E3 is coming up in just over 33 days, and there are rumours starting to circulate. One being Microsoft could be bringing back an old IP like they did at last year’s E3, with Phantom Dust.
I currently don’t own an Xbox One, but there are a few games that currently do interest me and those yet to be released, such as Ori & the Blind Forest and Halo 5, but not quite enough for me to jump in.
But if they were to bring back some older games, then that might get me excited and maybe go out and pick ONE up.
Brute Force
This is a much-underrated shooter on the Original XBOX (referred to as just XBOX for the rest of the article), which had something that a lot of games seem to want to do now, that’s online and co-op. In Brute Force you could play as 1 of 4 characters, who all had different ability’s, from being the sniper chick Flint or the heavy dude Tex.
I could easily see it coming back as the Xbox One’s co-op shooter, where Gears would be the gritty dark one with more emphasis on story over Brute Force, which would be more about the different ability’s and working as team to complete missions.
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
Flight games aren’t one of my favourite genres, but I remember playing this online back on the XBOX, and it was so different to what I’ve played of the genre with likes of Ace Combat.
I see this as a great smaller game on the Xbox One store, just focused on dogfights.
Sudeki/Kameo: Elements of Power
Microsoft doesn’t have a Zelda or any type of the more colourful adventure games, but they do have Rise of the Tomb Raider, which is only a timed exclusive to compete with likes of Uncharted.
Bringing back either of Sudeki from the XBOX or Kameo from the 360 could assist in the One having more games that cover a wider range of genres.
Voodoo Vince
Like the others, this is from the XBOX and is a rather quirky 3D platformer where you played as a Voodoo doll named Vince. Microsoft don’t have many 3D platformers on the ONE and from what they have done is in past, this is the one I would like to see make a comeback and I would also take a new Grabbed by the Ghoulies.
Yes they own Banjo-Kazooie and Conker, but with Yooka-Laylee coming out and Conker making a comeback in Project Spark, I don’t know if we need either of them back.
Talking of other Rare IP’s
We have the forgotten by many N64 game Jet Force Gemini, I would happily just take a HD port of it, like what was done with Banjo & Perfect Dark on Xbox Live.
I’d also take a new Viva Pinata.
Quantum Redshift
Nintendo has F-Zero, Sony has Wipeout, but both have been dormant for a while, especially F-Zero, which missed an entire generation.
Microsoft have their own IP in the Sci-Fi racing genre with Quantum Redshift and it may be time to bring it back before one of the others do.
Racing games without the words Forza
Back on the XBOX, Microsoft brought out countless racers, covering simulation in Forza Motorsport, rally in Rallisport Challenge 1 & 2, arcade-sim in Project Gotham Racing 1 & 2 and arcade/bonkers in Midtown Madness 3.
Some of these made the leap to the 360, but we haven’t seen any of them since 2007 apart from Forza, which now has its own sub-series in Horizon, which does have some of the elements of the others.
However, it would be nice to see something a little different in the genre. I think Midtown Madness would work great as download where you play in an online city where you drive around doing silly things in garbage trucks for instance.
Good Halo Spin-offs
There has been two good Halo spin-offs, with Wars, an RTS that actually worked on a console and ODST, which is still as shooter but very different to the core series starring Master Chief. There are also the strike games, but we will forget they exist.
Halo as we all know has a rich universe and Microsoft biggest franchise, which has many stories that can be told in game form, not needing to be the conventional FPS.
Microsoft Published Games
The first two Amped games were both published by Microsoft, but the third was a 360 exclusive, releasing out on the console launch, but was published by 2K. The studio behind the games were closed, however the IP is still owned by 2K as far as I’m aware, but deals happen and Amped 4 would be great exclusive sport title on the One.
Shadow Complex, Microsoft’s answer to the Metroidvania genre, a sequel after 6 years would be nice.
Jade Empire, Bioware's best game remains exclusive to Xbox platforms and PC. Microsoft published the original release and it was heavily marketed for the XBOX.
If Jade Empire 2 were even a timed exclusive to the One for a month, I would buy a One for that game. That’s how good the first is.