XboxEra's Reviews
Criminality has never been so much fun, and thankfully, in The Big Con, no one really gets hurt. Available on day one via Xbox Game Pass and with a roughly six-hour completion time this is a title well worth checking out.
There were many times while playing this game that I felt it simply wasn’t that fun, but time and time again I ooh’ed and ahh’ed at the graphics and music. As it’s a very short 2 or 3-hour experience if that and the promise of a very interesting ending is enough to entice you then there are worse ways to spend your time.
The story kept me interested to a great extent and I am really curious to see what will happen in the sequel. While some players who are familiar with Metroidvania games will enjoy Axiom Verge, those who are not as familiar with the genre will have a difficult time enjoying the game.
Psychonauts 2 shines by delivering an absurd amount of creativity to the player. The story is filled with heart. The gameplay is smooth and fun. The character cast and the environments show incredible diversity throughout the entire experience. The next brain you’ll visit will always be more even more creative than the last, and the game does all that while also being absolutely gorgeous to look at. Psychonauts 2 is the best game Double Fine has ever created and the best release by Xbox first-party in many years.
mechanics that could go back even further it feels like a relic. There is nothing egregiously wrong with it, and if the battle system looks interesting to you, it could be worth getting on sale. Launching at $49.99 US though I can’t recommend it in good conscience to anyone.
RiMS Racing has a heart in the right place, wanting to offer a solid biking simulation that offers an in-depth look into every last piece of the bike and how they all come together on the asphalt. Unfortunately, an unimpressive driving model, various undercooked game features, and a severe lack of content don’t allow Nacon’s newest title to quite compete with the competition, but it does work as a statement of intent if not else: there’s a new player in town, and if the developers manage to iron out the issues, there’ll be plenty of fun to have for bike enthusiasts. As of now, however, there are much better options around, even just on Xbox.
This game is not a simple proposition, although it may look like a typical 3D platforming game at heart it is a technically complex and at times very challenging addition to the Metroidvania genre. If you are a fan of these types of games it is well worth checking out but be wary if you are not a fan of Metroidvania games. Advertised as featuring intense combat, tight 3D platforming, super-powered abilities, and an environmental logic-based hacking mechanic it certainly lives up to those claims. I would recommend being aware of this before you take the game on.
It's an incredible achievement for a solo developer, and thanks to its inclusion in Xbox Game Pass, something that plenty of players should at least try – you may find the performances, mystery and intrigue of this small urban apartment are some you just have to experience. Perhaps you can break the loop and discover what's happening to you – and why.
Xbox fans of strategic horde smashing will find a perfect home with Robot Entertainment’s latest game in the series. There are plenty of maps, challenges, and a variety of ways to defend your tower from the orcs. There are not any glaring flaws as far as the eye can see, and for what it is worth, I think that is what makes Orcs Must Die! 3 an easy recommendation for the strategy fan.
Though not that deep the game is quite a bit of fun. It's an easy recommendation if you can find it on sale.
Greak: Memories of Azur could have been something special. Unfortunately, a large number of questionable design decisions pull down every positive aspect in a way the game simply cannot overcome. The core design of how you control your two to three characters is simply not enjoyable, but the quality is there in every other aspect and I hope that either through further patches for this game, or in their next title that Navegante Entertainment gets the gameplay part of things right.
Its puzzles are nowhere near challenging and the exploration is limited to small areas, but they are still enjoyable thanks to the heartwarming story that unfolds after each section. When combining it all with the vivid visuals and remarkable voice work, you cannot help but feel right at home.
Hades has perfected several elements of the rogue-like genre and does a banging job on the rest. It is, by far, the best game of its type that I’ve played. But don’t let the words “rogue-like” scare you off – it is made in such a way that it is appealing to both fans and non-fans of the genre alike. Hades is a game I firmly believe anyone even remotely interested should play. I guarantee that you won’t regret your time in The Underworld.
Should you play it? That’s the big question, isn’t it? I think, now that the dust has settled, and most of the bugs have been resolved, it’s still worth a go – especially if you’re a fan of either franchise. But beneath the lovingly crafted veneer, the longstanding issues that have plagued Sea of Thieves since it’s launch are still prevalent. Average combat and poor signposting for new players, if this was your introduction to Sea of Thieves, you may be left scratching your head and wondering what all the fuss was about.
Dodgeball and RPG is an odd combination that works surprisingly well in Dodgeball Academia — all thanks to its fast-paced combat and entertaining writing. You will find yourself giggling at times right before sweating your way through a chaotic match, while the games’ accessibility settings let you play it exactly the way you want to. To top things off, Dodgeball Academia offers a rare local versus mode, becoming a good candidate for those good old LAN parties.
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game, like most titles focusing on so many completely different gameplay loops and styles, falls short on truly delivering in any of them. The sheer variety of the twenty different sports presented, the rush of adrenaline of some of the shorter modes, solid online performance, and good presentation makes it a pleasant enough title for fans of the world's most famous torch.
At $30 US it is a steal, but it’s also available day one on Game Pass. Stunning graphics, excellent music, innovative gameplay, and so many other factors come together to not only make one of the best releases of the year but one of my favorite games of all time. (score updated after launch, console version is far behind/buggier than the Steam version)
Eldest Souls incorporates two of the best traits from a Souls game: challenging boss-fights and a minimalist storytelling approach. You will die a lot, but at the same time you will never feel cheated by the game — au contraire, you will find yourself on that “one more try” loop, unable to put the controller down until you find out a nice build combination to defeat a boss. And when you do, the satisfaction is near-instant.
In conclusion, Omno is a very calming experience of exploration and wonder. Anyone with an interest in platforming, puzzle solving and losing themselves in a make believe world should play it as soon as they can. It appears to this reviewer that the gamble taken by Jonas Manke in giving up his day job to create this masterpiece was the right thing to do. Hopefully, as it is available right now on Xbox Game Pass a lot of people will take the time to experience it.
While I was not keen on the narrative function of the time travel, it worked as a good gameplay mechanic and added to the individual stories of the people within the secluded Roman city. The action was unnecessary, but the horror was welcome. But even in the face of that, The Forgotten City is easy to recommend for story-centric players. “Caveat emptor” does not apply here.