The Xbox One at One – Part Two

As with the major releases of the last year mentioned in Part One, Xbox One gamers were presented with some new installments to some favorite series as well as one excellent new title. As I have stated in the past, different gamers like different games and the list of downloadable Xbox One games below aptly proves this point. Both my eldest son and I enjoy Trials Fusion. As is often the case, I make it further through the game’s progression while my son concentrates on the track builder. All of my sons play Minecraft, both on the Xbox 360 and the One. They do not play nearly as much as they used to, however, with Terraria usurping Minecraft’s status.

I have always had a huge problem with the Worms series. The controls never seem to work except to kill most of your own team. I find that I tire of it quickly, but my boys seem to enjoy it and as there are relatively few multiplayer split-screen games, having one they like playing together is always welcome.

In my opinion, and those of countless reviewers, a pinnacle of the smaller, downloadable game segment this last year was Valiant Hearts: The Great War. A rare quiet and beautiful moment in gaming. A poignant, well-written story expressed through a puzzle game with a unique graphic style that is at the same time cartoonish and sophisticated. Ubisoft achieved here what it does with the Assassin’s Creed games, sparking a desire in both me and my boys to learn more about the history of the subject of the game. In the case of Valiant Hearts, the developers include historical details and photos with each section. It seems no accident that I find my self playing games developed by Ubisoft more and more often. They often offer a deeper experience than other games on the market.

Date	Title	IGN Rating	Gamespot Rating
April 2014	Trials Fusion	8.2	8
May 2014	Worms Battlegrounds	8	—
June 2014	Valiant Hearts: The Great War	9.3	8
September 2014	Minecraft	9.7	7