Kotaku recently uncovered a rather interesting XNA game currently being developed by one Ian Dallas called The Unfinished Swan. It uses a paint-the-world mechanic that may seem cribbed from something like Okami or de Blob, but the way The Unfinished Swan uses it as a fundamental aspect of navigating the world seems like a fresh angle. Honestly, this video represents the game's vision far better than any description I might offer.
Hopefully there's more to the game than this short demo reveals, though I could imagine something pretty compelling about exploring all the different angles of one specific, unique mechanic, a la Portal. There's no current release date for The Unfinished Swan, though it sounds like Mr. Dallas is aiming to have the game wrapped up by March 2009. Also, as a weird aside, it turns out this guy also wrote a video-game-themed episode of Spaceballs: The Animated Series. I've never seen the show myself, so I can't say if that's a pro or a con, but it certainly makes this whole undertaking a little more intriguing.
I have my doubts about one of these indie downloadable games capturing people's attention like it was the next Grand Theft Auto, but there's definitely a place in the industry for them. I just hope that XNA doesn't just dwindle into another NetYaroze.
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