Pure Xbox's Reviews
We aren't sure all of the design decisions work, but if you're into the concept, Commander Repeatski and crew are still assuredly worth hanging out with for a weekend or two.
Wolfenstein: The New Order is a blast from the past that many will surely see as a breath of fresh air. While some archaic design choices and patience-testing difficulty spikes will attempt to compromise your enjoyment on occasion, the moments to follow generally smooth over any past transgressions.
If you were expecting Watch Dogs to take the genre in new directions then you're going to be sorely disappointed. With that being said, Watch Dogs is still an engaging and often times surprising action game. The hacking component doesn't offer a lot of depth despite it being such a big theme in the game, but there are plenty of moments where it adds a refreshing spin on a few of those same old, open-world tropes. It's well-crafted, highly polished and a very strong debut for a new franchise.
Murdered: Soul Suspect lingers almost exactly at the quality middle point as a game. It doesn't do anything particularly good, nor does it do anything terribly bad; it's just okay. The ghost stories and premise of the title are what have pushed the needle up into the green but even these serve as a reminder of what could have been.
Sixty Second Shooter Prime is a fun distraction for a bargain price, and does a great lot of things very well indeed. It just lacks that little bit of polish that sets the great games apart from the good. The adrenaline rush provided by the default sixty second mode is good, but a little more of a nod to those who want more than a quick hit wouldn't have gone amiss.
The five hours or so of gameplay that you'll get from a single playthrough are rewarding and memorable, with that fantastic storyline backing up some great puzzling action. Some may find themselves frustrated when bugs occur, but we think most will be forgiving of them once the end credits roll. As a package, we're sure that Valiant Hearts is something that you'll never forget. And you should indeed never forget.
Let it be known that Outlast is a genuinely stressful and nerve-racking experience, but that's exactly what a true survival horror game should be, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
All-in-all, it's decent enough to pick up and play through a mission when you have a little bit of spare time, but not really something worth making the time for.
Guacamelee is a fusion of intense platforming and beat-em-up combat, framed in Metroidvania conventions and topped off with a memorable cast, distinct setting, a stellar soundtrack, and zesty humor. These ingredients combine to make for a flavor that's genuinely fresh and incredibly satisfying.
To assign a score to The Golf Club is tough. On one hand, you have a practically unlimited sandbox in which to enjoy the development team's genuinely revolutionary approach to a sport that has been simulated the same way a thousand times over. On the other, you have a game that has some quite disturbing graphical issues and that is in dire need of a stability patch.
The structure of the new adventure mode, overly easy leveling and accessibility of overpowered weapons have removed some of the sense of wonder and exploration from the game, but the Ultimate Evil edition is undoubtably an improvement on Diablo III and earns a well deserved bump in score. Highly recommended.
There's no doubt that Metro Redux represents real value for money. Neither game is perfect and Metro 2033 does show signs of aging, despite the improvements, but that doesn't mean that it isn't an entirely playable game which serves as a sort of hors d'oeuvre to Last Light's main course.
Depending on your personal preferences, there may be a hiccup or two on a rare occasion that doesn't sit well, but these shouldn't be sizeable enough to take away from what is easily one of Pinball FX2's best tables. Now let's hope Season Two gets the FX2 treatment sooner rather than later.
Stick it To The Man is a total blast to play. The puzzles may not be all that challenging, but the beautiful visuals, catchy soundtrack, and wonderful humour make it stick out above other adventure games. The campaign tells a silly but charming story with many unpredictable twists and turns. And despite it's short run time, Stick it To The Man is a truly fun and memorable experience that will have you glued to the screen.
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate is a tough game to score, make no mistake. Fans of the series will chastise us for rating it so low, and that's probably fair. If you're a fan, you'll enjoy it due to the sheer amount of characters on hand from all of the Warriors universes, and that over-the-top hack and slash gameplay that you already like. If you're not already deeply involved with any of the franchises though, you're going to find a game that is inescapably fun at times and that shows an awful lot of promise, but which is ultimately let down by some poor design decisions and some somewhat dodgy AI.
NHL 15 plays a great – if somewhat atmosphere-free – game of hockey, but the sheer amount of modes missing from the package as a whole mean that unless you become obsessed with Ultimate Team or enjoy playing severely limited career modes, there's very little to actually do.
If you're into puzzle games though, or if you're missing the good ol' days of Lemmings, you might like it as a substitute as it does cater to fans of both.
Although comparisons can be made to other co-operative shooters, Warframe has more than enough novelties to set it apart from other games in the genre. Thus it seems Digital Extremes have at last been successful in the pursuit of a concept nearly fifteen years in the making. Our time with the game has in no way been brief, yet so much remains to be explored. Community events, an evolving storyline, clans, and the sheer number of missions and locations will keep us returning to this space opera on a regular basis for months, maybe even years to come.
All in all, Kickbeat is an entertaining diversion for a rainy day, but it isn't what you would call an essential purchase.
In our opinion, Destiny is at its absolute best when the odds stacked against you require teamwork to overcome, and there's no shortage of those moments.