There are people out there that will scoff at the thought of playing anything that isn’t backed by a huge triple-A budget. There are however others who will set some time aside to play through the smaller indie games and we reckon most will have several games that spring to mind when thinking back on favourite gaming experiences.
Unfortunately, with exclusive games being a selling point for both Microsoft and Sony, many of these great titles can find themselves locked down to a specific platform, with many gamers then missing out on the chance to play through some of the most stunning games available. Yep, some titles have managed to bridge the gap and join the Xbox party to great success – think Rocket League, Firewatch, The Witness and even Abzu – but many others will never see the light of day.
So, with that in mind, here are our top 10 PS4 exclusive indie titles we’d love to see on Xbox One.
With so many great independent titles available however, let’s start with a title that whilst not holding its own spot on this list, still deserves an honourable mention for its hugely enjoyable gameplay.
Honourable Mention – Resogun
In Resogun, players battle through a cylindrical voxel-based world, battling the many different enemies and saving the lives of innocent humans along the way. Resogun is a side scrolling shooter and was one of the launch titles available for PS4 on release. Often praised by critics and users alike for its fast-paced gameplay, enticing soundtrack and the graphical prowess on show throughout, the real reason to mention this title is due to just how much fun this game is to play.
The gameplay itself is rather simple, with players required to eliminate all enemies within the level to open up an end of level boss fight, all whilst saving humans along the way to boost the level score. One of the biggest pulls however is the elusive trophies on offer for the fully engaging difficulty levels and the extreme challenges they can provide.
10) Surgeon Simulator
Okay, so this one hardly needs much of an introduction as it has been at the centre of countless Let’s Play videos upon its release on near on every device possible – except Xbox of course.
Surgeon Simulator sees players take on the role of a surgeon in a first-person perspective, with the task a simple one – perform some of the most dangerous operations without killing the patient being operated on. DLC has included operating on an Alien, and of course President-elect Donald Trump, however the real pull with this game is the sheer skill required to perform successful operations. Much like the game ‘Operation’, the simplest of mistakes can see your failure, with patients instead bleeding out instead of buzzing this time round.
With individual digits also controlled by separate buttons, Surgeon Simulator is no game for those with fumbling tendencies, however, it is no doubt one we would love to see on Xbox One.
9) Apotheon
Apotheon is a 2D, action-platform title in which players take on the role of Nikandreos, a young warrior who, with the help of Hera, follows a path to eliminate the Olympian gods after they start a barrage of punishments against humans. There are many weapons available to the player throughout the game with bows, swords, spears and knives all coming into play, however the real engagement comes from the enjoyment found within the gameplay and its beautiful Greek setting.
Rather simplistic in appearance, the art style follows that of historical Greek paintings and transforms it into one of the most enjoyable experiences on PlayStation.
8) Soma
There are many top titles that spring to mind when talking about the first-person horror games on PlayStation 4, and Daylight, Amnesia, or indeed Kholat could have all taken this spot – but the sheer creepy and disturbing vibe found throughout the twisted story means Soma wins this time out.
The game takes place in an underwater remote research facility and follows the story of the strange protagonist Simon Jarett, who finds himself at the facility under mysterious circumstances and is forced to make sense of his new-found predicament – understanding his future as he battles against the machines.
With exceptional plot twists and an intriguing story, Soma was one of 2016’s most anticipated titles, and there’s no doubt we’d love to see this psychological horror title arrive on the Xbox Store.
7) Salt and Sanctuary
Whilst there is already a fair share of 2D platformers on Xbox One, not many can compete with such a franchise as Salt and Sanctuary. Arriving on PlayStation on the back of its announcement via an open-letter, Salt and Sanctuary provided a perfect blend of gameplay that can be described best as a Castlevania and Dark Souls mashup.
Beautiful hand drawn visuals and over 600 items are available for the players use as Salt and Sanctuary invites the player into one of the most engaging indie titles available. With exceptionally challenging levels and tremendously well visualised bosses, this game quickly gained a firm fanbase and although many will settle for the challenge that is Dark Souls on Xbox One, there’s no hiding that a worthy competitor wouldn’t be more than welcome.
6) Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture
Many will use the term walking simulator as criticism for a title that sees you in no danger, and no objective other than uncovering the story as you progress, you can’t hide that these games can often be the most beautiful games to play.
That is no different for Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture.
This title is seen as a spiritual successor to the popular Dear Esther, with players once more taken on a first-person adventure, however this time through a quiet English country town, on a path to find out what happened to the town’s inhabitants. The game takes place in the early 1980s and boasts one of the most believable settings in a videogame to date.
5) Hotline Miami 1 & 2
Okay so a bit of a double whammy here then with the inclusion of both Hotline Miami 1 and 2 in this entry, but it’s for good reason. Whilst Xbox One does indeed already house the exceptionally enjoyable LA Cops for its top down shooting gameplay, the Hotline Miami titles offer something that is missing from the Xbox One store at present.
Hotline Miami follows protagonists Biker and Jacket, who have been instructed via phone calls to commit massacres against the Russian Mafia. The game blends a perfect mix of stealth and surreal storytelling with extreme violence and a soundtrack fully reminiscent of the 1980s. Hotline Miami is currently one of the highest rated titles on PlayStation 4, with Hotline Miami 2 following close behind, and although we already have our fair share of gruesomely violent titles on Xbox One, the quality of the Hotline Miami series is something sorely missing.
4) Absolute Drift
Ahhh drifting, the mere thought of it brings a sense of my favourite Japanese cars, sliding seamlessly sideways across the tarmac, with the smell of burning rubber ascending… It also brings memories of my every attempt to join in an online free roam in a Forza Horizon game, to then find every player attempting their own recreation of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
Absolute Drift is the game that looks to bring that imagination out of its players, with the goal of becoming the Drift Master. Players take control of various vehicles in top down fashion, as they look to glide their car through the various Gymkhana events, free roam sessions and of course midnight tracks too, in order to master the art of drifting. There will be those that are satisfied with the drifting offered in the Forza Motorsport games, but there’s no denying that sideways action is something that has been missed on Xbox since its introduction into the popular Race Driver: Grid of 2008.
And with no game dedicated to the beloved art, the arrival of Absolute Drift would be met with delight.
3) Dead Nation: Apocalypse edition
This third spot could very easily have gone to Housmarque’s other popular title, Alienation, but it’s Dead Nation that wins the spot for me. Dead Nation is a top down twin stick shooter that takes players through the zombie apocalypse as either a male or female protagonist tasked with finding food and water a year after the viral outbreak. Throughout the game, players rack up scores through each level of wave based combat whilst progressing through various stages to find what they are looking for.
The Apocalypse edition of Dead Nation comes complete with the Road of Devastation content that focusses on either weapons upgrades, monetary gain or armour upgrades as replacing paths to the base game stages on offer.
Xbox One owners already have Zombie Driver HD Ultimate Edition doing a great job of offering the same type of gameplay in vehicular fashion, but the on-foot adventure that can also be enjoyed in co-op is certainly one we’d love to have on this side of the scene.
2) No Mans Sky
Possibly the year’s most anticipated title, and without a doubt the most criticised, but whilst many will disapprove of No Mans Sky featuring in this list, there is no denying that the gameplay on offer in this title is certainly something to marvel at.
Although many of the promised features are still missing, the ability to simply jump a ship at will and land on any planet in the universe is something which cannot be replicated on Xbox One. Elite Dangerous does a great job of offering a believable and life-like approach to life in space, but the game that resides inside No Mans Sky is certainly something that would be welcome on Xbox One. With more planets to explore than real life seconds left in our own solar system, No Mans Sky needs to be given a second chance on Xbox One.
1) Don’t Starve Together
After the hit title Don’t Starve arrived on Xbox One, I for one was left stunned by just how addictive tending to Wilson – and indeed the rest of the wonderful cast of characters – could be. So the option to do that all over again with a friend or against a foe is something that is enticing. You may look to this title as just a piece of DLC after it was originally given away for free to owners of the already existing Don’t Starve, but the PlayStation version is a fully standalone title that offers many new adventures to be had once more.
With fully customisable servers and a large number of players available to each game, Don’t Starve Together may just be the best indie game currently available on PlayStation 4 and is certainly one of the most wanted titles to make its way over to the Xbox One.
So, there we have it, our top ten PS4 exclusive indie games that we’d love to see arrive on Xbox One. Do you agree with our list? Is there something we’ve missed out that you would prefer to see make its way across the virtual fence? Let us know in the comments below.
