When it comes to which console to buy in a particular generation, exclusives are a huge deciding factor, and it will be no different with the Xbox Series X and PS5. Xbox has Halo, Gears Of War and Forza, whereas Sony has games such as God Of War, The Last Of Us and Ratchet & Clank, among others. But Microsoft has had many forgotten exclusive franchises over the years that would be great to see back with the upcoming Xbox Series X console that is being released later this year. Let’s take a look at some of the exclusives that should make a return on the Xbox Series X.
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1. Fable
This one is a more obvious entry. Fable first appeared on the original Xbox back in 2004, and the series instantly won over players. The action-RPG series is funny, charming and very accessible to players who are perhaps not well versed in the RPG genre of games. The last core Fable game was Fable 3, released in 2010, and the series has skipped an entire generation with no new main-line games released on the Xbox One. Fans have been hoping for Fable 4 for many years, and recent leaks hint it might be coming, but until an official announcement, it is just a pipe dream.
2. Blinx
Back in the day, a mascot was a huge part of a company’s identity, Nintendo have Mario, Sega have Sonic, Sony had Crash Bandicoot. So when the Xbox was released in 2001, it needed a mascot, too. While the Master Chief is the Xbox mascot, the Halo series was viewed as too violent, and Microsoft wanted a more family-friendly mascot for the younger audience, so Blinx was chosen. Unfortunately, the series didn’t take off quite like they had hoped, with the last entry in the series being released in 2004 on the original Xbox. The Blinx series was fine, but perhaps the Xbox had a more adult clientele. But that has changed in 2020 with the Xbox being a choice for most younger gamers as well as families, so the Xbox Series X could be the perfect time to re-establish Blinx as the family-friendly mascot for the Xbox.
3. Kung Fu Chaos
Kung Fu Chaos is a cult classic, yet it’s rarely talked about these days. Kung Fu Chaos is a 3D fighting party game and was so much fun to play on the original Xbox. The Xbox has always tried to have a family friendly feel to it, with a huge emphasis on party games and the Kinect on the Xbox 360. As mentioned earlier, the Xbox is a console a lot of families choose to purchase, so a game like Kung Fu Chaos could be a great game for families looking to purchase the Xbox Series X in the future.
4. Kingdom Under Fire
The Kingdom Under Fire series lay dormant for over a decade, with the last game being released in 2004. Then, in late 2019, Kingdom Under Fire II was released on PC, and the previous title, 2004’s Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders, was ported to PC in February 2020, seemingly reviving the long forgotten series. This could definitely add weight to the argument that a game could do very well as an Xbox Series X exclusive in the future.
5. Kameo
Kameo’s development cycle spanned 4 different consoles. The game was originally developed for the N64, then Gamecube, then Xbox, before finally being released on the Xbox 360 as a launch title in 2005. Kameo began as a game that took many influences from the Pokemon series in which the player catches and evolves creatures. Most of these features were eventually dropped, as Rare was bought out by Microsoft and the game eventually became an action-adventure game. While the game was received well by critics, its troublesome development cycle ultimately saw the game not perform as well as it could have when it came to sales. But it was a very fun game, and it is a shame the sequel was cancelled, as Microsoft focused on the Kinect. I would have really enjoyed playing it. This would be a great time to bring the series back, in my opinion.
6. Banjo Kazooie
Speaking of Rare’s buyout: along with the purchase, Microsoft acquired the rights for the Banjo Kazooie series, which originally found its home on the N64 in the late 90s. The Banjo Kazooie series was beloved by fans (and still is) and was another heavy-hitter alongside Mario 64. Rare later released Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts exclusively on the Xbox 360 which was well received but ultimately got criticism for its gimmicky vehicle construction premise. A back-to-basics Banjo Kazooie platformer is a game many fans would be excited to see on the new Xbox Series X.
7. Perfect Dark
Finally we have another Rare IP, Perfect Dark. A spiritual successor to the N64’s 007 Goldeneye, Perfect Dark was an instant hit with fans and critics, holding a score of 97 on Metacritic, making it one of the highest scoring games of all time. Perfect Dark Zero was a launch title for the Xbox 360 and also performed very well, becoming one of the most popular titles at launch. But, due to it being a launch title, it was largely forgotten about by players over the years as more games were released for the system. The good news is that you can easily find a copy online for under £5, and it is well worth playing. It has been 15 years since the last Perfect Dark series. Considering the legacy it has, maybe a reboot is needed. After all, games such as Tomb Raider were brought back to the forefront of gaming after it was rebooted, so why shouldn’t Perfect Dark get the same treatment?
Which Xbox exclusives would you like to see on the Xbox Series X? Let us know in the comments.
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