Summary
The world is going digital. Good for landfill, good for people who always lose track of their titles, not so good for media permanency. As physical titles become rarer, and digital titles of a certain age get delisted, most of what the world loses is, yes, shovelware, but among the droves of titles lost to time, some absolutegems have been left in the dust.
Candidly, theXboxis not the most prolific offender of leaving their gems behind. It’s no secret that exclusivity has never really been Xbox’s strongest suit, and whilethat may not be a bad thing, it does mean that many forgotten Xbox titles are perhaps best left that way. If anything, that only makesthese exceptional Xbox exclusive games, now unable to be purchased through mainstream means, all the more worthy of discussion.
5Crimson Sea
A Sci-Fi Action Adventure
Crimson Seais a really interesting and unique title for the Xbox. It combines the neo-noir esthetics of something likeBlade Runnerwith the sort of space opera style players might see inMass Effect. Players control Sho, a private detective enlisted by a surreptitious organization known as the IAG — the very straightforwardly-titled Intelligence Agency of the Galaxy. The whole story smacks of pop sci-fi, something that might’ve been playing as a Saturday morning cartoons, but with a very distinct 3D style seen in a lot of Japanese titles from the era.
Unlike a lot ofbroader science fiction titles,Crimson Seais focused on the micro-level. Players explore a single star system with a host of interesting planets, leading the G-Squad to defeat the evil Mutons (See? Saturday morning cartoons) before they can wipe humanity out of the system. There’s a very interesting twist waiting in the story as well. It’s a charming space-based game that seems to revel in the sci-fi jargon it spouts without taking itself too seriously, and comes with some surprisingly modular weapon choices for Sho to utilize. The title simply did not make a big enough splash to warrant much of a following, although there was a PS2 sequel down the line.
A Beloved Sequel To A Cult Classic
Jet Set Radio Future
Extreme AdventureExtreme StyleLead a posse of street-smart skaters through multiple adventures as you reclaim your turf from rival crews, combat corporate goon squads, and attempt to save the soul of the city.Vibrant cel shaded graphics and a cutting edge soundtrackHuge interactive environmentsInsane tricks and grindsMulti-player modes for up to 4 players
Jet Set Radiois one of the most 2000s-esque video games of all time. The zany esthetic, the typeface for the title, the aggressive yellows and blues, it’s all as 2000s as it gets. That is clearly up many peoples' alley, as there are rumors that this beloved classichas a remakefrom Sega that is currently in the works. A game that is just as fondly remembered, but not quite as easy to get a hold of, is the sequel to this original title,Jet Set Radio Future.
In a similar style seen withrevised Pokemon gameslikeUltra Sun and Ultra Moon,Jet Set Radio Futuretends to blur the lines between a sequel and remake of the original Dreamcast title. The plot is an altered version of the original, as opposed to an entirely new story, but the game is larger, more fluid and dynamic, and holds multiplayer capabilities unseen on the Dreamcast. It was a widely praised successor to the cult classic, and the upcoming remake will be sure to borrow as many features from this title as it does the original.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2002)was a title that seemed to go under the radar even during the time of its release, and while it might be an obscure facet of the monolithicBuffy the Vampire Slayerfranchise, there’s still a lot to talk about with the game today. Like some ofthe best beat ‘em up gamesof all time,Buffy the Vampire Slayergot the core principles right — fluid, satisfying action, and a variety of ways to enhance the protagonist’s abilities.
The story is like a more drawn out and twistier version of those classicBuffyepisodes that made such an impression on fans. It’s not looking like it will get a re-release any time soon, unfortunately, but this title was a genuinely engaging action romp during its time.
2Chromehounds
An Engaging Relic From FromSoftware’s More Obscure Titles
FromSoftware is renowned today for its difficult, engaging titles that have shown tremendous creativity, detail, and ingenuity.Demon’s Souls,and the subsequentDark Soulsseries,birthed an entire genreof celebrated games that have taken inspiration from the core mechanics from these works. However, before the monolithic success ofDemon’s Souls,Chromehoundswas one of FromSoft’s more obscure titles, amid a plethora of other mid-range games that kept the company afloat, but nowhere near as successful as it is now.
Chromehoundsguides players through a series of campaigns in an alternate world with fictional countries engaging in intrigue and espionage against one another. The game’s single-player mode acted as a prequel of sorts to the sprawling online multiplayer, setting up the events of the unending war in the region. Well, formerly unending. FromSoft closed the multiplayer servers in early 2010, and the title nowadays is nowhere to be seen, although those who’ve played it describe it as an incredibly interesting divergence from theArmored Coreseries.
1Phantom Crash
A Mech Title Chock-Full Of Customization
Yet another futuristic mech title, exclusive to Xbox, that’s an underrated gem and not able to be bought anywhere. Maybe this is just the genre destined to be overlooked — and maybeArmored Core 6has changed that. In any case, players back in 2002 could have expected a solid third-person mech-shooter fromPhantom Crash, with the true beauty in this title coming from the rather astounding amount of depth in its customization.
With this tournament-style game offering winnings after every fight, players are able to utilize growing amounts of money to build the ruthless mech of their dreams in a destroyed post-war Tokyo. This title had solid gameplay, great customization, and a distinct, gritty, “televised violence” theme that was quite charming.
