For all its flaws, it’s lack of challenge, looks, content and variety, Restless Night is still a cheap shot of adrenaline. It won’t work for everyone, but - in our case - we regret nothing.
If you’re smarting from the demise of Telltale Games, then One-Eyed Lee and the Dinner Party feels like a reunion party. While it might not quite match the humour or dark underbelly of Tales of the Borderlands, say, it scratches a similar itch. A wacky premise, some lovely dialogue, and some colourful comic book stylings means that this is a pilot episode for something that could develop into something special indeed.
ISLANDERS: Console Edition is something that is able to deliver a relaxing city experience without the stress of deep management, finances, and dealing with unhappy residents. It’s a game that is great to pick up for a quick bash, finding the minutes turning into hours. It’s well priced too and the low outlay works as a brilliant incentive to those looking to take a gamble.
Weapon of Choice DX is an interesting proposition. It isn’t massively long, but with multiple difficulties really ramping the challenge up, and many operatives to master, there is enough to keep you coming back.
Artifex Mundi hidden object games can be comfort-food, and there’s nothing new or knotty about Endless Fables: Shadow Within. Its story makes no sense, its universe is all over the place, and we’ve seen every puzzle and minigame countless times before - in Endless Fables games, no less. But it also ticks the requisite boxes with the keyword being ‘familiarity’. If you treat these games as a blanket to snuggle into, then this one is fluffier than most.
Checkers For Kids isn’t for everyone, and there’s a chance it suits no-one. With a lack of tutorials for new starters, and a lack of difficulty settings to test experienced hands, it’s focused so narrowly that you wonder if there’s anyone who will stay with it for thirty minutes. If you’re willing to do the heavy-lifting, teaching your child how to play and layering on the entertainment yourself, then Checkers For Kids might do a job. For most children, though, it will feel like a chore.
Greak: Memories of Azur is the very embodiment of a game of two halves. It looks incredible, there’s no two ways about it, and when playing as a single character, the gameplay is extremely good. It’s in the later stages when trying to manage three characters at once that annoyances creep in. Overall, Greak is a good game, but there are some control gremlins to overcome.
If you’re not on the lookout for a quick top-up to your Gamerscore, I’d recommend giving Whiskey Mafia: Frank's Story a miss. It gets points for its unique setting and interesting premise, but not much else. The fact is, with Whiskey Mafia you’ll be getting a game that consists of a story with clear room for improvement, and a few repetitive minigames.Â
Space Station Sprint is lacking polish and feels like something in early access. There’s a number of bugs here and the simple gameplay can leave you feeling bored after an hour or two of playing. With missions being essentially the same throughout, there’s no real sense of accomplishment. It’ll tide you over for a bit, but don’t go in expecting anything more than that.
It’s not hard to imagine a game that fulfils the promise of a Legend of Zelda game set in a Studio Ghibli world, because it occasionally shines through Baldo: The Guardian Owls. But Naps Team needed an experienced hand to get more than ‘shines through’. They’ve locked so much good stuff behind terrible design decisions and a steep difficulty that your patience will run out well before the fifty hours it takes to complete Baldo, which is a crime against some fantastic art and music.Â
Maneater: Truth Quest does enough to ensure it can be recommended. The swimming and fighting as a shark is still cool and a lot of fun, finding all the collectibles will take a while, and the new combat opportunities are intriguing, mostly. There are annoyances, but the chance to slip into a shark’s skin makes them seem insignificant. The story does start to grate after a while too, but the fun of being an apex predator never does.
Fans of golf games are unlikely to be blown away by the golf side of Golf Club Nostalgia on Xbox but they should enjoy the story on offer. Likewise, narrative fans will hugely enjoy the tale that unfolds, but won’t necessarily find anything to tempt them to try other golf games. How the story unfolds and how it is told requires you to piece it together, but the mature themes and ideas will make a lasting impression on anyone that completes it.
Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions is a pretty good representation of the Rocky universe. What it isn’t is as in-depth a game like Street Fighter, but it is very arcade-based, perfect for short blasts and easy to pick up and play for a few rounds. If you are a fan of the films, the chance to take part in some fights from the canon is great, and if you’re not, suffice it to say that this is a fun game.
If you’re in the market for a portable monitor that can be easily flung into a backpack and taken with you on your travels, there is absolutely no debating the fact that the Lumonitor 4K Touchscreen Portable Monitor should be on your hit list.
