Switch 'N' Shoot on Xbox One is a neat idea and for the most part the single button premise and design has appeal and replay value, but in order to get used to the mechanic and pace, it does demand a considerable amount of effort. And so, unless you’re a seasoned veteran looking for a clever take on an Atari 2600 classic, then there’s really not much here to encourage players to stick around for the long term.
The tower defense genre has been around for decades, with the Defense Grid series and the addictive Plants vs. Zombies being amongst the standouts. These saw you fighting back waves of futuristic aliens and funky-looking zombies, respectively. Aside from the strategic elements though, the latest tower defense game on Xbox One, Assault on Metaltron, doesn’t really have anything else in common with its aforementioned counterparts. Can the uniqueness be the key to success for Assault on Metaltron, or should you give it a miss and let Metaltron succumb to the onslaught?
Supraland on Xbox One may be simplistic and a tad easy overall, but don’t let first impressions fool you. Its focus on exploratory gameplay makes it loads of fun to play. What results from it is a well-rounded, entertaining adventure which is one of the best experiences of its kind available today.
Sweet Witches on Xbox One is a near-perfect example of how you can take a simple concept and turn it into a vibrant game that is non-stop fun. It may be short but there is a host of stuff that has been magnificently created.
If you’ve been picking up these additional table packs for Pinball FX3 as and when they release this is a solid addition to the collection. If, however, you are a pinball dabbler, there may be one or two better licensed packs more up your street than this one.
What we have here with 9th Dawn III is a game that is a great deal of fun almost in spite of its features, rather than because of them. It’s big, it’s hard and it’s brutally unforgiving, but strangely it’s equally as tough to put down.
Scourgebringer on Xbox One is a challenging game that is easy to get sucked into. The mechanics are solid, the artstyle clean, and there is a ton of replayability because, frankly, you’ll need to play it a ton if you want to get to the last boss. If you’re a fan of games like Enter the Gungeon and you’re open to a shift in perspective, then make sure Scourgebringer is the next game you play.
Double Pug Switch is a simple game, with simple controls, and a simple charm. It looks basic yet the difficulty ramps up to ensure things get very tricky, very quickly. It would be perfect for a short bash while on a car journey via Nintendo Switch, but on the Xbox One it’s a harder sell. Whatever you are playing it on though, if you like jumping and pugs, then by all means give it a whirl.
Macrotis: A Mother’s Journey on Xbox One is a charming little platformer that will have you scratching your head at times. You’ll most likely clear it in a few short hours, but it’s fun whilst it lasts.
Two Parsecs From Earth on Xbox One comes with a great, cheap price and does a good job of delivering a solid Metroidvania-type platformer that is hard as hell; it’ll certainly challenge the lunatics out there who get their thrills from a test of their skills.
Memoranda on Xbox One is a highly polished visual affair that just so happens to come complete with some brilliant audio as well. The twisty surreal story might put some off, as it does confuse, happily heading off in many different narrative directions. This is translated to the actual puzzles and how you use items, sometimes getting too obscure later on in the game, bringing about a little frustration. However, the interface is simple to use, and comes with some nice time-saving techniques, so if you want to go down the rabbit hole and head in to an awfully big adventure then Memoranda is the game for you.
G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout on Xbox One has an audience, but I can't imagine it's a very big one. The title is perfectly serviceable but there are so many options that are of higher quality and more worthy of your time that it’s tricky to want to get involved here. However if you are a fan of this franchise, it will be a fun romp through the world of G.I. Joe; something which is perhaps all it was ever trying to be in the first place.
Confusion abounds during Night in the Woods on Xbox One. Characters do things for seemingly no reason, and finding out what continues the story can be a bizarre mess.
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.
In recent years, EA Sports have added plenty of new modes across their licensed games, and NHL 21 on the Xbox One is no exception; there is a lot of ice hockey on offer. The variety will offer something for everyone, but there are issues with the gameplay on the rink that mean some modes work better than others.
