Sudocats (Xbox One, 2023)

Sudocats

Developed by Devcats Games

Published by Silesia Games

Released for Xbox One|Series (5/9/2023)

Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS4/PS5/Switch

INTRO

Sudocats marks the first release on an Xbox platform from the cat-centric developer Devcats Games. Putting a feline spin on the classic puzzle game sudoku, the game aims to offer a simple, quick experience for that niche audience of those that love both cats and Sudoku puzzles. Published by Silesia Games, let's take a look at Sudocats and see what it holds in store for us...

PRESENTATION/GRAPHICS

Sudocats features a colorful, basic menu screen that reminds me of something from the Nintendo Wii/DS days of gaming. The visuals aren't going to blow anybody away, but the cat drawings are cute and have enough charm that the graphic style works well for what the game is trying to accomplish. The audio is sparse, featuring some relaxing piano music that might just lull you into sleep mode if you play too long. All in all, Sudocats sports some basic sound and visuals but for a puzzle game they work just fine.

Project Starship (Xbox One, 2020)

Project Starship
Developed by Panda Indie Studio
Published by Eastasiasoft Limited
Released for Xbox One (2/11/2020)
Also on PC/PS4/PS5/Switch

Preface

Project Starship is a throwback shmup of the vertical-scrolling variety. This is the first release brought to an Xbox platform by Panda Indie Studio, which as far as I can tell is now going by Arabong Dev and consists of a single developer named Matteo. Project Starship originally released for PC back in 2015, but saw a revival for home consoles in 2020 thanks to publisher Eastasiasoft. As a huge fan of shmups in general, I was excited to see what this one has to offer...

 
Graphics/Presentation

The graphics in Project Starship are presented with 2D sprites with bright colors and bold outlines that are surprisingly large for a game of this variety, which works in this instance since your hitbox is only the cockpit of your ship. The pixel-art looks good for the most part, though the art on the character select screen looks more pixelated than the rest of the game. The levels in Project Starship are randomized, making each play a bit unpredictable but the background details look nice and fit in with the player/enemy sprites nicely.

Frightence (Xbox One, 2022)

Frightence

Developed/Published by Playstige Interactive

Released for Xbox One (3/8/2022)

Also on PC/PS4/PS5/Switch

Enhanced for Xbox Series

 

Intro

I've always enjoyed a good horror movie or game, but over several decades of indulging in the genre I've found that you often have to encounter several poor products in order to find some of the overlooked gems. Frightence comes to us from Playstige Interactive, a developer that we've never played anything from yet. They're a mysterious group that have mostly released games for the Playstation and Switch platforms, but in 2022 they expanded their horizons and started releasing games on the Xbox, with Frightence being their 1st game on the platform. The game promises a short but intense first-person experience, so let's dig in and see if it can live up to its self-proclaimed intensity.

 

Story/Concept

In Frightence, you play as a janitor that is who works at an infamously nasty apartment. This is your last night working here as the building has been given an eviction notice. Your task is to search every resident's flat in order to make sure the building is empty. This is actually a good premise for a horror game and had me hoping for something along the lines of Condemned, but unfortunately this game can't even touch that classic but it was also produced by a small team with a fraction of the budget so we'll try to cut it some slack (and to be fair few games match up to Condemned's superb atmosphere). So Frightence has a solid premise, let's check out the rest of the package to see how it pulls it off...

Torinto (Xbox One, 2023)

Torinto

Developed by DVL Games/Leaf Team Games

Published by Eastasiasoft Limited

Released for Xbox One (5/23/2023)

Optimized for Series X|S

Also on PC/PS4/PS5/Switch

Review Intro

Torinto was originally developed by DVL Games and released for PC back in 2019. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here, but as far as I can tell this was ported by Leaf Team Games and published by Eastasiasoft Limited and Ratalaika Games. It's all a bit confusing figuring out who does the porting and the publishing when both of these companies are involved.

Torinto caught my interest because it looked like an interesting take on the run & gun genre. The game sports a medieval fantasy theme and features some nice hand-drawn artwork. Hoping for some good mindless run & gun fun, I didn't hesitate to pick this one up and give it a shot. Let's get into it and see if you should do the same...

Outbreak: Lost Hope (Xbox One, 2019) | Outbreak: Lost Hope Definitive Edition (Xbox Series, 2021)

Outbreak: Lost Hope

Developed/Published by Dead Drop Studios LLC

Released for Xbox One (6/26/2019)

Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS4/PS5/Switch

 

Review Preface

Outbreak: Lost Hope is the 4th entry in the Outbreak series, which is basically a low-budget tribute to the old-school Resident Evil survival-horror games. Brought to us by a small indie studio based out of Connecticut in the USA, one has to keep their expectations in check and also bear in mind the price point the game sells at ($12.99). Being a fan of the old RE games, I've been interested in dipping into this series for some time and what better place to start than the 4th title in the series? At some point I intend to check out some of the other titles in the series, but for now let's check out Outbreak: Lost Hope and see how it fares at delivering the scares...

Graphics/Presentation

Outbreak: Lost Hope isn't going to blow anybody away with its visuals, but with that being said it's not a terrible-looking game either. The majority of the map consists of wooded areas that you'll be navigating in the darkness and rainfall. Visibility is constantly limited due to this and it does help to add to the game's atmosphere. The environment itself is detailed, but the protagonist's character model leaves something to be desired. The character more closely resembles a plastic action action figure more than an actual human, particularly when looking at the hair which looks like something from the PS2 generation. The creatures in the game fare much better, sporting some creepy looking monsters for you to shoot at. Another department that could use some improvement is the sound design, which feels downright barren at times. The game lacks any kind of footstep sound effects which would've helped add to atmosphere. While these things are forgivable to an extent and don't ruin the game, there are several aspects of the game in regards to the visuals and presentation that needs some work before it becomes better than slightly above average.

Food Truck Tycoon (Xbox One, 2022)

Food Truck Tycoon

Developed/Published by Baltoro Games

Released for Xbox One (8/31/2022)

Also on Switch

 

Intro

Food Truck Tycoon was originally released for the Nintendo Switch back in February 2019, so it was a tad strange seeing it receive an Xbox One port several years down the road in late August 2022. Developed and published by Poland-based Baltoro Games, let's dive right into this piece of digital software titled Food Truck Tycoon and see what it's all about...

 

Presentation/Graphics

Food Truck Tycoon features menus that function well-enough, though it's not the most attractive layout you'll lay eyes on, with several options in the center and some others crammed on the sides. The in-game graphics are composed of simple 2D artwork that, while decently drawn, look like some clip art you'd see in an old workplace PowerPoint presentation. While leaning on the generic side, it's easy to distinguish what everything is so the graphics serve their general purpose well enough. The sound design is about what you'd expect and while you'll hear the same handful of sound effects over and over, none of it is too irritating or grating. The music, like the sound, does a good job of just simply being there and staying in the background. Overall, Food Truck Tycoon has a solid presentation but is quite basic in every way.

Super Destronaut DX (Xbox One, 2018)

Super Destronaut DX

Developed by Petite Games

Published by Ratalaika Games SL

Released for Xbox One (7/10/2018)

Also on PC/PS4/Switch/Vita

 

Intro

Upon initially viewing the store page for Super Destronaut DX, I assumed perhaps this was another one of those former XBLIG titles that made the transition over to the Xbox One. Upon doing some quick research I discovered that Super Destronaut began life as a Wii U title back in March 2015. Developed by indie-studio Petite Games, Super Destronaut found its way over to computers in 2016 and a version for the Nintendo 3DS released the following year. In 2018, the game would see a wide release for all platforms thanks to publisher Ratalaika Games with the revamped Super Destronaut DX, which is the version we'll be looking at in today's review...

Presentation/Graphics

Super Destronaut DX is presented with pseudo-vector graphics and an 80's-style synthwave soundtrack. It all works well to give you that retro flavor right from the get-go. The in-game graphics feature character sprites formed of blocky pixels and the background consists of a scrolling grid-plane with trees on the ground and mountains in the background. It all looks very simple, but does an admirable job capturing that 80's vibe the developers were aiming for. There are a few modern graphical touches, like particle effects from the explosions but these are kept to a minimum to keep the retro aesthetic. While basic in design, the visuals and overall presentation suit the retro theme of the game.

Xbox Overview | Site Preface & Revival

The Return of Xbox Overview

It's been a long time coming, but the time is near for the revival of the site that has remained dormant for the latter part of 2022. To say this has been a tough year for me (and many of you I'm sure) would be an understatement and the lack of updates to the site are a direct result of this. 2023 will see an active effort to restore the site and continue to submit reviews and articles. Thanks for checking out the site and I hope you discover some cool new games to check out!

A Proper Site Intro/Welcome

With the planned resurrection of Xbox Overview, this is as good a time as any to do a proper introduction as well as a quick site history and author bio. Welcome to Xbox Overview, which is a back-to-basics, no-frills site delivering reviews of games and peripherals that released for Xbox hardware as well as the consoles themselves. We'll delve a bit more into what the site covers here shortly, but first let me get started by telling you a bit about me...

A Brief Bit About the Author

 

Greetings, my name is Lee and I love playing video games when I have some spare time to kill. I'm a bit of a gaming veteran at this point, having made it into my 40's. Rather than just dismiss these reviews as words from some old dude rambling I find it better to look at it from a different perspective: I've been a life-long gamer since the mid-80's, starting out on the Atari 2600 then onto the Nintendo Entertainment System and everything beyond that. Basically, I've been through my fair share of games so I have a ton of reference points when it comes to video games in general. 

 

While I love modern-gaming and modern 3D visuals continue to impress me, the old dude in me still loves old-school 2D pixel art as well. My favorite genres are first-person shooters, racers, beat 'em ups, shoot 'em ups and run & guns. You can expect extensive coverage when it comes to those genres, particularly indie titles and games with a retro flavor. I like to mix things up every now and then, so those will not be the only genres covered on the site and I like to play a little of everything. There's no type of bias and all of my games were purchased with my own money, so believe me I'll tell you straight up if a game sucks or not. If a game is ever provided by a publisher or developer for a review, this will be clearly stated in the review.

Xbox Overview Site History

Xbox Overview originally launched in May 2017 with the review of an Xbox Live Arcade game called Axel & Pixel. At the time of the creation of the blog, the shutdown of the Xbox Live Indie Games (XBLIG) storefront on the Xbox 360 had recently been announced. As someone who loved digging through the indie games looking for gems, the site was created as an effort to point out some of the better offerings on the service before the ability to purchase the games had been revoked. While a good chunk of these games saw a release on other platforms (usually PC), there were some rare instances where the game was only available on XBLIG and once the service shutdown those games would be gone for good. 

After doing some decent coverage of XBLIG titles, I found that I enjoyed doing game review write-ups and continued on by expanding into other Xbox 360 and Xbox One game reviews. Fast-forward several years later and I've decided to take on games from any Xbox platform. There's so many games now available across several generations of gaming and our time in this world is limited, so I'd like to be of some assistance in helping you recognize which games are more worthy of your precious time than others.

The Planned Xbox Overview Overhaul

In addition to expanding the game review library across all systems, I have some big plans for the site in the future. In addition to the normal game, controller/accessory and console reviews, I'd like to also look into more apps available and movies that can be watched within those apps. The movie reviews will mostly be video game related movies at first and if the reception is positive I'd like to branch out to other movies as well. In order to broaden the site's audience I'm going to make a concentrated effort to get the site out there via social media presence and other possible outlets. Updates will be sporadic but they will indeed happen, I'm not the best with schedules so I'll just post stuff as time allows.

Thanks for checking out the site! Happy holidays and let's make 2023 be a better year than the last one!!!

What's up with the site? | Xbox Overview August 2022 Update

 What's up with the site? | Xbox Overview August 2022 Update

So it's been a few months since the last review and just in case there's somebody out there who happens to care about the future of the site, I'm just here to assure you that while dormant at the moment, the site is not dead and will be making a return as I get caught up on life stuff over the coming months. In the meantime, I still love playing and writing about games and am looking forward to posting new material on the site. Thanks for checking the site out and please do check out some of the older reviews in the meantime! See you soon!

Xbox Overview Review Archive

The Future of Xbox Overview

Over the last few months my work/life balance has been atrocious. It's been hard even just finding time to play games, let alone write about those experiences. As a result of this I've had to take a step back from the site, but only temporarily. I'm inevitably about to face some stressful changes and will likely have to find a new primary source of income. I'll try to post here when I can in the meantime, but once I get that situation sorted out I'll be back to writing on the site much more frequently. Also, I'm abandoning the update every Friday concept for now. I tried it for a while and didn't like having yet another schedule to adhere to (we all know life provides no shortage of those already) so I'll just post updates when I get the time to do so, no promises on how frequently or what day those will be posted on. Thanks for reading and please take a look through some of the older reviews, I've covered some awesome games on the site over the years. Peace out and happy gaming!

An Interlude to Updates

 Just a quick heads up, the site will be on a quick hiatus for the next couple weeks while I revise and finish up some of the already published reviews. My full-time job as an overnight stocker is really wearing me out and been having trouble keeping up with the load. I'll return in mid-July with fresh updates. Thanks for visiting and have a nice day!

ACA NeoGeo: Samurai Shodown (Xbox One, 2017)

ACA NeoGeo: Samurai Shodown

Developed by SNK/Hamster

Published by Hamster

Released for Xbox One (5/2/2017)

Also on Arcade/NeoGeo/PC/PS4/Switch

PREFACE
While there were a few SNK titles released during the Xbox 360 era, I was always disappointed that SNK decided to release Samurai Showdown II on the Xbox Live Arcade while skipping the original game. Fast-forward to the next console generation and thanks to Hamster and the Arcade Classics Archive series, the original Samurai Showdown has now seen a release on just about everything out there.

CrushBorgs (Xbox One, 2022)

CrushBorgs

Developed/Published by Xitilon

Released for Xbox One (4/19/2022)

Also on PC

 

 

INTRO 

These retro-styled throwback games seem to be a dime a dozen these days, which can make it tough to pick out which ones are worth your time and money. Today we'll be delving into CrushBorgs, a run 'n gun developed by Xitilon using GameMaker Studio 2. Brought to us by Ukraine-based indie developer Xitilon, CrushBorgs pays homage and plays very similarly to the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) ports of Contra. Let's drop in and start blasting!

PRESENTATION

CrushBorgs does a decent job emulating the 8-bit aesthetic of the games it was inspired by, both in the graphics and sound departments. The graphics are composed of pixels that look just like something you would've seen on your NES just without the sprite flicker. While the graphics look true to 8-bit, the enemy designs are rather unimaginative, consisting mostly of boring robots and turrets. Stages suffer a similar fate of just being uninspired and forgettable. The music, much like the graphics, does a good job sounding true to the time period but fails to stand out in any way other than being background noise. The game looks true to its 8-bit inspirations, but lacks too much in originality to really stand out amongst the sea of retro-styled shooters that have come out in recent years.

Golf Peaks (Xbox One, 2021)

Golf Peaks

Developed by Afterburn

Published by 7Levels

Released for Xbox One (9/21/2021)

Also on iOS/Mac/PC/Switch

 

INTRO

Developed by small Poland-based studio Afterburn, Golf Peaks was originally released for the Nintendo Switch back in March 2019. Two years later the game would make its way onto the Xbox One thanks to publisher 7Levels. Don't be fooled by the name of the game, Golf Peaks is not your standard golf game. The goal is still to guide the ball into the hole, but it's done in a turn-based format using cards that represent the moves rather than hitting the ball with a club. Billing itself as a relaxing puzzler, let's take a look at Golf Peaks and see what it's all about...

PRESENTATION

Golf Peaks takes a minimalist approach, both when it comes to the menu layouts and the graphical presentation. While simple in design, everything looks nice and the game is easily accessible to players of all age and experiences ranges. The music does a good job staying in the background and what's hear does a good job matching the simple, laid-back pace of the game. The in-game graphics are well-drawn and easy to look at, making it easy to select which direction you'd like to launch the ball. Overall, Golf Peaks does a good job in the presentation department.

Many Faces: Console Edition (Xbox One, 2020)

Many Faces: Console Edition

Developed by WANZUNGDEV/EastAsiaSoft Limited

Published by EastAsiaSoft Limited

Released for Xbox One (5/26/2020)

Also on Linux/PC/PS4/PS5/Switch

 

INTRO

Developed using GameMaker Studio 2, Many Faces was originally created by Chicago-based WANZUNGDEV, which on his Twitter page states that he's just "an ordinary IT guy with a passion for retro and indie video games." It's hard not to admire games that were developed by a single person that manage to make it onto the storefronts of potentially millions of video game consoles. Many Faces was ported and published to home consoles thanks to EastAsiaSoft, a company which has released a steady stream of ports on the Xbox One over the last several years. Many Faces is a multi-directional shooter inspired by arcade classics, so right away this one had my interest on that alone. Let's take a look at the game and see if it's something worth investing your dollar & time into...

PRESENTATION

Let's just get it right out of the way: Many Faces is not easy on the eyes. The graphics attempt to mimic the look of an early 80's arcade game, but with this simplicity comes an appearance devoid of much charm, detail or personality. The menus are easy to use but bare-bones, but the option to turn on a cross hair to make aiming easier is appreciated. To accompany the retro graphic design, there is a chiptune soundtrack that sounds like something of the era. While the music works well enough with the graphic style, none of the compositions are memorable or stand out in any way. 

 

The main character design is uninspired to say the least: he's just simply a white circle with a basic face drawn on it. There's some decent variety when it comes to the enemy designs, the problem is that most of them are boring, coming in the form of simple shapes that are difficult to tell if they're supposed to represent something. There are nods to 80's culture, with one enemy looking like a Tie-Fighter ship from Star Wars and another that looks like Evil Otto from the arcade classic Berzerk. While the nostalgic throwbacks are cool, the majority of the enemy designs are just as immediately forgettable as the lackluster stage designs, which we'll get to shortly...

Eight Dragons (Xbox One, 2021)

Eight Dragons

Developed by Extend Mode

Published by JanduSoft

Released for Xbox One (5/27/2021)

Also on Linux/PC/PS5/Switch

 

Preface

Eight Dragons is a 2D beat 'em up that shoots for an old-school look and play style, paying homage to Technos arcade classics Renegade and Double Dragon. Brought to us by British-based developer Extend Mode, Eight Dragons was published by JanduSoft for the Xbox One in late May 2021. Advertising itself as a throwback to simpler times, let's hit the streets and bash some heads!

 

Gameplay

Eight Dragons features what is possibly the simplest control scheme in a brawler released on the Xbox One. The A button attacks, X jumps and B will pick up objects. That's all there is to it, making this an easy one for anybody to pick up and play, though it may take some time getting used to X jumping instead of A. There's no button configuration in the options menu, so you'll just have to get used to the default control scheme. 

Mighty Goose (Xbox Series, 2021)

Mighty Goose

Developed by Blastmode/MP2 Games

Published by PLAYISM

Released for Xbox One/Series (6/5/2021)

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS4/PS5/Switch

INTRO

Just from taking a quick glance at the preview screenshots for Mighty Goose, it's obvious from the artwork of the tank vehicle that it was paying tribute to the run & gun classic series Metal Slug. Immediately intrigued and always on the lookout for a good new run & gun action experience, this one had been on my radar for some time now. Finally, close to a year after its release and after missing it's run on Game Pass, I finally got around to dedicating some time to play through Mighty Goose (brought to us from Netherlands-based developer Blastmode), so without further ado let's get right into it and see if it's worth your dollars & time...

PRESENTATION

Right off the bat, Mighty Goose impresses with some very colorful & detailed pixel graphics. The menus are simple and easy to navigate. The explosions look awesome and are quite the spectacle. The soundtrack, composed by Dominic Ninmark (Blazing Chrome), is a blend of rock/jazz music and is easily one of the highlights of the overall package. There's a decent variety of enemy designs and they're all fun to blow to smithereens. Unless you just really dislike pixel-art, there's little to complain about with Mighty Goose in regards to the overall presentation...everything looks and sounds good.

Iro Hero (Xbox One, 2019)

Iro Hero

Developed by Artax Games

Published by Eastasiasoft Limited

Released for Xbox One (12/18/2019)

Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS4/Switch

 

 

Preface

Developed by Artax Games, a small indie studio based out of Madrid, Iro Hero is the first of many shmups that would be published to the Xbox One via Eastasiasoft Limited. Iro Hero takes heavy inspiration from genre classic Ikaruga, featuring a 2-color (blue/red) shot system which you'll have to alternate between on the fly to kill enemies of the respective color. Similar to the classic it was inspired by, Iro Hero plays like a mix of  the puzzle and shoot 'em up genres, which can be a tough duo to mix while maintaining a good fun-factor. Without further ado, let's take a look at the strangely named Iro Hero and see if it's worth your time and money...

Presentation

Iro Hero is a shmup of the vertical-scroller variety, featuring some nice-looking 2D sprites. The enemy projectiles all clearly stand out amidst the backgrounds. While the sprites are well-drawn, the ship design tends to be a bit bland and forgettable. The opening stage, which takes place over a sprawling city, looks promising but is easily the coolest of all the backgrounds featured in the game (at least out of the ones I witnessed, more on that in a bit...). The player ship is quite large, making it difficult to dodge enemy bullets, though you can switch the color of your ship to match the bullets and absorb them. This takes some quick timing and gets tough on some of the more crowded screens later in the game. Another positive aspect to note regarding the presentation is the excellent soundtrack, featuring some groovy upbeat techno music that helps make the game more enjoyable. There is some weird volume adjustment that happens with the in-game music, where it suddenly gets louder or quieter for some reason. It's not a game-breaking issue by any means, though it is slightly annoying.

Stellatum (Xbox One, 2019)

Stellatum

Developed by Satur Entertainment

Published by Sometimes You

Released for Xbox One (10/9/2019)

Also on PC/PS4/PS5/Switch

 

Prelude

Stellatum combines the control-layout of a twin-stick shooter with the level format of a standard vertically-scrolling shmup. It's a novel idea and a refreshing change from the constant arena-style approach that twin-stick shooters tend to use. Developed by Satur Entertainment and published by Sometimes You in October 2019, Stellatum promises to deliver an "exciting scroll shooter" so let's delve in and see if it can live up to the hype...

Presentation

While navigating the ship upgrade menu can be cumbersome, once you get into the actual shoot 'em up gameplay Stellatum makes a solid first impression. The visuals are super-detailed and initially the space backdrops look great, but once you realize that this is basically the same backdrop for every stage (of which there are 80!) the once impressive backgrounds start to become tedious. The sound design fails to make much of an impression, featuring standard sound effects that all sound stock and a soundtrack that didn't leave any mark. Overall, while Stellatum looks nice in the graphics department, the presentation is lacking when you put together all of the pieces.

Retro Highway (Xbox One, 2021)

Retro Highway

Developed/Published by Gearhead Games

Released for Xbox One (10/22/2021)

Also on Android/iOS/Switch

 

 

Intro

Originally released for Android mobile platforms back in April 2018, Retro Highway received a port to both the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in late 2021. There are lots of gamers that instantly frown upon console ports of mobile games, but we're going into this one with an open mind so without using any more excess words let's get right into the review for Retro Highway...

Gameplay

Retro Highway draws heavy inspiration from classic clock-racing arcade-style driving games like Super Hang-On, Outrun and Rad Racer. While the time element has been removed in Retro Highway, much of what made those old games so great has made it into this game as well, mainly in the handling and dodging of obstacles and traffic. The game is basically an endless runner mixed with an old-school arcade motorcycle racer. As you progress through the game you'll unlock new stages, with a total of 6 different levels to see in the end.