With Sony and Nintendo already unleashing strong exclusives this year, the high profile cancellation of Scalebound, and E3 approaching in a few months, I thought I could check out 5 Microsoft exclusive series worth resurrecting for new instalments.
1-Amped
In 2003, Microsoft launched their XSN sports brand, with the emphasis as an alternative to other sports franchises run by EA at the time. Links, Top Spin, NFL Fever and NHL Rivals are decent, but for the most part are second rate to your Tiger Woods or Maddens. Amped however was a standout of the bunch. Rivalling SSX, it decided to focus on a Tony Hawk style trick system and a more grounded approach to the slopes. Amped 2 expanded this to incorporate a very authentic snowboarding experience on mostly real world mountains, real boarder cameos, and a keen sense of what makes the sport so enjoyable from the inside. The third just lost the plot and went for a full on cartoony approach to boarding, with little approach to realism, but amping up (pardon the pun) the fun and insider references to insane levels.
Time has sadly forgotten the series, with only games such as Steep keeping winter sports games alive to the public. Even so, adding a fresh coat of paint to the existing games could satisfy the old fans, and perhaps with enough interest could invigorate the series enough to warrant a fourth entry.
2-Crash Course
I never understood why Microsoft decided to leave this series alone. Released in 2010, it was a colourful platformer inspired by Total Wipeout that used the players Xbox 360 avatar as a contestant to complete various obstacle courses. The challenge was not in simply finishing each level, but finishing with a fast enough time to put on the leaderboards. Split screen was the games true strength, as having 4 players try to see who is fastest to the finish became a staple at house parties after a few drinks. Few Microsoft IP's cater to the more casual party gaming scene since kinects demise, and this series could do with a free download Xbox One instalment. Just avoid the always on, microtransaction filled approach of the sequel and instead add DLC levels like the original for revenue.
The original is still free to download, so check it out if you are curious.
Make it happen Microsoft
3-Grabbed by the Ghoulies
Lets face it, Rare has been wasted by Microsoft. One of the greatest game developers in the 90's has been relegated as a developer of family games and worse, kinect sports titles. Sea of Thieves looks promising, but I feel that a beat em up at least in the style of Grabbed by the Ghoulies may be worth revisiting.
The game was about a boy fighting all manners of ghosts, skeletons and mummies in a haunted mansion to rescue his girlfriend. It was a beat em up where you can utilise all manner of environmental hazards against enemies through creatively designed linear segments, with a cartoony halloween aesthetic and catchy earworm of a title song. The unconventional twin stick combat and dodgy camera was criticised, as was its apparent 'downgrade' for Rare from its previous titles, but honestly, this game is not bad, and the basic fighting was strong enough to warrant another outing. Maybe Rare could make another beat em up similar to GBTG, but the overall point of this entry is that they could do with actually making strong action adventures again, especially after the solid launch of Rare Replay. Get to it Microsoft.
4-Project Gotham Racing
Forza may wear Microsoft's crown as its top racing franchise now, but Project Gotham Racing was (and in some circles still is) the original killer app in regards to driving games for the Xbox.
While the series has been dormant for a decade, after PGR4 released every conceivable mode and street circuit imaginable, I still believe there is some life left in this series. Microsoft just needs PGR2's progression system of racing each car class, progressing to faster and faster cars, until you become the ultimate champion at the Nurburgring. Add in an inspired choice of cities to race in, a looser handling style comparable to Forza Horizon, and the all important kudos risk/reward system, and the game can shine once again. Playground games are the logical developer for this entry in the absence of the sorely missed Bizarre Creations.
5-Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
Remember Halo Reach's space combat? Remember feeling frustrated that the section with a completely different set of mechanics to the shooting was only given 10 minutes of screentime before returning back to shooting so soon and never seen again? Did you wish to see more of it? If you said yes to any of these questions, then another Crimson Skies title may be for you. The game's mechanics were essentially copy/pasted and given an updated Halo skin for Reach, and those looking for a similar experience but with more variety and strategy should pick it up if they can.
Its easy to forget, but the title released on the original Xbox was a hit in the early days of online play, before Halo 2 took the world by storm. Up to 16 players flying around a huge skybox partaking in daring dogfights is something unmatched since its 2003 release. A new title could easily reinvigorate the aerial combat subgenre.
The game released at a time when a full single player was needed to carry a game, and it has all the swashbuckling, open ended adventure you could want, with fantastic aerial landscapes to explore and suitably challenging enemy pilots. Dieselpunk at its best, this game deserves a chance to shine on the Xbox One.
So there we have it, five game series I think Microsoft could do with being brought back to bolster its predictable exclusive lineup. We are at the time of year when games get announced before the E3 gameplay gets shown off so hopefully Microsoft can pull somethign out of the bag this year.
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