Croc's World - Xbox Edition (Xbox One, 2017 | XBLIG, 2014)

Croc's World (Xbox-Edition)
Developed by Sprakelsoft
Released for Xbox One (10/2017) | Xbox Live Indie Games (5/17/2014)
Also on iOS/PC

Croc's World (Xbox-Edition) is a release for the somewhat obscure section on the Xbox One's game store called the Creators Collection. This was originally released for the iOS and the Xbox 360 indie games store, but according the developer this version adds two new worlds with thirty additional levels. I am unable to confirm if this is true as the free version they have up for download only lets you play two levels and then promptly asks the player to pay $1.99 to continue on. Before I get into why I had no desire to pay the fee, let's quickly talk about the gameplay.

Croc's World is a wanna-be Mario style of 2D platformer, complete with bricks you can smash by jumping into and power-ups that pop out of square boxes when hit. In the demo I got a football helmet that let me smash the blocks and rocks that you can throw at your enemies. The enemies can also be dispersed by jumping on them as well. The jumping feels extremely floaty, but the controls are responsive enough and the difficulty is very lax. I cleared the two levels in the trial within minutes. This might be good for children ten and under that aren't very familiar with platformers, but for older folks who like a decent challenge I'd suggest staying away from this one. The graphics presentation definitely shows the games mobile phone roots, as they are very simplistic. Character and sound design are totally generic and don't stand out in any way.

If the user reviews on the Xbox store have any truth to them, it would seem that the couple of gamers that paid the $1.99 to unlock the full game weren't able to access the rest of the content. It would seem as if the game is locked in trial mode. With the Creators Collection store being a sort of replacement for the indie games on the 360, it's likely that the releases on it aren't moderated that well so it's possible that the user reviews are true. Croc's World (Xbox-Edition) is a bland platformer judging by the demo and I can't really recommend it to anyone over ten years old and to be honest I'd be hesitant even then. The developer didn't even bother to put the game title in the graphic that appears in your games library, and while there are several other titles released for Creators Collection that do the same, it looks a bit tacky when browsing through your game library.

Final Verdict: Croc's World (Xbox-Edition) is a mediocre attempt to create a Mario-style 2D platformer. There are plenty of other excellent 2D experiences out there more worthy of your time.

Purchase Links:
Croc's World (Xbox-Edition) - Microsoft Store

Related Links:
Creators Program Games - Xbox Overview
Platformer Games - Xbox Overview
Croc's World (Xbox-Edition) - GameFAQs