XboxEra's Reviews
my mostly solo-play experiences were a mixed bag at best, preventing me from praising the game too much or giving a high “review-in-progress” temporary score.
There’s a pleasant puzzler in Projected Dreams, thanks to its visuals, music, and simple game design. Who knew making shadow puppets could make for an enjoyable afternoon? An easy recommendation for everyone.
A short and sweet romp that is an excellent addition to a fantastic game.
Sadly, ca11 me here!’s gameplay is fairly one note. That is, once you’ve played the first round of its minigame, you’ve played the whole game.
Monster Train 2 is excellent. It takes everything I loved about the first game and makes it just a little better. The looks, music, and strategy will have me playing this one for years to come.
I’m torn on Knock on the Coffin Lid. When all elements align, it’s an audiovisually striking turn-based card game with an interesting lore, good player agency, and an addictive combat loop, one that’s easy to understand but hard to master. Yet, a series of difficulty spikes, an obtuse build system,m and a massive amount of repetition ensure that most of the hours spent in the game are wasted behind trial and error and replaying through many times seen before content, with even a handful design oddities that would need a quality-of-life patch or two.
Palia’s multiplayer-based life simulation experience is a unique one, something that sets it apart from other games in the genre. It’s got solid mechanics, an interesting lore, and a welcoming community. It’s a game best enjoyed in short bursts, but that can’t stop you from building the life of your dreams.
A variety of challenges will keep new players in the genre busy and older ones entertained through the game’s mix of comedy and tragedy. Quite literally, a good time for all ages.
Blades of Fire is not going to be a game for everyone. It’s beautiful, runs great, and has some design decisions that made me pull my hair out. It’s incredibly long, and I do not think that it benefits the game in any meaningful way.
RoadCraft is a ton of fun. It smartly evolves the MudRunner series, taking one of my favorite physics-based puzzle games and adding in some deliciously creative chaos.'
While this Collection doesn’t include the mainstream hits the Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Game Collection, it includes a far better selection than the first Capcom Fighting Game Collection and as I mentioned earlier, is well worth it for the Power Stone games and the ability to play them online.
A fun ride that I enjoyed from start to finish, with the end credits rolling before the game's limited scope could start hurting the experience. Fans of old-school GTA should keep an eye out for this one.
DOOM: The Dark Ages takes us back to the Slayer at his most powerful, stylish cape and all. Twenty-two levels of mayhem, excellent pacing, and furious combat make this entry my favorite in the series yet.
Despelote is one of the year’s most fascinating indie games, one I can recommend without much hesitation.
Revenge of the Savage Planet should take most 10 to 15 hours to complete, with the achievement hunters getting upwards of 20. It’s a huge step up from the first game, and a delightfully dumb, beautifully good time.
This is purely a time capsule that plays really well on the go, perfect for anyone who owned a Lynx and folks who love retro games. The collection’s titles run accurately and bonus functions like rewind and save states along with digitised versions of their box arts and manuals make The Epyx Collection: Handheld worth a look. ∎
MotoGP 25 is the biggest update the series has seen in years, and it’s pretty much all for the better. Maybe it lacks a little bit of that extra coating that characterizes some of the finest 4-wheel racers on the market, but rest assured: if you want to race bikes on traditional circuits, MotoGP 25 is the place to be.
StarVaders is a wonderfully addicting game, one I didn’t expect to be a highlight of mine this month. The underlying mechanics present can make or break a run in a multitude of ways, the bosses are frenetic and can really pose a challenge, the runs don’t overstay their welcome, and it’s got the visuals and music to boot.
KIBORG caught my interest with its good looks, and quickly lost it with its bland and unsatisfying gameplay. Using some of the best rogue-lite tactics can’t help this one in the end, as its hilariously bad voiceover work and boring, repetitive combat make it a slog.
La Quimera is a beautifully baffling experience that I cannot recommend to anyone.