One of the latest to go down the Game Preview and Game Pass route is that of Lightyear Frontier, a game that takes farming sim elements but puts it into space.
The final week of the Horizon Race Off dawns in Forza Horizon 5, yet as we prepare to bid farewell, there is a last hoorah in the shape of the Festival Playlist Weekly Challenges for Series 32 Spring.
There have been good games so far in 2021, but we’re still waiting for the first great one. That wait may come to an end soon, as we’ve played a few hours of a small game called Olija (pronounced oh-lee-yah, if you were wondering), and we’re smitten enough to pause the review and sound the klaxons: this could well be a GOTY contender.
When it first launched almost 15 years ago, the original Gears of War set the tone not just for the Xbox 360, but also for the generation to come. Flash forward to today, however, and the franchise in terms of reception and audience engagement seems to have taken a bit of a decline. The way I see it, it boils down to two questions: "Does Gears of War need a reboot?" and "Would Gears of War benefit from a reboot?".
Playing Oxenfree again, five years after it first came out, has only reminded me how much it got right, versus how little people talk about it. We bat about the word underrated a lot, but I really do feel that Oxenfree gets less than it is due.
Welcome back for another instalment of our weekly podcast as the gaming world begins to awaken from its slumber. There have been more game delays, surprising reveals like the New Pokemon Snap, and release dates for a selection of highly anticipated games are now becoming clearer. So, whether your interests involve Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo, TheXboxHub Official Podcast Episode 63 will have something to offer.
When you sit down for the best gaming experience, it is difficult to know where to start. You have selected the XBox One as your console, so that is one decision down. However, it doesn’t narrow your options too much, as there are many, many games offered for this console.
As a gaming community, we’re well versed in the nature of ‘walking simulators’, with more of these types of games garnering mainstream praise on a regular basis; games like Firewatch, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Virginia, receiving acclaim for their narrative-driven approach. There was a time when this wasn’t the case however, with folks questioning whether such experiences could actually be considered a game. Although there are a couple of examples which led to the acknowledgement of exploration-focused offerings being worthy, Gone Home is one particular shining light and developers Fullbright deserve a lot of credit five years on from its console debut.
Way back in 2015 Ubisoft decided to take the Assassin’s Creed franchise down a new route, moving away from the usual open world affairs of the blockbusting series to a more linear, side-scrolling platformer, giving gamers access to the first of three titles in a trilogy of games - Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China. That was then followed by Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India in January 2016, before concluding the project with a trip to Russia a little later. Today it is the middle child we take a look at, going back in time to 2016 and revisiting the sneaky style of Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India.
It’s a new year and TheXboxHub team return to provide more quality content for your listening pleasure. In TheXboxHub Official Podcast Episode 62, we recap the best Xbox games of 2020 - as voted for by our entire team - and look forward to what’s in store for both the Xbox and PlayStation in 2021, including Hitman 3, Horizon Forbidden West and The Medium. So, settle down and please enjoy!
The original – and still the best – battle royale game is back with another season, and PUBG is into double figures. Season 10 is here, and we spent a lot of time in – and then quickly back out – of matchmaking to see what exactly is included in this new season.
The new year is here, and gaming is looking to be a great one. With plenty of titles delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the triple-A scene will be massive over the upcoming 12 months. Whether it be the eventual release of Halo Infinite, the next instalments for classic franchises such as Resident Evil Village or Psychonauts 2, or new IPs to get excited about like The Medium or 12 Minutes, there’s plenty for people to get excited for. However, in both the triple-A and indie scene, there are plenty of overlooked titles that could prove to be the year’s best and will be well worth your time. Here’s a few that could prove to be sleeper hits.
2020, on the whole, barring the global catastrophes and all, was a pretty good year for Xbox. While there was the odd misstep like the Halo Infinite delay or the over hyped May event, on the whole the team at Xbox did a bang-up job. However, there are still some things it would be wise for the team to address and improve in 2021.
Ho ho ho, here comes Santa Claus! What do you mean, Santa has already been? Did he deliver you a dose of easy achievements? No? Well I, the second coming of Santa, am here to boost your Gamerscore one last time this year with some of the easiest to nab achievements from the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S games that have released in December 2020.
It is that time of year where every gaming website publishes their favourite games of the last 12 months, and we are no different. But after reviewing our list, I can confirm it is one of the more varied ones out there. With 2020 throwing a wobbler, we’ve all had that bit of extra time for gaming, and the variation of our entries showcases that especially well. Unexpected entries? Yes. Controversial? Most definitely. Here we go then, with TheXboxHub's Games of the Year 2020.
The alpha of a game is always an interesting thing to see. It’s sort of like looking at a painting from far away. You can vaguely make out what it’s supposed to be but those small details haven’t come into frame yet. You assume they mean very little for the overall perception of the painting but - sometimes - they entirely skew it into something unrecognisable. A good alpha gives you something to look forward to, something to watch change over the coming year. A great alpha shows you exactly what you’re in for. Back 4 Blood does both.
