The Great Irony of XNA
Who would have thought that one of the brightest stars to come out of the current XNA releases would be a game that is literally a black screen. Perhaps one may call In the Pit a gimmick and not true innovation, but for all things considered this game is quite possibly one of the best stealth games ever conciencieved. The short version is that you are a blind, hungry beast and it is your job to find and devour your opponents using only the sound of their breathing and movements. Basically, you can play it with your eyes closed. Yes it is short, and yes it is somewhat contrived, but there are few other games that actual use sound in such a realstic manner. We have always had the spy games with the rudementary tap on the wall, but rarely is sound ever used in a game to this degree. If a game could ever be called an experience, this is simple it. Never has there been a game in which such a unique objective has been thrown at the player. Even since the days of Pong, gamers have been trained to react to what is on the screen with speed and efficency. When exposed to this product that takes you completely out of your element, it truly does instill something of a crippiling effect; you feel as though you are at a severe disadvantage from the begining.
If you really can't few scant dollars it would cost to experience the whole of this game, at least do yourself a favor and try the free demo. It is truly unlike anything else out there.