Gamescom 2014 – Indie shines on the Xbox One

ID@Xbox still sounds like one of the weirdest names for, well, anything ever but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be paying attention. Indie games took centre stage early into Microsoft’s Gamescom conference, and for a few very good reasons.

There was a handy sizzle real that kicked things off, showing off not only the variety of different games but also just how many are headed to Xbox One. These aren’t the only indie titles coming to Xbox One, but rather ones that will see their console debut on Microsoft’s next-gen console. So yeah, that’s quite a few.

We then got closer looks at Space Engineers, SuperHot, The Escapists and Smite. Space Engineers is a popular PC title that will debut on console first with the Xbox One. The short trailer was fairly dull, showing off some crafting and shooting in empty space. SuperHot was almost the exact opposite, with a trippy, brainwashing trailer introducing the audience to the game’s “time only moves when you do” mechanic.

The Escapists caught my attention the most, by primarily because of the team behind it. Team 17, the creators of the Worms franchise, are behind the new 16-bit prison sim that looks rather quirky. Lastly we got a look at the Xbox One’s first MOBA, with the once PC-only title Smite being revealed for release through ID@Xbox. I’m interested to see how it’ll work with the controller, and if this means more MOBA’s will be able to work on a gamepad.

It’s not an Xbox One indie showing without a look at Below, and that’s exactly what Microsoft chose to close with. Not many fine details, but a strong showing for indie on Xbox One regardless. Guess they’re reminding people it’s not only on the PS4

Last Updated: August 12, 2014