Tag: Reviews - Page 10
Review Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island (Xbox One)
Making it rain.
When crafting a DLC package of any significant weight for a game that has gone down really well with gamers and critics alike, developers have to be careful. What they add can’t interfere with the mix that they already had, as they really don’t want to be messing with a successful formula. Playground Games found a way to ensure...
Review Pinball FX2 - Venom (Xbox One)
Lick it up
One of the many things that we appreciate about Zen Studios' work with their Marvel Pinball tables is their commitment to acknowledging characters and properties that don't have as much mainstream appeal as, say, Spider-Man, Iron Man, or Captain America. For every Fantastic Four and The Avengers, we've had Doctor Strange and The Infinity...
Ice cold.
Some games are truly beautiful and – let’s not waste any time here – Never Alone kicks off with the potential to be one of them. Telling tales of the Alaska native Iñupiat people and their folklore, the game is part educational experience, part non-traditional side-scrolling platformer. While one half of that is really well done,...
Crew cut.
When it comes to writing reviews, some games are easier than others to cover. There are times when you can play a game for an hour or two, and have at least an idea of at least the general direction of where your review is headed. Ubisoft’s The Crew most certainly does not fall into that camp. We think it’ll be safe to say that this...
Review Boom Ball for Kinect (Xbox One)
Short boom.
It’s no secret that the number of Kinect-compatible titles for Xbox One is on the low side, to say the least. Given Microsoft’s decision to unbundle the console from the Kinect sensor at retail, that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. However, the device is perfect for a bit of ID@Xbox experimentation and that’s what we see here,...
3+3=6, 6+6=12
Threes! may not look like much at first sight, but it's actually one of the more potent, more addictive games for tablets and smartphones that's now been ported to Xbox One. The concept is simple — you basically make big numbers by adding up smaller numbers; 3+3 makes 6 and so it goes. The game is based around a board consisting of...
Review Pier Solar and the Great Architects (Xbox One)
Built with love
You've gotta hand it to the folks over at Watermelon. Taking on a project as ambitious as Pier Solar and the Great Architects is by no means an easy task. Originally conceived in 2004 as a small homebrew project known as Tavern RPG for the Sega Genesis, development swiftly transformed into something much bigger. As the team puts it,...
Review Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions (Xbox One)
Everything old is new again
When Bizarre Creations was shuttered a few years ago, a lot of people feared for one of the company’s finest creations, Geometry Wars. A twin-stick shooter released via digital means, the game flew in the face of the overblown and increasingly-complex hundred-hour behemoths that were slowly becoming the backbone of the...
Review Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox One)
The boys are back in town
Last year, we reviewed Grand Theft Auto V for Xbox 360 and walked away all kinds of impressed. We thought the game’s only real weakness - the only thing holding it back from a perfect score - was that it was a current-gen game with next-gen ambitions, which resulted in minor technical complications that could occasionally...
Review Monopoly Plus (Xbox One)
This version Mayfair well.
When it comes to converting the ubiquitous property trading board game Monopoly from the living room table to digital platforms, things have not always gone well. Despite being released for every console, computer, and mobile device known to man, it’s probably safe to say that there hasn’t been a genuinely good and...
Review Assassin's Creed Rogue (Xbox 360)
A cold, hard, cash grab?
Given most of Ubisoft's marketing budget went on Assassin's Creed Unity this year, you'd be forgiven if you thought Assassin's Creed Rogue was a cash grab or an afterthought when it was announced in early August. Though the latter may feel slightly true given some of the games presentation decisions, Rogue is able to bring a...
Feature Ubisoft Confirms The Crew Will Launch Before Reviews Do
Uh-oh.
As we said a little while ago, we will try to keep you informed with regards to reviews being delayed past the point of a game's launch due to embargos. Well, this one isn't quite about embargos, but it's close enough. Ubisoft beat us to it this time with regards to The Crew. The game launches on December 2nd, and review copies and codes...
Review Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom (Xbox 360)
Totes alright... but not quite mathematical
To be blunt, last year’s Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW (hence forth referred to as ETDBIDK) was a poor game. With bland and repetitive dungeon crawling that desperately needed another dose of Adventure Time’s wacky flavor, as well as more overall purpose, it was a game that...
Catch as catch can't.
Ever since THQ released WWF No Mercy and WWF Wrestlemania 2000 for Nintendo 64, fans of “sports entertainment” (or professional wrestling, to the uninitiated) have been crying out for a game that emulates the exciting, epic battles that take place inside the squared circle. Unfortunately, despite some half-decent efforts,...
Review Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (Xbox 360)
The P-1 Grand Prix is back and better than ever
Few fan bases are more passionate about what they care about than Persona fans. So when acclaimed fighting game developer Arc System Works was tasked with creating a fighting game based on Atlus' beloved RPG series, many were skeptical on how it would be able to translate the turn-based gameplay into a...
Review LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (Xbox One)
Nananananana - Batman!
Sorry. Well, not sorry – it had to start like that. The Batman theme tune from the old TV-show is probably one of the most iconic TV themes of all time and Batman himself is probably one of the most iconic superheroes. Just like LEGO is one of the most iconic toy brands on the market. Throw it all in a blender and you should...
Review Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 (Xbox One)
On the up
The annual soccer head-to-head battle is on once again, given that nobody else has come forward to try and bring a new entrant into the fight. Konami are making the step up to the new generation properly – last year’s effort can hardly be counted – with Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 and the early demo-fuelled hype suggests that the game...
Pure and too simple
When it comes to sports simulations, snooker and pool have a rich and varied history. From the simple Trick Shot for the Atari 2600, via Side Pocket on the NES, Archer Maclean’s Pool for the Amiga and Atari ST, Virtua Pool for DOS, Pool Paradise on PlayStation 2 and Hustle Kings for the PlayStation 3, we’ve reached our...
Review Assassin's Creed Unity (Xbox One)
Divided you'll fall
When you load up an Assassin’s Creed title for the first time, you kind of know what to expect. Every entry in the series adds another layer of things that we assume will continue through to appear in the next game. From the basic free-running of the first title, through to the sprawling open-world adventure that was Black...
Review How to Survive: Storm Warning Edition (Xbox One)
The hitchhikers guide to a zombie apocalypse
What’s more humbling than being devoured by a swarm of bloodthirsty undead? Why, being struck with a bolt of lightning as you swing your axe at the crocodile directly opposite said swarm, who proceeds to toss you around like a ragdoll in a death-roll and in doing so, gets his own crocodile self...
Review Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze (Xbox 360)
Another turtle-tastrophe
We apologize in advance for doing this, but click here and here. Last year saw the release of two video games based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles license, and you should know that we found both of them to be pretty terrible. But despite these Galapagos tortoise-sized cowabummers, when TMNT: Danger of the Ooze was...
Review Sunset Overdrive (Xbox One)
Chaos never tasted so good
Insomniac Games has been responsible for creating great exclusive software for the PlayStation brand over the years. With franchises like Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank and Resistance earning both critical praise and impressive sales numbers, it’s easy to see why Sony has held the developer so close to the chest...
Review Skylanders: Trap Team (Xbox One)
Fool us once...
To say that we were sceptical about the latest Skylanders title, Trap Team, would be an understatement. Having not had a great deal of experience with the series, but having seen the shelves upon shelves of toys for sale at seemingly ludicrous prices in every supermarket and specialist store for the last couple of years, we thought...
Review Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments (Xbox One)
Welcome to 221b Baker Street
There hasn't been that much written about Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments - in fact, so little has been said that one could almost end up thinking that the developers really wanted it to fly under the radar. Which is a shame...no, really. Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments takes place in the gritty,...
Review Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved (Xbox One)
Not taking the Mickey
Enough words have been written about the history of Microsoft’s second attempt at motion controlled gaming and how it was a mandatory purchase for all bleeding-edge Xbox One owners. We all know how a lot of people – probably the majority, in fact – don’t see even the second iteration of Kinect as being a viable input...
Review Pinball FX2 - South Park (Xbox One)
Salty balls
South Park hasn't had the most luxurious history when it comes to getting the video game treatment. There's been a decent release here or there throughout the years, but for the most part we've been subjected to repetitive first-person shooters and uninspired platformers. That is until earlier this year when South Park: The Stick of...
Review Divekick Addition Edition + (Xbox One)
Paper champion
Divekick is going to be a game that splits opinions, that much is sure. The hardcore fighting game fans will love the action/reaction playing style, but a large proportion of people will be left cold. A good portion of that first group will already own it on another format, too. That doesn't set things up all that well for the Xbox...
In for repairs
“Welcome to Brazil, where the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos is currently being hammered by torrential rain. The track is absolutely soaked and there was talk of calling the race off, but we’re here and ready to go. The cars are on the grid, facing down 71 laps of the circuit, with Lewis Hamilton in the Pure...
Review Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (Xbox One)
Dark and delightful
We’ve been hearing about Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its innovative Nemesis System for a while now, but we’d be lying if we said we weren’t skeptical of the game living up to its potential. Delivering a brutally violent and relentlessly grim look into the Lord of the Rings universe might alienate too many fans of the...
Review Forza Horizon 2 (Xbox One)
Bring us the horizon
Every so often, a game comes along that you imagine that you’ll be reminiscing about as a ninety-year-old while sipping a cup of weak tea in an old people’s home with your friends. Of course, the games of your youth will come up first. The arcade game that you beat with a single credit when you were on holiday with your...
Pulling dead weight or reinventing the wheel?
We play good games all the time. Heck, it’s safe to say that we play great games on a fairly regular basis. What’s surprising, though, is how few of those great games genuinely feel fresh or inspired. Take the platforming genre for instance. For every Rayman Legends — a superb game that introduced...
Review Slender: The Arrival (Xbox 360)
Oh, the Slender Man... the Slender Man can.
Back in 2012, a two-man development team at Parsec Productions created a PC game called Slender: The Eight Pages as an experiment. The Eight Pages was based on the tale of The Slender Man, a tall and faceless paranormal figure who would stalk, traumatize, and abduct anyone who may come across him,...
Review D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die (Xbox One)
Look for D
Remember Deadly Premonition? It’s one of the most divisive games ever to be released upon the world. Poor production values, bizarreness to the extreme, and campy…well, everything else, meant it was one of those wonderfully weird games that either clicked with you, or it didn't at all. Now, four years after the release of Deadly...
The keeper fluffs it.
Here we are once again. It’s that time of year that - if you’re in the UK at least - the releases of EA’s annual Madden and NHL franchises are nothing but a precursor to. It’s FIFA time once again, and no matter what we say about the game here, it’ll undoubtedly be a massive success and sit at the top of the sales...
"I'm your density. I mean, your destiny."
It goes without saying that we all expect big things from the creators of the Halo series. And it’s not just because they bestowed upon us one of the best science-fiction gaming franchises of all time, it’s also due to the epic promise that their new IP will be an intergalactic journey so grand that...
Review KickBeat - Special Edition (Xbox One)
Bass dropped.
If you haven’t heard of Kickbeat before and are looking at the screenshots, you’ll probably get the idea that it’s a fighting game that has something to do with music. On the surface of it, that’s true, but the fighting itself is mere decoration for what is a relatively standard rhythm action title. The game is set around...
Those ninjas came from the past!
It was way back in the year 2000 that Digital Extremes announced a new game entitled Dark Sector was in the works. This game was initially envisioned as a space-faring third person shooter where players would don a mechanical suit providing them with powers beyond that of the average soldier. As the development cycle...
Breaking baa-d.
Did you ever play Lemmings? The classic A to B puzzle game were you were supposed to guide a crowd of small, green chaps through levels and past obstacles? The goal was to get as many of them out safely, sometimes leaving a few brave lemmings behind for the greater good. Team 17's new game Flockers is very much like that ... only a...
Skating backwards going forwards.
NHL 15 was supposed to be a celebration of hockey. A true coming of age that would have us flying banners and cheering EA’s name as they masterfully took the step up to the new generation and showed us their skills on previously untouched ice. When the puck dropped, it would provide the graphical and gameplay...
Review Pinball FX2 - The Walking Dead (Xbox One)
Get bit.
The critically acclaimed first season of Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead (hence forth referenced as Season One) invades the best version of digital pinball currently on the market, Pinball FX2, and the results are quite impressive. This closely-coordinated effort between Telltale and FX2 developer, Zen Studios, comes hot on the heels of...
Review Pinball FX2 - Guardians of the Galaxy (Xbox One)
Chart topper or flipper flopper?
It’s been a big summer for the Guardians of the Galaxy, has it not? Thanks to the critical and commercial success of the motion picture, this ragtag team of superheroes has risen from utter obscurity to a common household name in what seems like the blink of an eye. That means comic books, action figures and other...
Ruining the gauntlet.
When a game series throws out fistfuls of features that were part of the very reason that fans of the series became fans of the series, people aren’t usually all that happy about it. There’s a desire for improvement and growth of course, but there’s also that desire for more of the same. Fans of the first two Sacred...
Review Abyss Odyssey (Xbox 360)
A rogue-like by any other name...
The term "rogue-like" has undoubtedly been slow to grow in popularity, but in recent years it seems that it's finally starting to catch on. It's a phrase that comes from a sub-genre of RPGs that abide by a set of game design choices, including procedurally-generated worlds and permanent death — which titles like...
Review Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition (Xbox One)
Nacho average luchador
Even if you haven’t played Guacamelee or seen it in action, chances are you’re at least aware of its existence. Released as a timed exclusive for PlayStation consoles back in April of last year, this Metroidvania-style action platformer was met with a knockout of a reception, and since then has been heralded by many as one...
Review GRID Autosport (Xbox 360)
Crossing the line?
When Codemasters announced that they’d be reviving the Race Driver series with GRID 2 last year, many people were suitably excited. The original Race Driver GRID was a fantastic game which pitched itself somewhere between arcade racing and simulation, and that provided big, beefy cars battling it out over several disciplines...
Into the darkness
Outlast is a game you can brag to your friends about when finished. It’s also a survival horror adventure that probably shouldn’t be played by those with weak hearts. The tension scales so sporadically that even a half-hour session can leave you exhausted. But rather more importantly, Outlast is a finely crafted, well-paced...
Review Blood of The Werewolf (Xbox 360)
Murder, she wrote
Blood of the Werewolf is a tough-as-nails action platformer that marries core genre conventions with modern mechanics and ideas. If you took the "try, die, repeat" appeal of Super Meat Boy, the gothic themes of Castlevania, and combat elements similar to those in Final Exam, you’d have a reasonable idea of what to expect here...
Connected chaos
To be blunt, Watch Dogs’ lead anti-hero Aiden Pearce is a straight up smartphone addict. For most of the game, Aiden can barely take his eyes away from his device. And who can blame him really, especially with all the cool things one can do? No, he isn’t checking to see what’s trending on Twitter or playing a round of Candy...
Review Wolfenstein: The New Order (Xbox One)
Nazi-killin' machine
Can you believe that Wolfenstein has only seen four home console installments since Wolfenstein 3D was crammed onto an SNES cartridge back in the mid ‘90s? Being one of the oldest names in the book when it comes to first-person shooters, Wolfenstein has a legacy most brands can only dream of achieving, and it has somehow...
Nut all that fun
With platform holders making it easier and easier for indie developers to self-publish in these modern times, it’s inevitable that we’re going to see a lot of games ported from mobile devices to current home consoles. The first game of this nature to come to Xbox One (outside of Halo: Spartan Assault, which we wouldn’t...
