Platinum GamesSquint back into the smokey mists of time and you might just remember Scalebound, the ill-fated Xbox One exclusive from Bayonetta developer Platinum Games.
It was, if you can recall, quite a cool looking RPG that focused on over the top combat against a bevy of massive dragons. Microsoft announced that the game was cancelled in January 2017, and many believed that was that, with the Xbox One just one more exclusive down.
Platinum GamesA Microsoft rep said at the time:
After careful deliberation, Microsoft Studios has come to the decision to end production for Scalebound, We’re working hard to deliver an amazing lineup of games to our fans this year, including Halo Wars 2, Crackdown 3, State of Decay 2, Sea of Thieves and other great experiences.
Putting aside how well those other exclusives worked out for Microsoft (they didn’t), it now sounds like Scalebound is getting another shot at life as a Nintendo Switch exclusive, of all things. NintendoInsider claims to have heard this from a trusted source.
The report reads:
I have confidence in my sources to report that it is my understanding that Scalebound has been resurrected as a project to be released as a Nintendo Switch exclusive.
This also tallies with reports from Game Informer that Nintendo is reviving a game that everyone assumed was “long dead and buried.”
Platinum Games These reports make even more sense when you consider Nintendo’s long relationship with Platinum Games. It actually rescued Bayonetta 2 from cancellation, releasing it as a Wii U exclusive. The studio is currently working on two more Switch exclusive titles: Bayonetta 3 and the recently announced Astral Chain.
As such, it perhaps wouldn’t be too much of a shock to see Nintendo give Scalebound the same treatment. The Switch has been a great machine for RPGs, and Platinum’s dragon slaying romp would be a great fit for the handheld console.
Platinum Games While nothing has been officially confirmed yet, if these reports do turn out to be true there’s no denying the game would have to be… scaled down (pun very much intended).
Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.