This week's ID@Xbox releases picked up slightly over last week's, with seven new indie games arriving on Xbox One. These include the hilarious Jackbox Party Pack 4, the blue-man shooter Rogue Trooper Redux, a new Smite spin-off, a physics puzzler, and more.
Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden
Abyss is the latest hidden object puzzle adventure game (HOPA) from Polish studio Artifex Mundi. In this one, players will explore a BioShock-style ruined underwater city that hosts numerous mysteries and supernatural forces.
Artifex Mundi games tend to feature attractive 2D backgrounds, simple puzzles, and lots of fun hidden object scenes. Don't expect great animation or passable voice acting, but these games are usually a relaxing good time. Are you ready to visit Rapture, I mean Eden?
Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden costs $9.99 on Xbox One and Steam. Buy it on Xbox during release week to get a dollar off the price tag.
ACA NeoGeo Robo Army
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.
When an army of evil robots threatens the world, it's up to cyborg cops Rocky and Maxima to save it! Robo Army is a beat 'em up featuring colorful robotic enemies and huge bosses. It features two-player local co-op and (hopefully) easy Achievements. Trivia: Rocky later reappeared in King of Fighters 2000!
ACA NeoGeo Robo Army costs $7.99 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Switch.
God of Light: Remastered
The award-winning mobile game from PlayMaus has made the lead to Xbox one as God of Light: Remastered. It stars a cute creature of light named Shiny who must bring light and life back to a darkened universe.
God of Light is a physics puzzle game in which players must connect Shiny's light to various objects and reflective surfaces in an attempt to activate each level's Source of Light. The Xbox One version features 75 levels, including all previous mobile DLCs. The graphics have been revamped in HD, and the soundtrack comes from UNKLE. Physics puzzle games aren't exactly abundant on Xbox, making this enjoyable looking game all the more appealing.
God of Light: Remastered rings up at $9.99 on Xbox One.
Hand of the Gods: Smite Tactics
Hand of the Gods is a spin-off of Hi-Rez Studios' popular MOBA, Smite. This one takes the gameplay in a new direction, mixing card battles and turn-based strategy battles. The fights come to life in 3D from an overhead perspective. A big part of Smite's appeal is its unique interpretations of deities from around the world, and those same gods appear in this game as well.
Hand of the Gods is currently in closed beta status, so buying a Founder's Pack is the only way to access it. It will eventually become available as a free to play game in the future (just like the Steam version). Being a beta game, Hand of the Gods is reportedly a bit rough around the edges. But Smite is a highly polished game, so hopefully this one will get there as well.
The Hand of the Gods: Smite Tactics Founders Pack costs $19.99 on Xbox One and includes 15 card packs and several more premium items.
The Jackbox Party Pack 4
Each entry in the Jackbox Party Pack series is a collection of five party games that anyone can play using their phone as a controller, either locally or via livestream. Jackbox Party Pack 4 offers four brand-new games and the greatly expanded Fibbage 3, all sure to liven up your next party or stream.
These include:
- Fibbage 3: The outrageous bluffing game is back with all new question types! (2-8 players), including a new extra game mode - Fibbage: Enough About You –where players guess weird facts about each other! (3-8 players)
- Survive the Internet: Twist your friends' "online" comments in ridiculous ways in this web-based frame game. (3-8 players)
- Monster Seeking Monster: Message and date your fellow monsters with special powers in a spooky date-a-thon! (3-7 players)
- Bracketeering: Place smart bets on dumb arguments in this deranged debate match, as illustrated in the screenshot above. (3-16 players)
- Civic Doodle: Spruce up the town's murals to one-up your friends in this irreverent art game. (3-8 players)
Read our detailed review to find out which of the games in this installment are hot and which one is not!
The Jackbox Party Pack 4 sells for $24.99 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Steam.
Rogue Trooper Redux
From UK-based Rebellion Studios (makers of the excellent Sniper Elite 4) comes Rogue Trooper Redux, a remake of a classic third-person shooter based on a British comic book series starring a futuristic blue soldier. He always looked silly to me, but what do I know?
Redux is a proper remastering, with HD graphics, remodeled assets, dynamic lighting, enhanced geometry, new special effects, and more. New features also include modern controls, extra difficulty settings, and a revamped cover system. It also features a separate online co-op mode for up to four players.
Rogue Trooper Redux costs $24.99 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Steam.
TorqueL -Physics Modified Edition-
TorqueL from FullPowerSideAttack.com is a 2D puzzle game in which players try to reach the goal of each stage by rolling and stretching a box that houses the main character. Sometimes you'll roll and stretch the box to get over obstacles, and other times you'll need to extend the box to make it jump and fly across the environment. TorqueL doesn't look very nice aesthetically due to its sparse environments and simple artwork, but nothing else plays like it. Maybe you should give it a spin.
TorqueL -Physics Modified Edition- costs $9.99 on Xbox One. The original TorqueL is also available on PlayStation 4, Vita, and Steam for the same price.
Over to you…
Which ID@Xbox games are you getting this week? Let us know in the comments!
