It’s no secret that the Xbox One has not been the massive success Microsoft was hoping for. Since its launch it has been plagued by poor sales and has struggled to attract the blockbuster titles that the PlayStation 4 has been able to deliver in its opening year. Many gamers were hoping that 2014 would be the year that Microsoft delivered titles that would help the Xbox One overcome its poor start and begin a serious challenge to the PS4’s domination of the console gaming world. Unfortunately in addition to lacking the blockbuster releases of the PS4, many of the games released on the Xbox One have been truly dismal. Now with the 2014 drawing to a close let’s take a look back, at the 5 worst games released on Xbox One this year.
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The Legend of Korra
Based on the Nickelodeon show of the same name, The Legend of Korra is a third person combat game that not even fans of the show could possibly enjoy. Combining a non-existent story line, lacklustre gameplay and mediocre graphics makes this game truly forgettable. After a mere couple of hours this reviewer was hoping for a power outage to rescue him from a Nickelodeon induced nightmare.
Score: 2.5/10 Abysmal
Whilst the original horror film is a classic, this game adaptation is far less memorable. The exceptional graphics and sound are let down by uninspired game play and a weak storyline. Past Alien franchise games have offered far more in terms of immersive gameplay and links to the films. Seasoned gamers will be wondering where this all went wrong. After a few hours of game play you’ll be looking for a refund. Be warned.
Score: 5/10 Mediocre
Brought to the Xbox One by Grounding Inc., a relatively new studio founded by ex members of the team behind Phantom Dust, Crimson Dragon takes the player into a world of battles taking place on flying dragons. This game utilises the Kinect motion sensor and has a lot of promise but ultimately fails to deliver.
Admittedly at first riding around on a dragon is pretty cool, but the use of the Kinect motion sensor is seriously limiting to the depth of gameplay possible. The game feels very simplistic, extremely repetitive and would be better suited to a quick thrills arcade environment. Simply put it lacks the depth we now come to expect from titles on next generation consoles. Adding to the disappointment are the lacklustre graphics and sound effects. This culminates in an amusing but ultimately forgettable gaming experience.
Score: 5.5/ 10 Mediocre
Nobody could criticise EA Sports for its attention to detail when developing its UFC title for the Xbox One. The game is visually impressive featuring fantastic graphics, which demonstrate the performance capabilities of the console. The developers have also clearly done their research as the game features all the moves and techniques that fans on the UFC would expect. However, the game play falls flat in the excitement department, managing to turn a sport known for incredible edge of your seat action into something sterile and far too clinical. Unfortunately, fans of the sport should wait for the next UFC release as this one lacks the action and intensity of the real thing.
Score: 6/10 Average
The Kinect 2.0 is an Xbox accessory that gamers either love or loathe. If The Fighter Within were aiming to turn people away from the new Kinect it would be an overwhelming success. From the outset this game is an absolute mess, featuring menus that barely function, gameplay that is paper-thin and gesture controls that will leave you pulling your hair out. That’s before we start talking about the story line, which feels like a poorly written afterthought.
The only redeeming feature of this game is that the punch and kick gestures generally work as intended, most other gestures are seldom recognised and will leave all but the most patient gamers incredibly frustrated. If this was the first game developed for the Kinect, the shoddy gameplay may be forgivable, however as this game was developed for the Kinect 2.0 gamers have the right to expect far more.
Give this clumsy punching and kicking mess a wide berth.
Score: 2/10 Abysmal
Looking forward to 2015…
After one year on the market the Xbox One is still trailing far behind the PS4 in the race of the next generation consoles. Xbox owners and Microsoft shareholders will be hoping for a flurry of blockbuster new releases in the opening months of 2015. Failure to deliver hit games on a consistent basis could result in more nails being hammered into the coffin of the struggling console.
