XboxEra's Reviews
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.
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.
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 one of the best releases from Xbox Games Studios “old guard” of IPs, you shouldn’t miss giving this game a shot.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bleeding Edge isn’t the game I expected from Ninja Theory but definitely the game I wanted to see out of this studio. Seeing the developer behind DmC: Devil May Cry go out and create something creatively different just makes me really happy as someone who is part of this very niche audience.
Overall this game is fun for children and could be fun with friends. I don’t recommend playing this game on your own, but can see how it gets close to the appeal of Human Fall Flat when played with friends or family. If you have younger children, then this game could well be perfect for them. The open world gives children more options, so if a certain task is too difficult, they can move to a different one. The abundance of vehicles and other mechanics to play around with give it enough longevity to last for days – or weeks. Despite some bugs and annoying controls, the game is well worth a try for certain demographics.
If you want a challenging but enjoyable title, this is definitely it.
If you enjoy the Gears of War franchise and design then you’ll like this. It feels and looks like a Gears game, from the stupidly overly-macho Gears themselves and their incessant grunting, to the continuous and gory chainsaw kills. If that’s your thing and you’d like an easy entry into turn-based game-play then yes, get this game, play it on an easy difficulty and completely ignore the micromanagement needed through the weapon and squad modifier process. Like the other Gears games, it’s a pretty, if brainless game. If, however, you’re a fan of more complex Turn-Based Strategy games you’re going to feel like a large portion Gears Tactics is either missing or dumbed down so far that it feels completely unfinished. As a veteran of other games in the genre, at every moment this very much felt like babies-first turn-based tactics game. All it needs is for the instruction manual to be printed on thick cardboard with a disclaimer on the back saying ‘these instructions are waterproof and chew-able’.
Streets of Rage 4 is everything I could have wanted in a sequel to such a venerable series that I’ve always held in such high regard. It’s clear that both Lizardcube and Guard Crush get it. They managed to create a sequel that belongs right alongside its predecessors despite having to manage fan expectations and the ever present nostalgia that can inflate people’s memories of the old games, particularly after some three decades and change. It’s a prime example of how to modernise a bygone genre without abandoning the spirit of it, all while capturing the feeling of what made it so special and fun all those years ago. This is an absolutely mandatory play for any Streets of Rage or scrolling beat ’em up fan. I also recommend anyone with a penchant for old school gaming sensibilities to definitely give this a go.
Sea of Thieves isn’t for everyone. After all, neither was the life of a Pirate. But if you have the time, the friends and the heart to take it on, it can reward you not just with treasure and glory, but with memories that will stay with you, long after your Pirate Legend has faded into myth.
Overall Deliver Us The Moon is a solid walking sim puzzle game. With a fantastic atmosphere and a story that keeps you engaged during this 3 to 4 hour campaign. The variation in first and third person perspective is an interesting choice, which really works in the game. The production value of this ambitious title from an independent developer can only be applauded. With good voice acting, sound design and visuals and decent gameplay, this game rises above being ‘just a sci-fi game’ in a convincing way.