Six new arrivals come to Xbox One Backwards Compatibility – Are they worth the return?

The Backwards Compatibility feature has been a big hit since its arrival last year, offering Xbox One gamers a great way to relive old favourites, whilst removing the need to have old consoles cluttering up that limited space below the TV. But it only works provided the game you want to play is one of those 300+ that have made its way across to Xbox One of course.

Whilst there are still many games yet to make their way onto the program however, one thing that can’t be criticised is just how frequently new titles arrive on the program. This week sees six more titles given the backwards compatibility feature, from well-known masterpieces to lesser known XBLA titles…but are they worth returning to or should you wait out for something better?

Borderlands 2 was a huge hit when it arrived back in 2012, such a huge hit in fact that it amassed 13 million sales, becoming 2K’s best-selling title. So to see such a well renowned title arrive on Xbox One via backwards compatibility is always going to be nice, especially with the knowledge that it will be free via the Xbox Games With Gold program during March as well. But whilst we will always be happy to see big releases make their way to the Xbox One, it’s time for me to drop the bombshell and tell you that it’s only really worth playing Borderlands 2 if you’re looking to mop up those achievements that you didn’t get first, second or third time around.

That’s not however due to Borderlands 2 being a bad game, as my previous mentioning of the sales this individual game amassed certainly says otherwise, but more due to the fact that there is already a much more appealing option available. A remastered adventure, that looks like it was built from the ground up – even though it wasn’t – for the Xbox One, and my god is it the best way to experience one of the best games in existence. Although some will wince at the recommendation of spending more of that hard earned dough on a game that everyone with a gold membership will receive next month for free, there’s no denying that the Borderlands: Handsome Collection is a beautiful thing and is certainly the way to go if you want to head back into the wastes of Pandora once more. With frequent appearances in the sales for well under £20 quid, you would be a fool not to jump into the fresh Borderlands 2 experience if you want the real deal.

Assassins Creed is a series that hasn’t really received enough attention from me. That said, one of the titles that did see it’s fair share of ‘telly time’ on consoles in our house was Assassins Creed Rogue. This is mainly due to the love of all things different, and that was certainly the case when playing through the seafaring adventures of Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag. After all, Rogue follows on with these adventures with a title often touted as being ‘Black Flag 2’. With events acting very much like a sequel to that of Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, it was easy to accept it such. It also works as a prequel to the events of Assassins Creed III, with its final mission even being the prologue mission to Assassins Creed: Unity.

The game’s events may be confusing to wrap your head around, but what is even more strange is why Ubisoft didn’t just bring it Xbox One anyway. The fact it’s here now is something that should be praised as Assassins Creed Rogue is indeed a great game, and one that is certainly going to fit in as a welcome addition to the libraries of those on Xbox One. Whether you’ve experienced it before and are just looking to experience a justifiable sequel to Black Flag, or are looking to get into the thick of it for the first time, Assassins Creed Rogue is definitely one you should return to on Xbox One.

Fighting games are a big part of the console experience on Xbox One, With Microsoft’s own Killer Instinct marking its position alongside the well-known heavyweights in recent years and Mortal Kombat already using Xbox One as a stomping ground with Mortal Kombat X, you’d be forgiven for thinking the fighting genre is almost catered for a little too much. This week’s backwards compatible additions however include something for the nostalgic amongst you, with The King of Fighters 2002 making its way to Xbox One. My problem with this one however, is that while recent titles such as the previously mentioned Mortal Kombat X don’t quite offer the 3v3 combat that can be found in King of Fighters, it does keep most of the other features from retro fighting games and all whilst covering them in a fancier more modernised setting, chucking in tons of badass moves and showing you just what can be achieved. Although there may be a few of you out there craving some 3v3 combat, the quality seen in modern fighters already available on the Xbox Games Store means recommending a trip back to a lesser experience isn’t something you’ll find here.

The arcade games of yesteryear were incredible things, they weren’t renowned for holding your hand, guiding you through all the fancy new additions, or showing off how good they looked. They were more interested in beasting you for ever assuming you could master them, before chewing you up, spitting you out and recommending you come back with a serious challenge next time. Moon Diver, another of this week’s arrivals is a perfect example of just that type of game. So, seeing such a great title given the chance to shine again may just be one of the most underrated miracles of the year. Whilst the crushingly difficult genre may already be catered for on Xbox One, those that love a good challenge would be missing out on a gem if they didn’t go back and try this one out. With a digital copy of Moon Diver available in the Xbox Games Store, you have every opportunity to appreciate one of gaming’s forgotten and best genres for yourself.

Gyromancer follows the same concept as the likes of Bejeweled getting players to match up various different shapes in order to score points. However with RPG elements also thrown into the mix, Gyromancer is much more than just more of the same. Despite the RPG gameplay, Gyromancer isn’t any more difficult to play than you would expect from a shape matching game, and is as easy to pick up and play as all those other ‘one more go’ titles we all find ourselves addicted too on a near daily basis. Is it worth giving a go once more though? Well that depends. If Gyromancer is something you fully flushed out first time round, then going back for a second helping may seem like a waste of time. That said, if you want to sit down with a smaller arcade title for a quick hour or two of easy gaming then you could do much worse than take in a blast on Gyromancer.

The final addition to the latest batch of titles is that of Space Invaders Infinity Gene. With classics such as Centipede, Millipede, Pacman, Ms. Pac Man and various Space Invader titles readily available on the Xbox Games Store, do we really need to be seeing every rendition of each title make their way to Xbox One? No matter the answer, they are here to stay, and unfortunately Space Invaders Infinity Gene is a hard one to recommend if you’ve played any other version. Of course, if your amongst the few that only find yourself playing games that originated from this millennium, then you may be pleasantly surprised by Space Invaders Infinity Gene, but if not, we reckon you’d probably be best putting your time into something else entirely.

So there we have it, a look at the latest Xbox One Backwards Compatible titles and whether or not they deserve a chance to shine once more. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below or via our usual social channels.