It’s already been a great year for Xbox One Backwards Compatibility, but we’re still only a few months in and that means there is plenty more to come throughout 2018, with many more of our favourite titles still yet to be added. Whilst the latest additions aren’t more of the recently promised titles that will be getting Xbox One X Enhancements, they still continue the trend of frequent releases, and it’s always good to see old Xbox 360 becoming available on Xbox One. The question is though – are they games that we should be heading back to?
Vanquish – Play
It’s fair to say Vanquish has something of a cult following by those who played it. There were many who enjoyed sliding across the floor in their Augmented Reaction Suit, enjoying the feeling it brought after turning you into the ultimate badass by blowing enemies to kingdom come. Unfortunately, the adventure wasn’t all too long, and many found criticism with it due to wanting more of what they’d already spent time enjoying.
But in no way was Vanquish a bad game.
Throughout the game, you take control of DARPA agent Sam Gideon, who must fight back against rebellious Russian military who look to overthrow the United States of America’s best efforts to mend Earth’s impending crisis. In recent years Earth’s human population has been growing rapidly, and with resources failing to match the growing needs of the many, and energy problems persisting, a solar energy driven space station is launched to provide an alternate source of energy for the people.
Sadly, Vanquish went over the heads of many when it initially released, and despite a hugely successful Steam launch, there has yet to be any indication we’ll ever receive a sequel for the shooter. With copies online selling for pennies and a fantastic experience to be found within, this is one adventure you should definitely head back to. Especially if you missed out first time around.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light – Play
Lara Croft has long been a popular protagonist amongst gamers, and with many adventures taking her on daunting quests full of peril, it’s easy to see why. But not all of her escapades were quite so popular.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is one such example, but for those who were tempted by the Xbox 360 Arcade title, there was plenty of enjoyment to be found. Much like it’s sequel Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, ‘G.O.L’ brought us a top down adventure that could be enjoyed solo or in multiplayer and sends players on a trip to find an ancient mirror, the mirror of smoke. After trouble with a band of mercenaries, Lara is faced with the impending danger of the released Xolotl which must be stopped before the light of dawn.
It may not contain all the action packed scenes you’d expect from a main entry in the series, but Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was certainly an enjoyable experience, and with the sequel also available on Xbox One, there’s no reason not to complete a full playthrough of this epic side story.
Brave – Leave
Let’s be honest here, we all love a good Disney movie every now and then, don’t we? Games based around those movies though? Not so much. Besides a few exceptions, I think many will agree that games based on movies just don’t cut it when it comes to an enjoyable experience. They often fail to capture the magic and the creativity of their on-screen showcases and for anyone who took a shot at Brave, hoping for things to be different, you’ll have been heavily disappointed.
Brave wasn’t a great game at all. It missed chunks of the story, it threw players into arena fights with limited attacks, and generally provided nothing more than a dull experience, ruining the beloved children’s movie in the process. Even with Kinect, the ‘archery range’ mode failed to bring any excitement with controls often failing to work.
If you’re desperate to give this a punt of course then you’ll be pleased to know it is one of the free Games With Gold entries for March 2018, however if you want a quality experience, then there are many other games a lot more deserving of your time.
So, there we have it, some thoughts on the latest adventures to arrive on Xbox One via Xbox Backwards Compatibility. Are you excited by any of the latest additions and plan to give them another shot? What titles would you like to see made Backwards Compatible? Let us know in the comments below or via our usual social channels.
