It is easy in this day and age for gaming releases to just fall through the cracks and never be seen or heard of again. Whether it’s down to sloppy marketing, a poor release date or a declining market, it is inevitable that sometimes a genuinely good game won’t get the praise it deserves.
With the list of blockbuster titles for the Xbox One now growing on a monthly basis, it is easy to get caught up in the hype and the marketing campaign and forget what’s out there already. So here are just a few games that deserve a second look.
1. Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist
I’ll be the first to admit that the reason this gets overlooked is because some people believe that you need to be a fan of the show to enjoy this game, but that is not the case.
Legacy of the Duelist spans all four incarnations of the series and it allows you play in each battle that was featured on the show. You have the option to pick whether to use the deck from the story or to use your own to really pound your enemies life points into oblivion. Once you have completed each duel the first time round, you are then able to switch back and play as your opponent, using their cards to try and change the course of the series.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist offers literally hours of gameplay time where you can go through each of the duels in the series, unlock cards and customise decks and the beauty of it is you don’t have to be a fan of the series or the card game to play this. The game offers a fantastic tutorial for beginners and the game’s difficulty spike is unnoticeable, due to the element of chance whilst playing this game.
It is a digital only game and available off the store, and in my opinion, seriously worth picking up.
2. SUNSET OVERDRIVE
Sunset Overdrive had the misfortune to be released in the time when Sony really where slamming Microsoft on sales and the Xbox One had yet to make much ground. Tie this in with a piss-poor marketing campaign and you have a title that is destined to fall flat on its face. However, Sunset Overdrive deserves a second look because I highly doubt you will play a game like this again.
It is basically a mockery of a zombie apocalypse where everyone has been turned into weird orange creatures after drinking an energy drink. To survive you must run across buildings, grind cables linking the streets, and stay off the floor wherever possible. The campaign has some fantastic comedy moments and also adds a fairly diverse customisation element.
Sunset Overdrive is also one of the few games that has a beastly single player campaign (in comparison to a lot of other Xbox One games), and is actually a lot of fun to play. If you’re into online gaming, then Sunset Overdrive doesn’t offer you much in that way, but the hilarious storyline and colourful characters, coupled with some of the most insane weapons I have ever seen, makes this game a little gem.
3. WATCH DOGS
We have talked a lot about Watch Dogs on Cultured Vultures, and everywhere you look all you seem to see is bad press on this game with people discussing its shambles of a release and empty promises, but if you look past all that, Watch Dogs is actually a better game than its sequel.
You could easily argue that Ubisoft were unsure just what the Xbox One could offer us when they released this game, but what you are actually given is a gripping story about grief, betrayal and revenge. I mean who doesn’t want to go around and hack the city as they speed away from the police.
But to really appreciate this game, as I do, then you need to look at the sidequests you can take part in whilst playing this game. You can track down a twisted serial killer and even take out criminals as you walk the streets of the city. Yes its buggy as hell, and yes it was ridiculously overhyped, and I’ll admit that Aiden Pearce needs to phone his house phone from his mobile and have a word with himself, but aside from that, Watch Dogs is still a very playable game.
4. THE EVIL WITHIN
Recently, it seems that the survival horror genre had headed into the ‘jumpscare’ direction and looks to have forgotten the roots games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill planted. But that is where The Evil Within comes in.
When you read between the lines of this game, it is a story surrounding mental illness, but it is done with as much blood and gore as any one game can handle. With some rock hard boss fights and some intriguing puzzles, it really is survival horror as I remember it.
The Evil Within has since been overshadowed by games such as Layers of Fear and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, but it is still a game that is well worth a look if you get the chance. Even though the plot is a little linear and it does seem to struggle sometimes with a really badly placed stealth mechanic, this game is still a fantastic throwback to the survival horror games of old.
5. MAFIA 3
Mafia 3 is still one of my favourite games of last year, and my editor even recently jumped on the bandwagon (don’t lie now, Jim!*).
Mafia 3 was slated by critics for being full of annoying bugs and crippled by a repetitive storyline, but what they don’t tell you is just how much mindless violence this game has and just how fun taking down the mob can be.
As you progress through the storyline as Lincoln Clay, taking down lieutenants and trying to make your own gang happy, you tend to get lost within the game mechanics, always wanting to take out just one more racket before you switch the game off. This game is also all about choices and even though it is subtle throughout the game, it is still one of those issues that can kick you when you’re down and really alter the storyline.
Mafia 3 is also totally unflinching with its portrayal the racism that is a major theme throughout the game and it also introduces us to some interesting characters along the way, which include a drunken Irish guy who still works for the IRA to a Haitian woman who sells voodoo dolls as a front for her illegal activities.
The developers also released a free patch which introduced character customisation and some insane racing circuits that are great fill-ins if you don’t want to constantly plod through the storyline.
6. RYSE: SON OF ROME
Ryse was a launch game on the Xbox One and it did a really good job of showing off just what the next generation of consoles could do. It looked amazing and still remains relatively bug-free even when you play it today.
Even though the storyline does feel a little too clean cut when it comes to his promotions and the levels are basically all along the same principle of hacking down some barbarians, Ryse does a good job of making you feel like a total badass.
The combat is as visceral as it comes and the executions are brutal and often totally bloodthirsty. Some of the levels within Ryse are also amazing, from fighting in the dark highlands of Scotland to taking part in a Roman D-Day style attack.
The storyline does leave a lot to be desired, but the breathtaking graphics, brutal gameplay and awesome level design make Ryse a must for any Xbox One owner.
7. FAR CRY PRIMAL
When Far Cry Primal was first revealed to the public, many people didn’t expect a lot from it. With rumours abound of it being hit with major snags right from the beginning of production, it had all the hallmarks of being a filler game. However, Far Cry Primal is far from that.
Far Cry Primal throws you into the unforgiving life of a caveman as he tried to reunite his tribe and stop them from being attacked by both wild animals and other tribes alike. Primal has all the hallmarks of being a Far Cry game with gathering and hunting playing a key part, but it is the combat and the game world that really sets this game apart.
Instead of guns and other explosives, you are armed with spears and clubs and the combat requires you to get up close and personal when defending both yourself and your village. With optional quests to increase your village population and also upgrade the huts of the main inhabitants, there really is a ton of things to do in Primal.
8. MAD MAX
Mad Max was one of those games that was damaged by an appalling release date – it had to compete with Metal Gear Solid V: Shadows of Pain! It was given poor reviews right across the board, but if you ever get round to playing it, you will see that the reviews are completely unjustified.
Mad Max does not try to keep in line with the films, old or new, but instead offers us a different storyline with new enemies and allies. The gaming world is huge with four territories to conquer and four sets of allies to help you. The combat is based on the Batman games and it is a system of punishing punches and well-timed blocks, which also has a good mix of some insane car combat.
While the main storyline of the game is a beefy fifteen-hours plus, where this game shines is the amount of sidequests you can complete in order to unlock new customisation parts for your car. Each of the characters have their own storylines to uncover and Max’s past is concealed in a series of photographs which are scattered across the game world.
Mad Max is an absolute gem of a game that really does deserve a spot in anyone’s collection. It offers a wide open world, brutal combat and a wide variety of customisation options – everything plenty of gamers are looking for.
9. SLEEPING DOGS
This is a remaster of the original game released during the previous generation of gaming, but it deserves a place on this list for the sheer amount of content you get on Xbox One.
Sleeping Dogs is fantastic story of Wei Shen, an undercover cop who infiltrates the Triad in the hope to bring them down and eradicate them for good. It has a gritty storyline, filled with choices and consequences that not only delve into how the Triad work, but also the mental state of any undercover officer.
Set in Tokyo, you can sing some karaoke or even go and get a massage before you take on the rival triad by executing a number of awesome kung fu moves that really brutalise your opponent. Each of the characters are well thought out and Wei is maybe one of the most underrated heroes of all time.
Sleeping Dogs has two separate story lines running parallel with each other; the triad missions and the cop missions. Each one offers unique bonuses and also offers more information on the criminal underworld of Tokyo. The DLC is also fantastic with one of them being a copy of the martial arts films of old. It truly is a gripping story of friendship and betrayal and arguably the most underrated game on the Xbox One.
*EDITOR’S NOTE: s’okay.
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