Jesse Norris's Reviews
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown is an instant classic. Full of reverie for the series it takes it to new heights with a damned near-perfect mix of action-platforming goodness. It’s the best type of Metroidvania. One that knows how to pace out the power ups and I hope this is the start of a series of similar titles for the franchise.
Wasteland 3 shines with clear dedication to crafting the best game its genre has ever seen. Excellent visuals are matched by top notch voice work and some of the best and most natural writing I have seen in a video game not made by Naughty Dog. The combat is a brutal dance where one wrong move can spell disaster, but victory is an exhilarating rush that never becomes old. Wasteland 3 cements inXile as one of the best in the business in the RPG genre and affirms that Xbox has something truly special on their hands.
The Division 2’s mix of gorgeous graphics, fantastic gameplay, excellent music, one of gaming’s coolest UI’s, and a progression system I truly adore makes it one of my favorite games in quite a while. Every day I find myself opening it up instead of something new and I simply had to review it to get my thoughts out there.
Overwatch is a special game, and as Overwatch 2 is essentially a complete rework that will carry your progress over there is no reason to not give it a try if you haven’t already. It goes on sale for $20 in the US quite often and solo or especially with friends it will be well worth it. The mix of frenetic PvP and PvE content, wide variety of modes, and excellent roster of heroes have made this one of my favorite games of all time.
This game is nearly perfect for me and there is no getting around that. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does make it smoother and faster than ever. It is not only one of the best games to release this year, it is a true showcase of just what a “next-gen” title can be.
STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor continues Respawn’s run as one of the best in the industry. It is an incredible accomplishment, blending top-tier gameplay and narrative in a package few games can match. Performance during my review was rough, but if they can smooth it out then this is a game that no one should miss. For fans of STAR WARS, this is the game we have been waiting for. One that fixes the mistakes of the previous, and soars to heights we could have only dreamed of.
Lords of the Fallen is a stunningly good game. Following a path set for it by Dark Souls 3 it nails every major part of what makes From’s games so damned good. Stunning visually, the art style and music are some of my favorites. While the very end does get too “big” for its gameplay this one is an easy recommendation to both the most hardcore Souls lovers and those who feel intimidated. Seamless co-op takes what is a great game and makes it a special one.
Dead Cells is an all-time classic. As part of Xbox Game Pass it is one of the easiest recommendations I’ve ever made on this site/channel. It is tough but fair. It finds that perfect balance of teaching you as you fail, and you will find yourself thinking “Just one more run” time and time again as the hours pass by.
Going back through the campaign for this review has reminded me of just how much I love this game, and I hope it inspires at least a few of you to finally give it a go, and with Game Pass Ultimate offering it up at no extra cost…. Why not?
Deathloop is the best game Arkane has ever made, which is saying something. It is a brilliant culmination of their learnings over the years, and I absolutely love it. World-class writing, world-building, and story are matched with fun gameplay, great performance, and one of the smartest game worlds I’ve ever seen. It’s finally out on Xbox and it’s on Game Pass so do yourself a favor and play this near-masterpiece.
After playing all the big open world releases at the end of 2020 I found Immortals to be the best of the bunch. It is by far their most successful balancing of story, combat, and exploration in quite some time. Never once did I feel that a cutscene was too long and the exploration is consistently rewarding. My only question for Ubisoft is, why did you send this incredible title seemingly out to die?
This is one of my favorite games ever. Coming back to it for the 3rd time for this review has only reinforced that feeling. It’s gorgeous, well-written, has excellent combat, a ton of depth, and with it now being on Game Pass it is well worth giving it a try.
If you like puzzle games with brilliant stories, deviously clever puzzles, an incredible atmosphere, and an emotionally charged soundtrack buy this game. The Entropy Centre came out of nowhere and floored me with its brilliance; the less you know before you go in, the better of an experience it will be.
Phantom Liberty caps off a miraculous comeback for Cyberpunk
It’s been a long, and sometimes difficult road to get here, but 6 is a triumph for those of us who like the classic “Ubisoft game”. The map is enormous, but the game is tightly paced. The action is over the top like always but running at 60fps on a Series X it feels incredible. The writing is just as over the top, yet the emotional beats and comedy hit this time. The mission structure is never overly punishing, and it still feels rewarding.
There are few better examples in the industry than Ghost Ship Game’s use of Early Access. Deep Rock Galactic is a tightly-honed and laser-focused cooperative FPS that stands toe-to-toe with the best in the genre. With a mix of excellent gameplay, solid graphics, and brilliant gameplay concepts, I strongly recommend it to anyone looking to play either solo or especially with their friends.
Wreckfest is an excellent racing game. It has one of the best physics and by far the best damage models in any racing game I have ever played. Combine these with a variety of classic and destruction derby-style races and you have yourself one hell of a title. This one is a no-brainer for anyone with Game Pass and it’s on sale quite often as well. Do yourself a favor and check Wreckfest out, there’s a good chance you’ll absolutely love it.
I know on the Xbox platform at least there is always a “well I’ll wait for Game Pass” mentality for many, but this game deserves success. It is a remarkable achievement by a very small team, and I simply loved it.
At $30 US it is a steal, but it’s also available day one on Game Pass. Stunning graphics, excellent music, innovative gameplay, and so many other factors come together to not only make one of the best releases of the year but one of my favorite games of all time. (score updated after launch, console version is far behind/buggier than the Steam version)
I have loved Drinkbox’s previous titles, and I had high hopes for this one. Seeing it release day one on Game Pass gave me the hope that Xbox had seen something special. After the first hour, I knew they must have as this game is tremendous. Using a mix of great art, excellent music, and a complex but easy-to-understand gameplay loop it hooked its fangs into me immediately. The titular star of this game may be a Nobody but after this release, Drinkbox Studios are certainly not.