The year 2023 should be busy for Xbox Series owners since in addition to the release of games made in Xbox Game Studios, independent games will also be celebrated in the coming months on the platform (and on PC). It had to be after a rather quiet year 2022 for the manufacturer, and if all eyes are on the AAAs to come, the independent partners of Microsoft have something to attract our curiosity. Thanks to the program [email protected] which highlights all these productions, we were able to attend a presentation reserved for the press which offered us a better overview of four titles not to be missed during the coming months, namely The Last Case of Benedict Fox, Everspace 2, Planet of Lana And Lightyear Frontier. Here’s what we learned from it.
The Last Case of Benedict Fox
Among the games that immediately caught the eye thanks to their unique artistic direction, we find the singular The Last Case of Benedict Foxwhich comes as a 2D metroidvania influenced by the Lovecraft universe, where you play a detective linked to a demon that allows him to discover the memories and thoughts of the deceased. A starting point that intrigues, and makes you want to know more when you see the game of Plot Twist scroll before your eyes.
The demo shown to us took place some time after the start of the game in order to show us various parts of the game, starting with its combat system which will obviously not be its greatest strength. Difficult to judge its interest without having the controller in hand, but it turns out to be rather basic, although requiring a little dexterity.
In addition to a knife that will allow him to undermine the dark forces that attack him, our protagonist will also be able to count on the demon that lives within him to act as a bulwark. He can also activate a more powerful barrier by activating a spell that covers him with a rocky skin, and which can inflict damage on enemies.
We could see that we had to juggle between this defense and a more offensive approach against a boss whose fight was organized in several parts, and where we had to attack each of his tentacles while avoiding getting crushed. The second part of the fight seemed to require a little attention, with a good challenge, but again we will have to wait for the final game to fully judge it.
The main interest of the title seems to lie mainly in the exploration and investigation part, with many puzzles set up. Since the game adopts a metroidvania structure, we will often have to retrace our steps, with a fast travel feature which is appreciable. We will often return to a room filled with various NPCs, such as a merchant, to solve a few investigations while obtaining new objects to progress.
This event also allowed us to learn that the game would be available from April 27 on PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series. Yes, one day before Dead Island 2 And Star Wars Jedi Survivor. But let’s hope that the Game Pass nevertheless allows it to find its audience.
Everspace 2
Let’s go now in the direction of space with Everspace 2, which is arguably the title that needs the least introduction given that it’s been available in Early Access for a while now. If we had to summarize it, we would present it as a kind of space action-RPG where we control a ship of our choice to carry out various missions, whether solo or with others.
Everspace 2 was especially highlighted during its presentation for the announcement of its release date on PC, set for April 6. For Xbox consoles, however, it will be necessary to wait for the summerbut we will console ourselves by saying that it will be directly included in the Game Pass. It should also be noted that it will also be released on PS5.
The gameplay demonstration given to us covered the different aspects of the game, such as the fact that this sequel is much more action-oriented than the previous opus, with very dynamic gameplay and impressive space battles, served by sets which amaze your eyes (there are even underwater planets).
Everspace 2 will also offer a long life since it would take hundreds of hours to see everything, even if the adventure will obviously be shorter if we confine ourselves to its history. On the ship side, you have to see these machines as typical RPG classes. You will be free to equip a whole bunch of equipment to your ship to orient it in the role you prefer, and the loot, you will have.
We will also be served on the endgame side with a slight roguelite aspect, where we chain the arenas with choices available to us at each end of the fight, while having the possibility of raising the difficulty by a notch as we play. A title to watch closely if you love science fiction and if its early access had passed under your radar.
Planet of Lana
the pretty Planet of Lana was also one of the stars of the presentation, even if we are beginning to understand it well. This 2D adventure game puts us in the shoes of Lana, a young girl responsible for saving her family and especially her sister from the invasion that her planet is undergoing. She can count on the help of Mui, a small animal that will accompany her on her journey.
The demo that was shown to us was precisely focused on this little ball of hair, with behavior similar to a cat or a dog. We will rather say that he is feline given his immense fear of water points, which will constitute an obstacle for the progress of the duo. While Mui is able to help Lana in many ways, sometimes it’s the child who will have to lend a hand to the creature.
Our protagonists here had to cross a swamp, but Mui’s fear of getting wet complicated matters. Lana often had to help him find a way to cross, while the little animal could interact with strange living species (by hypnotizing them), able to suck up water and therefore raise or not the level of a bowl. The puzzles therefore remained basic, without any danger complicating the matter.
If we hope that the level of the puzzles will become more complex over the course of the adventure, there is one point that enchanted us: the immersion that the game offers. Between the little finds of particularly successful sound-design, the invented language of Lana, the noises of Mui or the music to die for, Planet of Lana wants to make us live a memorable experience without a line of text but which will still be able to move us.
We leave you on our last preview of the game for more feelings on this journey, while hoping that a release date falls in the coming weeks.
Lightyear Frontier
Last but not least, Lightyear Frontier. Harvesting games have been all the rage lately, but the game of Frame Break finds an interesting twist by immersing us in the heart of another planet, where we will have to build everything from scratch. For this, we will be well helped by our multifunction mecha, which will serve both as a vehicle and as a tractor, among other things. Between exploration and management, the game offers a small bubble of relaxation that can be enjoyed by many, provided you first build a radio tower that will allow you to call your companions.
Unfortunately, the studio didn’t have anything new to show us if we put aside the possibility of building crops on slightly different terrains, such as on a beach, but also a personalization aspect that is more advanced than one could have imagined. You will be able to truly build your domain in your own way, even by adding everyday objects that we are more used to seeing on our good old planet.
We had already been able to approach the game in the past when it formalized its arrival in the spring of 2023, and we refer you to our article from the time to find out more about it.