Xbox Tavern

• XONE
• 7.7 / 10
• États-Unis

As far as the racing game genre goes Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is one of the coolest and freshest around. Of course, the brilliance of Hot Pursuit stems from its original release in 2010 and the remaster doesn’t bestow a bountiful bouquet of bonuses, but replaying it ten years down the line hasn’t changed the recipe one iota – and that can only be a great thing, although the changes are minimal beyond aesthetics. If you haven’t played Hot Pursuit and want an exhilarating racer this is a must own and while you’re at it bump up the score below by 1.0, but as a remaster it only does enough to make it competent and does little to stand out from the litany of remasters out there.

• XONE
• 9.3 / 10
• États-Unis

I am more than a little surprised at just how much I enjoyed Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Having skipped the series for a few years due to being a bit burnt out on it all, Cold War manages to feel fresh and exciting while familiar at the same time. The solo campaign is over too soon, but what’s there is excellent and offers more than a simple rollercoaster of action. Multiplayer is as solid as ever, with a great variety of modes to dip in to. The combat feel is still among the best out there, making even the worst defeats still enjoyable. Zombies has great potential if you’ve a crew to play with, and brings some welcome levity to proceedings. An excellent all round package then, and well worth a look.

• XONE
• 8.8 / 10
• États-Unis

Perhaps it’s off kilter to say another year, another Assassins Creed entry – particularly with the fact that the last game came out in 2018 – but Valhalla assuages much of the scepticism surrounding the frequency of Assassins Creed games by being one of the best entries in the entire series, with its only considerable setbacks a circumstance of Ubisoft’s penchant to create huge open-worlds with too much going on in them and the matter that a handful of bugs can stymie the experience. Yet Valhalla does an exemplary job of immersing players in a world of Vikings and raiding that you’ll hardly want to acknowledge its shortfalls. There’s hours upon hours of entertainment here bolstered by satisfying combat and a story that will engage throughout, although the addictive nature of playing Valhalla often overwhelms the enjoyability – there are so many distractions and enhancements that make it a fully bolstered adventure that you’ll find yourself lost and entrenched in time and again. Valhalla swings for the fences and lands a satisfying and devastating blow that will certainly be felt by most players who experience it, just don’t go looking for a game-changer.

• XONE
• 6.1 / 10
• États-Unis

It’ll be over in an evening, but despite a poor first impression I enjoyed the challenge Kid Tripp brings to the table. The responsive controls, smooth gameplay and muscle memory flow meant it was easy to get hooked; even after my hundredth death the one-more-go feeling was still there. Well worth a look if you’re after something short and snappy to get in to.

• XONE
• 7.9 / 10
• États-Unis

Depsite these niggles I enjoyed my time with The Observer; it looks great, has atmosphere for days and if you cankeep track of what is going on then there is a lot of additional lore to find and piece together. The mind hack sections were the most engaging parts, with some genuinely clever presentation and execution among some truly bizarre imagery and themes. It might not be Bloobers best work, but it’s worth a look if you’re a fan of the team’s games.

• XONE
• 7.9 / 10
• États-Unis

• XONE
• 5.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Those of you who already have an interest in Space faring expeditions will likely get the most out of Mars Horizon, as otherwise the fairly bland gameplay and presentation may well put you off digging into the experience. There’s a good amount of educational merit to it though, so hopefully it’ll inspire more people to learn! But if I’m completely honest, the most fun I had from Mars Horizon came from the controller vibrating in my lap during rocket launches. And yes, Bigger is Better. Lol.

• XONE
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Liftoff: Drone Racing is bringing simulation drone racing to consoles without missing a beat. While Liftoff: Drone Racing has been tough for me to wrap my head around control-wise I still had fun. With more time I know the first place finishes would start rolling in but even as noob to both virtual and real life drone flying, I had a good time and I’d imagine enthusiasts and general sim racing fans would as well.

• XONE
• 8.1 / 10
• États-Unis

Just Dance 2021 is, as ever, a great party game experience that is simple to get into and encourages people of all skill levels to join in. Being able to use the Sweat mode to aid in your fitness journey is a great touch, while when using Kinect the video clips that are recorded never fail to get a laugh out of the room. Played without a camera it loses a little of its accuracy and charm, but it still manages to be a fun experience –provided you trust the players not to launch your phone across the room!

• XONE
• 8.3 / 10
• États-Unis

I had a blast playing Fuser and I can’t wait to keep playing it. The game does a good job at letting you feel like you’ve made some really good tunes, even for the rhythmically challenged like myself. I only wish there were more songs to pick from without resulting to DLC but the offering available is certainly solid. All in all I’m glad a rhythm game without peripherals is here and I’m excited to see where Fuser goes.

• XSX/S
• 6.8 / 10
• États-Unis

• XONE
• 6.3 / 10
• États-Unis

As someone wholly unfamiliar with Handball it’s perhaps expected that I might not quite get it, but despite a good few modes and teams to play with I can’t shake the feeling that even fans of the sport might come away underwhelmed with Handball 21 thanks to it’s stuttery, simplistic gameplay and lack of visual sheen.

• XONE
• 8.3 / 10
• États-Unis

• XONE
• 8.9 / 10
• États-Unis

All in all, Watch Dogs: Legion is a brilliant third instalment to the franchise. I am loving the fact you can play as pretty much anyone, but I have yet to find my favourite character that I 100% want to always play. But with so many to choose from I think I will be constantly changing. The story is interesting and the hacking is smooth and rewarding. For me, this is a must-play.

• XONE
• 6.6 / 10
• États-Unis

There are a bevvy of reasons to commend Ghostrunner thanks to its emphasis on story, the brilliantly satisfying ways you carve through your adversaries, and the rhythmic feeling of the wall-running is excellently fluid. However, Ghostrunner falls down due to its unfair challenge, the one-dimensional and cliched characters, the tepid-looking cyberpunk aesthetics and the befuddling upgrade system. Ghostrunner will easily satisfy those who are compelled by its inspirations and it’s decent at what it does, but the frustrations and hurdles aren’t quite worth standing for because the challenges within Ghostrunner‘s design appear to contradict the kind of emphatic power that being a badass unstoppable ninja should define. Ghostrunner is certainly worth a look and will definitely click with those endeared by its speed and momentum, but potentially alienates those who just want a kick-ass action game to delve into. In this sense, Ghostrunner is as much a success as it is a failure.

• XONE
• 8.9 / 10
• États-Unis

The king is back. DIRT returns with aplomb in a triumphant new entry that packs in as much substance as it does style. Visually DIRT 5 is spectacular, one of the best looking and astounding racing games out there, managing to get up close and give FORZA‘s rear bumper a fearless bonk. On track DIRT 5 is accessibly nimble and controllably twitchy, making races a sheer spectacle and a sheer highlight at the same time featuring engaging tussles for position, only being matched by the array of exciting events on offer. Playgrounds gives avid DIRT lovers the ability to create their own tracks and share them with the community, which will undoubtedly add plenty of surprising challenges for those who want to spend time with it. DIRT 5 is superb and will quench the thirst of anybody who believes racing games have become too sim-heavy and boring. Some will lament the lack of true rallying and the ostentatious Americanised presentation but why complain when you can fully embrace the arcade richness on display here. Simply put, DIRT 5 is excellent and will leave you craving for more – now go out and there and drink it up.

• XONE
• 8.3 / 10
• États-Unis

I came in with high expectations for this second outing in The Dark Pictures series, but came away ever so slightly underwhelmed. It looks and sounds great, and the atmosphere and tension building is excellent. Sadly the all-important characters just didn’t quite resonate with me thanks to some sudden shifts in tone between sentences, and an overall feeling of disjointedness between scenes. Little Hope may not quite live up to Man of Medan then, but it’s still a passable bit of teen horror to fill up an evening or two.

• XONE
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

All in all, YesterMorrow is a fine platformer with a decent story. The progression of the main character feels timely and challenges satisfying. Although the mapping system could use a redesign, I would recommend YesterMorrow to any 2D platforming fan.