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I admire Santa Clara for trying to challenge gamers, and create a demanding shooter; tough games need to be made more often. If I felt rewarded for overcoming the difficult then I no doubt would have rated it higher. Yet after a promising opening 30 minutes, I felt too hard done-by to actually want to reach the next area. It was too punishing. I still haven’t forgiven it.

The story and voice acting do a great job of quickly laying out whatever it is you have to do, so much so that I was confident with my decisions that I made when playing as Ness. It is for this reason that I am tempted into buying episode 2, in order to see how the choices I made impact the story further down the line, provided Ness buys a pair of trainers to make him move a bit quicker.

So is Blues and Bullet’s Episode 2 worth your time?  The majority of you reading this will have already played Episode 1, in which case you pretty much know what to expect from Episode 2.  The story, having been laid out so well  in the first episode, does start to pick up momentum here, and some of your earlier choices do begin to have an impact, but many of the problems that were apparent in the first episode still remain.  The game does benefit from a few quicker, more action oriented set pieces, which does serve to counteract the games overall pace problems, and as such Episode 2 does improve (slightly) upon what came before.  Hopefully these improvements will continue to be made by the time Episode 3 comes out later in the year.

In conclusion, while Demon’s Crystals lacks story. It does provide enjoyable gameplay that will surely keep players occupied. With arcade mode, multiplayer mode and survival mode; The player has an enormous amount of game modes to select with the arcade (single player) mode providing hours of fun on its own. While the game lack story, Demon’s Crystals is a fun twin-stick shooter that provides good multiplayer with friends and gameplay that is surely worth the price.

Overall for the developers first attempt at creating a game I have to commend the things they have achieved. The ideas are great and switching between two characters with very different abilities is a nice touch. I would have like the game to have more of a story and possibly have some sort of character voice acting. Also the game can be hugely frustrating with awkward movement and controls. When a game involves platforming it needs to feel responsive and control well in order to feel satisfying. I can see the developers going on to create a better game by taking what they have learnt from this game and improving certain aspects.

Empire TV Tycoon is a solid built but poorly executed management sim with little thought to real life values of a TV station. Its disregard for diversity and insistence on forcing reruns of old movies into your schedule are odd omissions that force the game to grow old quickly. Its core works just fine, but just like its schedule Empire TV is a shallow entry without enough top quality trimmings.

Overall I think ‘FullBlast’ is a decent game, especially considering its very modest price tag. It’s a fun game to pick up and have a quick blast with, and even more fun if you have a friend to tag along with you. Having said that, I think this could be the basis of a much better game if the developers take this engine and build some more variety into it. A new theme, along with a wider range or weapons, enemies, stages and maybe something progressive like an upgrade system or branching paths, that would make a truly amazing arcade shooter.

Grand Prix Rock’n Racing is game at war with itself. Its semi-realistic handling belies its arcade presentation, and its AI and physics are constantly battling the player, almost penalising players for upgrading their vehicle as higher speeds result in more unpredictable and inconsistent physics. It’s a real shame as the game really does have potential, with its nice feeling of progression in its upgrade system and a variety of fun and interesting tracks, but its flaws are too many and too great to fully recommend the game to anyone, regardless of whether they enjoy racing games or not, although it is cheap enough for an impulse buy some day, if you’re desperate enough for a new racer.

Heart&Slash has garnered interest not only for myself, but several people I know. However, it falls short with regards to the gameplay and soundtrack. Which is a shame, as I had high hopes. The asking price of £15.99 is way to high, and perhaps £7.99 would have generated more interest. The challenge presented may be of interest to a select few, but most gamers will pass on Heart & Slash. This is a shame, as I am a huge Indie game fan. But I don’t see myself venturing back into this title.

Maybe this review comes off as being a little bit too harsh, because overall I’ve had some really good moments with King Lucas. With a little bit of refining King Lucas would leap from mediocre to being very memorable. Keep an eye on Devilish Games, if they learn from this game they’ll have some surely cracking titles in the future.

I give this game 7/10, it brings back the memory’s of old school racing games I used to enjoy playing. Hopefully the game will get a little following and a few more players pick it up so I can play a few online games because I will be keeping this game in my library for the foreseeable future as I think it’s great.

Overall, Maldita Castilla Ex is an incredible blast from the past, and if Abylight studios carries on with titles like this, they are going to go extremely far in the gaming industry. Top shelf stuff.

It’s a shame when most of a review is negative. As mentioned before, nothing is bad by definition. Not good either, but nothing is broken, it does what it has been designed to do. The shooting and the theme of the game is the best part, but it can’t help bring Motor Strike to a higher standard. It’s boring and repetitive. Even in a market with few notable arcade shooters, Motor Strike: Immortal Legends fails to have any impact.

So how does all of this come together? Very successfully, I’m happy to say! Pharaonic is all about the experience of ruthless combat across interesting locales in a world where history and mythology intertwine. The controls are suitably responsive and there’s something deeply satisfying about brutally slaying an opponent with the perfect timings of block and counter-attack.

Overall I’d give Randal’s Monday 7/10 it does offer some funny moments although it does start slipping into the ridiculous and can feel a little bit tedious. The storyline is quite immersive and really quite enjoyable. So if you want a point and click game that takes you back through a bit of 80’s..90’s..00’s nostalgia then this game is definitely for you.

 Home / Xbox One Xbox One Reviews Rise & Shine Review

Rise & Shine Review Tyler Schurwan  January 12, 2017  Reviews, Xbox One, Xbox One Reviews  No Comments

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After playing over 150 Xbox One games (and many more on various other consoles), I have found that nearly all games share several aspects with other games. This is not a bad thing so long as it is done in moderation and games with similar mechanics or aesthetics don’t start to actually copy one another.  In Rise & Shine, players will traverse platforms, collect power ups, and shoot enemies with an oversized gun. At first glance this all seems pretty familiar, but just a few minutes with the game and players will see that Rise & Shine uses these common game aspects in tandem in a refreshing way.

Simply getting to the end of a level isn’t all that hard, it’s the sheer number of enemies and puzzles that are nearly always solved with accurate shooting or simply more bullets. Since the game sports such simple controls (run, aim, jump, shoot, switch bullets), tackling these puzzles and enemies feels wonderful and rewarding. Whether it be because you figured out which bullet type to use or got a headshot on a space marine and got to watch his head exploded cleanly off their shoulders. I enjoyed all of this plenty until certain areas became too difficult either by having too many enemies (thus too many bullets to dodge) or puzzles that require players to guide a bullet to a target (which is behind obstacles) while dodging enemy bullets and lasers. A section being difficult wouldn’t be too bad if it weren’t for the slightly too long respawn times.

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In Rise & Shine, the protagonist, Rise, is able to respawn indefinitely so long as he carries Shine, a legendary weapon that has many important properties. This is all explained much better in-game through the linear story that takes no time at all to start-up. Within the first few minutes of the game, players will be given Shine and tasked with saving the world. The cliché here is intentional as even the character that gives you Shine looks awfully similar to a certain green tunic wearing adventure we all know. Having such a general, overused plot (unlikely hero gets magic weapon, saves world) allows the game to get away with all the references that it has on offer.

In fact, the entire lore of the game relies heavily on these references. The game’s world is called Gamearth and is correctly inspired in every aspect from the scenery to the characters the player will meet. There are several unique and original characters, but there are just as many that are inspired by (or direct references to) characters from other games. Personally, I think most gamers, especially Xbox gamers, will be able to easily tell who Rise’s father is supposed to look like.

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Even though the writing in the game does cover a ton of the references, I feel like it could hold its own if the game had its own lore and what not. The writing breathes life and personality into the game’s characters as they deal with one another. Besides developing character, the writing is constantly making jokes that will at least make most players crack a smile. In fact, I found myself smiling throughout most of this game and don’t have too many complaints.

From the adorable characters to the satisfying music and sound effects, Rise & Shine delivers in droves. Having several levels filled with either hordes of enemies or just a few very large enemies such as bosses and mini-bosses. There are quite a few of these scattered throughout the game and each requires their own technique to beat. These larger enemies always seem to show up at the perfect time as well due to the game’s linear level design. Even though I’d normally dislike this linearity, it feels natural in Rise & Shine. Combined with the various power ups found throughout the game, the levels feel like they are constant action from start to finish. Each level I played in the game was fun and kept me engaged until I ran into one of those areas that felt far more difficult than the areas before it. Other than that, I would tell anyone that is even slightly interested in the game to give it a shot.

At the start I asked if Spheroids earns its place as a platformer. It certainly does, but unfortunately some issues hold it back from being truly great. However without a doubt it is a really good game. It is worth anyone’s time and attention. For the sake of honesty, it shouldn’t take too long to complete, especially when half the game is short and easy. If you can, play this game. Even with its short comings, there is fun to be had here.

ith plenty of tracks and cars on offer, a variety of surprisingly fun game modes and local multiplayer for up to four players, Super Toy Cars does offer some fun for your £7.99 and can certainly fill that Mario Kart/Micro Machines-sized hole in the Xbox One’s library for the time being, but don’t expect it to be anywhere near the quality of the classics that inspired it.

So overall, should you play Tachyon Project?  If you like the faux retro arcade genre popular among many indie games, definitely – Tachyon Project isn’t a game I will sit and play until completion, but one of those that sits quietly and unassumingly in my Game Library for years, but one that I will still play long after many of my triple A games have been left on the shelf or traded in.  Perfect in quick bursts or when you have a few minutes to spare, you can jump straight in and within seconds the control scheme is in place, and the story becomes superfluous to what is just fun, solid arcade game.

I was really impressed with this game. The gameplay and design are simple, well thought out and has good pacing. The world changes as you progress and I found the world truly absorbing in interesting to explore. It clearly draws inspiration from many classic games, but that’s not a bad thing and it still manages to have its own unique traits and gameplay elements. I would strongly recommend this game if you’re a fan of retro looking games like Zelda or Undertale or you like a game that has a horror theme whilst still looking beautifully designed.

All in all 3D2 Entertainment have a made an enthralling psychological puzzle horror game, despite the cliche setting. It takes many of the tropes from the horror genre, but uses them sparingly to ensure your experience never feels cheap. Those looking for a gruesome horror game with a jump-scare around every corner will be disappointed. The Crows Eye lets your imagination do a lot of the work, enabling a much more psychological feeling of terror, rather than fight or flight. If that sounds like your kind of thing, I highly recommend it.

All in all, there’s an awful lot going on in The Great Whale Road but it feels like it’s slipped in its execution. As great a concept as it seems, gameplay soon becomes boring, feeling a drag from one quest to the next. Coupled with the need to revert to much older saves if you haven’t quite done the right thing (or if you encounter a bug), it might be worth waiting for more polish and extra content before forking out £15 for it.

The Minotaur Maze offers a fun experience by allowing the player to manipulate the environment to defeat the Minotaurs. The game gives charming sound design through upbeat techno music that mixes well with graphics of the game. However, those who are looking for puzzle and strategy will be disappointed by the games fast pace and tedious gameplay. The variety of game modes play identically to one another and offer little satisfaction beyond the numbers of the scoring system. The Minotaur is not recommended for players who are looking for a difficult or rewarding game experience.