Xbox War In The North

0 views

Skip to first unread message

Rocki Eibl

unread,

Aug 3, 2024, 5:58:55 PM8/3/24

to stolollobe

After seeing a video about real world polar flights (Tokyo to Oslo, over the North Pole, I think) I decided to try my luck from PANC Anchorage to ENGM Oslo, on Xbox X in the 787-10. I flew due north on the 150 West longitude to 90N150W (there is a waypoint NOPOL at 90N000W which is essentially the same point - once you are at 90N all the longitudes converge to a point).

As you approach the 85th latitude, the ND starts to freak out, slowly at first - it will start to zoom out on its own trying to render the path after the pole. It even has trouble rendering the pointer for the plane, it jumps around also.

Very near the pole, without explanation, the altitude starts to go funny also, the plane started an uncommanded climb, then descent, but the vertical deviation indicator seems to go in the opposite direction, the plane gives all kinds of warnings about altitude, and all you can do is just try to fly straight until you are past it. if flying at night, you just have to turn LNAV off for a while and keep level to fly straight.

Once you get below the 85th again, you can sort of restart LNAV and try to find your flight path, and once you are below 82N or 81N the sound and camera functionality of external view also returns, slowly.

Edit - I just realized from another screen shot I did hit 90N, and in the screenshot I notice that the cabin pressue is spontaneously rising (to be precise, pressurizing to a lower altitude), the plane appeared to bank and turn right, but on the outside view, it was skewing left.

Bad North is an indie gem available on Xbox Game Pass for both console and PC and has proven itself to be a fun time-waster for me over the holiday period. I discovered the game using Xbox Game Pass's "random game" button and was pleasantly surprised. It's well worth your time and consideration, and if you're interested, see below for some further details.

Bad North, at its core, is a real-time strategy game, although it is a lot more forgiving than some of the more complex strategy games out there. It gives you plenty of time to make choices and decisions by slowing down time when you select units, while also giving you plenty of early warnings to help you prepare. But make no mistake, this game is not easy.

You play as a group of islanders fleeing an encroaching Viking threat. The Vikings will gradually progress across your map screen, forcing you to stay on the move jumping from island to island, fighting waves of incoming pillagers of multiple types. In that vein, Bad North plays a little bit like a tower defense game, but it's also a fair bit more dynamic.

You'll build up a small militia of various units, and can customize them in multiple ways to counteract the enemy. Shield bearers block arrows, for example, and pikemen can push enemies back. You can move them around on specific tiles to fit the needs of the situation. For instance, if there is a troupe of unarmored swordsmen approaching your island from the north, lining the adjacent cliffs with archers is usually a good strategy. You can then move them to another position after that wave has been dealt with.

Once you have positioned your units, they attack on their own, producing comedic cascades of blood all over the island. When you execute a solid strategy, it's a lot of fun and endlessly addictive. Well, to a point.

A small team built Bad North, and the scope of the game tends to match that fact. There aren't that many unit types you'll encounter or be able to produce, although you can upgrade your squads with new abilities and artifacts which extend the strategic aspects even more. The biggest pitfall of Bad North rapidly becomes its repetitive nature.

The game's islands could have used with a wider variety of types and biomes, and perhaps features. They're all rather small, and the aim of each is to defend the islander's homes from invaders. The more homes you defend, the greater the rewards are, and thus, the more upgrades you can grab between turns. Each unit type only has a few set upgrades, though, so you'll max out the game's sense of progression relatively quickly.

Another annoyance with the game pertains to the AI. Each unit has a set array of behaviors that govern how they respond to different situations, whether they'll stray from their assigned tiles, whether they can move and attack, and so on. Learning these restrictions is key to victory.

Considering Bad North is available as part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription across both console and PC, giving it a try is an absolute no-brainer. It's lightweight and easy to run on PC and plays well on Xbox too.

The game's simplistic graphics also lend themselves well to lower-end PCs, which, by the way, also supports the latest Windows APIs, which makes it easier to scale in window mode for epic multi-taskers. It's in that vein I tend to play it since the game is light enough not to demand your full attention.

Jez Corden is a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by tea. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his XB2 Podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!"}), " -0-10/js/authorBio.js"); } else console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); Jez CordenSocial Links NavigationCo-Managing EditorJez Corden is a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by tea. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his XB2 Podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!