Following last week’s long-rumoured announcement Microsoft is bringing four of its previously Xbox-exclusive first-party games to Switch and PlayStation 5, we’ve finally got official confirmation of the first two games making that multiplatform leap: Obsidian’s historical narrative adventure Pentiment comes to Switch tomorrow, 22nd February, while inch-high garden adventure Grounded arrives 16th April on Nintendo’s platform.
Starting with Pentiment, it cast players as Andreas Maler, a master artist who finds himself embroiled in murders, scandals, and intrigue over a period of five years in 16th century Bavaria. It’s fantastic stuff – Eurogamer’s Christian Donlan called it a “brilliant narrative adventure that is filled with intelligence and heart” in his Recommended review back in November 2022 – and the choice-driven adventure is paired with a striking art style, inspired by the great manuscripts and the earliest printed books of the time.
Pentiment – Official Launch Trailer
As for Grounded, Microsoft’s second Switch-bound Xbox title, it’s a wonderful co-op-imbued survival and crafting adventure with a distinctly 80s twist, taking a leaf out of cinema favourite Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. As in that movie, Grounded’s four protagonists are miniaturised and left to fend for themselves in a sprawling backyard garden, building bases and crafting armour to forge ahead against deadly bugs, fish, and other wildlife.
Grounded Official 1.0 Full Release Trailer
“A delightful mix of harsh survival and warm-hearted design” is what Eurogamer contributor Vikki Blake called Grounded on its original release, so that’s two top tier former Xbox-exclusives now inbound tomorrow and April this year.