Review: Mr. Shifty, Tacoma and The Way — Roundup

Every week numerous games release on Xbox One. While many are substantial experiences like Injustice 2 and Tekken 7, there are a few hidden gems here and there. Many of these smaller games have either caught the public’s eye or are just stellar titles which all Xbox One owners should try out. This week we’re going to be discussing Mr. Shifty, Tacoma and The Way. All of these titles are unique in their own way so be sure to dig a little deeper about each one.

Mr. Shifty is a game along the lines of Hotline Miami but with much more action. The player has the ability to shift through bullets, and master lightning-fast takedowns. Mr. Shifty follows a teleportation-fueled heist to break into the world’s most secure facility. You can phase through walls, through bullets, cover huge distances and be everywhere at once. You’ll need to master your powers in order to succeed in this title. While Mr. Shifty is brutally difficult, it’s still a lot of fun. You’ll just have to repeat some of the sections again and again until you master them. This sort of gameplay can lead to frustration and will limit the title’s appeal but those who want to spend the time will definitely be rewarded. If you loved games like Bleed and Enter the Gungeon, then this is the game for you.

7/10

Xbox One

Tacoma is a narrative adventure set on board a space station in the near future. As you go about your mission, you’ll explore every detail of how the station’s crew lived and worked, finding the clues that add up to a gripping story of trust, fear and resolve in the face of unprecedented disaster. The game takes place through the first-person perspective and you have to explore echoes of captured moments to unravel the mystery. The player has the ability to rewind and fast-forward the memories so that they can piece together the rather complex plot. For those wondering, Tacoma is the next game from the creators of Gone Home, but it’s not their best when it comes to the technical aspects of the title. The game suffers from a lot of random bugs like an issue which sometimes prevents you from going past the launch screen. However, what’s truly aggravating are the performance issues. Throughout my playthrough, I experienced a frame rate that wasn’t quite 30 FPS. In some ways, it reminded me of Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 which constantly ran at 25 FPS. Tacoma may be a great adventure game, but it needs a lot of polish before I can recommend it. The developers need to push out patches immediately to address these problems.

6.5/10

Xbox One

The Way is simply fantastic. As a child, I loved games like Another World and Flashback. I just couldn’t get enough of them and played them again and again. As gaming has evolved, experiences like them became few and far between. Ubisoft released an updated version of Flashback but it lacked the charm. The Way is just like Another World and the original Flashback. Throughout the course of a few hours, you journey to another planet and discover its secrets in order to bring your loved one back to life. The Way tells a story about a member of a space exploration team who can’t accept death. The planet is filled with mystery and gorgeous environments. Despite its pixelated aesthetic, the title looks absolutely stunning. While the shooting mechanics could use a bit more work, it’s still a lot of fun and you’ll become lost in the world. I’ve waited for a game like Another World for such a long time and I’m glad that The Way doesn’t disappoint.

9/10

Xbox One

If you’re going to pick up one of these games, we would recommend The Way. It’s definitely the most wondrous experience out of the lot. To be honest, you can’t go wrong with any of these games. They all appeal to different types of gamers and this selection has a title for everyone.