When they arrived alongside the Xbox 360 back in 2005, Achievements were entirely alien to us all. It didn’t take long though before we all got addicted to building our Gamerscores by mastering those in-game tasks. Since that point things have never really slowed down, and whilst there are many who like to play games for the fun of it and disregard cheevo collecting as unnecessary, there are just as many, if not more, that will associate themselves with the term Achievement Hunters, looking to squeeze every last drop of Gamerscore out of any given game.
With a new dashboard change last year bringing in the Gamerscore Leaderboard to Xbox One, many slacking Achievement Hunters were reinvigorated in their hunt, and many who’d never before been interested were now also keen to see their scores sit above their friends on the list each month.
In this new series of monthly articles, we take a look back over the new releases from the past month to look at some of the easiest Achievements to help you add to your monthly scores and stay above your friends in those competitive leaderboards. Here are our findings for 10 of the easiest Xbox One Achievements from those games out in January 2018.
Before we get in to things, it’s worth noting that all Achievement percentages shown are accurate at the time of writing, however these may change over time and only games released in the specified month can be included on this list. So, with that cleared up, on to the list.
Murky Waters – The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III – 5g – 30.51% unlocked
If you’ve yet to check out The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing series, you’re missing out. With three quality titles, two of which have been given away free with Xbox Live Games With Gold, there’s been plenty who have been enjoying the Diablo-esque series since it arrived on Xbox One.
If you’re one of those who have jumped into the trilogy ending sequel that arrived for free to players last month on Xbox One, and like to ensure you search each area thoroughly, then chances are you’ve stumbled across the underwater section of the laboratory. This isn’t particularly hard to do, with players simply needing to travel south east just before the boss at the end of the first mission. When you’ve reached the right area a cutscene will appear, afterwards just hit the control panel and the water will drain, popping the Achievement and adding a lovely 5g to your Gamerscore.
Key in Potionology room – Winx Club – 100g – 36.10% unlocked
I’ll be honest here, if you’ve played this one, then we certainly feel for you, as this is no doubt one of the most boring adventures of the year so far. That said, Achievement hunters need to take note – whilst Winx Club may not be one of the best games out there, all 1000g can be mopped up within a few hours, and every Achievement offers up a tasty 100g too.
Whilst we could easily include any of the Achievements for this one, the one that wins hands down thanks to being available within the opening five minutes of the game is the Key in Potionology room. Although it isn’t the most obvious collectible out there, it’s hardly one you’re going to miss if you pay attention. With a guide, players can run to this one in no time at all, but if you prefer to play your way through naturally, then you’re still near guaranteed to run into it, and with a 100g addition to our score, we’ll take it.
Nice Knowin’ Ya! – Outbreak: The New Nightmare – 25g – 38.07% unlocked
Nice Knowin’ Ya! is a simple Achievement from Outbreak: The New Nightmare that many will get simply due to how poor the game’s mechanics are. If you’ve ever played a zombie game, chances are you’ve died several times along the way and that’s exactly what you have to do to get this 25g Achievement to pop. This can even be done by starting a new level and waiting until the zombies run up to you and sink their teeth into your flesh.
It may not have a high percentage, but you can be assured that’s only because many people haven’t stayed in the game long enough to endure a death.Â
The Tunnel – The Vanishing of Ethan Carter – 50g – 38.44% unlocked
After making appearances on PC and PlayStation in recent years, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter finally made its way to Xbox One this month too. With the game proving an easy completion on its original launch, much of the same was expected on Xbox and it didn’t disappoint.
The full 1000/1000 is available in just a couple of hours and there is really nothing too challenging about any Achievement in this one. However, by simply turning around the second you step foot in the game and walking back through the tunnel towards the light at the end, players can immediately unlock the first 50g in the opening thirty seconds of the game. Not bad eh?
Exhaust the use of property – Xuan Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament – 25g – 56.94% unlocked
If you’re a fan of JRPGs then there’s no doubt you’ll have noticed the arrival of Xuan Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament on Xbox One in recent weeks. Whilst JRPG’s are becoming more of common occurrence in the western culture of gaming, they aren’t usually associated with being easy quests to conquer. They do often come packed with hidden treasure chests and other lovely bonuses that many of us tend to miss.
For this one however, you’ll find nothing quite so challenging as the treasure boxes are a regular occurrence and all you have to do to net the 25g Achievement is to open the chest and clear its contents, before pressing A again to investigate the chest – this will break down the chest into components and your Achievement will pop straight after.
Who knew JRPG’s could be so giving with their Achievement requirements.
Swing and miss – Albert and Otto – 25g – 76.10% unlocked
We’ve seen it in multiple games and Achievements of this variety are starting to become an Easter Egg in their own right, but once more we see another game gifting us a simple Achievement for going the wrong way… although you need to jump to your death in this one too.
Fans of Limbo and Inside are sure to have had their ears perked when this little gem arrived on the Microsoft Store in January as from the early trailers and screenshots it looked like a near copy of those great adventures. When it arrived though, Albert and Otto proved to be a great game in its own right; a great game with a great Achievement list.
For this 25g it’s simple. As soon as you start the game, turn to the left and jump off the level. You’ll die at this point, but it’s fine, there’s a 25g Achievement waiting for you and you’ll start exactly where you began before deciding on a suicide jump to inflate your score that little further. Every little helps, we understand.
That Green Stuff – Vesta – 40g – 78.04% unlocked
It may not have arrived to much applause thanks to save issues providing lost progress time and time again, but puzzle/story adventure Vesta is a great one for anyone looking for a bunch of Achievements with a sizeable chunk of Gamerscore attached.
40g is the lowest you’ll find amongst the 21-strong Achievement list, but the easiest has to be That Green Stuff that requires players to use 5 energy drums. With the use of energy drums proving necessary for story progression this is one that will pop through natural gameplay – not to mention it’s something you’ll do inside the opening five minutes.
As for the game, if you can hold off hunting Achievements long enough to wait for a patch, then there’s every chance you’ll find an enjoyable experience to be found throughout, with plenty of other high-yielding Achievements to be found.
Warrior of the North – Wulverblade – 10g – 80.95% unlocked
If a game comes along that offers you the chance to mince your way through hundreds of enemies without any repercussions, chances are you’re going to find yourself on a bit of a murdering spree.
Wulverblade is one of the latest games to allow such a kill frenzy as you battle your way through the Roman army as a guardian of the northern tribes in a rallied war band. Whilst we love very little more than proving our worth for the greater good of a war, we do still get a tinkling of appreciation every time an Achievement pops for our efforts.
In Wulverblade this is an often occurrence with Achievements available for hit streaks and enemy kills alike. The easiest however comes down to Warrior of the North, a simple 10g Achievement awarded for putting your first 100 enemies to their ultimate demise. That’s right, kill 100 enemies and you’ll find yourself netting an easy 10g. With a near 81% unlock from players, it seems many have already found themselves tuned to their tribal instincts and with just a few minutes effort you could be too.
The Art of Camouflage – MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD – 5g – 91.62% unlocked
With every big release comes a tutorial section that likes to teach us the basics before sending us out to the harder and harsher reality of the real experience.
MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD is no different, and after spending just a few minutes in the game – provided you’ve managed to prise yourself away from the incredible character creation menu, you’ll find yourself prompted to duck for cover in some nearby shrubs to avoid an early demise to a pack of chasing Jagras.
Being story related, this isn’t one you’ll be able to miss, and whilst 5g Achievements have slowly become a rare sight since the Xbox One era began, this is 5g we’ll welcome with open arms, as the rest of it you’ll have to fight for.
Welcome to Burma – Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China – 20g – 96.16% unlocked
Our craving for a decent aerial combat experience has yet to be satisfied on Xbox One, however it’s always nice to feel welcomed in to a new experience. I can’t say I’d recommend you welcome the experience of Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China any time soon, but the 20g that is given out for simply skipping the title screen is always enough to give us a comforting feeling that things won’t be too challenging.
That said, there’s a high chance you won’t want to stick around to grab the others as that will require sticking time into what is ultimately a disappointing experience. But an easy Achievement is an easy Achievement and when it comes to reaching the top of those Gamerscore Leaderboards, the easier they are, the easier it becomes to have the bragging rights at the end of every month.
So, there we have it, 10 of the easiest Xbox One Achievements of January 2018. Will you be hunting down any of the Achievements we’ve mentioned? Are there any we’ve missed that you think deserve a mention? Let us know in the comments below or via our usual social channels.