Wacky shooter Excessive On Life, solely per week after its preliminary launch on PC and Xbox Sport Go, is at the moment the preferred sport on the service, beating out big-name Xbox titles and long-running video games like Minecraft. It’s an indication the shooter has a whole lot of followers, but additionally a sign of simply how sparse Xbox’s huge, first-party choices have been in 2022.
Launched on December 13 on Sport Go, Excessive On Life acquired combined evaluations from critics and initially was a multitude at launch. Shortly after launch, a patch fixing among the worst efficiency points hit and the sport is extra playable now (should you don’t thoughts Rick and Morty-like humor.) And it appears lots of people have determined to present Excessive On Life a go, in line with the restricted information we’ve through Xbox.com and the Sport Go app.
On the official Xbox web site, you possibly can see a common record of the “Most Well-liked” Sport Go video games, and in line with that web site—as of 5:20 p.m. EST on Dec. 19—Excessive On Life is the preferred title out of the complete Sport Go assortment. A look on the Sport Go app on Android and iOS reveals an analogous story, although the record on the app is barely completely different, with Lego Star Wars not in second however sixth. (My guess for the slight discrepancy: the app and web site are pulling from the identical information however at completely different occasions.) In the meantime, on the PC Sport Go app, Excessive On Life can also be on the prime, forward of Darktide and Microsoft Solitaire.
So on the one hand, it is a good thing for Excessive On Life developer Squanch Video games and Justin Roiland. Lots of people are taking part in the brand new shooter throughout Xbox and PC. That’s nice for all the parents (and AI algorithms) who labored arduous on the sport, and it’s good to see a brand new IP doing effectively in an period of gaming the place it appears the whole lot is a remake, sequel, or reboot. However however, this additionally looks as if a small indictment of Sport Go’ present state and its lack of robust, latest first-party releases. Whereas Sony and Nintendo are placing out huge exclusives like God of Conflict and Pokémon, Microsoft in 2022 has been unable to ship its personal related big-name titles.
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This yr, Microsoft has solely launched one new sport for Xbox and PC that was developed by one in every of its personal inner studios: the historic narrative sport Pentiment by Obsidian. No matter what you consider that sport, that’s not an ideal output when in comparison with Sony or Nintendo.
Compared, in 2021 Xbox Sport Studios launched Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, Psychonauts 2, and Age of Empires IV. Would Excessive On Life have accomplished practically as effectively and been as fashionable on Sport Go in 2021 going up in opposition to these titles? I don’t know. I can’t look into alternate dimensions. However I do assume a scarcity of huge video games from Xbox (and basically this yr) has helped smaller and medium-sized titles, like Evil West and Excessive On Life, do higher than standard. Which, in the long term, is an effective factor. However how for much longer will a big chunk of Sport Go subscribers preserve paying for the service if the greatest video games that arrive on it arrive elsewhere and Xbox’s huge hitters, like Gears and Halo, are nowhere to be seen?