XboxEra's Reviews
I encourage you to play Max Payne 3 immediately. Take a glimpse back at a short time when Rockstar made games that were focused on gameplay first. The game has its priorities straight. Gameplay, graphics, and story, in this particular order. This game gives you all the tools to be an action hero. Do so accordingly.
As this game is available on Game Pass if you’re into 2D action platformers then I highly recommend it. It’s a solid 4 to 5 hours of engaging combat in a genre that rarely feels this heavy. That goes for the story as well which uses a minimalist style to tell a tale of lonely sadness. Olija doesn’t give the best first impression, but if you stick with it I think you’ll end up having one hell of a good time.
The potential for something fascinating was there, but unfortunately, the game's first hour gave us a false impression, as the promising combat model and exploration became a repetitive, prolonged slog way before the end credits. Too bad.
It’s easy-to-learn / hard-to-master gameplay loop is thrilling when you have it worked out but can snowball quickly and crush you easily if you step out of your skill level. The art, sounds, and music are aesthetically pleasing and a joy to look at and listen to. I recommend Windjammers 2 for fans of the original and new players looking for a fun and challenging experience. Windjammers 2 is available Day One, on Xbox Game Pass.
It’s an interesting take on what is normally a very surface-level genre. Instead of focusing on giant set pieces and massive enemy counts TC’s Rainbow Six: Extraction asks you to take your time, watch your corners, and leave no one behind.
RPGolf Legends is a fun golfing game, but during my time with it, I wished it was just that. I do not think the genre mash-up is bad, mind, but the execution could have been better. I did feel that, had the combat been turn-based, I might have engaged with it more.
I have loved Drinkbox’s previous titles, and I had high hopes for this one. Seeing it release day one on Game Pass gave me the hope that Xbox had seen something special. After the first hour, I knew they must have as this game is tremendous. Using a mix of great art, excellent music, and a complex but easy-to-understand gameplay loop it hooked its fangs into me immediately. The titular star of this game may be a Nobody but after this release, Drinkbox Studios are certainly not.
As this is on Game Pass it’s an easy recommendation to anyone interested in the genre. It is $25 US at the time of this review if you prefer to "own" your games. If you aren’t big on a SotN clone then stay away, but if you are then this is a solid 6 or so hour experience that is well worth your time. I still may have little to no clue what Record of Lodoss War is, but I’m excited to see what developer Team Ladybug might do with the series next.
This DLC is 100% worth it for anyone who has played the first two, and if you haven’t played any of them (or the main game for that matter) give Dead Cells a go on Game Pass. If it hooks you as it did me then this trilogy of DLC is a no-brainer. It adds further excellence to what was already an incredible foundation with some of the best DLC content I have played in a very long time.
This is an excellent video game that you should try and play at some point. It’s worth buying full price if you have the money, but as it is on sale often now it’s 100% worth a pick-up.
It may not revolutionize the formula, but the new iteration of the engine allows the game to unleash thousands of enemies at the same time, giving the player levels of chaos and destruction they have rarely witnessed in a video game. I can close an eye on some of the jank when I can blow up dozens of headless kamikazes, with Sam delivering intentionally corny one-liners after, and I suspect other people who grew up on this franchise may be able to do the same.
The platforming is mediocre, the performance is terrible, but there is heart here. I look forward to what Monokel has in store for us with their next title as there is clear talent on this team, and they are not afraid to tackle some very delicate topics.
The Gunk is a fun to play story based adventure platformer with puzzle elements. The voice acting is very good with performances that really expressed the emotion of the lead characters. It has an unusual graphical style that works well with the soothing music and chilled out difficulty of the puzzles. An interesting world has been created here by Thunderful Games and it is well worth checking out on day one via Xbox Game Pass. I must admit though, after seven hours I had certainly had enough of hoovering up gunk and was very glad to have cleansed the planet of it.
In conclusion, Aspire: Ina’s Tale is a well-designed adventure puzzle platformer with an emotionally descriptive musical soundtrack. The platforming and puzzle design is very good and contains some challenging moments, even for fans of the genre. The art style suits the game well with colour being put to good use to bring the different tower environments to life. This is no ‘Gris’ but that game is so special I knew that it was never going to be. It would be unfair to be put off by that though as this game stands proudly on its own two feet. I recommend this as a good use of up to five hours of your gaming time. Go and try it for yourselves.
Just about everything about the release of this game baffles me. it’s a completely unoriginal arena shooter with subpar shooting mechanics, uninspired visuals, insufficient performance, a multiplayer player base that was already virtually dead on launch week, and a painfully monotonous single-player campaign that almost feels like an extended tutorial.
The Oddworld is as described in its very name. A strange world that leaves more questions than answers. I never knew what that PlayStation One game was about as a kid, and it took me years to realise: wow, this game is dark. Like that 20 plus year old game, Soulstorm is just as dark and dreary presented in both its narrative and gameplay mechanics. The Oddworld is as described in its very name. A strange world that leaves more questions than answers. I never knew what that PlayStation One game was about as a kid, and it took me years to realise: wow, this game is dark. Like that 20 plus year old game, Soulstorm is just as dark and dreary presented in both its narrative and gameplay mechanics.
In a year packed with sub-par launches for some of the biggest first-person shooter franchises, it really feels good to simply say this: Halo is back. I for one, welcome the return of the 👑.
Chorus is a slick, well made game and fans of the genre will find a lot to like, and perhaps even love here. It controls like a dream, looks gorgeous to boot and while the plot left me a bit cold at times, it’s hard not to admire the work and effort put in overall. If you want to become an ace pilot working with a surly sentient space fighter to take down an evil empire and free the galaxy this Christmas, you’d be hard pressed to find a better use of your time.
Asterix and Obelix: Slap Them All! is a game I would play with my younger siblings. It is a simplistic brawler that becomes repetitive after going through a few acts, but has great visuals and shows the surprising amount of charm such an old series carries today. There are certainly better beat-em-up options out there, but I did find this game more fun than the recent Battletoads, so I think that says something.
In conclusion, Beyond a Steel Sky will hold great appeal for fans of the original game. The artwork is impressive and the story is interesting but there are many drawn-out sections that can affect the pace of the game. There is a lot of questioning required that can become tiresome but the sections within the LINC/MINOS system are very enjoyable. Puzzle-solving can be rather challenging at times but the developer has added a hint system to prevent players from rage quitting. No knowledge of the original game is required but for me personally, this feels like a slightly missed opportunity.