While the presentation is a little bland and the price tag is north of the value it offers, Educational Games for Children on Xbox One has been made with real care. If your kids are anything like mine, they’ll love it.
If you want a good solid FMV that is clever, brilliantly filmed, and has enough twists and turns to keep you interested then you should definitely give She Sees Red on Xbox One a go. However, if you after gameplay, or anything more than some action-orientated choices every eight minutes or so, then this isn't the game for you.
No Straight Roads is a love letter to the old school. From its rock versus electronic story to its gameplay and characters, this could fit in with any of the classics from the PS2 era and it's all the better for it. It doesn’t just appease this longing for the old, it entirely satiates it.
EA Sports have returned once more with their biennial MMA series based on the global brand, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Unlike the inaugural title though - EA Sports UFC - and even those which followed it, this latest entry emerges at a time when most of the biggest stars in UFC have faded away. As a casual fan, my interest has certainly declined and there’s little doubt I’m not the only one to stray. Could EA Sports UFC 4 bring back the star power and deliver an authentic experience to create a knockout combination?
FuzzBall on Xbox One ends up a pale imitation of those who have done the “party game” so much better in the past. This, coupled with the unjustifiable price tag, makes it one I simply cannot recommend.
The story is a corker, bowling along at a fair old lick, and the way it all plays is great, with real tactics needed to win the later combat encounters. Sneaking people into place before getting the drop on a group of enemies never gets old. Add into the mix the multiplayer modes, getting friends in to help with tricky encounters, and the whole package found in Wasteland 3 on Xbox One is a big improvement on the previous game.
Beyond Enemy Lines 2 touts itself as a hardcore strategic shooter that requires patience and intelligence to make its way through. Whilst that idea is certainly an interesting one, it fails to deliver in almost all regards.
Behind all of the technical trouble of Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Definitive Edition is a really great CRPG that honors its heritage and feels like a 90's CRPG release - the kind of thing that could stand right next to the classic greats. While it's certainly not as good as some of those seminal titles, it does come close and is a great time to anyone who wants to party up and venture into a wild and dynamic fantasy world. It’s just a shame that technical aspects stop that from happening.
Drake Hollow on Xbox One is one of the hardest games to put down this year. It has a brilliant set of systems that keep you engrossed in the action and invested in your personal world. There are plenty of Drakes to meet, unique items and buildings to craft, and battles to be won.
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...
Once again, train sim fans and those who love the railways will absolutely adore this, and so if you fancy having a go at being a train driver there isn't a better place to achieve your dream than with Train Sim World 2.
For a Ratalaika port, Even the Ocean on the Xbox One is a true hidden gem. Part platforming and part deep, engrossing story, it's a real surprise. Aliph is thrown into the deep end in her new job and surrounding her is a supporting cast that is extremely well-written.
Where Swamps of Corsus relied on repetition to get maximum enjoyment out of Survival mode, Remnant's Subject 2923 feels a lot shorter in comparison. But don’t let that put you off; it is still packed with the same hardcore gameplay as the main game. And with Reisum offering a brand-new area, there is plenty to see and do. It is a fitting end to a very underrated game, but one that hopefully spawns a sequel on the next generation.
Mask of Mists on Xbox One is pretty disappointing. Its puzzles are uninspired, the sound design is rough, the monsters are boring, and the entire game just feels hollow. It is not a game that feels like it has an interesting story or experience to share with the player. The greatest quality I can think of is that it has some well-designed environments that are easy to navigate. Yet, when the game is not fun to play, why bother sticking around?
If you're looking for a golf game to play, there is only one title you should be bothering with - PGA TOUR 2K21. As a golf simulation there is nothing else on the market to beat it, and much of that is down to the power of The Golf Club.
