MXGP 2020 on Xbox is more than just a rally game for people that like eating mud and wearing leathers. It’s challenging, it’s rewarding, and while I'm still a long way off even finishing a race without falling off, it’s nice to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. If you know your Honda from your KTM, this is an easy sell, as it is probably as realistic a MXGP experience can be with all your bones intact.
Very few people like being told what to do, especially when it involves the enforcement of something they disagree with. While some see it as a nuisance and just comply to avoid trouble, many of the residents in Paw Paw Paw - who happen to be anthropomorphic animals - have not taken kindly to their ruler’s latest law. As such, there’s an uprising led by some of the populace and the resulting war is played out as a 2D side-scrolling beat ‘em up. Is Paw Paw Paw a barking mad idea that makes for a fun experience, or is it ultimately a toothless affair?
You should go into PBA Pro Bowling 2021 on Xbox not expecting too much, but even then you will probably find yourself disappointed by what is on offer, alongside becoming pretty bored during events.
BFF or Die on Xbox is clearly best played with friends, but the inclusivity of a single player mode is welcome, despite being less enjoyable. It’s lacking compared to some other party games out there, but it will provide a couple of hours of fun to those prepared to give it a chance.
If the battles were anywhere near as playful as the base-management, then Steampunk Tower 2 on Xbox would be an easy recommendation. Instead, the scaffolding is better than the game it’s supporting, and that’s probably not where you want your game to be. It’s a fascinating experiment for sure - making a console tower defence game that’s both vertical and only on one screen - but ultimately it doesn’t quite succeed.
We need more puzzle games. Batu Ta Batu on Xbox has got me fired up for more games with delightfully addictive mechanics. Though the multiplayer feels out of place, and the additional game modes are ho-hum, the endless mode is so good that it’s reason enough to give the game a go.
Shoot 1UP DX on Xbox is a chaotic mess of interesting gameplay ideas and a visual onslaught of sci-fi innuendo. As far as shmups go, it definitely deserves points for originality and for the interesting game design. It does, however, lack the level of polish and thoughtful designs that are evident in some of the best games in the genre.
Drunken Fist is built on a very thin foundation, executed in poor taste, and poorly created in general. It's very much what I imagine a drunken brawl to be like. Slow, painful and not particularly enjoyed by anyone.
Your appreciation of Mahjong Adventure DX on the Xbox will depend on two labels that should have been slapped on the box art: ‘not actually an adventure’ and ‘turns into a memory game halfway through’. In our case, the latter was a dealbreaker: it felt like going for a light stroll but being forced to stop and do push-ups. You come to Mahjong for relaxation, not mental gymnastics.
In the realm of deck-building rogue-lites, it takes a special kind of hook to keep you coming back for more upon inevitable failures to reach your ultimate goal. The one that instantly comes to mind in achieving this is Slay the Spire, but there have been other standouts like the immensely addictive Monster Slayers. The latest contender on Xbox for the throne from developers Tino Games, titled Neoverse, is sending us through the multiverse to become the saviour amidst a crisis. Is this the timeline in which Neoverse thrives and etches its name among the best, or is it doomed to fail in every universe?
Killer Chambers on Xbox is a brutal teacher, killing you over and over again, splattering the walls with your innards as you learn the patterns of its rooms. But when you do learn and succeed, well, it’s a mighty feeling. It can be added to the ranks of rewarding hardcore platformers, then, just a notch below Celeste and Meat Boy - lofty heights that we never expected from this little pixel-art platformer.
In a world where Cake Bash exists to deliver a multiplayer treat, Beat Me on Xbox is an irrelevance. It's okay in short bursts - and I mean short - and I imagine it would be fun with a group of drunken mates sat around the place, but as we all know, 2020 hasn’t been kind in that regard. That said, this is a game that is hamstrung by its own controls and combat system, and all the clever stages in the world aren’t enough to save it.
Unto The End on Xbox is a game that you're going to either utterly love or will find just too difficult to play. Fans of old school titles like Another World and Prince of Persia will like the tricky elements and challenges that have you trying again and again. But it's a brutal world that brings all this together; one full of traps, death, and mystery, and I would personally have liked to be able to explore a little more without the constant threat of death and danger.
The hidden object genre is one that’s cornered by the likes of Artifex Mundi, with them launching numerous fairly decent titles in this year alone. There’s been Ghost Files: Memory of a Crime, Scarlett Mysteries: Cursed Child and The Secret Order: Shadow Breach, to name just a few. Hence, it’s refreshing to see another developer give it a go, which is the case with Six Dots and their debut offering of My Hidden Things on Xbox. Will we seek out a worthy alternative here, or are some games simply best left hidden from view?
