Horse Racing 2016 – 27.5
This year saw the release of a couple downloadable exclusive Xbox One games that kind of flew under the radar. Horse Racing 2016 takes the spot of the lowest reviewed exclusive of the year, though it doesn’t have nearly the number of reviews that all the other games do. The title has two reviews on Metacritic, one at 30/100 and the other at 25/100. Reviews cite an overall forgettable experience filled with a myriad of bugs, and considering the title released to almost no attention this year, that’s not entirely surprising.
Kung-Fu for Kinect – 60
Kung-Fu for Kinect is the second Kinect exclusive this year, using the camera to put players right into the action of their own 2D sidescrolling Kung Fu game. The title currently sits at a 60 on Metacritic, out of four critic reviews. It’s a fairly physical game that definitely requires effort from players but, like with many Kinect games, suffers from some issues of the camera registering moves.
ReCore – 63
A brand new title from the famed creator of Mega Man, Keiji Inafune, ReCore was definitely a surprise announcement at E3 2015. The game didn’t get much fanfare leading up to release, and it was met with fairly middling reviews overall. It currently sits at a 63 on Metacritic, out of 75 critic reviews. The user score is a tad bit higher at 6.6, based on 450 ratings. Problems mostly stemmed from some uninspired world design that’s a chore to trek through, and an experience that grows monotonous after its opening hours. Initially interesting characters and fun dungeon design were some highlighted points, however.
Dead Rising 4 – 73
Frank West finally made his return to the Dead Rising series, heading back to Willamette one more time to deal with a zombie outbreak. The title is currently a timed exclusive on Xbox One, but it was met with some mixed reception. It sits at a 73 on Metacritic, based on 72 critics. Some reviewers felt like the title had done away with some integral aspects of Dead Rising, while others felt that it had made the series more accessible than ever. User reception on the site hasn’t been quite the same though, as Dead Rising 4 has a 4.2 user score out of 259 ratings.
Raiden V – 75
The Raiden series has been around since 1990, and they’re some of the most famous scrolling arcade shooters around. Developer MOSS brought the latest iteration of Raiden exclusively to the Xbox One via download, and it received mostly positive reception. Raiden V sits at a 75 on Metacritic with 13 critics, and a 7.5 user score out of six ratings. Most reviews said the game was a relatively short experience, but was high in replay value.
Quantum Break – 77
Remedy’s newest game, Quantum Break, finally released after years of waiting. The title had a unique way of combing gameplay with adaptive TV show segments. It also had some big name actors attached with Shawn Ashmore (Iceman in X-Men) and Aiden Gillen (Petyr Baelish in Game of Thrones). Quantum Break has an aggregate score of 77 on Metacritic, based on 106 critics. The user score currently sits at a 6.8, based on 1662 ratings. Generally critics were impressed by the unique time powers, strong visual fidelity, and engaging storytelling. However, there was definitely mixed reception as to how well the gameplay and TV show mix worked.
Gears of War 4 – 84
Gears of War 4 introduces a brand new cast of characters to the series, including Marcus Fenix’s son. Despite being the first title developed by Microsoft’s new studio The Coalition, the title retained much of the same feel and charm of Gears of War. It currently sits at an 84 on Metacritic, out of 96 critics. The user score, however, sits at a 6.3 based on 825 ratings. The strong aspects of Gears of War 4 come with a deep multiplayer experience absolutely packed with content, and a solidly entertaining single player campaign. It was certainly one of the biggest Xbox One exclusives of the entire year, and didn’t disappoint.
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition – 88
Ori and the Blind Forest released on Xbox One in 2015, and was met with huge critical and fan appraise. The Definitive Edition released in 2016 adds on new areas, difficulty options, and gameplay upgrades. It is currently at an 88 on Metacritic, out of 24 critics. User score sits at a 7.1, based on 211 ratings. Most reviewers agreed that the additions included in the Definitive Edition didn’t drastically change or improve the experience. However, if you’ve yet to play Ori and the Blind Forest, this is definitely the best way to do so.Â
Forza Horizon 3 – 91
For many years, Forze has been not only one of the best Xbox series around, but also one of the best racing series as well. Forza Horizon 3 ups the ante for the series with a huge number of cars, customization options, and a stunningly gorgeous virtual version of Australia to explore. The tittle currently sits at an impressive 91 on Metacritic, out of 90 total critics. User score puts it at a 7.4, based on 603 ratings. Reviewers highlighted Forza Horizon 3’s massive world to explore with varied scenery, tons of tasks and races to undertake, and an asynchronous multiplayer mode.
Published: Dec 30, 2016 10:16 am