Beyond Eyes (Xbox One, 2015)

Beyond Eyes
Developed by Tiger & Squid
Published by Team 17
Released for Xbox One (8/4/2015)
Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS4

> Beyond Eyes was developed by Netherland-based Tiger & Squid, the company's first and (at the time of this writing) only release. Beyond Eyes hit the Xbox One first, releasing on August 4, 2015. Shortly after, on August 11, the game would release for PC, Mac and Linux. The game's final port (as of August 2019 at least) would be for the PlayStation 4 on September 8, 2015.

Beyond Eyes places the player in the shoes of a 10-year-old girl named Rae. It's revealed in the opening cutscene that Rae lost her vision as a toddler in an accident involving fireworks. As a result of the accident, Rae became a bit reclusive and sensitive to loud noises. Rae did manage to acquire a best friend in the form of a fat cat named Nani. Nani has unfortunately turned up missing and now Rae has to brave the unknown to venture out and search for her. In Beyond Eyes you'll guide Rae out into the mysterious world in an attempt to find Nani.

Beyond Eyes is a walking simulator, meaning that the core gameplay consists of walking around and occasionally interacting with an object. Beyond Eyes sets itself apart from similar games with its unique blind premise, where the environment reveals itself as you approach and also through sounds. While Rae might hear an object and interpret what it is in her imagination, a closer inspection might reveal it to be something completely different. These moments are a nice touch though they serve more as collectibles rather than having much impact on the actual story. The sound design is well-implemented, mostly filled with ambience that helps set the tone of the current location. Graphically, Beyond Eyes is a pretty game, with the default backdrop being bright-white while the environment fills itself in around you as you navigate through it. The colors are bright and vibrant and there's a nice watercolor look that works quite well in portraying how Rae might imagine her surroundings.

The first thing most players will likely notice in regards to the controls is that Rae moves slow. She has only one speed of walking and impatient players will likely put the game down quickly due to this. With Rae being blind it makes sense why she'd want to slowly navigate her environment and areas tend to be small enough that the slow movement speed isn't as big of a deal as you might initially think. While navigating the environments, Rae will occasionally encounter something blocking her way. These sequences act as sort of puzzles, where you'll have to search around to find an object that will help you get by. These help add a little diversity to the gameplay, rather than just having you strictly walk around. Don't be mistaken though, a large majority of the gameplay is slowly walking around.

This will be spoiler-free review, especially since the game is a rather brief experience. but I would like to note that there is a nice tale involving a vulnerable young girl confronting her fears in search of a lost friendship. While there's not really a whole lot of dialogue to hear or read, Beyond Eyes does a good job conveying how Rae feels by her animations. Let's just say that by the end of the game I was a bit involved emotionally, which is an accomplishment considering how short the game is.

As you progress through the game's 6 chapters, you'll walk through several areas in search of your dear friend Nani. Beyond Eyes is a short game and the 6 chapters can be completed in 2-3 hours, depending on how thoroughly you explore and whether or not you get lost along the way. The story is easy to relate to if you've ever had pets (especially cats), the visuals are pretty and the game really makes you contemplate what it would be like without your vision sense. It's definitely not for everybody and due to the short length it's hard to recommend Beyond Eyes at it's suggested $14.99 price, but if you catch it on sale I'd say it's worth a look if you enjoy a good walking simulator.

Final Verdict: Beyond Eyes is a walking simulator where you assume the role a young blind girl as she searches for her cat in a world unknown to her. While on the short side, the pretty visuals and original premise make this one worth checking out if you like walking simulators.

Related Links:
Buy Beyond Eyes - Microsoft Store
Walking Simulators - Xbox Overview
Beyond Eyes Launch Trailer - YouTube
Tiger and Squid - Official Website
Team 17 - Official Website
Beyond Eyes - GameFAQs
Beyond Eyes Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
Beyond Eyes - True Achievements

FullBlast (Xbox One, 2018)

FullBlast
Developed by UFO Crash Games
Published by Ratalaika Games
Released for Xbox One (9/2018)
Also on Mac/PC/Ouya/PS4/Switch/Vita/Wii U

Intro
FullBlast is a very basic vertical shmup, promising to deliver action inspired by old arcade games of the '80's and '90's. Initially published by developer UFO Crash Games, FullBlast made its debut on the Ouya back in 2014, received a port to the WiiU the following year and made it Mac/PC in 2016. In September 2018, publisher Ratalaika Games would pick up FullBlast for another round of releases and ported the game to the PlayStation 4, Switch, Vita and Xbox One. The game looked at least somewhat promising enough from the trailer and the $5.99 price tag seemed reasonable so I went ahead and pulled the trigger on FullBlast. Read on to kill the suspense of whether or not I regret that decision.

Gameplay/Controls
As stated before, FullBlast is a simple shooter, featuring one movement speed and just one fire type. Holding down the A button will rapid fire, saving you the trouble of having to constantly mash the fire button, which is always a nice feature. Of course you also have a bomb in reserve, which can be launched with a press of the B button and will clear the screen of enemies and bullets when used. A shmup with simple mechanics can still be fun, but it takes some solid enemy and level design to assist, and this is where FullBlast falls face first...

Sigi: A Fart for Melusina (Xbox One, 2018)

Sigi: A Fart for Melusina
Developed/Published by pixel.lu
Released for Xbox One (9/7/2018)
Also on PC/PS4/Switch/Vita

Sigi: A Fart for Melusina is a very odd title for a game and for the duration of this review we'll just refer to it as Sigi. Sigi is yet another retro-inspired 2D action-platformer, something we have seen no shortage of in recent years. Does Sigi have what it takes to stand out from the large number of pixelized 2D games in recent years or is it yet another one that will be forgotten in due time?

Before we delve into the game itself, let's briefly go into the name Melusina featured in the title. If you're unaware of the legend of Melusine, like I was, then you may find this Wikipedia entry here of interest. Basically, Melusine is a mythical creature with the upper-body of a human female and the lower torso of a fish, not unlike a mermaid. There are various stories that change up the origins of the creature and at times the form of the creature changes completely. It's an interesting legend that I'd somehow never heard of, despite the fact it's been referenced in several video games over the years. Melusina in Sigi is portrayed as a mermaid, though you'll only see her in the intro and at the end of the game.

There's definitely some inspiration from the old arcade classic Ghosts 'n Goblins in Sigi, featuring an armor-bound knight slaying monsters in an effort to save a lady who was kidnapped. The enemy cast also shares a bit in common with the Capcom classic, with stuff like snakes, bats and zombies. You'll also be able to pick up and swap weapons similar to Arthur. The similarities mostly end there, as Sigi has a very different tone and feel from the old Capcom classic. Many stages take place in broad daylight, which definitely lightens the tone of the game. There's also quite a bit of humor in Sigi, further differentiating it from Ghosts 'n Goblins. I'll try to stop here with the Ghosts 'n Goblins comparisons, I just wanted to address this as that game was the first thing that came to mind when I saw Sigi.

Sigi features 20 stages with 4 of those being boss battles. The stage designs are much more forgiving than many of the brutal 2D games that inspired Sigi, though there are a few parts you will inevitably meet your demise at. It's hard to get too frustrated since when you die you spawn right back in on the same screen, so long as you have a spare life. You'll usually have some lives to spare in Sigi, since extra lives are quite plentiful. Each level will have coins scattered about and for every 100 of them you collet you'll rack up an extra man. There are also shields you can pick up, which will also grant you another life in addition to replenishing your health. Each non-boss stage also feature four letters that spell Sigi for you to collect and all but 1 stage have hidden caves for you to find as well. These hidden cave sections will typically yield coins, bonus lives and other goodies. There are also a few select stages with hidden items to find, though finding these doesn't do much but add to your overall completion percentage and unlock an achievement. At the end of each non-boss stage you'll find a hot dog stand, which replenishes your health and marks the end of each level.

Along the way you'll find weapon pick-ups. Sigi can only wield one weapon at a time, so you lose whatever you had previously upon grabbing a new one. There's a decent range of weaponry, with stuff like triple daggers, axes and throwing maces. Some are definitely better than others and I frequently found myself trying to hang on to the triple daggers as long as possible, as they were far more effective than the other weapons. The boss battles are rather easy since you spawn right back in when you die and you'll likely blow right through them. There are some strange designs for the bosses, with one of them being fast-food fries (Aqua Teen reference?) and the final boss sharing a striking resemblance to Hulk Hogan.

Sigi is an easy one to pick up and play thanks to responsive controls and simple level design. Everything works as it should and I didn't feel like I suffered too many cheap deaths. The presentation is executed well, with good-looking though basic sprite graphics and some solid chiptune music. While Sigi looks, plays and sounds above average, the biggest thing going against it would be its short length. Sigi is a very short game, with an achievement challenging the player to 100% all levels and complete the game within 30 minutes. While this may sound daunting at first, once you get the hang of the game this is actually a breeze.

You may be wondering why the game's subtitle is "A Fart for Melusina" right? Other than the obvious fact that the developers thought it was humorous, there's also a gag in the game where Sigi breaks wind when he encounters Melusina. It's stupid and silly, but helps set the tone for your adventure. Sigi also farts upon picking up food as well. Sigi: A Fart for Melusina is very brief, simple and easy to complete. Those aren't necessarily deal breakers though, and there is still some merit to checking this one out. The lax difficulty makes this a good starting point for those new to 2D platformers or those just looking for something that won't make them want to pull their hair out in frustration. The easy completion also makes this one ideal for achievement hunters. Due to the short length of time you'll invest in the game, you may want to wait for a sale on it though the $5 asking price for the game is fair.

Final Verdict: Sigi: A Fart for Melusina is a simple but enjoyable 2D action-platformer with a fun, silly tone that's very short in length and light on challenge, making it a good choice for beginners.

Related Links:
Buy Sigi - Microsoft Store
Melusine - Wikipedia
pixel.lu - Official Site
Sigi: A Fart for Melusina - GameFAQs

Strategy Guide/Walkthroughs:
Sigi Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
Cave and Secret Item Guide - Xbox Achievements
Sigi: A Fart for Melusina - True Achievements

Boxing.free (Xbox One, 2017)

Boxing.free
Developed/Published by SkyLine Gamez
Released for Xbox One (10/17/2017)
Also on Mobile/PC

Boxing.free is another game that was originally released for mobile devices and eventually wound up getting a port to the Xbox One via the Creator's Collection. This market is full of mobile games that nobody ever asked for to be ported over to consoles, and Boxing.free fits that description to a tee.

The game was free, so it does at least live up to its title of Boxing.free. The game being free comes at a cost however, and as soon as you load the game up you'll notice that you're bombarded with ads on the sides and top of the screen. These annoying advertisements take up a nice chunk of the screen. The actual game screen is featured in the center. I had a difficult time even figuring out how to start the game, since the game tries to trick you into clicking on the ads at first. In order to play, you must first highlight the game screen, press A so the cursor appears on it and then highlight the play button. Right from the get-go Boxing.free is not a good experience.

Pacific Wings (Xbox One, 2019 | XBLIG, 2012)

Pacific Wings
Developed/Published by Sprakelsoft GmbH
Released for Xbox One (6/25/2019) | Xbox Live Indie Games (8/2/2012)
Also on Android/iOS/PS4/Switch

Pacific Wings is a rather blatant clone of the old Capcom arcade classic 1942. The player flies an American P-38 blasting down waves of Japanese planes, exactly like the old arcade classic. Looking at screenshots or footage of the game shows some promise, with pixel-graphics that invoke a nice retro vibe. Here we'll take a look at the trial for Pacific Wings on the Xbox One and see how it holds up when compared to the original that inspired it or if it's even worth playing at all.

The Long Reach (Xbox One, 2018)

The Long Reach
Developed by Painted Black Games
Published by Merge Games Ltd.
Released for Xbox One (7/2018)
Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS4/Switch/Vita

The Long Reach is a 2D adventure/horror game presented in pixel graphics. Unlike your standard horror title, you have no way to fight back against the vicious murderer. This means you'll have to run and hide in order to avoid being killed. The game feels like a slasher film in several regards, so if you're a fan of those types of movies you might want to have a look at this one.

The Long Reach takes place in science research facility, where the crew are performing some dangerous research. Due to funding limitations, the crew were forced to use themselves as test subjects and are injecting themselves with experimental drugs that are intended to enhance one's abilities in various ways. The crew begin suffering from hallucinations and are beginning to lose their sanity. This is when the dead bodies began turning up...

The character you control is also suffering from the same hallucinations as the other crew members, so there are a couple parts where you're transported into some crazy scenarios. Along the way you'll still find a few living crew members, though most of them have gone mad. You'll have dialogue options to select from when speaking with them, some of which will have different replies. It's a nice touch how none of the dialogue choices are highlighted when presented to prevent accidentally choosing one while speeding up the game text.

A certain crew member has completely lost it and is roaming the facility. You'll know if he's in a room thanks to the footstep indicator you'll see as he approaches. If this guy sees you, he'll chase you down and will put an end to your game if he catches you. There are a few designated spots, such as lockers and vents, where you can hide from the killer if you're quick enough. This will allow you to safely pop back out and go about your business if done properly. If caught and murdered you'll be sent back to the last checkpoint, some of which seem a bit further back than they should be. For instance, in one area where the killer will frequently chase after you the checkpoint sends you back to a lengthy dialogue segment you'll quickly grow tired of viewing.

While at its core the Long Reach is a horror game and there are several parts of the game where you'll be running and hiding for safety, a good chunk of the game will be spent exploring the environment, finding objects and then figuring what to use those objects with. It's similar to point 'n click games, where often the solution isn't the most obvious choice but can be discovered by just trying everything. This means there's quite a bit of trial and error gameplay here, and unless using a guide you'll likely find yourself stumped on more than a few occasions.

As already stated, the graphics in the Long Reach are presented in chunky 2D pixels. It looks nice overall and like many games sporting this graphical style, it manages to be simple yet detailed at the same time. There are some nice scrolling layers in the backdrop to convey a sense of depth. Lighting sources and darkness are also well represented here, so there's not much to complain about in the looks department. Sound design is rather minimal, but it works in the games favor to add to the tension and atmosphere. Controls are simple as well and movement feels fluid. The run button is easy to use as is the inventory. Objects that can be interacted with in the background are highlighted in yellow, making it easy to see what to do. Overall, the game does a solid job in the graphics/presentation/controls departments.
 
If I had to complain about something it would be that the initial loading screen is a bit lengthy for such a simple-looking game, but even that's a bit of a reach (maybe even a long reach). The Long Reach is a short game and can be completed in just an hour or two if you know what to do. If you play the game blind with no strategy guides it will easily last you somewhere between 4-8 hours depending upon how quick you solve some of the puzzles. While a bit on the short side, the Long Reach is good fun while it lasts and is an enjoyable combination of adventure/horror/slasher genres. The game features a solid atmosphere, a crazy killer and a creepy story involving an experiment gone terribly wrong. The running and hiding segments reminded a bit of the old Clock Tower games, so if you enjoyed those or slasher horror you'll find something to like with the Long Reach!

Final Verdict: The Long Reach is a solid adventure-horror title that's a bit short in length, but is a good time while it lasts. If you like slasher horror than give this one a look!

Related Links:
Buy The Long Reach - Microsoft Store
The Long Reach - GameFAQs
Merge Games - Official Site
The Long Reach Game - Official Site
Painted Black Games - Official Site

Strategy Guide/Walkthroughs:
The Long Reach - True Achievements
The Long Reach Walkthrough - PlayStation Trophies
The Long Reach Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements

Omega Strike (Xbox One, 2018)

Omega Strike
Developed by Woblyware
Published by Digerati Distribution
Released for Xbox One (6/2018)
Also on PC/PS4/Switch

Omega Strike combines a 2D run 'n gun/platformer with Metroidvania style gameplay. Despite having a somewhat generic name making it easy to overlook, Omega Strike is a competent Metroidvania that fans of the genre might want to dip into. Presented in old-school pixel art graphics, you'll blast your way through five large areas while unlocking new abilities along the way. As you gain new abilities you'll be able to explore areas you previously couldn't access.

Omega Strike features the standard plot of a bad dude, Dr. Omega, who threatens to dominate the world under his reign of terror. It's up to our three heroes Sarge, Bear and Dex to put an end to Dr. Omega's evil plans. At the start of Omega Strike you'll only have control of Sarge, but as you progress you'll unlock two additional characters you can switch between on the fly, each with different abilities that you'll unlock as you play. Sarge packs an assault rifle and has the ability to shoot through certain blocks and roll. Dex wields a shotgun and can double jump and dash. The third character, Bear, packs a grenade launcher and the ability to push heavy blocks. Characters can be switched instantly with a press of the Y button and you'll find yourself switching between them quite frequently as you encounter different scenarios throughout the game. It's a neat concept and works well enough, though Sarge and Dex are easily much more effective than Bear. Bear was primarily effective for enemies below you since his grenade launcher has an arc to it, but you'll encounter these scenarios far less frequently than enemies in front of or above you which are better handled by Dex or Sarge. Once you unlock Dex's double jump ability, you'll likely only switch to the other characters when required and then go right back to Dex due to his enhanced mobility.

There are five total stages to explore in Omega Strike. There's a decent variety between the stages, which will take you through mines, the desert, a scrapyard, the mountains and the woods. While five stages might sound quite short, the maps are large in size and will take a while to explore. You'll find yourself returning to previous areas quite frequently as you unlock new abilities and are able to access areas you couldn't before. The fifth and final stage, the Omega Citadel, is an air fortress in the sky that can only be unlocked after defeating all previous bosses on the first four stages.

There are collectibles scattered about in the form of medkits, treasure chests and lifecubes. The medkits will be added to your inventory when collected, which can be used from the item screen anytime you need to restore some health. The treasure chests add some extra money which you can spend on upgrades or items at a merchant. The lifecubes will be added to your inventory and can be exchanged at the military base. Four life cubes will grant you one additional block on your life meter. Some of these are well hidden, so you'll definitely pass some of them up on accident. Enemies respawn every time you enter a new screen, so you'll find yourself blasting through the same screens several times in a playthrough as you backtrack to access new areas.

Graphically, Omega Strike presents the 2D action with pixel-art that looks like something straight out of the 32-bit era. The pixel art is simple but packs more than enough detail to convey what the sprite is supposed to be. Backgrounds are also quite detailed with several scrolling layers adding a nice sense of depth. There's a decent variety to the stages, with each feeling different than the last. There's also quite a nice variety of enemies to dispatch and the game does a good job ramping up the difficulty of the enemies as you progress. Each map has its own theme music, all of which are solid and a few are quite memorable. The songs for Emerald Woods, Scrapyard and Omega Citadel definitely stand out as personal favorites. The sound effects are simple and to the point. Nothing sounds too obnoxious and I never got tired of hearing the sounds of the game, though much of this is due to the excellent soundtrack. In regards to the music, every time I heard the theme song for Emerald Woods this song from the Gradius 3 OST would pop into my head. Do you notice the similarities as well or am I imagining things? Control-wise, Omega Strike features a simple control layout that works well and really leaves nothing to complain about.

I didn't find much to gripe about during my time with Omega Strike, though there are a few aspects that could've been improved. I wound up purchasing all of the upgrades roughly about halfway through the game, which left me nothing else to spend my money on besides food and the teleporter device (which warps you back to the military base). Another shop later in the game with a few more items to buy would have went a long way. While the map works fine for what it is, having some kind of way to place markers or indicate where you want to return later would have been great. As it is, you'll end up doing a lot of useless backtracking to figure out where you're supposed to go (unless of course you use these maps), but this has been a common issue with many Metroidvania games in the past and kinda comes with the genre sometimes. There's also the character balance issue I talked about earlier, with Dex and his double-jump ability making him far more enjoyable to use than the other two characters.

During my playthrough of Omega Strike, I unlocked 100% of the achievements in a little under 7 hours. Having obtained the game on the cheap in an Indie Bundle sale, I felt like I got more than my money's worth but I might feel different had I paid full price for the game, so you may want to wait and catch it on a sale. While a bit on the short side, I found myself wanting more when it was all said and done which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Omega Strike is far from perfect, but it's a fun little Metroidvania game that won't take up too much of your time.

Final Verdict: Omega Strike is a Metroidvania with elements of a 2D run 'n gunner and platformer. While a bit easy and short in length, there's still some fun to be had here. Grab it when it's on sale if you dig Metroidvania games.

Related Links:
Buy Omega Force - Microsoft Store
Buy Indie Darling Bundle Vol 3 - Microsoft Store
Omega Strike Item Maps - Xbox Overview
Omega Strike - GameFAQs
Woblyware - Official Site
Digerati Distribution - Official Site
Omega Strike - True Achievements

DreamBreak (Xbox One, 2017)

DreamBreak
Developed by Aist
Published by Digerati Distribution
Released for Xbox One (9/2017)
Also on PC/PS4/Mac

DreamBreak is a cinematic platformer sporting retro pixel-art, similar in vein to old classics like Another World and Flashback. DreamBreak is set in post-Cold War USSR in some type of Orwellian universe and has the player taking control of Eugene. Eugene is a janitor who finds himself accused of a murder in Soviet Russia and must find a way to avoid being apprehended, at least I'm pretty sure that's what was going on.

DreamBreak is a nice looking game, sporting some simple yet detailed sprite art. It definitely looks like something that could have come out for PC in the early '90's. The animation is excellent, with characters moving about fluidly, a staple of the cinematic platform genre. There's a few annoying sounds when destroying some of the robots, but for the most part the sound design is unobtrusive and above average. The music fits the tone of game well. Overall, DreamBreak does a good job in the presentation department.

The character controls might seem a bit clunky to those unfamiliar with these cinematic platformer games, but once you get a feel for the grid style movement of the character it's quite easy to get where you need to go. Holding the LB or RB buttons will cause the player to run while using the triggers and holding a direction will leap. The leap is a long jump, very reminiscent of Prince of Persia.  Holding up near a ledge allows you to climb up. The A button will interact with objects and enter doors. It's a simple control scheme and works well enough.

When you approach an enemy your character will draw his gun, at which point you can fire using RB and engage your shields with LB. This is where we arrive at one of DreamBreak's most glaring issues: the gun battles aren't the slightest bit engaging. You can literally just hold LB and RB during each gun segment and never take a single lick of damage the entire game. Discharging your firearm at your enemy should be an exciting event, but instead in DreamBreak it's reduced to just holding down the shoulder buttons. The game would have greatly benefited from a better combat system, something like the cover system like Blackthorne had or something of that nature.

DreamBreak consists mostly of exploring and getting into the occasional gunfight, but there are also several other game-types mixed in. There's an arcade that can be played, which is a wild west showdown game that unfortunately plays exactly like the gun encounters in the game. There's also a hoverbike game where you see how long you can cruise along on your bike without hitting anything. Another segment has you riding in a taxi being attacked by flying robots. You'll have to hack the robots before they take down your car. Several areas will have you doing the pipe puzzles where you'll need to arrange pipes in order to get water to flow in a certain direction, similar to Pipe Dream. The pipe puzzles were enjoyable, but I didn't really find much notable about any of the other game types. They're mostly forgettable and even a bit annoying. The taxi segment where you have to hack the robots is far more difficult than anything else the game throws at you and it's right near the start of the game! I found myself looking forward to getting back to the core style of gameplay rather than wanting to play the other game-styles on offer.

The world the developers created in DreamBreak is interesting to explore for the most part but there are some issues regarding the story. There's some kind of crazy story delivered through a few dialogue segments about a computer AI going nuts or something like that. It's all a bit convoluted and I found myself more confused than anything by the end of the game. There are at least three different endings to be seen, though two of them end with the same result. It's hard to have much attachment to any of the characters when the game is over so fast. DreamBreak will likely only last you maybe two hours and outside of the multiple endings there's not much to bring you back for another playthrough. The endings can all be viewed quickly by simply reloading your last checkpoint.

While DreamBreak looks good and controls decently enough, the lackluster minigames, boring gunfights, short length and confusing story add up to a game that had some solid potential but ends up missing the mark by a bit. Cinematic platformer fans will likely get a bit of fun out of it, as will achievement hunters looking to add an easy completion to their gamertag. All others I'd recommend checking out the originals that inspired this game first, such as Another World and Flashback. If you do end up getting DreamBreak, I'd definitely suggest waiting for a sale considering you're only getting a few hours out of it.

Final Verdict: DreamBreak is a good-looking throwback to cinematic platformers but the short length, boring gunfights and lame minigames hold it back from being as good as it could have been. Only hardcore cinematic platformer fans and achievement hunters will find much to like here.

Related Links:
Buy DreamBreak - Microsoft Store
Buy Digerati Made in USSR Bundle - Microsoft Store
DreamBreak - GameFAQs
Digerati Distribution - Official Site
DreamBreak - True Achievements
DreamBreak Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements

The Tempura of the Dead (XBLIG, 2010)

The Tempura of the Dead
Developed by JPN 8bits fanatics
Released for XBLIG (11/2010)

The Tempura of the Dead is a 2D action-platformer released in late 2010 exclusively for XBLIG. The game has you playing as two different characters that you can switch between on the fly. The main character is Thompson, who is the President of the United States and uses firearms to take matters into his own hands. Accompanying Thompson is a samurai wielding a sword named Sugimoto. Thompson looks like a cross between former US President Barack Obama and anime legend Lupin the Third.

Each stage in Tempura of the Dead will feature a certain number of larger creatures and once all have been destroyed you will progress to the next stage. Stages are selected via an overworld map which also features shops where you can buy upgrades/health for your characters. Items can be purchased with your points which are gained by juggling zombie heads. After the zombies take enough damage, their head will go flying up in the air and if you can juggle it a couple times you'll initiate "tempura fever," and every head you hit in the air after will give you bonus points. Decapitated heads can be juggled with either your sword or bullets depending on which character you're using. There are four boss battles you'll encounter through the game, with the last one having you face off against a possessed Statue of Liberty!

The Tempura of the Dead features an 8-bit pixel style that feels very true to form, very similar to the developers' other effort Aban Hawkins & the 1000 Spikes. You can see the developer took a lot of care in presenting this game in a retro aesthetic. The controls are solid and the only complaint I can find is that jumping doesn't work while moving near an edge sometimes, which becomes a bit of an issue in later stages with very narrow platforms. It's extremely frustrating to see your character simply walk over the edge of a platform to his death when you know you pressed the jump button. You'll have to adjust to jumping before pressing over in the direction you're trying to move, which is a shame but I've found this is a common issue with several of the more challenging XBLIG platformers. It's not totally game-breaking though and you'll adapt to it if you play the game enough, but it's definitely worth mentioning. Also, while the music is decent and has the appropriate chip-tune sound, the game would have benefited from a bit more variety as the tracks are quite short and they tend to loop fast.

Tempura of the Dead features 24 levels with a few boss battles sprinkled throughout and it never feels like it drags on too long. It feels about the perfect length for the original $3 asking price. The currency/upgrade system pads the game out a tad but I found it enjoyable enough that it didn't feel like much of a grind. A playthrough of the game will probably last around 5 hours, which isn't bad for the cheap price. Tempura of the Dead was a solid XBLIG title with a retro feel and it would be nice to see it released again on a future platform so it's not completely forgotten in the sands of time. If you're a fan of late '80's/early '90's retro gaming, The Tempura of the Dead is one you'll enjoy!

Final Verdict: The Tempura of the Dead is an excellent 2D action/platformer that looks, plays and sounds like a classic 8-bit title. Highly recommended!

Related Links:
8bits Fanatics - Xbox Overview
The Tempura of the Dead - GameFAQs
Tempura of the Dead on 8bits Fanatics - Official Site

Zeroptian Invasion (Xbox One, 2019)

Zeroptian Invasion
Developed by Josyan
Published by Ratalaika Games
Released for Xbox One (4/2019)
Also on Linux/Switch/PC/PS4/Vita

Zeroptian Invasion pays homage to one of the all-time arcade classics, Space Invaders, and aims to deliver some retro shooter action. Featuring a low price point and an easy achievement list to complete, the game will without a doubt appeal to achievement hunters but let's take a look and see if it's worth anything outside of some easy gamerscore.

Graphically, Zeroptian Invasion is a simple affair. True to it's inspiration, the simplistic graphics look like something that came out in the late '70's or early '80's, featuring blocky enemies that typically consist of only a color or two. Sound effects are the bleeps and bloops that were common in the early arcade era. Though incredibly simple, the graphics and sound do a decent job invoking the retro feel that the designers were aiming for. There's also some nice-looking art featured on the sides of the screen that resembles the type of stuff you'd find on the bezels of old arcade games.

The gameplay is very similar to Space Invaders, with the player's ship being only able to move on a horizontal axis while blasting on creatures that slowly descend the longer they are left alive. Just like in Space Invaders there are three shields that will absorb enemy bullets but will disappear upon taking too much damage. Every so often a UFO will zip across the top of the screen, which will disperse a power-up when hit. These consist of helpful items like a faster shot or a shield. Zeroptian Invasion also features stages with enemies that attack in patterns similar to the arcade classic Galaga.

Every few stages the game throws in a boss battle which upon defeat will mark a checkpoint you'll resume from should you need to continue. There's a decent amount of variety between the bosses and they're much tougher than the average enemies. The designers were nice enough to include a life bar for the boss at the bottom of the screen. You get two ships in Zeroptian Invasion and once lost you'll see an old-school 10-second countdown to continue. There are unlimited continues available, so anybody with a little perseverance can see there way through the game. Using a continue will reset your score and restart you after the previous boss you've defeated, so there is still a penalty for using a continue.

At the title screen you can access the options menu which gives you the ability to rotate the screen if you want to play from a vertical orientation, turn on a CRT filter and toggle sound/vibration. The game also keeps track of your local online scores, which will help give the game at least a little replay value for some people out there. 

You know how most games give you a prompt whenever you ask to exit out to the main menu during gameplay? It's a handy feature in case you accidentally select this option and don't want to lose your progress, but in Zeroptian Invasion no such feature exists, so be careful when pausing the game and navigating the start menu as one button press on exit will promptly send you to the title screen (trust me, I did this on accident!). Outside of this minor issue, I found Zeroptian Invasion to be a stable game and didn't run into any type of glitching or crashing while playing.

It's worth noting just how easy it is to obtain 100% of the achievements in Zeroptian Invasion. Containing one of the higher achievement completion ratios I've seen yet on the Xbox One, more than 50% of the people that booted the game up unlocked all of the achievements. There's a reason for this, as the entire set can be unlocked in about roughly 10 minutes. You'll only have to reach stage 7 and by the time you've made it that far chances are you've unlocked everything else along the way. The game's cheap price point and quick completion time makes this an ideal title for achievement hunters, but luckily for anybody craving some old-school Space Invaders shooter action this is actually a decent title. It's certainly not a great game, but it's an above-average retro-styled shooter that plays well enough and you could certainly do worse when it comes to budget-priced titles on the Xbox One.

Final Verdict: Zeroptian Invasion is a simple and somewhat generic Space Invaders style retro shooter. The achievements can be unlocked super quick but there is also a decent old-school shooter here as well.

Related Links:
Buy Zeroptian Invasion - Microsoft Store

Related Links:
Shmups - Xbox Overview
Zeroptian Invasion - Metacritic
Zeroptian Invasion - GameFAQs
Ratalaika Games - Official Site
Zeroptian Invasion - True Achievements

The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries (Xbox 360/One, 2016)

The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries
Developed by Telltale Games & Skybound Games
Published by Telltale Games
Released for Xbox 360 (2/2016) & Xbox One (4/2016)
Also on iOS/Mac/PC/PS3/PS4

The Walking Dead: Michonne is Telltale Games third entry into the Walking Dead series of games. If you've played any of  the previous entries you have a decent idea of what to expect, though none of the recurring characters are featured in this game and instead the story focuses on Michonne on her quest for survival.

The main character, Michonne, is constantly haunted by hallucinations of her two missing daughters. She was away from them when the zombie outbreak started and has been unable to locate them in order to find out if they survived or not. Every now and then you'll enter a flashback sequence where you'll try to help them before snapping back to reality. While Michonne is searching for survivors in the first episode, she is captured by another group of survivors with bad intentions. This theme of good-natured survivors being captured by evil survivors is starting to feel a bit played out when it comes to the zombie apocalypse stuff and it's beginning to feel like we've seen it a hundred times (which we likely have). Even with that said, Michonne is a badass character and I had no problem playing through the game to see what would happen to her next, though there aren't as many surprises in this Walking Dead as there were in previous entries. The remainder of the cast aren't bad, but you don't get enough time with any of them to become that invested in them.

The Walking Dead: Michonne is called a Telltale Miniseries for good reason: the game has only 3 episodes and will only last about 3-4 hours before you've finished the story. As usual in Telltale Games, you'll have a few choices to make along the way that make a few scenes play out slightly different. Like other Telltale Games, the story is mostly the same no matter what you choose so it really ends up being more of an illusion of choice than really having much impact. You can definitely sense that Telltale was spread a little thin at this point due to taking on too many projects and they didn't put the same TLC into this game as the first two.

Though not as good as the first two games, if you enjoyed those entries you'll likely enjoy your brief time with the Walking Dead: Michonne. During my playthrough of the Xbox One version, I didn't experience any of the issues I'd run into with previous Telltale Games (crashing, frame dips, etc.). It's good for a quick playthrough, maybe even a second, but you're not going to get more than a few hours out of the game. If you're cool with a short point 'n click style game, give Michonne a try. It's a bit hard to recommend it at the full MSRP, so I'd suggest waiting for a sale. Unlike the first two Walking Dead games from Telltalle, the Michonne Miniseries has yet to receive a physical release.

Final Verdict: The Walking Dead: Michonne is a short but fun zombie survival point 'n click game. Though it doesn't feature any of the characters from the original games, the gameplay will appeal to those who enjoyed previous Telltale releases.

Related Links:
Buy The Walking Dead: Michonne for Xbox One - Microsoft Store
Buy The Walking Dead: Michonne for Xbox 360 - Xbox Marketplace
Telltale Games - Xbox Overview
The Walking Dead: Michonne - GameFAQs 
The Walking Dead: Michonne - True Achievements
The Walking Dead: Michonne Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements

Star Wars: Republic Commando (Xbox, 2005)

Star Wars: Republic Commando
Developed/Published by LucasArts
Released for Xbox (2/2005)
Also on PC
Backwards Compatible on Xbox One/Xbox 360

There were a total of 14 Star Wars titles released on the original Xbox, making it hard not to overlook at least a few of them. I'm always a bit skeptical coming into any Star Wars game, as the license has a bit of a checkered past when it comes to quality, but I was pleasantly surprised by Republic Commando. The game was released for both the Xbox and PC in 2005, and is a squad based first-person shooter.

Developed and published by LucasArts, Republic Commando delivers some nice visuals for a 2005 release which are powered by the popular Unreal Engine 2. The menus are simple, easy to use and the game allows you to save at any point in addition to autosaving at designated checkpoints. The on-screen HUD does a good job keeping you aware of your squad's health status and ammunition is displayed on each weapon. All of the text used is easy to read and while the presentation is nothing special, you'd have a hard time finding much to complain about. The voice acting and sound effects are solid. The game does feature music, but a good majority of the time you'll only have the ambience. While the music is used sparsely, what is present here is similar to the stuff you would hear in the Star Wars prequel films of the time.

Scrap Metal (XBLA, 2010)

Scrap Metal
Developed by Slick Entertainment
Released for XBLA (3/2010)
Also on iOS
Backwards Compatible on Xbox One

Scrap Metal is a car-combat/racing game released as a digital-download for Xbox Live Arcade in 2010. The action is viewed from overhead at a sort of 3/4 angle. The game takes inspiration from several of the old-school racing classics. The camera view, car combat theme and racing is a bit of a throwback to old classics like RC Pro-Am, Carmageddon, Death Rally and Rock 'N Roll Racing. So this relatively obscure XBLA title takes inspiration from some great games.

The bulk of Scrap Metal consists of the single-player campaign. There are several types of events you'll encounter throughout the game, so don't expect this to be a straight racing title. In addition to standard and elimination races, there are derby events, boss battles, survival levels and even the occasional unique event like a time trial or monster truck challenge. There's a decent amount of variety though some events are definitely more enjoyable than others. Scrap Metal is at its best during the race and derby events. In the derby events your goal is to simply blow up as many opponents as possible. The game features eight tracks and each track contains several events you'll need to complete, with a boss battle towards the end. The boss battles are basically like your standard opponents but with more HP and bodyguards, with the exception of the final boss battle which is against a tank. The first couple of tracks are simple in design but as you progress the tracks continue to get more intricate and difficult to navigate.

In Scrap Metal you only get four garage slots and at any given point in the game you can select between these four vehicles. The events do have class restrictions so you can't go back and beast the earlier events with the better cars you'll unlock later. While you can access the junkyard at any point, replacing a vehicle in your garage will wipe out any upgrades you've purchased for that particular vehicle. While the vehicle will still be available to use in the junkyard, you'll have to re-purchase any previous upgrades. This seems like an unnecessary restriction and worked against me trying out all of the different vehicles, instead opting to use a handful of fully upgraded vehicles to tackle the events.

Though you can only upgrade four vehicles at once, there's a decent selection of vehicles you can unlock as you progress and they all have drastically different stats. There are bulky, tough and slow vehicles like semi-trucks, monster trucks and even a tank. There are also quick vehicles with weak armor like the station wagon, hotrod or race car. Each vehicle is equipped with a different weapon type and there's a decent amount of variety between them. Some vehicles have ranged weapons like machine guns or rocket launchers, while others are equipped for close combat with spiked rams or flamethrowers. The ranged weapons are obviously more effective most of the time, as using the close-quarter weaponry will often result in taking large amounts of damage.

Scrap Metal features two different control schemes. There's the novice layout which maps acceleration/braking/steering to the right analog stick and the advanced controller layout has the gas/braking mapped to the triggers while you steer with the analog stick. I wound up using the advanced scheme for the majority of my playthrough as I just felt like it granted a bit more precision, especially when cornering. Here we get to Scrap Metal's biggest problem: cornering is a bit of a pain. I managed to get three stars on all events in the game and even by the end I rarely felt confident in my ability to round corners. With most vehicles, turning feels a bit too sensitive forcing you to constantly readjust to stay on the track.

In addition to the single player action, Scrap Metal also supports online, local or system link multiplayer. Local multiplayer allows up to four players to compete in split-screen action. There's three different multiplayer events offered: king of the hill, race and derby. The multiplayer can be quite fun if you have three willing friends to play it with. With the age of the game and the fact that it's not a particularly popular title, you have a very small chance of finding an opponent for an online match when searching randomly. At the time of this writing (early 2019) the servers are still functioning, so it is possible to play online if you coordinate a session with others who have the game. If you're trying to play local with split-screen, you'll have to have four controllers and you'll need a large screen due to how small the view is.

Scrap Metal features a decent amount of content for an XBLA title released in 2010 and the concept is definitely cool. While the over-sensitive steering controls hold the game back from greatness, there's still some fun to be had and there aren't a ton of these derby-style car games out there nowadays. Scrap Metal is backwards-compatible on the Xbox One, so if I'd say give this one a shot if you're into car combat driving games and have either a 360 or One. I purchased it while on sale for a few bucks and don't regret my purchase. Scrap Metal was the second and final XBLA release from Slick Entertainment, with the first being N+ in 2008. In 2017 the team at Slick Entertainment was absorbed into independent developer Klei Entertainment (Shank, Mark of the Ninja).

Final Verdict: Scrap Metal is a decent car combat/racing game and while there is some fun to be had here, the cornering issues hold it back from being as good as it could have been. Still worth a look if you enjoy car combat style games.

Related Links:
Buy Scrap Metal - Microsoft Store 
Buy Scrap Metal - Xbox Marketplace
Scrap Metal - GameFAQs
Scrap Metal Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
Scrap Metal - True Achievements

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