DayOne's Reviews
The story is good, most of the time the gameplay is fun, but the constant loss of control over things can be grating.
If you’re looking for something different that can also be enjoyed with friends, and you can’t decide between watching Netflix or playing video games, get a bit of both with “Dark Nights”. Enjoy it in small bursts. Sip, don’t binge.
Dead Cells is an all-time classic. As part of Xbox Game Pass it is one of the easiest recommendations I’ve ever made on this site/channel. It is tough but fair. It finds that perfect balance of teaching you as you fail, and you will find yourself thinking “Just one more run” time and time again as the hours pass by.
At $50 US if Sherlock Lovecraft Private Assassin sounds like a good time to you then this one is an easy call. The story is solid, the acting is surprisingly good, the detective part of the game is intriguing, and the combat gets the job done.
Outside of the gameplay itself, the game feels like a sometimes-ugly, disorganized collection of menus that wants you to pay extra money to really enjoy the most engaging content without falling victim to an endless grind.
I have very little to complain about Milestone’s latest attempt to emulate the world of MotoGP and its feeder series. Last year’s already great game has been further improved, with vastly improved graphics and performance on the new consoles, several gameplay and UI tweaks and a handful of brand new additions. The much hyped manual control over a rider after a fall is not quite as exciting as we hoped, but it doesn’t really matter; MotoGP 21 is an excellent rendition of one of the fastest and most exhilarating sports on the planet, proving not only to be one of Milestone’s all-time greats, but also one of the finest biking games in several years. MotoGP videogames are definitely in the right hands, and it’s available now on the Xbox One family of consoles and on Xbox Series X|S.
Dishonored is still a great game nearly a decade later. This stealth-action game will go down in the history books as one of the best games in the genre and put Arkane Studios on the map as one of the world's best developers.
Few things in the world of video games are as fun as killing Nazis and shooting Zombies. Zombie Army 4: Dead War does a damned fine job of combining the two.
Rain on Your Parade is a wonderful little puzzle game with a lot of heart, imagination and some occasionally laugh out loud moments. While it won’t last forever, there’s more than enough here to enjoy on a rainy day and would certainly bring its own kind of sunshine.
I had hoped that the time spent in Game Preview would lead to Darkflow fixing the movement and aiming systems. I never had much hope for how the squad system would work with the free-to-play nature of the title, but if the gameplay were solid then I could still recommend giving it a shot. In the end though this is a bad playing, poorly set up, mediocre-looking game that you should avoid unless you’re desperate to go murder a bunch of poorly scripted AI with some friends. Though only since it’ll be free to play.
It Takes Two is a game that deserves to be played. Bearing in mind that we’re only just into April, it would not surprise me to see the game sitting on plenty of Game of The Year lists come the year end, including my own. It Takes Two is like the David Bowie of the Action-Adventure gaming world – flitting from style to style while hitting all of the marks and remaking them all in its own way.
Overwatch is a special game, and as Overwatch 2 is essentially a complete rework that will carry your progress over there is no reason to not give it a try if you haven’t already. It goes on sale for $20 in the US quite often and solo or especially with friends it will be well worth it. The mix of frenetic PvP and PvE content, wide variety of modes, and excellent roster of heroes have made this one of my favorite games of all time.
*Updated 4/28/2021: Constant nerfs to the power fantasy in some weird attempt to force in unneeded longevity has killed the game for me. Instead of buffing they are nerfing and it's a terrible choice. Never before has there been such a marriage of great gameplay and truly terrible dialogue. Despite the latter Outriders is a blast to play and a no-brainer on Xbox Game Pass.
If you can look past the scarcity of modes and the anemic nature of the ones on offer, Samurai Showdown Special Edition is a fantastic return of a beloved fighting game franchise. It's a refreshing option for those who might want a break or palate cleanser from the combo heavy and more bombastic fighting games that are more prevalent in the scene today.
For those that love projects that take a few risks and try to do something different, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here. The imagination and variety on display is frankly phenomenal, and as fan of experiments and risks in this medium, I’m left thoroughly impressed. But if you can slip on a good pair of headphones, and imagine yourself in a smoky jazz club with a drink in hand, I think you’ll have a very good time indeed.
El Hijo: A Wild West Tale is a challenging and fun stealth puzzle solving platform game produced by an indie developer with an obvious love for the Spaghetti Western genre. If this review strolled into your local saloon and piqued your interest, you will not be disappointed by what the game delivers.
Curse of the Dead Gods is a solid title for fans of rogue-likes and dungeon crawlers. An excellent progression system is tied to a damned fun combat system. Retailing for only $20 US it is easy to recommend, and as it is a Focus Home Interactive game I wouldn’t be shocked if it hit Game Pass at some point in the future. The time in early-access has really paid off, and you would do well to try it for yourself.
Fallout 4 is a damned good video game. It has its fair share of problems, and the engine really does feel dated now, but with a robust modding community and a compelling narrative it’s an easy recommendation through Xbox Game Pass. Without the ability to mod away many of the issues I wouldn’t be as quick to recommend it, and if you care more about achievements then you may want to hold off. Overall though I loved my time with game, and I’m incredibly excited to see what they do next with Starfield.
This is an incredibly unique title and in my opinion, well worth the effort that has clearly been poured into it. Considering how highly detailed the original sketches must have been this really is a work of art in video game form, that needs to be seen to be believed. Mundaun may be inspired by local folklore but it keeps you guessing right up until the end. Catch the bus up to Mundaun, after your visit I can assure you of one thing – you will never forget it.
Adios is a noticeably short game and it feels to me like a teaser for a larger project, almost like a show reel. The developers obviously have big ideas that they want to share so hopefully they will be given some backing and a larger canvas on which to express themselves in the future.