Key Takeaways:
– Xbox Game Studios will release former console exclusives ‘Grounded’ and ‘Pentiment’ on Nintendo Switch.
– The announcement was made during the Nintendo Direct broadcast, focusing on switch games from third-party publishers.
– ‘Grounded’ is a first-person survival game and ‘Pentiment’ is an interactive mystery.
– Both games were developed by Obsidian Entertainment, which Microsoft acquired in November 2018.
Xbox Expands Gaming Territory
Wednesday’s Nintendo Direct broadcast featured some surprising news for gaming fans. Xbox Game Studios announced the release of their former console exclusives, ‘Grounded’ and ‘Pentiment,’ on Nintendo Switch. The move is part of Microsoft’s larger strategy to publish four previously exclusive Xbox territory games on competitors’ platforms.
Shaking Up Survival Genres with ‘Grounded’
The broadcast kicked off with a trailer for ‘Grounded,’ a game that spent two years on early access via Xbox and Windows. Enjoying a full release this year, it’s lined up to debut on Nintendo Switch on April 16. The game introduces players to a group of kids shrunk to the size of insects. As the kids, you traverse a dauntingly large backyard, battling full-size insects to survive. The narrative echoes themes from ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,’ blended with survival mechanics and tactical base-building strategies.
Solving Historical Mysteries with ‘Pentiment’
Leaning towards a different gaming genre, developer Josh Sawyer has created ‘Pentiment,’ an interactive murder mystery set in 16th-century Bavaria with a unique art style. Lauded for its graphics that mirror the aesthetics of late medieval period illuminated manuscripts, the game made its initial debut on Xbox, Game Pass, and PC in November 2022. Nintendo Switch users can look forward to being detectives of the past, with the game set to launch on February 22.
Obsidian Entertainment: A Protagonist in Game Development
Both ‘Grounded’ and ‘Pentiment’ were developed by Obsidian Entertainment, a Californian game development studio. Obsidian’s reputation for cult-favorite RPGs such as ‘The Outer Worlds’ and ‘Alpha Protocol’ precedes them. Microsoft acquired Obsidian in November 2018, indicating the tech giant’s increasing interest in the gaming market. News that Obsidian fans will welcome, the developers are geared up for the release of their new game, ‘Avowed,’ which is scheduled to launch on Xbox, PC, and Game Pass later this year.
More Besides on Nintendo Switch
The latest Nintendo Direct also highlighted additional releases on Nintendo platforms. Microsoft’s subsidiary, Rare Ltd, released five games via the Nintendo Switch Online retro streaming library. Seattle studio Aggro Crab announced their oceanic action game, ‘Another Crab’s Treasure’, is set to release on Switch on April 25. Also, THQ Nordic plans to revive the 2010 Wii exclusive ‘Epic Mickey.’ Now titled ‘Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed,’ it is slated for release on Switch later this year. A new Star Wars retro compilation, ‘The Battlefront Classic Collection’ is due on Switch on March 14. Lastly, Nintendo announced the development of the first new Endless Ocean game in 14 years, ‘Endless Ocean Luminous,’ a non-violent scuba diving and undersea exploration game.
In essence, this move by Microsoft underscores the growing trend of cross-platform sharing in the gaming industry. By releasing previous console exclusives on competing platforms, game developers and publishers are providing more access to beloved games across a wider player base.