Life is Xbox
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Donkey Kong Country Returns HD can be pretty frustrating at times, and if there is one thing I don’t like in my games, it’s frustration. There is a lot of content here and especially for people like me who never played the original you’ll keep busy for quite a while. But there are better 2D platformers under Nintendo’s wings and I recommend playing them first.
A Short Flight with a lot of bugs. I really wanted to like Mika and the Witch’s Mountain as it’s exactly the type of game I normally enjoy, but the many bugs and weird collision detection gave me more headaches than satisfaction. There are some nice ideas here, so it’s a shame there is so much standing in the way for me to enjoy them.
Despite a few bugs and crashes, I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Boti: Byteland Overclocked. I was not able to test out split-screen co-op for this review, but there are definitely times when having two players would have helped, especially with the final boss. There is a lot of humour to be found here, which I think both adults and younger players would find funny.
I think if I was to play Star Trek Legends on my phone I might enjoy it more, but it is not a game I would recommend for a Console or PC Gamer. It’s badly ported and makes no pretence that it is anything other than a mobile game. If you are a fan of the franchises throughout the years there are plenty of games out there that can scratch that itch and a plethora of TV shows and movies.
A great game for young players who are just discovering the joys of lateral thinking puzzle games and for adults who want something to play alongside their kids. The story is clear and easily understood, the graphics are beautiful and if you want to just relax then let that inner child free to play an adventure that will take you back to your childhood as well.
Naiad is a relaxing, soothing game that will swim warm circles around your heart if you let it. It’s an extremely satisfying game to just explore at your own pace, with the only frustrations coming from my own completionist urges and some design decisions that feel like they are going against the stream of such a playthrough. The gorgeous visuals and enchanting music alone makes this a recommended play. The fact that it actually calms down my children is a bonus side-effect!
Stars in the Trash is a wonderful game, and as I mentioned, a piece of art in its own right. You start off feeling like, “Oh, this is fun, I’m a cat knocking things over,” but as you progress, you get deeper and deeper into this mindset that you feel like you know exactly what this cat is feeling and thinking. I very rarely find a game that makes me stop and think every few moments about what it’s like for animals out on the streets, and I have a lot of appreciation for Valhalla Cats for their work in bringing much-needed funding to animal shelters. In conclusion, get this game, play it, enjoy it, and remember to donate to your local shelters.
I had a lot of fun playing Wall Town Wonders and I would heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a nice, relaxed, cosy experience to play on their Quest 3.
Super Mario Bros Wonder is another great first-party Nintendo release in a stellar year full of massive hits. The new upgrades, wonders and badges bring plenty of new gameplay elements to keep players engaged, and it does so in a typically colourful jacket overall that is sure to please gamers of all ages.
Lake – Season’s Greetings has genuine human interactions, a bright visual art style that is like a balm for the soul, and a no-stress approach to story-telling. You’re guaranteed to come out of it a more relaxed human being after playing it. It’s also the perfect DLC to get into the holiday mood!
A great game that will challenge you in a good way. I really need to look up people who speedrun this game though, I honestly don’t know how they could do it!
Neva is a short emotional adventure with canvas-worthy art design and a beautiful soundtrack that I instantly added to my spotify playlist. The platforming gameplay is tight, the combat is simple yet satisfying and the relationship between you and your titular antlered wolf pet feels incredibly wholesome.
Metal: Hellsinger is a rhythm FPS that has all the elements you need for a delightful symphony full of fast-paced action and heart-pounding metal music. It was one of my favourite games of 2022 and the musical crescendo it built up to resonated so much with me that I was excited to play through it again in VR.
I have really enjoyed my time playing Aaero2, and I can see myself playing this for a long time. It’s great to play if you only have a few minutes spare or a few hours. Each track takes you on a journey musically and visually, which is very unique to Aaero2 and Mad Fellows’ first game, Aaero. I can’t wait for my friends to start playing too so I can try to beat their scores and vice versa. The addition of local and online two-player modes is huge and adds lots of replayability. Plus, it’s great when a friend pops over. The daily and weekly challenges will always give you a good reason to come back. I am already looking forward to seeing what DLC will look like when it’s added in the future.
A fun wee game for those of you with an hour or two to kill, be very careful though because that hour or two can turn into a lot more.
When I first began playing Necro Story, I really didn’t know what to expect. I have played a few turn-based fighting games, and while Necro Story isn’t exactly turn-based, it follows much of the same formula. The first thing that really grabbed my attention was the humour and jokes at the beginning; this made me want to know more about each character, and I was not disappointed.
Copycat really was an emotional roller coaster and kind of tough in the way that some emotional movies are hard to watch.The second half of the game picked up the pace and delivered a beautiful ending, but it took some time to get there.
Star Wars Outlaws has so much going for it, despite a few minor performance issues that are maybe to be expected within an enormous open world to explore.
Phantom Spark delivers an exhilarating experience for fans of fast-paced, time-trial racing games, reminiscent of Trackmania. Its focus on constant improvement and speed will satisfy those who love pushing for faster lap times. However, it’s not for everyone. if you’re not into high-speed precision and repetition, it may feel less appealing.
House Flipper 2 has joined the House Flipper series but it hasn’t managed to impress me as much as the original. That doesn’t mean to say it’s a bad game in any way! The concept remains the same, visuals have been updated, audio has the same charm, tools have been added and/or changed and the jobs are very similar, making it an easy transition from the first. Also, with that small hint of more content coming in the future, I’m looking forward to the growth of the game and seeing what direction the developers take.