If there was one consistent message from today's Xbox Games Showcase, it's that stuff is back. Crazy Taxi is back, Spyro is back, Persona 4 is back, the first Halo game is back, Gears of War is getting a back-to-basics prequel after its so-so open world reinvention, and even transparent electronics are due for a reprise.
The new ideas on offer also sported a decidedly nostalgic tone, whether we're talking about the familiar zombie-blasting of State of Decay 3 or the Bioshockish, extremely steampunk-coded Clockwork Revolution. Outside of those games, Microsoft's coterie of acquired developers has been constructing a tall tower of sequels, reboots, and revivals: Fable, Minecraft Dungeons 2, Modern Warfare 4's DMZ mode, and so on.
