This is the exact low-quality nonsense that pops into most people's minds when they hear the term "licensed game." I got this game for quite cheap when it was on sale at launch, and I still feel ripped off.
Initially, I was actually rather optimistic about this game when it was first announced, the gameplay looked solid and the fact that it would receive weekly updates to tie in with the third season of the show as new episodes were released seemed like a cool premise.
Aside from the fact that I can't stand Clarkson and can't take him seriously as an authority on any subject, I rather enjoyed the show so I saw no reason to think the game would be any different.
Then it released and everything I had expected went out the window in the first 15 minutes. On launch the game included some select episodes from the first two seasons to show you the format the game would follow once season 3 began and to say it was disappointing was an understatement.
While you did get to play through episode highlights as promised, there were only about two courses made per episode, meaning the game would often make you play the same course in reverse just to pad out its "content" length.
On top of this the tracks themselves, as well as everything else in the game, felt dismal and sad. Instead of an immersive experience of speeding through the countryside in powerful hypercars, it felt more like watching someone drive RC cars across a poorly lit set.
The graphics are beyond laughable, looking like something you'd find in a mobile game around 2009, everything becoming blurry up close and the dimensions of cars being well off from their real-life counterparts.
On top of that, the sound design is some of the worst I have ever heard in a paid video game, constantly assaulting your ears with generic engine tunes and jarringly unedited character dialogue that sounds like it was recorded on a handheld tape recorder.
Multiplayer was even worse than the main game because, instead of a proper competitive racing game, the Grand Tour game opted to go the generic kart racer rout instead. Narrow tracks and awful item pickups combined with the already poor vehicle control and an unbalanced set of vehicles made this a truly hellish experience to play through.
I did play through each episode of the main game and forced myself to sit through a few hours of multiplayer content just for the Achievements but believe me when I say it wasn't worth it in the slightest.
Thank God this game has been delisted from digital storefronts due to licensing issues, so nobody else will ever have to experience this garbage ever again.

I really enjoyed this game back when my main console was my Wii U, and, after finally picking up an Xbox 360 in March of last year, knew I had to give the main version of the game a go when I found it for $6 in a used games store.
Overall, the core gameplay elements are exactly as enjoyable as I remember them being, with a good selection of cars at your disposal and a decently interactive open world to explore.
That being said, not everything here is perfect.
The racing gameplay is a lot more unforgiving than I remember from when I was younger. Races happen at incredibly high speed, especially against the Most Wanted boss cars, and with no rewinds available, one crash can completely ruin an otherwise great run. This issue is compounded by the fact that the Most Wanted opponents have a tendency to rubberband, never being more than a second or two behind you no matter how perfectly you drive.
Also, going back and playing this game after playing something with a higher framerate, such as Forza Horizon 5, can be a bit jarring as the framerate does stutter from time to time and the 30fps combined with the high speed of the races can lead to slow reaction times and annoying wrecks until you get the hang of things.
Overall though, once you adapt to some of the game's unique quirks, it is a very fun racer you can easily spend a good amount of time with.

A charming little game that made an excellent addition to Xbox Games With Gold this month.
From the music and art style to the simplistic yet non-repetitive gameplay, this game is a wonderful and relaxing experience that can be enjoyed for brief, 10-minute play sessions or for hour-long sit-downs.
If there is one issue the game has it is that the controls can feel rather clunky from time to time, at least when played on a console using thumbsitcks. While playing on Series X I noticed that the left stick (used for sideways movement in the game) has a bit of an odd dead zone and can be a bit unresponsive compared to other platformers. However it didn't take that long to adapt to controlling the game, and it really is the only blemish on an otherwise wonderful little game.

While the added variety in terms of vehicles and design options does help to make the game an improvement over its predecessor, there are still plenty of issues to be found in CSR Racing 2.
Pretty much all of the issues have more to do with the mobile gaming industry as a whole but that doesn't stop them from negatively impacting this title. From paying for better cars to skip the endless grind to paying to refill your gas tank in order to avoid a cooldown period, this game is filled with microtransactions that greatly bring down what could otherwise be a pretty alright game

Don’t get me wrong, Fallout New Vegas is still an excellent video game and a shining example of creativity when it comes to the open world genre, but some elements haven’t aged brilliantly. The controls are clunky at times and, especially in the beginning, this is a very slow game. Also, even given the style and the time period it was made in, some of the graphics and elements in the game look atrocious. The story is a bit weak in places but fairly strong overall making for a good experience for most gamers.

Fun little racing game to kill some time with but not much beyond that.
Overall, Gear Club Unlimited feels a lot like a mostly steering-based mobile racer (think Asphalt 9 Legends) but without the aggressive microtransactions.
While it isn't anything spectacular, the game has a good progression system and a decent amount of customization options to help keep players entertained.
Something that does bring it down a bit, however, is the lag and long loading times. While it doesn't show up during the actual racing portions of the game, there is often noticeable input lag in both the map screen as well as the garage-building hub. This can make the otherwise entertaining process of building and organizing your garage somewhat annoying.
Apart from that, however, Gear Club Unlimited is a fun little racing game to spend some time with while waiting to board a flight or killing time before your next class starts.

Even as made-for-kids kart racers go, Paw Patrol: Grand Prix is a truly shoddy product. Now while I will admit I am clearly not the target audience for the game, a 21-year-old with no attachment to the property the game is based on, I can confidently say that even as a kid, I would be bored by this game.
Compared to other kart racers like Mario Kart or the Sonic Racing series, Paw Patrol: Grand Prix feels incredibly slow and dull. The opponent AI is terrible on every level, and the tracks are so bland that the game practically plays itself.
While games like Sonic Racing or Mario Kart have a great variety of locations with unique visuals and memorable music, this game is a mess of reused assets and basic tracks that fail to stand out in any way.
On top of that, the cups themselves are brutally long slogs comprised of far too many races that take well over an hour to complete, meaning this game isn't even good for the achievement hunters out there.
Wether you are an adult or a child, I'd strongly suggest you steer clear of this game at all costs.

Played On: Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, iOS

Run Sausage Run! is another one of those simple infinite runner games that were designed with mobile platforms in mind but have made its way to home consoles as well. A good source of easy Achievements for Xbox owners, especially when its on sale for $1.99 as it is right now, the game has a simple yet effective art style that works decently well with the different types of environments it includes.
While not amazing, the gameplay falls under the catagory of being easy to learn but somewhat challenging to fully master as you'll have to memorize the timing of obstacles in your path.
Overall it probably isn't a game you'll go out of your way to pick up but can offer brief, 5 - 20 minute sessions of fun if you do decide to go for it.

PROS:
Very cool styalistic choices for the environments, levels, and characters. The music is good and the roster of both Plants and Zombies feels very unique and filled out. Battles can feel very rewarding, especially when overcoming a particularly difficult fight and the large amount of content means there is quite a bit of depth to the game.

CONS:
A potentially great sequel to a fantastic game brought down quite a bit by microtransactions that disrupt the game's pacing and difficulty.
The game can also be weirdly difficult at times, especially when compared to its predecessor, and requires a constant internet connection meaning it isn't a great option for plain flights or road trips if you have limited data.