Pure Xbox's Reviews
In conclusion then, Soul Axiom is a slow burning game, but one that satisfies if you engage with the world and its lore. The pacing won't be to everyone's liking, as it isn't a fast paced, reaction based experience, but it is compelling more because of this than in spite of it. Add to this the numerous monkeys to be found, as well as three possible endings and the game has more longevity than the average puzzler. If you fancy having your grey matter teased, you could do a lot worse than this.
Dangerous Golf is a bit of a letdown. There may be patches along the way that improve things, but as it stands, the game doesn't do justice to the premise and is ultimately frustrating and disappointing as a result. The addiction factor is in full effect relatively early on, but the number of problems it displays will soon put paid to that for most players.
Oozing charm and potential, this really is a great example of what a small development team can achieve and Brainy Studio's pride in their creation is alluded to throughout the game. It's undeniable that TurnOn does a lot of things right, which makes it sadly all the more noticeable when something doesn't quite hit the mark. Even so, if you give it some time, there's a chance that you'll find a place in your heart for Turnon's journey through Electro City's night of darkness.
Dead Island: Definitive Collection is great value if you're a fan of the games, given that it's the only way you can play them on Xbox One. Players that fit that description shouldn't be expecting any major gameplay changes though since they're very thin on the ground, outside of an unlockable "one punch" mode which was available on PC as a mod for the first game. Even at a budget price, players new to the franchise can safely avoid the set as there's much better gameplay to be found elsewhere, such as in the likes of the Metro: Last Light or even Techland's own Dying Light, both of which outshine Dead Island and Dead Island: Riptide in almost every area.
In pride of place on Azkend 2's feature list is the phrase "8 different backdrops!" and that really seems to be all you're playing the story mode for here - the chance to see a different barely animated backdrop before more puzzling is thrust upon you.
You could refer to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan as the best TMNT game in years, but that really doesn't mean much. While there's a moderately entertaining co-op experience underneath the lazy level design, short game length, bland missions, occasional bugs, and minor kinks in the combat system, the quality and value most certainly aren't in line with what we expect from a $50 game. Sure, it could be worse (look at the last three TMNT games, for example), but it's especially heartbreaking considering Platinum's history of delivering fantastic action games. This is not Bayonetta. It's not even Transformers: Devastation. Don't shell out your hard-earned cash when you could spend it on delicious pizza instead.
Doom is a big, loud, visceral experience that not only impresses visually with a silky-smooth framerate and detailed texture work, but which reaches into your soul and jacks up your heartrate as it does so. Some would say that things are a little bland in terms of plot, but playing Doom for the story would be like watching a baseball match because you're a fan of diamonds. The multiplayer is playable but a little less so than you'd expect, but that's more than made up for by the campaign. It's fast, fun, violent, addictive, and highly recommended.
OlliOlli2: XL Edition is the best version of Roll7's stellar skateboarding game, although just by a smidge. The addition of manuals to the core game is a huge boost to the trick system, and makes it possible to combo every single level from start to finish.
Not A Hero is an enjoyable 2D shooter that will provide a decent challenge to the majority of gamers. There are failings to be found here and there, but they're relatively rare and the comedic presentation generally provides enough coverage to paper over those cracks. It probably isn't a game that you'll blast through in a single sitting and it certainly won't be for everybody, but Not A Hero is definitely a good deal of fun.
Although it's easy to pick up, Tropico 5 is a deep and complex strategy title which keeps things interesting by throwing ever-changing challenges in to the story structure to mix things up. The humour expertly lightens the mood and adds life to the game, with each character proving slightly more unhinged than the last.
The Battleborn experiment has been largely successful. Fusing humour and shooting together with the mechanics from a MOBA sounds like it should be a recipe for disaster, but the charm of the graphical style and characterisation lifts the whole game. The story (or lack of it compared to Borderlands 2, say) is a bit of a let down, but it does enough to keep you interested and eager to see the next mission. There are issues with online play, which we're hoping get ironed out, but there's fun to be had as you and your fireteam roll up the battlefield, combined with the genuine laugh out loud moments.
Super Night Riders undoubtedly started out as a good idea. 80s and 90s racing games were cool, of that there is no doubt. But when you compare the visuals here to what's on display in upcoming projects such as 90s Super GT or Racing Apex – which aren't even finished yet - and then throw in super-repetitive gameplay and framerate issues, it all runs out of fuel rather quickly.
Grand Prix Rock N Racing is an interesting proposition, but it tries every possible way to make you fail and you can tell that most of the time, it isn't doing it on purpose. Poor handling, archaic AI, no online play and a distinct lack of depth even in the game's Championship mode means that this is one that got stuck on the grid.
We sure hope that the wait for Episode 3 doesn't take another eight months. While Episode 2 doesn't quite hit all the targets, the mature and creepy story already has its hooks in us. Episode 2 also adds layers to Elliot Ness by exploring his past and his inner demons. The stylish visuals are at full swing, it's just disappointing that most of the gameplay in Episode 2 amounts to nothing more than repetitive gunplay sections that aren't all that much fun to play. We're still excited to see how everything will unfold in this five episode series, so long as the gameplay musters up more variety.
Hitman's second episode continues the good work that started in the first installment. The concerns we raised last time with regard to the AI have mostly been addressed, and possibly over-compensated for, which greatly increases the difficulty of the mission overall, and makes obtaining a Silent Assassin rating almost a forlorn dream, at least without a serious investment of time spent in learning the layout and the patterns of the targets. Of course, this has always been the case with Hitman games, but the jump in difficulty from Paris is quite a large one. The level design is great, with lots of possible approaches to choose from, but somehow it seems to lack focus, being more of an open-world approach to a mission than before. Overall, we can recommend a second dive into Agent 47's murky world.
Coffin Dodgers is a classic example of a good idea backed up by poor execution. The gameplay feels dated before it starts as it doesn't progress things from the karting pretenders that have come before, and the visuals sort of fittingly feel like they're from an older generation. The premise has lashings of potential and there's a chuckle or two to be found, but the game is far too easy and brief for single players. Multiplayer is limited to offline play only and is as enjoyable as in every other non-Mario and non-Crash Bandicoot-based kart game, which is to say that it won't be one that you'll be trotting out at your gaming parties for very long.
The soundtrack is the highlight of this mixed bag of good ideas and poor implementation and when all is said and done, it's a shame that the gameplay and visuals cannot live up to the scene set by the music.
There are many words that could be used to describe SUPERHOT. Cool, addictive, stylish, fun, enjoyable…take your pick. What the development team have done is take a game mechanic that sounds like an excellent idea on paper and turned it into something special by fleshing out a game around it that does it justice and then layering on different ways of playing in the post-game. It flat out tells you to say this but we'd be saying it anyway: SUPERHOT is one of the most innovative shooters that we've played in years. Absolutely essential.
Despite TRON RUN/r's relatively simple running nature, there's a fair amount to like here. There's a slight control issue with control when riding a lightcycle that you'll need to get used to, and we're confused as to why you'd be riding in the brightest game world ever when the movies almost entirely take place at night or in dark arenas, but those things can be overlooked. What we can't get past are the money-gouging tactics that end up detracting from the experience, the botched launch, and the missing season pass content.
Letter Quest: Grimm's Journey Remastered is packed with content and will make you feel incredibly smart no matter if you're spelling out 10 letter words or giggling at the fact that you just killed a ghost by writing "FART." There is some educational potential here too but primarily you should be picking this up because it's a cute, fun game that is easy to play and a joy to master. It's not particularly long but the challenges, quests and collectibles are pitched just at the right level to keep you engaged long after the main story is over. Plus you'll need to get all the stars to unlock the mysterious final comic page…