Today marked the first official look at the video games coming to Xbox Series X when the new console launches later this year. In the nearly hour-long event, we saw several games from third-party developers and learned a bit about each game, including Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and DiRT 5, to name a few.
Things started with Aaron Greenberg kicking off the presentation, who spoke to Matt Booty, the head of Microsoft Game Studios. Together, they promised to show more games in July, focusing on what the internal studios at Microsoft were working on. Today focused on all the third-party developers and their games.
Kicking off the showcase, Bright Memory: Infinite, which is a game being developed by a solo developer is coming to Xbox Series X. I thought it was a new Crysis video game before seeing the title screen. The trailer does a good job of showcasing what the new console is capable of, and the detail is noticeable.
DiRT 5 was also revealed and currently in development over at Codemasters. It’s coming this October and will be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, as well as next-gen consoles. Locations include Greece, China, New York, Brazil and will see four-player split-screen once again. There’s also a non-linear progression path, lots of event types, challenges, and a livery editor. The game also runs at 4K at 60 frames per second, up to 120 frames per second. DiRT 5 also comes with Smart Delivery.
Nolan North and Troy Baker will be a part of DiRT 5’s Career Mode, each serving as a mentor, and hosting an in-game podcast series, with more celebrities joining them.
Scorn was shown next and it’s been some time since we’ve seen anything on this game. Development began in 2014 and is a first-person horror adventure game. As players explore the dream-like world in a non-linear fashion, they will soon learn that every location has its own story, puzzles, and characters – even the unsettling environment is a character itself.
Chorus is from Deep Silver Fishlabs and is a space combat shooter coming out in 2021 for Xbox Series X and Xbox One with Smart Delivery. Playing as dual protagonists: ex-cultist Nara, an ace pilot with a haunted past, and Forsaken, a sentient AI starfighter and her closest ally, with a mysterious backstory of his own to unravel. You’ll unlock devastating weapons and bombastic abilities to use against the Circle and free the galaxy from their control. The game is aiming for 4K at 60 frames per second with ray-traced environments.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 had a gruesome trailer from the start and I really dug the entire thing. It’s coming to Xbox Series X and Xbox One using Smart Delivery. Bloodlines 2 is set in Seattle and the studio is working hard to make sure you feel like a vampire. In the city, you’ll encounter fascinating characters, factions and decide who to side with.
Call of the Sea comes from studio Out of the Blue and is a new studio with veterans who have worked on games Red Matter, Metroid: Samus Returns, Deadlight, Gylt, Celeste, Guacamelee 2 and Spacelords. Set in the 1930s, the story-driven game introduces us to protagonist Norah, who crossed the ocean to look for her husband, who has gone missing during an expedition. Cissy Jones stars as Norah, and the studio wants to tell a calmer, deeper, intelligent love story between Norah and her husband.
Scarlet Nexus from Bandai Namco Studios is from a team composed of former members of the team that worked on the Tales of series, including my favourite, Tales of Vesperia. In Scarlet Nexus, players will take on the role of Yuito Sumeragi, armed with a talent in psycho-kinesis, and explore the futuristic city of New Himuka and uncover the mysteries of a Brain Punk future caught between technology and physic abilities. With these psycho-kinetic powers, the world becomes an important ally. Lift, break, and hurl pieces of the environment to build attack combos and lay waste to enemies. Scarle Nexus also uses Smart Deliver and is coming to Xbox One.
The Ascent comes from Curve Digital and Neon Giant, an action-RPG set in a cyberpunk world. Taking place on the planet Veles, the galaxy is run by mega-corporations, with The Ascent Group being the biggest of all. “They own everything and everyone – including you.” But as the game begins, The Ascent Group shuts down for mysterious reasons, causing the city’s automated security systems to go haywire and put your entire world at risk. With riots, rival factions and conspiracy theories spreading like wildfire, it’s time to uncover what’s really happening before it’s too late.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is coming to Xbox Series X and Xbox One, and PC and supports Smart Delivery. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is, at its core, an underdog story about fighting for what you believe in, even when you’re up against impossible odds. You’ll step into the shoes of Ichiban Kasuga, a low-ranking grunt of a low-ranking yakuza family, betrayed, alone, and left on the brink of death by the man he trusted most. Set in Yokohama, Japan, this is the first Yakuza game with an RPG system that offers jobs like being a Chef, Musician, and Bodyguard.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is coming to Xbox Series X and Xbox One via Smart Delivery. We got our first gameplay trailer that shows a bit of fighting, a bit of raiding, and a bit of the Vikings. The video shows us the icy-blue eyes Eivor, his hidden blade and some Viking tattoos that are customizable in-game. Valhalla is set in Norway and a massive part of England, which at the time included warring states and less a united kingdom.
Second Extinction is from studio Systemic Reaction and is a studio out of Sweden. You’ll fight against dinosaurs in this fast-paced co-op game, set in a sci-fi universe. Dinosaurs took over Earth, and humans escaped to space with the help of the group called ERA. Humanity has wited and is ready to strike back against the dinosaurs in The Extinction War, where you pick one of four survivors (with more coming post-launch).
The Medium is from Bloober Team and is coming to Xbox Series X. You play as Marianne, a medium who is haunted by visions, she lives between the spirit world and ours. Taking place in Krakow, Poland, she must solve a terrible tragedy that took place years ago, and she’ll travel between worlds to solve the mystery.
Immersing players in these two worlds is a score composed by Akira Yamaoka, of Silent Hill fame, and Bloober Team’s Arkadiusz Reikowski, working in tandem to create truly unique atmospheres across each world.
Madden 21 is coming to Xbox Series X, confirms cover athlete Patrick Mahomes. Also, while not using Smart Delivery, you can still upgrade to the Series X version. Redeeming the offer is simple: players must purchase Madden NFL 21 on Xbox One by December 31, 2020, and then upgrade to Xbox Series X by March 31, 2021.
