It’s no secret that Microsoft has been working hard to ensure that it’s a worthy competitor to Sony, and this includes an impressive array of studio acquisitions. Xbox Game Studios has amassed some of the industry’s leading talent, with upcoming releases like the reboot ofPerfect Darkhopefullypaving the way for the publisher’s success for years to come. Alongside the Crystal Dynamics and The Initiative-developedPerfect Dark,Xbox Game Studios will be presiding over major titles likeThe Outer Worlds 2and other highly-anticipated sequels,showing the range of games soon to be on offer for Microsoft consoles.
The list of games currently in the works in Xbox Game Studios stable of developers is certainly impressive, but some of them feel more similar than others. With a number of prestigious sci-fi and fantasy RPGs on the cards,a stealth shooter likePerfect Darkdefinitely sets itself apart. Although science fiction and fantasy settings with RPG elements have proved undeniably popular in the gaming community over the years, it’s also good to see Xbox Game Studios branching out with titles likePerfect Darkas an alternative to its other projects.
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Xbox Game Studios' Titles In Development
It’s great to see eagerly anticipated titles likeSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2andThe Outer Worlds 2in development under Microsoft’s purview. One is an irreverent space-faring shooter in the same style as its predecessor, while the other is a sensitive examination of mental health set in a dark fantasy world inspired by Norse culture, and both show the vast spectrum of upcominggames on offer from Xbox Game Studios. However, they still fall into the category of sci-fi and fantasy, alongside other upcoming games likeAvowedor the new IPEverwild.
Even other reboots likeFablethat will come under the umbrella of Xbox Game Studios can’t escape the predominant fantasy RPG theme of many games currently being presided over in some form by Microsoft. There may be some exceptions peppered in there, likeForza Motorsport, the eighth entry in the popular racing franchise, but these exceptions are few and far between among the role-playing titles with specific settings.Perfect Darkmay not be breaking too much new ground as a reboot, but it’s also a refreshingly different entry among the other titles that Xbox Game Studios currently has on the go.
How Perfect Dark Sets Itself Apart
Perfect Darkmay still feature plenty of its own sci-fi elements as an IP, thanks to its historic alien elements and Joanna Dark’s covert efforts to battle high-tech megacorporations, but it’s still a welcome black sheep among Xbox Game Studios' upcoming titles. In an era where RPGs reign, a shooter with stealth mechanics and a high-profile development team is something worth looking forward to. The Initiative may be a newly formed studio among Microsoft’s acquisitions, butwithTomb Raider’s Darrel Gallagher leading the developmentand Crystal Dynamics on board, the new chapter ofPerfect Darkcould be something special.
Fans of the series have had a while to wait for the next installment, and there have already beena few bumps on the road toPerfect Dark’s release, but hopes remain high. The spy thriller vibes of the earlier games alongside their memorable narratives of corporate misdeeds and futuristic technology helped make a name for the franchise. Although not much has been revealed of thePerfect Darkreboot just yet, the implied promise of its slick stealth gameplay and the physicality of its action means it stands out in a Microsoft line up filled with role-playing fantasy games.
