One of the latest to go down the Game Preview and Game Pass route is that of Lightyear Frontier, a game that takes farming sim elements but puts it into space.
The final week of the Horizon Race Off dawns in Forza Horizon 5, yet as we prepare to bid farewell, there is a last hoorah in the shape of the Festival Playlist Weekly Challenges for Series 32 Spring.
You may not have heard of Loretta, but dismiss the psychological thriller at your peril. In Episode 197 of TheXboxHub Official Podcast you'll get to hear about the game - and why it is very nearly perfect.
Spacebase Startopia on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S is shaping up to be a management sim in the truest sense. It's got a few small twists thrown in there too, however it’s looking set to be one to watch for fans of the genre.
January has typically been a quieter month after “silly season” in terms of games released, but that doesn’t mean there has been a shortage of easy Xbox achievements and Gamerscore to be had. And we are here once again to highlight to you any that may have been missed from those Xbox games that launched in January 2021. This month we feature the easiest achievement we’ll likely ever have in our lists, as well as a full 1000G that can be earned in less than 20 minutes.
With the majority of the series now available through Xbox Game Pass, there is an embarrassment of Japanese crime simulator riches to be had with Yakuza. But with all this goodness, confusion springs as to which is the best starting point. Well I - a self-confessed Yakuza addict - am here to tell you that each entry in the series is a great starting point!
Whew, not going to lie, February was looking a whole lot better before delays started hitting it. But strip out the triple-A titles from a month and it lets the indies shine. If there’s a theme to these smaller titles this month, it’s ‘cash-ins’. Or, if we’re being a little less cynical, games that take us on a wild nostalgic ride around old favourites.
The most exciting yearly event in wrestling is almost here; the fun-filled and often surprise-laden Royal Rumble. So, with WWE Royal Rumble 2021 taking place on 31st January, I decided to play out the planned match-ups via the over-the-top action of WWE 2K Battlegrounds. Want to know how I see it going down at the Rumble and whether the encounters actually unfolded that way in WWE 2K Battlegrounds?
Balan Wonderworld may not change the world come March, and it may not bring famed designer Yuji Naka to the same level as Shigeru Miyamoto is right now, but in 2021 it is awesome to see a gaming legend return to the spotlight with a major platformer release under a big name publisher like Square Enix. If anything, Balan Wonderworld will be a reintroduction to one of the best minds in gaming, and for now that’s probably going to be good enough.
It’s starting to get interesting in the realm of gaming now, with some big hitters launching recently on Xbox Series X|S and PS5 as well as various announcements stirring up excitement. As such, TheXboxHub Official Podcast Episode 65 delves into the likes of Hitman 3 and The Medium. There’s also a look forward to upcoming indie games, a breaking down of the recent Resi Evil reveals, and much more.
The culmination of the new Hitman trilogy is finally upon us, delivering an absolute essential stealth action experience right before developer IO Interactive turns their attention towards Project 007. An overwhelming amount of critical praise has poured in - our 4.5/5 review for instance - alongside a hefty number of unfortunate, yet identified technical issues tied to their “carry over” progression and mastery system, leaving many saddened by the grim reality that this might be our last endeavor with Agent 47.
In this trip down memory lane, I'll be looking back at the 2016 release of LEGO Marvel’s Avengers, all with my rose-tinted glasses sitting firmly in place - you see, my son and I were great fans of the films that this game was based on, Avengers Assemble and Avengers: Age of Ultron, and that means there is much love for the LEGO-based gaming titles.
Marble Blast Ultra will always be intertwined with the launch of XBLA; the excitement of getting games digitally, immediately; the sudden new avenue for getting Gamerscore, and the hidden gems lost amongst the dross.
Episode 64 of TheXboxHub Official Podcast is out and this time around the team cover all the bases - we've got some Marble Duel madness, more Immortals Fenyx Rising love, a tease of Zwift and a look at the Xbox exclusives for 2021.
Project xCloud was first shown off back in 2019, and whilst this technology and insight into the future was unveiled to the world, I don’t really think it gripped everyone’s interest and really engaged gamers. Little did we know at that stage that this was all part of the future strategy of play anywhere.
I view Resident Evil Zero and the 2016 Remaster as a bit of an oddity in the series, the black sheep if you will. It tried something a bit different, and in the end did so with limited success.
There have been good games so far in 2021, but we’re still waiting for the first great one. That wait may come to an end soon, as we’ve played a few hours of a small game called Olija (pronounced oh-lee-yah, if you were wondering), and we’re smitten enough to pause the review and sound the klaxons: this could well be a GOTY contender.
