GDC 2019: XD Network’s Vivid Titles

by Vincent Lai | May 15, 2019 7:00 am

X.D. Network is a video game publisher based in China that made a dynamic splash at the Game Developers Conference this year. ConFreaks and Geeks had some hands-on time with a handful of their titles, and we believe that the wide genre variety undoubtedly encompasses players’ interests.

To the Moon is an adventure game by Freebird Games that revolves around extensive character interactions, puzzle solving, and a surreal narrative. With an original release in 2011 and multiple successive ports, To the Moon will be released on the Nintendo Switch later this year. It follows Eva and Neil as they strive to help the elderly Johnny fulfill his dying wish. Their journey involves a surreal dive into the world of memories. During our brief play session, the Switch version performed consistently well in docked mode. Furthermore, the pixel art visuals look marvelous with vibrant sprites and starkly lit environments. The background tunes are also quite impactful with plenty of sweeping moments. We believe the game will certainly be relevant to any Switch gamer seeking a thoughtful adventure that features a well-told story.

Muse Dash is a forthcoming rhythm game by PeroPeroGames that features plenty of expressive characters and colorful antics. The game involves pressing buttons and directional inputs in time with the music. A main difference from other rhythm games is that the perspective actually resembles a side-scrolling game. As enemies approach the player, they serve as both visual cues as well as potential surprises. The game’s sheer amount of peppy electronic songs, multiple difficulties, and unlockable content is quite striking, and we feel that the game is shaping to have a considerable amount of replayability. Muse Dash is planned for release this June on Steam and Nintendo Switch.

While many games have featured theme parks, few are nearly as cute and bizarre as SmallOne Studio’s Monster Safari. Players build a theme park that involves raising monsters and exhibiting them to eager attendees. Of course, creating an appealing park requires building proper infrastructure and pathways. One additional dynamic is ensuring that the monsters are happy, which requires providing plenty of space and food. Another feature is that players can explore a variety of areas across the continent in order to acquire additional resources and animals. We felt that the user interface is well organized with plenty of options to explore. Monster Safari is slated for a Steam release.

See also

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Video Game Features/Preview[2]

Final Fantasy XVI Launches Teaser Website[3]

Pixpil Games’ Eastward is a visually distinct action RPG that draws inspiration from ‘90s animation and 16-bit games. Its complex urban well-lit environments are full of character and charm, and they occur during a post-apocalyptic period in which mankind struggles to survive. The game’s character-driven mechanics are also engaging as they hybridize puzzle solving with straightforward combat. Players control both John and Sam as they venture into dungeons. This duality leads to fulfilling puzzle solving as John has melee capabilities while Sam is capable of casting spells. Swapping between the two characters is important for overcoming obstacles, and sometimes the characters even have to be in separate locations. Eastward is currently slated for release on PC and Mac.

We thoroughly enjoyed checking out X.D. Network’s offerings this year. We believe all of these games will be well worth checking out!

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