Dead by Daylight (Xbox One, 2017)

Dead by Daylight
Developed by Behaviour Interactive
Published by Starbreeze & 505 Games
Released for Xbox One (6/2017)
Also on PC & PlayStation 4

Dead by Daylight is a game I really wanted to like. It's a multiplayer title that pits four survivors against one ruthless killer. On the mission I played, the survivors were tasked with starting up several generators, which I'm assuming if we'd succeeded we would have escaped alive. Unfortunately, the killer took us down one-by-one, despite all of our best efforts to help each other out. After losing while playing as a survivor, I was ready to try my hand as the killer. Here's where the major issues with this title begin, as the game froze while loading the match. I figured maybe it was just a freak occurrence, so I restarted the game and attempted to join another game as the killer, only to have the game freeze on the loading screen once again. Tried a hard reboot of the system in order to clear the memory cache, still froze at the loading screen. Deleted and re-installed the game, still froze at the killer loading screen. The fact that this game was cleared for release absolutely blows my mind! Half of the game doesn't even work and it's the half that most gamers would be interested in playing.

The fact that the game has two publishers involved makes it even more confusing and makes me wonder if anybody even play-tested the X-Box version of this port! It looks like it could be a fun game if it functions properly on PC or PlayStation 4, but I recommend to stay far away from the Xbox One version. It also makes me wonder why Microsoft is letting broken games like this make it to the store. I always liked Starbreeze as a developer but this doesn't bode well for the efforts as a publisher. It was well after two months since the game had been released when I tried to play it, and if the developers can't get their product even halfway working by that point then perhaps they should try making a more simple type of game. If you've somehow managed to play as the villain on the Xbox One port of Dead by Daylight, leave a comment below as I'm interested in hearing if this ever gets fixed.

Final Verdict: Dead by Daylight is a broken product that should have never made it to the digital store in this shape. Don't waste your money on this one!

Related Links:
Dead by Daylight - GameFAQs
Behaviour Interactive - Official Site
Starbreeze Studios - Official Site
505 Games - Official Site
Dead by Daylight - Microsoft Store

Cancelled X-Box One Games

Click here for the article!

Just a quick look at a handful of titles that were slated for release on the X-Box One but were cancelled before development was complete. There are some big ones in here, including console exclusives from Platinum Games and Obsidian Entertainment, two high-profile companies whose games would have greatly benefited Microsoft in their battle with Sony. Click the above link and check it out!

JUJU (Xbox 360, 2014)

JUJU (Xbox 360, 2014)

Journey with the shaman panda, Juju, and his lizard sidekick, Peyo, as they embark upon a dangerous and mystical journey to save Juju's father and the world from an ancient evil. Run, bounce, chant, and battle humongous bosses with a friendor family member in this beautifully animated, lighthearted adventure.

Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage (XBLA, 2012)

Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage
Developed by M2
Published by Sega
Released for XBLA (5/2012)
Backwards Compatible with Xbox One

The Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage contains all three of the titles that were released for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. Streets of Rage 2 was released previously on the 360 by itself on XBLA, but was pulled from the marketplace as Sega put the Sega Vintage Collection out. The entire trilogy is also  available on the retail title from Sega, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, however there is one reason in particular this version may still be of interest even if you already own the disc or the original cartridges. Read on and we'll get to that, but let's start with a look at the first game...

The original Streets of Rage, released way back in 1991 and while it hasn't aged quite as well as its sequels but is still a respectable beat 'em up. Everything is a bit simple, with your character having just a basic attack combo, jump attack, throw and a special maneuver. When being thrown, you can press up and jump to land on your feet. You also have a move to break out of a hold if grabbed from behind. The graphics are detailed, but the sprites are a bit smaller than the later games. The enemies don't display health bars except for the bosses. There are three fighters to select from and the character designs are all well done, despite the fact that Axel is pretty much a blatant copy of Cody from Final Fight. The balance between the three characters is nice, with you standard slow/strong, fast/weak and balanced character traits. The game features eight levels and there's a decent amount of variety in locations. The level designs are very well done for the most part, with the city, beachfront and ship stages being standouts. It does drag a little towards the end with the somewhat boring factory and elevator stages, but they're short enough that it's not that big of a problem. Overall, the first game is still solid and is still a very playable beat 'em up.

Streets of Rage II would release the following year in 1992 and improves vastly upon its predecessor. One of the characters from the original has been omitted, but you have two new ones for a total of four selectable fighters. The sprites are all bigger and more detailed this time around, in addition to more interesting backdrops to beat up thugs in front of. All of the characters have two unique super moves that will deplete a bit of your health bar with each use in addition to a special move. While the special moves make the game a bit easier than your typical beat 'em up of the time, it doesn't make the game any less fun for it, especially in two-player mode with a friend. Streets of Rage II is considered by most to the finest of the trilogy, and I have a hard time arguing against that.

One of the many nice features of this compilation is that you are able to select the region for each cart, allowing you to play the highly-coveted Japanese Bare Knuckle III, which is universally accepted to be a far superior game to the butchered Western port that was Streets of Rage 3. For some reason Streets of Rage 3 was one of those games that Sega decided to tweak the difficulty when porting it to the West, making the game unreasonably difficult for a beat 'em up with less health pickups, faster enemies and a gimped special move system, just to name a few of the changes. The Japanese version of the game has a difficulty more on par with the second game, and is overall a much less frustrating game to play because of this. Some of the boss battles are bit cheap to the point of not being very fun to play, but overall the third entry is still a very good game and does sport some improvements. The action is a bit faster overall, which definitely helps with the pacing of the game, and the new special system is very different, boosting your power the longer you can stay alive and rack up a high score.

All three games feature two-player simultaneous action, with both local and online support making it easy to play with buddies near and far. The emulation is spot-on as far as I could tell and I didn't notice anything with audio or visuals looking off. The options menu is plentiful, allowing you to stretch the image to fill the screen or keep the aspect ration, smooth the pixels or add scan lines. There's a jukebox available in the settings menu as well, which is a good thing when you have a game with a soundtrack as good as these games. Often cited as composer Yuzo Koshiro's finest work, the Streets of Rage trilogy has definitely produced some of the best music I've heard from the Sega Genesis sound chips! The first and third games have alternate endings, adding a little incentive to go back and beat it again. The game also has very generous save states, allowing you to save & load the game at anytime. Overall, this is a great collection of beat 'em up classics and I'd recommend anybody who likes video games to play them if you haven't yet!

Final Verdict: A trilogy of some of the most iconic beat 'em up titles ever created, Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage is worth the download for beat 'em up fans, whether revisiting the series or playing it for the first time!

Related Links:
Buy Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage - Xbox Marketplace
Beat 'em Ups - Xbox Overview
Sega - Official Site
M2 - Official Site
Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage -  Metacritic
Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage - GameFAQs
Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage - True Achievements

Trine 2 (XBLA, 2011)

Trine 2
Developed by Frozenbyte, Inc.
Published by Atlus
Released for XBLA (12/2011)
Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS3/WiiU
Backwards Compatible on Xbox One

Trine 2 is an interesting hybrid of puzzle/platformer/action that actually works quite well. Similar to The Lost Vikings (originally released for the Mega Drive/Sega Genesis in 1992), you have three characters at your disposal each with different abilities, and you'll have to use their abilities combined to overcome the various puzzles you'll encounter throughout. One of the characters uses magic to levitate objects, one can fire arrows and the other uses melee attacks with his sword. In single player mode, you can switch between the three characters on the fly, and the game also supports up to three players local or online. I wasn't able to find any players online in my time with the game but I could see how this would be a fun title with three players. The game controls like a 2D platformer, but features fully-rendered 3D environments. The graphics are quite beautiful, with lush details and vibrant colors all over the place. Controlling the characters is simple, the jumping is bit floaty but none of the platforming is demanding enough to make it much of a problem. The problem-solving aspect of the game is very well done, with multiple ways to get past many of the sections. The game features twenty levels and when coupled with the fact the game features co-op play makes Trine 2 a pretty sweet package, especially for those who like solving puzzles.

The original Trine was released for PC and PlayStation 3 in 2009, later being ported also to Mac & Linux operating systems and would later see a re-release titled Trine: Enchanted Edition, as well as Trine 3, neither of which would see a release to an X-Box system. Considering how many other platforms the original and third entries were released on, it's a bit odd that these weren't ported over to the Xbox One as I believe the sales would have easily exceeded whatever profits were gained from the Wii U release.

Final Verdict: Trine 2 is a fun 2.5D puzzle-platform-action game that features local or online co-op for up to three players. Recommended for those who enjoy a good puzzle to solve!

External Links:
Buy Trine 2 - Xbox Marketplace
Frozenbyte Inc - Official Website
Atlus - Official Website

qrth-phyl (XBLIG, 2012)

qrth-phyl
Developed by hermitgames
Released for XBLIG (9/2012)
Also on PC

qrth-phyl is a strange 3D version of snake (the game that was always included with old cellphones) combined with dot-munching mechanics of old classics like Pac-Man. Levels will switch between a 2D plane and full open 3D environments. On the 2D stages, you'll be able to go off the edge and around to the other side of the board. Once you've finished the level you'll go into a hole in the center which will then take you to a 3D level where the same rules apply (don't run into yourself) but you can freely move in all directions. The 3D visuals look nice, on par with the other efforts from the developer. The camera can be a bit problematic on some of the 3D stages as sometimes your snake can obstruct your view. Power-ups can be picked up, including one that turns all of your segments into dots you can munch up for points. One strike against the game is that even though it does keep track of your score, there is no high score table anywhere to be found, which would've provided further incentive to come back to the game. Levels are procedurally-generated so this does help the game feel a bit different each time you play. qrth-phyl is definitely an unique take on the classic "snake" games and is worth a look for anybody who wants to see the genre make the jump into 3D.

Final Verdict: If you take gameplay elements from the "snake" games and mix in some dot-munching from old maze games, you end with qrth-phyl. Definitely a unique title.

radiangames Ballistic (XBLIG, 2011)

radiangames Ballistic
Developed by Radiangames
Released for XBLIG (1/2011)
Also on iOS/Macintosh/Ouya/PC

radiangames Ballistic is the seventh and final release from the developer on XBLIG. Ballistic plays like your traditional arena twin-stick shooter. The main game features an infinite number of waves filled with frenetic blasting action. If you've played any of Radiangames previous entries then the presentation will be familiar. The menu designs, sounds and in-game graphics are very consistent throughout the whole series. The enemy design is definitely the weakest aspect of the game, as you'll be shooting at circular enemies of varying shapes and colors. Once the shooting action begins you'll hardly have time to care about what you're shooting and the core gameplay delivers the goods in Ballistic.

The controls are extremely responsive and you're given a few weapons you can choose from, plus a power-shot modifier activated by hold the right trigger. This shot is limited so you'll want to save it for when you really need it. Every ten rounds, you're given another upgrade point which you can use to power-up one of nine different enhancements to your ship. In addition to the waves mode, there are also five challenges where you have a time limit to rack up your highest possible score. This title supports two-players and is a good time, but of course multiplayer is local only. radiangames Ballistic gives you a lot of bang for your buck and is a very polished twin-stick shooter.

Final Verdict: radiangames Ballistic is an excellent twin-stick shooter featuring excellent controls and some decent replay value.

Weapon of Choice (XBLIG, 2008)

Weapon of Choice
Developed by Mommy's Best Games
Released for XBLIG (11/2008)
Also on PC

Weapon of Choice was the first release from Mommy's Best Games and it's a 2D run & gunner. The graphics consist of high-res detailed art and it looks fantastic, easily one of the best looking XBLIG titles of its time. There are three characters to select from at the start, each equipped with a different primary weapon. You're given a quick rundown on the controls and allowed to try them out after selecting your character. The first thing I noticed when dropped into the game was that the frame-rate is not the smoothest and everything just seems to move a bit clunky. I warmed up to it quick, but at first it is a bit jarring. The controls work well and the everything is quite responsive despite the frame-rate issue. 

The enemy designs are absolutely nuts and you'll find yourself wanting to keep playing just to see what insanity lies in store for the next boss battle. Levels branch off at the end allowing you to see different levels on each playthrough and contains four different endings, adding some nice replay value. There's also a feature called death-brushing, where time will slow down if you're close to hitting something fatal allowing you a chance to save yourself, making this a friendly experience for those new to the run & gun genre. Two-player simultaneous action is available locally. For more experienced players, there are six varying degrees of difficulty to ensure you feel challenged. Weapon of Choice is a solid first effort from Mommy's Best Games, and would plant the seeds for their future run & gun title Serious Sam: Double D which plays quite similar.

Final Verdict: Weapon of Choice is a crazy 2D run & gun that will mostly cater to fans of the genre but is quite accessible to novice players as well.

Star Crisis (XBLIG, 2010)

Star Crisis
Developed by Excalibur Studios
Released for XBLIG (8/2010)

Star Crisis is a horizontal shmup released exclusively for XBLIG. Rather than piloting a ship like the majority of these types of shooters, in this game you play as an astronaut, floating about in space. The big difference in gameplay here is that your character is constantly floating downwards, and the player must use the thrusters to keep afloat, similar to Lunar Lander. This makes something as simple as lining up your shots or grabbing a power-up a lot harder than your typical shmup. The title features retro-styled pixel graphics and they are well above-average. The chiptune music on the first level was quite catchy. After playing through the trial for Star Crisis, I was impressed by the overall look of the game however I found myself really wishing the game had a standard control scheme for the movement as I just really couldn't get a feel for the thrusters in a horizontal shooter like this one. Star Crisis has a neat idea that just didn't necessarily translate to additional fun.

Final Verdict: Star Crisis is a horizontal shmup where you must thrust to move about. Those who love the thruster controls of Lunar Lander might enjoy this one.

Unholy Heights (XBLIG, 2013)

Unholy Heights
Developed by chiclo
Released for XBLIG (9/2013)
Also on 3DS, PC & PlayStation 4

Unholy Heights is an interesting hybrid of apartment management and tower defense. Your tenants will consist of various cutely designed monsters. As the building manager (also the devil), you'll need to keep an eye on the satisfaction level of your tenants and do whatever you can to keep them happy. You'll be able to expand your building so you can have more rooms for additional tenants as well. For a big cash bonus, you can take on quests. The quest I saw while playing the trial involved two heroes, each attacking separately, show up to attack you. You character lacks the ability to attack himself, however you can summon your tenants to do the fighting for you. Each different type of monster has an attack type specific to them, such as melee or long-range attacks. The graphics are well-drawn high-res sprites and it's all very easy on the eyes. Unholy Heights is recommended to anybody who loves the idea of an apartment management and tower defense hybrid, as it's pretty well executed here. The release for PlayStation 4 has trophies and the PC release for Steam has achievement support, so if you have those platforms available you may want to buy the game there.

Final Verdict: Unholy Heights is a unique blend of managing an apartment complex and tower defense that's easy to play and great at killing time.

Cthulhu Saves the World (XBLIG, 2010)

Cthulhu Saves the World
Developed by Zeboyd Games
Released for XBLIG (12/2010)
Also on Android, iOS, Macintosh & PC

Cthulhu Saves the World is a tribute to old-school JRPGs and is similar to their previous effort, Breath of Death VII: The Beginning, but the game overall has a bit more polish this time. The overall graphics have been improved and the battle screens look much better in this title. The main quest will last you rougly 6-10 hours, which is an incredible value for a game that's selling for a dollar. You now have save notebooks that allow you to save whenever you want as opposed to having designated save areas in their previous game. Also, there are 1ups available that will let you retry a battle if you fail. There are seven playable characters, one of them being Cthulhu from the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. The humor from Breath of Death VII is still intact and the character interactions are well written. There are multiple difficulties and post-game modes for some extra replay value for those who want more after finishing the main quest. Cthulhu Saves the World retailed for $3 when it came out, but the developer has since dropped the price to $1 making this one a must-buy for old-school RPG fans!

Final Verdict: Cthulhu Saves the World is an excellent tribute to old-school JRPGs that any fan of the genre should give a look.

Breath of Death VII: The Beginning (XBLIG, 2010)

Breath of Death VII: The Beginning
Developed by Zeboyd Games
Released for XBLIG (4/2010)
Also on PC

Breath of Death VII: The Beginning is an excellent homage to the JRPGs of the 8 & 16-bit eras. The game wastes no time and gets you pretty much right into it, with a brief explanation of your stats and character. The battles in the game are turn-based, a battle system not too commonly seen these days. Stepping onto a save point will restore all of your life & magic, allowing to recharge in between battles if a save is near. The graphics are composed of pixels, which are simple but pack quite a bit of charm. The characters and dialogue exchanges are well written and full of humor, with many references to video games of old packed in there. The game will last you roughly about four to six hours, which is a pretty sweet deal for a buck. There are also hard and score modes if you want to go back and replay the game again. If you cut your teeth on the RPGs of the old days, Breath of Death VII should spark up some nostalgia while providing a fun new game at the same time.

Final Verdict: Breath of Death VII: The Beginning is a throwback turn-based RPG that fans of old-school JRPGs will love!

Redshift (XBLIG, 2012)

Redshift
Developed by Daniel Aguisky
Released for XBLIG (3/2012)

Redshift is a vertical shmup released exclusively for XBLIG. The game features a red tint to everything and the ships are presented very basic in their design. Gameplay is very much a traditional bullet-hell shmup, with your spread and focus forms of fire and ship speed decreasing when firing your focused shot. Unique to Redshift is the gauge that when filled, can unleash either a screen-clearing bomb or activate slow-motion. The game boasts having 999 procedurally-generated levels, which can make for quite a bit replay value. From the menu you can select from several difficulties so the game can be a bit easier than your typical shmup, making it a good game for those new to the genre as well as series veterans. While Redshift is not the prettiest game to look, it plays well and shmup fans should easily find it worth the dollar price tag.

Final Verdict: Redshift is an enjoyable 2D shmup that doesn't look the greatest but has solid gameplay deeming it worth a look, especially for shooter fans.

Revolver360 (XBLIG, 2010)

Revolver360
Developed by Cross Eaglet
Released for XBLIG (12/2010)
Also on PC

Revolver360 is a horizontal shmup with 3D rendered graphics. The poly count isn't the highest, but everything has a good polished look for the most part. All of the ships and enemies consist of weird abstract shapes. The unique feature of Revolver360 is that by using the left and right triggers you can turn the world around 360 degrees, allowing you to turn a curtain of bullets on their side making it flat and easy to dodge. It's an interesting mechanic for sure and definitely gives the game a feel of its own. There's a short game mode for quick bursts of play and infinite game mode that will go on until you die. The backgrounds during the game are constantly switching up and at times can be so psychedelic and bright it makes the enemy bullets hard to see. Overall the gameplay feels good in Revolver360, making yet another of many solid offerings in the genre on XBLIG. The game is currently priced at a dollar so you really can't go wrong with this one!

Final Verdict: Revolver360 is a solid horizontal shmup with a unique rotation feature. Well worth checking out at the $1 asking price!

Volchaos (XBLIG, 2011)

Volchaos
Developed by Fun Infused Games
Released for XBLIG (11/2011)
Also on Ouya & PC

From the same guy who brought you the highly-acclaimed Hypership Out of Control comes Volchaos, a 2D platformer with a focus on getting the fastest time possible. The game has the same style of blocky-pixel graphics as their former effort, though the color palette is much brighter this time around and it looks great. The jumping is a tad floaty, but I found it something quite easy to get familiarized with. You're rewarded for getting to the finish flag as fast as possible, and if you'd like an extra challenge their are gems scattered about you can collect. The full game features 42 levels in total so this one should provide at least a few hours of fun. An extra-hard difficulty can be unlocked if you perform well enough on all stages. Volchaos is ideal for gamers who like speed-running through stages for the best times.

Final Verdict: Volchaos is a fun 2D platformer with some solid controls and nice pixel graphics. Retro platformer fans should have some fun with this one.