Pure Xbox's Reviews
Dark Souls III improves on its predecessors in nearly every way, making for the most masterfully-crafted, tautly-paced entry in the series. The combat is faster and more flexible, the world design is complex but never bloated, and the atmospheric presentation makes you feel like you're completely engulfed in the unsettling sights and sounds of this volatile fantasy world. Should this truly be the last time we seek respite in the warm glow of a bonfire, we can rest easy knowing Dark Souls III is a deserving and satisfying end to a phenomenal series.
All in all, Hitman is a very promising start to the reboot series. The visuals are good, the voice acting is excellent, and with the longevity promised in Contracts mode it should be a series that runs and runs. The issues with the AI can be addressed in future episodes, we hope, and if that happens then the game will certainly hit a higher score than we can give it this time. With five further episodes to come in 2016, the future's looking bright for our shiny-headed assassin.
With DiRT Rally, Codemasters have thrown the conventional way of looking at the sport of rallying in videogames out of the window and done it with such aplomb that the end product is all but irresistible. It could be said that the learning curve could do with being flattened just a little. We say that the harder the climb is, the greater the feeling of success is when you finally put in that perfect run, but it's understandable that not all players will feel that way in an age where going into a menu is considered to be achievement-worthy. For our money, this is easily the best rally game ever released. Not only that, it's transcended the scope of that admittedly small genre and is surprisingly close to the top of the general racing game category, too.
If you and your crew want to play something far more unique than most first-person shooters on the market, then Screencheat is an easy recommendation. Those on their own will have it rough, however, since the online community just simply isn't there for it. It's a shame, since playing against bots can only sustain users for so long. What makes Samurai Punk's game so special is sharing the experience with other players, not the console.
Quantum Break's commitment to delivering a rich, layered narrative isn't always conducive to gameplay, but that doesn't diminish how engrossing this is an entertainment experience. The combination of intense time-bending action, gripping story, and cutting-edge presentation make this the kind of game that sucks you in and doesn't let go until the credits roll. While it's not quite as inventive as it thinks it is, Quantum Break is fresh, ambitious, and a heck of a lot of fun.
Active Soccer 2 DX has its moments as it tries to recreate football games of old. However, even if it did that perfectly, that's all it would be doing since there's no attempt at innovation or anything that would push the genre forward. It's more or less a carbon copy of Sensible World of Soccer that doesn't play as well, has no online features whatsoever, has a wretched frontend and which features a comparatively large amount of bugs and oversights. It's also three times the price of the practically identical mobile version. Pass.
In conclusion, Teslagrad is a very polished puzzler, which ramps up the difficulty almost mercilessly until the very end. The way the powers you obtain enable to you to backtrack and open up new areas is very well done, and with the challenge of the collectibles the game has a good lifespan. Make no mistake, this is a tough proposition, but it's a fair one and the feeling of satisfaction as you finally work out what you need to do to pass an obstacle is enormous. Charming storytelling and a stiff challenge marry up with a reasonable price to form an almost perfect package.
Family friendly and inoffensive, MagNets: Fully Charged is a functional game that some will find entertaining. The lack of variety and short completion time really drag it down but as it's such a repetitive experience you may well find yourself welcoming the end. Achievement hunters will enjoy the 20G you get for the first time you jump but other than that, MagNets doesn't offer enough bang for your buck and is difficult to recommend at its current price point and with its multiplayer missing in action.
Casey Powell Lacrosse 16 won't be a game for everybody. Of course it won't. But as well as giving fans of the sport a good deal of fun, it might convert a few non-lacrosse fans who are looking for a change from the usual multi-million dollar soccer/hockey/gridiron/basketball titles that are sent out onto the playing surface every year, as well. As an almost full-price title, things had to be pretty much on point here and though it isn't perfect, the development team have done well to provide a game that does the sport proud.
Trackmania Turbo is a triumph. It nods back to console racers of yesteryear, provides speed, action, addictive gameplay, more than a few "wow!" moments and beyond the bundled 200 campaign courses, provides a potentially endless supply of content in the form of a robust track creation system. Should you clear the solo mode, you can take your car out into online play and you'll find a whole new world of fun and enjoyable events that all work flawlessly. Every corner has been rounded off and every surface has been polished here, and that's much to the developer's credit. Excellent stuff.
Stranger of Sword City is an extremely solid dungeon crawling RPG. Fans of the genre will likely lap this straight up due to a lack of options on Xbox One. However, whether it deserves a place up with the genre leaders such as Etrian Odyssey is open for debate. Newcomers will still find plenty to appeal to them even if at times the game does sometimes come across as a little inaccessible in spite of its attempts to make things easier. You'll need to make a serious time investment if you want to get to grips with all it has to offer.
In conclusion, if you have three friends who come to your house to play games, or a number of siblings, then Cel Damage HD is a fun game, whose shortcomings can be overlooked. However, for the single player, this is sadly a game where the frustrations outweigh the good points. There is fun to be had for sure, and the achievements are easy to pick up, but ultimately this is a game that despite the graphical overhaul is showing its age and just isn't as good as the premise would lead you to believe.
Blast 'Em Bunnies is a strange one. Don't get us wrong, there are the makings of a good game here. Undoubtedly, it's a solidly-made product and the development team clearly have a good deal of talent. Sadly, there are also hints to suggest that they've misjudged this and were banking on it becoming a runaway success like Fruit Ninja or even Angry Birds. It won't. Whatever the original concept was has been distilled down to "player shoots bunnies lots and then does it again" and as such, it just isn't fun enough for the repeated plays that led to the levels of addiction that propelled those games into the stratosphere.
Definitive Edition clearly exists to ensure the best possible version of Ori and the Blind Forest is on the market, and Moon Studios has undoubtedly succeeded in that regard. If you haven't made the time for this magical Metroidvania yet, this is the way to go. If you already own a copy of the original game and are itching for another playthrough, readmission is worth the $5 upgrade. The new additions don't extend the length of the game by much, but they do freshen things up and breathe some new life into an already wonderful experience.
This is a fun puzzle game with a difficulty pitched to keep it interesting for seasoned puzzlers but not beyond the reach of novice gamers. The traps you set and contraptions you create are challenging and comedic in a deliciously evil way that is sure to raise a wicked chuckle or two from all but the most pure of heart. An opportunity to use your creativity in dastardly ways; 101 Ways to Die's use of physics and Rube Goldberg-style chain reactions is an enjoyable entry into the puzzle genre.
The Division doesn't have many ideas of its own, but the way it unites traditional open-world design with online multiplayer makes it an addictive social shooter. The repetition does wear thin after a while, and the end-game content isn't as robust as it needs to be, so there's a legitimate concern as to whether the game will remain engrossing in the long run. Still, Ubisoft has erected a solid foundation, one that can easily be bettered by impending content updates and expansions.
Ironcast is the very definition of the saying "easy to pick up, difficult to master". The world, the characters and the art style are all top notch and really serve to draw you in, and once you are in, the compulsion to just have one more go is almost irresistible. The gameplay is balanced very nicely and we can't not recommend it, with only the freezes and crashes to really report as drawbacks. If you are looking for a puzzle game for your Xbox One, look no further than this. Picking it up would be a capital idea, what what?
Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 builds on the original brilliantly. It takes everything its predecessor did right and does it again with more bells and whistles. There's new characters, levels and quests to explore and the sticker and levelling system have been tweaked to make acquiring the masses of new content feel achievable. The addition of single player quests and AI companions for Garden and Graveyard Ops make it a viable choice for when you just don't fancy playing with others or you want to power level a character you aren't too comfortable with playing in multiplayer. The current balance issues are an annoyance but the developers have already reassured users that this will be fixed soon; leaving little to criticise in this frantic, fun and family-friendly shooter.
With a simple accessible campaign and a whole host of collectibles and zombie modes to obsess over, Tiny Troopers: Joint Ops is certainly not a bad game. It's reasonably entertaining and doesn't suffer from any major technical issues, but it lacks the depth or uniqueness that would propel it beyond 'just okay.' This is a title that is cute and fun when you aren't interested in thinking too hard and just fancy turning your brain off for ten to twenty minutes, but it's unlikely to set anyone's world on fire.
Action Henk is enjoyable and challenging, of that there is no doubt. It isn't going to win any awards for visuals – despite looking good enough to get the job done – and we'd like to have seen the comedy brand placement from the initial playroom area be used more in the levels themselves. With that said, neither of these things is going to interrupt your entertainment and the enjoyment and exquisite frustration that the game provides is more than enough for it to get our recommendation. Good stuff.