Games Xtreme's Reviews
If you're looking for an idle clicker, a relaxing game, or something just plain cute to look at for a few easy achievements in your library, Plantera 2 is a perfect choice. For what it is, it's a great deal of fun for any age.
Stranded: Alien Dawn excels at being a game like Rimworld, but charts it own course, marks its own innovations and breaks out of the mould set by the former. I’m really glad this came to the Xbox and it’s now one of my favourite games in this genre – I can’t wait to see what happens post-launch, because this feels like Stranded has a very bright future both on PC and console.
I won't spoil the story, but will say it is well written, and even better performed. The sound design and voice acting is top notch in every sense of the word without putting that lightly at all.
Now we come to what Call of Duty is known for and this is where both Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Infinity Ward themselves excel and after spending 20 years improving and perfecting their craft it shows. The multiplayer is a finely tuned masterpiece which improves on all of the previous iterations, yes there were a few teething issues with matchmaking but nothing that really spoilt my experience.
It's a big game, it's packed with content, and none of it is phoned in. Every aspect of this game is created to feed into the systems that are at play. I'm 160 hours in and I've still got a lot to do, none of it is filler, and all of it is stuff I want to do. From fun mini-games like Orlog (the dice game that's equal in complexity to Gwent from W3) to the drinking challenges, flyting (Viking rap battles) and more.
Reader, I'm not going to lie. As a serious Serious Sam fan it's very hard for me to get on board with this installment. I know they tried with some big ideas, but it just feels like every single one of them fell miles short of the intended mark. If you're a die hard fan of the franchise like me, then no doubt you'll want this--but take my word for it and wait for a deep cut or sale. Otherwise, you'll just find yourself frustrated that you've spent upwards of £30 on what feels like a rushed, buggy mess covered in your favourite coat of Sam paint.
An all-around solid package well worth rescuing from the Wii U's obscurity, Pikmin 3 Deluxe's only real problem is that it's a more replay-focused game than it seems on first blush.
Forgone has a great feel to it, incredibly good animations and superb graphics. The action platformer with rogue-like elements is a strong contender for one of the most accessible, yet challenging titles since Dead Cells.
Watch_Dogs: Legion is big, it's ambitious, and it pulls off a lot of neat things with the city sandbox. The triumph is the play as anyone system, but also a weakness in that it can create a truly obnoxiously voiced character and personality. It encourages sandbox play and offers a lot to see, and to do. A strong post launch plan could see this really take off.
So where's that leave us? I mean, overall, I had a really good time with Crown Trick! It's a classic style roguelike with some solid modernizations. I love the art style, and while its permanent upgrades are all pretty standard stuff (go in with more healing elixirs! Keep some of your currency across runs!), they do a lot to make the genre feel more... achievable by mere mortal man.
Pumpkin Jack isn't just for Halloween despite being perfect for it. It's a fun and enjoyable adventure, full of (undead) life and personality all around. It does have a few short comings like the challenge of controlling Jack, but overall this stuff can be overlooked. The story is cute, there's unlockables, and it's pretty easy on the eyes to look at. If you're looking for something unique, or themed for the holiday Pumpkin Jack is your perfect pick!
So where's that leave the whole package? That's the tricky part. As a set of games, these are great, right? If it's your first time playing these, or just your first time in like 20 years, you're gonna have a great time. The emulation is solid, I never had anything truly go wrong, and the stylization means these games hold up way better than a lot of their contemporaries. Sunshine's water effects still look absolutely gorgeous to this day, for instance, and even 64 has a bold, stylish charm that holds together.
On the whole, a fantastic game that is bound to draw you in and make you stay. I can fully recommend this if you're a fan of builders, pixel graphics, or management games! It's wonderfully easy to get into, gently teaching you everything you need to know--but has the true addicting staying power to keep you interested for hours on end. I do hope if you're a fan of the genre that you'll check this one out--you'll be very pleased you did so!
I always loved my time with Amalur, and I am still loving my time with the Re-Reckoning. What with Dead Kell to dive into, and Naros, with ALL the DLC from the first run of the base game packed in with it there's a lot on offer here and the price is decent. You get a complete package, one that doesn't trick you through nostalgia. If you want to pay a bit more, you can also go for the full edition of the game and get the new expansion that's coming in 2021.
It's clean and crisp and plays like a dream. I can't remember a single time where I actually saw a framerate drop, or a resolution fall, or any of the usual performance thieving tricks...And while I'm not the most sensitive to these things, I can usually at least see it if I'm looking for it. Does it get there by seemingly pushing the Switch to its absolute limits? Sure. Does it sometimes leave things a bit at the ragged edge, just barely keeping from having to drop performance somehow? Sure thing. Does it matter? No! The only reason not to play this game is if you want to start with the first one. Which I can't speak to the Switch port of that one, but if it's even half as well done as this one, it's gonna be a plenty good experience.
The game is really enjoyable, especially in co-op mode, which lets you get together with 3 other people to explore and complete quests. While the game is limited in the number of resources you can gather, the items you can craft and build, as well as biomes, there is plenty of room for the developers to add extra content and continue to support the game.
I kept running into little things like this, where the game's interface kept fighting me and making it difficult to actually experience and enjoy the core gameplay loop. It was a layer of...Friction, is the only way I can describe it. And it meant every time I went to go roll my fun-ball down the track, it would stop way soonerthan expected. I'd quit having fun, and then I'd have to walk away for a bit so I didn't keep getting frustrated with the game and come back later.
Though a few rough edges keep the game short of perfection, Windbound nonetheless is an excellently crafted and conceived take on the survival-exploration genre built on gorgeous aesthetic and storytelling.
Anyone who has played a turn-based game will know what's coming, or at least know how to control their units and battle the forces of the Suffering. There's a decent tutorial which shows you many of the game's early elements, allows you to cut loose and find your feet. Then as you progress you will be given other tutorials, mixed in and these drip-feed the management skills and knowledge you need to get to grips with the other systems of the game. The tutorials are good, solid, and explain everything you need to know.
For those who need an explanation, you and 59 other players are these weird, pill looking characters that you can unlock all different kinds of outfits and stuff for, and you all participate in trials that require you to be the best in order to progress to the next round. For example, 60 of you all together at the start line and ahead of you are about 20 see saws, you need to get across the see saws to get to the finish line, but of course you have 59 other people also crossing different sides of the see saw so it can either work in your favour or completely blow up in your face.