This is a game that was maligned not because it is bad but because it does not live up to a high end AAA game in the realm of graphics and performance. If the definitive version of this game dropped as a Switch exclusive it would have gotten 9s and 10s from reviewers. It has all the elements of a highly reviewed Nintendo game: a great platformer, imaginative world, fun cast, and a lackluster story. Yes I said that, Breath of the Wild is one of the highest rated games of all time and it has a mostly empty world and a story told through a photo challenge. Nintendo games are beloved for their gameplay and fun factor not graphically fidelity and story. Recore is a game made by the makers of metroid prime and it has both solid gameplay and the fun factor, it just dropped on the wrong console.
No one expected a Nintendo game to drop as an Xbox exclusive and yet here we are. Honestly I love that this game exists it is so different for the Xbox ecosystem, I wish we had gotten a proper sequel, because the world really interested me.
My positives:
- fun story
- excellent world and world building
- hard and rewarding platforming
- super fun combat system that is deceptively deep and occasionally punishing
- great art style
- tons of cool party customization
My negatives
- a few unfair dungeons
- only being able to take two robots out at a time limits exploration in an attempt to create artificial replay ability. This mechanic sets the game back for me pretty far (from a 9 to a 8)
- item drop rng feels grindy.
Overall an amazing game that would have reviewed better on a Nintendo console not claiming media bias, just the consoles create different expectations, this would have become a classic on the switch or wii. Give it a try on gamepass!
