Xbox has finally confirmed the four exclusives going to rival platforms through a blog post. The four games are namely Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded. After weeks of rumours and speculations of Xbox moving away from the concept of exclusives, Xbox heads revealed through an episode of their Official Xbox Podcast on February 16 that four Xbox exclusives are going multiplatform while confirming that Bethesda’s Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are not a part of these, however, Phil Spencer left the possibility open for the future. While Xbox fans were apprehensive of this change when the rumours started circulating, they were brought into trust through the Podcast.
This fundamental strategy shift represents the state of the current gaming industry in which Xbox is forced to open up their exclusives to find growth. While Verge’s Tom Henderson revealed the four games after Xbox dropped its podcast, they were officially announced only after Nintendo’s recent Partner Direct in which it revealed Grounded and Pentiment as the two Xbox exclusives currently coming to Nintendo Switch.
Pentiment (PS4/PS5/Switch) – February 22
Pentiment is a phenomenal 2D game with an illustrated art style that reels you in. The story revolves around a Painter who is suspected of murder and more so he sets out to investigate things for himself during the journey of the game. The game by Obsidian Entertainment, was released on November 15 2022. The RPG covers 25 years of the artist’s life in the 16th Century with him growing closer and closer to a conspiracy in his town after each case. In Pentiment, after investigating cases, your judgement has lasting impacts on the overall story and can pave the way for new avenues through excellent use of dialogue trees. The game is currently at an 88 on Metacritic and has already launched on PS4, PS5 and Nintendo Switch since the announcement yesterday.
Hi-Fi Rush (PS5) – March 19
Tango Gameworks stellar game Hi-Fi Rush is one of the games coming to PlayStation 5 with the game launching on March 19. Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm-based action game that is currently standing at a 90 on Metacritic. The game was a shadow released by Xbox on January 25 2023 and was an instant hit with the players. The game’s cel-shaded world blends perfectly with the feel of the game as the world around you grooves to the beats. The game also contains modes like BPM RUSH! and Power Up! Tower Up! In the former, you fight waves of enemies as your BPM (beats per minute) constantly rises and in the Power Up! Tower Up! Mode is kind of like a rogue-lite mode where you climb the tower by battling through a range of enemies and receive different upgrades throughout that may or may not be helpful. Hi-Fi RUSH is also finally getting a physical release through a collaboration with Limited Run Games with different editions planned for both Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.
Grounded (PS4/PS5/Switch) – April 16
Grounded is another Obsidian Entertainment game going multiplatform. The first-person multiplayer game in which you need to survive with your friends in your backyard as you are shrunk down to ant size. Obsidian Entertainment released this game in September 2022 to positive reviews with the game receiving an 83 on Metacritic. In Grounded, the gameplay loop revolves around the survival crafting mechanics available in most typical survival games by allowing you to craft your weapons and armour to increase your character’s stats. However, Grounded adds its spin on the formula by giving a good story that can be experienced solo which progresses through a backyard. You can build your base also which can be attacked by hordes of insects! Grounded will also feature crossplay between all platforms when it gets grounded (pun intended) on April 16.
Sea of Thieves (PS5) – April 30
Sea of Thieves is a pirate adventure co-op game made by the developer Rare. It is an open-world first-person game where you explore the seas while you perform jobs for different trading companies while others do the same and you can either tag along and form alliances or go the pirate way and destroy any ship in your path. They received a 69 on Metacritic with the game’s gameplay and progression system put under blame. The game was a success with players due to its continuous player base, reaching 30 million players in total. The multiplayer adventure will now be released for the PlayStation 5 on April 30, with fans excited to battle or partner with the rival platform.
These exclusives going multi-platform is a welcomed change as it will allow more players to be able to play great hits like Hi-Fi Rush and pave the way for cross-platform collaboration through Sea of Thieves like some wish with Helldivers 2.
This decision by Xbox was foreseeable for some time due to the overall goals of the company aligning with the decision to have a presence on as many screens as possible. The success of these games may also incite other platforms to push for the same or for Xbox to launch Bethesda’s exclusives on rival platforms. Check out our article on the original Podcast in which the Xbox leaders shared details for Xbox’s future.
