Before the show floor at PAX 2015 opened up there was a chance to try out some of the best up and coming indie games for the Xbox One. So here’s a list of some of the games coming to the Xbox One soon, enjoy!
Knight Squad
Knight Squad seems very Gauntlet-esque in it’s top-down style view and seems similar to Towerfall in it’s gameplay. The best multiplayer games mix skill-focused gameplay with just the right amount of chaos and chance to make sure the game doesn’t get too unbalanced and is always fun to play. Knight Squad’s combat is methodical, favoring strategic sword strikes over button-mashing. But crazy power-ups and weapons like bombs, arrows, and drills ensure that even the best players can be taken down.
The game has a wide assortment of maps and modes, but the version on hand at the Microsoft event focused on capture the flag. You race to the center of the stage to grab a grail before other enemy knights; the chalice slows you down, but you’re still able to fight back. Whoever kills you, gets possession of the grail.
Zarvot
Zarvot is the game you’d get if the classic Atari game Combat was re-imagined for modern consoles, but with bigger weapons and more than two colors. The top-down tank combat is almost as simple as its old-school inspiration: move with the control stick, dash with one button, and attack with the other. But the simplicity leads to intense matches whether you’re facing off against someone 1v1 or dealing with the chaos of a full, four-person deathmatch.
Below
Below combines elements of several different games: the calculated, risky combat of Dark Souls; the survival and crafting focus of Don’t Starve; and the procedural generation of roguelikes. The was only time to explore a handful of its random caverns on the way to the bottom. But the game includes hidden cave drawings, misshapen concrete keys, and a variety of dangerous monsters that promise countless replays after your initial attempt.
Mimic Arena
There’s a surprising amount of depth to Mimic Arena–although its initial multiplayer deathmatch mode is eerily reminiscent of Towerfall’s frantic combat, Mimic Arena’s real value lies in its Clone Mode. Essentially, its Capture the Flag with doppelganger teammates. By entering the opponents’ base, a clone of your character follows the same exact path you take, and copies your exact actions.
Toward the end, you end up having a handful of clones following predetermined paths, firing shots at any enemy that might be assaulting you. The dynamics between offense and defense, your actions and those of your clones, make you consider your actions with care, despite the haphazard action unfolding on-screen. It’s a compelling idea for a multiplayer game, and a clever twist on the arena shooter.
Cuphead
Comparable to Dark Souls in terms of difficulty and Legend of Zelda in its structured boss fight patterns, Cuphead is a must play. Who wouldn’t love a completely hand-drawn game starring a guy with a cup for a head? We went hands-on with the game’s two-player mode, and while it makes those over-the-top boss battles a little more manageable, it’s still difficult to keep track of your partner among the frenetic action, making it an interesting challenge to split your attention between them and the bad guy. This game isn’t just gorgeous, it’s cheeky in its cartoony humor, and it’s satisfying to suss out attack patterns to take down bosses.
We Happy Few
We Happy Few is as creepy as it is colorful. You are given a very loose objective, like finding a switch. But what that switch does and where it is, you must find out yourself. You’re set loose in a bright, vivid world packed with cobblestone walkways, decrepit houses and eerie made-up people. Everyone is addicted to a drug called Joy, and periodically this white clown-faced civilians will attack you as you sojourn, screaming and clawing and punching. It’s deeply unsettling, but the BioShock-esque vibe you get from it has piqued the interest of many.