Microsoft gets a lot of flak these days for its less than stellar exclusive titles. The Xbox trinity of Halo, Gears of War and Forza was long in the tooth even five years ago, and aside from the occasional Sunset Overdrive, Titanfall (before it became multiplatform) or the upcoming Crackdown 3, the system has been aiming for the multiplatform titles over in house exclusives. This is a real shame, since you can look back at the original Xbox and find a slew of exclusives that took creative risks or made strong arguments as worthy alternatives to multiplatform genre titans. 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.
Ah, Project Gotham Racing. If you checked out my Blur review, you know I like Bizarre Creations as a developer. While F1 97 was my introduction to them, it was here when I really got to know about their formidable reputation for racing games. Going into this retrospective I thought one thing: "PGR2 had to be the slickest racing game I ever played". I remember the gorgeous cars, the great handling, the real world cities to pull off all manner of style, and the various events that you competed in to earn kudos. Notably, I thought it looked as good a racer as the original xbox was ever going to produce at the time. But do my statements still hold up over 10 years since the game's release? Does it legitimately beat out Forza Motorsport where it counts? And is it still worth talking about releasing a new instalment? Despite playing this retrospective on the Xbox 360, I would recommend playing PGR2 on the original xbox. Firstly, there are some small technical hiccups from moving consoles, such as freezes and a black screen when selecting cars in the world series mode. Second, you have custom soundtracks on the original xbox that you can play on the radio stations while racing. Burnt CD's make a welcome change from the tracks shipped with the game, especially later on when you will have likely heard them all many times. Its a small touch, but its hard to beat The Cardigans "My Favourite Game" as you speed through the city streets. For the record this is also the single player review. Multiplayer split screen is still fun, but the lack of online in 2015 is a blow to really fleshing it out. The game contains a few different options for players. The single player has three main branches, the Kudos World Series, Arcade Racing and Time attack, and these three branch into a series of challenges for the player to complete.
The Kudos World Series feels most like a conventional single player, so most should jump in here first. The progression is done with 14 different car classes and over 100 vehicles, spread over every location the game has to offer. You must complete a series of challenges in one car class before you move up to the next series. Classes tend to feature two or three cities, all of which are beautifully modelled and have a nice introduction at every event.
The actual racing events are fairly straightforward when looking through modern eyes. There are street races, time challenges, one on one events and overtake events. Some more unique events are the cone challenges and speed camera events (where you must reach a set top speed). Cone challenges in particular emphasise the philosophy behind PGR; Its all well and good winning, but the best racers win in style.
If you want to succeed in Project Gotham Racing, you must earn kudos, the currency you need to unlock new (and often better) cars. To earn kudos, you must drive stylishly. The more common moves you tend to pull off are cornering well, powersliding around corners, racing a section without damaging your car and driving behind your opponents for drag and a slight speed boost (drafting).
You also earn bonus kudos based on the difficulty you choose. Silver is actually a reasonable normal, but a great challenge is found in gold, and only the best tactics and driving can get you to the platinum medals. The extra kudos bonus always has you trying to perfect your way around a course, and is a great incentive to push harder than you would in other racers. This also helps the novice drivers out there, who may not be getting great cars, but can complete the career mode earning just steel and bronze and be content. Additionally, to ease the player from frustration when aiming one level beyond, the retry option is always there that instantly has you starting again. None of this excessive load times you tend to associate with newer racers out there.
There is something of a gambling theme running through the difficulty and scoring system that I quite enjoyed. Going back to cone challenges, these events in particular emphasise the combo bonus. If you pull off a succession of slick moves in between 2 seconds, a small bonus is given and increases with each subsequent move until your combo is done. Chaining two or three moves will net you maybe 5-10 kudos, but pull it off all race and the bonus is in the thousands. This bonus is the main way to pass cone challenges, and its up to you to decide whether you should keep the combo going or slow down and bank what you have. Crash, or hit a cone and you say goodbye to that bonus score.
Ranking up the world series from VW Golfs all the way through SUV's, touring cars, roadsters and up to the Ultimate high end racers is a great progression system. Each class gets just enough time devoted to it that it isn't short lived nor overstays its welcome. I wish PGR4 kept this system rather than multiple seasons to be honest, its just more straightforward.
Typical race selection in a class
The AI is about as impressive as you expect for a decade old game, and no doubt drivatars do it better, but opponents do put up a challenge in street races. Still, its very possible (and nigh essential in platinum) to knock an opponent off at the first corner and hold onto a lead for the rest of the race, particularly on one on one events. The actual driving is enjoyable and covers a wide range from drifting kings to speed demons. Each vehicle has its own handling feel, and some excel in a form of handling that requires their use. You WANT a drifty car for racking up extra kudos in cone challenges. The controls fit neatly between the hardcore tuning sims and the more obvious drift friendly arcade racers. So, if you like the idea of pushing a Skyline to its limits in a semi-realistic way, but without having to set up the damn thing for 15 mins, then this is the racer for you.
Outside of World tour, you have Arcade mode, which has a series of races in one specific category (Cone challenge, street race and timed run) and you can earn kudos by taking part. Vehicles and tracks are pre-set so its up to you to make the most of what you have been given. Its actually a great alternative to World Tour, where car selection plays a slightly larger role. I particularly enjoyed the string of 20 cone challenges, and testing your ability to really rack up the score for platinum medals.
Lastly there is Time attack, which, like arcade mode, has set tracks and set vehicles, but its a more relaxed affair, as no kudos score nor difficulty is involved. Its just you and the racing.
One more mention of note is the Instant Action option in the main menu. If you aren't in the mood to navigate the various branches of the single player, you can select this option and get a random car, city and mode to race in. Great for five minutes of action and adds a 'pick up and play' option. More racers could do with this small addition, and its a shame its not seen that much on modern games.
I mentioned how this is the slickest racer out for the Xbox and the presentation definitely helps the game out. All of the cars are modelled with great detail for the time (including modelled interiors and animations), the cities are well and truly mapped street for street for an authentic racing experience, and the menu's and interface are simple, but not trying too hard at impressing like perhaps its sequels. It has aged, particularly with the lack of extra details once the cities and vehicles were modelled, but this is one of the better looking xbox racers. The sequels did add the extra detail to impress, but even without that its got the authentic masquerade in full swing.
As great as the box art
Its not just the visuals that impress. The city specific radio stations further give each city its own flavour and Menu music and sound effects are simply perfect; I cannot think of a better sounding racing game as far as menu's and sound design are concerned. The soundtrack is varied too, from calming night drives to desperate last lap sprints, you won't feel the need to turn the radio off for a while. All in, the audio has you feeling like you are about to get into the driver's seat, and that's exactly what you need for this game.
While this retrospective has seemingly had a strong set of rose tinted glasses, there has to be a few flaws to be acknowledged. Sadly Xbox live multilayer is offline, as it is with all original xbox titles. From my understanding this was a racer to really showcase online multiplayer until Halo 2 came along and introduced the lobby to consoles.
The presentation has not dated all that badly, but the driving does feel less enjoyable than it did in 2003. Playing PGR4 or Blur shows the subtle advances that Bizarre implemented to improve handling across the board. Bizarre also added a few more modes to the series, and compared to the more recent Forza games, PGR2 would feel a lot more repetitive and anaemic if its cone challenges and overtake modes were missing. Also notably absent for more hardcore racing fans are a cockpit view and tuning system. Save for a transmission option, all you get to change about your vehicle is the paint job. The game also has a feel of being stuck between arcade and simulation at times, minus the intense speed and craziness of the former nor the insane customisation and physics of the latter.
This is still king for a sense of speed
It is also apparent in the world tour that there tends to be only one or two cars you need to win races per class. Grand Touring has the Ferrari Maranello, Sports Utility has the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and so on. Sometimes you may have a class with a vehicle with slightly better acceleration to beat speed camera events, but for the most part the car with best top speed and acceleration wins.
And of course, for a game that demands fast reacting at times, the reduction from the previous games 60 FPS to 30 has an effect on gameplay in subtle ways. You won't have the faster 'feel' up close, so the pacing may appear slower. The quality of the graphics had to mean compromise in some areas, and this is it. It doesn't wreck the game by any means, since 30 was standard for its time, so its just a nitpick.
I guess my reasons why I prefer Project Gotham Racing to Forza comes down to the kudos mentality of progression, the racing taking place in the cities as opposed to purpose built tracks, a strong and unique identity to its presentation, and the actual driving feels more enjoyable to play. This really is an arcade game wearing a simulations coat of real cars and cities, and I think this broader appeal is why it worked as the Xbox's flagship racing series until the 360's release of Forza 2. I hear rumours every now and then that there is the possibility of a reboot or new instalment in the series, but with the success of Forza Horizon as an arcade/sim hybrid it is unlikely, and oversaturating the racing genre is not Microsoft's strategy.
Project Gotham Racing 2 is one of those top tier xbox racing games that offers a middle ground for players who don't want to tweak everything like a simulation, but also want a sense of authenticity to their racing. This has everything a fan could want from the series, with the series strongest track lineup and progression system. Importantly, the single player stands the test of time, being thoroughly fleshed out and not dependant on an online component (as perhaps Blur was) or DLC down the line to be great as it is. This is not really a game for players turned off racing games, but if you feel the need for speed and have your old xbox, definitely check this one out. If you have more recent consoles, give the sequels a shot as well (They are really cheap now). Forza may be Microsoft's favourite racer now, but its worth remembering the brilliance that preceded it.
