In our final installment of Xbox Live's Arcade offerings, we look at four more extremely solid games. All of them are highly recommended, and once again, there's something for all kinds of different tastes. Best of all, if you're ever unsure about a game, you can always download a free sample version before committing to the full version.
Wik: Fable of Souls
A unique, fun and great-looking puzzle game. At first glance, Wik looks like a run-of-the-mill side-scroller, but it's anything but. You control the main character as he does his best to catch bugs and feed his pet before reaching the end of the screen. You use your tongue to do acrobatic moves from all corners of the screen. You can't actually run back and forth using the controller's analog stick. You simply aim an arrow where you want to land, and then jump, flip and swing, trying to get as many points as possible. You really have to play this game to understand it but it includes plenty of challenge and lots of replayability, and it looks great to boot. Definitely the dark horse of Xbox Live Arcade!
WHAM! Rating: |
8.0 out of 10 |
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Marble Blast 2
Another puzzle game that has a ton of levels to keep you busy for hours. As you could probably guess from the name, you control a marble through several levels, collecting power ups to get you across huge gaps, tall structures and insane hills. There's also a thoroughly satisfying multiplayer game - who woulda thunk four marbles rolling across a room could be so fun?! The single player levels start off simple enough but become almost epic in scope (well, for a marble game!) later on.
WHAM! Rating: |
8.0 out of 10 |
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Hardwood Hearts
The classic card game is back on Xbox Live with the same music and environments you'll find in the Arcade's 'Hardwood' game series. Just as in Hardwood Backgammon, there's a thorough tutorial to take you through the finer points of the game. You can play against challenging computer players or against other Xbox Live members. There's a decent amount of customization possible as well before each game. As is the case with so many Xbox Live Arcade games - simplicity can be a very, very good thing.
WHAM! Rating: |
8.1 out of 10 |
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Mutant Storm Reloaded
This game will definitely test your patience. Another shooter in the same vein as Geometry Wars Evolved, you control a ship through 89 single player levels. As you progress through each level, you slowly (and we mean very slowly) fill a percentage meter that will earn you a new colour belt. The frustration comes in whenever you die. It could take several levels to go up 10% or 15%, but one lost life could equal a loss of 15% by itself, so you have to start your slow trek back toward 100% and a new belt. Despite this (and maybe because of this), Mutant Storm Reloaded is wildly addictive, and only the best players will be able to earn the highest-coloured belts.
WHAM! Rating: |
7.6 out of 10 |
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