It has to be said that the Blizzard Arcade Collection on Xbox is a great trip down memory lane for us older gamers, and almost a time capsule waiting to be unearthed by younger players. Seeing where Blizzard has come from is fascinating, and with three games from the days when playability was more important than whizz bang graphics, maybe it’s good that we get the chance to slow down and enjoy life once in a while.
It’s easy to recommend what R8 Games have created here. Pacer is quite possibly the finest anti-grav racer available on Xbox - a slick, smooth, super fast roller coaster of a game that lets you go as deep as you want, in more ways than one. If you’ve been hanging on for a Wipeout beater, you’ll still be waiting, but this is about as close as it gets to a modern day anti-grav masterpiece.
There’s a strong visual identity to Katana Kata on Xbox and a clear idea here of using weaponry to create varied combat situations. Unfortunately, inconsistent fighting mechanics and a lack of player control really hurt the overall grind, as its moment-to-moment gameplay is more aggravating than awesome.
Baobabs Mausoleum Grindhouse Edition on Xbox is one of those underground sleeper hits likely to become a future cult classic - if it hasn’t already done so. This release comes packed with all the chapters and other extras, and it is the best way for the uninitiated to jump right in and experience a game world and adventure like no other.
We were sidewinded by Steven Universe: Unleash the Light on Xbox. We came into it without any experience of Save the Light, and had unfounded assumptions that this was a My First RPG that would be as dull as dishwater. What we got was something in the way of Costume Quest 1 and 2: a witty, elegant little turn-based RPG that surprised every time that we thought it would dive into monotony.
Doodle Devil: 3volution on the Xbox falls foul of the same problems that have plagued Doodle games since the beginning of creation. Progress begins well, with elements mixing logically and a fun flourish when you get a pairing right. But then the pattern sets in, and you’re painstakingly combining every element with every other element, with the emphasis on ‘pain’.
Yakuza 5 is very much the magnum opus of the series; bigger, better and bolder than anything that came before it. It is immediately obvious from the get-go why it is often cited as one of the best in the entire series.
If you have previously enjoyed games like Thomas was Alone, then Journey of the Broken Circle on Xbox is going to be for you. The developers have created a beautiful and magical world with strange, unreal characters, but have managed to place real-world issues into it; the mix works brilliantly.
Kill It With Fire on Xbox is brilliant. It’s original, preposterous, but more importantly an absolute hoot. It does what few games have the power to, which is put a smile on your face and fill your heart with joy. The only snag is that you’ll never look at a house spider in the same way again.
Taxi Chaos is not Crazy Taxi, not even close, but it is competent and functional enough to scratch an itch until SEGA’s arcade classic receives a modern 4K remaster treatment.
I have been delightfully surprised at how accessible and addictive Heavy Metal Machines on Xbox is; it has been a thrill to have something like this at a quiet period in gaming. The game has real potential and enough legs to see it grow and blossom into a success.
Rodent Warriors on Xbox is a fun game; one that is perfect for a quick blast. Picking up the controller, blasting through a level and then resetting the character is a perfect short term option. If you don't have much time, then getting the game to play itself will allow you to get up to the much-needed higher levels and gear, but how that mechanic will sit is a very personal one.
Mail Mole on Xbox does the job of offering a ‘00s-era platformer - nothing more, nothing less. There’s no innovation here, not even capitalising on the fact that you’re a mole, and you may well groan at the landslide of cliches. But as we came to the end of Mail Mole, we kind of dug it. Aside from the odd control molehill, Mail Mole is a smooth ride and it may well scratch an itch that you forgot you had.
Much like those which have come before it, Aery - A Journey Beyond Time on Xbox is enjoyable. It's a simple piece of gameplay with an intriguing premise that delivers a relaxing experience even when chronicling the fall of humankind.
If you were brought to Under the Jolly Roger on Xbox with the promise of swashbuckling, action, and a hope that it would be ‘Black Flag: The Ship Bits’, then turn sail: this isn’t the game you’re looking for. This is a pirate sim with the emphasis on ‘sim’, and all the resource management, tedious downtime and charmlessness that can come with the genre.
