Xbox's Canceled Project Ranger Was Meant To Challenge Uncharted

"In 2013, Microsoft briefly showed off a teaser for a spy game codenamed Project Ranger, which was in development by Blue Tusk Studios--the studio that later rebranded itself as The Collective. Project Ranger was abandoned over a decade ago, but a new report has shed some light on what was meant to be Xbox's answer to Uncharted. Liam Robertson's Did You Know Gaming channel has posted an in-depth look back at Project Ranger, which Microsoft and Black Tusk initially had high hopes for."

"Although the 30-second teaser took place in Shanghai, the report describes it as "Uncharted with spies," and a third-person action shooter that would have featured missions set in cities all over the world. The project was said to be influenced by the Mission: Impossible movies, with a touch of James Bond through the gadgets that the player's character could use against his enemies."

"Microsoft's Perfect Dark reboot would have explored similar territory, if it hadn't been canceled earlier this year amid wider layoffs at the company. That title was being co-developed by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics, but the former has since been shut down while the latter has experienced multiple layoff rounds as well. A potential deal with Take-Two to save the Perfect Dark reboot reportedly fell apart over questions about which company would own the IP."

Project Ranger was a spy-themed third-person action shooter under development by Blue Tusk Studios (later The Collective) for Xbox. The game featured globe-trotting missions, a Shanghai-set teaser, Mission: Impossible inspiration, James Bond-style gadgets, and optional Kinect voice support for handler tips. Development never reached stable footing and Microsoft canceled the project in 2014 after acquiring Gears of War rights and assigning The Collective to that franchise. Perfect Dark's reboot later aimed at similar spy-adventure territory but faced cancellation and studio layoffs, with a potential Take-Two rescue failing over IP ownership disputes.

Read at GameSpot