XboxEra's Reviews
NBA 2K25 features phenomenal on-court action, every major mode you could hope for, and is one of the prettiest games of all time. Whether you’re a mtx loving maniac or just looking to shoot some hoops like you’re an all-star it has never been a better time to jump into this long-running franchise.
Star Trucker can be as relaxing or sweaty as you like. While the main story’s writing wasn’t the best it was more than made up for by how solid the rest of the title is. It looks great, feels damned good to play, and I could see it easily becoming a new go-to podcast game for millions of Game Pass players.
Overall the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is a great kit of two very fun adventure titles. Alongside new quality-of-life features and development documents on characters and environments, this collection finally completes the series’ transition to modern platforms and brings an untranslated game westward for the first time. Highly recommended for Ace Attorney fans who’ve never played these games before. ∎
I think you won’t be disappointed. If they can fix some of the AI problems and balance issues in future patches, Age of Mythology can truly stand among its peers. It might even become the true fan favorite it was always destined to be. Maybe we should ask the gods for their favor and start praying.
STAR WARS Outlaws is the dream 3rd-person open world title so many of us wanted. It’s big, and fun, and while it has some flaws I have greatly enjoyed my time with it. A massive progression blocking soft-lock is a bit of a bummer and instead of this being a final score it’s going to be a review-in-progress one as I wait to see the rest of the title once it’s fixed.
With a great technical background, too, what's a bit lacking is the inventive in the single player campaign, with merely a largely repetitive sequence of events to beat with little reason or rhyme - one that even shows how little variety the game itself has, as of now, before all DLC or eventual sequels arrive. Personally, that's a prospect I really look forward to, because Monster Jam Showdown's base gameplay is really good, so I'd really love to see the format get expanded upon from here on.
Schim is cute, charming, and has a surprisingly emotional look into the themes of depression and midlife crisis. Perhaps it could dig deeper into its arguments, and maybe even dare a bit more with its gamepaly. Similarly, with a length of only about 3 hours and limited replayability, the launch price of 24.99USD/24,99EUR feels a little excessive, and I would absolutely recommend waiting for a sale. But when that sale does arrive, give Schim your consideration: it’s a quite beautiful little game with an intriguing concept and even a good message to give to its players.
Fans of third person action adventure games should definitely consider playing Kena: Bridge of Spirits, with accessibility options and a story mode difficulty allowing even newcomers to videogames to enjoy this colourful, cartoon-esque journey.
Pepper Grinder is short, fun, and nails what it’s going for. It’s fun solo but if you can convince a few curious friends the leaderboard system could give you way more than four hours of a good time.
Creatures of Ava is an excellent title, and it’s on Game Pass at launch. If you want a game that lets you explore a gorgeous alien planet, get your inner photographer on, and know when to mix in its version of combat then I think it is well worth a download.
SteamWorld Heist II is a delight. Brilliant tactical combat is mixed with a clever story, great music, and engaging progression. Whether you’ve played the first title or not if you’re into turn-based, strategic combat then this is one to check out.
STAR WARS Bounty Hunter is a competent port of a mediocre title. Aspyr has done its best to make the game look and run as well as it can while modernizing the controls. At $20 it will come down to how nostalgic you’re feeling for one of gaming’s biggest franchises’ more mediocre entries.
Sweep the Board is a fun party game that’ll hold you and your family slash friends’ attention for the night. If you don’t have any of that, you could always go online and make new ones that way. But I think you’ll get most of your mileage out of this game by being a fan of Demon Slayer.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is a lot of fun if you engage with all of it. At first, I was flying through the main quest before I slowed down and explored every inch of each map. Once I made that change I went from enjoying my time to loving it. It’s not the tightest game out there, but it has a lot of great ideas that come together for a package well worth experience.
Nobody Wants to Die is an incredible experience. Engaging detective gameplay, an incredible soundtrack, and a fascinating noir-yarn come together to create one of my favorite games in a long time.
Magical Delicacy is a beautiful albeit tedious 2D Metroidvania. It’s fun is hampered by clunky platforming and resource management that get in the way of what I want to be—a witch that can cook, not a scavenger
Darkest Dungeon 2 is a beautiful, great-sounding, difficult, and addictive roguelike. If you’re into the genre then it’s an easy recommendation on whatever platform you prefer. It works great with a controller and can last 100+ hours if you want to see everything.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is experimental Capcom at its best. While some of the fights can teeter on feeling unfair the majority of the game is a glorious mix of hack-and-slash action with a heavy dose of tower defense. It’s launching directly into Game Pass and is well worth checking out for anyone looking for 14+ hours of a damned good time.
What a refreshing delight Flock is. Bright, bold and absolutely bursting with vibrant colour and the kind of charming quirkiness that constantly teases a smile; this is truly a world of creature comforts. It doesn't do a lot 'new', but what it does do, it does brilliantly. If you're an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, you should absolutely add this one to your download queue.
Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is among the best games I’ve played and easily stands alongside the other greats in this genre. Have you been waiting to play Silksong for years and years? Well you’ll still be waiting, but this game is an absolute must play. And at a reported cost of only 20 USD, I recommend Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus to anyone and everyone even tangibly interested in metroidvanias. Move aside little Knight, it’s the Lotus’s turn in the spotlight.