The versatility and graphic-potential of the Xbox One has opened the door for indie game
designers to let their imaginations soar, and in many ways a number of the games being
released are redefining conventional notions of what a game is.
From Beyond Eyes� approach to putting a player in the shoes of a blind girl looking
for her cat, to the quirky adventures of the yarn-protagonist in Unravel who must use the
material of his own body to navigate the world around him.
There has always been an unconventional streak to independent games, whether it be in terms
of storytelling (like Ashen�s non-linear progression) or gameplay (Sword Coast Legends�
new DM mode), and the upcoming season promises to take the interactive experience in exciting
new directions.
Let's take a look at the Xbox One's upcoming Indie games.
Ark: Survival Evolved ARK: Survival Evolved is a surprising open
world dinosaur survival game.
It immediately makes you think of the movie Jurassic World which is also releasing this
June so their timing could not be better.
You start off with nothing standing on the shores of an island called ARK where you use
your skill and ingenuity to kill and tame huge dinosaurs and other primeval creatures.
You have to hunt, harvest resources, craft items, grow crops, research technologies,
and build shelters to withstand the elements while teaming up with other players to survive.
The game is intended to be multiplayer online PvP focused so we should see some competitive
gameplay similar to DayZ or H1Z1.
I'm glad that there's finally a non-zombie survival game.
The graphics look very impressive and the open world looks like it provides plenty of
activities to do.
On first impression, this game has what it takes to make survival online games go mainstream
on consoles.
Rise And Shine With a company name like Super Awesome Hyper
Dimensional Mega Team, you have to expect some eccentricities to come out of their think-tank.
Rise and Shine is definitely that, but it is also infused with a nostalgic bullet-based
puzzle and 2D arcade-style gameplay that looks gorgeous.
The game follows Rise, a small boy thrust into a war to protect classic videogames from
Nexgen invaders using the mystical gun Shine � the allegory may be a bit on the nose,
but the hand-drawn landscapes and details are inescapably beautiful, and a perfect hybrid
of old-style color scheme with new-age graphics.
SAHDMT has yet to give a release date, but I don�t mind waiting for them to get this
one right.
Cuphead Cuphead is one of the most unexpected titles
in our lineup.
The appearance resembles a 1930s cartoon and doesn't even look like a game.
Cuphead loses a bet with the devil and spends the game attempting to repay the bet.
Composed almost entirely of boss fights,�Cuphead�is most reminiscent of the classic 2D side-scrolling
run-and-gun titles of the 16/32-bit era, such as�Contra�and�Gunstar Heroes.
With players using Cuphead and Mugman�s jumps, dodges, and finger-snapping blasts
to take out enemies, the gameplay is fast, frenetic, and extremely challenging, and all
blends seamlessly with the game�s most striking element: its art style.
Character animations are vibrant and incredibly-detailed, even down to the struts of Cuphead and Mugman
moving and in their bouncy idle animations.
Beyond the art and style, the game even uses additional effects to add to the game�s
1930s aesthetic, including projection flickers and a noisy filter to emulate the game appearing
like it came off the reel from a dusty old theater.
The game features a branching level sequence and is based around continuous boss fights.
Cuphead has infinite lives and keeps weapons between deaths.
The levels are accessible through an action RPG style world map with its own secret areas.
There's even local two-player co-op, where Cuphead and his partner Mugman run, dodge,
jump, and shoot (by snapping their fingers, charmingly enough) to defeat the game�s
various bosses.
Cuphead is scheduled for release in 2016.
Ashen With a catchy title like Ashen, Microsoft
and Aurora44 have teamed up to create another haunting open-world adventure � set in a
world without sun, the only source of light comes from eruptions that cover the land in
ash.
The apocalyptic landscape becomes a stage for the player to forge new relationships
by inviting other characters to their camp in an attempt to survive.
With high-risk combat, giant creatures, and danger at every turn, the game focuses heavily
on establishing bonds of trust.
The official release date has yet to be released, but if the trailer is any indication, players
can expect a dark and immersive world.
The Long Dark The best way to describe the trailer for the
newest game from Hinterland Studios is �eerie�.
As the first survival game to debut on the Xbox One, players find themselves alone in
a world when the �lights go out�.
With scarce resources, they explore a wintry wasteland, trying to accumulate food and avoid
dangerous animals.
The single player gameplay focuses heavily on survival elements that a player will need
to continually monitor such as calorie count, hunger, thirst, fatigue, and temperature.
The Long Dark also incorporates a moral continuum, forcing players to decide how far they�ll
go to survive � if you meet another NPC you can choose to work together, or steal
their resources.
An alpha version of the game released on Steam in last September, with the Xbox One preview
coming out in June 2015.
Unravel The double entendre title of Electronic Arts�
newest release speaks to the company�s shift toward puzzle related games.
The whimsical narrative follows an anthropomorphic ball of yarn, aptly named Yarny, who traverses
a hyper-realistic world.
As he moves, he continues to unravel, leaving behind a red thread (think Theseus meets Toy
Story) � but the solution to the puzzles and advancement through the world is contingent
on using this thread in a myriad of different ways, from rappelling down drops to climbing
up inclines.
The opening narrative follows and old woman, and a ball of yarn rolls down the stairs out
of the shot.
According to game designer Martin Sahlin, the yarn that �makes up Yarny is meant to
represent love�, and that the unravelling represents moving away from that love.
EA has yet to release a definitive date for the game�s release, although a PC version
will be available for pre-order.
Ghost Of A Tale Anyone who was a fan of the Brian Jacques
books will appreciate Ghost Of A Tale.
The Indiegogo funded stealth/adventure game is the brain child of Lionel �Seith� Gallat
who has worked extensively with Dreamworks and Universal Studios.
As a result, there is a cinematic quality to this game, and players can expect a deeply
layered plot.
The gameplay follows Tilo, a mouse minstrel, as he navigates dungeons and traps in a world
populated by other anthropomorphic creatures.
Gallat has yet to offer a release date, but we can expect it to debut sometime in 2015.
Beyond Eyes Probably the most unique game of 2015/2016,
the odd title from Tiger & Squid asks the question: what would you do if you lost your
eyesight?
The game follows Rae, a ten-year old girl who has lost the sight of her eyes, and showcases
her attempt to interact with the world around her as she searches for a cat she�s befriended
named Nani.
With a blinding white background, players will face a number of challenges which might
seem mundane, but become increasingly problematic due to the �modified blindness� � activities
such as crossing the road will require players to listen to the sound of cars in order to
determine if it�s safe to cross or not.
As you guide Rae through her world, other senses like touch and scent become important
as well.
The concept is fascinating, and the artwork is simply stunning, blending a kind of �fog
of war� with a flux of watercolor landscapes that clarify as you approach them.
The game is slated for a release in 2015.
Sword Coast Legends In collaboration with Wizards of the Coast,
famous as the distributors of the card game Magic: The Gathering, this item is what Dungeons
and Dragons would be like if it came to the console.
Set in the Forgotten Realms, players will be able to choose from five different races,
and in the finest tradition of D&D a high emphasis is placed on managing the six different
classes and skill-sets in order to boost levels.
The single-player will feature turn-based pause time as well as tactical combat.
What makes Sword Coast Legends unique is the DM mode, in which a player can take on the
role of Dungeon Master and design a scenario/narrative that they can share with other players.
This high-fantasy release will feature on both PC, Mac, PS4, and Xbox in later 2015.
Inside Inside is the spiritual successor to Limbo.
It's a 2.5D platform games that is built on the Unity engine.
The trailer shows a child running through the dynamic environment, no further details
have been provided.
The Xbox One version is a timed exclusives, so Xbox players will have the first chance
to play it.