2017
The Evil Within 2
Developed by: Tango Gameworks
Published by: Bethesda Softworks
The Evil Within 2 is one hell of a game. It’s a game that does a great job at building an incredibly tense, and eerie atmosphere and is brutally difficult to play at times. The story kept me engaged and excited from start to finish and it was a great survival horror experience that left me feeling satisfied encounter after encounter.
In The Evil Within 2, the player controls Sebastian Castellanos who is on a mission to rescue his previously thought dead daughter from a world known as “STEM” that parallels and is best described as a “Matrix” in the universe that The Evil Within 2 takes place in.
The Evil Within 2 isn’t a game that has perfect writing. It’s on the level of a B level horror movie and exactly what you would expect. Graphically The Evil Within 2 looks great despite it being a 6 year old game at this point.
Tango Gameworks did a great job with lighting and overall level design in The Evil Within 2. Using lighting to their advantage along side environmental story telling Tango did a great job at making me feel unsettled and tense, making me wonder what I was going to encounter as I explored “Union” the location the game takes place in. “Union” is a made up town in STEM and is a post apocalyptic type of town that is abandoned. Union contains a church, diners, a movie theatre, houses and more. While not every building can be entered a good amount can be and often times the game will reward the player for exploring. By thoroughly exploring Union the player will find “weapon parts” which can be used to upgrade weapons, or keys that can be used to unlock lockers that will provide Sebastian with different types of supplies. They range from ammo, to weapon parts to a “green gel” that can be used to upgrade Sebastian. The player can also find ammo pouches for the various guns Sebastian will unlock as the story progresses. The ammo pouches increase the amount of ammo a certain gun can hold. The player will encounter a pistol, a sawed off shotgun, an assault rifle, a crossbow, and a flamethrower throughout their journey.
To circle back for a second, I previously stated that “green gel” can be used to upgrade Sebastian. Sebastian has various attributes that can be upgraded via the central hub of the game. They are his health, athleticism, recovery, and combat ability. Resources can be scarce so choosing the right attribute to invest in is absolutely critical. From weapon damage to Sebastians stealth abilities to his overall stamina, properly investing in the right upgrades will determine how hard or how easy the overall experience of the game will be for the player.
All that being said I have to talk about my experience unlocking achievements. 3 achievements bugged on me and it took me 2 additional playthroughs, a complete reinstall of the game and another playthrough to unlock them. During my first NG+ run of the game 5 achievements unlocked at various times during the playthrough that should have unlocked during my first playthrough of the game. Something is seriously wrong with this game or with how it connects to the Xbox servers. It was frustrating that a game that should normally take 3-4 playthroughs to complete took me 5+. If I didn’t enjoy The Evil Within 2 as much as I did I would have gave up on trying to get all of the achievements.
The Evil Within 2 is a game definitely worth playing if you’re a fan of the horror survival genre and have Xbox Game Pass. If you’re a completionist and play it on Xbox be prepared to encounter bugs. I’m unaware of how the Steam or Playstation versions perform. I really enjoyed my time with The Evil Within 2 and hope they make a sequel some day. I was left wanting more and I believe that Tango Gameworks left the door open to explore more of The Evil Within’s universe.
Pros:
The atmosphere
Graphics
B level horror movie plot and writing
Cons:
Achievements were BUGGED
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review Score: 4/5
Developed by: Tango Gameworks
Published by: Bethesda Softworks
The Evil Within 2 is one hell of a game. It’s a game that does a great job at building an incredibly tense, and eerie atmosphere and is brutally difficult to play at times. The story kept me engaged and excited from start to finish and it was a great survival horror experience that left me feeling satisfied encounter after encounter.
In The Evil Within 2, the player controls Sebastian Castellanos who is on a mission to rescue his previously thought dead daughter from a world known as “STEM” that parallels and is best described as a “Matrix” in the universe that The Evil Within 2 takes place in.
The Evil Within 2 isn’t a game that has perfect writing. It’s on the level of a B level horror movie and exactly what you would expect. Graphically The Evil Within 2 looks great despite it being a 6 year old game at this point.
Tango Gameworks did a great job with lighting and overall level design in The Evil Within 2. Using lighting to their advantage along side environmental story telling Tango did a great job at making me feel unsettled and tense, making me wonder what I was going to encounter as I explored “Union” the location the game takes place in. “Union” is a made up town in STEM and is a post apocalyptic type of town that is abandoned. Union contains a church, diners, a movie theatre, houses and more. While not every building can be entered a good amount can be and often times the game will reward the player for exploring. By thoroughly exploring Union the player will find “weapon parts” which can be used to upgrade weapons, or keys that can be used to unlock lockers that will provide Sebastian with different types of supplies. They range from ammo, to weapon parts to a “green gel” that can be used to upgrade Sebastian. The player can also find ammo pouches for the various guns Sebastian will unlock as the story progresses. The ammo pouches increase the amount of ammo a certain gun can hold. The player will encounter a pistol, a sawed off shotgun, an assault rifle, a crossbow, and a flamethrower throughout their journey.
To circle back for a second, I previously stated that “green gel” can be used to upgrade Sebastian. Sebastian has various attributes that can be upgraded via the central hub of the game. They are his health, athleticism, recovery, and combat ability. Resources can be scarce so choosing the right attribute to invest in is absolutely critical. From weapon damage to Sebastians stealth abilities to his overall stamina, properly investing in the right upgrades will determine how hard or how easy the overall experience of the game will be for the player.
All that being said I have to talk about my experience unlocking achievements. 3 achievements bugged on me and it took me 2 additional playthroughs, a complete reinstall of the game and another playthrough to unlock them. During my first NG+ run of the game 5 achievements unlocked at various times during the playthrough that should have unlocked during my first playthrough of the game. Something is seriously wrong with this game or with how it connects to the Xbox servers. It was frustrating that a game that should normally take 3-4 playthroughs to complete took me 5+. If I didn’t enjoy The Evil Within 2 as much as I did I would have gave up on trying to get all of the achievements.
The Evil Within 2 is a game definitely worth playing if you’re a fan of the horror survival genre and have Xbox Game Pass. If you’re a completionist and play it on Xbox be prepared to encounter bugs. I’m unaware of how the Steam or Playstation versions perform. I really enjoyed my time with The Evil Within 2 and hope they make a sequel some day. I was left wanting more and I believe that Tango Gameworks left the door open to explore more of The Evil Within’s universe.
Pros:
The atmosphere
Graphics
B level horror movie plot and writing
Cons:
Achievements were BUGGED
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review Score: 4/5
2022
Norco
Developed by: Geography of Robots (@roboticgeo)
Published by: Raw Fury (@RawFury)
Norco is a game that’s incredibly atmospheric and what makes Norco a worthwhile experience is its setting, story and characters. Norco takes place in an alternative version of South Louisiana that has been ruined by disasters caused by a local oil company known as Shield. The area is filled with people too stubborn to leave. A lot of the locals have some sort of sickness, while some have started to mutate and violence, cults and gangs are all common and normal.
In Norco the player will alternate between two characters. The first character is “Kay” who left South Louisiana in search of something better. By leaving her home in Louisiana she left behind her mother who became severely ill with cancer and her dead beat brother. The second character is Catherine, Kay’s sick mother. Her story will give the player a window into her life prior to her death not long before Kay’s return to South Louisiana. Catherine is struggling to survive and goes head to head with Shield with a few companions she meets along the way.
The main story of Norco revolves around Kay. She’s returned to South Louisiana and discovers that her brother Blake has gone missing.
When it comes to the gameplay of Norco, Norco is a point and click adventure game. The player will use a cursor to interact with people, or objects on the screen to progress the story or uncover lore or information that will give the player context when it comes to Kay’s surroundings.
An interesting mechanic in Norco is the memory map. By talking to characters in the game the player will obtain “memories” of that person, or an event or location. The player can access the memories they obtain by a menu in the top right corner of the screen. By entering that menu and clicking on a character, event or place Kay will tell the player what she remembers. The memories flesh out the world, and make it feel more alive. They also progress the story by giving the player a new location to visit or character to talk to.
Norco does contain some combat that’s very simplistic in nature. The player will attack certain enemies but they will have to do so via a memory game and a rhythm action game. The combat isn’t really enjoyable but it’s incredibly limited and doesn’t really take away from the overall experience.
At the end of the day, Norco is visually impressive point and click adventure game, that’s well written and worth a play through if you’re a fan of the genre and have Xbox Game Pass. I enjoyed my time with Norco and found the story engaging. I was eager to progress through the story to figure out what happened to Blake and unravel Catherines story. The game executed what it set out to do and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next from Geography of Robots.
Pros:
The pixel art that develops and immerses the player in the setting
The atmosphere
The narrative or story
Memory map mechanic
Sound design
Cons:
The combat
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review Score: 4/5
Developed by: Geography of Robots (@roboticgeo)
Published by: Raw Fury (@RawFury)
Norco is a game that’s incredibly atmospheric and what makes Norco a worthwhile experience is its setting, story and characters. Norco takes place in an alternative version of South Louisiana that has been ruined by disasters caused by a local oil company known as Shield. The area is filled with people too stubborn to leave. A lot of the locals have some sort of sickness, while some have started to mutate and violence, cults and gangs are all common and normal.
In Norco the player will alternate between two characters. The first character is “Kay” who left South Louisiana in search of something better. By leaving her home in Louisiana she left behind her mother who became severely ill with cancer and her dead beat brother. The second character is Catherine, Kay’s sick mother. Her story will give the player a window into her life prior to her death not long before Kay’s return to South Louisiana. Catherine is struggling to survive and goes head to head with Shield with a few companions she meets along the way.
The main story of Norco revolves around Kay. She’s returned to South Louisiana and discovers that her brother Blake has gone missing.
When it comes to the gameplay of Norco, Norco is a point and click adventure game. The player will use a cursor to interact with people, or objects on the screen to progress the story or uncover lore or information that will give the player context when it comes to Kay’s surroundings.
An interesting mechanic in Norco is the memory map. By talking to characters in the game the player will obtain “memories” of that person, or an event or location. The player can access the memories they obtain by a menu in the top right corner of the screen. By entering that menu and clicking on a character, event or place Kay will tell the player what she remembers. The memories flesh out the world, and make it feel more alive. They also progress the story by giving the player a new location to visit or character to talk to.
Norco does contain some combat that’s very simplistic in nature. The player will attack certain enemies but they will have to do so via a memory game and a rhythm action game. The combat isn’t really enjoyable but it’s incredibly limited and doesn’t really take away from the overall experience.
At the end of the day, Norco is visually impressive point and click adventure game, that’s well written and worth a play through if you’re a fan of the genre and have Xbox Game Pass. I enjoyed my time with Norco and found the story engaging. I was eager to progress through the story to figure out what happened to Blake and unravel Catherines story. The game executed what it set out to do and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next from Geography of Robots.
Pros:
The pixel art that develops and immerses the player in the setting
The atmosphere
The narrative or story
Memory map mechanic
Sound design
Cons:
The combat
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review Score: 4/5
2017
Stories Untold
Developed by: No Code (@_NoCode)
Published by: Revolver Digital (@devolverdigital)
Stories Untold is a unique blend of a text adventure game and a point and click game. It’s an anthology of 4 chapters that come together to tell one overall narrative.
The first chapter and where the story begins is called “The House Abandon.” The player finds themselves at a computer and engages in a text adventure.
The second chapter takes place in a lab where the player performs experiments on a mysterious device and the third chapter takes place in a mysterious lab where the player has to input codes into a computer.
The last chapter ties together what exactly is happening in the previous three chapters. Stories Untold is a game to be played with as little information as possible which is why my descriptions above are vague.
For people that are unfamiliar with text based adventure games and point and click style of games Stories Untold will be hard game to play, and most likely not an enjoyable experience.
The atmosphere and tension that is created by the writing and art design makes Stories Untold incredibly engaging throughout the first three chapters. Unfortunately for some players that will all fall apart as they play through the fourth chapter and progress towards the conclusion of the story. The game throughout the first three chapters is unsettling, and downright scary at times. The developers use altering backgrounds, flashing images and voiced dialogue to create a sense of dread and did a great job in making me feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Stories Untold is a game that if it clicks with you, will be an instant classic but otherwise will be a frustrating experience with an unsatisfying conclusion. A lot of the enjoyment in playing Stories Untold comes from the players own imagination. Reading into the developers writing and making assumptions as to what is going on. Like most horror stories, the mystery is often better written than the conclusion. I enjoyed the story the developers told and don’t regret my time with Stories Untold. This is a game I would recommend people pick up on a sale. My total play time was somewhere between 2-3 hours.
Pros:
The soundtrack
The story (at least through the first three chapters)
Cons:
The conclusion to the story (for some people)
Played on: Xbox Series X, purchased from the Xbox store.
Review Score: 3.5/5
Developed by: No Code (@_NoCode)
Published by: Revolver Digital (@devolverdigital)
Stories Untold is a unique blend of a text adventure game and a point and click game. It’s an anthology of 4 chapters that come together to tell one overall narrative.
The first chapter and where the story begins is called “The House Abandon.” The player finds themselves at a computer and engages in a text adventure.
The second chapter takes place in a lab where the player performs experiments on a mysterious device and the third chapter takes place in a mysterious lab where the player has to input codes into a computer.
The last chapter ties together what exactly is happening in the previous three chapters. Stories Untold is a game to be played with as little information as possible which is why my descriptions above are vague.
For people that are unfamiliar with text based adventure games and point and click style of games Stories Untold will be hard game to play, and most likely not an enjoyable experience.
The atmosphere and tension that is created by the writing and art design makes Stories Untold incredibly engaging throughout the first three chapters. Unfortunately for some players that will all fall apart as they play through the fourth chapter and progress towards the conclusion of the story. The game throughout the first three chapters is unsettling, and downright scary at times. The developers use altering backgrounds, flashing images and voiced dialogue to create a sense of dread and did a great job in making me feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Stories Untold is a game that if it clicks with you, will be an instant classic but otherwise will be a frustrating experience with an unsatisfying conclusion. A lot of the enjoyment in playing Stories Untold comes from the players own imagination. Reading into the developers writing and making assumptions as to what is going on. Like most horror stories, the mystery is often better written than the conclusion. I enjoyed the story the developers told and don’t regret my time with Stories Untold. This is a game I would recommend people pick up on a sale. My total play time was somewhere between 2-3 hours.
Pros:
The soundtrack
The story (at least through the first three chapters)
Cons:
The conclusion to the story (for some people)
Played on: Xbox Series X, purchased from the Xbox store.
Review Score: 3.5/5
2022
The Entropy Centre
Developed by: Stubby Games (@Stubby_Games)
Published by: Playstack (@PlaystackGames)
I’m just going to say it off right of the top. The Entropy Centre is a great sci-fi, puzzle game. Graphically the game is beautiful, the music is great and the puzzles are innovative and fun to figure out. The Entropy Centre is a game that the player should play with as little information as possible.
This game will be compared to Portal but I’m going to be honest and say that I’ve never played Portal. People like to call it a “time-based Portal.” Take that for what it’s worth. A spoiler free summary of the story of the game is that you’re playing as someone that is trying to prevent something bad from happening by rewinding time. By solving puzzles the player is building up “entropic energy” which will then be used to reverse the bad situation from happening.
Puzzles start off fairly easy to solve and as the story progresses they will become more and more complex. The game is separated in acts and in each act a new mechanic is introduced. As the player travels throughout the “Entropy Centre” they will encounter various obstacles that they will have to use their AI-powered gun named Astra to rewind time to remove obstacles out of the way or objects through time to trigger doorways to open or conveyor belts and more to move. The puzzles are solved using blocks and there are various forms of blocks. There are regular blocks, blocks that will make your player jump long distances, blocks that form bridges that allow you to cross gaps, and more. This game isn’t combat based but there will be time when you will have to “defeat” enemies by using the environment or their own attacks against them.
The Entropy Centre is well written and while it will vary from person to person I found the story emotional and engaging. I was on the edge of my seat at times dying for the next bit of story exposition. The Entropy Centre isn’t a “long game” per se. It’ll depend on the players skill and how quickly they’re able to complete each puzzle. The game on my first play through took me roughly 10 hours to complete but I’ve seen YouTube play throughs of the game being completed quicker. Whether that’s do to editing or the player having played the game before is hard to say.
My only complaint when it comes to the The Entropy Centre is that the controls didn’t feel good at times. Sections that required platforming via the jumping blocks felt “floaty” or very hard to execute at times. The game performed solidly and I didn’t encounter any bugs.
In conclusion I would highly recommend this game to fans of sci-fi stories and puzzle games. The innovative and original puzzles and the unique rewind time mechanic make this game a highly engaging and enjoyable experience. I tried my best to not spoil anything about the game and to keep it as vague as possible. Play this game with as little information as possible!
Pros:
The story
The sound design and soundtrack
The puzzles
Cons:
The controls when using certain mechanics to solve puzzles
Played on: Xbox Series X, purchased from the Xbox store.
Review Score: 4.5/5
Developed by: Stubby Games (@Stubby_Games)
Published by: Playstack (@PlaystackGames)
I’m just going to say it off right of the top. The Entropy Centre is a great sci-fi, puzzle game. Graphically the game is beautiful, the music is great and the puzzles are innovative and fun to figure out. The Entropy Centre is a game that the player should play with as little information as possible.
This game will be compared to Portal but I’m going to be honest and say that I’ve never played Portal. People like to call it a “time-based Portal.” Take that for what it’s worth. A spoiler free summary of the story of the game is that you’re playing as someone that is trying to prevent something bad from happening by rewinding time. By solving puzzles the player is building up “entropic energy” which will then be used to reverse the bad situation from happening.
Puzzles start off fairly easy to solve and as the story progresses they will become more and more complex. The game is separated in acts and in each act a new mechanic is introduced. As the player travels throughout the “Entropy Centre” they will encounter various obstacles that they will have to use their AI-powered gun named Astra to rewind time to remove obstacles out of the way or objects through time to trigger doorways to open or conveyor belts and more to move. The puzzles are solved using blocks and there are various forms of blocks. There are regular blocks, blocks that will make your player jump long distances, blocks that form bridges that allow you to cross gaps, and more. This game isn’t combat based but there will be time when you will have to “defeat” enemies by using the environment or their own attacks against them.
The Entropy Centre is well written and while it will vary from person to person I found the story emotional and engaging. I was on the edge of my seat at times dying for the next bit of story exposition. The Entropy Centre isn’t a “long game” per se. It’ll depend on the players skill and how quickly they’re able to complete each puzzle. The game on my first play through took me roughly 10 hours to complete but I’ve seen YouTube play throughs of the game being completed quicker. Whether that’s do to editing or the player having played the game before is hard to say.
My only complaint when it comes to the The Entropy Centre is that the controls didn’t feel good at times. Sections that required platforming via the jumping blocks felt “floaty” or very hard to execute at times. The game performed solidly and I didn’t encounter any bugs.
In conclusion I would highly recommend this game to fans of sci-fi stories and puzzle games. The innovative and original puzzles and the unique rewind time mechanic make this game a highly engaging and enjoyable experience. I tried my best to not spoil anything about the game and to keep it as vague as possible. Play this game with as little information as possible!
Pros:
The story
The sound design and soundtrack
The puzzles
Cons:
The controls when using certain mechanics to solve puzzles
Played on: Xbox Series X, purchased from the Xbox store.
Review Score: 4.5/5
2020
Persona 4 Golden
Developed by: Atlus
Published by: Atlus USA
Where to start with Persona 4 Golden? Well, let’s start with the story. In Persona 4 Golden the player controls a transfer student who moves to a rural town known as Inaba for a year while his parents have gone overseas to work. The transfer student moves in with his uncle and his young daughter and early on during his stay in Inaba learns about an urban legend by the name of the “Midnight Channel.” The legend goes, if you stand in front of a television that’s turned off at midnight, on a rainy night, the image of your soul mate will appear on the screen. The transfer student quickly learns that isn’t exactly true. Instead of your soulmate appearing on the screen, the Midnight channel displays someone that will turn up dead. The transfer student discovers they can enter the television through the screen and in doing so can save potential murder victims. The story of Persona 4 is complex is extremely engaging.
Let’s move on to the graphics. While this game is over a decade old the anime like cutscenes, and visual novel style of game play graphics hold up extremely well. If you play Persona 4 Golden after Persona 5 Royal the graphics will be a bit jarring at first but if you’re like me you’ll become so utterly engaged in the story that you’ll quickly get used to the graphics and appreciate the visual style of the game for what it is.
When it comes to the sound, like Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden has an INCREDIBLE soundtrack. The sound effects, and overall sound design is on point.
On to the gameplay. Like in Persona 5 Royal, 4 Golden is split into two parts. There’s the “everyday life” aspect of the game and the “Midnight Channel” or simply put TV world part of the game. In the everyday life aspect of Persona 4 Golden, the player will attend school, spend time with friends, read books, fish, or work at various jobs to make money. On to the TV world part of the game. When the player enters the TV world they will enter different style of dungeons that are procedurally generated to rescue other students that upon rescuing can be recruited to join the players cause. Inside the dungeons the player will encounter “shadows” which are enemies on the floor. If the player hits a shadow they will begin a battle and have advantage to strike first, but if the shadow runs into the player a battle will begin but the shadow will have the advantage. Shadows are completely avoidable but avoiding them is not something I would suggest as the experience gained from fighting shadows is highly valuable. On your first run through a dungeon I’d highly recommend fighting every shadow in order to gain experience to level up your character and party members. Battles in Persona 4 Golden are like Persona 5. Battles consist of the the player attacking shadows with a weapon or magic based attacks via “Persona’s.” Shadows will have elemental weaknesses that will take player experimentation to figure out.
There’s more I could type up but if you’ve played another Persona game this game won’t be too complicated for you to play. The same basic DNA that exists in other Persona games can be found all throughout Persona 4 Golden. Persona 4 Golden is a masterpiece. It contains a great story, that is accompanied by a brilliant soundtrack and engaging combat. I loved my time with Persona 4 Golden. I played through the story twice and unlocked all but one achievement. It’s hard to not recommend this game to anyone that’s a fan of JRPGs and that has Xbox GamePass. PLAY IT!
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review Score: 5/5
Developed by: Atlus
Published by: Atlus USA
Where to start with Persona 4 Golden? Well, let’s start with the story. In Persona 4 Golden the player controls a transfer student who moves to a rural town known as Inaba for a year while his parents have gone overseas to work. The transfer student moves in with his uncle and his young daughter and early on during his stay in Inaba learns about an urban legend by the name of the “Midnight Channel.” The legend goes, if you stand in front of a television that’s turned off at midnight, on a rainy night, the image of your soul mate will appear on the screen. The transfer student quickly learns that isn’t exactly true. Instead of your soulmate appearing on the screen, the Midnight channel displays someone that will turn up dead. The transfer student discovers they can enter the television through the screen and in doing so can save potential murder victims. The story of Persona 4 is complex is extremely engaging.
Let’s move on to the graphics. While this game is over a decade old the anime like cutscenes, and visual novel style of game play graphics hold up extremely well. If you play Persona 4 Golden after Persona 5 Royal the graphics will be a bit jarring at first but if you’re like me you’ll become so utterly engaged in the story that you’ll quickly get used to the graphics and appreciate the visual style of the game for what it is.
When it comes to the sound, like Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden has an INCREDIBLE soundtrack. The sound effects, and overall sound design is on point.
On to the gameplay. Like in Persona 5 Royal, 4 Golden is split into two parts. There’s the “everyday life” aspect of the game and the “Midnight Channel” or simply put TV world part of the game. In the everyday life aspect of Persona 4 Golden, the player will attend school, spend time with friends, read books, fish, or work at various jobs to make money. On to the TV world part of the game. When the player enters the TV world they will enter different style of dungeons that are procedurally generated to rescue other students that upon rescuing can be recruited to join the players cause. Inside the dungeons the player will encounter “shadows” which are enemies on the floor. If the player hits a shadow they will begin a battle and have advantage to strike first, but if the shadow runs into the player a battle will begin but the shadow will have the advantage. Shadows are completely avoidable but avoiding them is not something I would suggest as the experience gained from fighting shadows is highly valuable. On your first run through a dungeon I’d highly recommend fighting every shadow in order to gain experience to level up your character and party members. Battles in Persona 4 Golden are like Persona 5. Battles consist of the the player attacking shadows with a weapon or magic based attacks via “Persona’s.” Shadows will have elemental weaknesses that will take player experimentation to figure out.
There’s more I could type up but if you’ve played another Persona game this game won’t be too complicated for you to play. The same basic DNA that exists in other Persona games can be found all throughout Persona 4 Golden. Persona 4 Golden is a masterpiece. It contains a great story, that is accompanied by a brilliant soundtrack and engaging combat. I loved my time with Persona 4 Golden. I played through the story twice and unlocked all but one achievement. It’s hard to not recommend this game to anyone that’s a fan of JRPGs and that has Xbox GamePass. PLAY IT!
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review Score: 5/5
Day of the Tentacle Remastered
Developed by: Double Fine Productions (@DoubleFine)
Published by: Xbox Game Studios (@XboxPublishing)
Day of the Tentacle is a classic in the point and click adventure game genre.
An entertaining game that contains a silly sense of humour but is also engaging. The game consists of a lot of puzzles that can be quite difficult to solve if you’re not using a guide.
The art style and sound design make Day of the Tentacle work. The art style is as silly as the humour and adds to the overall tone of the game which makes it all work.
The premise of Day of the Tentacle is that a purple tentacle sets out to enslave the human race and you the player controlling three kids, Bernard, Hoagie and Laverne must set out to stop them by splitting up and travelling through time with one character in the past, one staying in the present, and one in the future.
The puzzles are solved by sending objects through time and combining them or using them on objects in a certain time period.
I enjoyed my time with Day of the Tentacle Remastered, It’s not the easiest game to play because of the puzzles that can be hard to solve but it’s a must play game for fans of the point and click genre.
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review Score: 4.5/5
Developed by: Double Fine Productions (@DoubleFine)
Published by: Xbox Game Studios (@XboxPublishing)
Day of the Tentacle is a classic in the point and click adventure game genre.
An entertaining game that contains a silly sense of humour but is also engaging. The game consists of a lot of puzzles that can be quite difficult to solve if you’re not using a guide.
The art style and sound design make Day of the Tentacle work. The art style is as silly as the humour and adds to the overall tone of the game which makes it all work.
The premise of Day of the Tentacle is that a purple tentacle sets out to enslave the human race and you the player controlling three kids, Bernard, Hoagie and Laverne must set out to stop them by splitting up and travelling through time with one character in the past, one staying in the present, and one in the future.
The puzzles are solved by sending objects through time and combining them or using them on objects in a certain time period.
I enjoyed my time with Day of the Tentacle Remastered, It’s not the easiest game to play because of the puzzles that can be hard to solve but it’s a must play game for fans of the point and click genre.
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review Score: 4.5/5
Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassin’s is based on the concept of the popular Doctor Who episode Blink. It dives deeper into the lore of the weeping angels and the game is filled with easter eggs for Doctor Who fans.
This game is about an hour to an hour and a half long. In this game the player controls a person who has found a cellphone and with the help of another person is tasked to find the owner of the phone.
It’s a horror/mystery game at heart. The gameplay consists of the player searching the phones emails, photos and text messages to find clues to determine what happened to the owners phone. The puzzles are easy to solve and while there are a few jump scares the selling point of this game is the “sinister atmosphere” that exists while you play it.
Overall this is a game that fans of Doctor Who will most likely enjoy. I’d recommend this game be purchased on a steep discount.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3/5
This game is about an hour to an hour and a half long. In this game the player controls a person who has found a cellphone and with the help of another person is tasked to find the owner of the phone.
It’s a horror/mystery game at heart. The gameplay consists of the player searching the phones emails, photos and text messages to find clues to determine what happened to the owners phone. The puzzles are easy to solve and while there are a few jump scares the selling point of this game is the “sinister atmosphere” that exists while you play it.
Overall this is a game that fans of Doctor Who will most likely enjoy. I’d recommend this game be purchased on a steep discount.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3/5
2022
A Memoir Blue
Developed by: Cloisters Interactive ( @cloisters_i )
Published by: Annapurna Interactive ( @A_i )
A Memoir Blue is an interactive “point and click” adventure game. The game centres around a woman Miriam, her childhood and relationship with her mother. The story isn’t complex but it’s done well. It’s an emotional story that examines that trauma that can be done to a child when their parent isn’t necessarily “there” for them in moments where they expect them to be there. It’s a game that examines the way we perceive events of our past as kids in the moment and reconcile those moments with information we learn as we grow up and become adults ourself. This game won’t be for everyone but it was a worthwhile experience for me. The gameplay consists of the player clicking around the screen and interacting with objects in order to progress to the next scene. Playtime for completionist will be roughly an hour. I’d recommend picking this game up on a sale to fans of the “point and click” genre.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3/5
Developed by: Cloisters Interactive ( @cloisters_i )
Published by: Annapurna Interactive ( @A_i )
A Memoir Blue is an interactive “point and click” adventure game. The game centres around a woman Miriam, her childhood and relationship with her mother. The story isn’t complex but it’s done well. It’s an emotional story that examines that trauma that can be done to a child when their parent isn’t necessarily “there” for them in moments where they expect them to be there. It’s a game that examines the way we perceive events of our past as kids in the moment and reconcile those moments with information we learn as we grow up and become adults ourself. This game won’t be for everyone but it was a worthwhile experience for me. The gameplay consists of the player clicking around the screen and interacting with objects in order to progress to the next scene. Playtime for completionist will be roughly an hour. I’d recommend picking this game up on a sale to fans of the “point and click” genre.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3/5
Children of Silentown
Developed by: Elf Games, Luna2 Studio (@elfgamesworks)
Published by: Daedalic Entertainment (@daedalic)
Let me say right off the bat the developers of Children of Silentown DO NOT respect their players time.
SPOILERS: There are 4 different endings and each ending requires a full play through. Reloadable checkpoints or manual saves DO NOT exist in this game. Unless you find a way to create a back up save file on PC you’re going to be screwed if you want to 100% Children of Silentown or expected to be able to.
Now the review.
In Children of Silentown the player controls a 12 year old girl named Lucy who lives in a small town with her parents. Lucy suffers from nightmares, and lives under constant fear of being kidnapped by monsters, as well as the other people in her town. Monsters are believed to live in the forest that borders the town, constantly watching them, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The people of Silentown live under strict rules. They are discouraged from going out at night, singing is looked down upon and loud voices are forbidden.
Children of Silentown is a point and click adventure game at heart. It’s simple and easy to understand, The game play loop consists of the player guiding Lucy throughout the town, clicking on objects, or people to interact with them. The player will be tasked to solve puzzles that are unlocked my playing songs in front of objects, and people as previously pointed out. New songs are required by unlocking all notes in the song.
Visually, Children of Silentown is fantastic. The hand drawn characters, environments and cutscenes are unsettling and create the sinister atmosphere that the game is aiming for. The sound design is weak but overall the presentation is engaging and incredibly atmospheric.
Overall, I was enjoying my time with Children of Silentown. I really thought that game was something special until I reached the end and discovered the 4 different endings and everything I discussed at the top of the review.
If what I described is not an issue for you and you’re a fan of point and click adventure games, this game is a game that you should definitely check out. Personally, by the time I unlocked all the endings and achievements I was definitely glad to be done with this game and it left a sour taste in my mouth. What could have been an incredible experience was ruined by poor game design decisions by either the developers or publisher of this game.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 4/5 (this game would have scored higher if not for the multiple endings issue)
Developed by: Elf Games, Luna2 Studio (@elfgamesworks)
Published by: Daedalic Entertainment (@daedalic)
Let me say right off the bat the developers of Children of Silentown DO NOT respect their players time.
SPOILERS: There are 4 different endings and each ending requires a full play through. Reloadable checkpoints or manual saves DO NOT exist in this game. Unless you find a way to create a back up save file on PC you’re going to be screwed if you want to 100% Children of Silentown or expected to be able to.
Now the review.
In Children of Silentown the player controls a 12 year old girl named Lucy who lives in a small town with her parents. Lucy suffers from nightmares, and lives under constant fear of being kidnapped by monsters, as well as the other people in her town. Monsters are believed to live in the forest that borders the town, constantly watching them, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The people of Silentown live under strict rules. They are discouraged from going out at night, singing is looked down upon and loud voices are forbidden.
Children of Silentown is a point and click adventure game at heart. It’s simple and easy to understand, The game play loop consists of the player guiding Lucy throughout the town, clicking on objects, or people to interact with them. The player will be tasked to solve puzzles that are unlocked my playing songs in front of objects, and people as previously pointed out. New songs are required by unlocking all notes in the song.
Visually, Children of Silentown is fantastic. The hand drawn characters, environments and cutscenes are unsettling and create the sinister atmosphere that the game is aiming for. The sound design is weak but overall the presentation is engaging and incredibly atmospheric.
Overall, I was enjoying my time with Children of Silentown. I really thought that game was something special until I reached the end and discovered the 4 different endings and everything I discussed at the top of the review.
If what I described is not an issue for you and you’re a fan of point and click adventure games, this game is a game that you should definitely check out. Personally, by the time I unlocked all the endings and achievements I was definitely glad to be done with this game and it left a sour taste in my mouth. What could have been an incredible experience was ruined by poor game design decisions by either the developers or publisher of this game.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 4/5 (this game would have scored higher if not for the multiple endings issue)
Flynn: Son of Crimson
Developed by: Studio Thunderhorse
Published by: Humble Games
Flynn: Son of Crimson is a solid action platformer.
In Flynn: Son of Crimson the player controls Flynn, a young boy who has a pet magical dog. Flynn like his dog has magical abilities and early on in the game he is forced to set out on an adventure to reclaim the magic that exists across his country.
The story is just a vehicle to progress and evolve the gameplay which is the best part of Flynn: Son of Crimson. The game is 2d and sprite based. In Flynn: Son of Crimson, the player explores different biomes, fights different types of enemies and collect gems that will allow them to upgrade Flynn. The player will also unlock new magical abilities as the story progresses. There are fire attacks, ice attacks, lightning attacks as well as various slash attacks that as mentioned earlier can be upgraded via gems.
Like classic games before its time, think Super Mario World, levels in Flynn have multiple exits that will either progress the story or lead to “challenge” levels where the player will be locked into an arena and be forced to face waves of enemies.
The 2D animations, art design and soundtrack are all great. If feels like you’re playing an “old school” 8-16 bit game but the game doesn’t feel dated.
Overall I enjoyed my time with Flynn: Son of Crimson. The controls could be a bit tighter when it comes to the combat but overall it felt very satisfying and rewarding to clear a level or beat one of the games many bosses.
I’d definitely recommend this game to fans of challenging 2d action platformers. This game can be unforgiving at times but it’s worth it at the end of the day. Pick it up on a sale :)
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3.5/5
Developed by: Studio Thunderhorse
Published by: Humble Games
Flynn: Son of Crimson is a solid action platformer.
In Flynn: Son of Crimson the player controls Flynn, a young boy who has a pet magical dog. Flynn like his dog has magical abilities and early on in the game he is forced to set out on an adventure to reclaim the magic that exists across his country.
The story is just a vehicle to progress and evolve the gameplay which is the best part of Flynn: Son of Crimson. The game is 2d and sprite based. In Flynn: Son of Crimson, the player explores different biomes, fights different types of enemies and collect gems that will allow them to upgrade Flynn. The player will also unlock new magical abilities as the story progresses. There are fire attacks, ice attacks, lightning attacks as well as various slash attacks that as mentioned earlier can be upgraded via gems.
Like classic games before its time, think Super Mario World, levels in Flynn have multiple exits that will either progress the story or lead to “challenge” levels where the player will be locked into an arena and be forced to face waves of enemies.
The 2D animations, art design and soundtrack are all great. If feels like you’re playing an “old school” 8-16 bit game but the game doesn’t feel dated.
Overall I enjoyed my time with Flynn: Son of Crimson. The controls could be a bit tighter when it comes to the combat but overall it felt very satisfying and rewarding to clear a level or beat one of the games many bosses.
I’d definitely recommend this game to fans of challenging 2d action platformers. This game can be unforgiving at times but it’s worth it at the end of the day. Pick it up on a sale :)
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3.5/5
2022
High on Life
Developed & Published by: Squanch Games
High on Life is great! A comedic fps created by Justin Roiland, who many will know as the co-creator of Rick and Morty.
High on Life has engaging combat and an engaging traversal system that becomes much more fluid through new abilities and mechanics that are introduced throughout the game. The player is able to slide, dash, jump, and use a jet pack to hover and fly across canyons and large distances. The player will “unlock” new weapons as they progress through the story that will allow them to fight enemies and various ways, keeping the combat feeling fresh and exciting.
Visually High on Life is gorgeous. The art design is incredibly well done. Each world the player will explore as they progress through the story is well detailed, unique and a breath of fresh air.
The story isn’t complex and can feel repetitive at times but it’s good enough. The game shines through its dialogue. It is absolutely hysterical. Personally I burst out laughing multiple times.
While most of this review has been positive it’s time for the negative. This game has buggy achievements that for completionist will be an issue. This game definitely required more play testing. If you search message boards and reddit you’ll find multiple posts describing various bugs and glitches.
This game is a must play for fans of Rick and Morty. While it’s its own thing the humour and world created by Justin Roiland is definitely Rick and Morty-esque. If you have Xbox Game Pass play it!
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 4/5
Developed & Published by: Squanch Games
High on Life is great! A comedic fps created by Justin Roiland, who many will know as the co-creator of Rick and Morty.
High on Life has engaging combat and an engaging traversal system that becomes much more fluid through new abilities and mechanics that are introduced throughout the game. The player is able to slide, dash, jump, and use a jet pack to hover and fly across canyons and large distances. The player will “unlock” new weapons as they progress through the story that will allow them to fight enemies and various ways, keeping the combat feeling fresh and exciting.
Visually High on Life is gorgeous. The art design is incredibly well done. Each world the player will explore as they progress through the story is well detailed, unique and a breath of fresh air.
The story isn’t complex and can feel repetitive at times but it’s good enough. The game shines through its dialogue. It is absolutely hysterical. Personally I burst out laughing multiple times.
While most of this review has been positive it’s time for the negative. This game has buggy achievements that for completionist will be an issue. This game definitely required more play testing. If you search message boards and reddit you’ll find multiple posts describing various bugs and glitches.
This game is a must play for fans of Rick and Morty. While it’s its own thing the humour and world created by Justin Roiland is definitely Rick and Morty-esque. If you have Xbox Game Pass play it!
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 4/5
Cronostase Electric Collection
Developed by: Cronostase
Published by: Penguin Pop Games (@PenguinPopGames)
Cronostase Electric Collection is a collection of 7 puzzle games, containing 50 levels in each, 350 levels overall. I enjoyed my time playing this game. There’s not much to say about this collection of games. They’re not incredibly challenging and 350 is kind of absurd. I enjoyed my time with Cronostase Electric Collection. Fans of puzzle games will enjoy this.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3/5
Developed by: Cronostase
Published by: Penguin Pop Games (@PenguinPopGames)
Cronostase Electric Collection is a collection of 7 puzzle games, containing 50 levels in each, 350 levels overall. I enjoyed my time playing this game. There’s not much to say about this collection of games. They’re not incredibly challenging and 350 is kind of absurd. I enjoyed my time with Cronostase Electric Collection. Fans of puzzle games will enjoy this.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3/5
2022
Pentiment
Developed by: Obsidian Entertainment (@Obsidian)
Published by: Xbox Game Studios (@XboxPublishing)
Pentiment is a one of kind gem that won’t be popular and won’t be the type of game that a lot of people enjoy. Pentiment is a beautifully crafted historically accurate narrative adventure game.
Pentiment requires from the player a lot of reading. Luckily the writing is deep, thought provoking and overall incredible. The overall premise of the game is that the player controls Andreas Maler in the small town of Tassing in the 1500s. There is a great amount of political and religious turmoil going on via constant wars, and peasant revolts that will serve as a backdrop to the story going on in Pentiment. Throughout the course of the game murders will occur that will require the player to explore Tassing, talk to the various residents and determine who the culprits are. The players choice will affect the residents of Tassing and the player will be left to deal with the aftermath of their decisions.
Pentiment is visually stunning and the sound design only helps set the atmosphere and stage for the story to unfold. Fans of history and medieval Europe will find a lot to love in Pentiment.
One of the most unique games I’ve ever played, and while I enjoyed my time with it, I’m glad to be moving on and won’t be going for 100% completion.
Played on: Xbox Game Pass on Xbox Series X
Review Score: 4/5
Developed by: Obsidian Entertainment (@Obsidian)
Published by: Xbox Game Studios (@XboxPublishing)
Pentiment is a one of kind gem that won’t be popular and won’t be the type of game that a lot of people enjoy. Pentiment is a beautifully crafted historically accurate narrative adventure game.
Pentiment requires from the player a lot of reading. Luckily the writing is deep, thought provoking and overall incredible. The overall premise of the game is that the player controls Andreas Maler in the small town of Tassing in the 1500s. There is a great amount of political and religious turmoil going on via constant wars, and peasant revolts that will serve as a backdrop to the story going on in Pentiment. Throughout the course of the game murders will occur that will require the player to explore Tassing, talk to the various residents and determine who the culprits are. The players choice will affect the residents of Tassing and the player will be left to deal with the aftermath of their decisions.
Pentiment is visually stunning and the sound design only helps set the atmosphere and stage for the story to unfold. Fans of history and medieval Europe will find a lot to love in Pentiment.
One of the most unique games I’ve ever played, and while I enjoyed my time with it, I’m glad to be moving on and won’t be going for 100% completion.
Played on: Xbox Game Pass on Xbox Series X
Review Score: 4/5
2017
Warlock’s Tower
Developed by: Midipixel
Published by: Whippering ( @whippering )
Warlock’s Tower is a charming “retro” style puzzle game. The player controls a Postman, guiding him through obstacle filled rooms inside of a tower in order to help him deliver a letter to an “evil” wizard. The game follows a simple overarching rule, every step the player takes drains the postman of his life.
The levels are incredibly fun and get progressively more challenging. The mechanics are easy to learn but hard to master.
Warlock’s Tower is a nostalgic experience for fans of old school pixel art/8-Bit style of games. A great game that deserves more recognition.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review Score: 4/5
Developed by: Midipixel
Published by: Whippering ( @whippering )
Warlock’s Tower is a charming “retro” style puzzle game. The player controls a Postman, guiding him through obstacle filled rooms inside of a tower in order to help him deliver a letter to an “evil” wizard. The game follows a simple overarching rule, every step the player takes drains the postman of his life.
The levels are incredibly fun and get progressively more challenging. The mechanics are easy to learn but hard to master.
Warlock’s Tower is a nostalgic experience for fans of old school pixel art/8-Bit style of games. A great game that deserves more recognition.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review Score: 4/5
2021
Rayland
Developed/Published by: Naoka Games
Rayland is a fantastic but simple puzzle game! The puzzles are difficult but not impossible to solve. The controls can be a bit finicky but they don’t take away from the overall experience. The game consists of 42 levels that can be completed pretty quickly depending on the players skill level.
Each puzzle in Rayland requires the player to redirect laser beams using mirrors to light up lamps on a map. As the player progress there will be various obstacles put in place to challenge the player such as walls or tunnels.
I’d definitely recommend Rayland to fans of puzzle games. Pick it up on sale!
Played on: Purchased Xbox Series X
Review score: 4/5
Developed/Published by: Naoka Games
Rayland is a fantastic but simple puzzle game! The puzzles are difficult but not impossible to solve. The controls can be a bit finicky but they don’t take away from the overall experience. The game consists of 42 levels that can be completed pretty quickly depending on the players skill level.
Each puzzle in Rayland requires the player to redirect laser beams using mirrors to light up lamps on a map. As the player progress there will be various obstacles put in place to challenge the player such as walls or tunnels.
I’d definitely recommend Rayland to fans of puzzle games. Pick it up on sale!
Played on: Purchased Xbox Series X
Review score: 4/5