XboxEra's Reviews
A brutal sequel to an already great game. Doom Eternal adds a lot of little improvements to the formula with top-notch level design and a fantastic soundtrack. The multiplayer is a disappointment.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is everything any Blind Forest fan would have wanted, or possibly hoped for from a sequel. Moon have created a game that has every right to be in the ‘AAA’ conversation with its 3D counterparts, with a level of care and polish normally reserved for much larger studios and far bigger budgets. Ultimately, it can’t be said enough how incredible Ori and the Will of the Wisps is. Blind Forest was already my personal favourite metroidvania of all time and Will of the Wisps has managed to raise the bar even further.
Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a wonderfully crafted 4X game with deep tactical combat and a sci-fi world which looks stunning. The different biomes keep the gameplay fresh and the different playable races give the game a slight Total War: Warhammer vibe. While the campaign is interesting, it can be a bit bland at times. The lack of cutscenes to give you that extra little immersion is a pity. Overall this is a fun strategy game to enjoy a slow Sunday evening with.
I absolutely enjoyed my entire playthrough of Void Bastards and writing this article, I’m already looking forward to discovering more in this wide universe. The combination of tense gameplay and an amazing atmosphere makes this game an absolutely great experience.
In lesser hands, this game could have quickly worn out its welcome, but Australian developer House House should be applauded here. What apparently began as a joke between the developers online, has eventually culminated in one of the most memorable games of 2019. Geese are jerks. Go live their dream.
Overall I enjoyed the heck out of Fallen Order. The characters kept me engaged, the combat challenged me. Even after beating the story, I can go back and collect secrets to find out more about the worlds in Fallen Order, collect more lightsaber parts, upgrade my skills to the max and continue to have engaging fights. What is more amazing is that this is a game from a developer, Respawn, who is known for it’s Titanfall series and very popular Battle Royal, Apex Legends. It is amazing to see a developer step out of its comfort zone and into a different genre. It is definitely worth a pick up and my favorite game this year overall.
The definitive edition of Age of Empires II has been made with a lot of love and care for the original – the nostalgia it creates in itself is almost a form of time travel. The passion Forgotten Empires and Microsoft have for this title really shines through. Though there are some performance issues, which hampers the experience a little bit, overall this is a remaster done the right way and fills me with hope for the eventual release of Age of Empires IV.
I knew very early on that I would like the game. By the end, I knew that I loved it, and I am already imagining my trip back through The Outer Worlds, and that is something that only truly special games can do.
Lonely Mountains: Downhill is a both a relaxing and invigorating change to most games of its nature, in addition to being a game that requires precision, skill and patience to really get the most out of it. Either way you roll, I’d wholeheartedly recommend picking this up – I haven’t screamed “F**K!” at my screen when I’ve screwed up with this much earnest all generation. Back to the checkpoint. Stupid tree.
As one of the best releases from Xbox Games Studios “old guard” of IPs, you shouldn’t miss giving this game a shot.
Control is a once in a generation game in terms of world building and atmosphere. Games this richly detailed do not come around that often. While the game has a myriad of technical issues that occasionally take you out of the experience, it is still a game I cannot recommend enough.
As a game, it’s a refreshing change to some of the more in-your-face horror-fests where blood flows like a case of smashed merlot. It’s a gripping and spooky experience that places stealth above shooting with a Stranger Things vibe.
I won’t delve too much into the story, but I will say that the ending – an it most certainly has an ending, is something that you and your friends may come to talk about, theorise about, and discuss for many weeks to come.