Jacob Stokes

Caves and Castles: Underworld is a limited game. It is lacking some pretty fundamental features. It never deviates from a simple gameplay loop. There are no optional goals or any real player choice over what to do next. Gamers looking for a challenge will be disappointed - you won’t find that here. What you will find though, is a brilliant casual experience.

Glitch’s Trip on Xbox is a brilliant platformer that looks the part and plays great. It’s a game that constantly throws unique challenges at you to truly test your mettle, and any fan of hardcore platformers will relish the challenge it offers.

So, how best is it to describe Kid Tripp on Xbox? Short, but sweet. It might only be an hour long, but it’s entirely worth it. The gameplay and level design are both stellar, and the game is challenging without being unfair or overly-punishing. For less than a fiver, what more could you want?

So what do we have with Persephone on Xbox? Quite simply, a game that is brilliant both in design and execution. The world our titular hero finds herself in is beautifully designed, with puzzles that make full use of that unique central concept of death as a means to progress. By using a ‘show, not tell’ approach, the game places experimentation at the forefront and encourages the kind of lateral thinking that is so often missing from indie titles in the genre.

What do we have with the original Call of Duty: Black Ops? Quite simply, one of the best Call of Duty titles of all time.

To put it plainly, Area 86 on Xbox One is a brilliant game. The fact that this is SimDevs’ first outing perhaps makes that conclusion even more remarkable. It’s a laid-back experience that gives players the freedom to think outside of the box, and indeed rewards them for it.

It’s often the case that the best puzzle games have the simplest of concepts. ReactorX on Xbox One casts doubt on that. In fact, I struggle to think of anything that the game does particularly well. It’s a puzzle game - and a short one at that - without any real challenge, it’s got some of the worst controls I have experienced, and the graphics are nothing remarkable. The fact is, unless you’re interested in the quick and easy 1000 Gamerscore on offer, there is no real reason to pick ReactorX up.

Johnny Rocket on Xbox One is a game that just screams missed potential. It has a unique concept and a bold, beautiful art style, and yet those weren’t built upon to make a well-rounded experience.

Forget leaving with a lasting message about the dangers of capitalism - the only thing you’re likely to remember about Norman’s Great Illusion on Xbox One is how utterly tedious those minigames were.

Do I recommend Lunch A Palooza on Xbox One? Eh … not really. It doesn’t do enough to warrant the relatively steep price tag. it’s too rough around the edges, with annoying glitches, overly-unpredictable physics and dropped inputs aplenty. You and a couple of friends will probably wring a few hours of fun out of it before things get too repetitive (or frustrating) to be enjoyable. And with no online play, once your friends have gone home it's practically useless.

It’s not a horrible game by any means. In fact, it has a lot going for it: refreshing level design, a solid art direction, a set of easy achievements and a time trial mode. But the controls let it down completely.

Overall, the Maya and Gran Colombia Pack is a strong showing. Both civs are fun to play and bring something unique to the table. And despite my misgivings, the Apocalypse Mode shakes up Civilization VI’s gameplay.

Thunder Paw on Xbox One looks like a game from the mid-90s. Unfortunately, it plays like one too. At its core, it’s a run-and-gun platformer that doesn’t succeed at either. The platforming is too simple to be fun and the combat is horrible. When it isn’t mind-numbingly easy, it’s ridiculously frustrating.

It’s clear that Explosive Jake on Xbox One is a game that is stuck in first gear. Rather than building upon its concept, it seems content to stay simple and forgo any sense of development.

At its core, Bucket Knight on Xbox One is a short but sweet homage to the classic run-and-gun platformer. It’s a game that wholly succeeds at providing players with a laid-back experience that never outstays its welcome.