Not a lover, not a fighter, but a gamer.
If you don’t find me down the pub, it’s because I’m never there as I’m playing video games. I consider Bioshock the greatest game ever made and love to express my opinions through writing!
Shantae and the Seven Sirens on the Xbox One is the best in the series yet. Despite some truly obscure pacing issues and some irritating map design, the base adventure remains extremely enjoyable, with rewarding exploration and a constant sense of progression. While the formula may need more quality of life improvements to really stand out in the genre, Shantae and the Seven Sirens is a step in the right direction and places the series on the right track for success.
With a more robust combat system, inventive quest design and more polish, Quest Hunter on the Xbox One could have been a true diving point for newcomers to the RPG genre. As it stands, it feels like a completely missed opportunity that’s inoffensive but lacks any degree of imagination, charm or gameplay hook.
Essentially, Arcade Spirits on Xbox One feels like an entry point to the visual novel genre. It lacks the depth, complexity and hook of games such as Phoenix Wright, but instead relies on its relationships to suck players in. With a slow build, it’s hard to recommend to anyone but veterans of the genre, especially with a script that never evolves beyond its basic humour. But its charm is hard to deny and, infused with the nostalgic factor, it can be downright difficult to resist at times.
With years of support, a fantastic throwback to games of olde and superb gameplay, Shovel Knight on Xbox One is an absolute treat. The initial campaign is worth the price of admission alone, but with the plethora of updates over the years, it’s a must have for any gamer. The package delivers something for everyone, beautifully marrying multiple genres in one satisfying bundle. Shovel Knight is a testament of getting your money worth for a game and has definitely dug itself a massive range of incredible content to enjoy.
Whereas Darksiders III missed the mark by straying too far from the path, Darksiders Genesis on Xbox One proves that the formula from the first two games was successful enough for their franchise. It’s true this is a more linear experience this time around, but none of what made Darksiders a cult hit in the first place has been sacrificed in translation.
In a world where Jim Henson created lovable creations such as The Muppets and the cast seen in The Dark Crystal, it’s disappointing that their property has been wasted on a hollow combat-heavy video game.
Zombie Army 4: Dead War isn’t a genre defying resurrection on the zombie formula, but it is a satisfying mutation of the franchise, and I can’t wait to dive back in and tear some guts apart.
There’s a constant onslaught of Metroidvanias that seem to populate the store like rampant rabbits, so much so that it gets hard to decipher the quality from the scrap heap when searching through. Iconoclasts on Xbox One stands out from the rubble and manages to build itself into not only a great Metroidvania, but an amazing game with an identity of its own.
While Deadfire is still a fantastic game and one of the best isometric RPGs in recent years, it’s clearly much better suited for a PC audience. If that isn’t an option for you, there’s still a solid port here with the Xbox One version, if you can see past any of the technical missteps.
It would be easy to gush about the love I have for Dying Light. Simply put, it’s one of the greatest zombie games ever made outside of the Resident Evil franchise. The combat system is a refined blood soaked beauty, parkour invokes an incredible sense of freedom, and that open-world design allows you the opportunity to soak up this perfectly crafted city.
Aborigenus on Xbox One feels like an idea that was good inside the developer’s head, but a sloppy mess when put to paper. It’s a world that lacks focus, identity and most importantly, any sense of fun.
So, what does the fox say? This fox says that FoxyLand on Xbox One is an enjoyable enough little adventure with enough platforming goodness to see you to the end, but lacks any sort of imagination to truly distinguish itself from a rapid growing market of retro platformers.
With an array of games that pose as releases from our younger days, it’s hard to recommend Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge on Xbox One to anyone outside of the die hard community of fans to retro gaming.
The series has become something of a cult hit over the years. In certain European countries, Asterix & Obelix are still mighty mascots — France even have a theme park dedicated to the duo. It’s unfortunate then that their license has been relinquished to such a bland and uninspired creation in Asterix & Obelix XXL 3: The Crystal Menhir on Xbox One, especially when previous entries have been quirky, imaginative titles.
While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, Sparklite on Xbox One is a strong contender in the genre and a reminder to push ourselves to be the best we can possibly be.
Currently in Early Access on PC, Merge Games have announced the full release date for their teeny tiny open-world multiplayer survival game - Smalland: Survive the Wilds. And as they do so, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 versions are confirmed.
For fans of pinball, Smoots Pinball is a definite avoid. Even for younger gamers, arguably who the game is really pitched at, there still isn’t really much to recommend here.
If you're a mobile gamer, and make the most of Game Pass and the Cloud, you'll find everything you want - and then some - in the GameSir G8 Galileo controller.
