timing will be off. Spend a little time with it and the reward is big. Landings that would feel like luck in a scripted game become obvious once you understand speed and weight, and those moments are where MotoTrials lives. Checkpoints are placed with an eye for balance. Instant respawns mean you are nudged back into the loop rather than punished out of it. The loop is short, sharp and addictive.

The decision to include on-foot sections is bold. I prefer riding, personally, but the occasional moment where you leave the bike to solve a small puzzle adds variety. It is not flawless. Ricky's movement on foot can feel slightly floaty, and that undermines the otherwise consistent relationship between input and result. When the physics that make the bike sing do not translate perfectly to the character, the contrast pulls you out of the experience for a second. Still, those small puzzles break the rhythm in a useful way and stop the game from being relentless in one gear.

Story and voice work do more than you might expect. Cryptic messages and unsettling vocal lines stitch a loose narrative into the gameplay. Ashley and Crusty are memorable in different ways, MOM and Silent Mike add flavour, and the Announcer keeps things eerily formal. The cast does not handhold. Instead, it hints and teases, and that ambiguity works with the environment to create an atmosphere that is quietly unsettling. It does not aim to be profound, just unnerving enough to make you keep listening on the off chance the next line will spell something out.

Visually the game is modest. Textures and models are functional rather than showy. Lighting and sound do the heavy lifting for mood, and they do it well. The soundtrack is minimalist and atmospheric, shifting as you progress and underlining the tension without getting in the way. Together with the voice work it pushes the small studio presentation into something that feels cohesive rather than unfinished.

There are rough edges you should know about. The graphics could be cleaner, and a few physics quirks crop up away from the bike. Some transitions feel abrupt. These are the sorts of issues you forgive if you care more about the loops and less about visual polish. For a project that, by all appearances, was made on a modest budget, the trade-offs are understandable. The core mechanics are intact, and that is the main thing.

Replayability is solid for what it is. Time runs, collectibles tucked into awkward places and a handful of hidden secrets give players reasons to return after the first clear run. It is a short game if you rush, a bite-sized challenge if you take your time. That brevity helps it avoid filler, which feels intentional.

I am pretty strict with Trials-style games. I expect tight, fair design and a feeling that every failure can be learned from. MotoTrials meets that expectation more often than not. It stumbles in small spots, but it kept pulling me back, which is the highest compliment I can pay. It is a lean, occasionally rough gem that rewards patience and practice.

Score: 8 out of 10. It is not polished to excess, but it nails the satisfaction of learning a machine and beating the course. I hope ProudArts gets the chance to expand on this.

Out Now on Xbox

https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/mototrials/9N8GC20N1R76/0010