First Look: Earth's Dawn

Earth's Dawn, developed by OneorEight, is a super-fast sci-fi action, 2D side-scrolling game in a beautiful hand-drawn world. Earth's Dawn is looming and the fate of the planet hangs in the balance! Sign up as a member of A.N.T.I. - a squad of super-human soldiers powered by alien technology - and fight to reclaim Earth from the alien invasion known as E.B.E before it's too late...

Packed with Combat is intuitive, but deceptively deep with combos, finishers and rankings after enemy encounters all adding depth to the game, while RPG-style skill trees, equipment crafting and character evolution open up things even further. Choose your own path through 100 missions, earn rewards by clearing them with style and discover new plot threads behind Earth's counteroffensive, then fight huge bosses to crush the E.B.E. threat once and for all!

Features:
- Play as an elite soldier using bionic alien implants and reclaim Earth from the invading horde!
- Create your own unique character, then customize their skills and craft new weapons and equipment
- Use a huge array of sword, gun and agility moves in fast-paced battles to build combos and earn rewards
- Enjoy a unique story that changes depending on the missions you undertake
- Includes exclusive equipment and missions not available in the original Japanese release!

Be sure to check out our First Look Video embedded above!

Earth's Dawn releases on the Xbox Store on November 2nd for $29.99

For more information on Earth's Dawn, check out the official website: http://www.risingstargames.com/us/games/earths-dawn/

Read More

First Look: Blast Brawl 2

Blast Brawl 2, developed by Mind's Eye Games, is a fast-paced fighting game where any hit means to you and your enemies. Battle your friends as a vastly diverse selection of characters, experiencing intense combat where every blow earns a kill, and skill reigns supreme. Brawl amidst a huge selection of maps, each set in a post-apocalyptic future and featuring unique elements that can change the face of a battle. And what's victory without a little dance?

Features:
- Varied character roster, each with completely unique styles and tactics yet easy to pick up and play
- Fast paced combat with no health bars or complications - every hit is a kill
- Battle with and against your friends in furious multiplayer with up to 4 players in couch coop
- Fight against deadly hordes of enemies in Wave Mode!

Be sure to check out our First Look Video embedded above!

Blast Brawl 2 releases on the Xbox Store on October 26th for $14.99

For more information on Blast Brawl 2, check out the official website: http://www.blastbrawl2.com/

Read More

First Look: Clustertruck

Clustertruck, developed by LandFall Games, is a platforming game where the player controls a character from a first-person perspective. They are set to jump onto a moving line of trucks, avoiding obstacles and truck pile-ups and crashes. The player is unable to touch anything other than trucks, and will else fail their task of reaching the goal at the end of the level.

On each stage, the player is scored based on how fast they reach a goal line and a number of style points based on various tricks, such as jumping off a truck that is currently in mid-air. The player's cumulative score points can be used to purchase one of several abilities, such as a double jump or a quick boost of speed, which can then be used to either successfully pass more difficult levels or to improve one's time and scoring on earlier ones.

Features:
- 90 unique levels
- 9 different worlds
- A campaign mode which gradually gets more difficult
- Unlock new abilities like the Grappling Hook, Truck Cannon and Time-Control!

Be sure to check out our First Look Video embedded above!

Clustertruck releases on the Xbox Store on October 28th for $14.99

For more information on Clustertruck, check out the official website: http://landfall.se/clustertruck/

Read More

Live Review: Mantis Burn Racing

Mantis Burn Racing, developed by VooFoo Studios, is a top down racing game. A quick overview of the features of Mantis Burn Racing is that is has a career mode with seasons and various difficulties. Features 4-player local split-screen racing and online modes for up to 8 players that you can play with either in private matches or open lobbies. The game features an RPG-style upgrade system and various cars and classes to pick from.

Pros:
+ Various race types
+ Good variation and classes of the cars
+ Online play
+ Great top down racing gameplay
+ Controls are easy to to use and master
+ Excellent graphics

Cons:
- Soundtrack needs more variation
- Long loading times
- More camera angles, they all seem similar

Improvements:
More cars/racers on tracks
Improve load times

Score:
8/10

Read More

First Look: Slain: Back From Hell

Slain: Back from Hell, developed by Wolf Brew Games is a heavy metal inspired arcade combat with puzzle elements and gore galore. Stunning visuals and true old school gameplay accompanied by the most metal soundtrack you’ve ever heard. Control the fate of Bathoryn, a doomed hero in a Gothic world, who seeks to liberate six cursed realms from six deadly overlords. He must battle his way through this blighted land, packed with gruesome pixel art foes before ascending (or sometimes descending) into a stronghold, all the while defeating fiendish traps and vile monsters alike.

Features:
- Challenging ‘elemental’- based melee and magical combat
- 6 hours of bone-crushing, metal-fueled mayhem & gore
- Choose from 3 unique weapons in your fight against the demon hordes
- Secret areas to discover
- Boss fights, mini-boss fights, sub-mini- boss fights & macro-sub- mini-boss fights
- No leveling, no grinding, no crafting!

Be sure to check out our First Look Video embedded above!

Slain: Back From Hell releases on the Xbox Store on October 21st for $12.99

For more information on Slain: Back From Hell, check out the official website: http://www.wolfbrewgames.com/slain/

Read More

First Look: Mantis Burn Racing

Mantis Burn Racing, developed by VooFoo Studios, is a top down racing game. The race is on in Mantis Burn Racing, where fast-paced bumper-to-bumper racing combines with intuitive, tactile gameplay and stunning visuals in one of the best-looking and most immersive top-down racers around. Drive incredible built-for-racing vehicles across highly detailed, visually stunning tracks, in high-risk, high-speed races where winning is everything. Prove your skills in an extensive career mode and take on friends with 4-player local split-screen racing and online modes for up to 8 players in ‘one-more-go’ style competitive racing. With a RPG-style upgrade system providing players with deep tactical choices and excellent replay-ability, this is racing at its rawest but most exciting!

The race is on!

Features:
- Compelling Career Mode - Test every aspect of your driving ability in a comprehensive 7-season career structure
- Choose from a roster of fully customisable built-for-racing vehicles in 3 distinct categories
- Race across stunning reversible tracks located in 2 distinct environments with incredible photo-realistic visuals
- RPG-Style Upgrade System
- Master 8 fun game modes - including Knockout, Accumulator, Overtake and Time Trial - that keep the extensive solo career fresh and exciting
- Race your way to the top of the Global leader boards in unique challenges each week for the ultimate in bragging rights
- 4 player local split-screen racing with extensive online modes for up to 8 players allowing players worldwide to race together seamlessly
- Race to an original ambient-electro soundtrack written especially for the game
- Regular content updates during Early Access with add-ons planned post full launch, including free and paid content packs

Be sure to check out our First Look Video embedded above!

Mantis Burn Racing releases on the Xbox Store on October 12th

For more information on Mantis Burn Racing, check out the official website: http://www.voofoostudios.com/game/mantis-burn-racing/

Read More

First Look: Blue Rider

Blue Rider, developed by Ravegan is a explosive shoot-em-up game. The perfect adventure that players who enjoy a good challenge were waiting for. Face the most challenging robot bosses you could possibly imagine as you travel across rich and diverse landscapes, and try to keep up with this insane bullet hell.

Enjoy a dynamic arcade-like game where it’s you against anything that moves. Remember that hedgehog or that little robot boy? This is a trial they wouldn’t be able to face. So get ready for a daring battle that’ll put your skills to the test. Blue Rider! Not for the faint of heart!

Features:
- 9 unique biomes overflowing with enemies
- Customize your arsenal and discover your very own strategy
- Easy to play, hard to beat. Always fun!
- Challenge and defeat each of the 9 different bosses
- Orchestrated original soundtrack
-Explosions, explosions and… more explosions!

Be sure to check out our First Look Video embedded above!

Blue Rider releases on the Xbox Store on October 12th

For more information on Blue Rider, check out the official website: http://www.ravegan.com/

Read More

First Look: HoPiKo

HoPiKo, developed by Laser Dog, is an intense speed run platformer where you get to save gaming. The evil Nanobyte virus is out, gaming is over... It’s time to hook up your power gloves and save your HoPiKo brothers! Jump from platform to platform avoiding death, exploiting shortcuts and ripping through 100s of hand-crafted levels, each one dropped into a 5-stage mini run designed to break your mind!.

Compete to be the fastest in the world with time based scores, level pars and collectable retro consoles opening unique bonus runs.

Features:
- Fast and brutal twitch-based gameplay
- Awesome chiptune soundtrack written and composed on an original GameBoy
- Uses every ounce of your muscle memory - Unique minimal controls, you've never played a platformer like this!

Be sure to check out our First Look Video embedded above!

HoPiKo releases on the Xbox Store on October 19th for $6.99

For more information on HoPiKo, check out the official website: http://www.hopiko-game.com/

Read More

First Look: Castle Invasion: Throne Out

Castle Invasion: Throne Out, developed by Cat Trap Studios, ia a game where you will upgrade, equip and fire your way through an onslaught of attackers with state of the art weapons such as the bow and arrow or the spear. Each enemy type is different. An arrow to the face won’t solve all your problems.

Play through day and knight. . . and night. Fight the darkness with fire to keep torches lit and out of the dark ages. Alternatively, just fight everything with fire, I’m not here to judge.

In time trial levels you control the speed of enemies whilst trying to finish the level as quickly as possible. Yes, that does mean dwarf slo-mo take downs.

Features:
-50 frantic, action packed levels
-5 deadly bosses
-Use coins dropped by enemies to buy over 40 weapon upgrades
-Wizards, jesters, knights, dwarves, executioners and more in an army of medieval misfits
-Full to bursting with awful, awful puns.

Be sure to check out our First Look Video embedded above!

Castle Invasion: Throne Out releases on the Xbox Store on October 12th for $4.99

For more information on Castle Invasion: Throne Out, check out the official website: http://cattrapstudios.com/our-games/castle-invasion-throne-out/

Read More

First Look: One Hundred Ways

One Hundred Ways, developed by Sunlight Games, is a puzzle game where the objective is to make the ball reach its goal. To solve the levels, there are tools that will help you accomplish your goal. Sometimes you will need to think outside the box to overcome the obstacles.

Features:
- 133 levels for a lot of gaming fun
- 18 level of them, exclusive for the Xbox One
- 10 tutorial levels
- Over 30 tools that make it either more difficult or easier for the ball to reach its goal
- Slowly increasing difficulty
- Real time 3D-Iso-view

Be sure to check out our First Look Video embedded above!

One Hundred Ways releases on the Xbox Store on October 7th

For more information on One Hundred Ways, check out the official website: http://www.sunlight-games.com/en/?nav=detail&game=One+Hundred+Ways&sys=pc

Read More

First Look: Castles

Castles, developed by Whoot Games is an action puzzle game, set in a fantasy medieval world. Up to two players have to rise the highest tower in the kingdom, matching blocks of materials and construction tools, and facing problems like weather and giant bosses.

The players don’t control blocks, instead, they control the “engineers”, which makes for a very different game experience. Blocks will fall from above onto the central 5×5 grid, where the player have to push and pull them in order to make combinations. If you complete the level goals, the tower grows taller. As it grows, different challenges in the shape of weather effects or enemies will get in the way.

Players also can play in the arena, trying to survive as long as they can, or compete one against other.

Features:
- Story mode with 50 levels
- Survival Mode
- Versus Mode
- One or two players
- 5 Boss Battles

Be sure to check out our First Look Video embedded above!

Castles releases on the Xbox Store on October 5th for $4.99

For more information on Castles, check out the official website: http://badlandindie.com/castles/

Read More

First Look: Reus

Reus, developed by Abbey Games, is a simulation-strategy game where you control powerful giants that help you shape the planet to your will. You can create mountains and oceans, forests and more. Enrich your planet with plants, minerals and animal life. There is only one thing on the planet that you do not control: mankind, with all their virtues and and all their vices. You can shape their world, but not their will. Provide for them and they may thrive. Give them too much, and their greed may gain the upper hand.

Features:
- Control four mighty giants, each with their unique abilities
- Terra-form the planet to your will, experiment with different terrain types
- A complex system of upgrades and synergies allows for endless styles of play
- Observe humanity, let your giants praise or punish them
- Enjoy an interesting art style and a strong soundtrack
- Enrich the planet with over 100 plants, animals and minerals
- Unlock new content by helping humanity achieve numerous developments
- "Let your giants decide the fate of humanity."

Be sure to check out our First Look Video embedded above!

Reus releases on the Xbox Store on October 11th for $9.99

For more information on Reus, check out the official website: http://www.reusgame.com/

Read More

First Look: Ginger: Beyond the Crystal

Ginger: Beyond the Crystal, developed by Drakhar Studio, is an adventure platformer where is is up to you to reconstruct a devastated world. It is full of characters who will help you restore the peace, but don't trust just anyone! There are many unexpected dangers ahead.

The story of the the game is essentially, a world destroyed by a crystal explosion, a mysterious threat hanging over its inhabitants, and a goddess who creates a hero. This is where Ginger comes to save the day. The towns are devastated and their inhabitants disappeared, but there is still hope. Ginger must reestablish the connection with the goddess by purifying corrupted crystals that have spread throughout the worlds. It won’t be easy; the worlds are full of enemies and traps across 15 different levels. Throughout the game, you will obtain special abilities that will help you solve puzzles and defeat your enemies. There are three different worlds to discover, each one with its own enemies and various bonus levels to test your skills.

Features:
- 3 worlds to explore and repopulate, including crystal mines, ghostly craters and enchanted mansions
- Reuild and restore peace in the villages
- 15 levels of adventures and platforms
- 15 hidden bonus levels to probe your skills
- Acquire new abilities as you advance throughout your adventure
- Hundreds of secrets to find about incredible worlds

Be sure to check out our First Look Video embedded above!

Ginger: Beyond the Crystal releases on the Xbox Store on October 26th for $19.99

For more information on Ginger: Beyond the Crystal, check out the official website: http://beyondthecrystal.com/

Read More