E3 2017: How Xbox One X Makes Super Lucky's Tale Shine

Super Lucky's Tale, an adorable-looking platformer from Words With Friends creator Paul Bettner, was one of the surprise reveals at Microsoft's E3 2017 briefing this week. A non-VR sequel to 2016's Oculus Rift game Lucky's Tale, Super Lucky's Tale had a major presence at Microsoft's show, something that Bettner was initially apprehensive about.

Speaking to GameSpot today at E3, Bettner said people understand the appeal of Super Lucky's Tale when they get their hands on it, but he wasn't totally sure if this would come across in the trailer alone. Now that people have played the game and experienced its novelty, he's been blown away by the positive reaction to the game--even on NeoGAF.

"I came into [E3] with a little bit of apprehension because ... this is the thing about Super Lucky's Tale ... People who experience the demo, and you can see this on Twitter, Reddit, and even NeoGAF--NeoGAF has a thread that's like 600 posts about Lucky's Tale!"

"And when I first heard about the thread, I was like, 'I don't wanna' ... but I went and looked, and there's so much love for it there. It's like, Wow. I was a little apprehensive, because it's easy for hardcore gamers to make fun of things that are cute. We all do that. There's a little snark. But apparently, we conveyed the right things in the trailer and when people go hands on the demo, they feel like this is a game made for me. It's not just made for kids. And clearly it is also made for kids.

Also in our interview with Bettner, he confirmed that Super Lucky's Tale is a "shorter and lightweight" game that will be sold for the lower price point of $30. The game is coming to all of the Xbox family systems, including Xbox One S, Xbox One X, and Windows 10.

Bettner told us about how the Xbox One X version of the game benefits from the power of the system, which Microsoft says is the most powerful console ever made. He mentioned how frame rate can be especially important for platforms, and confirmed that Super Lucky's Tale will run at 60fps on Xbox One X.

"The fact the game is running in 60 frames per second is probably actually the most impactful thing for a platforming game," Bettner explained. "It gives you this precision and it really benefits the game like this that's a lot about timing and about controlling this character--and it just feels great.

"There is also a lot we can do with how beautiful the world is and you can see this in the demo. There is breeze blowing, particle effects, these clouds that are building around. We're able to bring this fairytale world to life in a fidelity that hasn't been seen before in this genre yet. And I think that's one of the reasons people are responding well to it, especially Xbox gamers. It's one of the most beautiful, cute games you've ever seen."

"The Xbox One X is such a beast that literally almost the first time we got it running it was almost running at 4K, 60 hertz."

For lots more on Microsoft's E3 2017 announcements, you can check out GameSpot's roundup of all the big news. We've also compiled our thoughts on the company's highs, lows, and biggest games from the show.

This story has been updated.