ID@Xbox Goes to GDC Part 3

By Rebecca Smith,

Following on from the first 32 titles and then the next 11 titles revealed in part two, we conclude our roundup of Microsoft's ID@Xbox display at San Francisco's GDC with the final 11 titles.

1) Obliteracers

Space Dust Studios' racing title pits up to 16 players in a fight to the finish line. Cartoon aliens race across exotic extraterrestrial locations in a variety of weird and wonderful vehicles. Give yourself an edge by picking up weapon powerups to disable your opponents. The round-based nature of the game means that respawns are quick and drop-in, drop-out play is possible.

Players can choose to race alone against AI, take on their friends and family locally, or compete against opponents online. While the controls may be simple for newcomers, there are advanced strategies available for veterans. Game modes can be customised with "dozens" of modifiers.

If lightning fails to work, there's always the laser of doom.

Rain does not stop the race. Or fires.

Why settle for dust when you can leave your opponents behind in a cloud of oil?

2) Standpoint

Unruly Attractions' title puts players into a mysterious labyrinth. You control the space, but it also holds you. You are lost, but you have nowhere else to be. One thing is for certain — you're not alone. You'll hear voices that will guide you through the labyrinth and teach you how to use perspective. Make your escape by using the obstacles to your advantage and discover where you started, but have you really moved much at all? Is the maze even real or is it all in your head? If it is in your head, where is your head?

The game uses a gravity shifting mechanic for puzzle solving. You may even discover secret areas, but will you find the game's true ending? When you find that ending and you've completed the game's story, there will also be a Time Trial mode for you to test your abilities.

These marks appear everywhere but what do they mean?

There is "Anger" gameplay...

...and there is "Denial" gameplay. You'll be taught the difference between them.

3) Starpoint Gemini 2

Little Green Men's space simulator takes place two years since the end of the second Gemini war and things still have not reached a resolution. The opposition was crushed by a large number of Imperial warship fleets and mammoth motherships, but then something unexpected happened. They changed their focus. The armada was halted and they set about fortifying Starpoint with huge numbers instead. Outsiders speculated that the Imperial was afraid, that something was coming after them from the core of the Empire. But what could be so intimidating that even the Empire is fearing for its own safety? More to the point, will you be able to uncover the truth?

Freightliner

New station model

The Premonition

4) Submerged

Uppercut Games exploration adventure tells the story of a young girl and her brother, who arrive in a half-submerged city after escaping from a dreadful past. Her brother is weak and, if she is to save him, she must search the ruins for supplies and explore the flooded streets in their small fishing boat. The city may be quiet and the ruins may have an eerie beauty, but you can't afford to admire their qualities when the boy grows weaker by the day and your memories continue to haunt you.

The bells toll to nobody's benefit

A satellite tower hints at a once-busy city metropolis

The moonlight adds its own sense of beauty

5) SWORDY

Frogshark's SWORDY is a multiplayer brawler with a bit of a difference. Players must perfect their timing and the momentum of their weapons if they are to claim victory. Despite the low poly art, the game aims for realistic exploding flaming weapons and extremely colourful deaths.

The game is easy to pick up and play but will take practice to master the game's physics with the analogue input. You'll just have to hope that your friends are up to the challenge, as the game is made to be played in local multiplayer.

CSI is going to have a hard time analyzing that blood spatter

Your spawn indicates the colour of your character

Nobody puts a hammer wielding combatant in the corner

6) The Sun and Moon

Last year, Daniel Linssen's upcoming minimalist platformer won Ludum Dare 29, a game event where developers spend a weekend creating a game based solely upon themes that are suggested by the gaming community. The game doesn't just allow players to jump from platform to platform; it also allows players to dive into the ground. Momentum will be preserved but gravity will reversed, allowing players to jump to great heights or dive far beneath the surface.

The goal of each level is to collect the three orbs before jumping into the wormhole. Numerous traps, enemies, endless drops and massive jumps try to make your job more difficult over the 150+ levels that range in difficulty from easy to brutally difficult. If you're looking for an extra challenge, there are also bronze, silver and gold awards for each level based on your completion times.

The game's non-linear unlock system allows players to explore the game in their own order.

Some levels have a simple design...

...while others will really test your patience.

7) Tumblestone

While you may not be familiar with The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild, you may be familiar with their last title: The Bridge. Well, the developer returns to the Xbox One (and Xbox 360) with another puzzle title, only this time it's a match-3 game with a twist. Instead of creating shapes of three or more similarly coloured blocks, players must shoot three blocks of the same colour to remove them from the screen. It isn't as complicated as it sounds:

In single-player mode, players can choose from the Marathon, Heartbeat, and Puzzle game types. If you feel like more of a challenge, you can take on the AI or your friends in local and online versus modes. Alternatively, there are co-op modes too.

Challenge your friends or battle the AI if you're having a lonely night

There are several characters and backgrounds to unlock

The winner likes to gloat

8) Aragami: Shadow Edition

Lince Works' stealth title puts players in the shoes of Aragami, a spirit of vengeance who was summoned by a girl in need of help. Yamiko is imprisoned in a guarded fortress. By bringing you back from the dead, she has bound your souls together. To free her you must travel through land and memories on a dark journey to destroy her prison seals. However, not everything is as it seems. Their pasts interconnect in different timelines; each step that you take will uncover clues to these links.

The shadows are your ally and give you strength. Your main skill is Shadow Control. You can teleport between shadows, create areas of darkness in which you can hide, and create shadow Clones to cause distractions, allowing you to sneak up on your targets. The soldiers are lethal and you can never confront them directly. You can choose to silently assassinate your enemies or just avoid them — you are never forced to kill enemies, nor are you penalized for killing them. Once your enemies are dead, you can feed their bodies to the shadows so that no trace is left behind. Beware though, where you can create shadows, the soldiers have means of creating light.

Your Shadow Powers allow you to create your own hiding places

Will you kill or will you avoid confrontation?

Can you free Yamiko from her prison?

9) Wasteland 2: Director's Cut

I wouldn't blame you if you haven't heard of Wasteland. Back in 1988, it was the first post-apocalyptic RPG and has been touted as the inspiration behind the Fallout series. A mere 27 years later, the game's sequel is heading to Xbox One. Players mainly take control of a squad of four Desert Rangers, but you can also pick up followers and strangers along your journey. Your aim is to keep peace in a post-apocalyptic Arizona desert. The problem is that the apocalypse has created a larger threat that needs to be thwarted.

Players can customise their squads with Perks and Quirks (traits) that add unique characteristics. The game will also react to your choices, so you'll need to think about the possible consequences of your actions. This means that no two playthroughs will be alike. Exploration will reward you with logbooks and lore items that enrich the game's narrative and your environmental knowledge, while their are plenty of quirky characters to find. Developer inXile Entertainment wishes for you to truly immerse yourself in their world.

Looking to deliver some “wasteland justice”

The Precision Strike system lets you target individual body parts or shatter the armour of enemies.

There's nothing like a fight with an overgrown mutant scorpion before breakfast.

10) World of Diving

Vertigo Games' online multiplayer title tasks players with exploring the mysterious depths of the oceans. You can equip yourself with hi-tech gear and submarine vehicles to reach those awkward spots. Once there, use your camera and exploration kit to reveal, salvage and record the mysteries of the ocean.

Players can choose to explore the ocean on their own or to team up with friends as you look for over a hundred sea life species, ancient shipwrecks, and the rusty remnants of times gone by. Pick a diving buddy to add a unique benefit to your diving skills — several can be unlocked as you progress on your missions. Your character can also be customised and your gear can be upgraded. If you get bored of exploring in general, the game will offer arcade challenges for you to complete either with your friends or in competition with your enemies.

Take photos to expand your ocean knowledge.

That's as close to a shark as you'll ever want to be.

"Discover and salvage the sunken remains of history, including rusty shipwrecks and WW2 submarines".

11) ZHEROS

Rimlight Studios' beat 'em up puts players in the role of Mike who, along with his partner Captain Dorian, must save the planet from an army of robots and alien creatures. The army is controlled by Dr. Vendetta. While living in a faraway galaxy, he aims to bring chaos to his neighbours by turning every creature into an "odd and hostile" minion. However, he hides a secret that will lead to dangerous consequences when it is uncovered by the ZHEROS team. Will the duo thwart this hostile invasion?

There will be plenty of fights where you'll need to use your fists, but you'll also have the chance to use mechancial armour that comes equipped with powerful weapons. You can also choose to go on your quest solo or with a friend. When in co-op, you'll get to choose between the "strong but goofy" Mike or the "harsh and agile" Captain Dorian.

String combos together for high scores

He may be goofy, but his strength is far more useful

Nothing speaks death like an explosion and flying mechanical parts.

That's as much information as we can find on each title at the moment, but as soon as we get any more information on any of the 54 games then we'll be sure to let you know.

Written by Rebecca Smith

Rebecca is the Newshound Manager at TrueGaming Network. She has been contributing articles since 2010, especially those that involve intimidatingly long lists. When not writing news, she works in an independent game shop so that she can spend all day talking about games too. She'll occasionally go outside.