It’s true that Rare largely struggled to produce compelling experiences since Microsoft’s acquisition in 2002, but one exception is Viva Pinata . A bizarre take on the life-simulation genre, Viva Pinata sees players raising and breeding living pinatas while completing a variety of objectives. Noted for its eye-catching art style and quirky humor, Viva Pinata spawned sequels and even its own television series. A new Viva Pinata could fill a niche on the Xbox Series X and appeal to the more casual gamers out th
Aside from minor nitpicks, I found myself smiling from ear to ear playing Bug Fables . Yes, it is definitely coasting on a major wave of nostalgia, but it feels fantastic. It absolutely nails the combat, the visual style, and the general tone and vibe of the Paper Mario games. It’s a little awkward in places, but that honestly didn’t stop me from enjoying this adventure game weapons immens
While the story itself isn’t breaking any new ground, the world that Bug Fables takes place in is incredibly charming. The three characters grow on you as the game progresses, and while the dialogue isn’t exactly hilarious, it’s amusing, well-written, full of bug-related puns, and walks the fine line between straight-laced fantasy and fourth-wall-breaking humor. It takes a little while for the plot to get rolling, but once it picks up, it becomes an excellent throwback to RPG narratives of the 16 and 32-bit
Developed by Ebb Software and heavily inspired by the works of H. R. Giger, the original designer of the Xenomorph from Alien , Scorn is a first-person horror game that was first announced all the way back in 2014. After ongoing issues with funding, Scorn is back and in development for Xbox Series X and PC. Set in a nightmarish universe, Ebb Software has designed the game around the idea of players being thrown into an unsettling environment that makes them question what they see. Each location contains its own theme, and players will need to acquire skills, unlock weapons, and complete puzzles to make it out al
All of these details came up in a video that showed up on Reddit. Microsoft did not want any of us seeing it, so it was promptly removed but not before mirrors went up on Streamable (those were also taken down, by the way).
Despite all of this information being out there, Playground Games made no announcements over a new Fable . Xbox’s press conference featured some top news as it relates to the Gears of War and Halo franchises, which seemed like the perfect lead up to a Fable announcement. There was also an opportunity to score some major points given that Sony skipped the event altogether.
Fans had probably given up on the Fable series and that was probably fair as it did seem dead. In the run-up to E3, though, rumors began swirling, with Fable 4 being talked up as leaks emerged. Naturally, there was an expectation, especially with the Microsoft crew informing us beforehand that they would have lots in store at the event. They were certainly telling the truth about that, but we imagine lots of Fable fans were let down by the complete blank.
Today, several games were shown during Microsoft’s Inside Xbox event, the first of a series of events that are being planned over the next few months. With a first-party event planned for July, the focus was on third-party games coming to Xbox Series X, and while the Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla “gameplay” reveal was the star attraction, there was a surprising number of next-gen horror games featured in the showc
Bug Fables is pretty solid in every aspect, but I will admit to some mild frustration due to the game’s dedication to being a Paper Mario tribute act. As a result of the flat style, sometimes the platforming and puzzle sections were a little awkward. Lining up certain jumps could be hard to gauge as the shadows under the characters were too light to reliably determine where I was going to land. This problem could be exacerbated if I was trying to go toward or away from the screen as the ground might not be fully visible due to the camera’s position. The side view of the game could also be a hindrance to solving puzzles as it would be hard to properly aim abilities like Vi’s Beemerang, which made some puzzles more annoying than they should have b
Martha is Dead is a psychological thriller in development from the creators of The Town of Light , LKA. Set during World War II, Martha is Dead follows a young woman who must uncover the truth of how her twin sister Martha was killed, all while dealing with superstition surrounding mysterious folklore, and coping with the extreme horrors of war. Martha is Dead has been confirmed for both PC and PlayStation 5 and will be released sometime in 2
Horror games are a great way to show off new technology, allowing for features like ray tracing to really shine, so it’s no surprise that Microsoft took advantage of that during the Inside Xbox event. Microsoft has already announced it will be holding monthly Xbox Series X streams over the summer as part of its Xbox 20/20 initiative, and Sony is yet to properly reveal the PlayStation 5 to the world, meaning that with or without E3 2020, there’s going to be plenty of next-gen news on the horizon, and more horror games to be revea
