Xbox Chalks Up Solid Indies to Games With Gold Scoreboard in October
For the month of October, Microsoft wants to guide its players through elevated-reality simulations with Xbox’s Games With Gold. From baseball games and off-road racing to prison breaks and post-apocalyptic survival, each one offers a clear view on the realistic aspects of their respective scenarios, while also tweaking them for the sake of entertainment value. It’s not a month for AAA titles, aside from the racing game, instead focused on sharp indies that packed a punch of pragmatism within their budget-conscious design. Let’s dig into the offerings.
Xbox One
Super Mega Baseball: Extra Innings (October 1-31)
It wouldn’t be unreasonable to call Super Mega Baseball “the Hot Shots Golf version of America’s pastime”. That’s not just because the graphical presentation from Metalhead Software boasts a similar kind of large bobble-headed look for the players, or because it rides the same line between authenticity and quirkiness in its sound effects and play-area layout. This charming take on baseball games also sports precise, yet accessible controls that reflect upon the real mechanics of the sport, alongside an attention-holding career mode and enough customization options — over 200 players and 6 fields — to give each round something a little fresh. Super Mega Baseball‘s sense of humor and old-school, pick-up-and-go enjoyment were strong enough not only to earn praise for its success in its “lighthearted” subgenre, but in the sports genre as a whole.
The Escapists (October 16-November 15)
Ever thought that you might be able to plan a prison escape just as well as Andy Dufresne did in Shawshank Redemption? Well, The Escapists gives the player the opportunity to orchestrate their own breakout, allowing them to analyze schedules, build reputations among inmates, and stockpile the tools for the job. With a touch of freedom in how to approach the layout, in crafting items and timing the inmate’s progression through the right hidden pathways, this nifty little 8-bit-inspired, top-down simulator from Mouldy Toof Studios tinkers with the role-playing genre in its execution. Critics noted that the options and plotting involved ask a lot of players with its trial-and-error approach to getting out, but reaching the solutions makes for a refreshing experience once they’ve figured out how to get to the end of the tunnel.
Xbox 360
MX vs. ATV Reflex (October 1-15)
MX vs. ATV — Motocross versus All-Terrain Vehicle, for those out of the loop — enjoyed its tenth anniversary as a franchise last year, releasing their first current-gen offroading experience with the revamped Supercross Encore. Smack dab in the middle of their console releases is Reflex, which featured a completely restructed set of controls, the dual-stick “reflex” component, that emphasized a massive boost in realism in operating the bikes, buggies, and other vehicles. Along with the elevated controls also comes more natural physics and dirt environment responses, marking a noteworthy evolution for the franchise’s foundation. Some felt this was a good starting-off point, yet lacked visual polish and depth, as well as sensible opponent AI.
I Am Alive (October 16-31)
Developed over a period of nearly a decade, I Am Alive depicts a crumbled post-apocalyptic environment created by devastating earthquakes that leveled most metropolitan areas, leaving citizens to fend from themselves in the absence of effective government intervention. Within the setting transpires the personal story of an unnamed survivor in search of his wife and daughter following the event, whose travels urge him to help another young girl find her own friends and family while navigating the wasteland. No, there aren’t many original ideas in I Am Alive‘s story and atmosphere, nor in the third-person stealth and exploration-heavy gameplay. The execution of its tone and survival aspects make up for its identifiable roots, though, speaking to fans of the dystopian genre.