We see at least one section with an odd mode of transportation where Raz jumps on an ostrich and it becomes an on-rails shooter temporarily before we see a short clip of a boss fight before the gameplay abruptly cuts. We see some tight platforming and combat and it’s clear that the game’s delay was well-served as the lighting and colors look great. He’s running through a forest that serves to help bridge the story between the first and second games. We see a short cutscene from early in the game that continues to set up the story before Raz starts moving through the environment. Compulsion is my personal pick for XGS studio that impresses in the next-generation and I’d love to see them get the nod here.Next, we see the Double Fine logo, followed by a Psychonauts 2 titles screen, before we launch immediately into gameplay. Say what you will about We Happy Few, but the style and art direction of that game is second to none. If any studio deserves that spot, it’s Compulsion. I’m not saying it won’t get a lengthy chunk in the show, but I think it’s fun to put a lesser-known studio in this spot. Halo has kind of had its moments already (opening in 2018, closing in 2019, then opening in 2020) and it doesn’t need more spotlight. You will notice that Halo doesn’t kick off or close the show in my predictions. Second, Xbox needs some new blood in the “headline spots” of their shows and Compulsion deserves a vote of confidence. You’ll see these predictions clearly follow those principles. Save the development teams the trouble of creating vertical slices and trailers and let them focus on the actual game until you’re ready to show them in a meaningful capacity. We know they’re coming and they probably aren’t very close. I don’t know that you will see Avowed, Fable, or Perfect Dark this year. Smaller/experimental titles, publishing games, and DLC/expansions will be shown closer to launch, but games that are XGS/Bethesda “staples” will be shown ahead of time, then go away for a while. Xbox should be able to clearly show and articulate what’s coming this year, what’s coming next year, and what’s beyond that. It should be Xbox’s goal to empower consumers to invest in the ecosystem. One, it helps Xbox lay out the roadmap going forward. I know what you’re thinking! Why would Xbox show this game when it’s likely not releasing this year or even next year? I think the purpose of showing the game like this is two-fold. The trailer ends with a title, Fever Dream, but no release information is given. There will be an easy mode without a timer as well. It’s wide-linear, but you can absolutely miss secrets and other important information if you go too quickly or aren’t paying attention. They won’t say this, but there’s multiple ways to exit the factory and different paths you can take. We see a small taste of the character using weapons, pharmaceuticals, and fun traversal options to navigate the factory and conquer the horrors within. From the brief section of CGI clearly intended to be indicative of the gameplay, it’s like a strange mix of Control, Portal, and We Happy Few. It is a third-person action game with puzzle, platforming, and horror elements. The game operates in real-time, giving the player eight hours to escape the factory. The next shot we see is the woman putting on a watch as the old man locks her in an office. The art style is a clear evolution of what we saw in We Happy Few with gorgeous lighting and textures. We see the main character, a sullen and detached young woman, who decides she has nothing to lose (or maybe more accurately, nothing to live for) and wants to attempt the eccentric tycoon’s challenge. The vast-majority of the public still loves the company, but a vocal minority has come out in opposition to the contest and the implied loss of life. Many have tried over the past three years since the contest started, never to be seen again, but no one has succeeded and interest is waning. If you can escape by dawn, the empire is yours. A beloved pharmaceutical industry legend is aging and has an open and ongoing competition, he locks you in the factory at the heart of his ongoing pharmaceutical empire. It’s a reveal trailer very similar to the original We Happy Few reveal in 2016. The show starts with an interesting sight, the Compulsion Games title screen. The traditional “Xbox Game Studios” title screen is shown with a few new upgrades for upcoming titles. I have spoiler-tagged some common questions with additional information. Yes, this is very long, but I was writing for two publishers now. After Marano gave me a hard time for some of the more outlandish stuff I've included in the past, I decided to make these a little more grounded. As always, I write these purely for entertainment value and they're not necessarily why I expect or even think might happen. Here are my early Xbox/Bethesda summer showcase predictions.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |