Originally launching in 2005, Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse will no longer require foraging through stacks of discs to play, as a March 2021 re-release of the OG Xbox game is planned for modern systems.
Originally developed by developer Wideload, this port is being handled by porting specialists Aspyr (who handled the Star Wars Episode 1: Racer port for modern consoles). Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse seems to be next in what is shaping up to be an exciting trend. As the Xbox One X/S continues to bolster its library with innovative new titles, older games are also released for the system through the backward compatibility program and remasters, appealing to older fans as well as new audiences.
The biggest tip-off that points to a Stubbs re-release date as exact as March 16th, 2021 comes in the forms of both a leaked Microsoft Store listing for the game, as well as the discovery of the game's achievement list. Being of a time when physical strategy guides were the norm, Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse's achievements explain the feats in question as cryptically as they do comedically, adhering to a true mid-2000s era attitude seldom seen in modern titles. And while there will likely not be any physical strategy guides available, achievement hunters will luckily have the Internet to help them this time around.
Set in a retro-futuristic 1950s Pennsylvania, the game's plethora of levels all facilitate undead protagonist Edward "Stubbs" Stubblefield's raising of an undead army set on plunging the city built atop his grave into chaos. Mechanically, developer Wideload featured Bungie co-founder Alex Seropian at the helm, who utilized the same engine used to make the original Halo, lending the games the same physics despite the differences in first and third person perspectives.
Another noteworthy element of style that makes Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse so memorable continues on in the game's soundtrack, comprised entirely of punky and dark alternative covers of 1940s, 50s, and 60s pop songs. In case longtime fans are worried that licensing troubles will keep these songs from making a comeback, the soundtrack being published under Aspyr's label means the musical features including Death Cab For Cutie, The Dandy Warhols, and The Flaming Lips among others will likely remain intact.
Stubbs The Zombie In Rebel Without A Pulse is coming to Xbox One X/S March 16th, 2021.
Source: Trueachievements.com