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.
On one hand, it is an absolute joy to finally have Harvest Moon on the Xbox. But, Harvest Moon: Mad Dash on Xbox One isn’t the version that many fans will have been hoping for. Whilst it isn’t without its charm, it doesn’t represent Harvest Moon in the right way: Mad Dash is designed to be played in short, sharp bursts, whereas the real thing can easily suck days and weeks away.
The end result is a game that gets the adrenaline going at the start, but dumps landmines of imprecision and repetition in the way. By the end, you might have the thousand-yard stare of a war veteran. It’s certainly good value, and there’s challenge and length to the game, but your mileage may differ about whether the mission is worth taking. Dare we say it, Dog Duty on Xbox One might be a better proposition on PC.
For what it is trying to do, it is hard to fault Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 on Xbox One for practically anything it does. It accurately and lovingly recreates the original games whilst adding tons of new content and ideas - it just perfects the formula.
I can't fault what Active Neurons 2 has set out to do. It's a delightfully addictive puzzler that does what it needs to do brilliantly, without breaking any boundaries or ever reinventing the wheel.
Johnny Rocket on Xbox One is a game that just screams missed potential. It has a unique concept and a bold, beautiful art style, and yet those weren’t built upon to make a well-rounded experience.
Tell Me Why on Xbox One is DONTNOD's strongest game to date. It is quiet, introspect, mature and superbly written and performed, with visuals that are easy on the eyes - the novel release approach also helps things. There are still some factors holding it back from perfection, but I sincerely hope this is the start of a great partnership between Xbox and DONTNOD, as I feel this game is a perfect example of the type of content Game Pass is perfect for delivering.
There are experiences here that I’m not sure I’ve encountered before - at least not in a video game. If that’s not fodder for full marks, then I don’t know what is. Welcome to Elk on Xbox One is a game that’s going to stick long in the memory. For a story that deals in the power of memory, that feels like a suitable conclusion.
I am not a huge fan of battle royales, because I hate feeling like I have nothing to do but walk or run 80% of the time. Spellbreak on Xbox One has completely fixed this for me.
Bounty Battle on Xbox One is a great idea. With such lovable and memorable characters from a host of indie games, it seemed like a knockout idea. Yet, horrible visuals, unfinished gameplay, and terrible optimization mar the loving treatment that was given to these indie icons.
The street football culture has played a huge part in shaping the careers of many top professional footballers, including the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Over the years, more and more street football and freestyle events have popped up though, creating a fair few stars of its own in the process. Developers Gamajun Games and SFL Interactive are ready to shine a spotlight on Séan Garnier, Liv Cooke, JaviFreestyle and others, with Street Power Football - or Street Power Soccer for those residing in North America - on Xbox One. Could Street Power Football fill that gaping hole left by the long-gone, but fondly remembered, FIFA Street series?
Unfortunately, it seems the more of Marvel’s Avengers you play, the less likely you are to come away with an overall positive experience. The single player by itself might take you up to 10 hours but diminishing returns for the multiplayer aspects set in rather fast. The single player is Hulk: strong, fast and a surprise when you aren’t expecting it. The multiplayer is Bruce Banner: calculated, small, and has the potential to be something powerful but isn’t quite there yet.
CD-RUN on Xbox One is a good solid entry into the party scene. I just wish there was the opportunity to take things online, and to have more to enjoy in terms of game modes.
Ary and the Secret of Seasons on Xbox One is a game that gives you some good content for an alright price. If you have young ones in the house and you want a good family game that will manage to keep them quiet for a good 10 hours or so, this could be it. If you're a bit longer in the tooth though, or just want to play through something without issue or constant loading screens, then you may well have to seriously consider things before putting in a purchase.
For fans of the genre, WRC 9 is a very good facsimile of what it must be like to run a WRC team, but for those of you who want their rally driving to be more enjoyable and less like being mugged, then DiRT Rally 2.0 is where the smart money goes.
