Microsoft’s E3 showcased some of the amazing exclusive indie titles that will be making their way to the Xbox One and Xbox One X in the near future. Here’s a rundown of some of the indie titles that were shown during their E3 event.
Deep Rock Galactic by Ghost Ship Games, Coffee Stain Publishing
I had the opportunity to play this game at GDC this year. A great co-operative FPS multiplayer you and your friends play a group of dwarves each with a different ability. Mine the necessary alloy while battling through the enormous procedurally generated volcanic and ice cave systems. Each role within the team will need to utilize unique abilities and weapons in order to survive.
Deep Rock Galactic will be an Xbox One/PC exclusive.
The Darwin Project by Scavengers Studio
This fascinating little game is described as “reinventing the Battle Royale / Hunger Games sub-genre.” Taking place in the Canadian Rockies, it is an asymmetrical combat game described as “half science experiment and half live-entertainment.” players with different sets of powers hunting each other in the snow with primitive melee and projectile weapons. There is a Show Director mode that’s unlocked through a progressions system, with the potential to influence the outcome of the match. Based on the reveal it seems that Microsoft is hoping that this title will find its way into the competitive gaming/streaming community.
The Darwin Project looks to be an Xbox One/PC exclusive.
Black Desert Online by Pearl Abyss, Kakao
Black Desert Online is a medieval fantasy, sandbox-oriented MMORPG featuring next-gen graphics and a full combat system. It promises to allow players to do more than just fight by participating in activities such as trading, horse breeding, and crafting. Of course, those wanting to do battle will be able to do so via the game’s faction-based battle systems. The popular PC MMORPG is available only in Korea, Oceania, North America and Europe.
Black Desert will be an Xbox One/PC exclusive.
The Last Night by Odd Tales
In 2014, developers Tim and Adrien Soret released a short playable teaser called The Last Night, which transported the style and vibe of cyberpunk adventures like Blade Runner into a 2D, pixel art game. The creators describe the setting as a “two-dimensional cyberpunk open world,” with four unique districts to explore. Meanwhile, the gameplay itself, which is billed as a “cinematic platformer,” looks reminiscent of classics like Another World. The trailer’s description hints at infiltration-based gameplay but does suggest the inclusion of traditional action as well.
The Last Night will be an Xbox One/PC exclusive.
The Artful Escape by Beethoven & Dinosaur
The Artful Escape stars a man who uses the power of music to traverse a painterly world. It’s a video game about great expectations, famous folk singers, lingering shadows, space Gods, hallucinogens, individuality, reptile shops, and wild imaginations. It’s an action, adventure, exploration, narrative driven, musical-laser-light-battle kind of game. No word yet on the actual gameplay, but this title will seemingly emphasize large world adventuring.
The Artful Escape will be an Xbox One/PC exclusive.
Tacoma by Fullbright
The next game from the creators of Gone Home is certainly a departure from that title’s suburban settings. Tacoma is all about sci-fi exploration and is appropriately mysterious given its development pedigree. In the game, the player explores an abandoned space station to discover why its crew disappeared. Using an AI partner and an augmented reality system, the player uncovers video and audio records and experiencing past events from different perspectives to unravel the mystery. Tacoma is set to release on August 2nd.
Tacoma will be an Xbox One/PC exclusive.
Super Lucky’s Tale by Playful Corp.
Super Lucky’s Tale is the sequel to the Oculus VR platformer. But this Nintendo 64-esque adventure will drop the VR components when it launches a Play Anywhere title on November 7th. A delightful, playground platformer for all ages that follows Lucky, the ever-optimistic and lovable hero, on his quest to find his inner strength and help his beloved sister rescue the Book of Ages from the nefarious Jinx. Head back to the era of classic platformers with challenges players of all skill levels and all ages can enjoy.
Super Lucky’s Tale will be an Xbox One/PC exclusive.
Ashen by Aurora44, Microsoft Studios
Ashen is an action RPG about a wanderer in search of a place to call home. This is a world where nothing lasts, no matter how tightly you cling to it. They must venture into a dying world in the hopes of finding others like them and dangers that they may eventually be able to overcome. The trailer showed off intense battles, exploration, and massive enemies. All of it was rendered in a unique art style that’s semi-polygonal and less detailed than a lot of modern games. It also showed multiple adventurers fighting together, suggesting that co-op will be important to the game.
Ashen will be an Xbox One/PC exclusive.
Finally, here is a sizzle reel of several known and unknown games coming to Xbox One in the near future.
