Conker returns for an episodic adventure in Project Spark

Rare adventure fans rejoice - then dial your excitement back a bit - because Conker, everyone's favorite foul-mouthed squirrel, is returning in an all-new, episodic adventure. There is a catch, though, and it is a big one: that adventure is coming to Project Spark, Microsoft's free-to-play video game builder.

In a recent trailer, Microsoft announced that Conker will be getting a new series of episodic adventures called Conker's Big Reunion, built entirely within Project Spark. While the trailer seems to dial the naughtiness down considerably, you can expect to play as the drunken squirrel and guide him through a series of trials, while meeting familiar characters like a certain incomprehensible scarecrow. No word on whether those context-sensitive button pads will make an appearance, or if Conker will relieve himself on everything/one in sight.

While it's certainly impressive that the entire game was created using Project Spark's game creation tools, one can't help but notice that the triumphant return of one of Rare's iconic characters has been reduced to DLC for a platform Microsoft desperately wants to make relevant. Perhaps Microsoft hopes that this will get more people interested in giving Project Spark a shot, but I can't see it doing much more than enticing a few die-hard fans. Hopefully it'll be an adventure worthy of the name Conker, and not a cheap cash-in on desperate nostalgia.

If you're interested in checking it out, Conker's Big Reunion will be available in Project Spark on April 23rd for $4.99. If you're curious and want to take a deeper plunge into Project Spark, a bundle will be available which includes Conker's Big Reunion and the Conker Creation Pack (with over 350 assets to create your own adventures and a Conker Champion to use as a playable character) for $9.99.

David Roberts
David Roberts lives in Everett, WA with his wife and two kids. He once had to sell his full copy of EarthBound (complete with box and guide) to some dude in Austria for rent money. And no, he doesn't have an amiibo 'problem', thank you very much.