Midnight Deluxe wants to come across as a calm and relaxing game and tries its very best to do so. Unfortunately, it suffers from some fiddly controls and an over reliance on luck rather than a well-placed shot
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.
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.
It is very basic and should last no longer than a few nights to complete, but with a price as low as this it is difficult to expect anymore.
I was having a brilliant time with Romancing SaGa 2 before the glaring issues of the battle system came to light. Its non-linearity was ground breaking at the time and as a result, it certainly stands up even today. Even the soundtrack was hugely enjoyable. But those battle mechanics have ruined this game for me.
Sadly, Monstrum on the Xbox One is a poor attempt at an interesting concept. The abandoned ship isn’t the most unique setting for a horror game but being pursued by a bloodthirsty monster should provide at least some tension. Instead it is a laborious plod through samey corridors where sometimes being caught by the monster is preferable than having to perform the same objectives over and over again just to escape.
You should go into PBA Pro Bowling 2021 on Xbox not expecting too much, but even then you will probably find yourself disappointed by what is on offer, alongside becoming pretty bored during events.
It is tough to recommend Hyposphere: Rebirth on Xbox to anyone other than achievement hunters, and even then it is probably best to still avoid it.