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Pure Xbox

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452 games reviewed
70.9 average score
70 median score
53.9% of games recommended

Pure Xbox's Reviews

9 / 10 - Diablo IV
May 30, 2023

You can see why it's taken Blizzard over six years to get this one out the gate when you look at the end product. Diablo 4 is a natural evolution of the series with its new open-world design and gameplay, enhanced social and multiplayer experience, and a live service that promises to keep players returning to the world of Sanctuary for years to come. These strong foundations and scale of the whole experience, combined with the five unique classes and seemingly limitless customisation options for builds, should keep even the most diehard demon slayers busy for a very long time. With all of this in consideration, Diablo 4 is a must-play if you're a veteran of the series and it's a great starting point for newcomers. We can't wait to jump back in! Now, fingers crossed we just don't have another 'Error 37' at launch.

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May 30, 2023

Street Fighter 6 feels like a direct and hugely effective response to criticisms over the anaemic state of its predecessor at launch. Capcom has fully loaded three huge modes here, giving wannabe world warriors a veritable feast of fisticuffs to get engaged with. World Tour is a great big cheesefest that revels in its madcap style whilst providing a fun story, engaging RPG elements and a great way to learn the ropes all rolled into one. Arcade Mode offers up a solid roster of 18 excellent fighters to choose from at launch, and the all new Battle Hub already looks and feels as though it's gonna be a great place to hang out and challenge other players once multiplayer kicks off properly. It's been a minute since we've had a new Street Fighter on Xbox, and this one's been more than worth the wait.

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9 / 10 - Starfield
Sep 7, 2023

Starfield is Bethesda's best RPG to date, an enormous space odyssey that serves up some incredibly evocative and engaging exploration, satisfying combat, and a narrative that had us hooked right to the end. Yes there are issues here with the usual jank, and some very messy and fiddly menus and interactions, but all of these problems feel minor when compared to everything this game gets right. In a year that's been packed full of absolutely essential games, Starfield manages to sit right up top with some of the best of them. After all the hype and bluster, this is just a very, very good RPG and a game we'll be playing and replaying for a long time to come.

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Sep 18, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 might not necessarily be the evolution some were hoping for, but it's still an incredibly polished production. The 'Kombat' is perhaps the most refined it’s ever been in the series' history, Kameo Fighters add a new level of strategy, and reuniting with classic characters in Liu Kang’s reborn universe is an absolute blast. It’s a promising refresh for this legendary series that’s arrived at the perfect time. Here’s to another 30 years of blood, guts and Fatalities!

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9 / 10 - Alan Wake 2
Oct 27, 2023

Where Alan Wake was a very good idea executed with a few too many flaws, its sequel serves up a survival horror masterclass. Yes, the combat is still not 100% there, but this one slight misstep aside, what we've got with Alan Wake 2 is superlative stuff. This is an incredibly clever, refreshingly grown-up and wonderfully well-made slice of psychological horror. The acting, writing, sound design, graphics... every aspect has been nailed in a game that makes for another addition to 2023's incredibly long list of absolute bangers.

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Nov 27, 2023

SteamWorld Build is yet another triumph from the maestros at Thunderful. Here we have a slick and addictive addition to a wonderful steampunk franchise that manages to meld elements from across the entire series into one cohesive whole. You've got wonderfully detailed city-building, addictive mining action and intense tower-defense aspects all in the mix here, and it tells you everything you need to know about this one that all of these elements work in harmony. Xbox Game Pass just netted itself another banger.

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastically clever return to the franchise that serves up slick 2.5D action wrapped up in a delightful art style and satisfying story. There's a smart balance here between old-school levels of action and challenge, moreish combat and neat puzzles, mixed with accessibility options and fine-tuning that open this traditionally tough genre up to newcomers. We knew Ubisoft Montpellier was a pair of safe hands, and it's not let us down here, serving up the first must-play of 2024, and we're only just getting started.

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9 / 10 - Balatro
Feb 21, 2024

Balatro is an incredibly clever indie gem that uses the bones of regular poker to build an incredibly approachable and fiendishly addictive new experience. There's a wonderfully slick core to this one, building decks and taking on dealers as you add wild special cards and variables to your pack is trance-inducing stuff and, backed by a fantastically understated soundtrack and perfect visuals, it makes for one of the first proper, actual, absolute must-play games of 2024.

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May 13, 2024

If you were a fan of Braid during the Xbox Live Arcade era, the Anniversary Edition is worth a look for the commentary alone. The additional content and visual improvements only add to this remaster. As for newcomers, this updated version is a great way to experience this important piece of video game history.

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Jun 10, 2024

Late last year, Alan Wake 2 surprised us by how different a take it was from the first Alan Wake, and Remedy's venture into the true unknowns of the universe is carried on here with Night Springs. You'll have to wade through some of the team's weird multiverse stuff, which isn't always the easiest to understand, but that hasn't hampered our enjoyment of recent Remedy titles - and it doesn't here, either.Buckle up Alan Wake 2 fans, you're in for yet another wild wide with Expansion 1: Night Springs.

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Sep 20, 2023

Cyberpunk 2077 in its 2.0 form and with Phantom Liberty finally in place, feels like a game reborn. This is every bit the experience we wanted back in 2020, a deep and addictive action RPG that can now sit alongside The Witcher 3 as one of the greats. We've had our ups and downs with this one, oh boy it's been a rollercoaster, but entirely reworked skills and perks, refined and refreshed combat, retooled loot and menu systems and a cracking new slice of CDPR narrative magic makes for a game that we're finally able to recommend wholeheartedly. They've only gone and bloody done it.

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9 / 10 - Neon White
Jul 10, 2024

Neon White is a welcome addition to the Xbox Game Pass library, serving up a unique and exhilarating indie experience. Its gameplay has a great sense of flow and it does a fantastic job depicting the afterlife. The game does have slower moments in-between levels, but it's primarily about speedrunning and perfecting your runs. As long as you can keep up, Heaven awaits.

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8 / 10 - Ziggurat
Mar 19, 2015

For the past week we've been delving through the dungeon on a nightly basis, and we anticipate our interest in monster slaying won't cease upon completion of this review. That may be a bigger compliment than you realize.

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Apr 21, 2015

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.

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8 / 10 - Teslagrad
Mar 28, 2016

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.

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8 / 10 - The Escapists
Feb 12, 2015

[A failed attempt] will either steel you for the next attempt, or cause you to put the controller down in anger. If you're in the former group, the sheer wealth of options available to you, combined with the art style and the occasional laugh-out-loud moment, mean that The Escapists is definitely recommended.

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Apr 19, 2015

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.

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Episode Two: Contemplation is hands down, a better, stronger, and more satisfying entry than the Revelations 2 premiere episode was.

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8 / 10 - Evolve
Feb 15, 2015

When Evolve is at its best, it is one of the greatest co-op experiences ever crafted. Few games require so much teamwork and are as satisfying when everything falls into place. Conversely, it can be a complete mess when played with hunters that are incompetent or not playing their position. If you have a group of friends that are willing to put in both the financial and time commitment for Evolve then there is no reason not to buy it. Otherwise your mileage will vary.

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Jan 29, 2015

If you're on the market for an afternoon's worth of casually-paced entertainment and want to put your problem-solving skills to the test, then you should gear up for a bit of Unmechanical. It respects both the genre and your time, and for that — along with plenty of other reasons — there's quite a satisfying experience to be had.

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