DayOne's Reviews
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.
Overall Before We Leave is somewhat of a middle-of-the-road city builder with some lovely concepts and a relaxing vibe. It doesn’t nail everything it tries, but overall it’s an enjoyable experience. The non-combat approach could’ve been executed better at times, with more challenges thrown at the player. Meanwhile, the small hexagon islands can be enjoyable for people who like some puzzles in their city builders, while for others they could feel a little limiting. Before We Leave is a cute, polished city builder perfect for when you’re in the mood for something relaxing and less challenging, with the looks to back it up.
A Builders Journey does a lot of things right throughout it’s short playtime, with gorgeously designed levels and imaginative puzzle design through to its themes of play and creativity – and the often unwanted responsibilities that can interrupt it. It doesn’t get everything right, but then it’s so short lived it’s hard not to be entirely charmed by it anyway. If you’re a fan of puzzle games or Lego in general, you can’t really go wrong here.
Exo One is not only a visually impressive achievement. It also uses haunting music and realistic environmental sounds to transport the player into its strange worlds. Handling of the craft is unusual but works very well once you get the hang of it. The story is not blatantly spelled out to the player but that adds to the mystery and allure of what you are trying to do and the ending ties everything up nicely.
Battlefield 2042 has the potential of becoming one the best first-person shooters available on Xbox in six months’ time — but the fact is that, as of today, it is not even among the best shooters being released this Holiday season.
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is perhaps my favourite Frogwares title. By expanding and spacing out the objectives at the player’s leisure, it creates an open-ended feeling of choice that had me coming back.
Unpacking is an incredibly accessible, meditative game revolving around room decoration and block-fitting puzzles. There is no pressure here and the only target is to make each environment a satisfying place for the main character to live. This may not be the type of game that you usually play but it is well worth checking out, although short sessions of a level at a time may be a good idea due to the repetitive nature of the gameplay. Being another recent arrival to Xbox Game Pass there really is no reason not to try it. Let’s just hope the neighbours are ok, but let’s face it, they never are!
As it stands, Circuit Superstars is a really fun top-down racer that lands in a golden spot, halfway between pure arcade hilarity and a sim-like approach with fuel and tyre management to boot. The incredible amount of different cars and race styles is, however, is hampered by the limited amount of customization and gameplay changes players can introduce into their events, with the multiplayer in particular feeling surprisingly limited in scope.
This game is nearly perfect for me and there is no getting around that. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does make it smoother and faster than ever. It is not only one of the best games to release this year, it is a true showcase of just what a “next-gen” title can be.
All the woo-hooing and cringe-inducing dialogue can be a little off-putting at first, but once you get past that and embrace the absurdity of it all, you get to enjoy one of the best arcade games available on Xbox today.
Revisiting areas further underlines another one of Demon Turf’s main problems: most levels feel relatively soulless, empty. As much as their visual style is generally on point, they still offer vast areas with very little happening, offering half a minute or more of uneventful walking. Entering the harder variant of a level fills it with dozens of collectible lollipops, some making the player go through even some of least exciting areas more than once.
Horizon Chase Turbo – Senna Forever is, by all means, an unusual DLC. Released a whopping 3 years after the base game, long after the core support of the game seemed to be over, it offers a level of content, detail, and fun that practically dwarves the already fun original title’s ambitions.
BPM: Bullets Per Minute is one of the most exhilarating shooter experiences I’ve had recently, thanks to fast gameplay, varied gunfights, and a high skill ceiling to aim for via the many runs the players will inevitably go through.
Röki does its best at being an adventure game that anyone can pick up and play. It is a safe play, and one that I appreciate. Its lack of violence is like a breath of fresh air for me, and by keeping a consistent pacing with its narrative and not being overtly difficult means that I am happy to recommend this game for all to play.