Life is Xbox
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Ruffy and the Riverside feels like a platformer straight from the past, in a good way. Clearly inspired by the greatest 3D platformers out there, it stands out as a varied, beautiful, and fun take on the genre, and has the potential to be remembered for years to come.
The Xbox port of Peglin might drop the ball in a few places, but it's definitely high on the fun scale. Even long after playing, I can still see balls bouncing around in my head, so be wary of its lasting effects on your dopamine-hungry brain!
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is an amazing roguelike adventure game. It is full of amazing lore, awesome weapons and endearing characters that should keep you coming back for more.
I can’t remember ever playing a game quite like The Alters. The story hooked me straight away with its unique twist: you’re stranded on an alien planet, with a base built at the centre of a giant wheel. To survive, you must create alternate versions of yourself, called alters, using memories stored on a quantum computer. Simply speaking with each alter made me reflect deeply on the choices I’ve made in my own life, and where I might have ended up had I chosen differently. There’s a remarkable amount of depth here, and I have to applaud the development team for what they’ve accomplished. The visuals and sound design are impressive throughout. The story unfolds across three acts, each set on a different part of the planet, offering new environments to explore and fresh challenges to tackle. Whether you’re a fan of survival games or new to the genre, this is definitely one to try. I can’t wait to dive back in and play more.
If you’re the type of person to read the accompanying leaflet when you buy a new toaster or coffee machine, you’ll be happy to know that Nintendo has made an interactive version of just that for their new console.
It pains me to say, but Xbox definitely is not the best place to play Final Fantasy XVI. It’s still the great JRPG it was at launch on PS5, but the graphics have taken a hit and I miss the DualSense more than I expected. For fans who only own an Xbox, this is amazing and finally brings all mainline titles from the series to a single console.
Elden Ring Nightreign is an enjoyable addition to the Elden Ring universe, through it is not without its faults. All in all, I would recommend Elden Ring Nightreign to people who enjoy a challenge but who aren’t too bothered about a lot of plot. In other words, if you like fighting the bad guys with friends, have fun. If you are looking for deep lore, play the original Elden Ring.
Best Served Cold is a decent game for fans of mystery and intrigue. The setting is perfect for the style, and the stories are so well done that it felt like reading an old-school choose-your-own-adventure if it had been written by Susanna Calkins or Nancy Bilyeau. If you enjoy a good mystery game with plenty of booze and murder, then this just might be the game for you. So as the developers themselves put it: “It’s time to flip that sign to open, turn up the jazz, and welcome your first customers of the night.”
As the most modern game in the series, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a welcomed addition. I enjoyed my time playing as both Naoe and Yasuke (although Naoe was my preference due to her stealthier approach) and taking in everything Feudal Japan had to offer. The interlocking stories were interesting, the open world had plenty of content to complete and combined combat/stealth was everything I wanted from Assassin’s Creed.
DOOM has always been about fast, frantic, and intense gameplay, and this entry certainly delivers. The visuals are among the best I’ve seen on Xbox, and the sound design is top-notch. Controlling the Doom Slayer always feels incredibly powerful and god-like, I haven’t played too many games where I’ve felt this strong.
Ambidextro is a game that you can sum up in a few words: retro puzzle insanity. You will find yourself grinding your teeth; you will also find yourself patting your own back as you complete yet another level and promising yourself that just one more shot will be fine; you can stop to sleep any time you feel like it. I don’t know if Ambidextro will be a game for everyone, but for those of us who like a bit of a retro challenge, it’s a fun wee game indeed.
A fun deck-building reverse horror game with plenty of potential to grow into something even more. With great graphics, a compelling concept, and a soundscape fit for a haunted house event on Halloween, Deck of Haunts delivers an eerie experience. If you enjoy playing the villain, grab Deck of Haunts and let your inner demons run wild.
A fun but short experience that could do with a bit more content than it currently has. SpreadCheat is one of those games that will fly under the radar for a lot of people but deserves to be checked out by more. If you enjoy 90’s humour and the cutthroat world of yuppie corporate accounting, then grab yourself a copy of SpreadCheat now.
Order 13 is a great wee horror game that lets you use your own imagination—mostly to give yourself scares—but also has the added factors of an actual monster, a cat, and some good old-fashioned random body parts and blood thrown in for good measure. Order 13 isn’t going to keep you occupied for weeks, but it is a fun wee game that will let you scratch that horror itch in a unique way. I wonder what other jobs are going to get the horror treatment.
Quite possibly the best RPG of its kind. Epic story with heartfelt moments, best-in class combat, gorgeous graphics and music that will linger for the rest of my life. I’ll be humming some of these tunes in the retirement home. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the real thing. This game will go down in history as a must-play RPG.
Pilo and the Holobook is a short, fun and cozy indie game that’s definitely worth a quick scan, but it doesn’t “stick” around for long.
I really liked how the developers handled and told the story of the lead character, Leila. While it is not always comfortable to experience and tackle tough topics such as childhood trauma, mental health, and simply being human in the world we all share, it is incredibly impactful. The art design and sound are spot on, and it’s clear that the developers poured their heart and soul into this game. Leila won’t be for everyone, but if you enjoy point-and-click games with a strong narrative and plenty of puzzles, then Leila might be the game for you.
Mullet MadJack is versatile: it’s perfect for hours of gameplay in a single session or even a quick ten-minute break to progress or just have some fun battling robots. Its 90s-inspired style is dripping with nostalgia, reminding me of movies like The Running Man and Terminator.
Despite my many remarks on things that felt a little off, like the repetitive combat, sometimes wooden platforming and disappointing final boss, there is an undeniable charm to South of Midnight that makes it a must-play for all Xbox fans. The music is fantastic and well-worth listening to outside of the game, the stories and legends told hit all the right emotional strings and it looks great too. For telling the story through songs alone, I’d wholly recommend everyone to give this a try and the good vastly outweighs the bad.
Spilled! is a lovely little game that lets you clean up waste in your own time while being rewarded in upgrades for your time. The focus is on cleaning up different types of pollution by using relaxing/cosy gameplay, one small section at a time. It looks beautiful, the soundtrack is chill, and the gameplay is satisfying.