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
Lionhead Studio's Fable was the Xbox's flagship RPG franchise. While infamous for Peter Molyneux's grand unfulfilled technological promises, it still managed to please legions of Microsoft fans for years throughout the company's first two consoles. Sadly, the company closed in 2016 , leaving an upcoming title in the series canceled. The franchise's future is currently up in the air, though Phil Spencer has hinted at a possible comeback several times in recent years. Whatever happens, it probably won't involve Molyn
Before Streets of Rage 4 reinvigorated the side-scrolling beat-em-up genre, Double Dragon: Neon took a shot in 2012. There is an 80s feel and theme to the gameplay, mechanics, and style that fans of Yakuza 0 will love. It is more challenging than Streets of Rage 4 and the recent Double Dragon: Gaiden , the more classically styled update on the arcade clas
Children of Morta is a rogue-like action-RPG that has players take members of the Bergson family through dangerous dungeons, battling monsters, leveling up, and earning things for their home. The game has a great sense of progression and a lot of forward momentum, so even in failure, players always feel like they're making a difference. Playing through Children of Morta with a friend in couch co-op makes the game that much more fun, and with each Bergson family member being distinctly different from each other, the game caters to a lot of different play-styles and preferen
When I say this game aspires to be Paper Mario , I'm not talking about a few little touches here and there. From the second you load up Bug Fables, you will know that this is a Paper Mario game in practically every way except the name. Each character is a flat 2D model with big fat black outlines walking around a 3D world. The art style looks simplistic, as if it was drawn by a crayon-wielding kindergarten class, yet it's bursting with life and personality. Even the music evokes the soundtracks of Nintendo's games, with songs that reminded me of Final Fantasy games, Donkey Kong Country , Earthbound , and of course, the Paper Mario ser
With no prior announcement, Microsoft surprise-launched the beat 'em up Streets of Rage 4 on Xbox Game Pass. While some may have been concerned that Streets of Rage 4 wouldn't live up to the legacy of its predecessors, the game has proven any doubters wrong. Streets of Rage 4 reviews have been mostly positive, with fans praising the game's retro-style local co-op action. Streets of Rage 4 's main story may be a little on the short side, but the game otherwise has a lot of content for fans of the genre to sink their teeth i
Nintendo proved with Super Mario Odyssey that there is still plenty that the 3D platformer genre has to offer, and it would be nice to see Banjo-Kazooie get a modern update as well. Rare doesn't even have to be the studio to make the game. Microsoft has plenty of studios under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella that could be given the reigns of Banjo-Kazooie - whatever it takes to see the bird and bear make their long-awaited, and much-deserved, comeb
Not even the most avid fans could defend it. Not only did it signal an end to the franchise for the foreseeable future, but it was also the beginning of the studio's descent into mediocrity. We're hoping with all out hearts for BioWare to get back on their f
Killer Instinct was a launch title for the Xbox One that launched to somewhat mixed reviews, but since became a fan favorite. Now boasting a greatly-expanded roster of fighters and more features than at launch, the Killer Instinct revival is a solid fighting game for fans of the genre. It would be great to see the Killer Instinct franchise continue on Microsoft's next-generation console, especially since it's been a whopping seven years since the Xbox One version launc
Bug Fables has a lot of side quests you can take on for extra money, medals, or items, but it doesn't have an efficient way of tracking them. When you accept a side quest from the various mission boards, you sometimes have to talk to the NPC to start them. Except once you speak with them and they tell you where to go, the side quest doesn't update in your logbook and it doesn't appear on your map. So, if you happened to decide to save a side quest for later or turn the game off, it's easy to forget where you were supposed to go. This means that you might have to wander around until you find the missing NPC, which seems like something that could have been avoided by placing some markers on your
