The annual Xbox + Bethesda Showcase was slightly modified this year, with the Bethesda portion being completely taken over by Starfield, their big sci-fi RPG coming from the developers of The Elder Scrolls series.
Yet Starfield (which we’ll cover in a separate post) doesn’t overshadow all the talented work that Microsoft and Xbox Game Studios are doing. Developer acquisitions from years ago are bearing fruit, such as Obsidian’s Avowed, Compulsion’s South of Midnight, and Ixile’s Clockwork Revolution, all of which were proudly shown during the showcase.
Other big reveals include Star Wars Outlaws, Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, and the new Fable reboot.
Watch the full showcase above, and see below for the biggest highlights.
Star Wars Outlaws
Star Wars Outlaws is billed as the first-ever open world Star Wars game. Outlaws is set right in the middle of the original trilogy, and stars new scoundrel character Kay Vess, and her adorable alien-pet-thing Nix. Vess as big problems, and naturally takes on big jobs to try and earn her freedom in the galaxy.
Release: 2024
Avowed
Obsidian’s big RPG is more The Outer Wilds than Skyrim, and that’s great. Set in the fantasy world of Pillars of Eternity, Avowed drops you into the foreign Living Lands as an outsider. Thankfully you can wield weapons, firearms, and magic to rid the world of its evils in this first-person RPG.
Release: 2024
Fable
Once a dominant action-RPG full of irreverent humor, the Fable series has lied mostly dormant for the last decade. A new Fable reboot has been in development for years (an officially announced back in 2020), and this year we get our first cinematic trailer. Judging by the trailer, the team at Playground Games certainly has a handle on the humor.
Release: TBA
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Cyberpunk had an infamously rocky launch back in 2020, which is probably why it’s taken three years to get a big expansion. And Phantom Liberty certainly looks big. The expansion brings back major character Johnny Silverhand (Keanu Reeves), and adds new characters, such as agent Solomon Reed, played by Idris Elba. Phantom Liberty is a story-focused expansion set in the Dogtown district, where V must take on dangerous jobs to cure their fatal condition.
Release: September 26
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Capcom continues to flex the power of the RE Engine with Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, an action-strategy game that blends the captivating aesthetics and culture of Japanese folklore.
Release: TBA
South of Midnight
From Compulsion Games, makers of We Happy Few, comes South of Midnight, a magical adventure set in the American Deep South. Heroine Hazel becomes a Weaver, which sounds a bit like a Ghostbuster but with more supernatural skills, as she tackles spirits and other dangerous creatures.
Release: TBA
Clockwork Revolution
InXile’s new immersive action game looks a lot like BioShock. The city of Avalon is a steampunk utopia with a dark secret. Time-travel has been used to alter historical events, and by wielding this power, you can change the world around you for better, or for worse.
Release: “In Due Time”
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 – Dune Expansion
Microsoft scored a super cool (or should we say, “hot”) crossover collaboration with the Dune Expansion. By working with Legendary, Warner Bros. and the design team behind the Dune design team, players can pilot a detailed Atredies Ornithopter and soar around the desert planet of Arrakis.
Release: November 3 (the same date as the upcoming movie, Dune: Part Two)
Jusant
Don’t Nod is known for the Life is Strange series, but Jusant looks nothing like the narrative-focused series. In fact, Jusant doesn’t have any dialogue whatsoever. It’s an action-puzzle game that’s all about climbing in a variety of biomes. Your only companion is a cute little jelly-like creature called Ballast.
Release: Fall 2023
Persona 5 Tactica
Persona 5 is the RPG that keeps on giving, spinning off into rhythm games, action-RPGs, and now a tactical strategy-RPG. The Phantom Thieves are transported into a world ruled by the Legionnaries. By making new allies and using their skills they can once again overthrow evil.
Release: November 17
Metaphor: ReFantazio
And speaking of Persona, the Persona team at Atlus showed off the first trailer for new RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio. And it looks a heck of a lot like Persona, with sexy fonts and UI, heavy dialogue and story, and great anime artwork and music.
Release: 2024
Microsoft typically brings some of the most impressive showcases of the summer, and this year’s definitely didn’t disappoint! Xbox gamers (and PC players) have a lot of games to get excited about.
