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Warhammer 40,000 Inquisitor Martyr nails the gothic and grim sci-fi 40K universe, but technical shortcomings and some poor design decisions hurt the overall experience. Online multiplayer, outside of playing with friends, is a nightmare to separate, especially since you'll be randomly dropped into a mission and thrown back to your local hub afterward. NeoCoreGames does have a fluid roadmap on the game's official website complete with seasonal events and content. There is also a season pass that will include new investigations, campaigns, loot emotes and even familiars (pets). Currently, there is a $3.99 servo-skull pet for purchase on the Xbox Store that doesn't appear in-game or crashes your game.
Strange Brigade is a robust online cooperative experience to play with friends and strangers alike. The presentation is hands-down one of the best experiences I've seen this year, from the visuals, level design to the game's music and sound effects. Also, I tip my hat off to the talented Glen McCready who continually narrates throughout the adventure. It's a shame that the character doesn't have additional outfits or customization outside of weapon loadout at launch, but with free and paid downloadable content in the future, Rebellion may be supporting this fun third-person shooter for quite some time.
Once again Sega has reinvented the Yakuza series, by overhauling every aspect of a beloved title, and simply making it that much better. The Dragon Engine is truly impressive, not only visually, but boasts some nifty animations that surpass Yakuza 6. Adding weapon loadouts, and some sweet new heat maneuvers certainly provide much more flexibility and creativity to the combat. Yakuza Kiwami 2 is without a doubt the definitive Yakuza experience.
Coffee Crisis is a throwback title that stays true to the intention of releasing a 16-bit brawler title with a hint of modern favor. I would have liked to see a bit more modern conveniences added to the gameplay, either through additional moves, either offensive or defensive. In my experience, the game's difficulty can spike quite high during some of the later stages on the higher difficulties, but the game is quite easy on the lower difficulty settings. If you are looking for a retro-inspired cooperative title to keep you busy for a couple of hours, Coffee Crisis is a good choice.
Death's Gambit aimed to transition the Souls style of gameplay into an unforgiven 2D adventure, and for the most part, it has succeeded. I do feel that the controls aren't as smooth or fluid as they need to be. Ranged foes seem to have an unfair advantage, being able to instantly lock on to your direction in a heartbeat, which isn't fair. I also felt like I was fighting the controls every step of the way, making the experience that much harder, but I did appreciate the unique take on the genre. Dying doesn't mean the end of the world, and being able to watch new sequences and listen to additional dialogue after dying was a treat.
We Happy Few combines survival mechanics with a deep and thoroughly enjoyable narrative, but technical hiccups hamper the experience. There was a bit too much reliance on stealth, giving a one-dimensional gameplay sensation, but thankfully you don't have to confront to that type of approach (although things are harder if you don't). Side missions help give life to the charming and witty characters you'll come across but are entirely optional if you want to play through the main narrative. The technical shortcomings and terrible frame rate are disappointing, along with some annoying missions, but with a deep and thrilling story, I was able to look the other way on some of the glaring issues, as none that I encountered were game breaking in any way. It is just a shame that Compulsion Games didn't remove the boring open world sequences and focused even further on tightening up the narrative experience.
Castaway Paradise is best played for small chunks of time on a daily occurrence. You'll want to keep checking in on your island paradise to clear out weeds, plant new trees, run errands, and decorate to your heart's content. However, more dynamic elements are needed to keep players wanting to come back after they have upgraded most or all of the island. The lack of day and night cycle stings, especially since the villagers seem to wander, instead of focusing on a set schedule. While Castaway Paradise doesn't reach the true Animal Crossing experience, it is adequate for those looking for something relaxation on non-Nintendo platforms and is relatively cheap as a digital only title.
The Council - Episode 3: Ripples finally provides players with the answers they desire, but at the same time, proposes all new questions. Things are not as simple as I thought they would be, and an unseen power comes to light that genuinely has me excited for the remaining two episodes. The technical issues are such a drag, and by this point, I was hoping at least some of them would be resolved, but it appears like things are getting worse.
The Spectrum Retreat is an emotional narrative combined with enjoyable puzzle solving using unique gameplay mechanics. The story is well-told, and I was amazed at how the simulated world begins to feel broken the closer you get to the truth as if you are rejected this reality. The mannequin-like staff works beautifully with the style of the hotel, except the couple of times where they suddenly appear behind you. The backtracking does slow down the pacing of the game, and I do wish there was some rewind function for some of the longer puzzles, as having to restart them is a bit of a nuisance. Considering that the puzzles may have dozens of interactable blocks to mess around with, I do understand it may be asking too much without having to overhaul the puzzle system.
20XX's difficulty is definitely fitting, considering the original Mega Man franchise is regarded as one of the toughest to complete. The roguelike elements work perfectly with the procedurally generated stages and permanent upgrade options. The controls genuinely shine, giving you complete control over your character. It has taken some time for the game to come to console platforms, but as it stands, 20XX is the definitive action platformer title paying tribute to the classic Mega Man X series.
Shining Resonance Refrain brings the original Japan-only release to a worldwide audience across multiple platforms. With that said, the narrative and combat system and thoroughly enjoyable, but neither stands out when compared to other games in the genre. The Refrain mode inclusion adds a new twist for those that already played through it, but I was more than happy to play through it again on an Xbox One. There are loads of systems that work in unison, such as forming bonds to create a compelling and cohesive party, as well as the inclusion of optional social aspects. There are also a ton of previous swimsuit DLC for the female cast too if you are into that type of thing.
Fans of real-time strategy games have a great console game to experience, even if it is a more streamlined approach to the genre. While I will admit that this may be a turn-off for some hardcore fans, I did enjoy my time with the game. With that said, I miss out of earning three stars on some missions due to the game slowing down when moving around some of the larger maps.
Whether or not the developers didn't have faith in their product or it was just trying to be clever, the meta-jokes about how silly everything in the game is entirely accurate. The game is only a couple hours long, and unless you are trophy/achievement hunting, there isn't any reason to return to the game. Even then, playing through the game feels like a chore, as levels overstay their welcome. Time will tell if the original promise of co-op makes it into the game, but that doesn't change anything concerning the borderline racist and offensive style of comedy used throughout.
Fox n Forests is an authentic retro-inspired love letter to 16-bit era platformers, and I dig that. The game does include some modern touches, and a bit of Metroidvania style progression, but the look and feel is straight out of the SNES. I didn't quite enjoy having to replay levels to collect the magic seeds to proceed as it creates an artificial progression barrier. You also won't be able to replay boss encounters, which is some of the best moments in the game.
Jurassic World Evolution is an easy to pick up title featuring great looking dinosaurs and solid park building elements. There is undoubtedly a lack of “fluff,” to beautify your park outside of the required buildings and pathways, but it's something that can be easily solved via patches. Frontier has already committed to supporting the title with new dinosaurs. Things can become quite chaotic when enclosures start to fail during a massive storm, and you lose power at the same time. Not to mention you are facing diseases and balancing the safety of the guests while providing sheer entertainment.
Just Shapes & Beats is an enjoyable rhythmic bullet-hell experience, best played with others either online or locally, but still a great deal of fun alone. It's a different take on the genre and a refreshing experience that will have you up and moving with the beats. The developers have covered just about everything they could in the game, from a local and online multiplayer to a more straightforward easy/casual mode.
Omensight is the ideal title for someone looking to solve a murder mystery wrapped in an enjoyable action-packed adventure. Although you are frequently outnumbered, you always feel in control thanks to the satisfying combat mechanics. There is one particular section in the game is beyond frustrating, but outside of that, the game's difficulty is well grounded.
Having tried the game with both a controller and keyboard, I do recommend using a gamepad. It makes the game that much more enjoyable. That being said, this is an arcade-style racing game. It's got some definite good points, and it's insanely fast for those that want speed, but I'm more concerned about replayability. I know there's an online component, but I did not have much luck in finding matches. I'm hoping that the online community picks up, as the game isn't bad by any means. I am just concerned that it's easy to run out of things to do once you beaten the single-player modes and fully upgraded your vehicle.
Although Vampyr's combat system is thoroughly satisfying, it's the dark atmosphere and narrative that genuinely makes the game a must-have. Your choices define the experience, altering a world full of discovery and intrigue all around you. Do you give in to your blight and feast upon the weak and unworthy inhabitants of London or do you become their salvation? It should take you anywhere from 20-30 hours to complete the narrative, but if you want to see all of the possible endings, you'll have to play through multiple times, altering your choices and decisions regarding the lives of the citizens.
Earth Atlantis is an enjoyable shooter with a beautiful visual style, reminiscent of a time where monsters were believed to be hidden underwater. The game has been re-balanced since the initial Nintendo Switch release, not to mention being able to use the d-pad for steering the ship. There are two main game modes and multiple pilotable ships. Strangely the audio options are only available on the main menu, and I ended up muting my TV while playing as I found the constant shooting audio level to be a tad too overpowering. There are three difficulty modes as well as a record keeper for completion times, but it seems to be local only and not global. I think the game would benefit from trying to best your friends time in either mode.