There is an Xbox exclusive game, a game available on no other console other than the Xbox One, that is currently available for free on the Microsoft Store. This game, an RPG, is not natively available on Xbox Series X; however, it is playable on the Xbox Series X thanks to the console’s backward compatibility with the Xbox One. Meanwhile, the game itself dates back to 1988. In 2020, 32 years later, this classic RPG got a remaster, via Xbox Game Studios, on Xbox One and PC. It is this remaster that is completely free on the Microsoft Store.
If the dots are not connecting, the free Xbox game in question is the 2020 remaster of 1988 RPG Wasteland. The original game was developed by Interplay Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. The remaster, meanwhile, was developed by Krome Studios and InXile Entertainment, and published by Xbox Game Studios. And this was before Xbox’s multi-platform strategy, hence why it was, and is, an Xbox One console exclusive. As for why the game has been made free, and how long it is going to be available for free, we currently do not know.
1988 Classic RPG
The original game was the debut of the Wasteland series, which is still active to this day. The series is a hardcore RPG that is set in a post-apocalyptic America, generations after a nuclear holocaust wiped most of humanity from existence and transformed the country to, well, a wasteland. The game was both a critical and commercial success, yet it never got a sequel at the time. And this would not change until the game’s director, Brian Fargo, founded the aforementioned inXile Entertainment in the 2000s. Then came Wasteland 2 in 2014 and Wasteland 3 in 2020. Currently, there is no word of a fourth game.
While some Xbox fans may not know the Wasteland series, they certainly know the series it heavily inspired. In fact, this series arguably copied a lot of Wasteland, and this series is Fallout.
The original, nostalgic version is not free, though, but the 2020 remaster. This remaster overhauls both the graphics and audio of the game, while also updating it to 3D modes. Additionally, voice acting was added, some new character art, and various modern features.
For those curious, the remaster was not as well-received as the original game, as evidenced by its 64 on Metacritic, its 2.5/5 stars on the Microsoft Store, and its 69% approval rating. But it’s free, where it normally costs $14.99. And in return, you are getting an old-school RPG with a content length range of approximately 15 to 40 hours.
All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the conversations happening over on the ComicBook Forum.