7 Xbox Franchises We’d Love to See Return

The Xbox team just had an amazing Xbox Showcase that is bringing a lot of brand-new games to the table. We got a look at Clockwork Revolution, South of Midnight, and of course Starfield, but in addition to the brand new IP that will be hitting console and PC sooner rather than later, we’d love for Xbox to go back to the treasure trove and revive some of these classics. Here are a few of the games we’d love to see make a return.

1. Banjo-Kazooie

The wacky bear with a bird in his backpack made waves when the duo last appeared in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. But recently the headlines have been about how former developers like Grant Kirkhope don’t think the Banjo audience would be there if it tried to make a comeback in 2023 or beyond. Via VGC he said “I think Rare would be open to somebody if they found the right team, but I don’t feel like that team exists. Also, I’m not convinced the audience is there either.” With over 6.9 Million views on that Smash reveal alone I think the Banjo community would like to argue that this is one that Rare should not sleep on.

2. Conker

If Banjo isn’t your speed, how about a foul-mouthed furry rodent who goes by the name of Conker? He’s greedy, drinks too much, and was a perfect vessel for poking fun at the tropes of video game design back in 2001 in Conker’s Bad Fur Day. That same humor could obviously be translated to modern-day and would be a welcome shakeup to the games playing it safe like Super Lucky’s Tale. Last seen as a remake on Rare Replay in 2015, Conker is more than overdue for a return.

3. Killer Instinct

The revival of Killer Instinct on the Xbox One in 2013 had the Fighting Game community shouting praise from the rooftops. Not only did the game receive support in the form of new characters and regular updates, but even as recent as May 2023 the game is still getting backend support to ensure it stays up and running. That’s 10 years of support! All that said… where’s Killer Instinct 2 Xbox? There’s a voracious demand for more KI and as a fan since the arcade version was promised on the “Ultra 64” I’d love to see this game get even more tlc in the form of a sequel.

4. Mech Assault

MechWarrior 5 from 2019 is still getting mod support and Armord Core VI is right around the corner but you know what hasn’t gotten some love? Mech Assault! With the love for giant mech machines fighting each other sailing through the air, now seems like a time when we could be dawning our favorite Mech Assault was kind of a special entry into the Xbox list of games because not only was it a fantastic mech game, but it just… dissapeard and it’s kind of a mystery as to why. The sound design was superb. The gameplay worked on controller incredibly well. The story wasn’t half bad either. So where’s the love Xbox?

5. Quake

When the original Quake got a superb remaster last year, a few of us at IGN thought that meant something new was coming from the Quake team. Was a new game being built? Was this a tease for something bigger? Sadly, we haven’t heard anything about Quake since Quake Champions went free to play in 2018. However, with Quake Remaster getting almost universal praise it may be time to revisit this mostly dormant franchise. If ID can remake Doom into a masterpiece I for one would love to see what they did with a new take on the Quake story.

6. Shadowrun

Shadowrun came out for PC and the Xbox 360 way back in 2007 to mixed reviews and was never heard from again. But I do think there’s something great that could be built. In 2007 the Xbox game gave you access to magic, teleportation, and tech but the series was actually built around a table top that has an incredible set of lore a developer could dive into. Wikipedia says “It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy, horror and detective fiction.” Even as far back as 1993 when the first game was made it leaned more into these aspects on the SNES with a positively reviewed action RPG. To me it seems ripe with potential and if the Pillars of Eternity universe can be reimagined as Avowed, maybe Shadowrun still has the legs to make a comeback.

7. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge

Crimson Skies was a huge hit when it came out on the original Xbox and every time it’s mentioned people think back fondly with memories of blasting each other in the sky, or jumping into a turret to shoot down the enemy so you could steal the chick and gain a point. It feels like the game had a lot of fans, but for some reason it just never took off after High Road to Revenge. As Flight Simulator gets more and more into the “fun” aspects of flight with the new expansion adding things like the Dune vehicles, Aerial Firefighting, Skydiving, Seach and Rescue missions, and Cargo Transport… maybe there’s room for a mission or two that bring us back to the beloved Crimson Skies universe. Or if that doesn’t work, maybe the dream could be kept alive another way. It would be a shame to see this one fly off into the sunset.

And those were our 7 picks that we’d love to see Xbox bring back from the brink. Did we miss any? Let us know your picks in the comments below.

Honorable Mentions

Kameo

Fuzion Frenzy

Crimson Skies

Project Gotham Racing

Viva Pinata

Monster Truck Madness

Commander Keen

Hexen