Rare Replay Reviews
Rare Replay is more than a collection of old games from one of the most revered developers in the world. It's a digital museum that stands as a testament to how wonderful and wondrous video games have been, and continue to be.
A cross-section through Rare's company history developed with a lot of passion - with significantly more highs than lows.
Review in German | Read full review
Rare Replay is undoubtedly one of the most honest compilations of recent years. We say honest because the content it offers for the price it offers leaves no room for doubt, we have 30 years of a company compiled on a single disc, with complete games and for all tastes. We could get exquisite and claim that they had included some more adaptation like the version of Conker of the first Xbox, but as they commented from the studio itself, maybe soon they will add new games to expand is already in itself, essential compilation.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Banjo-Kazooie brought together impeccable gameplay, fantastic level design, brilliant music, and a lovely little fairytale story – from start to finish, the game was a joy to play, and that remains utterly true. There really are no gripes we can think of. The controls feel great. It looks and sounds beautiful. It's the perfect length and has scope enough to elicit wonder without the overwhelming bloat of other collectathons. Even after all this time, it's incredibly difficult to find fault in this delightful and engaging 3D adventure. Banjo-Kazooie is one of the N64's very best releases, and one of Rare's undisputed crown jewels. Essential.
Blast Corps is a game that probably would have never stood a chance in today's world of shooters and plot-led borefests, so it brings us a great deal of comfort knowing that such a project got the high-quality Rare treatment back in the day. This is a game that is still immensely fun to play all these years later; the concept is simple and novel, it's highly playable, has great lasting value, and can easily be enjoyed in short bursts. The mixture of puzzle-based and time-limited gameplay provides a unique challenge that even the most veteran gamers will find incredibly testing at times. The end result is absolutely smashing; if you're an N64 enthusiast, there's no excuse for not having this brilliant game in your collection.
Rare Replay is loaded with gems and classics that by and large have stood the test of time. Modern tweaks and goodies make it all the more worthwhile. It's the best value in gaming, and sets the bar for any compilation going forward.
But the only thing that stops Rare Replay from being a truly great game is the awkward transitions between the Xbox 360 titles and the rest of the package
Rare Replay is undoubtedly an insane amount of value for money, shining a light on one of the world's most celebrated developers and 30 of their biggest titles. A great mix with some classics, not so classics and games that slipped under our radar, all brought together with slick presentation and an incredible amount of fan service. All hail Rare.
As a compilation, Rare Replay is one of the best deals on the market. As a look into the illustrious developer, there's a ton of great history to be experienced. As an experience, this represents three decades of gaming that must be experienced.
Rare's back—and better than ever
Rare developed games seldom see a remastered version or show up on a digital back catalog due to the company having changed ownership. Thus, seeing a compilation as robust as Rare Replay allows wistful gamers the chance to relive precious memories faded for decades, and others the opportunity to enjoy some of the greatest games of the past by one of the most lauded developers of the time. Yes, the collection is missing a few of its best, but for a mere thirty dollars and hundreds of hours of enjoyment, it's a hard sell not to recommend adding this album to your library.
Rare Replay is a fantastic "Best-of" collection, and for $40, it's a bargain
Rare Replay isn't without its minor hiccups, understandable in such a vast collection, but it's something that should be in every Xbox One owner's collection. Even though Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and Blast Corps have their share of technical issues and the ZX Spectrum titles included have aged roughly, it's going to be almost impossible not to enjoy yourself here.
A stunning collection at astonishing value for money
Although some of Rare's truly classic games like Goldeneye and Diddy Kong Racing are missing from this collection (Nintendo anyone?), both Rare and Microsoft have still paid homage to their great back catalogue such as Banjo Kazooie, Jetpac and Killer Instinct which are all still quite playable and enjoyable today. Sure, they are missing that next-gen look and sometimes gameplay but overall, it's a great blast from the past that truly showcases the diverse history of Rare with 30 titles.
Getting all these Rare classics for a buck apiece is tantamount to theft in this reviewer's opinion.
Rare Replay represents a unique opportunity that every English software enthusiast should have. Thanks to a frighteningly high difficulty, further raised by the insertion of snapshots with challenges to the limit of the impossible, but never frustrating, given the possibility of using tricks to make our life easier, every player will find bread for his teeth, also being able to choose between a collection of 30 titles with completely different genres, from shooters to management, from fighting games to platformers.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Rare Replay is an incredible offering for the Xbox platform, at a cheap price. While some titles had hiccups, the full offering of games is enough to make Rare Replay an absolute must have for any fan of Rare, or anyone looking to play some of the most iconic games in the industry.
Ultimately, Rare Replay is a must-buy title if you have even a passing interest in a handful of the included games. While the technical issues prevent it from being an ideal collection, the value justification is impossible to ignore. The majority of these games are great choices, and at an average price of $1 a game (even less if you get it on sale), you're not really missing out even if you end up not liking a few.
Rare Replay's technical challenges on a handful of games stand as the only aspect that detracts from an otherwise outstanding collection of titles. With titles reaching back as far as 1983 and as recent as 2008, this is one diverse collection that promises a lot of fun around a variety of genres. Thirty games. Thirty bucks. It's pretty tough to top a collection like this.