QUICKLINKS:
Xbox Live Arcade Reviews A - G | Xbox Live Arcade Reviews H - R |
Xbox Live Arcade Reviews S - Z |
Xbox Originals A - Z
Our Xbox Live Arcade ratings system
We've given every game a 'buy' rating of 'Yes', 'Maybe', or 'No'.
Yes means this is a very high quality game, and we have no problem recommending it to anyone as long as they like the genre.
Maybe means we think the game is good, but not necessarily for everyone. If you know the game or like the sound of the description, go for it.
No means that we don't recommend the title at all.
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Games listed in alphabetical order
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Aces of the Galaxy
Price: 800 Points
A shooter set in space might not scream 'unique', but what Aces of the Galaxy lacks in originality, it more than makes up for with style and flair. The game looks fairly impressive for the most part, and while at its core it could be seen as 'just another shooter', it is not as casual as some of the other games available on the marketplace and can be quite challenging to play through. There's also cooperative gameplay over Xbox Live if you need a hand defeating your main enemies in the Skurgians, and with multiple different weapons and difficulty settings, this game is a highlight for anybody with an interest in the genre.
Worth buying? Yes
Elements of Destruction
Price: 800 Points
Who wouldn't want to be a mad scientist and control the weather in an effort to cause as much damage in a city as humanly possible? Elements of Destruction is here to answer that question, and the answer is that everybody should want to do that; it's awesome. Moving around in large environments trying to cause as much havoc as possible with earthquakes and cyclones (among other weather-based attacks) is a blast, and is a reasonably unique concept when compared with what else is available on the XBLA. As well as causing destruction, enemies will try to prevent you from doing so with weather-stopping technology and the like which you'll need to destroy, and when you add in online play to the mix, things become even more fun. A very solid title.
Worth buying? Yes
Frogger 2
Price: 800 Points
Frogger is one of the biggest classics of all time in video games - everybody has played it or at least knows what it is, and so it must have seemed logical to release its sequel, Frogger 2, on the Xbox Live Arcade. Basically, in an effort to modernise everything and make it all much more 'crazy' and 'exciting', the simplistic gameplay of Frogger is sort of turned on its head as now you'll be traversing stages filled with lava and moving platforms, which is a little bit unsettling, and at times, incredibly frustrating. The game can still be fun, and Frogger fans will surely find something to like about it, but if you didn't like Frogger before, this will probably only put you off further.
Worth buying? No
Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm
Price: 800 Points
It's funny, yet not really very surprising, that Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm is one of the bloodiest and most violent games we've played in recent memory. The game is based on the insane TV show of the same name, which is essentially a whole heap of skits involving cute little creatures dying in horrific ways. It's entertaining, sure, but definitely an acquired taste; anybody who has seen the show before knows exactly what they'll be experiencing here. The cute creatures here are on the warpath, with plenty of harsh traps just waiting to kill them, and it's your job to use a number of skills to prevent their comical demise. It's pretty basic, but can be fun (even when you lose), but some of the humour will surely be lost on those not keen on the show. If you're a fan though, have at it!
Worth buying? Maybe
Roogoo
Price: 800 Points
That's right, it's another obscure puzzle game with an obscure title; Roogoo may seem like just another falling blocks style puzzler, but the gameplay still feels fresh enough that you'll want to give it a spin anyway. The falling items are shaped in a certain way, you see, and thus will only fit through the similarly shaped holes on the rotating platforms. So it becomes far more difficult as you progress and even more shapes and holes are thrown into the mix to keep things interesting, as well as other challenges along the way. There's also multiplayer over Xbox Live of course, and anyone who is looking for a unique twist on the puzzle genre should do themselves a favour and give Roogoo a shot.
Worth buying? Yes
Sea Life Safari
Price: 800 Points
We're not sure what the appeal is of sea life, but apparently there is enough of it to warrant a specific release on the Xbox Live Arcade that's all about taking photos of a variety of fish. It feels a little bit like a lesser version of Pokemon Snap, as similarly, you're on-the-rails throughout the whole experience and you'll have to take as many quality photos as you can of the various sea creatures along the way. To get them to do different things, again similarly to the aforementioned Snap, you'll have to throw things at them to get reactions. Sea Life Safari is aimed at a younger audience, and as such is incredibly simplistic for an older crowd and doesn't have much lifespan to it - seen one fish, you've seen 'em all, right?
Worth buying? No
Ticket to Ride
Price: 800 Points
There was Catan... then there was Carcassonne... then there was probably more that we're forgetting at the moment, but the point is that board games seem to work pretty well on the XBLA for the most part. Keeping that in mind, Ticket to Ride is a slow-paced strategic board game that can be played either alone against bots or with friends. The goal of the game is construct train tracks linking cities based on the resources you get in the form of coloured cards. To build these tracks, you'll need to achieve a few things first such as collecting certain cards that allow you the right to add another piece onto the board, and it becomes a bit of a race between yourself and the other players. It's a little slower paced then the aforementioned board games, but it is fun if you put the time into it; perhaps not the best experience for those with a short attention span.
Worth buying? Maybe
Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3
Price: 800 Points | PALGN Review
As if there weren't already enough shooters available on the Xbox Live Arcade, Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 comes loud and proud onto the scene. With minimal story and an endless amount of ammunition, it's your job to shoot the living hell out of absolutely everything in a quest for that high score. There are a lot of modifiers and different weapons to be used within the game, and the game looks decent enough, so really the defining thought when considering a purchase of the title should be based upon whether or not you really need another shooting game or not. It doesn't break any new ground really, but it provides some fun shooter action, and is worth a look at least for anybody with a feint interest in pumping lead into your enemies.
Worth buying? Maybe
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