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When Microsoft first unveiled ReCore at E3 2015 it did so with a sense of mystery.

The trailer that rolled gave audiences a glimpse at a young women and her robot dog traversing a massive desert and instantly had Xbox owners sitting up to take notice of this excellent looking new title.

Equally, this was before Microsoft mentioned that it would be made by “the makers of Metroid Prime” or have influential former Capcom employee and Mega Man illustrator Keiji Inafune on board.

12 months later and having seen the game up close, we can safely say that what we played was nothing like what we had come to expect.

ReCore, as it turns out, isn't a slow-paced and spectacle initially hinted at, but rather an all guns blazing action-platformer with a series of puzzle solving moments thrown in for good measure.

It might not have been what we were expecting, or hoping for, but we can confidently say that ReCore is an intense and addictive (if limited) experience.

The game focuses on lead character Joule Adams, one of the last remaining humans living on a planet known as Far Eden that's become controlled by robotic creatures hell bent on destruction.

Joule's not along though, she's accompanied by an assortment of friendly robots who'll assist you in combat and also provide aid through the game.

There's five robo companions in total, but from our play-through we only saw two.

First was Mack, a dog-like creature who could dig for items across the landscape and use three special attacks in combat.

Next up was Seth, a spider-like mechanoid who primarily helped with getting across rails we encountered on our travels.

You'll need to keep in mind that you can only use one robot at a time but switching between them is a doddle with a simple click of the LB trigger.

(Image: Microsoft)

In addition, Joule has a weapon of her own; a rechargeable blaster with infinite ammo and two blast types. A straightforward shooter and a charged blast shot for more powerful enemies.

However for a shooter, combat isn't quite so straightforward as you might suspect.

Enemies, robot companions and Joule's weapons are all colour coded and in order to deal out the maximum amount of damage as possible you need to use the correct coloured ammo.

Initially when we only had one colour to deal with, it was fine, but the second the game upped the ante with a pantone swatch selection of enemies (see below) coming at us, the pressure was on.

Not least as each coloured enemy had their own individual strengths and weaknesses to contend with, but also because switching your ammo on the fly in combat using the D-Pad wasn't the most simple of tasks.

(Image: Microsoft)

The games biggest drawback was the overly complicated platforming elements which we had to contend with.

Joule can double-jump and dash but at certain points when you're required to use both, the camera is all over the place.

It means that those extreamly important jumps from one ledge to the next are made all the more difficult than they really ought to be and prove to be a definited bone of contention when you're trying to build any sort of momentum.

We should point out that we wasn't playing a final build of the game, so the hope is that many of these kinks will be ironed out before the games final release.

Interestingly the game is launching at a reduced price point of £30, something the games producers and Microsoft say is a deliberate attempt to give the new titles "a broad audience."

Armature producer Mark Pacini has also mentioned that the game is roughly eight-to-12 hours, but equally the game will also contact "a lot of things to find and collect that can extend the play time".In many ways, it mirrors the recent PS4 release of Ratchet and Clank, which did astoundingly well without reinventing the wheel and likewise, ReCore has many great things going for it that could pull off the same results for Xbox.

It's an incredibly good looking, challenging and highly-enjoyable action focussed platformer which will no doubt fill a hole currently vacant in Microsoft's gaming lineup.

Like Ratchet and Clank it won't offer anything revolutionary and will hopefully have just enough innovation to keep it on the right side of remaining overly repetitive.

But it does have an original story and all signs are looking positive for Microsoft's brave new adventure and we can't wait to see what other secrets it holds when it's released later this year.

(Image: GAME)

ReCore is coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 on 16 September.

It's also one of the many new titles that boasts being part of the recently revealed Xbox Play Anywhere service, which means that if you purchase it digitally on one platform, you get it for both.

However, if you pre-order with GAME you'll also receive the platforming classic, Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts, for free on and playable on your Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

As deals go that's pretty good value.

Although, those looking to push the boat out can also nab themselves the Collectors Edition for a whopping £149.99.

Those willing to fork out the cash will get themselves:

Personally, we'd opt for the simple and far less costly Banjo Kazooie option, but the choice is yours.

For more information about the game, head to www.recoregame.com