Space gods, dwarves, reptile shops and cyberpunk infiltration feature in new Xbox One X launch exclusives

By Brenna Hillier

Xbox One X will bring some shiny, all-new exclusives and semi-exclusives with it when it joins the Microsoft family.

E3 2017 @ VG247

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Microsoft showed new indie exclusives for Xbox One X during the Xbox E3 2017 showcase. But not all are exclusive. Those that are, we have tried to make note of it.

In the sizzle reel above for Microsoft’s indie incentive ID@Xbox, you’ll see all sorts of titles which are coming to other platforms. These include, but aren’t limited to: Conan Exiles, Osiris: New Dawn, Raiders of The Broken Planet, Fortnite, Surviving Mars, Observer, Strange Brigade and others.

Check out the trailer for 30 short clips of what’s in store.

The trailer above is for The Last Night. Here’s Microsoft’s description:

The Last Night lets you explore a two-dimensional cyberpunk open world, built with four unique districts each with distinct architecture, cultures and industries. Experience action and infiltration gameplay in the great tradition of cinematic platformers and travel between districts using taxis, ferries, or monorail while trying to keep a low profile and remain undetected. Meet a diverse, inclusive cast of complex characters to interact with through meaningful, branching dialogue and enjoy varied gameplay such as driving down epic highways, flying drones, and hacking droids to do your dirty work.

The Last Night comes to use from new studio Odd Tales, and is based on a prototype produced in a gamejam. You can find out more about it and even try the original version on the Odd Tales website.

This next one is called The Artful Escape of Francis Vendetti. Here’s the description:

The Artful Escape of Francis Vendetti is a video game about great expectations, famous folk singers, lingering shadows, space Gods, hallucinogens, individuality, reptile shops, and wild imaginations. It’s an action, adventure, exploration, narrative driven, musical-laser-light-battle kind of game and is the debut of release from Beethoven & Dinosaur.

You can learn more on The Artful Escape website.

Since it The Last Night are both described as launch exclusives, we expect both of these games to release in November alongside the Xbox One X.

Next up was New Zealand-based studio Aurora44’s Ashen, which brought us to attention when it was announced at E3 2015.

The action role-playing indie game tells the tale of a wanderer in search of a place to call home.

Here’s the synopsis sent over by publisher Annapurna Interactive, which is also in charge of bringing you The Artful Escape:

This is a world where nothing lasts, no matter how tightly players cling to it. As a co-op adventure game, players may cross paths with one another and choose to guide those they trust to their camp, encouraging them to rest at the fire and perhaps remain. At its core, Ashen is about forging relationships; people players meet out in the world will have unique skills and crafting abilities to bolster chances of survival.

Ashen will be released on Xbox One and PC in 2018.

Who wouldn’t want to play a dwarf, right? They rock. Well, they mine it at any rate. Anyway, those crazy folks who brought you Goat Simulator, Coffee Stain Studios, are publishing the title Deep Rock Galactic where you get to play as one of the short of stature fellas with magnificent beards.

Developed by Ghost Ship Games, Deep Rock Galactic tasks players with venturing forth to the most dangerous planet in the galaxy to conduct a profitable mining excavation. Players will dig, drill, and shoot their way through “cavernous missions with ever increasing challenge.”

Teams of up to four class-based dwarves will venture on first-person, cooperative adventures, mine through fully destructible and procedural environments and return with precious metals – if they aren’t killed by hostile aliens. The more you dig up, the more you earn, so make sure you or your partners make it out alive.

Players will also unlock and expand class-based skills, and earn new gear and weapons.

Deep Rock Galactic will arrive on Steam Early Access and as Game Preview on “Xbox Play Anywhere” starting in early 2018.

The Darwin Project was also shown during the Xbox E3 2017 briefing, and it’s a battle royale-style game developed by Montreal-based Scavenger Studio. It challenges players to survive the cold and fight to the death in snow-covered arena. In the Darwin Project the Canadian Rockies are as dangerous as the players themselves, so be sure to stay alert.

Here’s word from the developer: The Darwin Project takes place in a dystopian post-apocalyptic landscape in the Northern Canadian Rockies. As preparation for an impending Ice Age, a new project, half science experiment half live-entertainment, is launched. It’s called “The Darwin Project” and it challenges participants to survive the cold and fight to the death in a treacherous arena. The Darwin Project offers a competitive multiplayer third person survival experience featuring at its core a new gameplay innovation: the manhunt. In his or her path to victory, a player must survive extreme environmental conditions, track opponents, and set traps in order to win.

The game was shown earlier this year at PAX East and will also arrive on the Steam Direct service this fall.

These games may not be the new Halo Xbox fans are waiting for, but they’re certainly interesting looking.