The 15 best Xbox Series S/X games to play in 2025
Thirteen years after the original game, cursed horror author Alan Wake returns, now trapped in an alternate dimension and determined to write his way out, while FBI agents close in on the mysterious town of Bright Falls.
Why we love it: 'a thoroughly entertaining blend of detective procedural and surrealist survival horror.' Read the full review.
One of the greatest role-playing fantasy games of the modern era, providing players with almost as much narrative and imaginative freedom as a table-top D&D adventure as they face off against the mighty mind-flayers.
Why we love it: 'It's a towering landmark of an RPG. Bustling with life, brimming with scope, and bursting with imagination.' Read the full review.
The long-awaited sequel to Double Fine's cult 3D platformer sees the return of psychic acrobat secret agent Raz embarking on a mission to root out a dangerous new adversary.
Why we love it: 'I've rarely played anything that is so unashamedly itself. Each hour is different, each character distinct and memorable, each new psychic playground full of surprises.' Read the full review.
Hideo Kojima's elegiac science-fiction adventure is like nothing else you'll ever play, a post-apocalyptic quest to save humanity, following a parcel courier with an extremely valuable and unlikely parcel.
Why we love it: 'This uncompromising, unashamedly political work of artistic intent is 2019's most interesting blockbuster game by a distance.' Read the full review.
A grandiose fantasy opera from the makers of Dark Souls, filled with spectacular landscapes, bizarre characters and seemingly insurmountable bosses. Complete with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC it's a challenging and engrossing open world like no other.
Why we love it: 'This is a massive world, astonishingly rendered (the sun and moon wheel in the sky, casting each scene anew) and seemingly limitless in its creative diversity. It is an unrivalled feat of design and inventiveness.' Read the full review.
A beautiful open-world driving game providing hundreds of square miles of the British countryside to explore while racing other drivers, completing challenges and collecting stunningly modelled supercars.
Why we love it: 'As driving games go, it's the best I've ever played, not only because of its irresistible scenery, exhilarating driving and perfectly recreated cars, but because spending time with it puts me in a lasting good mood.' Read the full review.
Fight your way out of hell while enjoying the horny shenanigans of ancient Greek gods. Has there ever been a more attractive premise for a Rogue-like action role-playing romp?
Why we love it: 'Interesting things happen all the time, and no matter how long I spend with Hades I feel like I am only just getting acquainted with it.' Read the full review.
Better known for its horror adventure series The Evil Within, Tokyo studio Tango Gameworks surprised us all with this stomping rhythm action brawler where enemies, action and hallucinogenic environments are all in sync with the infectious beat.
Why we love it: 'As brazenly colourful as a Jet Set Radio fever dream, it's refreshing to play a game that is so unashamedly music-centred.' Read the full review.
The ultimate crafting adventure, providing a vast procedurally generated world to explore and an almost limitless range of activities from building castles, to fighting zombies, to competing in mini games. Fifteen years old and showing no sign of running out of ideas.
Why we love it: 'By constructing the world from 1x1 blocks that can be arranged in every imaginable combination, Minecraft is perhaps the closest we have to a true god game.' Read the full review.
In an Alpine Bavarian village during the 16th century a young artist sets out to solve a series of gruesome murders. With luscious visuals inspired by illuminated manuscripts of the era, this is an extraordinary detective adventure.
Why we love it: 'It provides a wonderfully evocative window into the past […] a gift to any player who longs for a historical setting that's more than a surface texture.' Read the full review.
A group of Tokyo high-school students develop incredible powers and set out to battle evil and corruption – while also falling in and out of messy adolescent love. Part sprawling metaphysical role-playing game, part super cute dating sim.
Why we love it: 'With its stylish cuts and transitions, loose and unorthodox structure and real-world setting Persona 5 is unlike any other video game. Its depth and texture far outstrips even earlier games in the series.' Read the full review.
Arguably the greatest ever survival horror game, brought bang up to date while retaining its mix of bloody thrills, cunning puzzles and truly horrible monsters.
Why we love it: 'It is resplendent, delicious and decadent, like an incredibly rich banquet served amid the detritus of some horrible battle.' Read the full review.
Effectively a pirate fantasy simulator, player crews take to the high seas together, discovering buried treasure and battling with other buccaneers. A rollicking co-op adventure filled with memorable moments of shared excitement and hilarity.
Why we love it: 'You'll laugh, you'll sail, you'll drink grog until you're sick. What a luscious, singular sandbox experience.' Read the full updated review.
Gruff monster hunter Geralt takes on his defining quest as he searches for his adopted daughter Ciri through a chaotic world of giant beasts and warring factions. Memorable characters and a rich seam of romantic tension bring depth to the destruction.
Why we love it: 'Geralt has a Swiss army knife of interactive tools, and his set of abilities offer a uniquely varied and diverse journey'. Read the full review.
This hilarious, shambolic and gripping refresh for the Yakuza series features low-level gangster Ichiban Kasuga attempting to get his life back in order on the mean streets of Yokohama. Come for the fights, stay for the karaoke.
Why we love it: 'Like a Dragon preserves the old-fashioned, somewhat unreconstructed vibe of the previous Yakuza games, while adding a new twist that diverts it into a different genre […] a very Japanese, gangster-themed, interactive comedy soap opera'. Read the full review.
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Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Producer of missing Amy Lynn Bradley Netflix doc reveal new leads since series aired & believe she is alive 27 years on
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE producer of the hit Netflix documentary about a missing woman who vanished on a family cruise more than 27 years ago says they have received new tips related to her case. Amy Lynn Bradley disappeared without a trace in March 1998 after boarding the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas with her parents, Ron and Iva, and her younger brother Brad. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Netflix: Amy Bradley is Missing has become a top-watched show on the streamer Credit: Netflix 6 Amy was with her parents and brother aboard the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas Credit: Netflix 6 A bass player nicknamed 'Yellow' on the ship was suspected but ruled out by the FBI Credit: Netflix The family trip began in Puerto Rico and first stopped in Aruba. Just three days into the trip, on March 23, Amy disappeared after spending the night socializing and dancing at the ship's nightclub until the early hours of the morning. She was last seen asleep on the balcony in the family's shared cabin, but no evidence suggests she fell or jumped from the railing. When her father woke up, he couldn't find his daughter and alerted the ship's security crew, but they found no sign of her, and cameras failed to capture any last movements. Amy Lynn Bradley CRUISE MYSTERY About Amy Bradley: Woman who went missing on Rhapsody of the Seas cruise The case has gripped the true crime community for years, and alleged witnesses speak out in the documentary to suggest she may have been sex-trafficked. She was last seen dancing with a bass player who was performing with a band on the trip, Alister Douglas, whose nickname was "Yellow," although he has always maintained his innocence. His daughter, Amica, suspects her father was involved in Amy's disappearance and is seen in the three-part Netflix series grilling him during a tense phone call, in which he insists he has nothing to hide. Filmmaker Ari Mark, who worked with fellow producer Phil Lott on the series, spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun after it became a Top 10 show on the streamer. He said, "[We're] very pleased with very pleased with how the series has been received. The 'buzz' around the show is incredible. "That's what we want. The more people that know Amy's story - the better." Asked if the team had received any possible leads since its release that have been passed on to police or the FBI, he said they had, but they don't want to get their hopes up just yet. "We have had a few leads come in, but I can't discuss them and they're not verified yet, so they may very likely be false leads," he said, as they can get hoax calls, or people getting information wrong. "This was always about one thing: finding Amy," he went on. "But to ensure that the audience is activated, they have to want to help. "To use Iva Bradley's words, they are 'over the moon' that Amy's story is finally getting this level of attention. Everyone in the world now knows her name. "I prefer to believe that Amy is alive. But there's so little tangible official 'evidence' in this case that it's impossible to know. "So much gray area, especially when it comes to timelines. "Remember, no cell phones and virtually no cameras, so we really can't track people's whereabouts, which means we can't take anything as fact." SEX WORKER MYSTERY One of the aspects only briefly touched on in the documentary is how the family's cabin was cleaned before the police were able to look for evidence and deem it a potential crime scene. Mark admitted the cleaner's identity remains unknown, and it is unclear whether a small table on the balcony could have been moved closer to the railing. Her sandals were placed side by side, and a t-shirt was lying on the arm of the chair she'd been sitting on, while her cigarettes were missing, and only an ashtray remained on the table. "Allegedly, 'cruise security' was responsible for questioning their crew," Mark said. He added that they did search for evidence that Amy had jumped or fallen into the water, saying, "They absolutely looked and came up with nothing. "They did find Amy's fingerprints around the cabin, but the whole family's fingerprints were all over the room, so it wasn't really 'evidence.'" One of the most shocking parts of the documentary saw experts review photographs published on a sex worker website years later that showed a woman clad in lingerie. The woman had strikingly similar features to Amy, and her family said they fear it could be her years on. Asked his opinion on the legitimacy of the photographs, Mark said, "I really don't know. We tend to air on the side of something happened to her vs accident. "One thing we do know with missing person cases is that there usually is some elusive piece of evidence out there, but the universe needs to align to bring that thing or person forward." FBI REWARD Asked about the theory that Douglas could have been involved in her disappearance, Mark confirmed his lie detector test was "inconclusive" despite reports he passed, but he was cleared by police. Mark simply said, "I feel awful for the Douglas family and what they've had to endure all these years." Does he have any advice for anyone who has information but is terrified to come forward? He said, "I would say to them: look at this family. Look at the pain this has caused. And look at the millions of people that want to help. "That has to be enough for someone to muster the courage to speak out." He added that Amy's family is "understandably shattered and lives in a constant state of not knowing." Mark added, "Gaining their trust has been a journey, but their warmth, sense of family, and strength has been something that everyone who worked on this show has admired and rallied behind." Timeline of Amy Lynn Bradley's last hours before her disappearance March 23, 1998, evening Amy Lynn Bradley and her brother, Brad, attended a dance party at the ship's disco, where they were seen with members of the ship's band. The ship was sailing from Aruba to Curaçao. March 24, 1998, 3:35 a.m. Brad Bradley returned to the family cabin, followed five minutes later by Amy, after a night of dancing and drinking. They sat on the balcony and talked before Brad went to sleep. March 24, 1998, 5:15 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. Amy's father, Ron Bradley, woke up briefly and saw Amy asleep on a lounge chair on their cabin's balcony. This is the last confirmed sighting of her by her family. March 24, 1998, 5:30 a.m. to 5:45 a.m. Three witnesses later claimed to have seen Amy on an upper deck of the ship with Alister "Yellow" Douglas, a member of the ship's band, and said he was seen leaving alone shortly after 6 a.m. March 24, 1998, 6:00 a.m. When Ron Bradley woke up again, Amy was no longer on the balcony, but her shoes were still in the cabin, and her cigarettes and lighter were missing. He began to search the ship for her. March 24, 1998, 6:30 a.m. The family reported Amy missing to the ship's crew and asked that passengers be prevented from disembarking, but their request was denied. The ship had already docked in Curaçao. March 24, 1998, 7:50 a.m. The ship made a public announcement for Amy to come to the purser's desk, but by this time, many of the passengers had already disembarked. A full ship search was conducted later in the day, but no sign of Amy was found. March 24-27, 1998 The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard conducted a four-day air and sea search for Amy around Curaçao and Aruba, but no trace of her was ever found. Authorities initially considered the possibility that she fell overboard, but this theory was later dismissed. The FBI has a page dedicated to Amy's disappearance and a separate website that features images of what she could potentially look like today. The page states, "The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the recovery of Amy Lynn Bradley and information that leads to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person(s) responsible for her disappearance." She is described as standing at 5-feet-6-inches, and weighing 120 pounds with green eyes and short brown hair. 6 Amy pictured with her brother Brad who is still desperately trying to find her Credit: Netflix 6 The young woman went missing after a night out drinking and dancing on the ship Credit: Netflix
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
Excelling in … Excel? Inside the high-stakes, secretive world of competitive spreadsheeting
Six years ago, Melbourne-based film-maker Kristina Kraskov read an article about an international Microsoft Excel competition and had two thoughts. The first: 'What the hell, that can't be real.' The second: 'There's got to be a film about this – I want to watch it so badly.' There wasn't a film about competitive spreadsheeting, so Kraskov decided to make it herself. The subject appealed to the director, whose work captures 'different inner worlds that are a bit unusual on the outside', including a short film titled Party in the Back, about a mullet festival. Spreadsheet Champions, which will screen at the Melbourne international film festival, follows six young competitors from around the world as they head to Florida for the 2023 Microsoft Office Specialist world championship to showcase their skills. It might sound silly, but Excel is an incredibly sophisticated application – according to the documentary, the average person uses only 10-15% of its capabilities, but would-be competitors are required to understand closer to 70% of what it can do. The competition is built and run by Certiport, a performance-based examination provider, and officially endorsed by Microsoft. It's a two-parter: the first half tests proficiency in formulas, functions and features through a series of complex questions, graded on both accuracy and speed. The second section is a more creative application of this knowledge – as Kraskov puts it, 'understanding the story of the data, or the soul of what it is actually telling you'. The championship has run since 2002 and is open to students between the ages of 13 and 22. Each competitor first has to qualify as the best in their home country. For such an esoteric endeavour, the stakes are oddly high – the MOS championship only allows competitors to enter once in their lives. 'In most sporting competitions, you have your main players that come back every year and your very set rivalries – but for this competition, they can only compete once, so everyone that's coming through can never come back,' Kraskov says. 'They qualify in their home countries at vastly different times around the world, so it made it really challenging for us – but as soon as anyone qualified in a country that we could go to, we would talk to them on Zoom, and work our way down from there.' The six competitors in Spreadsheet Champions are Alkimini, 20, from Greece; Braydon, 16, from Australia; Carmina, 16, from Guatemala; De La Paix, 19, from Cameroon (who doesn't have a laptop or wifi, so had to study at school); Mason, 15, from the US; and Nam, 21, from Vietnam. Each contestant has personality quirks which shine through in the film – from the camera-shy and stereotypically 'nerdy' to the charismatic and boisterous. 'Our intention is really about how amazing this competition is – we're not here to make fun of or disparage anyone,' Kraskov says. Kraskov and the film's producer, Anna Charalambous, spent about a week with each competitor in their home country, observing their day-to-day lives, from home to school, and spending time with their family and friends. 'People reveal themselves a lot if you just pay attention to how they live their lives,' Kraskov says. 'Teenagers are not quite fully formed adults yet, so they don't really connect things about themselves or their personalities – they just live their lives. The parents were so insightful and knowledgable about their kids – it gave us a lot of information about how they would potentially thrive or struggle, and who they really were.' Many of the contest's specifics are shrouded in secrecy, which posed another challenge for the film-makers. The competition is overseen by a man named – in a wonderful example of nominative determinism – Bing. 'It's so high-level security,' Kraskov says. 'Bing eventually trusted us and gave us questions that would be retired … At the end of the day, he has to deliver a hardcore, secure, world-expert level exam the next year, and our priority is to show the complexity of what it is and what they're doing.' Participating in the MOS Championship can set these kids up for adult life. Carmina, the Guatemalan competitor, is now 18 and studying mechatronics engineering at university. In the film, she is shown as a bubbly, bright teenager who loves One Direction (she still does) and excels at, well, Excel. Watching the documentary transported Carmina back to the competition and her younger self – and made her realise what she took from the experience. 'I knew the results already, but watching it again [I felt] a little bit of suspense,' she says. 'I tend to doubt a little bit of myself and with that experience [of competing] I learned to just go into it and try things out … It helped me a lot.' Spreadsheet Champions had its world premiere at SXSW in Texas earlier this year and five of the six students will be in Melbourne to attend Miff. Kraskov is proud to shine a light on them – everyday people doing something a little different with their lives. 'Celebrities, musicians and models get plenty of attention,' she says. 'But people that dedicate their lives to things that a lot of people don't care about – I find that so much more fascinating.' Spreadsheet Champions airs at the Melbourne international film festival from 10-24 August; see here for all dates and locations.
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Why is Sony trying to kill the concept of the video game console?
A reader worries that Sony's plans to make more of their games multiformat will destroy the entire concept of consoles, as they follow the same path as Xbox. At this point I think it's clear that Xbox is dead. They're the biggest publishers in the West but at such a terrible cost it's almost poetic. No one's buying their hardware and no one is ever likely to again. All the famous Xbox exclusive franchises are not only about to be not exclusive but they're just one more disaster away from being dead franchises. Xbox basically doesn't exist anymore, the way it used to be. All it is, is the combination of Activision Blizzard and Bethesda. Everything else is an insignificant extra, that will probably end up being shut down in short order. It's a classic example of being careful what you wish for but disturbing because, like all rich bullies, Microsoft is now pretending that, actually, they meant to do that and rather than feel bad about turning the industry on its head they're just going to carry on and make things worse. And I'm afraid that Sony is now doing the same thing. Given Microsoft is many times their size, Sony should never have had a chance against them, if they were run by competent people. Call me naïve, but if I were Sony and I saw my long-time rival on the ropes I'd give them the old one-two and finish them off for good. As we've seen though they've done the opposite. It almost seems like they're trying to copy Microsoft, except without the infinite funds and not owning two of the biggest publishers in the world. Suddenly, Sony doesn't care for exclusives and they're embracing multiformat releases, even though that makes absolutely no sense for their business. Sure, they will make more money in the short term, but in the long term… there will be no long term if they destroy the whole concept of a video game console. If you want to play Xbox games now you've got two choices: buy a dying console that Xbox aren't even bothering to sell in some countries now or play them on PC or streaming. Microsoft make money out of this, of course, but they have no control over those formats and so they become just like any other publisher, like EA or Ubisoft. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. There are two basic reasons to buy a console: the lack of fuss and bother (and generally lower price) compared to a PC and the exclusive games. I have long said that Sony releasing their exclusives on PC is a mistake because while you get some short term cash from it you're eating away at the reason anyone would buy a console in the first place. But now we hear that the August release of Helldivers 2 on Xbox Series X/S is not going to be a one-off, that Sony wants to release more games on Xbox and Nintendo Switch. Anything to make the smallest amount of extra money now, even if it means destroying their future forever. Is Sony short of cash or something? Are their financials so bad they have to do the corporate equivalent of going to the pawn shop to make it to the end of the week? Not as far as I know, but that's what they're doing anyway. There seems no point me even complaining at this point, as not only are they obviously not going to listen to me or any other fan but it seems to late. Sony had two choices when Microsoft messed up: go all out to show how good the PlayStation 5 and its line-up of exclusives is or… just sort of roll up and die for no reason. And yes, I know the PlayStation 5 is still selling well but that's because it's the only game in town at the moment, now the Xbox Series X/S has gone to an early grave. But every year the PC becomes more and more popular and that's only going to accelerate as one of the main reasons to buy a console is removed. It's not the end of gaming or anything – third party games will be unaffected – but the sort of exclusive games that Sony used to make are going to become rarer and rarer. They already are but when they don't need them to show off their console, and act like a killer app, they'll just keep reducing the budgets and the number of them they make until they don't bother at all. More Trending In the end, Sony will become a third party publisher too and even more choice and variety will be removed from the games industry. By reader Dunbar The reader's features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@ or use our Submit Stuff page and you won't need to send an email. MORE: The Nintendo Switch 2 is the closest thing to a modern day Commodore Amiga – Reader's Feature MORE: Star Wars Outlaws is Ubisoft's best game and you should get it now it's cheap - Reader's Feature MORE: It is madness that Konami still hasn't made a new Castlevania - Reader's Feature
