Pure Xbox's Reviews
Mega Coin Squad is a superbly entertaining title. Not everyone will be down with the speedrunning single-player style which sees you completing the admittedly short game multiple times with different characters, but there's fun to be had even for those that oppose the style the most. With multiple players, the game really shines and if you're looking for some fun and competitive action with your friends locally, this is right on the money.
Rogue Legacy does procedural generation right, offering countless hours of action, platforming, and exploration to anyone that's attracted to it. The amount of grinding that's present throughout the adventure does occasionally lead to stretches of monotony, but when every other facet of the game shines the way it does, it's not enough to massively damage its reputation.
Your mileage may vary depending on how much the story grabs you, but most will find that the asking price here is too high for what you get.
Ultratron is a slick twin-stick shooter with some great and novel ideas at its core. The initially laid out challenge is a pretty simple one, meaning that some players will ultimately be left wanting. Achievement hunters and score hunters will absolutely relish what's in front of them, however.
Lifeless Planet isn't a bad game, far from it, in fact, but it seems to slightly miss the mark in everything it tries to do. Whether this was due to the title being overly ambitious, or just needing a little more time to bake in the oven, we'll never know. That being said, the game offers a lot of memorable moments throughout its several hour journey. Even if it may be flawed, Lifeless Planet is a game that wanted to do something different and that desire should be celebrated.
Project CARS is not for the faint of heart. It undoubtedly has the ability to grab players and take them on an outstanding tour of Simply Mad's racing world, and does look absolutely stunning at times. However, the game is ultimately frustrating with a controller and features more than its fair share of bugs. With a wheel, it's a more rewarding proposition.
There's scope here for a good game were a bit more work put in, but the smart money says that you'll be way more frustrated with Project Root's patently unfair gameplay than you are impressed by it.
Age of Ultron is safer and more predictable than Pinball FX2's best tables, and therefore it doesn't sell itself as being essential. There's still a solid game of pinball here for the diehards that simply want something new, but casual players should instead look to more memorable options, like the accessible Guardians of the Galaxy or the dynamic The Walking Dead. Then again, if you have kids that haven't been introduced to pinball yet, this might be one to consider. Just know that it can be a bit too aggressive for its own good.
Shovel Knight is magnificent, and even though it's technically less than a year old, it already feels like a classic.
State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition is the ultimate mixed bag of mixed bags. A fantastic value proposition for fans of the admittedly somewhat buggy original, the package will provide stacks of playing time if you become hooked. The problem is that you may not get the chance, since this apparently "remastered" edition of the game doesn't seem to have had any real work done to it outside of the visuals, which remain incredibly sub-standard in terms of performance.
Neverwinter's transition to console isn't perfect but it's one of the better implementations we've seen. The gameplay is interesting and varied while combat has been tuned really well for the Xbox One controller. The mechanics are well thought out and it's possible to experience the entire game without spending a dime, despite all the temptations the game tries to throw your way. The technical issues make group play a bit of a chore at times, but the quests are varied and interesting enough to keep you coming back for more.
Even though Mortal Kombat X has a few surface wounds that could use patching up, it's a superb fighting game that lives up to its hype and meets the lofty expectations set by its predecessor. This is the swiftest and most aggressive Mortal Kombat yet, and it's rounded out with fresh modes, gruesome finishers, and enough ingenuity to keep the series moving forward. If you're even a little interested in fighting games, this is one tournament worth signing up for.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China is a fun and enjoyable game that does the franchise justice while taking it into another genre. There are some truly fantastic ideas here, some super-smooth parkour, brain-tingling puzzle challenges and occasional flashes of brilliance when it's time to get down and dirty in combat. Some ideas haven't been explored as thoroughly as we'd have liked, and there are a few rough spots, though. We're looking forward to the next installment.
Depending on your point of view, Infinity Runner could be a decent and cheap enough proposition for a quiet Sunday afternoon. Just don't expect it to last you into Sunday evening.
Tango Gameworks could've taken the easy route and had The Assignment cover similar ground to The Evil Within. Thankfully, the decision to move the focus from action to stealth has proven to be a smart one. With a more interesting lead character, tighter pacing, and better scares, The Assignment is that rare story add-on that may even be better than the main game.
We Are Doomed makes a good attempt at being a compelling and addictive twin-stick shooter, getting a lot of things right along the way. There are some problems with the basic design though and the very limited amount of modes on offer means that unless you're hooked by beating your own best scores or unlocking the limited (but tough to obtain) number of achievements, it'll be over way, way too soon.
Ultimately, Goat Simulator is a hilarious mess that is worth experiencing for a few hours, just one you probably shouldn't buy.
We're still recommending The Handsome Collection because, despite its blemishes and the general shortcomings of the Borderlands formula, it's often an absolute riot of a time – playing with friends, whether local or online, is the way to go.
There's the essence of a good game in here - make no mistake about it - but it really is very, very hard to see it with all the problems in the way. We'd like to think that the development team at Milestone is working on patches for the game, but whether that's the case or not with their next attempt – MotoGP 15 – being released in only two months, remains to be seen.
There's no doubt that Tower of Guns will be a game that you either love or hate. An interesting take on the FPS genre, the game feels like a cross between a more traditional shooter and a gameshow. It lacks polish in places and desperately wants for more game modes or something to extend the amount of provided game time beyond beating your best score or run, but there's potential here that the developers could – and should - build on in the future.