On Sunday, Phil Spencer and Xbox showed how far they’ve come since the series X/S launch and the acquisition of several studios into the Games Studios 1st party family. Here’s some of the biggest announcements and how the show compared to previous years.
Update on HALO INFINITE
We now know just when you’ll be able to play as the Master Chief in this new generation of Xbox. 343 gave fans the first look at Halo Infinite multiplayer with its new grappling hook feature and you’ll be able to get it free. Xbox is making Halo Infinite Multiplayer a free to play. We also got a hint as to the game’s story as the chief is trying to find out what happened to Cortana after an order was issued to erase her.
STARFIELD is an Xbox Exclusive
Announced at the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, Starfield arrives exclusively on Xbox Series X|S and PC on November 11, 2022. Play it day one with Xbox Game Pass.
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next-generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom. Harnessing the power of next-gen technology and built on the all-new Creation Engine 2, Starfield takes you on a journey through space as you strive to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.
SEA OF THIEVES Still Remains A Thing You Have Heard Of
In news that will surely make Michael Bolton happy, the pirate MMO Sea Of Thieves is brining Jack Sparrow to the game in a new “A Pirate’s Life” update.
This monumental crossover will see Captain Jack Sparrow and his infamous crew arrive from beyond the horizon to spark an epic new adventure on the Sea of Thieves. Watch the announcement trailer for Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life right here:
Unfolding across five incredible tales packed with secrets and side-quests, this new campaign gives players a lovingly crafted story to play solo or with their crew. Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life will be free for all players and will launch as the cornerstone of Sea of Thieves Season Three on June 22.
Obsidian Is Working On THE OUTER WORLDS 2
Confirmed to be a next-gen exclusive, the hit RPG The Outer Worlds is getting a sequel with new worlds, new crew, and new story. The game is expected in 2022.
No other details were revealed.
Annapurna Gives A Date and All-Star Cast For TWELVE MINUTES
At the Xbox Showcase today, Annapurna Interactive announced that Luis Antonio’s upcoming interactive thriller Twelve Minutes will launch on August 19 on Xbox Game Pass. The highly anticipated game will also be available for PC via Steam and the Windows Store, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.
In Twelve Minutes, players are asked to take part in a compelling story centered around a shocking crime which they must help solve. This is a game that will subvert the ideas of what play should feel like and will present players with a truly unique entertainment experience.
Developed by Luis Antonio and lauded as a fresh take on the thriller genre, Twelve Minutes depicts the story of a man’s romantic evening with his wife as it is interrupted by a violent home invasion. The man tries to stop the attacker and gets knocked out only to immediately find himself back to the start of the evening, stuck in a time loop of 12 minutes. He must use the knowledge of what is about to happen to change the outcome and break the loop. The characters are nameless throughout the experience and feature a star studded cast; “the man” is voiced by James McAvoy, “the woman” is voiced by Daisy Ridley, and “the intruder” is voiced by Willem Dafoe.
REDFALL Is Revealed as The Next Big New IP
While WB’s Left 4 Dead successor will hit the Xbox Series X, Microsoft is not settling for just one co-op action survival. Arkane Austin, the studio behind Dishonored and Prey is developing a new co-op survival game called Redfall.
Redfall used to be a bustling, beautiful island community. It had everything a coastal town in Massachusetts should have: a lighthouse, a lobster shack, a boardwalk…
When the vampires took over, they blocked out the sun, pushed back the tides, and effectively walled off the island from the rest of society, trapping everyone who remained. Now vampires rule the town by night and the human cultists who worship them patrol the streets by day. Not too many people venturing out of safety to check out the boardwalk these days, and forget about getting fresh lobster.
Enter: You.
In Redfall, you’ll choose from a lineup of unconventional heroes, each with their own unique abilities and specialized weaponry, and face off against the bloodsucking legions threatening the island. You can go it alone, building your chosen character around solo play, or you can select the perfect character to round out a roster of heroes in up to four-player co-op. The game is expected Summer 2022.
When you account for pandemic delays, Xbox has given consumers on the fence of the console buying market lots to consider. We know much of the short term roadmap for the PlayStation 5 and it’s definitely short. Xbox is finally showing its hand from all the studio acquisitions they’ve been making in the past few years. We’re starting to get a clearer picture of what the lifespan of the Xbox Series X/S will be filled with and it’s better than even the 360. It was never in doubt they would keep the most hardware moving games from Bethesda in their ecosystem but now we know what Xbox considers the best of the best. Even if Sony was a part of E3 2021, I think Microsoft would have still come out the clear winner in terms of fan excitement post E3.
