Xbox Tavern's Scores

  • Games
For 2,226 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 52% higher than the average critic
  • 9% same as the average critic
  • 39% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 4.3 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 71
Highest review score: 100 Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy
Lowest review score: 6 The Language Of Love
Score distribution:
2230 game reviews
    • 57 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Gigantosaurus The Game is a very friendly and easy going title which will provide hours distraction for young children and fun the whole family. It is not too difficult to play and there is a good balance of puzzles, collectable items, races and cut scene animations to keep everyone amused and entertained. It is likely to lose its appeal once the kids reach a certain level of maturity, but it is definitely recommended for families with younger children that need a good diversion and older family members who can jump in and out to help if anyone gets stuck.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Whether miniatures, strategy games, or deck-building is your thing or not, I highly recommend Wartile because the sum of its parts delivers a unique and fun experience more than each alone. One of the indicators I personally measure when evaluating a game for review is: “Does it call to me when my console is off?”. For Wartile my answer is a hearty “Yes!”.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 68 Critic Score
    This first person shooter was a lovely surprise for me. Controls were tight, visually this game appealed to the retro gamer in me and easy achievements is always a bonus. If you need a game that is just fun without the pressure of mind bending difficulties this is it.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Deep Sky Derelicts: Definitive Edition may not be a graphical masterpiece but it more than makes up for it in tactical gameplay. I found myself quite addicted to the tactical challenges of the maps and in the combat. The difficulty starts of quite tough, but it gradually becomes easier as you buy the upgrades and craft your equipment. DSD is sufficiently long enough to make it good value and you can tackle the game using different job classes for longevity.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Freedom Finger is a brilliantly surreal, challenging, vulgar and plain fun arcade shooter. While difficulty spikes can get a little frustrating, overall I enjoyed the style, story and gameplay more than enough to keep me going.
    • 43 Metascore
    • 58 Critic Score
    Element Space is a very difficult game with good intentions but poor delivery. So much time was spent crafting out a storyline, using voice acting and putting some innovations into this genre that the main functionality of the game slips down. With clunky controls, high difficulty and such slow pacing, only experts at the turn-based strategy will make it through to enjoy the storyline. But they would need to be a glutton for punishment and have a lot of time on their hands.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 88 Critic Score
    Despite some niggles, TT Isle of Man Ride on the Edge 2 is easily the best feeling racer I’ve played in quite some time. The sheer sense of speed and place in the thick of hurtling along the track is almost overwhelming. Some more shorter races would have been nice, and it’s all too easy to fall to the back after a single mistake, but put a bit of time into grasping the delicacies of the handling and you’ll find an incredibly satisfying racer.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 93 Critic Score
    DOOM is back, and it’s just as good as we’d all hoped. The action is fast, brutal and unforgiving. The soundtrack and pacing are perfect. You know when that music starts, it’s time to lock and load and get ready to fight. The campaign is long and always keeps you on your toes. It’s one of the most satisfying first person shooters I have played in quite some time. There is so much more to say about DOOM Eternal, but I’d rather save it and let you enjoy the blood and gore.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 43 Critic Score
    Explosive Jake is a very short and simple Bomberman clone. It doesn’t really stand out in any way other than trying to claim a nostalgic feel of the elder console generation. It is quite fun to play through, but the challenge level isn’t too high and as the rooms are static the game can become repetitive. It could still be seen as a quick pick up and complete for the achievement hunters.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Syrup and The Ultimate Sweet isn’t a game that is meant for everyone. It is a visual novel after all. For its short playtime, you get to experience a satisfying story with 10 different endings and outcomes. I myself enjoyed my time with it though. Playing this game reminded me how much of a guilty pleasure visual novels are of mine; maybe it will do the same for you.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 86 Critic Score
    Hidden Through Time has the secret sauce for what makes a game universal. It’s uncomplicated, fun, appropriate for everyone, and can be played in small chunks. For a hidden object/person game, I don’t see it being better than this. Crazy Monkey Studios does a great job of landing exactly on target on delivering exactly what you see, of which not all companies can boast. Highly recommended.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The gameplay and strategy behind it, the scenery and the music is everything I expected from Neon City Riders when I first saw the trailer. Even though it’s not a 2-D side scroller I picked up major Scott Pilgrim VS The World and River City Girls vibes, which are my two favorite games. When any game reaches that level it’s without a doubt considered a masterpiece in my book. Please, suit up, indulge yourself in the 90’s vibe, and clean up the streets and take back Neon City.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 97 Critic Score
    Ori and the Will of the Wisps had some lofty expectations coming into it, and it’s safe to say that it more than met them handsomely, Some difficulty spikes can frustrate, but overall it’s a charming, beautiful, brilliantly fun title. Gamepass subscriber or not, you absolutely need to experience this game.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    La Mulana is a platformer puzzle metroidvania game, with no hand holding. This game is perfect for those who want to be tested to their gaming limits. I found the game frustrating with no real direction in how to tackle the tomb. Controls were very heavy and remind me of the old NES and SNES platformers.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 79 Critic Score
    The Mega Man Zero ZX Legacy Collection is definitely a game that provides a lot of value in the package. The Mega Man games are still great fun to play and perfect for fans of the series who may have missed out on these Original Nintendo DS games. There are a few graphical and control issues to overlook, sure, but that doesn’t detract from the fact these are still decent 2D Platform shooters.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 68 Critic Score
    If you are a fan of the One-Punch Man anime, it’s a no brainer and you should pick this game up! It’s enjoyable creating your own hero and rising up the hero ranks. However, in the end I did feel a little bit disappointed as it takes a lot of work to rise up the ranks, with way too many side quests needing completing.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 66 Critic Score
    All in all Townsmen – A Kingdom Rebuilt is a solid playing and nice looking medieval building sim which is fun to play, without feeling too overburdened with menus and otherwise awkward setups. It can get a little taxing at points, but this little hiccups rarely put a downer on things for too long.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 55 Critic Score
    Knightin’+ is a fun dungeon scrolling adventure with some interesting challenging puzzle elements – and some infuriating warp puzzles. The game does look and feel like a retro dungeon crawler but the attack controls let the game down somewhat,and it is far too short. For those who would like a quick, fun dungeon crawler you can complete in an hour or so to bag some achievements, this might be a game to pick up, but if you’re after something more substantial then you’re better off looking elsewhere.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 54 Critic Score
    Ganbare! Super Strikers is a fun arcade-style tactical football RPG game. For those familiar, it is akin to playing a light version of Inazuma Eleven, but with little to no storyline. It is quite fun to play but it is incredibly short, though the option is there for you play this locally with a friend. This could be great for those that like tactical strategy RPGs, especially if you’re a football fan, and is very simple to pick up and play.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 58 Critic Score
    Played in short bursts 60 Seconds! has enough charm and wit to make the end of the world at least seem like a bit of a laugh. Sadly, reality kicks in sooner or later and we realise that our luck can be snuffed out at any moment. When we die yet again due to factors we couldn’t control, it becomes harder and harder to muster up the will for one more go.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 87 Critic Score
    For fans of titles like Silent Hills (P.T.) and Amnesia this is a must. Great atmospheric surroundings provide a truly horrific experience. With photo realistic graphics, great sound and tense moments that make you freak out, Infliction: Extended Cut does a fantastic job and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this rising indie team.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Spartan Fist is a simple pleasure, what you see is what you get, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You’ll have fun as long as you manage your expectations; it will get repetitious while you grind enough upgrades to make it to the end of the game. As far as mono-mechanic games go, Spartan Fist is enjoyable and recommended.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 68 Critic Score
    If you’re after a good challenge, Hayfever may be up your alley. While the early stages show off it’s unique concept well, unfortunately, the sharp difficulty curve soon brings more frustration than fun.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    While it lacks the charm of Trials, Overpass mostly manages to get that one-more-go feeling of trial and error right. It can be quite frustrating at times, and a little more feedback for the player to use wouldn’t have gone amiss, but if you’re after a challenging racer there’s plenty to enjoy here.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Bucket Knight gives a unique glimpse into gaming of the past without any fancy modern upgrades like save points, perfect graphics and achievements that can only be completed by playing in sometimes seemingly senseless ways! Once again, it is not a game that will appeal to everyone and it’s definitely not for those who dislike this genre, but for anyone who appreciates a bit of nostalgic gaming it certainly seems worth giving it a shot.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 46 Critic Score
    Vasilis isn’t going to revolutionize gaming, but as an art form you can’t knock the creative style Marginal Act were aiming towards. Unfortunately slow and confusing, this is a title for the players that don’t mind a bit of experimentation in their play experiences.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions is definitely made for a select audience. Unfortunately it’s an audience I don’t see myself being a part of for very long. But if you are passionate about jigsaw puzzles you get a fairly large assortment for the cost of $11.99. Sweet dreams.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 58 Critic Score
    OFDP2 is straight to the point in what it is trying to achieve; a simple but challenging test of your reflexes and focus. While some will no doubt relish the challenge and try to test their ability, others may lose interest in the repetitive simplicity. There is no smoke and mirrors here though, so for those who want a no-nonsense pick-up and play fast action reflex game then OFDP2 is for you.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Project Starship was fun the first couple times but got boring very quickly. If you’re looking for a game that you can install quickly and 1000g then this is one for you, but I can’t imagine it’s going to capture the attention of anyone for long. Dodging bullets is fun, but you will just find yourself constantly shooting and hoping.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Does Thief Simulator succeed in bringing out my younger self and bring back that same joy and excitement that I felt five years ago? No, no it does not. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy myself though. What it lacks graphics-wise and in replay value it makes up with its game mechanics. Who doesn’t want to rob houses and pretend to be a thief in the night?

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