Tag: Reviews - Page 8
Pitching in
When the generally super-positive reviews of Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 started hitting the net, it was hard to see – given the relatively limited list of improvements that EA were touting – quite how FIFA 16 had any real chance of defeating Konami's franchise this time around. Despite impressing in some areas though, PES contained...
Review Rugby World Cup 2015 (Xbox One)
No try. In more ways than one.
When it was announced that HB Studios, the development team behind the diabolically bad Rugby 15, were developing the official game based on the 2015 Rugby World Cup and that it was due to be released just nine months after their first effort, alarm bells started to ring all over the show. Would the developer take on...
Psycho Circus
Penarium is a 2D arcade-style game about survival. When a boy named Willy is tricked into joining the circus, he quickly finds out it's not what he expected. The man running things, referred to as the Director, imprisons Willy and forces him to endure one of the most inhumane big-top shows of all time. With simple pick-up-and-play...
Review Blues and Bullets - Episode 1 (Xbox One)
Seeing red
It's a wonderful time to be a fan of the adventure game genre. Whether you prefer traditional point-and-click puzzle solving (King's Quest, Broken Age) or more recently, the flurry of choice-based narrative stories (Life is Strange and anything from Telltale), it's becoming increasingly clear that this once-ignored genre is most...
Review Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 (Xbox One)
A game of two halves
It isn't our policy to look at reviews from other publications before playing a game that we know we'll be reviewing here at PureXbox but this time around, we weren't sure whether or not we'd be reviewing Pro Evolution Soccer 2016, so we indulged in a little light reading. It appears that the game is universally loved and is –...
Pump it louder
In this world of games that are filled with tutorials, guides that hold your hand through half of the product, rewards for every little thing you do and achievements that rain down from the skies for going into an options menu, it's rare to see a title that bucks that trend. Pumped BMX+ is one such game and heavens, it's a refreshing...
Review Toy Soldiers: War Chest (Xbox One)
The sum of its parts
Toy Soldiers: War Chest comes to Xbox One on the back of two successful iterations in the form of Toy Soldiers and Toy Soldiers: Cold War for Xbox 360. This, coupled with the addition of popular toy licenses makes this new entry an exciting proposition. Excitement for the game, however, may be short lived upon noticing how War...
Review Forza Motorsport 6 (Xbox One)
Start your engines...
We reckon that we can do away with the preamble with this review, given that if you aren't aware of what the Forza series is by now, you probably never will be. With this sixth iteration (if you forget the Horizon interludes) being a pretty important title for Xbox One as a platform as it heads into the holiday season, let's...
Review Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime (Xbox One)
Saving the world with love
When it comes to gaming, the word "innovative" is bandied about an awful lot, especially since the dawn of the indie game. The gun that you had in that Game X? Well in Derivative Game Y, it can fire grenades too! Innovative. Remember how difficult it was to tackle the striker in that soccer title? Well in this season's...
Review Leo's Fortune (Xbox One)
Great Balls of Fluff
Leo's Fortune started out life as a mobile platformer, released on the Apple Store and for Android in 2014. Even back then it was clear that 1337 & Senri LLC had a little gem on their hands and fans immediately begged for it to be brought to their next-gen console, so that they could spend more time with protagonist Leo...
Maximum carnage
With the critical and commercial success of Mad Max: Fury Road, it's no wonder that the video game adaptation of the Mad Max universe has been so highly anticipated. Then, when you consider the fact that publisher WB Interactive has also had a rockin' year of releases – Batman: Arkham Knight, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Mortal...
Review Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition (Xbox One)
To Infinity...and beyond?
Everyone in the world has heard of Disney Infinity by now. Well, at least those of us with children certainly have! The Disney take on the formula started by the Skylanders has always had a different slant, with much more emphasis being placed on community-created content. The Toy Box mode allows whole games and worlds to...
Review Super Toy Cars (Xbox One)
Micro amounts of fun
When it comes to arcade racing, few can argue that the likes of the classic Micro Machines titles from the 90s or even the likes of Mashed from the 00s are right up there in the list of brilliantly fun experiences, especially when it comes to gathering a couple of players around the console for a few rounds. Super Toy Cars is...
Review Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse (Xbox One)
A Tale of Two Snakes
Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse comes to the Xbox One with a pedigree built up over its many years as a premium point-and-click adventure series. It had a slightly different development trajectory along the way when compared to other titles in the series and as a result, it seems a little confused at times as to what it...
Review Magnetic: Cage Closed (Xbox One)
Push and Pull
Magnetic: Cage Closed is a first-person physics-based puzzle game set within a grimy prison that harbours a dark and sinister secret in the basement. The player takes on the role of Rachel Randall (better known throughout proceedings as Prisoner XE-47623), an inmate on death row, as she is escorted on a gurney into the lower levels of...
Review Gears of War: Ultimate Edition (Xbox One)
Changed like a remix and raised like a Fenix
Back in 2006, the original Gears of War was one of the first games to really showcase what the Xbox 360 was capable of, both in terms of technical prowess and cinematic delivery. With an engrossing campaign – which could be played locally with a friend – and a thrilling online multiplayer offering,...
Review Bridge Constructor (Xbox One)
A bridge too far
There's a bit of a lack of truly perplexing puzzle and strategy games on Xbox One and that's just one of the reasons we were excited to give Clockstone's Bridge Constructor a spin. Crossing the chasm from mobile devices and PC, the game comes complete with the SlopeMania expansion and given the decent reviews the whole package...
Review No Time To Explain (Xbox One)
Not worth the time
Originally released in 2011 as a browser game on Newgrounds, No Time To Explain on Xbox One doesn't really add a whole lot of "new" aside from a smoother visual presentation and soundtrack. The cold hard truth though is that No Time To Explain wasn't a great game back then, and all of the problems associated with it are still...
Review Mega Man Legacy Collection (Xbox One)
Cheap Man
When Capcom first announced that they'd be bringing a collection of Mega Man games to modern consoles, everyone was a little bit light-headed at the prospect of the sheer number of titles that the package would contain. Given that the core series debuted with the original Mega Man on the NES in 1987 and saw its last release in 2010 with...
Review Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (Xbox One)
Seeing double
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a journey. One that explores mature themes of family and loss while retaining it's ability to be utterly endearing. If you are one of the many people who experienced and thoroughly adored the story when it was released on Xbox 360 in 2013, you may well understand how excited we were to be able to play...
Review Adventures of Pip (Xbox One)
Hip to be square
Another day, another retro-styled platformer hits the Xbox One via the ID@Xbox program. That's not necessarily a bad thing when the idea behind the game is as compelling as the one that features in Adventures of Pip, though. The evil Queen DeRezzia has kidnapped the Pixel Kingdom's princess and is hell bent on destroying the entire...
Review Super Mega Baseball: Extra Innings (Xbox One)
LittleBigLeague
It feels like ages since an Xbox console has received a great baseball game. The MLB 2K series was mediocre for years before retiring its number, and the mobile-quality R.B.I. Baseball games aren't exactly doing anything to impress on home consoles that are capable of much more. If you think back to The Bigs 2 on Xbox 360 and EA's...
Scratching the glitch
When it was confirmed a while ago that the sequel to 2012's Wii U exclusive ZombiU had been canned, most thought that the series was a goner. That would be a shame, given that the survival-horror title brought with it more innovation than people give it credit for. It wasn't just a straight-up gorefest that required you to scan...
Review Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians (Xbox One)
Get down
In a period of time where pretty much any relatively average indie game ports are practically falling from the skies and on into the Xbox Store, it's nice to see that some of the more ingenious titles of the last few years haven't been neglected. Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians is very much one of those ingenious romps, blending puzzles...
Review Q.U.B.E: Director’s Cut (Xbox One)
Much more than your average puzzler
On the surface, Q.U.B.E - or Quick Understanding of Block Extrusion, if you want to get technical - is a physics-based 3D puzzler. The player, with the aid of a rather nifty pair of high-tech gloves, manipulates a variety of coloured blocks in order to solve puzzles and escape from the mysterious, sterile white...
From Rare with love
To celebrate its 30th year as a developer, Rare has crammed 30 of its games into a single package for just $30. Not only does that make for a brilliantly-coordinated promotion, it also makes for a value almost unheard of for a new release. Instead of breaking down each individual game in this collection, which would push us well...
A case of perspective
Here at Pure Xbox we pretty much always write articles from the third person perspective. It allows us to present a more professional tone, we feel. From time to time, the Editor (hey there!) will pen an Editor's Opinion piece from his own point of view but other than that, the third person perspective is the order of the day...
Review Squid Hero for Kinect (Xbox One)
Less than ink-redible
While developers seem to be moving ever farther away from Kinect in general, one developer seems to be most definitely leaning toward it, creating Kinect-specific digital experiences to keep fans of the device amused. That developer is Virtual Air Guitar Company - the team behind Boom Ball for Kinect – and they're back again...
Review Tachyon Project (Xbox One)
Quickfire
Another month, another neon-infused twin-stick shooter for Xbox One. It can get tiresome with the same old gameplay being trotted out time and again with just a minor twist here or there to differentiate the current title from the others, but to write Tachyon Project off due to the sins of the games that have come before it would be wrong...
Review Tembo the Badass Elephant (Xbox One)
Here comes the boom
Tembo the Badass Elephant is a 2.5D side-scrolling action game with a hand-drawn comic book art style that somewhat resembles Regular Show and other Cartoon Network cartoons. When the evil Phantom Commander and his loyal army take over Shell City, the military calls on the aid of Tembo the elephant, drawing him out of retirement...
Rinse and repeat and repeat and repeat.
When it comes to retro racers on Xbox One, there's something of a shortage. Sure, there are a few arcade racers kicking about, but nothing that could really be described as harking back to days of old. Spectra: 8-bit Racing promised to fill that gap, providing a chiptune-powered and neon-cloaked experience...
Burnt out
Finally, it's time for a little Formula One action in the current generation. If you put aside the cameo appearances of F1-style cars in other titles, we've yet to get our F1 fix on Xbox One. That was due to Codemasters deciding that they were going to release F1 2014 for last-gen machines back in September, whilst creating a "new...
Review Sparkle Unleashed (Xbox One)
The sincerest form of flattery
Back in the very early days of the Xbox 360, one of the first titles to help shape the idea of what Microsoft's then-innovative Xbox Live Arcade service could be was PopCap's Zuma. The game was a rightfully popular puzzler which tasked players with firing coloured marbles into a rapidly-advancing line of similar...
Review Payday 2: Crimewave Edition (Xbox One)
A Complete Bust
Last year, several notable releases found themselves under scrutiny for releasing in a broken state. Sadly, this trend has continued into 2015 as yet another broken game is available for purchase. This time around it is publisher 505 Games who have put a horrendous version of Overkill Software's popular cooperative shooter Payday 2...
Review Quantum Rush: Champions (Xbox One)
A bit too rushed
There are a lot of people out there clamouring for F-Zero and Wipeout to make a proper return on current hardware. Unfortunately, neither of these classic series have plans to stage a comeback any time soon (not that we know of, at least). It's not all bad news, though, because games like FAST Racing NEO and Quantum Rush Champions...
Review Shooting Love 200X (Xbox 360)
Bad romance
It isn't every day that a Japanese-made title is released worldwide for either of the currently-available Xbox platforms. Shooting Love 200X came out of absolutely nowhere when it was released back in April for Xbox 360 and was very much a surprise release, especially when you consider that it was first published in Japan back in...
Review Batman: Arkham Knight (Xbox One)
Tanks for the memories
When it was announced that the Batmobile would be making its début in Arkham Knight, there was much skepticism amongst fans of the Arkham series. While the promise of commanding such a capable vehicle and battling an army of tanks sounded like a blast on its own, the concern resided with how this method of transportation...
Review Le Tour De France 2015 (Xbox One)
Pedal pusher
As a rule, the phrase "fans of the series/sport/show will love it" is one that reviewers should try to avoid. The reason is simply because the statement is pretty much redundant. If you're a fan of watching paint dry, then you'll probably be far more forgiving about the shortcomings of Paint Drying Simulator 2015 than you would be about...
Review Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition (Xbox One)
From Nero to hero!
If anyone has spent time browsing comment sections on news articles or internet forum threads, they have surely noticed that people like to complain about remakes and remasters – specifically Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games that were already in high definition. But this backlash hasn't stopped Capcom from remastering both...
Review SteamWorld Dig (Xbox One)
Dig and You Might Strike Oil
Swedish developer Image & Form has been bringing SteamWorld Dig to every available system. This means that one system is going to receive the game last and in this case it's Microsoft's home console. If you're counting, the Xbox One version of SteamWorld Dig is the sixth time players have had a chance to purchase...
Review Beach Buggy Racing (Xbox One)
Lacking engine-uity
Ever since the legendary Super Mario Kart made its first appearance on the SNES back in 1992, it really does feel as if every publisher has tried to emulate its success. Shrek, Looney Tunes, Sonic, Bomberman, Digimon, LittleBigPlanet, Crazy Frog, Crash Bandicoot, Madagascar, The Muppets, South Park and more have been cynically...
Review BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition (Xbox One)
Flight of the clones
It feels wrong to mention Flappy Bird and BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition in the same sentence, but there's no way around it: BADLAND plays a lot like Flappy Bird. Pressing the A-button to ascend, and simply releasing to let gravity do its job, this physics-based sidescroller is all about avoiding a gamut of hazards and...
Review Spy Chameleon (Xbox One)
Changing Colour
Stealth has been a long-standing staple in video games since the early '80s, when games like Castle Wolfenstein popularized the genre. Since then, stealth games have evolved into very complicated, system-heavy genre in their current form. It can be quite daunting for new players to jump in, which is why Unfinished Pixel's Spy...
Review The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Xbox One)
Absolutely magical
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an intimidating game. It's one of the largest open world games we've ever played, with a plethora of endless side content and explorative tasks. It can often feel very overwhelming, and for those of you that like to clear every icon on your map, well, you're going to have your work cut out for you. The...
Who Knows?
In 1885, German biologist Hans Driesch demonstrated that you could produce two sea urchins from a single embryo cell. Ever since then, society has been intrigued by cloning and the controversial practice has continued to this day. It's a tricky subject to discuss due to the many moral issues surrounding cloning. Should man play God? How...
Review Schrödinger’s Cat and the Raiders of the Lost Quark (Xbox One)
Dead and Alive
Even for the most open-minded gamers, it is easy to roll your eyes at the thought of playing through yet another puzzle-platform game. It seems like a new one releases every week that promises a unique hook that will turn the genre on its head. This is rarely the case though, as not every game can be as brilliant as Braid or Fez. The...
Review Farming Simulator 15 (Xbox One)
The amber waves of groan
It almost goes without saying that Farming Simulator 15 will be a divisive game. On a platform filled to the brim with shooters, racers and sports simulations, the simple fact is that a very large portion of the market will just simply not understand the attraction of planting crops and harvesting them for money. On the...
Review Mega Coin Squad (Xbox One)
Money.
Couch-based multiplayer has been falling away in recent years but, with the rise of indie developers who are keen to see it make a comeback, more and more titles seem to be remembering that pretty much every console ever made supports more than one controller being in use at a time. This resurgence is most definitely occurring on the Xbox One...
Review Rogue Legacy (Xbox One)
All in the family
Procedural generation is a term that is being thrown around quite often lately, and it's one that has a decent amount of stigma going against it. When environmental characteristics and enemy arrangements are decided by an algorithm or line of code, changing the surroundings with every replay, it can make a game feel cheap, and the...
Review Slice Zombies for Kinect (Xbox One)
Quick chop
From Slice Zombies for Kinect's very title, you can pretty much predict what it's going to consist of. If you guessed "Fruit Ninja Kinect with zombies instead of fruit" then you're pretty much on the money. That isn't to belittle developer MADE's work though, rather it's the easiest way to inform readers of what the game is all about...
