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.