by The Game of the Year contenders aren't slowing down right now! Following the likes of Forza Horizon 6 and 007 First Light receiving amazing reviews over the past few weeks, Mina The Hollower sounds like another must-play Xbox title.
We covered this game recently — it's the new top-down action adventure game from the makers of Shovel Knight — and even they were hyping it up as "one of the greatest top-down adventures ever" ahead of its release on May 29th.
Turns out they were right! Here's a look at some of the incredible reviews for Mina The Hollower so far:
IGN (10/10)
Even if all you’ve played is Breath of the Wild and Elden Ring, don’t let the retro look fool you: Mina the Hollower will scratch the same itch, with an open world that’s crammed with mysteries worth finding and lively, clever combat I couldn’t get enough of. It’s a big game in a small package, and an absolute masterpiece of an adventure.
TheGamer (10/10)
Mina the Hollower is an almost faultless game that combines elements of nostalgic classics we know and love with a healthy dose of Yacht Club’s flair and expertise to make it something that truly stands out as a retro-inspired masterpiece. I could honestly play it forever, with Yacht Club proving that it’s not just a one game studio with yet another bonafide classic.
Shacknews (10/10)
Mina the Hollower is as dense as a holiday fruit cake and often just as surly. I was reminded many times over of last year’s Hollow Knight: Silksong. Mina the Hollower isn’t that hard, and it can be softened to your liking, but it does feel like it has that level of polish in its challenge. It extensively rewards and arms the player in fun ways that were always satisfying to mix and match, and the gauntlets that my tools opened up always tested me in new and fun ways. Mina the Hollower is a rewarding journey all the way to the finish, and thanks to the extensive modifiers and also New Game+, I expect I'll have a blast seeing what we can do with this magnificently spooky adventure for a long time.
Nintendo Life (9/10)
Yacht Club Games has successfully made the leap from Mario-inspired side-on platforming to Zelda-style adventure, delivering another retro-styled masterpiece. Mina the Hollower is an intricate, challenging yet accessible adventure packed with content, set against a gorgeous 8-bit gothic backdrop.
GamesRadar (4.5/5)
Mina the Hollower is one of the best indie games I've played in a long, long time. It borrows familiar ideas from Zelda, Dark Souls, and a million others to make its own, and offers endless choice and variety in how you carve your way through its world. It's an uncommon tribute to classic games that often surpasses the quality of the titles that inspired it.
Game Informer (88/100)
Mina the Hollower looks like a nostalgic throwback, and it undeniably is, but its thoughtful design and larger sensibilities make it play and feel like a contemporary video game – one that has taken the right lessons from the medium’s history.
Hey Poor Player (4/5)
The more I explored this world, the more things I found that I admired. This world is so well designed, and connected, that the fact that I don’t love certain choices the developers made doesn’t spoil the experience. This is a fantastic game, but one that you do have to work at to see what makes it so special. It’s worth that effort, and I really hope players will stick with it and see all the wonderful things it has to offer.
As you can see, the verdict is extremely positive for Mina The Hollower right now, with the Metacritic rating sitting on an incredible 93 (for PC), which technically makes it the "best game this year" according to the website as things stand.
What's even more amazing is that it's launching for just $19.99 on May 29th, so you won't have to break the bank to add it to your Xbox library. Look out for this Game of the Year candidate in just a few days' time on Series X and Series S!