This game hugely surprised me. I'd never heard of it, hadn't read a review, went in totally blind after I saw it on GP and downloaded it purely as it was a small file so I thought I'd give it a go.
The gameplay is very simplistic, which isn't a terrible thing, sometimes it's nice to play something that's not too taxing. It was the art style and the writing that sucked me in. It's a beautiful little game, really pretty with well designed characters and world.
The messages put into the script and each characters insecurity was something I've not seen much of in any game, and I've been playing them since the C64 era. Kids should play this game, it would hopefully teach them that everyone is different, they often all have something they worry about or get anxious over, and that empathy, understanding and kindness goes a long way in life.
A really wholesome game with a fantastic, upbeat and happy vibe to it. Even as a cynical guy approaching middle age, I think it even made me rethink some of my preconceptions. The soundtrack is excellent as well.
I can't help feel a lot of gamers swerved this due to it coming across as a bit kiddy, which is a real shame as it's a fantastic little game that can be enjoyed by anyone. Great introduction to turn based RPGS for anyone that's interested yet finds the true classics a bit daunting.
I don't really get the BOTW comparisons however, for that I'd suggest Immortals: Fenyx Rising which is 75% Zelda, 25% Assassins Creed. Its also on Game Pass.
I've heard a lot of good things about this. Trouble is I know nothing of the Harry Potter lore, I've not seen a single film or read a book so I'd go into it totally blind.
Is it worth playing just as a game, or do you really need to have knowledge of the Harry Potter universe to fully enjoy it? Would it be a decent game without any licensed IP, like if it came out as Wizard Person & The School Of Magic.
I mean I could watch a film to learn a bit, but I'm in my 30's, it's not really aimed at me and I'm sure I'd find it dull like I do with most fantasy/magic films, plus they're about 3hrs long from what I've heard.
Wo Long looks amazing, I can't wait to play that as there's no Team Ninja game I can think of that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed.
My partner will really enjoy Way To The Woods as well I'm sure, she loves those cathartic games with a pretty soundtrack and overall cuteness. She's been playing Stray lately and although I found it a bit slow, she beams while playing. I'm more of a dog person, give me a dog game where I can run around peeing on people and stealing footballs and I'll be happy 😂 a mix of Goat Simulator and that Goose game would do.
No interest in the rounders game, but I'm still happy to see a sports title arrive day 1 for those that are into it. You usually don't see them added until the newer version is on the horizon and the current is almost obsolete, or in the case of Madden 23, added to a country that's not really into NFL (I mean I really enjoy watching it, but the games bore me to death with their stop/start nature) - does the USA get the FIFA games early being as football/soccer isn't hugely popular over there? In the UK they don't get added to EA Play 'til the new one is out or close to being out, by which time they're on shelves for a quid anyway.
I'm enjoying it so far, especially for an EA game, but that said I've only played it for 3 hours or so which isn't enough to really make an impression of any sort with a game like this you can sink hundreds of hours into, thousands even.
I will say I much prefer it over Monster Hunter World/Rise, both of which I gave up on pretty quickly as I found them clunky and just too 'busy' - by that I mean just far too many menus and features thrown at you right from the start.
I would like know though, out of curiosity. Is anyone having any problems with the graphics? I'm playing on Series X, on a 4K TV. It all just looks awful. I've turned on and then off HDR, I've fiddled with the HDR settings when it's turned on, but everything just looks so muddy and choppy. Some of the textures are so PS2 era I thought there was something wrong with my TV at first, and when it snowed during the tutorial stage it looked as bad as the GTA remasters. The best way I can describe how the graphics look to me is, it's as if I'm streaming the game on a poor connection, everything just looks janky.
Graphics aren't a massive thing, I mean I've 100% Vampire Survivors and still play it daily despite having nothing left to see or unlock, but on this game it's just off putting, it doesn't seem like the graphics are fundamentally bad per say, just like the game isn't rendering right and it all seems a bit weird. It's fine during fights, it's when I'm travelling or in a cutscene, it's as if I'm emulating a Dreamcast game with a load of filters and enhancements and it totally brings me out of the immersion, or playing a ported game on Switch that's been really downgraded.
I'll definitely finish the 10 hour trial though before deciding on whether to buy it as I do enjoy the gameplay. I just wish I wasn't distracted by the graphical fidelity so often. It's as if the game is caught between 2 art styles, realism and cartoony/pixelation and doesn't really nail either.
I really hope Shadow Warrior 3 does come - I'm currently playing #2 and having a real blast, much like I did years ago with #1 on the PS4 There's no info on Gamepass about it coming (at least on the UK page) and it's currently on sale in the store so it seems an odd one to add currently, do they usually put games on sale before adding to Gamepass as that seems very cruel to anyone that's bought it a week or so before it's essentially free?
I'm pretty disappointed about all the things I've learned about Atomic Heart in the past few weeks or so as I was looking forward to that. No way am I playing something that unbelievably shady though. The whole scenario around it as well as the dodgy behaviour of all involved with the game means I won't go near it with a massive pointy stick, when developers are changing their Russian names to things more western sounding and they have things like this on their privacy policy - “Mundfish collects users’ data and may provide it to Russian state authorities.”
Even though it's on Gamepass, I'm still not funding via proxy (I pay for Gamepass, Microsoft pays for games to be on it and the more popular it is the more it's promoted) something that'll end up in the Russian state coffers. I'd advise anyone with a conscience to look it all up and decide yourself whether your morals can cope with a decent game with such a nefarious objective. I couldn't play it without a real feeling of guilt, I don't want blood on my hands over a game, I'll just replay the Bioshock collection.
Comments 5
Re: Review: Rainbow Billy: The Curse Of The Leviathan - A Wholesome Wind Waker Style Adventure
This game hugely surprised me. I'd never heard of it, hadn't read a review, went in totally blind after I saw it on GP and downloaded it purely as it was a small file so I thought I'd give it a go.
The gameplay is very simplistic, which isn't a terrible thing, sometimes it's nice to play something that's not too taxing. It was the art style and the writing that sucked me in. It's a beautiful little game, really pretty with well designed characters and world.
The messages put into the script and each characters insecurity was something I've not seen much of in any game, and I've been playing them since the C64 era. Kids should play this game, it would hopefully teach them that everyone is different, they often all have something they worry about or get anxious over, and that empathy, understanding and kindness goes a long way in life.
A really wholesome game with a fantastic, upbeat and happy vibe to it. Even as a cynical guy approaching middle age, I think it even made me rethink some of my preconceptions. The soundtrack is excellent as well.
I can't help feel a lot of gamers swerved this due to it coming across as a bit kiddy, which is a real shame as it's a fantastic little game that can be enjoyed by anyone. Great introduction to turn based RPGS for anyone that's interested yet finds the true classics a bit daunting.
I don't really get the BOTW comparisons however, for that I'd suggest Immortals: Fenyx Rising which is 75% Zelda, 25% Assassins Creed. Its also on Game Pass.
Re: Xbox Players Encouraged To Change Two Camera Settings In Hogwarts Legacy
I've heard a lot of good things about this. Trouble is I know nothing of the Harry Potter lore, I've not seen a single film or read a book so I'd go into it totally blind.
Is it worth playing just as a game, or do you really need to have knowledge of the Harry Potter universe to fully enjoy it? Would it be a decent game without any licensed IP, like if it came out as Wizard Person & The School Of Magic.
I mean I could watch a film to learn a bit, but I'm in my 30's, it's not really aimed at me and I'm sure I'd find it dull like I do with most fantasy/magic films, plus they're about 3hrs long from what I've heard.
Re: Three Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In March 2023 So Far
Wo Long looks amazing, I can't wait to play that as there's no Team Ninja game I can think of that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed.
My partner will really enjoy Way To The Woods as well I'm sure, she loves those cathartic games with a pretty soundtrack and overall cuteness. She's been playing Stray lately and although I found it a bit slow, she beams while playing. I'm more of a dog person, give me a dog game where I can run around peeing on people and stealing footballs and I'll be happy 😂 a mix of Goat Simulator and that Goose game would do.
No interest in the rounders game, but I'm still happy to see a sports title arrive day 1 for those that are into it. You usually don't see them added until the newer version is on the horizon and the current is almost obsolete, or in the case of Madden 23, added to a country that's not really into NFL (I mean I really enjoy watching it, but the games bore me to death with their stop/start nature) - does the USA get the FIFA games early being as football/soccer isn't hugely popular over there? In the UK they don't get added to EA Play 'til the new one is out or close to being out, by which time they're on shelves for a quid anyway.
Re: Review: Wild Hearts - Koei Tecmo & EA's New Monster Hunter-Like Arrives On Xbox
I'm enjoying it so far, especially for an EA game, but that said I've only played it for 3 hours or so which isn't enough to really make an impression of any sort with a game like this you can sink hundreds of hours into, thousands even.
I will say I much prefer it over Monster Hunter World/Rise, both of which I gave up on pretty quickly as I found them clunky and just too 'busy' - by that I mean just far too many menus and features thrown at you right from the start.
I would like know though, out of curiosity. Is anyone having any problems with the graphics? I'm playing on Series X, on a 4K TV. It all just looks awful. I've turned on and then off HDR, I've fiddled with the HDR settings when it's turned on, but everything just looks so muddy and choppy. Some of the textures are so PS2 era I thought there was something wrong with my TV at first, and when it snowed during the tutorial stage it looked as bad as the GTA remasters. The best way I can describe how the graphics look to me is, it's as if I'm streaming the game on a poor connection, everything just looks janky.
Graphics aren't a massive thing, I mean I've 100% Vampire Survivors and still play it daily despite having nothing left to see or unlock, but on this game it's just off putting, it doesn't seem like the graphics are fundamentally bad per say, just like the game isn't rendering right and it all seems a bit weird. It's fine during fights, it's when I'm travelling or in a cutscene, it's as if I'm emulating a Dreamcast game with a load of filters and enhancements and it totally brings me out of the immersion, or playing a ported game on Switch that's been really downgraded.
I'll definitely finish the 10 hour trial though before deciding on whether to buy it as I do enjoy the gameplay. I just wish I wasn't distracted by the graphical fidelity so often. It's as if the game is caught between 2 art styles, realism and cartoony/pixelation and doesn't really nail either.
Re: Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon In February 2023
I really hope Shadow Warrior 3 does come - I'm currently playing #2 and having a real blast, much like I did years ago with #1 on the PS4
There's no info on Gamepass about it coming (at least on the UK page) and it's currently on sale in the store so it seems an odd one to add currently, do they usually put games on sale before adding to Gamepass as that seems very cruel to anyone that's bought it a week or so before it's essentially free?
I'm pretty disappointed about all the things I've learned about Atomic Heart in the past few weeks or so as I was looking forward to that. No way am I playing something that unbelievably shady though. The whole scenario around it as well as the dodgy behaviour of all involved with the game means I won't go near it with a massive pointy stick, when developers are changing their Russian names to things more western sounding and they have things like this on their privacy policy - “Mundfish collects users’ data and may provide it to Russian state authorities.”
Even though it's on Gamepass, I'm still not funding via proxy (I pay for Gamepass, Microsoft pays for games to be on it and the more popular it is the more it's promoted) something that'll end up in the Russian state coffers. I'd advise anyone with a conscience to look it all up and decide yourself whether your morals can cope with a decent game with such a nefarious objective. I couldn't play it without a real feeling of guilt, I don't want blood on my hands over a game, I'll just replay the Bioshock collection.
Slava Ukraini!