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XBox One Game Reviews


9.0 NHL 19

 

Despite being a Canadian, and despite loving the sport of hockey, I took a break from the annual NHL EA Sports release for the 2018 iteration, and during a year heavy with impressive titles from developers across the industry, it didn't actually miss it that much. When EA Sports came to Toronto a few weeks ago, and a few of my colleagues were able to attend, they couldn't stop raving about the improvements to ...

 

9.0 Shadow of the Tomb Raider

 

Back in 2013, Square Enix, in partnership with Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal began to recreate the Tomb Raider franchise with a trilogy of games that would launch over the next 5 years. It began with Tomb Raider in 2013, Rise of the Tomb Raider in 2015, and finally this week, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft’s pinnicle moments and where the trilogy meets a timely and hopefully satisfactory end. ...

 

7.5 PES 2019

 

Although I now risk sounding like a broken record, with another year of PES soccer upon us, wr have yet another year to talk about how the soccer mechanics outshine the competition, but how through game still lacks the modes and licences of "the other guy." It's become a cycle to be sure, as felt PES 17 and PES 18 both outshined FIFA on the field, while struggling off it. While I hoped 19 might be the breakout ...

 

8.0 Strange Brigade

 

Rebllion is know for creating some over the top gaming mechanics - trust us, there is nothing more satisfying then a headshot in the Sniper Elite series - but has often opted to create serious missions with unique gameplay elements. Enter Strange Brigade, with lots of over the top mechanics; however, the realism of World Wars has been replaced with the craziness of treasure hunting, complete with undead, ...

 

8.0 Adventure Time: Pirates of Enchir...

 

Adventure Time might be saying adios on the television this September, but the team behind the popular franchise have partnered with Climax Studios to launch the surprisingly good Adventure Time...adventure...Pirates of Enchiridion, a fantastic turn based RPG game with fantastic writing, great locations to explore, and all your favourite characters from the show. With so many lackluster Adventure Time game ...

 

7.5 Shinning Resonance Refrain

 

When Shinning Resonance Refrain first launched exclusively in Japan on the PS3 a number of years ago, the reaction to the title was fairly mixed. Now many years later, the developers have determined that new HD version of the game was necessary to pull in a Western audience, and thanks to the developers, we were able to review the experience on PS4. Is the game worth playing a second time, all these years later? ...

 

8.0 Hotel Transylvania 3: Monsters Ov...

 

When you hear about video games based on movies, it's not uncommon to instantly assume what you are about to play will be complete trash. And if I'm being honest, the only reason why I requested this game in the first place was for my kids to have an opportunity to play it, while I did my review. This review request was driven by my kids, but I'm thankful they pushed me towards it because Hotel Transylvania 3: ...

 

7.0 Vampyr

 

The dark and dreary setting of World War 1 London wasn't something I thought i would ever enjoy, but when you factor in vampires and an intriguing story, perceptions begin to change. From beginning to end, Vampyr was a story I constantly was engaged with, and although the lackluster and clunky combat almost held me back a few times, the running story and character progression kept me focused on the end game.

 

7.0 State of Decay 2

 

Microsoft's focus in 2018 so far has been multiplayer experiences; this began with Sea of Thieves which launched just a few months ago in March, which has been followed up by the highly anticipated open world zombie game, State of Decay 2. While spending time with friends in this expansive world is lots of fun, technical hiccups and lack of variety hold this title back from being one of the brightest on the Xbox

 

7.0 Sea of Thieves

 

Sea of Thieves is a game that is LOADED with potential, but little of which is released at this time. It's also a game I will keep coming back to from time-to-time to see what has been changed and updated. What is hear is great, but when you are asking 59.99 USD for the experience, it quickly becomes apparent that what's here isn't worth the retail purchase price. On the flip side, for those looking at it via ...

 

9.0 Far Cry 5

 

When a franchise gets into it's 4th or 5th title, sometimes bad habits or complacency sets in and what consumers ultimately get at retail is a paired down, lackluster experience that disappoints in many ways. Ubisoft themselves have been partially guilty of this, especially when you look back on releases like Assassin's Creed III and Assassin's Creed Unity. However, this is a company that has learned from the ...

 

8.0 Real Farm

 

Farming Simulation games have a huge following, mostly from European gamers, and because of the immense success of the Farming Simulator franchise, more and more companies are coming to the table with their own versions. Real Farm from SOEDESCO is a great example of a company looking to take that formula, change it up a bit to make it their own, and release it to the public. But when you are going up against ...

 

8.0 Railway Empire

 

I've been a fan of trains ever since I was young; I've owned electric train sets, LEGO train sets, and have played my fair share of train simulation titles. Nothing ever grabbed my attention, however, like the great old title, Transportation Tycoon Deluxe. Although not entirely based on just trains, it was the main element to the game. I enjoyed moving goods and people from one site to another, growing cities, ...

 

9.0 Vanishing of Ethan Carter Xbox O...

 

At the very start of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, a message sprawls across the screen informing the player that this game does not hold your hand and that through atmospheric exploration you will discover the truth. This statement could not be more true, and only moments into gameplay it is clear that you are on your own. With nearly open world investigation and a subtle storyline that does not force the ...

 

9.5 Xbox One X

 

We all know about the power packed under the hood of the Xbox One X. Microsoft is boasting that their latest console has 40% more power than any other console on the market, with a 2.3 GHz clocked 8-core Custom AMD CPU, 12 GB of GDDR5 of graphics memory, and 6 Teraflop GPU enabled 4K for outstanding picture quality. For your hardcore, technological expert, all of this data means something; for the rest of us, ...

 

7.5 Super Lucky’s Tale

 

The best part about reviewing a game later than other outlets is too see what the chatter is around a specific title, and being able to feed off of that. In general, the majority of outlets are on the same page when it comes to titles, the things they do well, and the things they do poorly. After spending a significant amount of time with the title on Xbox One X, I jumped online to see what the reaction was ...

 

9.0 Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

 

I'm down with mowing down Nazis as much as the next guy, but I've never been a huge fan of the Wolfenstein series. To be fair, I'm not sure I've ever give the series a fair shake, so when the opportunity to review The New Colossus was presented to me, I figured, why not. I'm glad I did; despite a very bloody and violent story that picks up right after the end of Wolfenstein: The New Order, there is something ...

 

8.5 Evil Within 2

 

I've never been one to excitedly wait for a horror/thriller title on console, but Evil Within 2 might make me rethink that position. Despite my reservations about horror games in general - very predictable, and often doesn't have the same shock value as a movies - Evil Within 2 gave me enough spine crawling, freight endusing moments, mixed in with some great open world mechanics, to deliver on what is one of the ...

 

8.5 Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

 

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor was one of the best games released back in 2014, and received some major accolades from almost every media outlet. Even those who were not crazy about the subject matter and tone of the game, applauded the developers for what they did differently: creating the Nemesis System. At that time, it was hard to imagine Monolith Studios topping what they had done in Shadow of Mordor, but ...

 

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider...

 

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider feels less like a true standalone video game, and more like an extension of Dishonored 2, which was released last year, like with this release, had you exploring the streets and hubs of Karnaca. Despite feeling like an extension, Death of the Outsider is very much its own game, with characters you'll care about and a story that will push you through.

 

9.0 Observer

 

The thrilling video game marketplace has been steadily growing for the last 15-20 years, and Observer is just the latest in a long run of cyber-punk games to enter this particular marketplace. Creating a great thriller title for console is fairly hard - movies work because the directors have all the say, but in video games, you the player decide what to do and where to go, which can take away from the intended ...

 

8.0 The Golf Club 2

 

When I played The Golf Club a few years back, I saw a lot of promise marred by some inconsistencies and lack of content that ultimately made that experience short lived. I was skeptical when I heard The Golf Club 2 was being released, but wanted to see if the developers had learned from past mistakes. The short answer is yes, and The Golf Club 2 proves to be a fairly deep and accurate golfing experience.

 

9.0 Injustice 2

 

Injustice 2 isn't really your typical fighting game, and although it has all the makings of a solid fighting game - which it is - it is still not 'typical.' What is typical? Typical isn't a bad thing, but it's an industry constant that does get dated pretty quickly. This this case, typical is that multiplayer reigns supreme, single player is more of an introductory element, and if you cannot compete online, ...

 

7.0 Flatout 4 Total Insanity

 

To say that a number of the previous Flatout titles were a disappointment would be an understatement, so heading into Flatout 4, I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about what I was about to play. When compared to other Flatout games in the franchise, the fourth iteration does a great job to cleaning up some of the problems present, but also introduces a few new ones. Flatout 4 is an enjoyable experience, but ...

 

8.0 The Surge

 

Many companies are seeing the appeal of the "Dark Souls Formula" and are attempting to create difficult games in the same vein. While most of these games fall flat, The Surge gets pretty close, and yet still so far. However, unlike other games that attempt to make a stab at this type of game play, The Surge does stand on its own quite well, making it a worthwhile game for fans of the Dark Souls series.

 

6.5 Sniper Ghost Warrior 3

 

The Xbox One and Playstation 4 have been inundated with stealth based titles, with each game trying to do something else that the others aren't, to set themselves apart. Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 feels a lot like Sniper Elite 4, although with more of an emphasis on story and current technology. Unfortunately, many of the great tactics in Sniper Elite 4 don't come across in Sniper Ghost Warrior 3, making me think ...

 

8.0 Shiness The Lightning Kingdom

 

Lately, I've wanted to spend my hard earned dollars on indie games as opposed to AAA releases. I feel like more heart and soul goes into an indie release, and when they are really good, I want to tell everyone. Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom is one such game, and outside of it not being available on Nintendo Switch, I think it is a fantastic experience.

 

8.0 Yooka-Laylee

 

For a long time, I've longed for the revival of Banjo and Kazooie, knowing full well that it would never happen. We got a small view of that when Nuts and Bolts released on the Xbox 360, but frankly, it wasn't the sam

 

8.5 LEGO Worlds

 

I've been playing LEGO Worlds for about a week now, and have really been enjoying almost every minute of it. LEGO Worlds is so different from other LEGO games in the best way possible. While I still enjoy every LEGO game that comes out, this is a nice way to break away from the traditional formulas and do something different. I've never been a Minecraft fan, and was a bit skeptical of LEGO Worlds. However, after ...

 

8.0 Halo Wars 2

 

I long debated doing this review for Halo Wars 2, and while I plan to affix a score to this when I’m finished, I feel like readers should look at this as impressions. I have one reason for this: RTS games do not translate well to the console experience, and despite the good job Microsoft Studios has done with both the original Halo Wars, and this subsequent title, it is still not the ideal playing ...