Xbox is a fantastic place to be if you’re a fan of the indie game scene. Many offer a low price point for a generous return and independent experiences away from triple-A titles. In this article I guide you through the offerings launching this week on the store. Whilst it is rather quiet with it being the start of a fresh year, there may just be something that takes your fancy in this small handful of releases.
Super Sami Roll – Release Date 10th January 2022
The wicked Albert VII has captured Sami’s friend Vera and only you can help him save her! But it won’t be easy – you’ll need to roll, grapple, and jump to make it through in the colorful 3D world of Super Sami Roll.
Embark on a journey rolling through beautiful green fields, deserts dotted with magnificent pyramids, dangerous oozing volcanoes, frigid ice lands and many other memorable places with rolling physics and tons of hidden secrets!
Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story – Release Date 12th January 2022
Inspired by classic adventure games and the origins of the survival horror genre, Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story celebrates the slow, cerebral creep of dread instead of relying on over-the-top action or jump scares. With careful attention to pacing, atmosphere and storytelling, this futuristic tale seamlessly blends 2.5D exploration and problem solving with suspenseful ghost encounters that act as paranormal glitches in our own reality.
Demoniaca: Everlasting Night – Release Date 13th January 2022
Demoniaca – is a dark, gothic, mature and sexy action RPG inspired by the Castlevania series. Explore, fight, meet new friends and avenge those who brought you unbearable pain and loss. After a two year period on PC, can this port to Xbox grip fans of the genre? After reading the mixed reviews on Steam, it appears to be a love or hate relationship.
Battle Brothers – Release Date 13th January 2022
Battle Brothers is a turn based tactical RPG which has you leading a mercenary company in a gritty, low-power, medieval fantasy world. You decide where to go, whom to hire or to fight, what contracts to take and how to train and equip your men in a procedurally generated open world campaign. Do you have what it takes to lead them through bloody battles and to victory?
Having viewed gameplay footage of this particular game and reading into the mechanics, it actually is a well-oiled and rich turn based RPG. Character progression, permadeath and unique orchestral music are just some of the features that make this look super appealing to myself as a strategy fan.
Spelunky 2 – Release Date 13th January 2022
Spelunky 2 builds upon the unique, randomized challenges that made the original a roguelike classic, offering a huge adventure designed to satisfy players old and new. Meet the next generation of explorers as they find themselves on the Moon, searching for treasure and missing family.
In Spelunky 2, players once again journey deep underground and explore amazing places filled with traps, treasure, and secrets – but this time as Ana Spelunky, the child of the main character of Spelunky HD , deep within the Moon.
It appeared that this title has had some exclusivity to Playstation launching back in 2020. Lucky for us Xbox gamers and platforming fans we have the chance to get hands on with the sequel to the original popular platformer.
Mushroom Wars 2 – Release Date 13th January 2022
Mushroom Wars 2 is an award-winning sequel to the critically acclaimed RTS hit built upon the core gameplay experience that made the original Mushroom Wars so enjoyable.
Whether you are battling enemy hordes in the the depths of the single-player campaign, or competing against your friends in various multiplayer modes, Mushroom Wars 2 provides intense, fast-paced short-session battles!
Kansei: The Second Turn HD – Release date 14th January 2022
In this riveting, suspenseful visual novel you play as a teenager with the ability to relive the death of any corpse he touches finds himself tangled in another murder case when the owner of a high profile corporation dies under mysterious circumstances.
This time, however, he’s forced to team up with a group of kids with abilities as strange as his own. Unfortunately, these new teammates might be more dangerous than the killer they’re hunting.
Everyone has something to hide, and the past never stays hidden for long. Interrogate suspects, explore the house of the wealthy deceased, and unearth the secrets of others while you try to keep your own hidden.
Aery – Dreamscape – Release Date 14th January 2022
In Aery – Dreamscape you play as a bird-like spirit who can enter the minds of other people in order to explore their thoughts, their secrets, and their imagination. Each person has their own imaginary world and each world represents the thoughts, fears, and ambitions of that person in an interesting and mostly abstract way.
Experience the feeling of flying, immerse into beautiful and atmospheric landscapes and enjoy the unique storytelling of the game while getting to know a lot of interesting people on the way.
Operation Zeta – Release Date 14th January 2022
Operation Zeta is a space action game. The great battle code-named ‘Operation Zeta’ has been lost. Your ship is in shambles and you have to act quickly. Collect all of the parts and repair your ship before the war-zone is completely destroyed by the enemies death laser.
Play and unlock 13 playable characters from space monkeys to mischievous slugs each with their own unique set of skills and challenges. As well unlock new abilities and upgrades with credits you earn during each run. Each time you play the universe is randomly generated with random quests from wacky local aliens who have stolen the parts of your ship. All in a physics based battlefield, but beware as you only have ten minutes until the death laser fires!
The Final Analysis
That’s your lot for this week, nine varied indie titles with a range of different genres. These are the games that have been announced with confirmed release dates. However, there may be the odd indie that drops without our knowledge. We at XboxEra would love your feedback on this all-new article and whether you’d like to see this as a permanent feature.
