What are the best platformers on Xbox One?

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Jul 28, 2022

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Limbo vs Terraria vs Rayman Legends

vs Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime vs Cuphead vs Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition vs Dead Cells vs Shovel Knight vs Sonic Mania vs Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) vs Thomas Was Alone vs Spelunky vs Strider vs Little Nightmares vs Super Meat Boy vs Celeste vs Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty vs Unravel vs Mirror's Edge: Catalyst vs Dandara vs Fe vs Catherine vs Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy vs A Hat in Time

Specs

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Platforms

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Genre

2D platformer / Minecraft-like

Platforms

Windows, Mac, Xbox 360/One, PS3, PS4, Nintendo 3DS, Switch, iOS, Android

Co-Op

8 Player Online / 8 Player LAN

Controller Support

Android (MOGA / HID), Steam (Full)

Multi-Player

Local WiFi/Servers

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Platformer

Platforms

Co-Op

Local Wireless

Controller Support

Full

Multi-Player

Platform

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Shooter, Platformer

Platforms

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Nintendo Switch, Linux, macOS

Co-Op

4 Player Local

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre

Platformer

Platforms

Co-Op

Shared / Spit screen

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Genre

Platforms

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre

Roguelike, Metroidvania, Action, Platformer

Platforms

PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Mac, Windows, Linux

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Genre

Action, Platformer

Platforms

Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Windows, Mac, Linux

Co-Op

2 Player Local

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre

Platformer, Action

Platforms

Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Windows

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Puzzle/Platformer

Platforms

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Local Co-Op

Platform

Release Date

Mon Nov 17 2014 21:00:00 GMT-0800 (PST)

Single Player

Yes

Pricing

14.99

Available Platforms

PC / PS4 / XBox One / OSX / Wii U

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Puzzle, Platformer

Platforms

PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, Android, Xbox One, Wii U, iOS, macOS, Linux

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Platformer / Indie / Roguelike

Platforms

Win

Co-Op

4 Player Couch

Controller Support

Full

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Genre

Platforms

Windows, Linux, Mac, Web

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre

Adventure

Platforms

Co-Op

Controller Support

Yes

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment

Content Rating

Contains blood and violence, 13+

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Platformer

Platforms

PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Wii U, Android, Windows, Linux, macOS

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Genre

Platformer

Platforms

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Linux, macOS

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Genre

Platforms

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Genre

Puzzle, Platformer

Platforms

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Genre

Platforms

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Genre

Platformer, Metroidvania

Platforms

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, Windows, iOS, Linux, macOS

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Genre

Adventure, Action, Platforming

Platforms

Nintendo Switch, Windows, Xbox One, Playstation 4

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Genre

Puzzle, Platformer, Horror

Platforms

PlayStation 3, Xbox 360,Playstation 4,Playstation Vita, Nintendo Switch

Co-Op

2 Player Local

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Genre

Platformer

Platforms

PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Windows

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Steam Rating

Genre

Platforms

Co-Op

Controller Support

Multi-Player

Platform

Release Date

Single Player

Pricing

Available Platforms

Publisher

Content Rating

Available on Steam

Pros + Cons

Pro
Artistic puzzle

Limbo has very unique environment with highly creative puzzles that offer a great experience with monochrome, b/w and other dim colors.

Comment

Pro
Manages to communicate circumstance and casualty in a unique way

Being completely devoid of text, dialogue, and explanation Limbo manages to communicate circumstance and casualty to the player in a simple way not found in other games. Having a game completely devoid of those three things is hard but Limbo manages to pull it off perfectly.

Comment

Pro
Astonishing sound design

The sound design is simply great. Even though there's virtually no soundtrack to speak of, the sound effects do a great job of creating the perfect atmosphere in which the players immerse themselves. What's more is that if you pay close attention to the sound cues while solving a puzzle, you will find out that the sound effects are quite helpful in reaching your objective.

Comment

Pro
Immerses the player fully

Since there are no cutscenes or loading screens, Limbo makes you fully immerse yourself in the puzzles and atmosphere of the game.

Comment

Pro
Good for people who don't want to waste too much time on a game

Being a relatively short game (five or six hours long), it's perfect for people who love interesting puzzle games that don't overstay their welcome.

Comment

Pro
Unique black and white aesthetic

Limbo uses (what was once) a very unique monochromatic color scheme to give an atmospheric feel.

Comment

Pro
Quite addictive

Limbo manages to keep your attention all throughout the game by consistently presenting new, interesting things for you to solve. It starts out simple, but increasingly gets more intricate and grows into smart multi-part puzzles.

Comment

Pro
Does not become frustrating even if you die a lot

Most players die a lot in Limbo. fortunately this does not translate to a frustrating experience while playing the game. If you die from a trap, the game immediately reloads and takes the character right before reaching that very same puzzle. This way you can try again immediately and find a solution.

Comment

Con
Has some pacing issues

The first half of the game is filled with interesting creatures that you as a player encounter on the journey. While in sharp contrast, the second half of the game takes place in a deserted industrial area devoid of any lifeforms and even though puzzles become more and more interesting as you approach the end of the game, this sharp contrast between the two halves of the game creates some serious pacing issues. The pacing issues are even more evident as you reach the ending, which while good comes quite unexpectedly.

Comment

Con
Somewhat short

Limbo can be finished in about 5-6 hours on average.

Comment

Con
May be too dark for children

The game, by design, has the main character dying quite a bit, often very gruesomely, and so may not be appropriate for younger players.

Comment

Con
Ending comes somewhat abruptly

There's little lead up to the ending so it comes a little too suddenly and unexpectedly.

Comment

Pro
Fun combat

It starts out simple, with you whacking away at slow moving zombies and flying eyes, gradually shifting to more fierce and fearsome enemies such as flying demons, agile lizardmen, and many more. To survive you'll have to be always on the move, dodge enemy attacks, and be accurate when you retaliate. There are also plenty of weapons to choose from. Melee weapons such as swords, hammers, lances, and flails. Ranged weapons such as bows, crossbows, rifles, and miniguns. And various items that allow you to cast spells. Whatever you choose, it feels great to destroy hordes of enemies.

Comment

Pro
Intriguing world

Terraria uses a bright color palette and an upbeat chiptune soundtrack to ease you into its world. However, once you start exploring and spend time in it you'll notice it's not as cozy as it first seemed to be. Blood Moons that rouse the dead from their graves. Goblin armies trying to destroy everything in their wake. Vast and dark cave systems, filled with odd creatures and various dangers. Ancient ruins, teeming with the restless dead and evil spirits. Pockets of decaying land, thriving with misshapen monstrosities. It's really fun to explore and discover something new about the world of Terraria.

Comment

Pro
Lots of community servers, tutorials, and streams

Terraria has a large community of players on every platform including mobile, desktop, and console. Because of this, there are many servers to play on, as well as tutorials and Let's Plays. Finding content or help getting started is quite easy.

Comment

Pro
Playing with friends allows for endless scenarios

Up to 8 players can join any Terraria world. You can progress through the game normally, build a race course and compete in it, or split into factions and wage war against each other. The scenarios are endless, you just have to let loose your creativity.

Comment

Pro
Allows for freedom of expression for all ages, all at your own pace

Terraria has all kinds of tools and materials you can use to build whatever you can imagine. From housing, to furniture, to weapons, to types of structure, the possibilities are almost endless. This is great for children who enjoy building and problem solving, and for adults who enjoy the same. It also makes for a great objective-less game, where you can do just about anything you want at your own pace.

Comment

Con
Low replay value for those who play it as an adventure game

Terraria is a sandbox platform-adventure game, so it partly hinges on beating various bosses. If you play it purely for the sake of defeating all the bosses, you might have little else to do afterwards. Restarting the game won't be as enjoyable either because you'll already know what to expect, causing continued play without a new goal feel mundane or boring.

Comment

Con
Progress can feel slow

Quite often you'll have to collect tons of materials to craft the necessary tools, equipment, and boss summoning items to advance. This can take a really long time, especially if you're unlucky with the items dropped by mobs.

Comment

Pro
Visually impressive boss stages

The visual mechanics in the boss stages are pretty impressive as they use 3d rendering but still hold to the 2D graphical look of the game. This allows for bosses that weave in and out of stages as well as attacks that can come from the foreground or background depending on where the boss is located.

Comment

Pro
Daily and weekly online challenges

There are daily and weekly online challenges that users can compete in, against their friends or just the high scores listed.

Comment

Pro
One of the best platformers released in years

From the beautiful design of the 2D cartoon graphics to the level design, soundtrack and multiplayer, Rayman Legends is on par with the best of platformers.

Comment

Pro
All powers unlocked from beginning

Unlike Rayman Origins, Legends has all of Rayman's powers unlocked from the beginning. Players are able to jump float, wall run and attack starting at the first level.

Comment

Pro
Up to four player local Co-Op so you can help children through hard parts

Up to four local players can play sharing a single screen at the same time in Rayman Legends which is great for when kids get stuck on hard parts as another sibling or parent can jump in and help them out.

Comment

Pro
Fun cute characters

The cartoony design of the characters is animated smoothly and looks great on screen. For each their design is cute an amusing while also showing differentiating characteristics.

Comment

Con
No online multiplayer

In this day and age it is disappointing to see a multiplayer game released that does not support online. For a company like Ubisoft this kind of cost should not be an issue which makes it puzzling as to why such a standard feature is missing.

Comment

Con
Jump is floaty

The jump action feels a bit floaty which may take a bit to get use to. Normally platformers will offer tighter controls, which people tend to get used to making games that stray from that more difficult or just not something that appeals.

Comment

Pro
Adorable aesthetic

Both the story and art style are beautiful and playful, encouraging a fun atmosphere even in difficult or complicated scenarios. The soundtrack carries you along with a light but fast-paced beat to maintain the balance between fun and focus.

Comment

Pro
Gameplay focuses on relying on the other player

Much like a good marriage the game focuses on having each player rely on the other in ties of need. This makes for an experience that when executed properly shows how much of a team two people can be.

Comment

Pro
Teamwork is demanded

As offense, movement and defense are entirely separate stations, you simply cannot beat the game alone in co-op mode, regardless of any single player's skill level. This holds true especially in harder difficulties where constant communication and coordination is critical.

Comment

Pro
Catchy techno soundtrack

Lovers has a very interesting and catchy soundtrack that goes great with its retro, neon-based aesthetic.

Comment

Con
Co-op is local only

Unfortunately, online co-op is not an option. However, forcing the players to be side by side aids in coordination and makes for a more personal experience.

Comment

Pro
Really beautiful old-school art style

Cuphead is a very unique visual spectacle in the gaming world, looking exactly like a cartoon from the 1930s. The environments, characters, and even special effects are very detailed, colorful, and drawn entirely by hand on animation paper, complete with a grainy film effect. The end result is pure eye candy that puts most modern cartoons to shame.

Comment

Pro
Excellent co-op

While it can be overly frustrating when you're playing alone, Cuphead also has local co-op for two players, making your adventure easier but a lot more enjoyable. The boss fights become shorter because together you deal more damage, you don't take needless hits because you can cover more blind spots, and you can even resurrect the other player by touching their ghost if you die. This way you still get the satisfaction of a challenging fight, but it won't be as disappointing if you fail. Even if you're not into challenging games, co-op can be a way to enjoy Cuphead.

Comment

Con
Hard as nails

Cuphead mostly consists of multi-phase boss battles that may take you a lot of tries to beat. These involve a fair amount of trial and error, requiring you to gradually and perfectly memorize each boss' patterns, abilities, and timings. This becomes harder because you die in several hits, so even the tiniest mistakes are costly in the long run. It can be really frustrating if you die right before beating a boss since you have to get through the entire fight again. If you're expecting to simply enjoy the old timey visuals and music, you might get severely disappointed.

Comment

Con
The platforming sections are not as good as the boss battles

As confirmed by the developers, the platforming sections before some boss battles were added late into the development cycle. As a result, they lack the same amount of polish and detail you get to see in the boss battles.

Comment

Pro
Enjoyable gameplay

The controls are intuitive, the difficulty feels just right, the boss encounters are fun, there's a really nice upgrade system, and there are tons of secrets to be found. As a result, Ori and the Blind Forest is an enjoyable experience.

Comment

Pro
Amazing art and atmosphere

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Comment

Pro
Great soundtrack

Very nicely made music.

Comment

Con
Boring combat system

The combat system is kinda boring and repetitive. It's just about mashing buttons.

Comment

Con
Frustrating for players new to roguelikes

If you're new to the genre, this may not be the best place to start. The game gives you one life (except with a certain perk), so if you die, then your whole run is over. This would be fine if it wasn't so easy to lose all your health in an instant and fall back to level one. This makes it frustrating if you spend a lot of time on a run only for it to all go down the drain from a small mistake. The punishing difficulty can be pretty overwhelming for newcomers unless you're really looking to push yourself.

Comment

Pro
Satisfying combat with a good amount of depth to it

Dead Cells encourages fast-paced gameplay and requires quick reactions. The hits are impactful, the controls are super-responsive, and it's overall very fluid. The game has a good variety of weapons, skills and enemies that all change how the game plays out. Some weapons work best if the enemy is bleeding, some skills hurl enemies at you, some enemies are immune to attacks from the front. Which items you find and decide to keep will change what approach to combat you need to take.

Comment

Pro
Beautiful pixel art graphics

The pixel models for your character and the enemies manage to feel modern in the way the animations flow swiftly from movement to movement. The colorful art design is a nice throwback to the retro games that inspired Dead Cells. It goes hand-in-hand with the side-scrolling gameplay, with a cool look to the monster and gadget designs. The reds, blues, and greens especially pop a lot to give the game a distinct look to help it stand apart from others in the same genre.

Comment

Pro
Brilliant game design that presents a good challenge

All the little details come together to make Dead Cells incredibly rewarding to play. Making one mistake can mean death, which makes the game challenging but also fun as you learn how to take on certain enemies with different sets of weapons and skills. Also, every level is procedurally-generated, so even when you die and have to restart it feels unique and different every time. This keeps the game from ever getting old, even after you finish the game on the highest difficulty level.

Comment

Pro
The developers put a lot of love and care into the game

Throughout its time in Early Access, the creators of Dead Cells consistently updated the game with new features, adding entirely new areas and weapons each time. The game could have honestly been released a while ago and fared decently, but they kept making it better. Even more importantly though, the developers took player feedback into account many times. The devs love the game and the community and it shows through their work.

Comment

Con
Shallow story

The story feels totally inconsequential. There isn't much going on with the plot, and what little is there is pretty forgettable. You feel motivated by the progression of the game rather than any emotional connection to the story. If you're looking for something with a stronger narrative to go with the good gameplay, this isn't it.

Comment

Pro
Pretty fun risk versus reward system

In each stage, there are multiple checkpoints you can revive at if you die. The twist is that you can destroy the checkpoints for extra treasure. Doing this also means you’ll have to start from the beginning of the stage if you die. It’s a pretty cool way to increase difficulty and add tension to a playthrough, especially because it’s never forced on you.

Comment

Pro
A unique experience

Shovel Knight has 2D pixel art, a simple gameplay, and a retro feel. It stands out in an era dominated by 3D titles with super detailed graphics and convoluted gameplay because of its influences from classics like Zelda, Castlevania, Duck Tales, and even Super Mario Bros. It’s not just trying to cash in on the nostalgia of older players because it’s a game that can be enjoyed by anyone thanks to its polish.

Comment

Pro
Feels great to play

Shovel Knight has very colorful pixelated graphics, a decent chiptune soundtrack, excellent 8-bit sound effects, and the controls feel really fluid and responsive. So whether you’re just running through a castle, shoveling away at gems in a tunnel, or even jumping on a dragon’s head, Shovel Knight is a blast to play.

Comment

Con
Can be frustrating

While Shovel Knight captures a lot of SNES era’s good parts, it also brings back some of the bad parts. It's mostly the hidden enemies that attack you as soon as you approach their hiding spots, causing you to take needless damage or even die. This adds a really tedious trial and error aspect that forces you to memorize all enemy placements just so you can beat a stage. In addition to dealing with the enemies, the timing of jumps or using special skills at the right moment adds to the frustration. Press the button too early or too late and you'll end up back at the start of a platforming section or worse, dead.

Comment

Pro
Enjoyable and fast platforming gameplay

Sonic Mania is all about running, jumping, and rolling through levels while avoiding obstacles, bumping robots, and collecting rings along the way. What's even better is that you can move at great speeds while doing it, allowing you to perform exciting feats. This can be launching yourself high into the air from a ramp, or rolling upwards around a pillar without losing traction. It simply gives you an exhilarating sense of speed that will keep you wanting more.

Comment

Pro
Great replay value

While a single playthrough may take you around 5 hours, Sonic Mania has enough content to keep you going for dozens of hours. This is achieved with a combination of addictive gameplay, tons of collectibles, bonus stages, extra modes, and 3 unique characters that make the levels play differently. Even after beating the game multiple times, it stays as fun as the first time.

Comment

Con
Can be somewhat difficult to beginners

If you're new to platform games or gaming in general, Sonic Mania can feel fairly tricky. Both the levels and the boss fights require accurate jumps and/or split second timing to beat them, which may take more more than a few tries. This is especially the case in the bonus levels where you have to chase a UFO. Fortunately, you can get used to this game after a few play sessions.

Comment

Pro
Excellent level design

Sonic Mania has 12 levels, each with unique themes, enemies, and gimmicks. This includes a giant sandstone temple filled with water, presenting the danger of drowning, and even a giant chemical plant filled with jelly that can be used as a trampoline. There are also a multitude of secrets and the collectibles are positioned in a way to help you find them. All of this combined makes exploring each level really enjoyable.

Comment

Pro
Interactive folklore

Being that the game wes helped developed by actual Alaskan natives, the folklore of the game holds a lot off weight that gets you right in the feels.

Comment

Pro
Videos that tell true stories accompany sections in the game

At many points in the game a player will unlock videos that tell true stories that directly relate to what is happening in the game.

Comment

Pro
Collaboration of veteran gaming devs an educational group and Alaskan natives

Never Alone is an actual collaboration work of top industry devs, an educational group and actual Alaskan natives. Ideally this is supposed to give the game a more genuine story and background while also staying educational and fun.

Comment

Con
Transition from game to videos feels disjointed

It almost feels like the player is interupted when a video unlocks and definitely feels disjointed to leave the gameplay to then watch another video.

Comment

Con
Difficulty spikes 90 minutes in

The game spikes its difficulty at around the 90 minute mark, whether this is on purpose to stay true to life (in that some points in life are not fun and difficult to get through) or is just bad design is probably up to the player to decide.

Comment

Pro
Polished ethereal soundtrack

Haunting guitar strums mixed with beautiful piano chords and bits of chiptune creates a very fitting soundtrack that allows for an experience of polish not often found.

Comment

Pro
Great story

For what is a pretty simplistic looking game, Thomas Was Alone offers a truly great story that actually gets the player to care about what are basically squares and rectangles.

Comment

Pro
Enjoyable professional narration

What really drives the well crafted story home is the wonderful narration done by British filmmaker, comedian, writer, actor, and presenter of radio and television, Danny Wallace. Not many indie small budget games receive the polish this game has in their voice acting, which really adds to the experience when playing the game.

Comment

Con
Some puzzles can be difficult

Here an there are a few really tough puzzles in the game which can be frustrating, luckily they are few and far between as the gameplay does not tend to repeat itself too often.

Comment

Con
Short

The gameplay only lasts about 3 or 4 hours.

Comment

Pro
Provides an interesting challenge by heavily relying on increasing your skill

Spelunky gives the player everything needed to succeed from the start so it is only when the players skills get better will they advance.

Comment

Pro
Quick sessions so you can play in short bursts

Being that Spelunky is at its heart a roguelike the gameplay sessions can tend to be quick as the player will die quite often. This makes for something that can be played in quick bursts throughout the day. The convenient saving also lends to this as a game that is still ongoing can be quickly saved in order to be picked up at a later time.

Comment

Pro
Expanded gameplay through mods to improve replayability

Ranging from Mega Man to Metroid, there are a tone of great mods for Spelunky all of which make for a new experience in the game which vastly expands the replayability.

Comment

Pro
Up to 4 player local co-op

Spelunky features 4 player local co-op where players share the same screen, which can get a bit hectic.

Comment

Con
Co-op is boring and confusing

In co-op this game is very confusing with little instruction on how to play. With little to spice up the game play, it gets boring quickly.

Comment

Con
Difficult to the point of frustration

Spelunky is pretty difficult and some could say abusive, but with practice and a desire for masochism the game can be mastered.

Comment

Pro
Fast, fun combat

Strider is a really fast-paced side-scrolling hack and slash. The enemies will never stop trying to shoot your or end you in any way possible. This could easily become punishingly difficult, but is avoided thanks to the very responsive controls. You'll scale walls and kill groups of enemies within seconds, which truly makes you feel like an assassin with inhuman reflexes. The boss fights increase the tempo and may seem really cheap at first. Luckily, you'll learn their abilities over time, which will allow you to predict and counter them all. Defeating a boss without taking a single hit feels incredibly satisfying.

Comment

Pro
Tons of collectibles

You can find new upgrades, concept art, story info, character info, and costumes during the game. There are also hidden challenges such as Survival and Beacon. Only the upgrades are marked on the map, so the rest can be difficult to find, making 100% completion a tough goal to reach.

Comment

Pro
Big game world that rewards exploration

The world of Strider is massive city where you'll be climbing a lot of high walls and tall buildings. It also hides a lot of upgrades that will help you clear a level or beat a boss a lot easier. Most of these can only be accessed later when you have the right type of weapon (similar to Metroid Prime). So you'll be spending a lot of time exploring (backtracking) if you decide to access these new locations.

Comment

Con
Story is not explained

Strider has a very simple "good guy defeats evil tyrant" type of story, but none of the characters are truly fleshed out.

Comment

Con
No "Fast-Travel" really

It is a big game world, and most of the time you are stuck exploring it all by foot. There is something that lets you travel between areas, but they are few and far between and not really all that helpful. Plus, it is unlocked fairly late into the game. If you know there is something you need to return to on the other side of the game, you are in for a good hike.

Comment

Con
Cannot skip pre-boss chatter

This is not an issue if you don't die to a boss, but if you do, you have to sit through their introduction and banter every time. You cannot skip talk scenes you've already seen. The final boss, in particular, is quite the chatter-box.

Comment

Pro
Expansion packs available but not necessary to get the full experience

Little Nightmares can be finished in a few hours, and you will get the full game experience if you buy just the basic game. But if you want more of this game, you have the option of getting extra levels by buying DLCs. The latest expansion was released in November 2017, so this game is still growing.

Comment

Pro
Hauntingly beautiful environment design

The objects and environment look very realistic, which does a great deal to boost immersion. Each level has it's own distinct art style, so you get a sense of progression through the game.

Comment

Pro
Keeps you on edge

Little Nightmares does a great job at immersing the player in the game. This game uses a third-person perspective, where you see everything from a side camera. The protagonist is a little girl called Six, and everything about her surroundings portrays hostility. The oversized objects, gruesome monsters, and the near constant presence of death imagery all combines to keep you on the edge at all times.

Comment

Pro
Intriguing story with a lot of room for speculation

At first, the story seems almost disappointing- a child is trying to escape monsters. But as you progress further into the game, you find more clues that create more questions about what's really going on. The game boasts a capability to capture the player's imagination, and the seemingly vague yet thought provoking story is a great example of how that is achieved. It's very likely that after finishing Little Nightmares you won't be able to stop thinking about the story and all the questions it raises.

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Lots of unavoidable deaths

The dynamic camera angle can interfere with controls. Because the character can move not only forward/back, but also closer to and further away from the camera, it can be difficult to tell where exactly the character is in terms of space, which makes some jumps more difficult.

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Low replayability

There are a few moments in this game where the element of surprise plays a major role in creating an emotional rollercoaster, so playing it a second time will not be as fun. The levels are linear, so you won't get any open-world experiences from Little Nightmares.

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Unique visual style

As is typical of Ed McMillen's games, it looks like nothing else out there. The art style is 2D based but heavily unique with a vector graphics cartoony look.

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Large number of levels

This is not a game you are going to complete in an afternoon. With 240 levels scattered across 7 worlds there is a lot to play in the game.

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Forgivingly tight controls

The addition of a "run" button adds a lot of depth to levels, keeping the run-jump-repeat loop more interesting. The characters have acceleration as well, which demands finesse.

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Play through iteration is fast

When you die, you spawn quickly to try again. Many games draw out the death, and have to reload. Super Meat Boy immediately re-spawns you so you waste no time.

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Con
Cut-scenes lack polish

Between the games gameplay are cut-scenes that fill the player in on the evolving story, sadly the artwork and polish for these cut-scenes shows quite a bit that this is an indie game made by two people as they are a bit unrefined.

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Pro
Great for Speedrunning

There are advanced movement techniques in the game that allow you to complete a level in multiple ways and to built up a lot of speed. On top of that there is a speedrun timer built into the game.

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Pro
Optional assist mode for players who aren't good with platforming

For those who may not be so good at the platforming aspect of the game, Celeste offers an assist mode which allows players of all skill levels to experience the game in full. During gameplay, there are a few on-demand options available to do things such as become invincible (avoid spike traps and enemies), extend the air dash (jump further), and even slow the whole game down in 10% intervals. This is a great addition that makes the game accessible for all skill levels, and it's completely optional so that players who want the full challenge don't have to use it.

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Beautiful pixel art

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Intuitive controls that “feel good”

Expressive and responsive controls and the ability to jump a few frames after falling off an edge make the game feel good. Game Maker's Toolkit made a video just about this part of the game.

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The theme of overcoming anxiety and depression is tied into the gameplay

The game reinforces the attitude of never giving up, even in the face of a seemingly impossible challenge or self-doubt, and does this by tying this heartfelt theme into the gameplay itself. As Madeline sets out to scale to the top of the mountain, she will encounter a lot of depression, anxiety and self-doubt along the way, which literally manifests into an alternative version of herself simply called "Part of Me". A part of ourselves many of us are all too familiar with. During the more challenging parts of the game, this other self will appear to taunt, belittle, and even chase Madeline around telling her she's not good enough, and she'll never reach the top. She'll be a constant source of doubt throughout the duration of the game. But, after every player death, failure, and missed jump, the game will gently remind the player to "Keep going. You've got this!" and "You're learning!" along with other inspiring messages that encourage you to push past the doubt, and keep trying until you beat each challenging level.

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"B side" collectibles for those who crave a deeper challenge

In each level, there is a single hidden cassette tape, often in a hard to reach area. The platforms in these areas move to the beat of the level's soundtrack, and have to be correctly navigated to reach the tape. Similar to how old school cassettes tapes had two sides, collecting this tape will unlock the "B side" of each level. This presents the player with a much more challenging version of the level, adding new jumps, traps, and dangers. These remixed levels are extremely difficult and will provide a challenge for even the most seasoned platforming veteran. So if you've beaten the base game, and crave even more of a challenge, you will be pleased with this feature.

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Pro
Frequent checkpoints keep the game moving along

Checkpoints are encountered quite often, so when you inevitably die, you won't have to replay a huge portion of the level. This helps to keep the frustration to a minimum when tackling a particularly tricky section of a level, and lets you practice the part that's giving you trouble rather than making you replay the entire level.

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Pro
The platforming consistently adds new movement mechanics

The platforming definitely isn't stale and consistently adds new movement mechanics to keep things feeling fresh throughout your run. Glowing red orbs will send you flying in a certain direction, jump pads will blast you high into the air, and diamonds will give you an extra dash in mid air. Jumping, bouncing, and climbing around the various levels just feels fluid and fun with all these extra goodies that are seemingly endless and continually add flavor into the platforming aspect. There's a lot of "oh, that's cool!" moments when playing and discovering something new for the first time such as using a group of diamonds to chain a jump that's not only fun to watch, but fun to perform.

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Pro
Great variation in level mechanics to keep players on their toes

Each level features its own environmental hazard, which means players will have to adjust their strategies from time to time. One level is filled with winds that shift, sometimes assisting you across wide gaps and at other times stopping your progression forward or causing you to miss jumps. Another is shrouded in darkness with the area only illuminated when you're in mid-jump. Regardless of the hazard at play, they all add an extra level of challenge to keep players on their toes, even if they're seasoned platforming veterans.

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Con
You'll die a lot

Although dying in this game helps to reinforce the game's overall theme of never giving up in the face of a challenge, this can be a turn off to some players. Missing the same jumps and landing on the same spike traps constantly can only happen so many times before it becomes frustrating more than fun.

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Con
Wind mechanic can be unfair

During one level, there is wind that pushes and blows you around, but it doesn't always work in your favor. It may send you hurtling off a steep drop right into a spike trap or ruin your carefully timed midair dash. It's very random which way it'll decide to move you, and can therefore feel unfair at times.

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Pro
Great platforming gameplay

The gameplay consists of exploring the many locations within Oddworld. Along the way you’ll encounter various obstacles and puzzles you’ll have to pass. This can be simple stuff like hopping through a minefield. It can be a very intense chase sequence where you have to make very precise jumps and rolls to survive. Or it can be complex puzzles with switches and security systems that even require explosives. Whichever it might be, Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty is always a blast.

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Pro
Twisted but refreshing sense of humor

While Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty has the occasional fart joke, it mostly filled with pretty dark humor. Things like posters saying "No talking to other employees" while the mouths of said employees are sewn shut. A company turning their employees into produce just to increase profits. Characters getting addicted to a drink made out of the bones of their ancestors. All of these really bizarre situations are made funny by the goofy characters with rather wacky reactions. It's the type of humor that most modern titles shy away from.

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Pro
Beautiful environments

There’s just so much detail in every location it’s very hard to not stop and take it all in. From the interior of the meat processing plant, filled with machinery, containers, and posters. To massive caves filled with giant tree roots, wooden structures, and enormous boulders covered in ancient writings. There’s just always so much to look at and it’s a treat for the eyes.

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Con
Can be quite frustrating

A lot of the levels require really fast and precise movements/jumps. If you miss the timing even slightly, your character will most like die, causing you to restart the entire section. This gets really annoying when you miss the same jump more than 10 times. To make it slightly more bearable, you should switch to the classic control scheme, which offers a lot more precision than the defaults.

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Pro
Simple enough for children to play

The puzzles are nothing difficult and the game mechanics are simple enough aswell for children to play through the game.

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Awesome graphics

Though it's a platformer, the graphics are actually very lifelike, just in a side-view.

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Beautiful environment

The environment is inspired by the beautiful scenery of Northern Scandinavia, including forest, swamps and fields. all during different seasons aswell. The game in colorful, but lifelike, creating a really pleasant vibe.

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Amazing soundtrack

The soundtrack consists of sweet and beautiful instrumental pieces, adding to the overall nostalgic vibe.

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Con
Feels short

Though it's a good few hours of gameplay, the game feels a bit short. A few additional levels(memories to collect) would improve the experience.

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Pro
Open-world gameplay

Unlike the original game which was pretty linear, Catalyst allows for more of an open-world experience, so it is up to the user how they want to traverse the world when they need to accomplish a mission, which really frees people up to experiment and enjoy the free running aspect a lot more.

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Skill upgrades

A new addition over the original is skill upgrades through Faiths gloves. As the player progresses they can unlock new features for the gloves which will open up more things one can do in the game.

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Con
Gunplay removed

The original game had gunplay in it for combat, while not the best implementation it could have been expanded on. Catalyst has removed all gunplay to allow for hand to hand combat. So for those that did enjoy the gunplay in the original game, it will be completely absent in the new release.

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Pro
Rewarding boss fights

The boss fights are exciting and fast paced battles that will put your mastery of the wall jumping movement system to the test. One particular fight has temporary platforms that spawn out of thin air, so you never know where they're going to appear. This requires some on the fly thinking as you'll not only be paying attention to the platforms, but also dodging the boss' projectiles and his minions. You'll have to be precise in your jumping and shooting. Every boss fight incorporates the fun wall jumping flawlessly and defeating each one feels like a true accomplishment.

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Pro
Great balance between movement and combat

While you do have a gun, it takes several seconds to stop, charge up, and shoot. This means whenever you want to dispatch an enemy, you'll have to stop moving completely for several seconds. It's not as easy as it sounds, since oftentimes dodging projectiles, working around moving platforms, and finding a safe spot requires some planning ahead. Sometimes, it may be better to just keep moving rather than killing every enemy in sight. As a result, Dandara's combat provides a balance and unique challenge not often seen in "run and gun" style platformers.

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Pro
Fun gameplay thanks to unique wall jumping mechanic

Rather than running and jumping, all movement in Dandara is done through a unique wall jumping mechanic. This unique jumping is the heart of the game and what sets it apart from other platformers. You can jump to any wall, ceiling, or floor within reach, often bouncing among them in rapid succession like a ninja. The mechanic itself is simple, just aim and jump. However, this movement style makes shooting at enemies, dodging projectiles, or navigating each room a fun, unique challenge that isn't seen in other platformers.

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Con
Major difficulty spikes

Dandara is a challenging game as it is, but there are some pretty sharp difficultly spikes in some areas that feel a little too punishing. This can be frustrating to some players who felt like they were making progress, only to hit these roadblocks.

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Save points are scarce

Killing enemies awards salt which can be used to increase your health pool and upgrade your stats. However, you can only use salt at camps (save points) which are few and far between. Additionally, having to replay large sections of content and losing experience every time you die makes the game lose some of it's fun.

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Con
Map is hard to use

The camera rotates when entering new rooms/areas, however the map doesn't rotate to reflect this. As a result, it's hard to tell which direction you need to go in. The static map feel a bit useless at times.

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Pro
Enemy encounters can be tense

There's no combat in Fe, resulting in some pretty tense situations with the monsters. If you are spotted by the Silent Ones, rather scary robotic creatures, they can kill you on sight. Hiding in a bush or climbing a tree in a panic to escape can deliver some pretty exciting and tense moments. No matter how careful you are in the open world, some objectives will require sneaking past or evading them to grab key items. These situations can deliver some of the most exciting moments in the game.

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Pro
Uses music as an interesting platforming mechanic

Songs are used to interact with the world and navigate the platforming aspects in interesting ways. Using various melodies, you'll be able to perform such actions as calling birds to help you cross large gaps, spring boarding off plants for super high jumps, and even summoning a stag to attack enemies. If you're ever lost, there is a melody you can use to call down a bird who will point you in the direction you need to be going. Using musical melodies to navigate the platforming is integrated incredibly well.

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Exciting ability progression

Abilities are learned gradually as the game progresses by collecting gems and also learning the musical language of the forest life from plants and animals. As you gain more abilities or learn how to interact with more creatures, you can then go back to old areas and find new paths that were previously inaccessible. For example, birds that may not have paid much attention to you before may now gladly carry you over large gaps once you speak their language. Plants can springboard you high into the air once you can communicate with them. This ability progression is an exciting way to keep things fresh, and makes visiting old areas rewarding with new secrets to be found.

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Con
Platforming is a bit unpolished at times

The platforming can feel a bit clunky or rough at times. For example, when climbing trees you have to jump to the top branch by branch. Hitting the jump button one time too many will result in falling and having to re-climb the tree from the base. It's just little unpolished details like this that can sometimes make the platforming feel a bit clumsy.

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Con
Story can seem nonsensical

There is no dialogue in the game, so the story can be hard to follow at times. During cutscenes, sometimes you'll have no clue what's really going on due to their surreal and strange nature. A lot of the story is left up your own interpretation, which can be disappointing for those who prefer a solid, coherent narrative.

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Pro
Unique soundtrack with rock songs and remixes of classical music

The game's music is a special blend of sounds that all work well together. Fast-paced, frantic stages have rock music with catchy electronica influences. The more serious stages and story moments have cool modern-day remixes of old classics, like the familiar third movement of "Funeral March", and William Tell's Overtures, "The Storm" and "The Ranz des Vaches". Even if you can't remember the songs by name, hearing their renditions in Catherine will probably jog your memory. These tracks really heighten the energy and the drama as you play.

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Stylized, artful cutscenes, menus, and imagery

The art style in Catherine is really cool in all the ways it pops out at you. The black and pink motifs are a clear running theme, showing up everywhere from the game's logo, to the menus, and the UI. Cutscenes have a neat anime aesthetic that help them stand out more. You can also find the game's ample imagery and symbolism everywhere, both obvious and subtle, such as the male and female signs, and the puns on "counting sheep in your sleep" with the characters who become sheep in Vincent's dreams as well as the bar named the Stray Sheep. The visuals are all creative with a lot of love and care that went into them.

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Your choices lead to multiple different endings

Playing as Vincent Brooks, a hopeless thirty-something man who's unhappy with his life, your decisions throughout the game determine how he turns out in the end. The main drama centers around his indecision to marry his steady, by-the-books girlfriend, Katherine, and his affair with the spontaneous and sexy young woman named Catherine. You can choose if Vincent stays with Katherine or Catherine, or if he goes off on his own way and leaves them both behind. The ways each of these endings play out are all unique and vastly different from each other, so it can be pretty fun to do multiple playthroughs in order to see them all.

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Great cast of characters that deal with real-life struggles

You can get to know a colorful cast of characters aside from Katherine and Catherine. Every day, Vincent hangs out at a bar called the Stray Sheep where he and his friends drink together and commiserate about their uneventful lives. He can also go talk to other patrons of the bar who have their own problems, and possibly motivate them to change, like two different womanizers who had abusive pasts, a journalist who helped drive a celebrity to commit suicide, and a rich man whose parents won't let him marry his lower class lover. They all deal with some pretty mature and serious issues, but if you choose to help them out, there's usually a light at the end of the tunnel.

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Horrifying boss designs with symbolism relevant to the story

The boss designs are clever in how accurate they are. Since they're part of Vincent's nightmares that plague him about his guilt over Katherine and Catherine, the symbolism fits right in with this theme. The boss "fights" themselves involve the boss at the very bottom of the stage chasing you and manipulating certain blocks to slow you down. One of the bosses is a mutated version of Katherine in a wedding dress, another is a disfigured toddler representing Katherine's desire to have kids with Vincent, and others are certain NSFW depictions of body parts. They're over-the-top on purpose, instilling a shocking fear that makes you want to get away from the boss chasing you and reach the end as soon as possible.

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Pro
Challenging puzzles that constantly make you think on the spot

Catherine is uniquely challenging in the way it blends puzzle-platforming with horror elements. Each stage you encounter is a visualization of the main protagonist Vincent's "nightmare": they're a series of connecting blocks that you push and pull in order to reach the very top and escape from the madness. There are all sorts of different blocks, like ice blocks that cause you to slip and fall, bomb blocks that explore after a short time, spike blocks that shoot out traps to kill you if you stand on top of them for too long, and many more. And the kicker is that you have limited time, since the blocks gradually fall away to an abyss, keeping you scrambling to stay ahead of the puzzles. You have to be quick on your toes in order to figure out a way forward without letting the ground fall from underneath you. This chasing dynamic adds to the nightmarish quality of the stages, giving you an extra push to think strategically in the shortest amount of time possible.

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Con
Repetitive sound effects can get annoying

There's one small nitpick that can grow to be incredibly irritating as you play. Every time you move a block and connect it to another one by one of its edges, a female announcer says the word "EDGE" in a robotic way. This would be fine every once in a while, except this happens constantly as you situate blocks so that their edges connect for you to climb on top of them. Playing every single stage forces you to hear the same "EDGE" spam from the announcer over and over again. It's prolific enough to have turned into a running joke within the Catherine community online, but it's still really annoying.

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Con
Might be too hard for players who don't normally play puzzle games

If you're thinking of getting Catherine as your first puzzle game, then you may want to reconsider. Even on the easiest difficulty setting, the game is really tough and tricky to figure out. The hardest part is that you don't have the luxury of time to observe things and find a way forward: you have to keep making snap decisions, one after the other, for several minutes at a time, otherwise you'll fall to your death. The most difficult optional content is also pretty grueling even for the most seasoned veterans. This is definitely one of those games that you play when you want to push yourself with new challenges.

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Con
A lot of your choices boil down to binary decisions

In the end, the decisions you make aren't all that robust. Most of the choices you make happen in between stages where a narrator asks you certain questions, like whether you personally think it's okay to cheat in relationships. Your responses are usually just yes or no options, which is pretty black-and-white. These choices affect a morality meter that determines which ending you get, but because of how binary your decisions are, you never really get a sense that the system is accurate or insightful. The meter and the questions themselves are just okay, though your mileage will vary on how you feel about them.

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Pro
Fun 3D platforming gameplay

The platforming in these Crash Bandicoot games is pretty great. It's simple to grasp, with you controlling the main character, Crash, through mostly linear environments with boxes to break open for bonuses and checkpoints. Jumping over gaps and obstacles with precise jumps while breaking open those boxes feels quite satisfying to pull off, especially in the second and third Crash games that have better level designs with craftier hoops to jump through. And you get to see how the games improve with each iteration, with more exiting jumps to pull off and cool loot to collect as you go along.

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Pro
Faithful update of three classic games

Everything is lovingly recreated as a faithful update of the first three Crash Bandicoot games. Crash himself looks just like he did back during the PlayStation 1 era, with his charming design and expressive movesets. Longtime fans will likely find the levels to be just as they remember them, with updated textures and fuller colors. The music sounds mostly as it was in the original games, though with a few tweaks here and there to keep things current and up-to-date. There's tons of nostalgia here for anyone who grew up with the Crash Bandicoot games, though new players may find a lot to appreciate in how the games look and feel like modern classics.

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Three games in one is pretty good value for your money

The N. Sane Trilogy comes bundled with the first three Crash Bandicoot games: Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot: Warped. Whether you're a longtime fan of the series or a new player looking for a solid deal, this is a good collection to consider.

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Con
Difficult

These games are hard. Timing your jumps precisely is key, but this isn't always so easy. The mix of changing camera angles with traps and obstacles on the ground makes it highly important that you pay attention to how much space you have to navigate. It requires a lot of accuracy to pull things off at a consistent level without falling to your death or getting caught by a boss. Of course, practice makes perfect, though this is all just something to keep in mind if you decide to pick these games up.

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