Xbox Tavern

Streets of Rage 4 was already fantastic, and the Mr.X Nightmare DLC just improves it immensely. New characters Max, Estele and Shiva are great, while the Survival mode offers endless options for replayability as well as new unlocks to use throughout the game. It’s an utterly brilliant DLC all round, now excuse me while I head back to get working on those unlocks…

Batbarian: Testament of the Primordials is a Metroidvania that places you deep within a cave with just a radiant bat. It’s unique in it’s light and dark mechanics and lite-leveling system. The meat of the game comes from puzzles and boss fights. Mix that with a humorous story and you’ve got yourself a winner of a game.

The slow pace is kind of the point, and Walden, a Game uses it to force us to soak in some lovely sights and sounds. Thoreau’s writings are often insightful, helping build the world out nicely, and that we’re free to explore and complete tasks pretty much at our leisure means this is a perfect title to unwind with over the course of a few evenings.

Mythic Ocean surprised me as I enjoy a good dose of philosophy if done the right way. The game is very relaxing and not overly challenging when it comes to helping the gods or searching for the lost pages. The real challenge comes when you have to make a decision on which god should create the new world. It really does make you think, and that choice is not simple to make.

Within the Blade is a great proposition as a budget title. Tons of levels, and good variety throughout leads to a large amount of replayability. Some design decisions and nasty bugs mean that it is a close shave away from ‘excellent’, and instead just ‘good’.

Blue Fire grew on me as I progressed through the game, it really opened up and became a joy to play once my moveset started to expand. Anyone craving a 3D action platformer that borrows from some of the best games ever made should give this a try. I think by not going overboard and sticking with a reasonably sized world that is filled with NPC’s and secrets the developers created something that shines and could burn for some time to come.

Despite Breaking Point not hitting the mark with me, F1 2021 is an exceptional game for their first entry onto the Series X consoles and will keep F1 fans happy for another year.

It’s easy to compare this game to other Metroidvania’s like Hollow Knight, Bloodstained or Blasphemous, though while it doesn’t quite reach the same lofty heights as those games, yet Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a fantastic experience from start to finish that can be enjoyed by more than just fans of the genre. It can be challenging at times but a few quality of life features make it more approachable than some of its genre brethren.

Crash Drive 3 is a wonderful idea of a game and plays with no major issues. The game is a wonderful addition to the series and the hard work invested by the team shows. Lovers of goofy arcade racers will enjoy.

And yet, despite these camera woes I couldn’t put down Flatland Vol.2. It’s hard, but in that perfectly pitched way that encourages one more go, time and time again. Some excellent audio/visual work helps tremendously, and the extra modes are a neat, if slightly unneeded, addition. Great fun to play all round, and highly recommended.

King of Seas is solid, but unremarkable. Lacking the diversity of actions and depth of simulation required for something within its genre. For those craving a pirate game it will definitely entertain, but maybe not for very long.

Another commitment I really appreciated was that only one copy is required for multiplayer. Sending a friend invite to someone that does not own the game will take them to a store page that lets them download a trial version to play alongside the person with the purchased title. Being short and lean should not be a knock against this title, and I think this is one of the must-plays of 2021.

Bunny Factory delivers 100 different versions of the same type of puzzle. Between each one is a monotonous task of take ‘this unit to this spot and come back’ before you can begin another puzzle. The game does feature online co-op so you could chill with some friends but overall it’s a pass from me unless you are a puzzle enthusiast.

I love Scarlet Nexus. Its technological post-apocalyptic environment, smooth and flashy combat mechanic combined with its genre of an anime RPG, was just executed so well. Sure the game towards the end might seem a little bit tedious but you just can’t help but focus on the good things that made this game such an enjoyable experience. This game is to not be ignored.

Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition is a wonderful game to unwind with and is relatively short, so most will finish it in just a couple sittings. The game isn’t as polished as a re-release should be, but is still a fun adventure to embark on. I would recommend this title on a sale seeing as you won’t be playing it long unless you’re into Nordic folklore, foxes, or a moderate journey.

An endless mode does what it say on the tin, as do survival and arena modes. If you do find the action too disorientating like me, there are also comfort option in the menu, from performance to comfort and maximum comfort choices. I still couldn’t quite get one that I gelled with, but it’s also possible to fine tune your own custom settings which is a great shout by Maximum Games.

I expected so much from the story with it being a Warhammer game. Usually, you are drowning in lore and story but with 40,000: Space Wolf, you barely get your feet wet. Every menu in the game feels so slow and sticky. I know it originated from a mobile game but the menu and story needed way more work for a console version. The gameplay is actually alright, the card mechanic mixed with X-COM style combat is quite interesting. But with dumb NPC’s, respawning enemies and losing a turn just to turn your guy around there are just a few too many bad decisions for me.

The story touches on topics that many games avoid, and most players will find some way to relate to the protagonist Mo, but the islands and their depictions are the real stars of Minute of Islands – it’s what kept me hooked. I remained intrigued throughout the experience, always wondering how the next area would be presented. The gameplay feels a bit monotonous, but that gives you more time to marvel at the artistic detail of the world.

Despite these complaints, I have tremendously enjoyed my first 40 hours and feel a sense of accomplishment when I finally get my wash station running and walk away with a pocket full of gold. This game demands your patience and attention, so it will not be for everybody, but for a select few, this game will provide hours of entertainment.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is a title that more or less has impacted me as a gamer and shown me to not be afraid to try something new. As off-putting as visual novels are to some people I highly recommend giving DDLC Plus a try as you can tell that the hearts and souls of everyone on the team went into this project. Maybe it’ll become a part of your reality as I let it become a part of mine.

Real-time Worms action is something all previous fans of the series have probably thought about at one point, and it’s nice to not only see it happen but have it modernised in the popular battle royale style. It’s simple enough to pick up and play and the cross platforming means you can squad up with your friends using other platforms too. I found it fun to play and a decent addition to the Worms series. My only gripe is that sometimes there are too many explosions on-screen to keep track of your worm at times.

Out of Line, in my eyes, could stand alongside the likes of Limbo and Inside such is its brilliance. Hatinh make smart use of simple yet clever mechanics to constantly engage the player, while never resorting to needless extra bits and pieces to pad things out, simply bringing us fun, elegant puzzle platforming action. Absolutely excellent, and an afternoon well spent playing.

Hired Gun is a game that punches above its weight in that it tries to take on too many things at once and struggles under the sheer weight of the number of ideas it introduces. In many ways it is better than its AAA peers because of its audacity, in other ways it is an example of a game that needed a few features cut.

If you’re after a blast of tough nostalgia, then Alex Kidd in Miracle World has got you covered. If anything, it’s a bit too faithful in terms of the mechanics despite offering up some modern concessions such as checkpoints and save states. But then that’s the point, isn’t it. Older players will still get some enjoyment out of revisiting this, while younger players can see what we used to deem cutting edge back in our day.

I came into Heliborne full of hope, but left completely disappointed. Unless you’re a die-hard helicopter fan there’s not much at all here to make it worth your while checking out, and even if you are a fan…well… caution is still advised.