This is Vegas (Xbox 360, Cancelled)

This is Vegas
Developed by Surreal Software
Published by Midway/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Announced for PS3/Xbox 360 (2/2008)
Cancelled (8/2010)

This is Vegas was originally announced in February 2008 and was being developed by Surreal Software, a studio perhaps best known for the Suffering series that had releases for PlayStation 2, Gamecube, PC and Xbox. This is Vegas was going to be an open-world game that would let you explore Las Vegas and featured gambling, racing, fighting and partying.

There was some gameplay footage released for the game (link at bottom), but it only showcases the party aspect of the game. The character walks around a nightclub, speaking with various people and obtaining objectives. One of the missions involves dancing in order to get the dance floor popping. The dancing is about what you'd expect, involving hitting button combinations as they scroll down to the indicator at the bottom. Another objective involves punching an obnoxious patron. The fighting system was proposed to have had combos and defense options and from what was shown on the video, the fighting actually didn't look all that bad.

After completing these objectives the character goes over to the bar, orders a drink, swigs it down and throws up in front of a bunch of females, who all run off disgusted. They also display our character trying to dance while inebriated, sloppily flailing about and bumping into nearby patrons. It is then demonstrated that you can bring your buzz down by using the urinal. After this, they show that you can serve drinks, which turns into a minigame where you have to serve customers quickly before they become irritated, a bit similar to the arcade Tapper, though it didn't look near as fun as that old classic. 

Our character is then shown back on the dance floor, busting out some more moves and getting the whole crowd involved for some synchronized dancing. After this, apparently our character has earned enough 'party points' to unlock the wet t-shirt contest, so he gets to grab the spray hose and blast 3 giggling ladies. After this we get one final shot of the dance floor, which shows it packed up and everybody having a good time, with the party officially popping. As far as the gameplay is concerned, it looked decent for what it was but it's a bit odd how they would choose to showcase what is easily the most uninteresting aspect of the game (partying). I think it's safe to say most people would've much rather had a look into the gambling, racing or fighting. Showcasing one of these, especially if the gambling part looked good, would have definitely helped garner some more interest in the title.

This is Vegas ran into some issues when publisher Midway closed down due to bankruptcy and most of its assets went to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. At the point when the publisher changed, Midway had already invested around $43 million into the development of This is Vegas, but the game still wasn't quite ready for release yet. The game still had a lot of development time left and would take around a year to finish at the time Warner Bros. attained the property. They must have deemed it too expensive to finish and cancelled the project. That's over $40 million and several years of development time just thrown away. This is Vegas was definitely an ambitious project, maybe too ambitious, but is still an interesting one to look back on and wonder what could have been. Perhaps they should have just focused on the gambling aspect and left all that other stuff as an after-thought for a sequel if it worked out?

Related Links:
This is Vegas - Xbox Marketplace
This is Vegas Trailer - YouTube
This is Vegas Gameplay Footage - YouTube
This is Vegas Canned Announcement - Xbox Achievements
This is Vegas - Wikipedia

The Undead Syndrome (XBLIG, 2012)

The Undead Syndrome
Developed by MukagoSoftware Development
Released for XBLIG (7/2012)
Also on PC

The Undead Syndrome feels kind of like a B-horror movie turned into a video game, where the low-budget aspect of it really shows in the overall gameplay and presentation. It's hard to deny that there is a sort of charm to the sloppiness that is The Undead Syndrome, and I found myself wanting more whenever the trial expiration screen came popping up. The game is obviously inspired by Japanese horror classic Silent Hill and it retailed for just a buck (or 80 Microsoft Points). As a fan of horror games, this was a no-brainer for me and I must say this is easily Mukagosoftware Development's best work for XBLIG that I've played.

The Undead Syndrome opens with a cinema of a female character getting stabbed by a mysterious man. You then wake up in a sort of nightmare world playing as the same female you just saw get murdered. As you navigate the strange environment, which appears to be a Japanese-style house with many rooms, you'll end up having to backtrack quite a bit and regardless if you've cleared a room of enemies previously they'll respawn every time you re-enter the room. This isn't as bad as it sounds due to the fact that the game has a leveling system, so you'll be rewarded with XP for killing enemies. The objective of the game is to kill three boss monsters, but in order to reach them you'll need to do some exploring in order to find the keys to access the areas they reside in. You'll learn a bit more about your character's story as you progress, but the game leaves the ending on a "to be continued..." note. Thankfully the sequel was released and we'll cover that here in the near future.

After starting you'll soon unlock your offensive ability, which allows you to use ki to blast energy orbs from your hands. Using the attack will consume a meter and when it empties out you can't shoot anymore. Your ki meter will slowly recharge on its own and can be sped up by using ki recovery items. In addition to these, you have an inventory where you can store items to replenish health, antidotes, keys and stones. Your character has five slots where you can place these stones into implants, one in each hand, two in the chest and one in the head. Placing various stones in certain spots unlocks certain benefits and it's fun to change these around as you pick up more of them throughout the game. Some of them can give you a 25% protection from being cursed or poisoned and there's one that will increase your character's movement speed (a must use!).

You'd think with a title like the Undead Syndrome that you'd be facing off against flesh-eating zombies, but instead you'll encounter strange monsters that look as if they're from a feverish nightmare or another dimension. The enemy AI isn't the smartest, nor do they come in many varieties, but what's here decent and they're strange enough to make the game at least a bit unsettling. Similar to the Silent Hill games, whenever you enter a room with enemy presence it will be indicated by an eerie ambient sound. Your attack takes quite some time as it has to charge before you can aim it, making it a problem when the developers pack multiple enemies into a small space. There are safe rooms containing shops and beds you can use to save your game and replenish your meters which you'll want to use often as death can come quite swift and unexpectedly at times in the Undead Syndrome. There are also shops where you can purchase stuff like health and ki recovery items. The inventory space provided for your character is a bit small, which means you'll frequently have to mess with your inventory to make space for new items.

The graphics in the Undead Syndrome may not look so hot considering the console generation, but compared to your average 3D XBLIG game they're quite adequate. On the plus side, with the simplistic visuals the game loads up very fast, but the downside is that your character looks a bit like an action figure moving about. The inventory system, controls and combat are a tad clunky, but the game is short enough that it didn't have much of a chance to irritate me. While obviously low-budget, the Undead Syndrome can be fun if you don't mind a short and flawed game.

Final Verdict: The Undead Syndrome is a short but enjoyable horror title with a low-budget feel and strange environments that has quite a few problems, but horror fanatics might still want to give it a look.

Related Links:
Mukagosoftware Development - Xbox Overview
The Undead Syndrome - GameFAQs
The Undead Syndrome Review - TheXBLIG.com
The Undead Syndrome Review - Mash Those Buttons
Mukagosoftware Development - Official Site
The Undead Syndrome: Low-Budget Horror - YouTube

Reagan Gorbachev (Xbox One, 2016)

Reagan Gorbachev
Developed/Published by Team2Bit
Released for Xbox One (2/24/2016)
Also on Ouya/PC

Reagan Gorbachev is brought to us by Team2Bit, developers of XBLIG titles Washington's Wig and Fist Puncher, which were both solid efforts when compared to the average XBLIG title. Reagan Gorbachev originally released in October 2014 for the Ouya (remember that thing?!) and would later release for PC and Xbox One in February 2016. As the title suggests, the game stars both Reagan and Gorbachev, who must team up after being captured by militant extremists.

Reagan Gorbachev features both characters on-screen simultaneously, allowing for either solo or local-coop play (no online play included). When playing solo, you'll just have to either manually switch between characters or use the LB to command the other to follow you. It's manageable but the game is definitely best enjoyed when playing with someone. Reagan Gorbachev plays similar to the Hotline Miami games, where the action is viewed from a top-down perspective with an aiming control scheme of a twin-stick shooter. While you can manually aim your weapon using the right stick, there's also a target lock-on system in place. Pressing the Y button will highlight a nearby enemy, pressing Y again will de-select the target or the right stick can be used to toggle between available targets. The lock-on target system is a bit clunky, particularly when trying to quickly switch targets, but it's one you'll need to use in order to survive the tougher stages. The targeting system works, but it's certainly not optimized. The funky lock-on aim isn't a game-breaker and, outside of that issue, the controls work well.

On the first level you'll obtain the default weapons for both characters: a katana for Reagan and poison darts for Gorbachev. Other weapons can be picked up, which include the usual suspects such as revolvers, silenced handguns, shotguns, assault rifles, grenade/rocket launchers and even a minigun. There are a total of 32 levels to play through in Reagan Gorbachev. Stealth is the best approach on most levels, though you can just run in with all guns blazing if you wish. The enemies are fierce and will close in the second they detect you. Being caught in their line of sight often results in instant death. Speaking of death, you will die a lot playing Reagan Gorbachev, but it's all part of the learning process. In addition to the armed extremists, you'll also have to contend with dogs and turrets which both pose a lethal threat. The turrets can only be destroyed with explosives, so on levels with no rocket or grenade launchers you'll have to extra careful to stay out of their line of sight. There are a few stages with boss battles as well for some needed variety. Overall, the enemies aren't particularly interesting from a design aspect, but they all pose a serious threat and will keep you on your toes.

A level can be completed by simply finding the exit, which represented by a vent duct on the ground. and after using the exit you'll lose all weapons but the default sword/darts. Each level is followed by a trivia question, with the answer being either Reagan or Gorbachev. Other than some achievements tied to them and some random trivia there's no real reward for getting these correct, so don't sweat it if you get them wrong.

Reagan Gorbachev features throwback pixel graphics and while they are quite simple, there's still enough detail you can always tell what you're looking at. The character sprites smoothly rotate around as you adjust your character with the sticks and it all looks decent enough. The cut-scenes between stages look very nice, while lacking in animation the pixel art is impressive. The sound effects are appropriately retro and go right along with the visuals, though this means they are also a bit limited and you'll hear the same dozen or so sounds throughout the whole game. Luckily, none of the sounds are too irritating so it's not that big of a deal. The music sticks with the retro theme and, like the sound effects, is a bit limited with only a few tracks that you'll hear throughout the game. What's here as far as music is good though and sounds like something that would have come out of a Sound Blaster card on your computer back in the day. Overall, Regan Gorbachev boasts a solid retro presentation in all departments. Your mileage may vary of course and if you aren't into games rocking old-school pixel graphics this one isn't going to convert you.

While there are some issues with the lock-on aiming, Reagan Gorbachev is still an enjoyable game, especially if you have a local buddy to play coop with. The game is still playable and a good time in single player, but is much more enjoyable with a second player. It's a bit on the short side and can easily be completed in around 5-8 hours, which felt just about right for this type game. There's some nice retro charm in the pixel graphics, so if enjoy twin-stick shooters and you're looking for a fun throwback Retro Gorbachev might be for you.

There's something strange in regards to the achievement list in Reagan Gorbachev. There are 10 achievements each worth 100 points each, so you have your typical 1000 gamerscore available. Where it gets weird is that there are a total of 21 achievements to unlock, meaning that there are 11 achievements that are worth absolutely nothing as far as gamerscore is concerned. The only time I recall ever seeing achievements with no gamerscore was Quake 2 on the Xbox 360. It doesn't hurt the game in any way, just thought I'd give it a mention as it's not something you typically see.

Final Verdict: Reagan Gorbachev plays similar to Hotline Miami, featuring a retro presentation with  an overhead view and a twin-stick control layout. There's local coop support and despite some control issues the game is quite fun.

Related Links:
Buy Reagan Gorbachev - Microsoft Store
Team2Bit - Official Site
Regan Gorbachev Official Trailer - YouTube
Reagan Gorbachev - Metacritic
Reagan Gorbachev - GameFAQs
Reagan Gorbachev - True Achievements
Reagan Gorbachev Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements

Hori Gem Pad EX (Xbox 360)

Hori Gem Pad EX

Developed by Hori Co.

Released for Xbox 360 (11/2013)

The Hori Gem Pad EX is a wired controller compatible with the Xbox 360. The first thing I noticed when handling the controller is that the size is quite a bit more compact than the standard 360 controllers. As a result everything on the face feels a tad cramped, and those with large hands will definitely prefer the Microsoft controllers. The analog sticks don't have the rubber on the tips, so your grip never feels as good as it does on padded sticks, though the analog function works quite well and there is a switch to choose between three sensitivities. The d-pad is a noticeable improvement as it is a cross shape similar to the Xbox One controllers, making this a very decent option for 2D gaming. The triggers and bumpers are laid out a bit more flat on the top and take a bit less pressure to activate than usual. Whether or not you like this can vary from person to person, personally I prefer the standard trigger style. 

The Gem Pad EX definitely scores points for looking cool. The variety I purchased features a clear cystal-like blue shell on the front half, and when plugged in there are some LED lights inside that illuminate the controller. There is no option to turn these lights off, so as soon as the controller is plugged in the lights come on. There were four different color varieties of the shell on this controller released: red, blue, black and clear. The cord is of decent length and as long as you don't mind a wired controller is not too bad. I recall paying quite a bit less than the asking price of the Microsoft controllers and if you can find it for that I'd say it's not a bad controller though I do wish it was a bit less cramped.

Final Verdict: The Hori Gem Pad EX is a decent alternative the standard Xbox 360 controllers and, at its time of release, also retailed at a lower cost.

Insanity X (XBLIG, 2011)

Insanity X
Developed by Aetherbyte
Released for XBLIG (6/2011)

Insanity X plays similar to Atari's arcade classic Berserk. This is a port of Insanity, which was originally a homebrew game released for the PC-Engine/Turbo Grafx-16 Super CD-ROM. Insanity X features responsive controls and Berserk veterans will instantly feel at home with the gameplay. You must navigate from room to room while killing enemies and if you touch any of the walls you die instantly. The soundtrack here is awesome and the game allows you to choose between synth or chip-tune music at the title screen.

While obviously inspired by Berserk, Insanity X isn't exactly the same. While Berzerk basically went on until you died, as there were thousands of rooms, Insanity X actually has a boss battle. After blasting through a few dozen levels, you'll face off against a boss in the form of the robot master. Insanity X comes recommended for fans of retro games, particularly Berserk. Unfortunately, at the time I wrote the review the above was the best image I could find for the title card, which featured some sweet artwork.

Final Verdict: Insanity X is an excellent Berserk inspired game that plays competently and will be enjoyed by those who loved the original or just retro games in general.

Related Links:
Insanity X - GameFAQs
Insanity Turbografx-CD Review - Honest Gamers

Fist Puncher (XBLIG, 2013)

Fist Puncher
Developed by Team2Bit
Released for XBLIG (8/2013)
Also on Linux, Macintosh, Ouya, PC

Let's take a look at the trial for Fist Puncher, which is a beat 'em up title where you walk to the right beating up anybody in your path. Fist Puncher features heavily pixelated graphics, which do sport a considerable amount of detail considering how blocky they are. The environments are nice-looking and varied enough to keep the setting interesting. You have several characters to choose from and you can spend your points on upgrading your character after completing a stage, similar to Castle Crashers. The controls are responsive enough, giving the player a kick, punch, jump and grab at their disposal. Holding the right trigger will modify your moves into more damaging variants while draining your special meter.

The problem I had with Fist Puncher was simple: the game was way too easy. I may have sustained a couple hits in my playtime, but enemies occasionally dropping food made sure my health stayed at pretty much 100%. A beat 'em up without any sort of engaging enemies or challenge is a recipe for boredom. I think the developer(s) had their heart in the right place and had the best intentions of making a cool beat 'em up since some of the character design isn't too shabby and the environments are well done, but ultimately the lack of any challenge in the gameplay really killed my interest in the title. Oh, and the game retailed for five times as much as your average indie game retailing at $4.99. Fist Puncher does support up to four-players local, and even with the issues the game has I could see this being a fun time with four buddies.

Final Verdict: I really wanted to like Fist Puncher, but the lack of difficulty and high price tag kept that from happening. There's at least a dozen or so better beat 'em up titles on the 360 you should play instead of this one.

Far Cry 3 Classic Edition (Xbox One, 2018)

Far Cry 3 Classic Edition
Developed by Ubisoft Montreal
Published by Ubisoft
Released for Xbox One (6/2018)
Also on PC/PS3/PS4/X360

This will be a review strictly discussing the Xbox One port of Far Cry 3, so if you'd like to read the review on the game itself check out the Xbox 360 review here. The Xbox One port is mostly the same game, though there are a few key differences which we'll discuss in this review.

Far Cry 3 Classic Edition was originally included with the Season Pass for Far Cry 5 and was later sold individually as it's own standalone game, being made available four weeks earlier for Season Pass holders. Far Cry 3 Classic Edition contains only the single-player campaign, which means that the multiplayer co-op and PvP modes from the Xbox 360 version have been removed. This also means no map editor, which would be a bit pointless with no online community to share your maps with.

Far Cry 3 was a standout title back when it released in 2012 and while it has aged a bit in the graphics depatrment, the gameplay holds up well. Unfortunately Ubisoft Montreal hasn't done a whole lot here when it comes to graphical improvements, so those expecting a shiny remaster might find themselves a bit disappointed. The visual fidelity has been bumped up a tad,  featuring a higher-resolution and generally sharper textures, though you'll still come across the odd texture that looks like they forgot to upscale. The framerate on the Xbox 360 version of the game was a bit erratic, but with an Xbox One X the game now runs at a steady 30 FPS. While the framerate shoots for 30 FPS and will achieve this on the X model systems, the base and S Xbox One models it will dip below that quite regularly. While I would have loved to see the game run at 60 FPS or at least get more of a visual upgrade, there is still a noticeable improvement from the previous versions available.

While Far Cry 3 Classic Edition is still an enjoyable game, it's a shame that Ubisoft didn't take the time to add some extra polish to this classic. Instead, this port feels a bit rushed and is missing some of the content from the Xbox 360 version of the game. Despite these issues, the game is still a fun time and worth a play if you wish to revisit one of Ubisoft's biggest hits of the previous generation.

Final Verdict: Far Cry 3 Classic Edition performs better than the old Xbox 360 version, but the graphics aren't really that big of a step up and there is some content missing. Despite not being much of a remaster, the game still proves a fun way to kill some time.

Purchase Links:
Buy Far Cry 3 Classic Edition - Microsoft Store
Buy Far Cry Insanity Bundle - Microsoft Store
Buy Far Cry 3 Classic Edition Disc - eBay

Related Links:
Far Cry 3 - Xbox Overview
Ubisoft - Official Site
Ubisoft Montreal - Official Site
Far Cry 3 Classic Edition Console Test - Digital Foundry
Far Cry 3 Classic Edition - Metacritic
Far Cry 3 Classic - GameFAQs
Far Cry 3 Classic - True Achievements
Far Cry 3 Classic Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements

The Impossible Game (XBLIG, 2009)

The Impossible Game
Developed by FlukeDude
Released for XBLIG (11/23/2009)
Also on iOS/Linux/Macintosh/PC/PS3/PSP/Windows Phone

The Impossible Game is a platformer that pretty much boils the genre down to its simplest form, with gameplay that consists entirely of timing your jumps. The game contains only a single level, but as the title implies this level is quite challenging. This single stage can be cleared in about a minute and a half on a perfect run, but you'll spend much, much longer than that attempting to get through it.

In the Impossible Game, you'll take control of a square that scrolls along a 2D plane automatically, similar to many games in the runner genre, where your character is always moving forward with no input required from the player. Since you don't have to worry about movement, your priority will be timing your jumps to make it over the pits and spikes littered throughout the stage. It's simple, but it's far from easy. The speed at which your square auto-scrolls is quite fast and making some of the jumps will take very precise timing of your jumps. There's also quite a bit of memorization required, but this will come naturally as you play through the stage hundreds if not thousands of times trying to complete it.

The graphics complement the simple gameplay, consisting of solid squares and triangles placed upon a gradient background. While the visual presentation is simple, the music is awesome and makes dying a bit less painful knowing you'll get to hear the soundtrack. The level must be completed in a single run, but there is a practice mode that allows you place checkpoints anywhere along the path. After dying, you'll spawn back at the last checkpoint you've placed, making completing the level much easier but a lot less satisfying. There is a penalty for using practice mode, where the excellent music is replaced by a lame track. Finishing practice mode will end with a message telling you complete the stage legit.

The Impossible Game was one of the more successful titles on XBLIG and could regularly be found in the best-sellers section of the store. The game definitely earned its spot with easy controls coupled with a stiff challenge all to the tune of an excellent soundtrack. If you're a fan of brutal platformers you'll likely enjoy this one. If you're easily frustrated or just don't like hard games, you'd probably do your controller a favor to stay away from this one.

The Impossible Game Level Pack released for XBLIG in November 2010. This level pack added 2 new levels that ramp up the challenge compared to the original stage. While the pack started with only 2 levels, the developer diligently updated it over the course of time to include 2 more, for a total of 4 new levels, each with a new song to enjoy while you inevitably die thousands of times trying to complete these. These additional levels can be selected in any order, giving you some options if you get hung up on a particular level. The level pack was a great deal for those who enjoyed the original game, offering quite a bit of extra content which sold for the reasonable price of 80 Microsoft Points (or $1).

The Impossible Game was initially released on XBLIG in November 2009, was next released for iOS devices in April 2010 and even saw a release for the PlayStation Portable in September 2011. At the time of this writing, the game's final releases would come in May 2014 for PC, Linux and Macintosh. All versions of the game from the PSP onward include the bonus stages from the level pack.

Final Verdict: The Impossible Game is a short, simple platformer with a stiff challenge. If you like your games tough, give this one a look as it's still available on a number of platforms.

Related Links
The Impossible Game - Official Site
The Impossible Game Trailer - YouTube
Rage Quit: The Impossible Game - YouTube
The Impossible Game - GameFAQs
The Impossible Game Level Pack - GameFAQs

XBLIG Origins | Xbox Overview

XBLIG Origins
Originally Published March 5, 2020

The origins of Xbox Live Indie Games (XBLIG) goes back as far as 2006, one year after the system's launch, when Microsoft reached out to developers to make them aware of the upcoming indie games program. Microsoft introduced the XNA Framework, a tool that aimed to simplify game programming and make it easier to realize your creations. In late  November 2008, the indie games storefront debuted as "Xbox Live Community Games" and was later renamed to XBLIG. 

While I never had first-hand experience using the XNA Development tools, which allowed you to program in either C# or Visual Basic .NET. While I never had first-hand experience using XNA, I've read from several developers that the platform was intuitive and made designing quick and simple. Support for the XNA Development tools would be discontinued in 2013 and the service would not carry over to the Xbox One. The Microsoft Indie Outreach program would eventually be replaced with the ID@Xbox initiative, which is still active today.

There were well over 3,000 titles released by the time XBLIG wrapped up, an impressive number even if well over half of those titles are crap. This massive amount of games is one of the things that made it so hard for the good games to stand out, as they would tend to get buried under heaps of garbage and would require some digging to find. Of course, Microsoft's placement of the XBLIG storefront made matters worse and by even by the last update you still had to scroll through several layers of menu to find it. Microsoft offered up an awesome service with XBLIG but in the long run didn't do enough to really help it succeed.

If you were releasing a game onto the XBLIG service, you had a number of things working against your game finding success. In addition to a store crowded with sub-par games and a storefront that's a bit tough to find, none of the titles sold on XBLIG were allowed to contain any achievements or gamerscore. Achievements took off in a big way during the Xbox 360 era and there's no doubt one of the several reasons these games didn't get much play is due to the lack of them.

There were several limits when releasing a game on XBLIG when compared to your standard Xbox Live Arcade game. Developers could sell their games for 3 different price ranges: 80, 240 or 400 Microsoft points, which equals out to $1, $2.50 or $5. The titles priced at $1 were obviously the most tempting, but there were also the most duds at this price range. When XBLIG first launched, a strict 150 MB file-size limit was imposed, but was later upgraded to 500 MB. Leaderboards and online play weren't officially supported by Microsoft, but there were some clever developers that managed to get around this and included these features in their games using workarounds

In conclusion, XBLIG was a great idea and helped spur the indie games movement on home consoles, but was filled with a ton of potential that was never fully realized. Despite the numerous issues with XBLIG, there were still some awesome titles released that were definitely worth playing. There was an excellent write-up back in March 2011 on Gamasutra, which talks about and interviews several of the more prominent developers for the XBLIG platform. It's a good read and worth a look if you're interested in hearing first-hand accounts from some of the developers.

Related Links:
XBLIG - Xbox Overview
The Shutdown of XBLIG - Xbox Overview
ID@Xbox - Xbox
Xbox Live Creators Program - Xbox
XNA Development - Official Site
XBLIG Developers at a Crossroads - Gamasutra 
XBLIG - Wikipedia

Glass Masquerade (Xbox One, 2019)

Glass Masquerade
Developed by Onyx Lute/Stage Clear Studios
Published by Digerati Distribution
Released for Xbox One (2/8/2019)
Also on Mac/PC/PS4/Switch

Originally released in November 2016 for PC & Mac, Glass Masquerade made its way to home consoles with releases for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in February 2019.
Glass Masquerade is pretty much exactly what it claims to be: a relaxing puzzle game. The game consists of 25 different jigsaw-style puzzles, but rather than standard pieces you'll be reassembling shards of glass to form a stained-glass image.

Each stained-glass puzzle in Glass Masquerade represents a country and with 25 different levels there's a decent variety when it comes to the themes. The puzzle for Britain features Sherlock Holmes, Germany has a knight on horseback, Sweden features Vikings and China has a dragon just to name a few. The artwork is cool on each one and they look like they could be legit stained-glass pieces. There's a sense of discovery as you slowly unveil each image piece by piece.

The gameplay and controls are simple: select a piece from either side of the screen and drag it to where it should be in the puzzle area, using the A button to select and drop pieces. If the piece is aligned where it belongs in the puzzle (or at least close proximity) then it will drop into place, otherwise it will drop back over to the side, where you can grab it and try again or go for another piece. Each puzzle starts off by giving you a few corner pieces, giving you a base to start from. You can back out of a puzzle at anytime with the B button and the game will save your progress, allowing you to pick right back up where you left off next time you play.

While the control scheme is nice and simple, moving the puzzle pieces can feel a bit clunky. There's a bit of a delay to the piece movement and if you move a piece too far it will overshoot to the other side of the screen. It's not as bad as it sounds and while it was a bit annoying at first I warmed up to the controls rather quick. Smoother controls would definitely have been nice, but once you get used to the movement sensitivity the controls work fine.

Other than the slight control issue, I had a hard time finding much to complain about with Glass Masquerade. Those who enjoy jigsaw puzzles or relaxing puzzle games in general will find something to like in Glass Masquerade. It's fun while it lasts but it's a bit on the short side, so you may want to hold off for a sale before making a purchase.

Final Verdict: Glass Masquerade is a jigsaw-puzzler where you work to piece together stained-glass pictures. It's simple and a bit on the short side, but if you enjoy jigsaw or chill puzzle games you'll likely enjoy this one.

Related Links:
Buy Glass Masquerade - Microsoft Store
Buy Indie Puzzle Bundle Vol. 1 - Microsoft Store
Buy Indie Darling Bundle Vol. 4 - Microsoft Store
Onyx Lute - Official Site
Digerati Distribution - Official Site
Glass Masquerade - GameFAQs
Glass Masquerade - True Achievements
Glass Masquerade - Xbox Achievements

Gnomes Garden 3: The Thief of Castles (Xbox One, 2018)

Gnomes Garden 3: The Thief of Castles
Original Game by Creobit
Xbox One Port by SPL
Published by 8Floor Games
Released for Xbox One (7/4/2018)
Also on PC/PS4/Switch

The first thing that struck me about Gnomes Garden 3 was the fresh title music. After using that same played-out tune in the first games, this is definitely a step in the right direction. There's also some animation on the title screen, with lightning flashes reflecting off the surroundings and an animated fire flickering from the troll queen's hand. The second entry was very similar to the first game, so seeing even this small improvement makes a good first impression and gives hope that the developers stepped it up this time. Let's take a look at Gnomes Garden 3 and see how it fares.

The story involves the princess returning back to her homeland only to discover that the castle has vanished out of thin air. The warlock from the Great Grey Wastelands possesses an "all-powerful magic" that can shrink anything down to the size of a child's toy. So off you embark on your journey to figure out where the warlock is, which of course involves completing 49 stages filled with various tasks. It's a bit odd how they always act like the princess is such a big part of the action in the story bits, but during the game she's never anywhere to be seen, but I suppose we should just be content they've given us any kind of story at all. Perhaps the player is supposed to be the princess, issuing the commands out to her gnome troops.

The core gameplay is exactly as you remembered it in the previous entries. You collect the same resources: wood, stone, food and crystals. Each building that produces these resources can be upgraded up to 3 times and when upgraded will produce more of whatever resource that building handles. Some stages take away the ability to upgrade your buildings, but we'll come back to that in the next paragraph. Each stage has a time goal in which to be completed and finishing the fastest will get you 3 stars. Overall the difficulty felt much more lax on the time requirements and there weren't any stages that gave me trouble, where the previous games had at least a few stages I had try repeatedly before nailing that 3-star rating. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just a heads up that this game is a bit easier than the previous entries.

They've changed a few things up for the third entry of Gnomes Garden. There is a new building on certain stages called the Merrymaker's House. On stages that have the Merrymaker's House, you lose the ability to upgrade your buildings, but now gain the option to send a merrymaker over to one of your production buildings. Once clicked, the merrymaker will enter the building and play music for 20 seconds, increasing the output of whatever resource that building pumps out. You can continue to use this guy as much you'd like. There's also the ability to upgrade the Merrymaker's House, up to 3 levels, to allow multiple merrymakers to occupy several buildings at once. It's a cool feature and part of the reason this game is easier than previous entries.

Another change to the gameplay involves the trolls that occasionally show up to pester you. In previous games, these guys would show up and would temporary stall your workers until you send them away, which required a firefighter. Instead of pestering your workers, in this game the trolls will show up and steal a bundle of resources that you haven't sent a worker to collect. The trolls are still taken care of in the same fashion, which requires having a firefighter available and clicking on the troll to send them over.

Gnomes Garden 3 is another very similar yet enjoyable entry into the franchise. While it is mostly more of the same, it's still a fun little time-killer that doesn't demand a whole lot from the player. There's still the issue of accidentally clicking buildings and upgrading them when you mean to collect the resources, you've just got to be careful where you're clicking sometimes. These games are a bit of a guilty pleasure, they're kind of dumb and super simple but for whatever reason they can be fun in little bursts here and there. They're definitely not something I'll come back to once I beat them, but not something I regret having spent the time playing either. Give it a shot if a simple resource collector and builder sounds like fun.

Final Verdict: Gnomes Garden 3 contains more of the same resource gathering and building that the earlier games had, but it changes a few things and still proves to be an enjoyable little time-killer.

Related Links:
Buy Gnomes Garden 3 - Microsoft Store
Buy Gnomes Garden 3 in 1 Bundle - Microsoft Store
Buy 8Floor Strategic Collection - Microsoft Store
SPL - Developer Official Site
8Floor Games - Twitter
Gnomes Garden 3 - Metacritic
Gnomes Garden 3 - GameFAQs
Gnomes Garden 3 - True Achievements
Gnomes Garden 3 - Xbox Achievements