I expected Mecho Tales on Xbox One to be a bad take on a good formula, but it proved me wrong. Instead, it provided a fun couple of hours of an unimpactful yet joyous action platformer which should attract anybody looking for a unique art style. It is an indie game which has the self-awareness to know what to accomplish from a gameplay point of view, but not perhaps from a storytelling perspective.
I never thought I would play Final Fantasy Type-0 HD. This is a game which originally released first on a PlayStation handheld console - the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in 2011 to be precise - as a Japanese exclusive. In fact, I surprised myself when I bought and played it
I’ve read a fair few of the Assassin’s Creed comics that are available - The Fall and The Chain for one - and while most of them are a worthy read from both a comic-book fan point of view and for fans of the Creed, Bloodstone Vol.1 from Titan Comics has sadly left me confused rather than excited for the next entry in this potential-filled premise. That said, there is definitely fun to be had in exploring the Vietnam war from the perspective of the Assassin-Templar war.
Star Wars games have been an important part of Star Wars history, and video game history for that matter. Games like Knights of the Old Republic I and II hold a special place in the hearts of both Star Wars fans and those who love the Original Xbox. So it gives me great pleasure to talk about one of my favourite Star Wars games of all time, and one of the best Original Xbox games of all time – Star Wars Republic Commando.
Let us remind ourselves of some of the games that were released on the Xbox platform in 2019, both exclusive and third-party, in order to take in a retrospective of how the year went for Xbox.
A great start is made with Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot on Xbox One for the Borderlands 3 campaign add-on roadmap. It’s not perfect by any means, but is great fun and well worth your time and money if you’ve finished up with Borderlands 3 and need a reason to return to this addicting loop.
The gaming industry is growing at a rapid pace, and that's not surprising considering that video games are awesome. But on a more serious note, because of this rapid growth, it is getting more and more difficult for developers to release their games in a window where they can attract a good audience who will at the very least check out some of the trailers, streamers, and general gameplay; attracting millions of players who will buy their game.
Whilst I'm extremely glad that Xbox has taken the step of hosting their own annual event celebrating the world of Xbox, mirroring the steps of their rival and the PlayStation Experience, I don't think that they have taken the right step in their approach to the new generation.
In an attempt to blur all quantitative ways of measuring these, my main criteria is a game which is denoted to belonging on Xbox. Without any further delay, let us take a look at only a few, but significant, games from the last decade that are a must-play for anybody who is buying an Xbox One for the first time.
I still have very fond memories of playing through The Telltale Games Collection during the Christmas break of 2014, and because of this, it holds a special place in my heart. What also helps cement this package in my memory are the fantastic games which are bundled within.
Big Pharma provides you with this unique simulation, and while it may sound strange to act as a large pharmaceutical company at first, once you get past the lengthy and complicated learning curve that is discovered via playing through the tutorials, there is a great management simulator to play here.
Obsidian have made some classic RPGs over the years. Games you may be familiar with include the likes of South Park: The Stick of Truth, Alpha Protocol (for better or for worse), the recently released Outer Worlds, Fallout: New Vegas, and of course, the one we’re interested in here, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II. Otherwise known as KOTOR II.
In the case of Titan Comics' Assassin's Creed: The Fall & The Chain, we see the rise and fall of Daniel Cross, an individual who suffers from alcoholism, drug addiction, insomnia and many more severe mental issues which cause him to be unstable and chaotic to a dangerous degree.
If you fancy some GTA nostalgia, and/or want to dive back into the GTA IV package in its entirety, I would say that if nothing else strikes your fancy, The Ballad of Gay Tony should.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel was an interesting release for the series. Not just because of the strange title for the game, but more because of the gameplay changes introduced, and our chance to witness the rise of one of the best video game villains: Handsome Jack.
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.
