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.
The Jackbox Party Pack 7 on Xbox One is a solid entry in the long-running series. Two games need an in-person or private chat to be enjoyed to their fullest abilities, but the other three titles not only fit well into streaming, but they are also delightfully fun to play.
If you are in the market for a very hard but rewarding shooter, GROOD on Xbox One could well scratch that itch. The action is non-stop, the sectors that you fight through are all very different, and with both the time of day and weather dynamically changing, it’s unusual to play the same looking stage twice. It does suffer from the same problem as many other shooters, in that the action starts to feel a little samey after a while, but all in all I've enjoyed my time with GROOD.
Raji: An Ancient Epic on Xbox One is a game I wanted to love from the off. From the moment I picked it up, right through to the telling end, I have to say I haven’t been left disappointed. It is a beautiful, epic journey with some fabulous storytelling and amazing visuals. Yes, occasionally the combat drags a bit, the waves of enemies grow dull as you progress to the latter stages, and the price is a tad high for the six-hour or so experience, but I think it's worth it for the quality on show here.
Heroes come in many forms and developers Magic Pockets have handled some of the best known ones; their previous works on Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tie-in and Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers are testament to that - even if the quality of both games is somewhat questionable. Nevertheless, the often unsung heroes of the world, teachers, are the focal point in the latest game to arrive on Xbox One, My Universe – School Teacher. Will it be an eye-opening and fun-filled experience in the classroom, or do Magic Pockets have a few things to learn about creating enjoyable games?
Shantae: Risky’s Revenge - Director’s Cut on Xbox One is a fun and unique game that I can definitely recommend picking up. Again, it’s not going to be a hardcore platformer with a crazy elaborate story, but it will be a relaxed adventure with incredibly catchy music.
It’s hard to be critical of Brotherhood United on Xbox One and its many bruised edges. Sure, it looks like a knock-off, and the platforming stinks, but it sets such a low bar that it clears it. It wants to give you three hours of no-nonsense action, switching out difficulty for a sense of momentum, and it does it all for a budget price.
Cloudpunk on Xbox One is something I have loved spending time with, mostly thanks to the beautifully designed future city. It's a big old journey for an indie game, however if you’re not particularly a fan of narrative and story, needing more action in your games, then I don't think this is going to be for you. Even if you are happy to take in a ton of lore, there are still times when it needs some pace injections, and I could have done with more to involve myself after the main focus finishes. But if you want to get lost in a cyber world then you can't go wrong by delivering some packages with Cloudpunk.
If you've been living under a rock for the last 20 years and have never seen a driving game, you may get a bit of fun out of Street Racer Underground on Xbox One. If you have played anything after, say, Lotus Turbo Challenge 2 on the Amiga, you won't.
It is simplistic and more than a little tedious but, for its price point, it’s hard to expect any more from it. If you need something cheap to kill the time and want to get frustrated at an RPG, maybe Nexoria will satisfy you.
Remove the stealth from Clea on Xbox One and you have a delightful little Resident Evil puzzler, hunting for keys, navigating mazes and pushing the right switches in the right order. The story amps the mystery up, and you’ll want to know what Clea’s neglectful parents were thinking. But that wouldn’t be Halloween, would it, so we need baddies to skulk and scare. The problem is that these enemies are more like coming across umpteen traffic lights and diversions on a road you just want to get down.
If you’re after a Puzzle Bobbler, Rusty Spout Rescue Adventure on the Xbox One will give you the bubble-hit you need at a budget price, but only if you’re after a simple, colourful two-player local experience. In almost every other way it misses the mark, with a grindy and punishing campaign, a lack of online multiplayer and only two-player couch-play. For a lot of social bubblers, it won’t matter, as Rusty Spout’s heart is in the right place, me hearties.
TY the Tasmanian Tiger HD on Xbox One definitely feels like a product of its time, both from a game design standpoint and especially in its true blue, albeit stereotypical, depiction of all things Straya, but it’s no dramas really. Back then and even now, with all the remastering bells and whistles in place, the game is far from being an absolute ripper of a platformer, but it’s still a gnarly beauty all the same.
Pumpkin Jack is both timely and welcome on Xbox One. As a Halloween-themed action platformer, it fills a niche and void nicely and delivers a brilliant adventure in its own right. From its great pacing, solid gameplay, and consistently engaging design with only a few minor annoyances, this is one spooky adventure that can potentially achieve cult status
Katana ZERO on Xbox One and through Xbox Game Pass offers another simplistically violent video game at first glance, but before long the game starts playing with your perceptions, and by that point you are invested until the conclusion. And with several different endings and speedrun abilities to unlock, you could find yourself coming back more than once.
