Xbox One and PC-exclusive ReCore launched last year to a less-than-warm reception, with much of the criticism directed at the game’s seemingly unfinished state and lengthy loading times. However, Microsoft isn’t giving up on the action-adventure: The publisher announced that an updated rerelease, ReCore: Definitive Edition, will hit stores August 29.
Announced during its Gamescom presentation, ReCore Definitive Edition adds HDR support, higher-resolution visuals, and a new mission called “Eye of Obsidian.” Anyone who already purchased the original version of the game will get the new content for free via an upcoming update. The game will cost $20 at both retail and on the Xbox One store, and will also be free for Xbox Game Pass members.
The game will include a fast-paced racing-platforming mission, which makes use of Mario Kart-like jumps to gain extra speed, and the new T8NK can be used to reach new areas — it appears that the Eye of Obsidian mission will also delve a little deeper into the world’s mysterious lore.
Prior to the announcement at Gamescom 2017, the official ReCore Twitter revealed that new information would arrive on August 20. The tweet was accompanied by a picture of protagonist Joule riding atop a small tank robot called the T8NK, as well as a GIF of the in-game model — this companion was included on the game’s box art, but never actually appeared in ReCore itself.
Earlier this spring, the German Rating Board posted a listing for a “Definitive Edition” of the game. This seemed odd at the time, as ReCore hadn’t actually received any downloadable content at all and was quickly forgotten as the fall and holiday season game rush went into full effect.
When the Definitive Edition was first brought to our attention back in March, we said that it would be “wise to put ReCore in the rearview mirror” as Microsoft instead moved to focus on high-quality exclusive titles that its fans could be proud of. While not a colossal failure in terms of its basic combat and exploration pillars, the game’s story was almost nonexistent, and hours of your time is spent returning to old areas as you look for collectibles that must be used to unlock the final boss. It was a tedious slog that showed that the game was released unfinished (if the missing character on the cover wasn’t enough to show that).
Updated on 8-20-2017 by Gabe Gurwin: Added information official Gamescom reveal.
