Xbox Tavern

Moon Raider is a decent throwback to the pixelated games of the 90’s. It is lacking in some departments like the story, but the pixel art is nicely done and the action is familiar and fun for the duration of the experience.

Super Meat Boy Forever might not be the game I expected, but it’s a game I thoroughly enjoyed. Good sequels take the best elements of the first game and build on them. The gameplay doesn’t have to be exactly the same but in this case, it’s familiar enough, while adding many interesting new elements. The new high definition art style is on point and the level design and generation makes the sequel truly stand out.

While it might be short lived, those looking for a quick romance tale (and some easy cheevos) will be well served by C14 Dating. The mini-games add to the experience, and the archaeology-based romance is charming enough to entertain at least once, with further plays allowing us to skip through scenes as needed.

Rain on Your Parade is a hilarious, reference filled adventure that gamers young and old could enjoy. It provides variety and options for how much you want to get out of the game and is never too challenging for any one person.

Gangsta Paradise is sort of a misnomer, you end up killing all the gangsters so I don’t know how that could be a paradise for them, and the game as a whole is not a paradise either – it’s more like a purgatory, completely middle of the road, nothing great about it, but nothing terrible either. With the exception of the enemies, there isn’t much variety.

Ravensword: Shadowlands is a passably playable RPG considering it is an aged mobile port. If you ever want to play an RPG that you can complete in days rather than months for a fraction of the cost then this could be something to pick up. But stiff NPCs, random hit detection/animation, bland storyline, and vast empty lands really make it challenging to fully immerse yourself into the game.

Gravity Heroes can be too tough at times early on, but those that persevere will find and enjoyable twist on 2D, wave-based attack arenas. Some lovely pixel art and music help soften the repeated defeats, and while a little unintuitive, the core gameplay is fun more often than not.

Savage Halloween caters to those who want a more casual run and gun play style and for those who are eager for a challenge. Regardless of which one you pick you’re guaranteed to receive a treat than a trick with this title.

If you’re a big fan of the first game then Knight Squad 2 is more of the same. There are a few new game modes that are fun and the variant options allow for some unique customization, but overall this sequel doesn’t really stand out. It’s essentially the same game, with a few new things and missing some stuff from the first game.

Breathedge is an uneven experience: the space exploration/survival is genuinely delightful, but workman-like approach to presentation and the humour drags the experience down, undoing the oppressive atmosphere with dated references and ‘gags’. I would recommend this game to fans of the genre who have exhausted their choices, others will do better to start elsewhere.

At first glance One Escape appears to be yet another simple platformer. The use of three distinct characters and some fun level design however mean that anyone looking for a short, fun experience should defintely check One Escape out.

Chess Knights: Viking Lands is a fun and very challenging puzzle game. Not one for achievement hunters unless you find a walkthrough, but that kind of kills the joy of the game. For its price, it is quite an attractive looking game and the Viking theme stops it from looking bland. For those familiar with chess and who enjoy tricky puzzles, this could be one for you.

What the Dub?! is a single focused party game trying to crack into a genre where titles like Jackbox have been dominating. What the Dub?! has real movie clips and the answer read out by automated voices though, which is more inclusive, but the thought of having to watch the same clip 12 six times with different players scripts one after each other, with only a few seconds in between for chuckles, doesn’t excite me at all.

There’s no shortage of 2D puzzle platformers out there, but few are done with such style, pacing, and intuitiveness as DARQ. A thoroughly enjoyable 2 hours of play that knows not to try and artificially pad the runtime and dilute the experience. The fantastic audio/visual work helps suck us into the atmosphere, and combined with smart puzzle mechanics and movement these add up to make DARQ an easily recommended play.

All in all Balan Wonderworld is uninspiring and boring to play. A lack of instruction mixed with some of the most basic platforming abilities missing at times makes the game a chore.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page to me is a heavily story-based game that uses platforming as a means to tell it. If you’re after something with deep gameplay to get into, this may not be the right title for you. If the story alone is something that piques your interest then it’s definitely worth a shot as it is an enjoyable tale.

Even with these foibles, I still really dug the majority of Genesis Noir. The fantastic presentation made it easier to forgive some of the repetition and bugs, and for all the grandiose nature of the story, it was still interesting to follow and piece together. It could probably be completed in one or two sittings, so if you’re up for something a little different, I’d definitely recommend checking out Genesis Noir.

Space Otter Charlie is a lot of fun. The Zero-G puzzle platforming is great, as is the audio visual work. The multiplayer aspect is underwhelming but the campaign more than makes up for this with its inventive scenarios and levels. I highly recommend checking Space Otter Charlie out if you’re looking for a new platformer to play.

Squad Killer is a fun, if simple, retro platformer/shooter. The action is easy to pick up and play – and the achievements drop easily – but there are a few niggles that can frustrate a little too much. For the low price it might be worth a shot for some, but others will be best off looking elsewhere.

It Takes Two is a game that all gamers should play. The co-op only aspect could turn some people away, but they make it very easy to play the game with others. You can play split-screen locally or online with anyone on your friends list even if they don’t own the game.

Papa’s Quiz is a decent party game that does stand out for me as a good alternative to the Jackbox games. Granted it is just a quiz and there are no other game modes, but I feel that helps make it stand out as it has that singular focus. The dance boasting isn’t for everyone and the automated voices do get a bit tedious after a while, but as a party game that you play in bursts I think this is pretty fun.

In summary, Can’t Drive This is a fresh take on an already saturated party game market that’s a ton of fun with friends and gets very addictive, but loses steam after 10 hours with the few game modes it offers. There just isn’t enough content to play this game solo and unlock the majority of the cosmetics. With that being said, I personally absolutely love this game and would love to see the idea further expanded.

Bladed Fury is what I would call a sleeper game. Its art style and fast paced 2D action is what help it stand out the most. Beneath that layer however is a game that is missing a more developed story and upgrading and fighting system to keep things fresh. For a game that can be finished in under 2 hours, if your looking for something quick and easy to play then Bladed Fury is your game.

I Saw Black Clouds unfortunately misses the mark more often than not. While the general concept of the story is interesting, messy presentation and confusing, vague stats make it harder to enjoy than it should be. If you’re looking for an enjoyable live action adventure, I’d still recommend checking out The Complex before this.

Paradise Lost manages to keep the intrigue high with its alternate history tale and great environmental story-telling, but is let down by it glacier-esque pace. If you can push through that though, there is an entertaining time to be had here.