I know, I know… I said I wasn’t going to cover these types of shows this year. However, I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about today’s Xbox Developer Direct, which I thought had an incredibly solid lineup of games. Similar to last year’s show, everything shown during today’s Direct is expected to launch this year, and it got me thinking… is Xbox set for a killer 2024? Sure, last year was supposed to be a huge year for the platform what with Starfield finally releasing, but since it ended up being so divisive (I personally loved it and you can find my review here) it seemed like most people wrote off 2023 as a swing and a miss for Microsoft. Well, it looks like this is going to be the year that Xbox finally gets its big games that everyone’s been dying for, and assuming they end up meeting expectations, it looks like 2024 has the chance to be a redemptive year.
Avowed
Obsidian is one of the most well-respected studios in the industry when it comes to RPGs, largely due to their work on titles like Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, and The Outer Worlds. Their next title, Avowed, was revealed three years ago, and ever since its promise of an open-world fantasy adventure was made known to the public it’s been one of the most highly anticipated games in the Xbox community. Today we finally got to see a good chunk of gameplay showing off combat, dialogue, and what sort of sights we can expect to come across as we journey through its world. While I do have some reservations about how floaty the combat looks, I also understand this is the type of game that’s hard to present in a little under 8 minutes, so I’m waiting to see more and get my hands on it before I pass any real judgment. If this can deliver on all of the hallmarks that make an Obsidian game so beloved (this is ultimately going to come down to the writing and characters) then I think this could be a massive hit and give the Xbox platform a much-needed exclusive RPG, especially since last year’s Starfield didn’t seem to capture the hearts and minds of the Xbox community as much as Microsoft would have liked. Avowed is set to launch this Fall for PC and Xbox Series X|S and will be available on Game Pass at launch.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
It’s crazy to think that Hellblade II was the very first game we saw for the “next-gen” Xbox back in 2019 at The Game Awards, but after years of trailers and behind-the-scenes featurettes, it’s finally received a release date and will be launching on May 21, 2024, for PC and Xbox Series X|S. This has been arguably one of the most anticipated games for the platform since its announcement, and that has a lot to do with just how powerful the first game, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, was when it launched in 2017. This continuation of the first game’s story sees heroine Senua setting off on a new quest, and the dark and disturbing psychosis element is back, meaning this will be a game you will want to play with headphones as you hear the voices in Senua’s head. Fans have been waiting on this game for years now and while its shift to an Xbox exclusive has caused a bit of controversy, the air of anticipation around this game is electric and it feels like it’s going to be one of the biggest games of the year.
Visions of Mana
I’ve admittedly never played a Mana game, but I know enough to know this is a big deal. For starters, the Xbox is not the first console you would typically go to for JRPGs, with most games in the genre ignoring it for PlayStation and Nintendo platforms. Simply having a JRPG come to the Xbox is a rare event in and of itself, but this will also be the first time any game in this particular franchise has ever been on this family of consoles, which is another first worth celebrating. Visions of Mana looks beautiful with its bright and vibrant visuals, cute monsters, gorgeous environments, and fun combat, and while it’s not the first JRPG to come to the system, it’s going to be interesting to see how well it does on Xbox and if the demand for this type of game can be found on this platform. As a massive fan of the genre, I hope this ends up being a huge success and introduces more players to a genre that’s provided me so much fun and comfort throughout my life. Visions of Mana is aiming for the Summer 2024 window for PC and Xbox Series X|S, but it will also be launching on PS4 and PS5.
Ara: History Untold
I’ll come right out and say this one isn’t for me (I’ve always been intimidated by strategy games) but fans of the genre seem to be super hot on this one, with the general consensus being that it looks like it’s doing some fascinating new things that fundamentally change the flow of how these types of games are played. It seems to be one of the most noteworthy PC releases of the year, so if you’re a fan of the genre you might want to keep an eye on this one. This is set to release this fall as a PC exclusive, but it will be included with PC Game Pass at launch.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Lastly, what will probably be Xbox’s biggest game of the year as well as one of the most high-profile releases regardless of platform, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is shaping up to be a fantastic action-adventure game. Coming from the team at Machine Games (the studio behind the modern Wolfenstein titles) The Great Circle is a first-person adventure starring one of the most iconic characters of all time. As a lifelong fan of Indiana Jones, I think this game looks absolutely perfect and is capturing the spirit of these movies wonderfully. The always-talented Troy Baker is lending his voice as Indy and it’s so spot on that I almost wondered if it was actually some kind of AI version of Harrison Ford’s voice at first. This game seemingly has everything, with puzzle solving, exploration, and awesome whip combat featured prominently throughout the reveal. I have a good feeling about this game and think it’s going to end up surprising a bunch of people, but I guess we’ll have to wait for its “Late 2024” release to find out for sure. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is releasing on PC and Xbox Series X|S and will also be on Game Pass at launch.
Well, there we have it! There’s a lot to be said about the format of this show and how it graciously allows the devs to talk about their games and give an insightful look behind the scenes (which I adore), but I think the ultimate takeaway is that Xbox is about to have an unusually stacked year, which they need. Assuming these all come out without delays, we’re looking at 5 potential juggernauts for Microsoft’s 2024 lineup. Sure, Visions of Mana will also be coming to PlayStation, but it has the opportunity to open the door to a genre that isn’t common in the Xbox ecosystem, which could lead to more high-profile JRPGs making their way to the platform in the future. With all the rest of these games coming to Game Pass at launch, that means a massive audience is going to be able to try all of these games, and there’s a decent amount of variety that it looks like there’s something for everyone. Microsoft has been in a weird era of acquiring studios and not really releasing too many games, but it looks like this is the year that’s finally going to start paying off.
– Zack Burrows
Sight-In Games 