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/

REVIEW: Train Valley Origins (2025 Video Game) - Released on PC Steam

Review by Jon Donnis

Train Valley Origins is a charming and quietly clever entry in the long-running train management series from Flazm. While its name hints at something nostalgic, Origins is no lazy rehash. It strips the formula back to its basics, capturing what worked in the earlier games and leaving behind the fussier mechanics that bogged down its immediate predecessor. The result? A clean, focused, and highly replayable puzzler that delivers satisfying strategy in bite-sized doses.

The setup is instantly familiar. You're looking down on a colourful world, laying tracks and managing switches to shepherd trains from station to station without causing mayhem. It sounds easy until it isn't. With multiple trains on the move, limited track space, and a growing list of constraints to juggle, things get hectic quickly. But the design is tight, and the rules are clear. There's rarely a moment where you feel cheated by the game, just bested.

Each level offers a self-contained puzzle, often with extra challenges layered in. Some ask you to complete the map without ever stopping a train. Others tempt you to take on bonus deliveries while keeping everything on schedule. It's these optional objectives that bring out the obsessive side, pushing you to replay levels until you've nailed that elusive perfect run.

Visually, the game leans into a clean, minimalist style. Bright colours, neatly animated locomotives, and clear interfaces make everything easy to read, even when things get hectic. It may not be a visual showcase, but it's thoughtfully designed. The aesthetic feels more functional than flashy, but it's undeniably charming in its own right.

One of the game's best features is the variety of settings. You move through four distinct historical periods and locations, from the dusty grit of the Wild West to the frosty terrain of Norway. The trains evolve with the eras, and there's genuine pleasure in unlocking new models and viewing them in the game's Shed, a kind of virtual garage that adds a subtle collecting element.

What Train Valley Origins does especially well is keep you engaged without overwhelming you. It avoids the over-complication that turned some players away from Train Valley 2, sticking instead to a more accessible core loop. That simplicity is what makes it sing. It's a game that trusts its mechanics and doesn't try to overextend them.

There are drawbacks, though. The lack of significant innovation over the first game is noticeable, particularly if you've spent a lot of time with the series already. At times, it can feel like a reworked version of Train Valley 1 rather than a full evolution. And while the upcoming level editor promises longevity, it's not here yet. That means the game currently lives or dies on its built-in content.

There's also the matter of presentation and price. For some, the game's browser-like look and mobile-style pacing might make the near £10 price point feel steep. It doesn't have the polish or scale of a full PC title, and if you're not already into this genre, it might be a harder sell.

Still, for puzzle fans, transport sim lovers, or anyone who enjoyed the earlier Train Valley titles, this is a very easy recommendation. It's focused, fun, and easy to lose an hour in without realising it. Most importantly, it's the kind of game you find yourself booting up again the day after you've sworn you were done with it. And that says more than any feature list ever could.

Score: 8.5 / 10

Train Valley Origins is a delightful return to form. It's simple, satisfying, and full of personality. Once the level editor arrives, it might just be the best in the series.

Out now on Steam

REVIEW: Blades of Fire (2025 Video Game) - A Game of Hot Steel and Cold Frustration

Review by Jon Donnis

There's a lot to admire about Blades of Fire, the latest third-person action-adventure from MercurySteam, published by 505 Games for Xbox. The moment you step into Aran de Lira's world, with its lore-rich backdrop and striking visual design, it's clear that this game isn't trying to copy anyone. It introduces its own rules and rhythms, drawing you into a land shaped by ancient giants and cursed monarchs. But while the ambition is obvious, the execution doesn't always hit the mark.

Set in a world once ruled by a race called the Forgers, the game builds its premise on a strong narrative hook. The Forgers gave humanity the power to work steel, but Queen Nerea has flipped that gift on its head, turning steel to stone with a spell. You play as Aran, a warrior with ties to the royal family and a painful past, now armed with a sacred hammer that lets him defy Nerea's curse by crafting his own weapons. Alongside him is Adso, a scholarly companion who takes on puzzle-solving duties and helps break down enemy tactics in a travel book that doubles as an evolving strategy guide.

The story works well in its simplicity. It doesn't overload you with exposition, but the fragments of lore you uncover along the way are just enough to keep you invested. It's all fairly digestible, which is refreshing in a genre that often leans into convoluted fantasy. Aran himself is not a particularly expressive lead, but the emotional weight of his mission comes through clearly enough, especially with Adso adding moments of levity and insight along the way.

Visually, the game is stunning. There's a distinctive look to each region of its interconnected world, with layers of hidden paths and secrets waiting to be uncovered. The issue is how you get to them. Movement feels limited. Aran can't jump, and that restriction makes exploration clunky and frustrating. There are far too many instances where you're wandering around in circles, unsure of where to go next. A simple instruction like "find the castle" can easily become a long-winded hunt through areas that offer no real clues or satisfaction. The game doesn't do much to guide you, which might appeal to some, but I found it more irritating than immersive.

Combat is clearly intended to be a major draw. There's a good amount of depth here, with options to attack from either side, focus on specific body parts, and experiment with different attack types. Blocking regenerates stamina, and parrying gives you a solid opening to land a heavier hit. But the actual feel of combat can be uneven. The mechanics sound great on paper, but they often lack the precision and responsiveness you'd expect. It's not broken, but there's a stiffness that never quite goes away, especially when switching weapons mid-battle, which happens a lot due to the enemy colour-coding system.

The forging system, which sits at the heart of the gameplay, is a mixed bag. On one hand, it's inventive. You collect Forge Scrolls, and at anvils scattered across the world, you get to customise weapons by altering length, blade shape, and materials. There's even a hammering minigame to physically shape your tools. On paper, it should be the standout feature. In practice, it quickly becomes a chore. The level of tweaking feels more like busywork than meaningful progression, and the interface doesn't help matters. It's fiddly and not particularly intuitive, and considering how essential the system is, that becomes a real problem. When forging ends up being the weakest part of a game that revolves around it, there's an issue.

There's still plenty of value here. The world is richly imagined, the story keeps you engaged without overwhelming you, and there's a good variety of enemies to tackle. Adso is a likeable and useful companion, and some of the puzzle-solving elements do a great job of breaking up the pace. It's just that too many parts feel disconnected. The backtracking feels artificial. The level design is often confusing. The forging, which should elevate the game, drags it down instead. There are moments when it all clicks, but they're too scattered to leave a lasting impression.

Blades of Fire deserves credit for originality, and it's clear a lot of care went into its creation. But it's one of those games that ends up being more interesting than it is enjoyable. With tighter combat, better movement, and a serious overhaul of the forging system, it could have been something really special. As it stands, it's a decent game with flashes of brilliance that never quite pull together.

A solid 7 out of 10 feels fair. It's got heart, but it needed sharper edges.

Out Now on Xbox and PS5

https://amzn.to/441BaHc