NBA Playgrounds (Xbox One, 2017)

NBA Playgrounds
Developed by Saber Interactive
Released for Xbox One (5/2017)
Also on PC/PS4/Switch

NBA Playgrounds is an arcade-style basketball game, heavily inspired by the classic NBA Jam games. At the time of this writing, the game has been removed from the Microsoft Store and all other outlets that had it for sale. More than likely the reason for the removal of this game is due to the fact that 2K Sports published the sequel and wants everybody to buy the newer title, which from what I've heard places a heavy emphasis on in-game transactions. Though you may be able to spend money for new players in the original game, it's so easy to to unlock them by just simply playing the game that there was no necessity to spend any extra money.

The graphics and overall presentation in NBA Playgrounds looks decent for the most part though there are some issues. The characters sport a cartoony look and often hardly even look like the player they're representing. The backgrounds are well done and there's a decent variety of courts to play on, though the differences between them are purely cosmetic. Sound effects and music are just sort of there, not bad but definitely not very memorable either. The menus are simple enough and easy to use, though it feels like it takes a bit longer to load matches than it should. Overall, despite some of the characters looking a bit goofy, the game looks okay.

There are no achievements involving online play, which is a good thing because I didn't have any luck finding anybody the couple times I tried searching for an opponent. Bear in mind there is already a sequel out when I'm playing this, so I wasn't surprised by this at all. The bulk of your playtime will be spent playing tournament mode, which features a world map with several different courts that will be unlocked as you progress. In each country there are four predetermined match-ups and within each match there is a challenge to complete. The challenges range from making a certain number of three-pointers to getting a certain number of steals or blocks. The challenges ramp up in difficulty as you progress and get pretty tough towards the end. Once all challenges for a region are completed you'll unlock a new basketball that can be selected in exhibition mode.

Gameplay wise, NBA Playgrounds shares a lot in common with the classic NBA Jam titles. The game features a roster that was current at the time of the game's release, which would be the 2016-2017 roster. On the court you have a turbo button that drains stamina. While using the sprint you can perform ridiculous high-flying dunks. On defense, you can swipe, block and shove. Unlike NBA Jam, when you try to swipe or shove your opponent this will drain your stamina meter in an effort to prevent mindlessly spamming the steal button. On offense you have the ability to perform crossover moves which will also consume your stamina bar. When performing a crossover, a player is invulnerable to steals for a limited time so you'll want to time your steal attempts carefully while on defense. The ball handler can also throw their elbows out to get some space when necessary. Taking a page out the NBA 2K series, when you take a shot in NBA Playgrounds you'll have a shot meter where you'll want to stop in the green. The better a players shooting stats are the easier the shot will be to make. You can also call for an alley-oop for your teammate.

On paper everything looks and sounds like it'd be good time, but there are a few issues that hold the game back from greatness. There's no nice way to put it: the defense in NBA Playgrounds sucks. The timing for blocking shots is incredibly picky to the point I pretty much exclusively had to go for steals on defense. Rebounding is also terrible, but the CPU seems to excel at it. Every time I would try to jump to grab a rebound my player would swat the ball away since he was still in block mode. This is quite frustrating and the only way I could ever get rebounds is to stay put on the ground while hoping the ball bounced to me. More often than not the CPU would jump over me and grab the board due to this. These rebounding issues really drag down the defensive side of the game. Even with that being said, the offensive aspect of the game was fun enough that I enjoyed spending some time with this game.

NBA Playgrounds was quite suddenly pulled from the Microsoft Store in October 2018, just a little after a year from its release. I played the game via Game Pass and it was removed from that service at the end of December 2018. NBA Playgrounds is pretty much gone unless you previously purchased it before its removal, which is a shame as it was a shallow but enjoyable title. 

Final Verdict: While not quite as good as the classics that inspired it, NBA Playgrounds is a fun little digital title that was pulled from the the Microsoft Store quicker than most games that suffer the same fate.

Related Links:
NBA Playgrounds - GameFAQs
NBA Playgrounds - Microsoft Store
Saber Interactive - Official Site

Life is Strange (Xbox 360/One, 2015/16)

Life is Strange
Developed by DONTNOD Entertainment
Published by Square Enix
Released for Xbox 360 (10/2015) & Xbox One (1/2016)
Also on Android/iOS/Linux/Mac/PC/PS3/PS4

Life is Strange is a point 'n click style adventure game originally released for the Xbox 360 in October 2015 and in January 2016 the game received a port to the Xbox One. The gameplay is similar to the Telltale Games titles, but rather than using an already existing license the developers have created the characters and story specifically for this game.

The game is broken up into five episodes, with each episode initially being released around two months apart. As is the case with games of this nature, it tends to work out best to wait for the entire story to be released before digging in since it can really suck waiting months to see what happens next. While the first episode was released in January 2015 for the Xbox 360, the final episode wasn't put up for download until October 2015. That's way too much time for a game of this nature, but luckily the end product turned out well and doesn't feel rushed. By the time Life is Strange received a release for the Xbox One, all episodes had already been released so the game was released in its complete form right from the start.

The story has the player take control of Max, an 18-year old attending Blackwell University who loves photography. Max discovers early in the story that she has the ability to turn back time and has to put it use quick. She witnesses one of her old childhood friends, Chloe, being shot and killed in the bathroom. Using her newfound powers, Max is able to go back in time and change the outcome of the event. As the story unravels, Max and Chloe get a chance to catch up and try to unravel the mysterious happenings at Arcadia Bay. The pacing of the story is very well done, giving Max several interesting scenarios to manipulate time and multiple outcomes as the result of your decisions. Each episode also does a great job ending on a cliffhanger and keeping the player anxious to come back and see what happens next. The story also deals with a lot of issues that will hit home for many players including bullying, friendships and loss of loved ones.

The cast of characters are excellent, offering a nice diversity and the writing/voice-acting makes them all believable. The characters are memorable as is the setting of Arcadia Bay and Blackwell University. Gameplay consists mostly of walking around, examining things and talking to people. Occasionally Max's time manipulation powers will come into play, allowing you to rewind time using the left trigger. There's a good balance between playing and watching, and it feels a bit more interactive than your average point 'n click from Telltale Games. The controls are simple and work effectively, making the game easily accessible to players of all types.

Rather than your standard collectibles, each chapter in Life is Strange features ten objects that you can take photos of. Once a photo is taken, it can be viewed in Max's journal which can be accessed by hitting the back button. It's an original take on collectibles and it was fun trying to find them all. If you miss any of them while playing, there's a handy chapter select available from the main menu to make it easy to hop back in to find them.

While Life is Strange is an excellent point and click adventure, no game is without its faults. The game crashed on me twice while playing on the Xbox One, but luckily both instances occurred at the main title screen so I didn't lose any story progress. The only other thing I found worth complaining about is that the lip-sync seems a bit off at times. One sequence had Max speaking with no mouth movement, making the whole scene look a bit silly. The lip-sync isn't a frequent problem as I only noticed it in a couple of scenes and most players likely won't even notice or care.

In closing, Life is Strange is up there as one of the best point and click adventures I've played in recent years. The characters and story are interesting enough to keep the majority of players invested until the end. If you enjoy a good point 'n click adventure or are intrigued by time travel, make sure you give Life is Strange a play. Try to go in as blind as possible though, as spoilers can really hamper the impact of the events that happen within the game. The game was released in physical format for the Xbox One and is available digitally on both the Xbox One and the Xbox 360.

Final Verdict: Life is Strange is an excellent point 'n click adventure, featuring a main character with the ability to manipulate time, an interesting cast of characters and a well-delivered story. Point 'n click fans should definitely give this one a play.

Related Links:
Buy Life is Strange for Xbox One - Microsoft Store
Buy Life is Strange for Xbox 360 - Xbox Marketplace
Search Life is Strange on Xbox One - eBay

Related Links:
DONTNOD Entertainment - Official Site
Square Enix - Official Site
Life is Strange - GameFAQs
Life is Strange Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
Life is Strange - True Achievements 

Headlander (Xbox One, 2016)

Headlander
Developed by Double Fine
Published by Adult Swim
Released for Xbox One (11/2016)
Also on Mac/PC/PS4

In Headlander, the player will take control of a head encapsulated in a helmet equipped with thrusters that enable it to navigate the environment. It's a silly premise for sure, but with this being a Double Fine game there's an excellent sense of humor within that makes the whole premise work wonderfully. The world is presented with a retro '60's-70's vision of the future and it feels quite unique. Headlander is a "Metroidvania" game, meaning the player will be navigating a large map with access to new areas opening up as the player gains new abilities.

At the beginning of the story you have the option to choose between three different heads (two male, one female). The game plays the same regardless of which head you choose, since none of them are able to actually speak due to the lack of any vocal cords, but the option to select a character is still welcome. You'll then be let loose to explore the mysterious world featured in Headlander, which is some sort of utopia inhabited completely by robots with not a human in sight save for the floating head you control. The floating head starts off with a vacuum ability, allowing the player to suck the heads off enemies, land on top  of them and assume control. This head-swap mechanic is a big part of Headlander, with certain robot guards granting access to locked doors. There's a decent variety of robots to take control of throughout the game, featuring both civilian models and guards. There are also little dust vacuums and robot dogs that can be possessed, with certain hidden areas only accessible by using these little guys. The "head landing" is an awesome gimmick and gives the gameplay a unique feel. There's no jump button in Headlander, but it's not really necessary thanks to the whole floating head mechanic.

With Headlander being a Metroidvania style game, it should go without saying that you'll be unlocking upgrades as you play. There are energy orbs scattered throughout the game that add to your XP when collected. The upgrade menu can be accessed at any point and will allow you to choose what you'd like to upgrade next, with more options unlocking as you progress through the story. There's a nice range of upgrades, some of which make the combat drastically easier. There's the obvious stuff like upgrading your health regeneration and vacuum suck abilities and then more original stuff like the ability to turn an abandoned body into a sentry gun.

While initially you'll do all your fighting using the bodies you possess, you'll eventually unlock some nice upgrades to boost the power of your head. You'll get boosters on your helmet which can be upgraded to damage enemies while boosting. In addition to your booster attack, you'll also be able to unlock a shield to give you some defensive capabilities. The upgrade system is well implemented, though I found myself wishing there was more game to use these on. The story mode is a bit on the short side and will give most players about 7-10 hours of gameplay. Personally I felt like the game had a good length to it and the fact I wanted more when it was over is more of a testament to how fun the game was rather than a knock against it being too short.

Most players will likely die quite a bit throughout their adventure, but frustration is kept low thanks to Headlander's generous respawns. Upon death you'll spawn back into the last room you were in with a quick reload, making it easy to get right back into the game after making a mistake. The game auto-saves every time you enter a new room as well, making it easy to quit and resume when you need to go do something else.

Any good Metroidvania game needs a solid map to help keep tabs on where you're at. Headlander's map is a bit basic, but gives you enough to keep you informed where you need to go and where you haven't been. While the areas themselves aren't labeled on the map, nearby collectibles and points of interests will be clearly marked. As you explore you'll find access to teleports, allowing you an option to quickly travel from one section to the next. There are a few areas that are outside the map and there are special warps you can find to switch back and forth between sections.

Headlander is another awesome effort from Double Fine, though I did run into a minor issue while playing. There's some pretty bad slowdown that occurs when there are too many lasers on screen at once. Towards the end, there was a particular room that really had the frame-rate chugging. It didn't cause any unfair deaths or anything, but it's worth a mention and I'm sure some will be bothered by it. Outside of the slowdown, I didn't really encounter any other issues while playing. Double Fine did a nice job polishing the game for the most part and it's always refreshing to play a game that didn't crash on me at anytime during my play.

I've never been let down by a game from Double Fine before and Headlander continues that tradition. The game is well-polished and original enough to stand out amongst the many Metroidvania titles out there. The mysterious world you'll explore is intriguing and the head-swap mechanic makes the game a joy to play. There's even a couple of Easter eggs hidden in the game that reference past Double Fine games. If you're a fan of 2D Metroidvania style games, make sure that Headlander is one you don't miss!

Final Verdict: Headlander is an excellent 2D Metroidvania style game with a retro-style vision of the future and an interesting head-swapping mechanic. Genre fans need to check this one out!

Related Links:
Buy Headlander - Microsoft Store
Double Fine - Official Site
Adult Swim - Official Site

Strategy Guides/Walkthroughs:
Headlander - GameFAQs
Headlander Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
Headlander - True Achievements

Xbox Game Pass (Xbox One)

Xbox Game Pass

There's no denying that gaming can be an expensive hobby. Those who game on consoles can expect to pay a fee in order to play online in addition to the often $60 price tag attached to many of the popular releases. Expenses can add up fast and with the incredible amount of games coming out each year gamers will no doubt overlook several titles due to budget constraints. This is where a service such as Game Pass can come in handy...

Xbox Game Pass originally launched on June 1, 2017 and is a monthly-charge service offering players full access to over a hundred different titles. You can download and play any of the eligible games to your heart's content so long as you retain your Game Pass membership. First-party titles published by Microsoft Game Studios will be available on Game Pass from release, making this an enticing offer for those who want to see what the Xbox One has to offer.

An Xbox Live subscription is not required in order to use Game Pass, though you will need it to access the online multiplayer games. While Microsoft will typically remove a handful of games at the end of each month, from what I've seen they typically add just as many if not more in order to keep the selection fresh.There's a wide variety of genres on offer and the only one I found lacking was sports titles. While there are a few sports games featured, there are none of the bigger sports titles from publishers like 2K and EA. It's understandable with EA since they have their own service, EA Access where you can subscribe and play their titles. 2K has become a bit too money-hungry with their sports franchises over the recent years so it's doubtful you'll see any of their newer titles featured here.

At the time of this writing the subscription rates are $9.99 per month or $119.99 yearly. If you're interested but not willing to pull the trigger at those prices, keep your eyes peeled as Microsoft will often host sales and promotions for the program, including discounted prices and a 14-day trial to see what's on offer. As is the case with subscribing to Xbox Live, Microsoft will by default enable auto-pay when you add the service so make sure to turn this off if you don't want to be automatically billed.

Xbox Game Pass is primarily focused towards the Xbox One, however you will have access to several of the "play anywhere" titles. Play anywhere titles are a selection of titles that came out on both PC and Xbox One. You can play any of these compatible titles on your PC if you have an Xbox Game pass subscription. With the immense number of games coming out these days, Xbox Game Pass is a great way to sample and experience games you might have overlooked. You're bound to find a few sleepers you didn't know about. Hopefully Microsoft carries this service over to the next console generation!

Final Verdict: Xbox Game Pass is an excellent service that gives you access to over a hundred different games on your Xbox One. A great way to give anybody an instant backlog of stuff to play.

Related Links:
Buy Xbox Game Pass - Microsoft Store
List of Game Pass Featured Titles - Xbox

Joy Ride Turbo (XBLA, 2012)

Joy Ride Turbo
Developed by BigPark
Published by Microsoft Game Studios
Released for XBLA (5/2012)
Backwards Compatible on Xbox One

Joy Ride Turbo is a digital-exclusive game released for Xbox Live Arcade in May 2012. It's a follow-up to Kinect Joy Ride, a title which received a retail release in 2010 and, as the title implies, required the Kinect to play. Developed by the same folks who did the original game, Joy Ride Turbo strips the game of all Kinect functionality and maps out everything to your game pad for a more traditional racing experience. Joy Ride Turbo features your Xbox Live avatar as the driver of your selected vehicle. There's a decent variety of unlicensed vehicles (42 total) ranging from tuners, trucks, vans and roadsters. For a 2012 XBLA release the game sports some decent graphics with lots of bright colors and a cartoony style that works well with the arcade feel to the gameplay.

Driving in Joy Ride Turbo has an arcade feel to it mixed with kart-racer style weapons and power-ups. Tracks commonly feature ramps and you can perform stunt tricks while airborne. By performing stunts and drifts, you'll build up a boost meter allowing for a burst of speed. Scattered along the tracks you'll find boxes that when smashed will grant the player a random power-up. These are pretty much your standard fare for these type of games: stuff like a massive boost, instant boost meter refill, rockets and an ice cube that slows your opponents. If you're falling behind, there's a power-up similar to Mario Kart's blue shell that homes in on the first place racer.

The driving in Joy Ride Turbo is simple but I had a tough time getting a feel for the drifting in the game. The overall challenge in the game was low enough I still managed to clear each championship so it wasn't a major issue as I made up for my poor turning by using the power-ups. Speaking of the power-ups, there were times I wondered if the game would have been better without the pick-ups and was a more traditional racing game. The randomness of the power-ups can grant you some cheap and frustrating losses. An option to turn the power-ups off would have been nice. 

Joy Ride Turbo features both single and multiplayer game modes. In single player, you can choose between championship, stunt track and time trials. Championship mode features three classes: 100 HP, 200 HP & 300 HP. Each class contains four events and each event has three races. There's a decent amount of variety between the tracks. Multiplayer is supported both online and locally with up to four-players split-screen. You'll have a hard time finding random players online but the local multiplayer can be fun if you have the controllers & friends.

Time trials allow you to race on each track and try to set the best lap time. The stunt tracks offers two different areas where you're allowed to explore and perform tricks to your heart's content. These are fun little playgrounds and make for a nice diversion from the standard racing mode, however there are also a bunch of collectibles scattered around the stunt tracks, which you're required to collect in order to unlock new vehicles which we'll go into next...

Initially in Joy Ride Turbo you'll have one vehicle available for each class. One thing I found a bit annoying with the game is the fact that you not only need to save up the in-game currency to purchase new cars, but you'll have to collect three car parts in order to unlock them first. There's a good amount of these car parts scattered around the race courses while the rest of them can be found on the stunt tracks. In total there are 126 car parts you'll have to collect if you wish to purchase all of the vehicles in the game. I typically don't mind collectibles in games, but forcing you to collect them just to be able to use the other vehicles in the game wasn't the best design choice. In addition to the car part collectibles, the stunt track courses also feature trophies to collect, which don't actually do anything other than unlock an achievement for getting all of them. Some of the trophies are quite tough to get and you'll likely never want to return to this mode by the time you've collected them all.

While Joy Ride Turbo is a bit generic as far as racing games go, it's a good arcade-style racer that can be fun to play in short bursts. Many standard features of the genre are present such as drifting, boosting and weapon pick-ups. These are well implemented for the most part and the four-player local co-op can be fun with some buddies over. There's a decent amount of content with lots of different vehicles to unlock and the stunt mode areas. At the time of this writing, Joy Ride Turbo is currently available on Game Pass and is worth a look if you want a more simple, arcade-like racing game.

The developer, BigPark, worked on a Kinect Joy Ride and Kinect Sports: Season Two before releasing Joy Ride Turbo which would be the company's final release. As Microsoft moved away from supporting the Kinect device, BigPark was shut down and consolidated into other Microsoft studios and teams.

Final Verdict: Joy Ride Turbo is a fun arcade-style racer mixing nitro, drift and stunt mechanics with kart-style weapons and power-ups. It's a bit generic but still a solid game especially when stacked up against your average Xbox Live Arcade release.

Related Links:
Buy Joy Ride Turbo - Microsoft Store
Buy Joy Ride Turbo - Xbox Marketplace
Buy Game Pass - Microsoft Store
Joy Ride Turbo - GameFAQs
BigPark - Wikipedia
Joy Ride Turbo - True Achievements
Joy Ride Turbo Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements

Thomas Was Alone (Xbox One, 2014)

Thomas Was Alone
Developed by Mike Bithell
Published by Curve Digital
Released for Xbox One (11/2014)
Also on Android/iOS/Mac/PC/PS3/PS4/Vita/WiiU

Thomas Was Alone is a 2D puzzle/platformer originally released on PC & Mac in 2012. In 2013 the game would see a release for the PlayStation 3 and Vita. The Xbox One port would arrive in late 2014, this same year the game would also release on mobile devices, the PlayStation 4 and the WiiU. Thomas Was Alone has the player taking control of various shapes in order to navigate them to the exit, move on to the next screen and do it all over again. The puzzles ramp up in difficulty along the way.

Graphically, Thomas Was Alone is a very simple looking game. The graphics are all composed of squares and rectangles, giving the look an almost Atari 2600 vibe. There are some minor background details and lighting effects that help the game feel a bit modern, but overall the game looks incredibly simplistic. The sound effects match the old-school graphics and many of the sounds reminded me of the Bit Trip games, which also sported a throwback Atari aesthetic. The shapes you'll take control of each have a name and voice attached to them, and you'll frequently hear a voice actor narrating the thoughts and back-stories of the characters as you play. The story in the game has a lot to do with friendships and loneliness. It's decently written and the voice actor does a good job reading it. If you tire of hearing the narration, there's an option to turn it off.

When you first begin in Thomas Was Alone, you'll take control of the rectangular titular character Thomas. There will be an outline of your character in each stage and once you've lined your character up you'll progress to the next screen. There are 11 total chapters, or scenarios as the game calls them, with each scenario containing 10 screens. As you play through, new characters will be introduced. Each have their own shape, name and characteristic. The big blue square can float on water while the pink flat rectangle can be used as a trampoline. You can switch between the available characters on the fly and you'll have to work together with them to pass each stage.

There are collectible pickups scattered throughout the campaign. Each scenario is composed of 10 screens and each of the first 9 scenarios feature 2 collectibles hidden somewhere within. The final 2 scenarios were released as DLC for the first releases of Thomas Was Alone, but here we see it included in the base game. These final 2 scenarios definitely stand out from the rest of the game and feel more like an entirely different game, featuring far less emphasis on puzzles and more on difficult platforming sections with lots of spikes. It feels more like Uncraft Me than it does the first 9 scenarios. These final two episodes aren't bad, they just offer a different and more difficult challenge than anything you've faced up to this point.

There is a frequently reported save bug, with many players stating that when resuming their game it would set them back, sometimes as many as 60 screens! While the game is short, this can become annoying quick. I was lucky enough to not encounter the bug, but I completed the game within three play sessions so I didn't give it much of a chance to glitch out on me. Another thing to watch out for is when starting the game up the menu option for new game is always selected and accidentally pressing this will clear your progress and restart the game. It's something we take for granted that most games start off at the resume game option by default.

Those who dig a good puzzle game and/or retro-style platformers will find something to enjoy in Thomas Was Alone. Throughout the original 9 episodes, there's a nice variety of puzzles you'll encounter and the developer did a nice job keeping it from getting too difficult or frustrating. The final 2 episodes crank up the challenge quite a bit and while they feel a bit out of tune with the rest of the game, but it's not enough to drag the entire game down.

Final Verdict: Thomas Was Alone is a short but enjoyable 2D platformer/puzzle game with some very blocky pixels as its stars. Recommended for genre fans or anybody who wants a quick and relatively easy game.

Purchase Links:
Buy Thomas Was Alone - Microsoft Store

Related Links:
Thomas Was Alone - GameFAQs
Mike Bithell's Games - Official Site
Curve Digital - Official Site

Strategy Guide/Walkthroughs:
Thomas Was Alone - True Achievements
Collectible Pickups Guide - True Achievements
Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements

The Walking Dead: Season Two (Xbox 360/One, 2014)

The Walking Dead: Season Two
Developed by Telltale Games
Released for XBLA/Xbox One (10/2014)
Also on Android/iOS/Mac/PC/PS3/PS4/Vita

The Walking Dead: Season Two continues shortly after where the original game left off. You'll be following Clementine as she struggles to survive in the midst of a giant zombie outbreak. The game looks and plays largely the same as the first game, featuring a mixture of point & click, dialogue and quick-time event segments. Much like with any Telltale Games title, the mostly story-driven gameplay won't be for everyone, but those who enjoyed the first game will definitely find something to like with this second installment.

The voice-work is top-notch and one thing that remains consistent among Telltale Games. Even if the written dialogue isn't always the best, the actors do a very convincing job delivering their lines. The sound design is decent but feels a bit lacking in some areas, but the excellent voice acting makes this easy to overlook. The music does a good job of adding some mood while usually staying in the background, but does a good job conveying emotion especially in the more dramatic moments.

The following paragraph will feature spoilers, so if you haven't played the game yet and wish to do so you may want to skip ahead. Story-wise, the second season installment is a solid follow-up to the original game, though not quite as good for a few reasons. Personally I didn't find the cast of characters as good as the original, but I mostly chalk this up to the absence of Lee. Running into Kenny shortly into the game was quite emotional, despite the fact I didn't even particularly like the guy in the first game. Shortly after uniting with Kenny he brings up Lee and even though it'd been at least half a year since I'd played the original title I found myself tearing up instantly. That right there goes to show how they did a great job establishing Lee as a stand-up dude that was easily likable in the original release. I didn't really get that kind of feeling from any of the characters this time around unfortunately. I feel like I could have liked some of the characters introduced here, but nobody is really given enough development to really get the player to care. Kenny is a bit war-torn by previous events and it only gets worse as you continue through the story, so you'll end up fearing him more than you will liking him.

As with most titles released from Telltale Games, the game is linear and though you are able to make some decisions throughout, the end result is usually the same. What's here is enjoyable if you like cinematic point 'n click games, though once you've completed the game there won't be much as far as replayability. It's worth a play but I'd advise waiting for a sale or searching for a cheap physical copy since you likely won't get a whole lot of play time out of it. Though with Telltale Games recent shutdown, it's only a matter of time before the license of this game causes it to be removed from the marketplace, so if you want a digital copy you may want to go ahead and get it while you can.

The Walking Dead: Season Two was originally released in late 2013 for Android and iOS devices. On October 14, 2014 the title was put out for XBLA and PSN. Just a week later on October 21 the game would receive a release for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game is more or less the same on the 360 as it is on the One, with the One version running a bit smoother, looking a bit sharper and loading a bit faster. The Walking Dead titles are easily among Telltale Games best work and one of their more stable games as well. I didn't run into any freezing or glitches and it's clear that a bit more time and effort went into this series than many Telltale games that would follow.

Final Verdict: The Walking Dead: Season Two is a worthy follow-up to the original. Fans of the first game will find something to like here.

Purchase Links:
Buy Walking Dead: Season Two (Xbox One Digital) - Microsoft Store
Buy Walking Dead: Season Two (Xbox 360 Digital) - Xbox Marketplace
Search Walking Dead: Season Two (Xbox One Disc) - eBay
Search Walking Dead: Season Two (Xbox 360 Disc) - eBay

Related Links:
Telltale Games - Xbox Overview
Point & Click Adventures - Xbox Overview
Telltale Games - Official Site
The Walking Dead: Season Two - Metacritic
The Walking Dead: Season Two on Xbox 360 - GameFAQs
The Walking Dead: Season Two on Xbox One - GameFAQs
The Walking Dead: Season Two Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
The Walking Dead: Season Two - True Achievements

Hue (Xbox One, 2016)

Hue
Developed by Fiddlesticks Games
Produced by Curve Digital
Released for Xbox One (8/2016)
Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS4/Vita

At a quick glance it's easy to make the mistake of writing Hue off as just a Limbo wanna-be due to the similar monochrome graphic-style. Within a few minutes of playing you'll see that even though both titles do feature similar 2D platforming, the color-based puzzles in Hue give the game a flavor of its own.

When the game begins, everything is seen in gray and black. Your character awakens to find his mother missing and it's up to you to go looking for her. You'll learn about the research she's been conducting at the university via narration in certain rooms along the way. As you progress through the campaign in Hue you'll unlock additional colors while also learning of your mother's efforts to view the different colors of the spectrum and how she perceives seeing them for the first time. Using the right stick brings up a color wheel, allowing you to change the color of the background. When you select a color, any objects that are the same as the selected color will disappear. The puzzles in Hue revolve around using the various colors to make objects disappear and reappear as needed.

Once you get a little ways into Hue you'll have the whole spectrum of the rainbow at your disposal. Some of the later puzzles will require some tricky timing, but luckily if you fail you'll load right back up at the room you were last in. The game never gets too frustrating, but the last handful of screens will leave you scratching your head at first. When switching colors, the game slows down while making your selection, giving you ample time to adjust colors in some of the trickier spots, such as changing colors while in mid-air to make a platform appear in front of you. Like most 2D puzzle/platformers, from time to time there are boxes you can move around. Later stages involve paint blasters that will color your box when splashed, making for some unique box-coloring puzzles. Overall, the puzzle design is solid throughout the game and there's a decent variety to what you'll encounter along your journey.

Hue features collectibles scattered through the game in the form of beakers. There are 28 of them in total to be found and some of them in the earlier sections will require some backtracking after you've obtained more colors of the spectrum. This helps in adding at least a little replay value if you wish to go back and collect all of the beakers, though there is nothing other than an achievement for doing so. That being said, going out of your way to find the beakers can add an additional challenge to the game as some of them are very well hidden.

While the visuals aren't going to blow anyone's mind, the simple graphic style works well in Hue. Everything has a minimalist look and the sound design matches this. The music has a nice relaxing vibe and the sound effects are never obtrusive. Depending on your sensitivity to color, you may encounter some issues while switching colors on the fly. I found myself frequently mixing up the yellow/orange and purple/pink colors, but this may be more of a personal problem and you might not have an issue with it. There is also an option for colorblind folks that has symbols for the colors that can be found on both the objects and your color wheel.

Hue is an enjoyable 2D puzzle/platformer that should only take you somewhere between 7-10 hours to complete. While a bit on the short side, the game is a good time for those who enjoy a nice puzzle and doesn't overstay its welcome. There's a steady ramp to the challenge and by the end of the game the puzzles will really test your brain. My playtime with Hue was around ten hours and in all that time I didn't experience a single crash, bug or glitch, which is something you can't take for granted in this day and age. Having a story is a welcome bonus and the game would have still been fine without it, but having it helps give the player another incentive to push on. If you're the type who loves solving puzzles, I'd highly recommend giving Hue a look!

Final Verdict: If you enjoy puzzle games, especially of the 2D-platformer variety, Hue is worth a look. It's short but worth your time and an enjoyable little game.

Related Links:
Buy Hue - Microsoft Store
Hue - GameFAQs
Hue - Official Site
Henry Hoffman (Developer) - Official Site
Curve Digital - Official Site

Strategy Guide/Walkthroughs:
Hue Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
Hue Beaker Locations - Xbox Achievements
Hue - True Achievements

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter (Xbox One, 2016)

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter
Developed by Frogwares
Published by Bigben Interactive
Released for Xbox One (10/2016)
Also on PC/PS4

Sherlock Holmes and video games have quite the history, going all the way back to the early '80's. Developer Frogwares have been pumping out Sherlock games for the PC since 2002, as well as being the developer responsible for all the Sherlock games released for Xbox consoles. This is my first experience with any of the Sherlock games, but seeing that Frogwares are veterans at these games I'm hoping for an enjoyable experience.

The Devil's Daughter is setup somewhat similarly to the Telltale Games, but instead of episodes the game is broken up into 5 cases. Each of the cases are unrelated to one another, though they do contain characters and story elements that carry over into the main story. Cases involve the type of stuff you'd expect from a detective game, such as revenge, betrayal and there's even some supernatural stuff thrown in for good measure.

Sherlock Holmes is a good-looking game featuring detailed environments and decent character models, though the frame-rate fluctuates quite a bit especially during some of the action sequences. The graphics should look good, because the loading screens are abundant and feel like they take an eternity! Each time you have to fast travel somewhere, which will occur frequently, you're greeted to a lengthy loading screen while watching Sherlock sitting in his wagon en route to your destination. As one could imagine, this gets old incredibly fast and made getting through a case in a single setting impossible for me.

There is a decent amount of variety found within Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter with several different game-types mashed into one title. Certain mini-game style events work much better than others, but the game is definitely at its best when you're actually doing detective work. Fortunately there is quite a bit of this found throughout the game, though at times the required actions to progress the story can be a bit vague. If you'd like to minimize some frustrations with the game, there are some great guides written on the game which I'll provide links to down below.

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter is a game with many ups and downs. The detective segments are usually enjoyable and rewarding to figure out, but some of the minigame and other sequences bring the game down a bit. The excessive and lengthy loading screens also hamper the fun. If you're a patient person who enjoys either detective or point & click adventures then you may want to give it a go, but I'd say it's an easy miss for anybody else. There's a small niche audience who this game will appeal to.

Final Verdict: Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter is an above-average point and click style game that will appeal to those who enjoy detective action.

Purchase Links:
Buy Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter (Digital) - Microsoft Store
Search for Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter (Disc) - eBay

Related Links:
Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter - GameFAQs 
Frogwares - Official Site
Bigben Interactive - Official Site
Devil's Daughter Walkthrough - True Achievements
Devil's Daughter Walkthrough - Game Pressure
Devil's Daughter Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
Devil's Daughter Achievements - True Achievements

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (XBLA/Xbox One, 2013/2015)

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Developed by Starbreeze Studios
Published by 505 Games
Released for XBLA (8/2013) & Xbox One (9/2015)
Also on Android/iOS/PC/PS3/PS4

Brothers: A Tale of Two Suns was developed by Starbreeze Studios, best known for their work on The Darkness and Chronicles of Riddick games. The game follows the journey of two brothers as they search for a cure to their fathers sickness. Brothers is unique in that you control both siblings simultaneously. Each brother is assigned to their own analog stick and the corresponding triggers allow them to interact with various objects and people.

Brothers is a beautiful game to look at in many aspects. The fantasy world feels unique and well-realized. Every so often you'll come across benches, where you can take a seat and soak in some of the lush backdrops. Visually, Starbreeze really did a fantastic job here and everything from the characters to the levels look great. The lighting and shadows are also well done, especially for a title released in 2013. There are also some nice little details such as your characters leaving footprints in the snow as they walk.

There's a bit of dialogue in Brothers, but the characters speak in gibberish you'll have to take in the story by watching and you'll be able to get a sense of what the characters are talking about by the tones used while speaking. Along your journey you'll encounter several puzzles you'll have to solve in order to advance. None of these are too difficult but they make smart use of both brothers. The game is short and will be over before you know it, but it's nice in that it doesn't overstay its welcome. The control scheme is interesting and will feel like it's racking your brain moving around both brothers some times, but the game does a good job of not demanding too much from the player in this regard. For the most part you'll have time to control each brother individually in order to get where you need to go.

During my playthrough of Brothers, I did encounter one of a few commonly reported glitches that made it so I couldn't complete the second chapter. Fortunately after restarting the chapter and going through it again I was able to progress further. It's worth noting that this was on the Xbox One version of the game and I don't recall encountering this glitch on the 360 version of the game.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is totally worth your time, especially when taken into consideration that the game only asks for 3-5 hours of your time. The game doesn't have the highest replay value, but I'd still easily recommend anybody who enjoys more relaxing video games to give it a play. Brothers provides a distinct and unique experience without the frustration of failure so many games have.

Brothers was originally released for XBLA in August 2013. The following month after it was released on PC and PlayStation 3. Then over the following years it would receive ports to a few other platforms, including the Xbox One in September 2015. While the game was available as a digital-download only for the 360, Brothers received a physical-disc release in addition to being available digitally on the Xbox One.

Final Verdict: Brothers is a short but enjoyable adventure/puzzle game where you control two brothers simultaneously using an analog stick for each. Recommended for a nice laid-back single player experience.

Purchase Links:
Buy Brothers (Xbox One Digital) - Microsoft Store
Buy Brothers (Xbox 360 Digital) - Xbox Marketplace
Search Brothers (Xbox One Disc) - eBay

Related Links:
Brothers for Xbox 360 - GameFAQs
Brothers for Xbox One - GameFAQs
Starbreeze Studios - Official Site
505 Games - Official Site
Brothers Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
Brothers - True Achievements

ABZU (Xbox One, 2017)

ABZU
Developed by Giant Squid
Published by 505 Games
Released for Xbox One (1/2017)
Also on PC/PS4/Switch

ABZU is an underwater exploration game developed by Giant Squid and released for multiple platforms in 2017. ABZU is a rather brief experience, but the beautiful visuals and intriguing story make it worth a play through.

The story in ABZU is told to the player through visuals and the game contains no spoken dialogue. While the story is a bit vague and leaves quite a bit to be interpreted by the player, I still remained interested to see what would happen next as I played. Swimming through each area in ABZU is a joy thanks to the game's beautiful visuals helping to make the ocean waters feel crowded and alive. The game makes great use of colors and the graphics are rendered in a cel-shaded fashion that fits the game appropriately. The music accompanies the visuals well and helps add to the ambience.

The controls are simple and work well once you get the hang of them. You can invert the camera if you need to so everybody should be able to find something they're comfortable with. There are a few parts where your character gets out of the water and moves around on land. These sections tend to control a bit clunky, though the game doesn't really ask you to do anything too hard so it's not that big of a deal. Along your journey there are several types of collectibles scattered about. There are fish pools, hidden shells and meditation statues for you to find. When you find a fish pool and activate it, you'll unleash a new variety of animal into the environment. You can sit on top of meditation statues and observe the fish, complete with the ability to switch between multiple cameras each assigned to a different fish type. You can also choose to meditate from the main menu if you just feel like watching some fish swim around. If a player manages to collect all of the hidden shells you can unlock an alternate suit for your character.

The entire game can be completed in anywhere between 3-6 hours, depending on how much time you spend exploring. While a bit on the short side, ABZU is definitely still worth experiencing, especially if you're in the mood for a relaxing game as it can be an almost zen-like experience at times. Also if you enjoy unlocking achievements ABZU's are all quite easy to obtain. In addition to being released digitally there was also a physical release for ABZU.

Final Verdict: ABZU is a short but enjoyable swimming exploration title. If you enjoy a relaxing gaming experience this is for you!

Related Links:
Buy ABZU - Microsoft Store
ABZU - GameFAQs
Giant Squid Studios - Official Site
505 Games - Official Site

Strategy Guides/Walkthroughs:
ABZU Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
ABZU - True Achievements
ABZU Video Walkthrough by Maka - YouTube

Kakuto Chojin: Back Alley Brutal (Xbox, 2002)

Kakuto Chojin
Developed by DreamFactory
Published by Microsoft Game Studios
Released for Xbox (11/2002)

My first reaction upon seeing Kakuto Chojin was that it was just another generic fighting game from a Western developer. I was surprised to discover that the Japan-based developer, DreamFactory, was founded by Seiichi Ishii, who was a designer for Virtua Fighter and one of the creators of Tekken. DreamFactory would go on to create the Tobal games on the original PlayStation and the arcade fighter Ehrgeiz, so they definitely do have some experience under their belt when it comes to fighting games. Kakuto Chojin was released exclusively for the Xbox console and has never received backward-compatibility support for either the 360 or the One, so it can only be played on Microsoft's original console.

Kakuto Chojin allows you to select from 12 different fighters, each represented by a different fighting style and from various countries. By this point in the timeline of fighting games, none of these characters really stand out and they all feel a bit cliche so while they do look nice, they're just not that memorable in the end. There's a decent range of fighting styles which include karate, jeet kune do (complete with Bruce Lee knock-off), capoeira, tae kwan do, a pit fighter, ninjitsu, hakkyoku-ken, pro wrestling, muay-thai and two fighters who use kung fu. Several of these have very odd countries of origin in regards to their fighting styles, for instance the capoeira chick is from Japan rather than Brazil like one would expect. When you complete the game with a fighter you unlock an alternate move set that can be selected at the character select screen. If you beat the game with all 12 characters you'll be able to select the boss character, making for a grand total of 13 characters to choose from.

Graphically Kakuto Chojin has some nice visuals for a game released in 2002. While the arenas are enclosed squares in design, they at least look nice and there is a unique stage for each character. There are some good details, like the rainy rooftop which features reflective surfaces. There are also a few stages that offer a chance to ring-out your opponents which does help add a little variety. While the stages and characters are both well-rendered, the characters have a strange shine to them which I suppose was intended to be perspiration but it ends up looking a bit cheesy. The game features some nifty particle effects on certain stages with rain or snow. The shading and lighting is also very well done for the time. There's even some battle damage depicted on the fighters as they take a beating, making for a very nice overall presentation.

The controls are a bit different when compared to your standard fighting game. You have low, medium and high attack buttons which works okay. There is a dedicated button for special moves, which when used will turn your health meter yellow. You are unable to use this move again until your meter fills back up and is completely red, which I assume was done in an effort to prevent you from spamming your special move. The triggers are used for blocking and running, which needlessly over-complicate things, especially considering you can dash by tapping forward twice. I've never been a fan of fighting games that have block assigned to a button and it feels just as awkward here as it does in any other game that does this. By holding block and pressing up you have the ability to jump, though you'll rarely need to use this to win.

In addition to the story mode, the Kakuto Chojin single player modes also include survival and practice mode. There are also a few multiplayer modes that allow up to four players to compete in battle royal, capture the crown or standard versus games. I've heard the game is quite enjoyable with up to four players but I never had four pads for my Xbox so I couldn't tell you personally, though it does sound like a good time with the right friends. There's not much else to say about the fighting in Kakuto Chojin other than you punch, kick, throw and occasionally use a special move to deplete the health bar of your opponent. Everything works fine, though the game just really doesn't do much to set itself apart from other fighting games of the time.

The main menu also has an option to access some game demos. There are interactive demos featured for NFL Fever 2003, Shenmue II and Quantum Redshift. There are also non-interactive movies for Xbox Live, Blinx the Time Sweeper, Fable, Tao Feng, Kung Fu Chaos and MechAssault.

Kakuto Chojin was met with some controversy, particularly in America, due to the Somalian character named Asad. The fighter is a Muslim which is apparent by his stage's theme, which contained phrases from Quran being chanted in the background. Bear in mind this game was released in 2002, not long after 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers, so Americans were still very sensitive to anything referencing Islam. Due to this the game was recalled by Microsoft in the United States and was only available for a very limited time in Japan and was never released at all in Europe.

In closing, Kakuto Chojin is a nice-looking game and the fighting is serviceable, though it's definitely not up to par with the heavy-hitters at the time. When it comes to 3D fighters of this era, the Soul Calibur, Tekken and Virtua Fighter franchises are still several steps ahead of this one. That's not to say it's a bad game, so if you're a fighting junkie just looking for something new for your old Xbox it's worth a look. The game never really picked up in value and is still quite easy to find despite being recalled from stores. The full title of the game on the cover is Kakuto Chojin: Back Alley Brutal but I honestly just didn't feel like typing that throughout the whole review.

Final Verdict: Kakuto Chojin definitely doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's a decent 3D fighter that remained exclusive to the original Xbox.

Purchase Links:
Buy Kakuto Chojin - eBay

Related Links:
Kakuto Chojin - GameFAQs
Kakuto Chojin - Wikipedia
Kakuto Chojin - Hardcore Gaming 101

Japanese Cover Artwork