This week saw no less than ten ID@Xbox games arrive on Xbox One. Most are lesser-known titles, including two Asian games and a firefighting simulation. Factor in bigger-name indies like Cuphead, Ruiner, and Pinball FX3 there's something for everyone in the week's lineup.
ACA NeoGeo: Burning Fight
Japanese publisher Hamster's ACA series is a collection of emulated NeoGeo arcade classics – we reviewed one-on-one fighter ACA World Heroes 2 and found it pretty solid and well-emulated.
Burning Fight (which I played as a wee lad) is a buddy cop beat 'em up in which a pair of officers must infiltrate a Japanese crime syndicate and bust lots of heads. It features two-player local co-op and (hopefully) easy Achievements.
Burning Fight costs $7.99 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Switch.
Battle Garegga Rev.2016
Battle Garegga was one of the last shoot 'em ups released for the Sega Saturn in 1996, and thus became an expensive collector's item shortly after release. Now the classic vertically scrolling shooter is back on Xbox One thanks to publisher M2.
The game's claim to fame is its complex ranking system that adjusts the difficulty on the fly based on player actions and performance. This version displays the ranking data on the side of the screen so you can tell how you're faring. It also features three game modes and four soundtracks, plus two-player local co-op. Shmup fans won't want to miss it.
Battle Garegga Rev.2016 costs $34.99 on Xbox One.
Cuphead
At long last, Studio MDHR's much-delayed debut Xbox title is here!
Cuphead is a 2D run-and-gun shooter/platformer featuring an absolutely mesmerizing 1930s cartoon aesthetic. No other game can match this game's colorful, highly animated visuals and huge, memorable bosses. It also happens to be a very challenging game (and thus something of an acquired taste), but two-player local co-op can help even the odds. See our full review for lots more details.
Cuphead sells for $19.99 on Xbox One, Windows Store, and Steam. It's an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so progress and purchases on the Xbox and Windows 10 versions carry over between those two platforms.
Firefighters: Airport Fire Department
From United Independent Entertainment, the German publisher of Professional Farmer 2017, comes another job simulation. This time though, the job is one you don't see in other video games: fighting fires at airports! Numerous vehicles, on-foot firefighting, and over 20km of burning airports should make this either the best or worst airport firefighting game ever. If you really want to put some fires out at an airport, you don't many other options.
Firefighters: Airport Fire Department costs $29.99 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
LightField
Following on the heels of Redout, LightField is a fast and colorful futuristic racer. These racing ships have antigravity abilities, and the twisty, colorful tracks take full advantage of them. With three game modes, online and 4-player split-screen multiplayer, and a peppy techno soundtrack, this looks like a fine choice for players craving a new F-Zero-style racer.
LightField sells for $19.99 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Buy it during launch week for a twenty-percent discount.
Lilith-M
The Xbox One doesn't exactly have tons of Asian-developed games, which makes Lilith-M all the more interesting. It comes from Shangai-based developer Chesstar and Chinese publisher E-Home Entertainment, a joint venture between Microsoft and Oriental Pearl Group. A UFO has captured the main character Lilith and her brother. To rescue her brother and escape from their captors, Lilith must team up with a friendly robot.
Lilith-M is a 3D puzzle game in which players control both the female protagonist and her robot friend simultaneously. Flipping a switch with one character will open a path for the new character, not unlike the Xbox and Windows Phone-classic ilomilo. This could be quite an addictive puzzler if you can stand the poor English translation.
Lilith-M costs $9.99 and is exclusive to Xbox One.
Pinball FX3
Seven years after Pinball FX2 (and three years after the Xbox One version), Zen Studios has finally unleashed the latest entry in its a-la-carte pinball game series. Pinball FX3 adds new modes, updated graphics, and most promisingly, an experience system that allows players to equip and upgrade game modifiers. Most Pinball FX2 purchases transfer over to this one, so you shouldn't lose out on much by switching over to the new game.
The base Pinball FX3 game is free and includes one table, Sorcerer's Lair. Universal Classics Pinball, the new Pinball FX3-exclusive table collection, costs $9.99. It's quite good! Pinball FX3 is an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so progress and purchases on the Xbox and Windows 10 versions carry over between those two platforms.
- See Pinball FX3 on the Xbox and Windows Store
- See Universal Classics Pinball on the Xbox and Windows Store
Xbox One review code for Universal Classics Pinball provided by the publisher.
Ruiner
This surprise hit from Devolver Digital is an ultra-stylish cyberpunk shooter. Playing as a cyborg whose brain was hijacked by a terrorist, you'll work with allies to stop evil gangs and corporations while fighting to rescue your brother. Colorful, distinctive visuals, a catchy soundtrack, tons of weapons, and a robust upgrade system make this the twin-stick shooter to beat. See our full review for more details.
Ruiner sells for $19.99 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Windows Store, and Steam. It's an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so progress and purchases on the Xbox and Windows 10 versions carry over between those two platforms.
Splasher
The second Splatoon-esque platformer to come out in recent weeks (following Digerati's Ink, Splasher comes from Romain Claude, a former Ubisoft staffer who works on Rayman Legends and Origins.
This one is a zoomed-out, fast-paced 2D platformer in which you play as a painter who must rescue his fellow Splashers from the evil Le Docteur. The hero's paint cannon lets him bounce, stick to walls, and attack enemies. While the simplistic, tiny graphics don't impress much, the developer's pedigree is nothing to shake a paintbrush at.
Splasher costs $14.99 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Steam. A Switch version is coming soon.
Syndrome
This sci-fi survival horror game from BigMoon Entertainment owes some inspiration to the System Shock series. Awakening from cryo-sleep on a massive starship, players will find that most of the crew are dead. The ones who remain have become hideous monsters. You'll have to make do with scarce ammunition as you search for tools and rescue in the multilevel ship. Be warned that this one is said to be bogged down by excessive backtracking and limited guidance. But it does look creepy!
Syndrome costs $29.99 on Xbox One and Steam.
Which ID@Xbox games are you getting this week? Let us know in the comments!
