Xbox Achievements
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It seems odd to give a game like Dear Esther a score. If I were rating it purely on its artistic merits, I'd give it 100. As a game, its unique qualities mark it out as something that deserves to be played and experienced, but if you're hoping for something action-packed, you're barking up the wrong tree. Dear Esther: Landmark Edition is a great game that transcends what a video game can be as a medium; a perfect marriage of artistry and ideas that you absolutely need to delve into.
While Mount & Blade: Warband hasn't really gained a whole lot in the jump from PC to console, it's great that such a deep and sprawling game has found a home on new platforms after so many years. It looks dreadful, but scratch beneath the surface, and Warband is an enormously rewarding RPG/strategy/medieval warfare sim-type thing that's becomes more and more compelling the more you play. Chaaaarge!
Continuing to go from strength to strength, PES 2017 is the zenith for Konami's stellar footie series, representing all of the pieces falling into place to create on-the-pitch nirvana. There are some extremely minor flaws, but all in all, PES 2017 is wonderful.
A smart action game with bags of personality and a few unique twists of its own, ReCore is most definitely worth investing in. It's big, sometimes difficult, fairly engrossing, and fun while it lasts.
The Turing Test is delivered well, resplendent in Unreal 4, and carries a few genuinely interesting moments that make some of the more languid ’downtime’ easier to swallow. We've had moments on our commute just mulling over some of the (ridiculously!) dry jokes in the game, but we love that - they feel like the bytes of humour you’d hear a museum curator crack as they show you their favourite exhibit. A puzzler for anyone who wants an aperitif after The Witness and The Talos Principle.
Hue is an attractive and appealing indie puzzle platformer with a smart gameplay hook. Yes, it looks and plays a little bit like Limbo, but Hue is very much its own thing. And it's great.
A worthy continuation of the Worms franchise, a nice return to form after deviating to 3D for a few years. Worms W.M.D gets everything right from a mechanical standpoint, but we can't help but feel a few of the design choices were unnecessary. The big new additions are hit and miss, but in the middle of all the fluff there's a solid, very playable game - especially if you're into couch co-op/multiplayer.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is an impressive sequel to the brilliant Human Revolution. In the grand scheme of things, there are very few monumental changes, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? And everything that was broken in Human Revolution? It's all fixed. Held back from true greatness by the odd grumble here and there, Mankind Divided is worthy of anyone's time and money.
Codemasters has gone the extra mile for F1 2016, addressing almost every last one of F1 2015's shortcomings, while delivering an in-depth and enjoyable Career Mode at its core. Factor in all of the other modes and touches, and F1 2016 is not only the most authentic Formula One game to date, it's also one of the best in some time.
Telltale and Batman fans are well catered for in Batman: A Telltale Series' first episode, with a hefty dose of action and intrigue to set things up for the rest of the ensuing saga. We can't wait for more.
A fun but frustrating cooking experience, Overcooked is a fantastic couch co-op party game that will put your friendships to the test. Expect to be shouting and swearing at one another a lot; it gets pretty damn hot in Overcooked's kitchen. If you can't stand the heat, get out! Otherwise, bon appetit.
Successfully preserving the spirit of Carmageddon, Max Damage is addictive and good fun. Unfortunately, it's also a hideous looking game, with a dodgy handling model and repetitive race types that add up to a frustrating, and ultimately disappointing whole. Carmageddon: Max Damage has a certain appeal, but if you don't get the game's uniquely sick sense of humour, you're going to hate it. Otherwise, you'll love it regardless, like an ugly dog with three legs or something.
Filled with plenty of sly nods and knowing winks, LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens is not only one of the funniest LEGO games we've played, it's also one of the best. If you love Star Wars and you love LEGO, you owe it to yourself to snaffle this up like a hungry rathtar.
Why Trials of the Blood Dragon exists, we have no idea… it’s quite clearly one of the worst games I have played, ever, and is a game with no redeeming qualities. Save your money, folks, this one is a stinker. A proper stinker!
If you've got a hankering for old-school platformers (albeit ones bastardised by a few modern conventions) Mighty No. 9 is a game for you. If you were going to pick it up on a whim because you fancied a taste of Capcom's golden age, you're better off looking elsewhere. Hardcore gamers eat your heart out, but don't expect to sleepwalk through this one.
A better presented package overall, Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter is a small step forward for the series, but still in serious need of polish and a greater level of cohesion between its disparate parts. Fewer mini-games and more sleuthing would have been preferable and played to the game's strengths. As it is, The Devil's Daughter is a solid Sherlock yarn, but one that falls well short of greatness.
Mirror's Edge: Catalyst is an impressive action game when it finds its legs (sorry). Slow to start with a mediocre plot, this is a worthy sequel overall.
Overwatch abandons a lot of what we've come to expect from multiplayer shooters to create a fresh, exciting, fantastically entertainingly experience. I may never play anything else.
Dead Island Definitive Collection is one of the better value remastered bundles currently available, serving up one genuinely good game, one relatively crap sequel, and a reasonably enjoyable bonus game in Retro Revenge. For the cash, you could certainly do a lot worse, and few other games do zombie slaughter quite so well.
There's some good ideas and nice execution beneath Homefront: The Revolution's terrible performance and dodgy design. Very occasionally, everything lines up to make for a unique experience. However, the fact that the game was even released in this poor state is terrible.