9 Upcoming Must-Play Xbox One Exclusives

By James McGrath /

2. Inside

Limbo€™s stark, monochromatic purgatory adventure is perhaps the grimmest side-scrolling experience we€™ve ever had€”in a good way. Its playable space as a silhouette will forever be an iconic art-style. Playdead Games€™s newest twist on 2D-perspective conventions is taking full advantage of the Xbox One. Inside reminds us of Deadlight with its 3D environments and Seattle weather, but the simplistic, solid-coloured shapes and epic camera compositions create a look that is every bit as charming as it is unique. If you told us Pixar had made a super moody platformer, we€™d believe Inside was that game. The trailer reveals some recurrent gameplay themes, chief among them underground science facilities, the assimilation of the human race, and lots of rain. The comic art-style and sinister subject matter evoke the same meta-satire vibes of a Mike Judge comedy or a Portal game. We love the way Playdead implements puzzles organically into their environments, with bare bones controls in wildly imaginative scenarios that require serious critical thinking. Perhaps it's time to think inside the box.