Noble Muffins and PlayWay S.A. have released their destruction title Demolish & Build on Xbox One following a Nintendo Switch release. The game was originally released on PC back in 2018 and it was received with decent reception. Now after almost 2 years, the game has arrived on its third platform. The port has been done by Ultimate Games S.A. similar to the Nintendo Switch version of the game. This is our comparative review of the Xbox One version of Demolish & Build.
Right from the moment I started the download of the Xbox One version of Demolish & Build, I was worried about its size. The game only weighs 1.8GB on Xbox One which is pretty much the same as compared to the Nintendo Switch version that I played earlier. The PC version weighs around 15GB however right after booting the game, I figured out that this is simply a port of the Nintendo Switch version to Xbox One which explained its similar size. The game begins with you getting fired from your own construction firm for being too lazy and destroying some lion statues that were part of a contract. After you get fired, you begin your own company with a former co-worker.
You then start expanding your own construction empire where your main goal is to become a higher rated firm than your ex-employer. You complete contracts, purchase vehicles, hire workers, and purchase your very own properties for income as well. The story is pretty typical and predictable as you go from humble beginnings to being the biggest construction tycoon in the area. During later stages, you can even assign your workers tasks and do little jobs here and there with your workers dealing with the main brunt of the work. Since this is a comparative review, I will be more focused on how the game performs as compared to its Nintendo Switch and PC versions.
One of the main things I noticed right after booting the Xbox One version is that visually, the game did not look any different than the Nintendo Switch version. True the frames were much higher and smoother but the visual fidelity still made it look like a Nintendo Switch title. This is a simple direct port of the same game to Xbox One without any further additions or improvements in visuals or gameplay. The driving was still clunky and movement was still not crisp. While it certainly better playing with smoother frames but the clunky gameplay and plethora of other problems with the game did little to make the game feel any good.
For me, all problems with the Nintendo Switch version were present in the Xbox One version as well. The traffic engines were extremely loud and this time around, since I was playing on much bigger speakers, I had to turn down the volume because the engine volumes would take over all other sounds of the game. Apart from this, the bigger screen did not do any justice to the game visuals as well. The foliage was as scarce as it used to be on PS2 titles when hardware used to be extremely weak and the developers had to keep foliage to a minimum. The special effects were similar to Nintendo Switch as well which meant that they were half-baked as well. The same goes for hitboxes for your hand tools as they are extremely inconsistent and seem to change according to the situation you are in.
Normally, when I write comparative reviews, I’ve always played the superior version of the game first but here, after playing the Xbox One version, I can say that I liked the Nintendo Switch version better. This is because the Xbox One clearly makes the game feel more dated and poor in terms of visuals and gameplay. We already know that Nintendo Switch lacks in hardware so games are bound to be weaker when it comes to visual fidelity but in this case, I will suggest that you either stick to the Nintendo Switch version or if you really want a construction game on the console, try the alternative Construction Simulator 3 that offers greater depth, better visuals and gameplay and much more content in general.
Final Verdict:
While there is huge hardware difference between Nintendo Switch and Xbox One, Demolish & Build sadly does not utilize this additional power for anything. The game feels like a direct port of the Nintendo Switch edition without any visual or gameplay improvements. The gameplay is clunky and visuals look like something straight from a PS2. These visuals do not feel too degraded on a Nintendo Switch console but playing the game on an Xbox One on a big screen makes a big difference. The game does run very smoothly as compared to the Nintendo Switch version and frames are consistent but the clunky gameplay and dated visuals make this port not a good one. Stick to your Nintendo Switch copy or avoid getting this game altogether. You have plenty of decent alternatives available on Xbox One. If you still want to get this game, it is now available on Xbox One.
Final Score: 5.0/10
