The Buccaneers DLC doesn’t alter the base game of Port Royale 4 too much, so if you’re not a fan of this rather complex game, you will likely not find enough here to make this worth picking up now. But for veteran fans looking for a new challenge, this is a low-priced DLC that is well worth a look.
If you’re a fan of the series and want a new challenge or have a real interest in Japan, then you’ll find the natural challenges of the new map a fun brain-teaser along with four different campaigns. If you’re new to the series, then you may wish to start with the vanilla Railway Empire, unless your Japanese geography is pretty good!
MLB The Show 21 has done a good job of making not just the game, but baseball as a whole, a bit more approachable, but there is still a punishingly high difficulty curve.
Black Legend is an unusual game to find on the Xbox, yet it is a game that will scratch a tactical itch for some players, especially as its combination of theme, tricky tactical combat and gothic horror is potentially a heady brew. However, in practise, it fails to really deliver on any of these fronts as everything feels vague and unfocused, like the game world’s mists have shrouded Black Legend itself.
All in all, Stellaris: Console Edition - MegaCorp on Xbox is a fine expansion but far from a must-have. At £16 it is on the pricier side of things, and for most long-time fans of Paradox, you’ll have factored in the cost of continued support for any game, but this content is possibly somewhat overpriced.
For anyone interested in the setting, there is a rather good, if flawed, turn-based strategy game out there on the PC which is available to purchase. Otherwise, I’d suggest getting out your D20s and giving the tabletop RPG a go and, sadly, giving Noble Armada: Lost Worlds on Xbox a wide berth.
Empire of Sin has a lot going for it: a jazzy soundtrack, a lovely idea and a nice map. But at present, it is far less than the sum of its ambitious parts and falls short in a highly frustrating fashion. Paradox have a long history of supporting their games with multiple patches and DLCs, so I’d be shocked if this doesn’t improve post-patch. But as it stands, it falls badly short.
For fans of games like Overcooked!, Out of Space: Couch Edition on Xbox will likely hit a sweet spot, though there are question marks about the game’s longevity as there’s a limit to how many houses you can be bothered to clean up. There’s not really a campaign as such, but you do get to unlock new things each time you play and progress.
Mars Horizon on Xbox is an excellent and approachable but deep game that will scratch the space exploration itch for a lot of players. Whilst it’s not an adrenaline rush, it’s got a lot of heart and its excellent UI and design will mean you spend many hours crafting and preparing your missions and then tensely watching them launch.
Gears Tactics on Xbox is one of the best attempts to craft a new turn-based squad shooter game. A rough-hewn, challenging game with a long campaign and lots of options to customize your characters, along with a whole new game-mode, means that Gears Tactics is a must play game for any fans of the Gears universe, turn-based strategy titles or squad tactics games.
It’s very difficult to recommend Techwars Global Conflict on Xbox One. The core concept is sound and even though the gameplay is a bit clunky, the game has its charms. However, currently there are too many technical issues, too much game information is obscured, and even if you can get into a battle it’s hard to fully embrace things.
Transformers: Battlegrounds on Xbox One offers a nice, simple set of virtual toys that you can play with, with a campaign of decent length and some interesting choices to make about customization and which characters to use. It lacks, of course, the deep customization of something like XCOM or XCOM 2, and there is something to be said that without permadeath the model doesn’t quite have the same tension.
Space Crew is frustrating, by design, and for the risk-averse and “play it safe” players, there’s just no way to play error free: you just have to try and roll with the punches, suck up the damage and shrug off the losses. However it is nicely designed and will be hugely popular with some; if you liked Bomber Crew or the likes of FTL, you’ll likely love this one.
Sentinels of Freedom on Xbox One has a lot of charm and there are not a huge amount of turn-based tactical games with a superhero theme out in the market. For fans of Sentinels of the Multiverse, it’s lovely to see these beloved characters brought to life. Much like your hero in-game, there’s raw potential here - but a bit of help and some polish is needed to make Sentinels of Freedom really super.
Necromunda: Underhive Wars on Xbox One has raw potential, but as it stands at the moment the game is a bit of a mess and you’d need to stick with it and look beyond its faults to see the potential in there. And even then, the story-mode and operations may not quite have enough to keep you coming back.
NBA 2K21 on Xbox One is a brash, flashy and powerful game that has a huge array of toys to play with, as well as a powerful toy-kit to make it more your own too. Whilst there are micro-transactions within, the patient player can just grind their way to the top.
Gryphon Knight Epic: Definitive Edition on Xbox One probably only has a strong appeal to those that like this sort of game, and doesn’t really offer enough that is new, interesting or involving for newer players, nor for those that don’t really care for a tough as nails challenge. But you do get to ride a gryphon though...
Brunch Club on Xbox One is a fun, short game to play with friends or, if you’re particularly determined or masochistic, to play alone and try to overcome the increasingly unforgiving difficulty levels
Although I, Robot is long forgotten or unknown by many, Jeff Minter and Llamasoft have done a brilliant job of bringing this hugely important game back into the spotlight, whilst adding their signature touch.
I had a great time playing Stasis, as it reminds of how good a point-and-click adventure can be, dragging up memories of old '90s games and films in the process.
MANIAC will roll back the years, whisking you away to those early experiences with Grand Theft Auto. It has a very arcade-like feel to it, with quick gameplay loops and exciting action.
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