After Summer Game Fest got the showcase season started, Xbox was the next big event the following Sunday. Despite being shorter than SGF, the Xbox Games Showcase had even more games to show off in its runtime. There were a few titles that everyone knew would be there beforehand, and some leaks and rumors did spoil a few surprises, but Xbox fans were given a nice slate of news to give them some hope for the future of Xbox.
With both Activision Blizzard and Bethesda fully under its wing, Xbox was able to pack this showcase with back-to-back trailers almost from start to finish. The show moved at a breakneck pace, so even taking a quick bathroom break could result in missing a world premiere. Plus, being on a Sunday, many people may not have been able to tune in at all. The good news for you is that I have no social life whatsoever and watched the entire thing for you to pick out the most hype announcements.
What the heck is going on with Microsoft Xbox?
If you’re wondering whether we are witnessing the death of the Xbox in real time, let me break it all down for you.
1Gears of War: E-Day
I have to start at the end and say I wasn’t anticipating a move like this. Gears 6 had been one of the most rumored titles to show up and I was anticipating it would be the closer. Well, I was half right since Gears of War: E-Day did close the show, but it isn’t Gears 6. Rather than push the story forward, The Coalition has decided to create a prequel set 14 years before the original Gears of War. To evoke that same feeling of dread and hopelessness the original trilogy had, this teaser featured a remix of the classic Mad World song used in the first game’s marketing. We see the youngest version of Marcus yet in a desperate struggle against a Locust. The only other character to appear is Dom, who would only just be getting to know Marcus at this point in time.
5 indie games from the Devolver Direct I’m more excited for than any AAA game
If you’re as bored with AAA games as I am, these Devolver indies will reignite your passion
2Perfect Dark
Our first look
I had said that Xbox needed to show Perfect Dark at this showcase, and it at least delivered on that. We finally see some gameplay here, which seems to blend first-person shooting, an almost Mirror’s Edge-like parkour system, and plenty of gadgets and tech. What was shown was heavily scripted, but did give off the impression that it will be attempting to deliver a more tactical and even some immersive sim elements to differentiate it. The plot details so far set the game in the near future where Earth’s ecosystems are beginning to collapse. Joanna Dark is on a mission to capture the world’s most wanted criminal to hopefully put stop to his mysterious plans that threatens the globe. The only big bummer here is that we didn’t even get a release window.
6 epic Metroidvania games that will keep you glued to your screen
If you love getting lost and honing your navigational abilities, I’ve played the best Metroidvania games and have some recommendations.
3Doom: The Dark Ages
Going medieval
The Doom Slayer is back and it’s about time. Speaking of time, just like Gears of War: E-Day, Doom: The Dark Ages is another prequel. Things get complicated with the Doom timeline, but all you need to know is Dark Ages will be set before Doom (2016). We don’t know almost anything about the story or setting beyond its visuals, but we see a ton of new toys we can look forward to eviscerating demons with. The Shield Saw is the standout addition. It can block incoming attacks like you would expect from a shield, but it also has spinning blades around the rim so you may hurl it through crowds. We also see just a tiny tease of the new Atlan mech that will bring the battles to an all-new scale and scope. This was the perfect game to get people excited right off the bat, though 2025 feels like a long time to wait.
5 impossible PlayStation trophies that have gamers hurling controllers
Anyone who is able to earn these PlayStation trophies deserves a real trophy.
4Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Sign me up
Unless I missed something, there was absolutely no leaks or rumors about anything like this game existing before the showcase. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, at least from what I saw, looks like the exact type of game I crave. The premise of the world is intriguing, the characters look and act great, and it appears to be doing something interesting with the combat. The world of Expedition 33 is one in which a Paintress paints a new number every year that kills everyone of that age, and each year that number goes down until everyone is wiped out. The game takes place one day before she will paint the number 33 and all our heroes will perish unless they can stop her from ever painting again. The gameplay looks turn-based but with some real-time elements mixed in. It all looks incredibly beautiful, somber, and intriguing in a way not many AAA game stories are.
Dragon Age 4 is now Veilguard, first look coming soon
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf has been renamed just a few days before the official gameplay reveal
