Pure Xbox's Reviews
Puzzle platformers are a dime a dozen in the modern era of gaming, but there's nothing that feels quite like A Boy and His Blob. Taking advantage of blob's shape-shifting abilities to solve environmental puzzles, while seeking hidden treasures that unlock challenge stages, is mentally stimulating and very rewarding. Even though a handful of issues do frequently nag at you throughout the course of the adventure, they don't weigh the game down enough to keep it from a recommendation.
AIPD is a solidly-made twin-stick shooter with some nice ideas. The problem is that it just isn't fleshed out enough. Outside of the shooting action itself, the presentation is lacking to the point of being non-existent and unless you become hooked relatively early on and become determined to beat it on the hardest difficulty or are absolutely dead-set on getting to get to the top of the leaderboards, it isn't going to be on your playlist for long. What's here is great, it's just that there isn't enough of it.
Without a doubt, Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink is a good quality product overall, made by a developer that really seems to know what they're doing when it comes to point and click titles. The deviations from the standard hidden object pathways mix things up nicely and the only real flaws we can find are with the voiceovers and the game's length. It isn't the most difficult game in the world to beat and doesn't stick around long enough, but there's a nice couple of hours of decent entertainment here for those who like to get their brain working.
At face value, Rebel Galaxy is an entertaining arcade slugging match with controls simple enough to be picked up by newer players and customisation options appealing to the completionist. With its bombastic cowboy rock soundtrack and Wild West aesthetic, it's certain to provide a few hours of interesting content. However, the longer you play, the more the cracks appear, with the whole thing eventually becoming a grind with more than a fair share of bugs helping the game to feel overly unforgiving and unfair. Time will tell if these issues get fixed but for the moment, Rebel Galaxy is several light years from where it truly wants to be.
Level 22: Gary's Misadventures is a fun puzzler that doesn't take itself too seriously. Even with that in mind, the developer has obviously lavished love and attention on the game and produced a product that, while not the longest or most challenging game in the world, is enjoyable enough.
Hyper Void is a stellar shoot 'em up experience that passes the time in a fun and exciting way, with gorgeous high resolution graphics and an action-pumping soundtrack. All for a price tag that, in our opinion, is worth an adrenaline-fuelled romp, even if it the whole thing doesn't last as long as we may have liked.
As a package, The Banner Saga is addictive, attractive, compelling, enjoyable, and truly challenging on the higher difficulty level. Some will find fault with the price, given that the Xbox One version is £15.99 and the PC and iOS editions have been available for a third of that in their time, but we say that the price is fair for what you get here. It's been a long wait, but there's nothing like kicking back and overseeing your merry band of fantastically animated fighters trekking across a frozen wasteland on a big-screen TV, or hearing the roaring clank of metal on metal as you fire in a battle-winning series of attacks.
Despite its flawed interface, Unepic is a very enjoyable title with a ton of content. There's easily twenty hours of gameplay available and the intricacies of the crafting and customisation options allow for a character perfectly honed to the player's taste. The retro art style and music will not appeal to everyone, but beneath that lies an interesting game with humorous dialogue, for sure.
Resident Evil 0 is a worthy entry in the Resident Evil franchise even though it lacks the scares and originality. It's often overshadowed by the first game, but not giving it a spin would be a grave mistake. RE 0 makes some notable changes to the core gameplay like controlling and swapping between the two main leads at any time, as well as a complete revamp of managing items. The systems can feel archaic and occasionally cumbersome, but various new challenges and puzzles make it worth the effort. RE 0 is a stunning looking game and the new HD visuals ensure that it looks better than ever. Whether you're playing for the first time or looking for an excuse to replay it, Resident Evil 0 is absolutely worth your time and investment.
Oxenfree is truly unlike any other experience that you can pick up for the Xbox One right now. While it isn't heavy on gameplay, the narrative and aesthetics really build a superb atmosphere and give a great sense of weight to proceedings. It doesn't necessarily score a direct hit with every story beat and we could definitely live without the crashes. There's also an argument to be made that around four or five hours, the game is a tad short in the grand scheme of things. It feels shorter still when you pick up the controller to make a quick bit of progress late in the evening, then find yourself staring at the rolling credits at 3am with all the lights on because something just doesn't feel right.As we said, Oxenfree is an unsettling game.
This, then, is the whole experience of Cubot. Move cubes, solve puzzles and unlock the next chapter. Rinse, repeat, and then rinse again. With 80 levels to complete, you'd be forgiven for thinking that there would be an element of longevity to the game, but sadly that is not the case. We completed the 80 levels comfortably inside three hours, and even for the low, low price of £1.59, that isn't a long time. Looking at it from a different angle, three hours for 1000 Gamerscore is a bit of a bargain for players who hunt achievements. There could be more to it, but Cubot is a relatively fun experience overall, with a nice mix of difficulty and frustration.
Even if you can only beat the first set of twenty levels, Lovely Planet is a first-person shooter that is worth your time. It's beyond challenging, but when you finally put together the perfect run there isn't anything more satisfying. While it's too bad that the game hasn't seen an easy mode (or crosshair support) added in the console release, it's still a refreshing take on a genre that often feels way too stuck in its ways.
If you liked Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, then there's a decent chance that you'll have a good time in India, in spite of the problems outlined above. There's enjoyment to be had, but the main worry is that almost everything new that has been thrown in is flawed to the point of not being a worthy addition. With the Russian entry just around the corner, we're hoping that this is a missed step in the journey, rather than an inevitable and unalterable course.
Starpoint Gemini 2 is a big game, with a lot to do and many missions to undertake. The somewhat unpolished nature of the grind won't be to a lot of people's taste. If you can look past the issues that we've raised in the review, can get past the somewhat steep £28 asking price and like space exploration, Starpoint Gemini 2 might be right up your space lane. It probably isn't going to drag many non-fans in, though.
Starwhal is a decent multiplayer title which delivers on its promise of laughs and challenging competition. There's plenty of customisation available to keep it fresh and the inclusion of AI opponents and a challenge mode will give this more longevity than other couch co-op titles released recently. However, some will find the controls frustrating and it is likely that the frantic madness of multiplayer will have a limited shelf life once the initial surprise of the silliness wears off.
Super Party Sports: Football isn't a complex game by any means, as it features just the one mode of play. With that said, it's certainly one that will draw you back in from time to time until you've beaten all of the levels. What's here is a decent distraction that's nicely challenging, and even though it's over twice the price of the mobile versions at $4.99 (the iOS edition is $1.99) it remains relatively good value. It's not a game that was ever going to set the world alight and while we wish there was a bit more in the way of variation, it's an enjoyable way to pass a few hours.
Fallout 4 isn't perfect by any means, but the sheer scope of the game as a whole and the incredibly well-structured world means that should you dare to take the plunge, you'll be swimming around in these waters for dozens, if not hundreds of hours. The bugs may threaten to spoil the show, but every time one rears its head and makes you want to stop playing, you'll feel the pangs within the hour to go back and give things another go. Many people will fail to see everything that the wastelands have to offer, but that absolutely shouldn't stop you from trying to take it all in. Just as in life, your journey won't be the same as anybody else's.
While it doesn't quite reach its full potential, Star Wars: Battlefront harnesses the power of the Force to make for a multiplayer experience that's more concerned with fun and authenticity than deep mechanics and impeccable balance. DICE has absolutely knocked the presentation out of the park, making you feel like you're smack dab in the middle of your favorite action scenes from the classic Star Wars film trilogy. For many Star Wars enthusiasts, that's going to be more than enough to justify the price of admission. For everyone else, however, a limited amount of content and a few missteps will potentially diminish long-term appeal. This is a strong return for the Battlefront moniker, but there's much room for improvement.
At its core, Darksiders II is a great game. That is what makes Darksiders II: Deahtinitive Edition all the more frustrating. A horrendous frame rate negatively impacts every aspect. Combat feels clunky, and the graphically impressive game ends up looking bad in motion. At least Nordic Games didn't technically call this a definitive edition, as it's really anything but.
Hearts of Stone is a full-fledged add-on for a game that probably didn't need to be any longer. Thankfully, Hearts of Stone is a total blast for Witcher fans and packs more into its 10-15 hour campaign than most AAA games on the market. With its wonderfully paced story, mesmerizing characters, and gorgeous world to explore, Hearts of Stone demands to be played. It also raises the bar for what fans can expect from DLC for their favourite games. If you're itchin' for more witchin', then picking up Hearts of Stone is a no brainer.