In the UK, we simply don’t have the infrastructure to deal with hot weather. And it is never pleasantly hot like it would be elsewhere; always muggy and sticky. This latest month has played host to a heatwave that has seen sales of £15 Argos fans skyrocket, as if they make any noticeable difference in this heat. So, most of our easy achievements for the month of July will reflect this hot weather, and how we simply cannot function properly to even score some easy Gamerscore. Without any further ado:
Tour de France 2021 – 15G – Baptism of Fire
Apologies for the heat-related title of this first achievement this month, but we do have a handy workaround for this first one.
Tour de France 2021 is the official game of the Tour de France 2021 – the clue is in the title there – that recently wrapped things up for the year out there in the real world. The standard Xbox One version of the game released in June, but the Series X|S Optimised drop was delivered in July, hence the inclusion of it here. That is the be all and end all of my biking knowledge, please reach out to our editor and overlord Neil Watton if you do want to talk all things two wheels with him.
For this achievement, you don’t need to actually play the whole stage to unlock it. Simply start a race and once you get going follow these simple steps: hit the B button, tap LB to navigate to the finish line and then simulate the race at 100x speed. The theme here is earning cheevos without breaking a sweat so return here in a few minutes and confirm the finish screens to unlock 15G. You will also likely unlock a second 15G depending on which stage you chose to cheese through.
Mythic Ocean – 50G – Cradle of Stars
Next up is another game where you can set it up and do something else whilst it unlocks, but you best be quick with this one as it only takes 30 seconds to pop.
Mythic Ocean is a beautiful, underwater adventure with a diverse cast of characters where you can advise them on a wide variety of amusing topics, with plenty of endings ranging from complete harmony to total pandemonium. It is also damn pretty and incredibly relaxing.
One achievement is no more relaxing though than Cradle of Stars. In the underwater world, head over to Moss Caverns as soon as you start the game and go speak to a strange creature called Lutra. After your conversation you can head into her coral sphere behind her and… relax. 30 seconds later you will have a nice 50G and an overwhelming feeling of comfort.
Tropico 6 – 20G – Just One… More… Term…
Not a new release, but Tropico 6 became available for Xbox Game Pass subscribers in the month of July and offers one of the longest ever achievements we will ever highlight, but in this heat you can leave it running and go have a five hour nap in the freezer.
The tropical sim-management series isn’t an easy completion but the 20G on offer here is as easy as it gets. Start the game, choose any of the options – it can even be completed during the tutorial and let the game sit idle. Make sure your controller is plugged in though otherwise it will stop the counter. Return after five hours of laying on your bathroom tiles and you will be 20G better off.
Beasts of Maravilla Island – 2 for 100G – Aspiring Wildlife Photographer and Invasive Species
Have I mentioned how hot it’s been these past few weeks? Well, here is a game that allows you to take photos of tropical flora and fauna without stepping outside under the glare of the sun.
Beasts of Maravilla Island reimagines the various animal inhabitants we know and love by mashing them together before giving you the opportunity to wander around and take pictures of them. Without making it sound too much like Pokémon Snap, it does feel very similar.
Things do get tricky as you try and complete your photo albums with pictures of every single animal, but the first two achievements can be knocked out with just two photos. Firstly, take a photo of absolutely anything to unlock Aspiring Wildlife Photographer and 50G for taking your first photograph. Then press the Y button to switch to Selfie mode and take a picture of yourself for another 50G and Invasive Species.
Treasure Hunter Simulator – 80G – Photographer
Much like Tour de France 2021, it is pretty self-explanatory what to expect from Treasure Hunter Simulator. And even the name of the achievement doesn’t leave much to the imagination.
Instead of taking one picture for an achievement like Beasts of Maravilla Island though, you need to take 20 photos in total. They don’t need to be of anything in particular, so just snap away until you unlock a rather healthy 80G.
F1 2021 – 15G – Erase the Past
Our penultimate achievement this month is for using one of the newer features in racing titles to be introduced, and the latest Formula 1 game is no exception. I bet both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen wished they had this function kicking around.
Our third game this month that shouldn’t need an explanation, F1 2021 is the official videogame of the 2021 Formula 1 season. And it is worth noting that in this latest instalment, the rewind button has been moved on the controller. This time around it is the Menu button. Hit that at any point during a race – providing the feature is turned on in the options – and the first time you do so will unlock 15G and a chance to right your wrongs. On the racetrack at least.
Niche – A Genetics Survival Game – 15G – Sweet Sweet Love
There are many benefits to grabbing a bit of afternoon delight with your significant other. But how many out there can say they’ve been rewarded with Gamerscore for bumping uglies?
Step up Niche – A Genetics Survival Game, a tactical RPG that doubles as a simulation tool designed to educate players on the basics of genetics. And best of all, it has a tutorial.
It is during this tutorial that you are introduced to the concept of mating. It is a lot simpler to achieve than in real-life. You will find your companion hiding away in the reeds and when it is your turn you move into their hexagon and do the no pants dance for 15G. Flowers or chocolates not necessary, but certainly appreciated.
And that’s your lot for easy Xbox achievements for July 2021. Hopefully you appreciate those that you can leave many of the games running whilst you run off for a cold shower in this heat. Let us hope August will be a cooler affair as we will return with another bevvy of easy achievements for you to unlock next month. If we’ve missed any out, let us know in the comments below!
