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On Tuesday, Strawburry17 and Steve Saylor presented an excellent showcase of indie content coming up in the next few months for Xbox platforms. There was a large variety from farming games to hand-drawn RPGs, to a supervillain simulator. The ID@Xbox program has proven how strong it is with a strong line up of titles.
Lightyear Frontier
First up is Lightyear Frontier, a new mech game from Frame Break and Amplifier Game Invest. It is a settlement game in an alien world. It looks stunning with bright colors and vivid details. The great thing is that you’ll be able to explore ancient ruins and will attempt to decipher a message from many years ago. You can play it in either single-player or co-op (up to four players). You’ll be finding resources, crafting new objects, and farm new crops. The harvest you perform will help you improve your mech. No date was given for it.
The Wandering Village
Keeping up with the settlement genre is The Wandering Village . On top of a dinosaur’s back, you’ll use everything you can find to create a society that can protect humans and animals. It looks similar to The Settlers series of games. It’s a blend of 2D animation in a 3D environment. It will be coming to Xbox.
Lab Rat
Next, is a sci-fi-themed puzzle game named Lab Rat. You’ll be solving puzzles for an AI named S.A.R.A. You’ll be moving blocks and will try to tie electrical wires together. It will have multiplayer. Lab Rat is coming to Xbox Game Pass.
RPG Time: The Legend of Wright
RPG Time: The Legend of Wright is an RPG that is set in a hand-drawn notebook. All of the JRPG-style battles take place in a sketch, creating a neat effect. There seem to be some platforming segments, big boss fights, and some puzzle sections throughout RPG Time. The music also seems deeply inspired by the Dragon Quest series. The theme from the trailer sounds very familiar to each game’s Overture. It will be coming this Winter.
OlliOlli World
OlliOlli World is a new 2D skateboarding game with a cartoon aesthetic. The developer announced tyhat you can customize your character for the first time in the series. There are different outfits, facial hair, hats, suits, and many more customizable options. You can even change your start run, poses, and the type of grabs you want to perform. On Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, OlliOlli World will be running 120 frames per second in 4K resolution. It will arrive on all current Xbox platforms (including Xbox One) this winter.
Inked: A Tale of Love
In the next game Inked: A Tale of Love, you play as a samurai-type character in a stunning hand-drawn world. Memories will play a form of an antagonist as you face many puzzles along the way. It will be available on August 27 for Xbox systems. It’s currently available on Steam if you can’t wait.
Sam & Max: Save the World
Sam & Max: Save The World has returned on Xbox systems today with a new remaster. The point-and-click adventure has enhanced graphics and widescreen support. It also has five new music tracks. It’s received Very Positive reviews on Steam since its launch on PC on December 2, 2020.
Aeon Drive
Are you looking to fulfill that platformer craving? Aeon Drive is a speedrun-oriented title that’s releasing this fall for the PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It’s set in the cyberpunk city of Neo Barcelona, and the character Jackelyne has warping abilities. She can also control time, and her main weapon is a sword. You can play the campaign through single-player or co-op. There’s also a PvP mode, where you race through the tracks; it sounds similar to what the classic Sonic The Hedgehog games to offer. There is also 80s inspired music, helping out with its retro feel. You can play the demo right now on Steam.
The Big Con
Continuing that retro feel, The Big Con is a 90s adventure with you playing as a teenage girl. She’ll be doing petty crime to save her mother’s video rental store from loan sharks. It will feature a great voice cast, including Troy Baker (The Last of Us, BioShock Infinite), Dave Fennoy (TellTale’s The Walking Dead, Batman: Arkham Knight) and Erika Ishii (Destiny 2, Apex Legends). The Big Con will be available on August 31 for the PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. You can preorder it now.
After a short break during the stream, the party kept rolling with The Vale: Shadow of the Crown. It will be launching on Xbox systems on August 19. It’s a game that can be played just by listening to the audio. The neat thing is that The Vale is fully accessible for the blind. and it’s an action-RPG that’s over five hours long. You’ll need to play this game with headphones as it has immersive 3D audio, and what’s wicked about The Vale is that you can choose your equipment and magic abilities just by listening. There’s a demo on Steam that you can try right now.
Aragami 2
Aragami 2 is a 3D ninja game that heavily relies on stealth. You’ll have special abilities, and your goal is to liberate the people of your kind who act as slaves for your enemies. This indie title gives us those Tenchu vibes from the PS1 days mixed with some Assassin’s Creed flair. It will release on September 17, 2021.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
A new top-down fantasy RPG with in-depth character creation and interactable allies called Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous will be making its way to the Xbox One on March 1, 2022. You’ll be fighting back against swarms of demons who have ruptured the world for over a century. Now, there’s a way to end the war for good, and you and a valiant force named the Crusaders must put a stop to the chaos and bring in a new age of peace. The amount of content available in the game seems impressive. There are 25 classes, 12 character races, and over 1000 spells, feats and abilities to choose from. The PC release will be unleashed on September 2.
Pupperazzi
Pupperazzi is a cute simulation game, in which you take charming photos of dogs. The camera has a bunch of different features like a Selfie Mode, different lens, and all sorts of films to choose from. It seems like it’s inspired by Pokemon Snap as there are objectives given to you throughout the game. It will be available on Xbox Game Pass. No date has been given yet. Woof.
Evil Genius 2: World Domination
Evil Genius 2: World Domination has four different playable villains to choose from. Like Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers films, you’ll be building your own lair and managing it. as you train your minions for battle. But, you can’t be a moustache-twirling supervillain without your minions. Each of them has their own abilities to bring to the table. You also have to lay traps for the good guys in your lair. It will be releasing sometime in the fourth quarter of 2021. Evil Genius 2: World Domination is coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Game Pass.
Stardew Valley on Gamepass
Popular farming/RPG game Stardew Valley will be coming to Xbox Game Pass for both PC and consoles sometime this fall. This is a big announcement as the game is hugely successful with over 10 million copies sold.
Library of Ruina: Book, Librarian, Star and City
Next up is a new visual novel/card game hybrid from Project Moon called Library of Ruina: Book, Librarian, Star and City. It has launched with Xbox Game Pass as it has released today on Xbox systems. According to the game’s official website, you’ll be inviting guests to check into the library and then fight them to gain books with their personal stories. In addition to the cards you utilize, you’ll also be throwing dice. It’s currently out on Steam under Early Access and currently has a Very Positive score on the platform.
Spacelines from the Far out
In Spacelines from the Far Out, you’ll be flying in space as an airline crew in a co-op experience. You’ll be fixing issues with the ship collaboratively as you serve your guests. You can customize your ship to your liking as you explore the galaxy. There is a first-class edition that comes with two game keys, a digital soundtrack, avatars, wallpapers, stickers, a digital artbook, an exclusive “first-class” skin for your ship, an exclusive “first-class” uniform, and an exclusive “first-class” company skin.” It will be coming fall this year. No specific release date was given, but we do know it will be coming to Xbox consoles as well as PC. There is currently a demo that is free to try on Steam if you’re intrigued.
The Artful Escape
Finally, more footage of The Artful Escape, a musical platformer, was shown. You’ll be able to customize your rockstar protagonist however you’d like. You can change your shades, hair, pants, shirts, gloves, jackets, and much more. It will be coming to PC and Xbox platforms on September 9. It’s also launching day-and-date on Xbox Game Pass.
While there was a lot of unneccessary babble sparsed throughout the show, the ID@Xbox Showcase is a clear sign that indie games have a great future in the current landscape. They’re shining bright with so many inventive ideas and creative art styles that excite us all. We can’t wait to play all of these titles.
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