A few little problems only slightly impact the overall experience, but the majority of the time it is a decent game with just the right amount of challenge in the later levels.
The ending really was disappointing, but it’s so superbly done in every other department that it really doesn’t matter. People will be talking about their experiences with Henry and Delilah rather than what happened afterwards. Find yourself a free afternoon, no distractions or spoilers, and experience Firewatch.
Star Hammer: The Vanguard Prophecy, as a name, perfectly sums up the overall experience I had with this game. It’s long, confusing, sounds promising, yet doesn’t really explain anything. Which is a shame because it’s evident from the amount of backstory available for this that a lot of time and effort has gone into making this. With a bit of polish this could be a decent RTS, but as it stands there are far too many little issues dotted throughout. And they unfortunately add up into one big issue overall.
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 is a fun little arcade game that channels the inner spirit of old school Pac-Man, but manages to create its own little niche. It’s overpriced for the amount of content, but those with the patience of a saint and a compulsion to top leaderboards will certainly get their money’s worth. For anyone else, the fun factor may be exhausted before the euphoric beats of the soundtrack subside. And it’s all a bit of a shame really, because it’s an interesting and fresh take on an age-old game. There just isn’t enough of it.
My time in Nuka-World was a bit of a mixed bag of emotions. On one hand, this is far and away the best piece of DLC for Fallout 4 in terms of location. On the other, the story had me doing things my character wouldn’t have normally done, and the Commonwealth is irreparable now because of those actions.
Poker has a bit of a chequered history in games; some have done it really well as a mini-game designed to offer only a few hours of fun. And then some games have focused purely on Poker and done a terrible job. Prominence Poker does both. A game primarily based on Texas Hold ‘Em done well and best of all, completely free. And with support ongoing long term, this looks set to be the stand out Poker game for the Xbox One.
Dungeon Punks is certainly a 2D beat ‘em up. But that comes with all the pitfalls associated with that type of game and you will quickly realise this is nothing more than a shallow grind. And being such a grind means it’s very difficult for you to die simply because of how the mechanics work and that you can only get so far before the enemies become noticeably trickier. The real challenge comes from figuring out what the controls are, and then making sure you input the right button combo just to unleash a Level 1 spell. With friends it can be enjoyable, but on your own you will struggle to see this through to the conclusion.
Song of the Deep tends to be your typical indie game fare; harking back to the older generations of gaming with the 2D side-scroller appearance, but having a big heart and an emotional story, with a very predictable ending. But that’s okay, as it doesn’t try and do anything different by offering a big twist at the end. Gameplay wise it can get a little boring and dull after a while, but it is well paced and doesn’t feel overly long or overly short. It just feels right. It is flawed elsewhere but after 12 hours underwater with Merryn and her new found friends, I am content and pleased that I got to experience this game.