One of the backbone elements to the Xbox experience has always been the great arcade games that fitted in between the big blockbuster titles released with some being real surprising little gems to enjoy for almost pocket change prices. On Xbox One the ID@Xbox scheme is full of such games and so many are released on a weekly basis it is easy to miss some so we have put together a quick round up of a few recent releases worth stopping to take a look at
Action Henk
Action Henk is a racing track game set in a children’s bedroom and stars Action Henk, a once famous and popular toy who has certainly seen better days. Prompted into action after his award is stolen, Action Henk must get back into Action Hero shape in order to get it back by running races.
With gameplay that reminds me of Doritos Crash Course but without the obstacles, Action Henk is all about building momentum and timing. Mastering both is key to getting fast times as the courses increase in difficulty as you progress. The clever track design and online Leaderboard system make Action Henk a fun and challenging experience but one that would have benefitted from a bit more polish with presentation but it is a fun arcade title with a solid Multiplayer to extend gameplay.
Wondershot
Wondershot immediately reminds me of Bomberman with its top down four player style. Essentially an arena game with a collection of challenge based mini games and a multiplayer battle mode. Each of the playable characters has a different weapon with a special ability to give it a unique use in battle.
Wondershot is a fun cartoon title with colourful characters and challenging skill Mini games that have a good variety and accessible learning curves as the player gets to grip with each character and their ability. But it is the Multiplayer that stood out for me with the same sense of competitive fun as Bomberman making it great to play against friends.
Gunscape
My fondness for the FPS genre really developed back in the 90s playing games such as DOOM, Duke Nukem and Wolfenstein. As the genre advanced I grew to enjoy the map editor features of HALO’s Forge that allowed me to create my own maps to play and share with friends and other players. This is where Gunscape takes over, using a familiar ‘Minecraft’ visual style to base itself on the map editor concept but with a clear love of 90s FPS games. The goal is to create your own maps that can be shared with other creators and to play content made by others.
It does have a barebones story mode but it really just feels like a demo for what you can create yourself in Gunscape. The building side can take time however and feels rather cumbersome on a controller rather than a traditional keyboard and mouse. But if prepared to invest time into learning how it works and practice what you can build, the reward of a satisfying use of your time will be for the taking. With an already active community of creators sharing content and offering advice and tips to new builders, Gunscape offers a great deal and is a superb nostalgic look back at a time in gaming that for many is still held most dear.
All are now available on Xbox One.
