Following our earlier report, it now looks like Microsoft is finally getting its game face on for Xbox Achievements. The platform’s accomplishments feature has long been viewed as lackluster in comparison to PlayStation’s, but that’s about to change.
Word on the streets, courtesy of the latest episode of The XboxEra podcast, is that Microsoft is putting on the finishing touches of the major overhaul of the achievements feature. Shpeshal Nick, the co-host with the most, spilled the beans, hinting we could be seeing this revamp as early as 2024. Well, that’s fine and dandy, but what will Xbox players get for their patience?
As it stands, no preview or reveal of what the overhaul might look like has been made, but we can make an educated guess. An Xbox executive previously implied that the platform was looking to introduce trophy-like Platinum achievements, akin to those found on PlayStation.
The coveted Platinum trophy can only be unlocked by completing all other achievements in a game, which means that players have to grind through those difficult missions to earn bragging rights.
For games in the souslike and roguelike genres, the journey towards earning the Platinum trophy will have you cursing and swearing like a sailor. 2015’s roguelike rhythm game Crypt of the NecroDancer is universally recognized to have one of the most difficult Platinum trophies on PlayStation.
To achieve it, one has to beat the game nine times in a row with all nine characters back-to-back without dying a single time. It’s no wonder only 11 players have managed to bag this trophy.
The idea behind the Platinum trophy is players will dedicate more time to a game in order to achieve it. Consequently, players get to keep playing the game beyond the main campaign, which is a win-win for them and the developers.
Beyond personal achievement and completionist’s pride, players are also more likely to purchase another game in the series due to the appeal of completing a previous game.
Since it sounds like a matter of when rather than if, Microsoft should do its best to give Xbox players an achievements overhaul that’s worth the wait. At the very least, the achievements UI should get a facelift, one that players will feel proud to share when they’re showcasing the trophies they’ve amassed.
Plenty of ideas have been floated by players on what they’d like to see in the overhaul, including better tracking of the achievements in progress, the ability to pin rare achievements on one’s profile, and many others. All Xbox needs to do is listen.
