Jacob Stokes, Author at TheXboxHub

Curse of the Sea Rats Review

Jacob Stokes — Mon, 01 May 2023 18:54:46 +0000

At present, Curse of the Sea Rats simply feels unremarkable.

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Hyper Shapes Review

Jacob Stokes — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 20:53:54 +0000

Hyper Shapes is a great little game, wrapped up in a sleek presentation.

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Terror of Hemasaurus Review

Jacob Stokes — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 13:33:28 +0000

Terror of Hemasaurus is a brilliant effort from a one-man studio. It takes that familiar Rampage formula, gives it a fresh coat of pain and whacks a strong story on top. The result is something that is a joy to play.

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Blow & Fly Review

Jacob Stokes — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 09:14:47 +0000

Blow & Fly is a bog-standard precision platformer that does nothing to distinguish itself from the hundreds of others on the market.

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Slap the Rocks Review

Jacob Stokes — Wed, 25 May 2022 18:03:52 +0000

Slap the Rocks feels like a case of squandered potential.

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Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril Review

Jacob Stokes — Sun, 08 May 2022 14:55:32 +0000

Battle Kid looks, sounds and plays like something straight out of the 1980s, and I’d encourage anyone to check it out. The Fortress of Peril is waiting...

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Taqoban Review

Jacob Stokes — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 08:10:51 +0000

Taqoban is certainly one of Ratalaika Games’ stronger releases. It’s a great little puzzler, with the simple, easy-to-grasp mechanics allowing for levels that offer a challenge to even the most adept box pusher.

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Explosive Candy World Review

Jacob Stokes — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 15:16:48 +0000

If you’re looking for easy Gamerscore, it may be worth looking into this one. But for those looking for a great precision platformer, Explosive Candy World is just okay. There are much better options on the market.

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Aztech Forgotten Gods Review

Jacob Stokes — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 15:00:00 +0000

Aztech Forgotten Gods is not a perfect game. There’s a lack of entertaining side-content. There’s no voice talent. It’s relatively short. But does that mean you should avoid it? No. Because it largely delivers with its story and its core gameplay - the two most important elements of any good video game.

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Despotism 3k Review

Jacob Stokes — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 13:43:00 +0000

There’s nothing inherently wrong with being a punishing game. In fact, there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had in failing and then trying something new and seeing yourself improve. But Despotism 3k feels like one without the other. It’s punishing, but comes without the chance to improve. It feels like a game entirely at the mercy of RNG.

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Before We Leave Review

Jacob Stokes — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 11:58:00 +0000

It’s fair to say that Before We Leave is perhaps more suited to a beginner than a true veteran of the genre, but there’s still more than enough here for everyone to find hours of entertainment.

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Mastho is Together Review

Jacob Stokes — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 10:01:28 +0000

Mastho is Together has all the hallmarks of a great precision platformer. Consistently challenging gameplay, solid level design and tight controls make for a game where your reactions and patience will be thoroughly tested from start to finish. Ultimately though, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before, and it does absolutely nothing to stand out from the crowd.

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Inspector Waffles Review

Jacob Stokes — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 14:01:00 +0000

What do we have with Inspector Waffles? An absolutely brilliant point-and-click adventure. The story, characters and overall dialogue are all brilliantly written, and the puzzles encourage exploration and experimentation.

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Looking Back to 2011 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Jacob Stokes — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 08:25:26 +0000

Upon release, Modern Warfare 3 was hailed by the critics. They raved that it exceeded the hype, met all expectations and was one of the best first-person shooters going. It appeared Call of Duty was still king of the castle and it had the sales to back the claim up too. And yet, player reception was remarkably muted. On Metacritic, the game sits at a paltry 2.9 user rating. Not exactly the 9s and 10s that were thrown at it by the professionals...

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Looking Back to 2001 and Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

Jacob Stokes — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 10:07:25 +0000

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex deserves a re-appraisal. It’s a game that seems to be only viewed in comparison to the original trilogy. If you were to judge it on its individual merits, you’d find a game that whilst not great, is not completely irredeemable like some seem to imply. In fact, you’d find a game that actually really excels in some areas.

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Virtuous Western Review

Jacob Stokes — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 13:16:33 +0000

So what do we have with Virtuous Western? Well, it's nothing more than a nice idea, with average execution. It has some brilliant ways of dispatching enemies and solving puzzles, and the easy achievements are a nice addition. But plonking a puzzle game in the Wild West ultimately falls short here, because the game simply lacks any sense of challenge.

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Whiskey Mafia: Frank’s Story Review

Jacob Stokes — Sat, 04 Sep 2021 18:57:03 +0000

If you’re not on the lookout for a quick top-up to your Gamerscore, I’d recommend giving Whiskey Mafia: Frank's Story a miss. It gets points for its unique setting and interesting premise, but not much else. The fact is, with Whiskey Mafia you’ll be getting a game that consists of a story with clear room for improvement, and a few repetitive minigames.

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The Big Con Review

Jacob Stokes — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 18:40:14 +0000

The Big Con offers something for everyone. It’s a tale that is both remarkably sentimental and utterly bizarre, and it’s one backed by a rich cast of characters and a world infused with nineties nostalgia. You’re not going to be conned out of your money with this one. The Big Con is well worth your time.

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Arietta of Spirits Review

Jacob Stokes — Sun, 29 Aug 2021 13:40:04 +0000

If you’re looking for a Zelda-lite experience, Arietta of Spirits doesn’t really put a foot wrong. But to be a truly great game, it needs more content. It needs more exploration options, more side quests, more upgrades. You’ll only be getting three or four game hours with this one, and there’s nothing to really bring you back.

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Mind Maze Review

Jacob Stokes — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 18:00:25 +0000

For the concept, Mind Maze is probably the best game on the market. Unfortunately, dots-and-boxes isn’t particularly entertaining. It doesn’t do much wrong, but Mind Maze needs more game modes and variety to really excel. Unless you’ve got a friend to play with, expect only a few games of entertainment out of this one.

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Dwarrows Review

Jacob Stokes — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 07:34:06 +0000

The fact that a basic cycle of solving puzzles, collecting resources and building stuff is so captivating is a testament to how beautifully immersive the world of Dwarrows and its inhabitants are. With so much to do, so many areas to explore and an entire town to build, it’s remarkably easy to get sucked in. Expect plenty of hours of enjoyment from this one.

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Castle of Pixel Skulls Review

Jacob Stokes — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 15:00:00 +0000

Castle of Pixel Skulls is a game that is lacking in almost every department - originality, controls and gameplay. It fails to deliver on its promise of challenging platforming. In fact, the only real battle is dealing with the inconsistent jumping mechanics.

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inbento Review – The Flavour of the Month

Jacob Stokes — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Just like actual Japanese food, inbento goes down an absolute treat. With its beautiful aesthetic, touching story and deviously challenging puzzles, there’s something for everyone to appreciate. The game is perfect in both bite-sized chunks and extended sessions, and the gameplay is designed to be challenging but not overwhelming.

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Ice Cream Surfer Review

Jacob Stokes — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 19:36:42 +0000

With Ice Cream Surfer, we have a case of great concept, poor execution. Taking on Hitler-Broccoli whilst riding a flying ice cream is a plot that is both barmy and strangely intriguing. And it deserves to be backed up by much better gameplay than what is currently on offer. Its issues with the controls and the characters, as well as a general lack of content, quickly sour things and throw almost any element of replayability out of the window.

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Escape Sequence Review

Jacob Stokes — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 14:39:06 +0000

Escape Sequence should possibly keep you going for longer than it does, even when the asking price is relatively low. Instead it feels like £4.19 is a steep price tag for just fifteen levels of gameplay, and that’ll possibly end up putting a lot of people off. Even so, if you’re in the market for a new puzzle game, I’d recommend giving Escape Sequence a try.

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Bitmaster Review

Jacob Stokes — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 05:55:57 +0000

An uninspired wave-survival shooter with bland enemy and level design, significant balancing issues and a real lack of replayability - you’ll only need to play through it about four times and you’ll have seen just about everything Bitmaster really has to offer. It’s a shame because Bitmaster actually controls really well and the RNG gameplay could have been the foundation for something fun and replayable.

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Donuts’n’Justice Review

Jacob Stokes — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 18:42:43 +0000

Ultimately, the lack of replayability doesn’t take too much away from the main experience. Donuts'n'Justice is still a great game. It’s wacky, it’s simplistic, and it’s good fun. It also pulls off the 1980s setting brilliantly. It’s certainly a very short game, but I don’t think that hinders it too much. If anything, it ensures that Donuts'n'Justice remains enjoyable from start to finish and doesn’t outstay its welcome.

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REKT! High Octane Stunts Review

Jacob Stokes — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 09:20:28 +0000

You’ll have a great time with REKT!... for about an hour or so. After that, it quickly becomes obvious that you would have seen everything the game has to offer. It’s clear that this is a brilliant casual experience, with its strong fundamentals, easy-to-pick-up gameplay and truckload of customisation. It’s simply that with nothing added on top of it, REKT! ends up rather stale.

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Mystic Fate Review

Jacob Stokes — Thu, 20 May 2021 07:42:06 +0000

The combat system and its associated mechanics are woefully under-developed, and the game’s tendency to use those very same mechanics in the platforming sections only emphasise the problems. Look for your high fantasy elsewhere. Mystic Fate is far too frustrating to be truly enjoyable.

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Dead Dust Review

Jacob Stokes — Wed, 05 May 2021 12:48:35 +0000

There is nothing inherently bad about making a game really difficult. In fact, some of the best games are defined by their difficulty. With Dead Dust, it doesn’t really work. This is a game that could have benefited from some balancing, allowing the players to work their way up with a few less punishing levels. Instead, you’re dropped straight into it, armed only with a gun and a moveset that is woefully inadequate for the kind of enemies you’ll be facing.

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