XboxEra's Reviews
Excellent visuals with great performance, vibrant tracks, a technical driving model with quite the skill ceiling, a massive depth and variety, despite the not crazy amount of unique content just quite yet.
SILENT HILL f is a terrifying and terrific title. This harrowing tale of choice and consequence should thrill and properly disgust any fellow survival horror sicko.
The changes to the physics and AI are smart and felt, and the amount of content and polish really has no rivals, making FC 26 the best the franchise has been in years.
Top-tier movement and combat elevate a decent story into something worth your time.
Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition is an absolutely inessential upgrade for what is quite the timeless classic. It’s still a mighty fun and deep single player RPG campaign, with a ridiculously addictive core gameplay and plenty of content to boot. But the few changes and additions barely warrant a new version
Ultimately, I walked away from Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, 50 hours in tow, not regretting a single bit of it. It’s an amazing RPG til the end and the remake only enhances the original experience. Not many games can keep my interest this long, especially when it comes to combat and elongated story scenes—and the lore behind it all is both well-thought out and incredibly imaginative. Don’t miss this one for the “skies”. ∎
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivors is easily one of the best bullet heaven titles out there – which is no small feat, considering the amount of competition there is nowadays. Excellent visuals, lovely gameplay, with the unique mining mechanics that add a lot of depth to the runs. There’s a ton of content to grind towards, with even 300 unique achievements at launch
Frostpunk 2: Console Edition is a bold and mostly successful attempt to bring a demanding, systems-heavy experience to a wider audience. The game’s moral complexity, ideological tension, and survival mechanics are as potent as ever. Its reworked controls and UI show clear care and understanding of the platform — even if they’re not perfect.
LEGO Voyagers is a gorgeous, surprisingly emotional adventure about friendship, the joy of pure play and supporting one another. Even the smallest of us can achieve great things.
Garfield Kart 2 is a fun kart racer, in some ways better than its predecessor – but everything it does better is because it shamelessly copied another, much better game. With so many quality mascot kart racers out there, you can probably opt for something a little more remarkable.
Borderlands 4 is a masterpiece
This isn’t just a retro release—it’s a tribute. To the creativity of the 90s, to the risks developers took, and to a mascot who still puts a smile on people’s faces. It may not be flawless—but it is, without question, the purrfect way to experience Bubsy.
Indiana Jones and The Order of Giants doesn’t quite rise to the incredible heights of the original game’s story, but what’s here is more of what I wanted. More incredible locations, puzzles and maze-like tombs, dripping with atmosphere and history. What more could a budding archaeologist ask for?
Casebook 1899 takes some of the best things I love about point ‘n click adventure games and delivers it through a fresh, somewhat grounded take on detective work through the lens of a bustling industrial city. Its stories are ultimately yours to tell as the detective as every case will hinge on your deductions and reasoning. Amidst a fantastic presentation and unique storytelling, this game is truly wunderbar. ∎
Cronos: The New Dawn is excellent. Gorgeous graphics, smartly deliberate gameplay, an intriguing story, and incredible music create a new IP that is easily Bloober Team’s best.
If you’re a big fan of bullet heaven shooters, do keep an eye out for Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, though perhaps it’s not quite an essential buy just yet.
Metal Eden can’t, nor it wants to hide its Doom Eternal inspiration in a more sci-fi theme, but it’s hard to fault a game for trying to live up to one of the best shooters ever made. Metal Eden is an adrenaline rush of a high speed shooter with excellent shooting, great traversal, lovely visuals and soundscapes, one that keeps throwing fancy new moves and brutal new weaponry to play with. It’s a short ride, ending just around 4 hours, and a couple technical gremlins and perhaps its lack of innovation may deny it a spot among the gods of the genre.
I still feel like recommending Hell Is Us, to some people at least, because it is a unique experience worth digging into. Just, remember to arm yourself with a lot of patience – and maybe a guide or two.
Goosebumps: Terror in Little Creek is a kid-friendly adventure with a few weird design choices related to the puzzles and combat, but ultimately, it’s quirky and charming enough to be blasted through, whether you’re a pre-teen or an adult who has fond memories of the iconic book series by R. L. Stine. I certainly had my fun with it, and would recommend it to those seeking a horror game that’s ideal for a younger audience.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Twirlbound’s open world adventure, as its cute visuals, on point humor, infectious sympathy and solid gameplay loop kept me more than intrigued enough to keep pushing on, with the end credits rolling before the game’s relatively limited scope would start hurting. Keep an eye out for this one, as it’s a pretty fun ride.