E3 2013: Hands-on with more Xbox One games

[Half Monk 697]

There were quite a few Xbox One game demos at Microsoft's E3 2013 booth that were available for anyone to play and we took the opportunity to do just that this week.

 

 

Killer Instinct

 

Rare's classic fighting game was first release for arcade machines in 1994 and later in 1995 for the Super Nintendo. In 1996, arcades got a sequel, Killer Instinct 2, that was later ported to the Nintendo 64 under the name Killer Instinct Gold. Needless to say, fighting game fans have waiting a long time for a follow up and this fall they are getting it for the Xbox One.

 

Rare is acting as a consultant on this new version which is being developed primarily by Double Helix games. In our brief hands-on demo, using the Mad Catz Killer Instinct fighting game controller, we got to fight with two of the game's characters, Jago and Sabrewulf. Like the original games, this new Killer Instinct gives the characters two lifebars, with a brief break when one of the bars is depleted.

 

While we don't pretend to be an expert at fighting games, the pace of the new Killer Instinct is extremely fast, combined with some high end visual that you would expect from a game with a new console. We were told by a Double Helix employee that they have already brought in some pro fighting game players to their offices to test the game and get their feedback, which is a good sign for the hardcore crowd.

 

The most interesting thing about Killer Instinct is that when it is released as a downloadable Xbox One game, players can get one character for free and play him in his full single player campaign as well as online. There will be options to buy the full game with all of the characters or ways to buy just the characters they want to play, which could in theory save those gamers some money in the long run.

 

 

Crimson Dragon

Originally announced as an Xbox 360 Kinect exclusive, this rail shooter is now an Xbox One game and won't require Kinect. Fans of the three Panzer Dragoon games from Sega have been waiting a long time for this game as many of the key team members behind those cult games have returned to work on Crimson Dragon.

 

Our brief E3 demo showed that the game will have a ton of interesting visuals as we controlled the dragon through a lava filled underground chamber where other flying dragons and creatures apparently can stay alive without being fried to a crisp. The rail shooter aspect of the game is something that we are not that thrilled about; we prefer more control over our dragons. However, it at least looks like it might be fun to play when it comes out (Microsoft is not giving an exact release date)

 

 

LocoCycle

The next game from developer Twisted Pixel ('Splosion Man, The Maw, The Gunstringer) is LocoCycle, featuring a motorcycle with a computer AI called I.R.I.S. which gains self-awareness thanks to a lighting strike. She begins a road trip and literally drags her mechanic Pablo along the way as they battle other vehicles on the road.

 

There's lot of humor in this game, as I.R.I.S. engages in combat that includes the motorcycle kicking some enemies around. It's pretty fun stuff, marred only by the graphics which definitely don't look like they were made specifically for the Xbox One (indeed LocoCycle was first announced as an Xbox 360 game). Despite this, it looks like it will still be a fun title to play for a few hours.

 

 

PowerStar Golf

Every console needs an arcade golf game and the Xbox One is getting one from developer Zoe Mode in PowerStar Golf. The first thing we noticed in our demo was the detailed cartoon graphics that makes this game look like it was designed by Pixel artists. There will be several characters to play, each with their own special ability.

 

Perhaps the most interesting thing about PowerStar Golf is on the backend. It will use the Xbox One's cloud server capabilities to show how your friends play each hole in the game itself, instead of with just a dull menu layout. This should serve to get players a better way to challenge their online friends to sink a hole-in-one, or at least make par.