Id@Xbox Showcase - March Roundup

Warning: The following article may contain links to trailers with strong language. Reader’s discretion is advised.

I don’t like this, I don’t like the prospect that this shows what is expected to come around June. Much like WWE PPVs turning to 4-5 hours leading up to WrestleMania turning to a two-night event last year, Xbox doing an indie showcase that lasts three hours in March, doesn’t bode well. Not least of which is stopping and doing interviews. That is the reason everyone hated (don’t lie to me, you hated it too) the PC Gaming Showcase of 2015. The pacing is just wrong for that when you are trying to talk about so many games.

Stop it! Either do a weekly/monthly showcase (please don’t!) or blast us with lots and lots of interesting games (indie and otherwise) once or twice a year. Also, while I am on my rant, don’t have streamers asking questions. I get it, they are meant to be as friendly to your product as possible, but you aren’t adding value to your showcase by doing that. In fact, it can/does come off as pre-written questions that are teeing up softballs. Either have someone who is going to provide interesting questions or don’t bother.

Right, first up is Exomecha, the free-to-play first-person shooter that is very very strange. When I described it for my notes, I honestly couldn’t decide if it was trying to be Halo or Crysis, but with awful textures: Everything is either a bit low quality or quite shiny. For all the action-packed, dragon-based vertical slices, it doesn’t look that interesting overall once you realize that it is free-to-play. The term free-to-play is the number one alarm for “there is a catch.” Even before that, for all the massive mechs and dragons, the combat looks dull. It is set to come out in August this year.

Following that it is The Ascent, an isometric/side-scrolling co-op-focused RPG set in a cyberpunk world that believes swearing is a whole personality, much like Borderlands did. It is quite an interesting idea, but could be flawed in some way. Your solo adventures or your co-op escapades are set to take on the mega-corporations that own everything, including people like you. It is set for release later this year.

Omno is a 3D puzzle-adventure and platformer game with a trailer that just isn’t getting me excited for it, sadly. I don’t know if it is just the simple fact that it looks to be a bit too open for my liking or that I am just not excited by the art style. However, I do know some will be very pleased to see it and will be pre-ordering/wishlist-ing already. The current release date is scheduled for this Summer.

Speaking of something that isn’t entirely “my jam,” as the kids would say. The Wild at Heart is a top-down Don’t Starve style of game that follows some very adventurous kids as they explore the forest. Almost looking very Double-Fine-esque, I thought they were announcing something new via the indie showcase before I remembered Microsoft now owns them. The Stranger Things/80s vibe is still there as you look at the art style and the innocent-meets-scary balance that is going on with the world. Set for a May 20th release, I expect Lisa will be doing a review if it ever comes to the Nintendo Switch. It is currently only slated for PC and Xbox One.

I moan a lot about the survival-thing that seems to be in every game now, but Voidtrain is one of those that seems to work with it. Think Left 4 Dead and other co-op-based shooters, but this time you are almost playing a tower defense as you ride a train going through alternate dimensions. Yes! You seem to fight off several monsters, both flying and crawling, but your goal is to collect resources to keep the train going by the looks of it. I am quite interested to see how this one pans out upon its release in 2022.

Following that we got a massive bundle of games that were being shot at us without interruption. This is how I like it, but that won’t stay for too long. With the rapid pace, and how badly some of these trailers were selling the games, I think it is only best to give you some of them in lists. That way I am not ripping apart something I have nothing on.

Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield is an endless runner/platformer coming sometime this year.
Princess Farmer. A pixel-art match-three puzzler set in a rabbit run farm, with a competitive element in there too. Strange.
Iron Corbo: Kung Fu Janitor. Aside from the confusing name, it is a very interesting side-scrolling beat ’em up with a beautiful art-style.
Mad Streets. A strange multiplayer-focused physics-based brawler.
Super Space Club. The evolved form of Asteroids.

Next up (kind of) was The Forest Cathedral, something that made me think of The Pedestrian. However, this small interesting game puts you in the shoes of someone trying to figure out what is causing an issue with the fish in the nearby river. Puzzles appear on screens also off-center in a classic-platformer style. It is an interesting, but odd mismatch of game sections to create something like this. It could be very interesting.

Spacelines from the Far Out was next, and it is a strange little thing. The trailer we saw almost looked very much like Overcooked, as you saw little people run around trying to keep interplanetary travel/space tourism as comfortable as possible. I couldn’t get that trailer, but the one above and the Steam page both give it a bit more of a management vibe than couch co-op party game. It is colorful, interesting, and coming at some point this year.

Another one that has no decent trailer (in English) is Little Witch in the Woods, a pixel-art RPG in the same vein as Stardew Valley, but you are a witch. Think early Emma Watson, with all that hair pluming up into a messy pixel bundle behind you. A very, very pretty and charming-looking game, it looks like everything you’d want from a game on the Switch. Though it is also coming to Xbox One and PC at some point later this year.

Knight Squad 2 is an arcade co-op game with an awful trailer. April 14th, for release.
Despelote also had an awful trailer with its strange dithered art style. I’ve no idea what this is meant to be.
Cloud Gardens is one of those does what it says on the tin games. You build gardens in the clouds.
Clouzy is something that my notes refer to as “Nope, I’ve taken drugs!” Think of a mix between Roblox and Bugsnax. It is releasing in May.
Next was a game called Echo Generation that is a reminder that Stranger Things is a thing.

Following that we got another child-adventure thing, but with a lot more of a wholesome feeling. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is an adventure game where you are a child going about the place taking pictures of animals, getting stuck into all kinds of trouble as you save a dolphin or taking pictures of birds with your smartphone. It is interesting, colorful, fun, and coming to the consoles this spring.

Next up was The Riftbreaker, a tower defense/factory building game, a bit like Factorio. Recently I’ve returned to that comparison, and you might see a few other comparisons throughout this article. However, unlike Factorio this one pushed the graphics to the edge of Unreal and you (as Captain Ashley S. Nowak) control a mecha-suit with an AI (Mr. Riggs) companion. Also, you can rift travel across the planet. I can’t quote any of my notes as I really want to play this one when it releases later this year. Yes, feed that into my veins!

I hate the internet! An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs is not only the worst title of any game ever created (possibly), but it is easily the Steam Early Access style of indie games showing through. Visually, it is awful to look at as every animal is a stock JPG of a dog, bear, or cat, but the story once you look for in a proper trailer is very interesting. As the trailer above notes, you are given a ticket and have to find your gate in the airport, but it is filled with a language you don’t understand. Conceptually, it is a great idea. Visually, I don’t like it. It is coming to Xbox and Steam this spring.

Ok, Lake (as shown in the showcase) looked to be indie game 101 about sitting ’round a campfire talking to people. However, it is not. You play as, Meredith, who fills in for her dad as a postal worker (yeah, I don’t think you could really do that either) back in her hometown. It is a lovely, interesting, relaxing game about exploring yourself and your hometown. I really want to delve deep into Lake and see more of the world of Meredith’s life in this quiet little 80s town. Very interesting, very lovely, and very much something I will be jumping into when it releases this spring.

What happens when you are raised on Rugrats? The Big Con is an isometric adventure set in the 90s, as you try to steal, pilfer, and wrangle enough money to save your family’s video store. I love the colorful exploration, but something about it just screams that it was made with cut-outs of the Rugrats: Round the World magazine. It is interesting, but I’d have to see more of it when it releases, for which we don’t have a release date yet.

Atrio: The Dark Wild is described as “Survival meets automation.” As another one of these Factorio-based things I’ve come to watch the trailer of the last few days, you are building a factory, capturing creatures, and enslaving them to do your work. It is very cyberpunk inspired. The meshing could work, though it does seem to be putting oil and water together. A release is expected at some point this year.

Alchemic Cutie is a mix of life-sim and RPG set to be coming sometime this year.
Adios is a game where you work as a pig farmer that works for the mob. The less I say the better, or I am going to end up as someone’s pork dinner. Out now.
D&D: Dark Alliance was featured, hyping up its release on June 22nd.
Onsen Master, does anyone remember Diner Dash? Releasing sometime soon.
Griftlands, the deck-building rogue-like is coming to consoles soon, it seems.

I’m going to ignore the interviews that don’t really matter, as I’m restricted by time. However, following the first interview that was very dull, there was a showcase of an interesting game.

Moonglow Bay is a voxel-art fishing RPG where you take control of someone who lost their love in a fishing expedition. Set on the eastern coast of Canada, you try to revitalize the small town that is scared of attempting to fish. This is understandable as you aren’t just getting a cod once in a while, there is something deeper within. The developers let slip that those who die at sea are altering the fish, making them strange and more aggressive. Also, you can pet the dog!

It is a lovely wholesome-looking game with a deeper and heartfelt segment underneath. Expected to release this year, you’ll be putting your skills as a fisher to the test as you set pots (think Deadliest Catch), go rod fishing, ice fishing, and try to keep the business afloat… rather than be taken by the mystery down below.

Funselektor’s Art of Rally is something I wrote a review on back in December, for our break. Admittedly, I didn’t get all the time in the world as we tried to wrap up everything for two weeks, but I really enjoyed the game focusing on Finland’s greatest sport. Now it is coming to the Xbox family of consoles this summer.

Next up is such a mix of genres: A bit of an automated factory-thing, a bit hack and slash, a bit of hunting and farming, and a bit of building, Craftopia is a strange little beast. Put on top of that an anime-lite art style and multiplayer, I don’t know exactly who it is aimed towards. Nonetheless, while it is in early access on Steam, it is coming to the Xbox One too. No release date seems to be given.

Every time I see Rust I think of one tweet. Nonetheless, this May, you and all the other people I try to avoid in the street will be getting in your hazmat suits and gas masks to use a rock to bash down a tree. Meanwhile, I’ll be doing something that’s more fun and enjoyable, like draining the North Sea with a teacup.

Narita Boy is an action-platformer releasing tomorrow.
Hello Neighbor 2 is another YouTube pond scum screaming simulator with smart AI.
Demon Turf is a classic (PS1) 3D platformer where you play as a demon taking on the demon lords in order to become queen. Alexx is quite excited about it.
Enlisted is Battlefield made by an indie dev, coming out of preview on April the 8th.
Exo One is the type of thing I’ll never understand or be able to describe.

Soup Pot is a cooking sim without all the fail state nonsense you’d get elsewhere, instead it is heavily inspired by Asian cooking, according to the developers. Just winging it, put a little bit of this in, a little bit of that in, let the voice of your parents and grandparents guide you as you burn everything to the ground. It’s a very interesting game, but there is one gripe I do have from the trailer and that is how the controls seem to be: Very similar to a late 00s online cooking game. I’d prefer something a bit smoother if I am honest. It is currently set to release August 31st, 2021.

Chivalry 2 got a quick trailer noting its upcoming close beta for April the 23-26th, with release on June the 8th.
We got a quick look at the new Among Us map, and I fell asleep for a while.
Lawn Mowing Simulator is showing that someone at Xbox thinks they are funny, they are not. It is coming Summer 2021
Blaster Master Zero 3 got announced for July 29th on all consoles.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 got a small showing as we got to look at the models of guns and character, what a waste of time that was.
Second Extinction is what ARK would be if it wasn’t about crafting.

Song of Iron seems to be a side-scrolling action-platformer/hack and slash set in a Viking-based mythos. It is a bit strange and doesn’t light itself well, almost bringing that Limbo-esque feeling with the 2.5D platforming thing it has going on. Interesting, but ultimately not my thing, it could be interesting to some who want something a bit darker and deeper in mythology than a child running away from the scary thing. It will release sometime this year.

The next game from the developers of Guacamelee, Nobody Saves the World is an almost Zelda-lite action-RPG where you play as Nobody and can transform into many different things. Quite a bit different from Guacamelee (1 & 2), this top-down RPG with dungeon-crawling elements sounds like it will be very similar to Costume Quest as you find new forms to use throughout the game. The release date on Steam is listed as “Soon-ish.”

Following that we got a quick look at the very classic Final Fantasy 2D JRPG set in a fantasy world, Astria Ascending. A majority of those words put me off of those types of games, but for once I am intrigued by this downright beautiful world of fantasy. The release date is set for sometime later this year.

This was a great one to find out was just releasing on the day of the showcase. Last Oasis is a survival MMO action RPG that’s been on Steam for a while. It hasn’t reviewed well while in early access. I found it interesting in concept and trailer, but the second I saw it was an MMO, I was backing out quickly. The most interesting bit is the wind-punk (I guess) Mortal Engines-style of moving bases you’d create.

This is one I just can’t define. Lost Eidolons is a classic turn-based tactics RPG, but then you get a glimpse of running around camp in real-time which says to me you’ll do Red Dead Redemption 2 chores. It is very RPG-esque with menus filled with what stats people have, and that’s when I lost a lot of interest in what was already a game not designed for me. You too can dress up in overly designed armor in 2022 when it releases.

A rather interesting SUPERHOT PRESENTS game, Loot River is a high-action isometric dungeon-crawling rogue-like puzzle game filled with quite a bit of gore. The biggest question I think I have is how they are going to balance the fast action and the puzzle segments together within a Rogue-like. While I am sure that made you very excited, there is no release date as of yet, which is rather annoying as I want to know so much more about it.

Another one that I am sitting here waiting for as it was announced is Death’s Door. A game about a crow reaping the souls of those just not dying. Set in a world that has, more or less, cured death, you will play this isometric RPG-lite (not Rogue-like) and probably swear quite a bit at your little crow-friend. Coming from the developers of Titan Souls, a game I didn’t take a shining to, I am quite excited to become the reaper. The release window is set for this Summer.

Next up is We Are The Caretakers, a turn-based combat and grand strategy game that pulls influence from the likes of XCOM. The trouble with it is, the trailer doesn’t seem to pull your interest like some others might. However, once you do pay attention you see that it is also very much influenced by Africa and the trouble Africa has with poachers, particularly when the trailer’s narrator makes the rather on the nose reference to killing animals for a tiny piece of a horn. Releasing on Xbox One and Series S/X later this year, it also releases on Steam April the 22nd.

I could watch the trailers for 12-Minutes over and over again. I don’t think I’ll get bored of trying to unravel its mystery before release. We first saw this back in 2018 at E3, and once again we’re without a release date sadly, but we do get a few little ideas from the developer behind it with an awkward interview. Of course, as we’ve seen, you’ll play as the husband in a relationship reliving about the same 12-minutes over and over again, but we know why now. Your wife is accused of murder, and now you have to take those 12-minutes and seemingly clear her name.

We simply don’t know for sure though as the developer was a bit tight-lipped on it all. They only slip one more bit of information: You’ll be playing for 15-20-hours. That has me hesitating for a moment, wondering how many times you’ll be able to run those 12-minutes over and over again without trying to break your desk with your head.

The final game we got to see was Last Stop, it was not just a trailer, but a full gameplay demo. Rather interestingly you will be playing through some stories of some English people, the two of which we see in the demo have a Freaky Friday-thing going on. In heavily narrative-driven gameplay, you seem to follow three people as they come into contact with some supernatural hell they are all intertwined with. From the little we’re able to parse, you seem to be a game developer (in the demo), a schoolchild, and an astronaut? I am unsure about the last of those.

I am loving this London-based setting we’re getting for more than one game at a time. Too often we’re off in America or somewhere exotic. Give me a council estate in Peckham any day! I am excited for Last Stop.