Fable
When you think of Xbox, a few franchises, in particular, always come to mind: Halo, Gears of War, Forza, and Fable. The fantasy-RPG series has been synonymous with Xbox since the beginning, however, we’ve still yet to see a new Fable on Xbox One. Even for their problems all three main Fable titles received critical and fan acclaim, proving to be engrossing role-playing experiences. The multiplayer title Fable Legends hit problems during development, and unfortunately never saw the light of day.
With the trouble the series has seen with Legends, and poorly received spinoffs, the best thing Microsoft could do with Fable is reboot it. With advancements in technology and player preferences, a changed Fable with more of a focus on a living open world should be the focus. More activities and life to the world, similar to The Witcher 3 or Assassin’s Creed Origins, would be a natural evolution of the series. At this point, Microsoft’s stables of exclusives are primarily multiplayer focused, which is completely fine, but fans wouldn’t mind seeing a big single-player adventure hit the system as well. Fable has always been a big feather in Microsoft’s hat, and it’s high time the series makes a proper comeback.
Phantom Dust
Phantom Dust fans were treated to a surprise at E3 2014 when Microsoft announced a full reboot of the original game. In the years that followed, however, that project hit trouble with the original developer, Darkside Game Studios, closing down. That reboot then eventually turned into the Phantom Dust remaster that released in 2017, but Creative Director at Microsoft Studios, Adam Isgreen, said that if fans showed enough interest in the IP we could still see a reboot happen.
Considering Microsoft is sorely hurting for a lineup of quality Japanese games, especially compared to the PS4, a title like Phantom Dust would be a robust addition to their catalog. The original quickly became a cult classic with an interesting punk-themed post-apocalyptic setting and a surprisingly fun mix of action combat with a digital collectible card game. JRPGs have hit huge popularity again with successful titles like Persona 5, NieR: Automata, and Dragon Quest XI, none of which are planned to release on Xbox One anytime soon. Phantom Dust actually being rebooted would be a way to capitalize on that renewed interest, and bring a fresh take to the genre and the Xbox in general.
Crimson Skies
Flight combat games used to be all the rage with titles like Blazing Angels, Ace Combat, Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X., and more. While most of these series have fallen by the wayside over the years, bringing back the original Xbox exclusive title Crimson Skies would present Microsoft with an opportunity to flesh out their first party stable. Crimson Skies had an interesting setting, taking place in an alternate 1930 America, where increasing sectionalism in the country has forced it to split into multiple separate sovereignties. Technology has also rapidly advanced creating a Fallout kind of situation, with weapons fitting of the time period that are more advanced and powerful than what was really around.
Crimson Skies’ Dieselpunk setting set it apart from other flight combat games, and that setting helped create an interesting story and combat gameplay. Rebooting the game on Xbox One could bring a unique Microsoft exclusive, and add some serious multiplayer modes into the mix. A frantic air combat game with crazy weaponry sounds like it’d be right at home on the Xbox.
Viva Pinata
Viva Pinata is one of the many imaginative games created by Rare, the legendary studio responsible for the likes of Banjo Kazooie and Conker. With Viva Pinata players constructed their own vibrant garden of adorable pinata animals. You had control over the landscape, which pinata creatures you wanted, having them mate, defending them from threats, and much more. A sequel called Trouble in Paradise expanded on the original greatly, adding new options, pinatas, and minigames into the mix. There was even an animated Viva Pinata TV series that ran for two seasons, a total of 52 episodes.
While Rare is busy with Sea of Thieves at the moment, Microsoft could source a new Viva Pinata to a different studio, or develop it in-house. A new game in the series would be a nice contrast to most of Microsoft’s other exclusives, which for the most part consist of racing or dark and mature-themed titles. The power of the Xbox One could also open entirely new options for building your own pinata garden, and it seems like it would be the perfect title to introduce on the Xbox Game Pass.
Blinx
Blinx never quite became the iconic furry mascot that Microsoft was hoping he’d be, but regardless two good games came out of the series, and there’s no reason he couldn’t come back. Character platformers have been undergoing a bit of a renaissance with titles like Super Mario Odyssey, A Hat in Time, the Crash Bandicoot N’Sane Trilogy, and Yooka-Laylee. Even on the Xbox One, Super Lucky’s tale gave fans another taste of platforming.
Strangely, Blinx’s time control mechanics are similar to what we saw in another recent Xbox exclusive, Quantum Break. Using his TS-1000 Vacuum Cleaner Blinx can slow down time, speed it up, record himself, reverse time, and stop it entirely. Quantum Break’s mechanics worked well for combat, but Blinx could use similar mechanics for platforming and puzzle challenges. The second Blinx game received pretty mixed reviews, so a reboot of the series would be a good way to reimagine it and provide a character platformer exclusive for Microsoft.
Published: May 30, 2018 02:32 pm