Ever since the unveiling of the Series X, Microsoft has been driving home their mantra of more confident, bold, and transparent business. Today, they kicked off their self titled ‘Xbox 20/20’ tour via ‘Inside Xbox’, which is a series of digital events that will be held every month leading up to the launch of the Series X. Microsoft made it very clear that this presentation in particular would be focusing on 3rd party titles and developers. For a little over 30 minutes were treated to a nonstop barrage of exactly that; World Premieres, gameplay footage, and more.
The live feed opened up with a poignant disclaimer, that every game we were about to see would be Optimized for Xbox Series X. This statement piggybacks off their ‘Smart Delivery’ system which allows consumers to purchase a game on existing Xbox Hardware, then upgrade to the fully optimized Series X version at no cost. Soon enough, Aaron Greenburg appeared and enthusiastically prepared viewers for what was to come. Aaron was then accompanied by Matt Booty who stressed the importance of employee safety during these troubling times, and also confirmed that we would be seeing Halo Infinite and Hellblade II gameplay during the July event.
After preliminary introductions the show kicked off with a endless stream of announcements and footage. I’ve listed everything that was announced/revealed along with the studio behind them in order to make things a little easier.
- Bright Memory Infinite – Playism
- Dirt 5 – Codemasters (World Premiere)
- Scorn – Ebb Software (Confirmed for GamePass)
- Chorus – Deep Silver (World Premiere)
- Madden 21 – Electronic Arts (World Premiere)
- Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 – Paradox Interactive
- Call of the Sea – Out of the Blue (World Premiere)
- The Ascent – Neon Giant (World Premiere)
- The Medium – Bloober Studios (Confirmed for GamePass) (World Premiere)
- Scarlet Nexus – Bandai Namco (World Premiere)
- Second Extinction – Systemic Reaction (World Premiere)
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon – Sega (Confirmed Launch Title)
- Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla – Ubisoft
Bright Memory Infinite continues to draw attention by not only an ambitious title from a gameplay standpoint, but because it’s also developed by a single person from FYQD studios. The footage opens with the titular heroine emerging from a murky body of water into a raging storm. After dispatching an unsuspecting foe the action kicks off into a seamless mix of gunplay, high speed movement, and melee combat. The engine has improved from the last time we’ve seen it and does a solid job of keeping up with the action. The game is currently available for PC via Steam, so it stands to question whether potential customers would want to double-dip, and whether it will be worth it to do so. The ‘Infinite’ tagline suggests more content and possibly improved gameplay mechanics, which would be quite a boon if it lands on the Series X early.
Next up, Codemasters gave us a nice, long look at Dirt 5. If you mistook the footage for a new Forza Horizon title, no one would blame you. The aesthetic and overall presentation was remarkably akin to Playground Game’s wholly successful series. Dirt 5 seems to be pushing beyond its tried and true formula to go for a more immersive, content rich experience. There’s even a full blown career mode story that features characters voiced by Nolan North and Troy Baker. Quite a duo for a racing game if you ask me!
Changing the pace up, we are treated to a somber and quite disturbing trailer for Ebb Software’s Scorn. Revealed a few years ago, Scorn’s premise and gameplay remain as mysterious and intriguing as ever. Strange creatures, fleshy growths, phallic constructs, and visual metaphors for birth, life, and death hold hands with an unnervingly droning soundtrack. I remain cautiously interested in this title and hope it turns out to be something truly unique. It is also confirmed to launch day and date on Xbox GamePass.
Next up is Deep Silver’s latest IP, Chorus. Betwixt the blistering space combat, foreboding narration, and foreign markings on the protagonist’s face, the trailer offered way more questions than anything else. There’s definitely a dark story being told here, one that probably involves some form of internal conflict wearing down the main character. I’m definitely keeping my eye on this one.
Now, we get another break in the action and get the rundown on EA’s Madden 21 with Kansas City Chief’s Patrick Mahomes. The trailer opens up by following the legacy of the franchise; from its humble, pixelated beginnings, to being the sole heir to officially licensed NLF simulation. The tagline ‘Feel Next Level’ was used here, perhaps to drive home the sort of realism the IP rests its laurels on.
Afterwards, Sarah Bond (General Manager of Growth Initiatives) addressed the viewers and stressed Microsoft’s focus on games, while also confirming that “EVERY developer is developing for the Series X.”. This is actually very big and important information, as it confirms that Phil Spencer and the team have been working tirelessly to bring wayward developers back onboard to support the Xbox brand as vigorously as they once did.
Following this, Paradox Interactive took to the ‘stage’ by giving us a very intimate look at Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2. The footage opens with a truly grim and macabre scene. A family appears to have been murdered in their home by an enigmatic and flamboyant assailant who has propped them up like marionettes; hooking cables into their cheeks, eyelids, and appendages. After indulging in his work, the scene takes to the streets and we get a closeup look of life as a vampire in a modern world. It’s all very stylistic and violent with hints at some deep character interaction.
Call of the Sea by Out of the Blue studios treats us to some very pretty scenery, with narration being performed by a female protagonist. Set in the 1930s, she will be searching for he lost husband in the South Pacific while braving deadly puzzles, mysteries, and solving he hidden truths of the islands.
Neon Giant studios’ The Ascent is an isometric, co-op rpg set in a futuristic cyberpunk world that appears to feature multiple classes with varying abilities and LOTS of explosions.
Now, we have one of my personal favorite World Premieres of the presentation. The Medium by Bloober studios. Psychological horror, macabre visions, haunting atmosphere, world bending sequences; It all looks to be setting up what can be an arresting and intense next gen horror experience. What’s more, the soundtrack is being devised by none other than Akira Yamaoka of Silent Hill fame. To sweeten the pot, the title is also confirmed as a day and date launch on GamePass.
Out of left field we have Bandai Namco serving up Scarlet Nexus, which gives the impression of being the love child of Code Vein and God Eater. Not necessarily a bad thing. Psionic Soldiers clad in stylish, neon apocalyptic garb tear through otherworldly looking creatures that seem hellbent on destroying anything that moves. The combat appears quite flashy with a focus on the character’s psionic powers that can manipulate the environment to be used as weapons.
Juxtaposing our foray into anime action, we are thrust headlong into Systemic Rection’s Second Extinction. While being treated to some ridiculous dino blasting co-op action, we don’t get to learn too much about whatever narrative there might be beyond “Kill them before they kill you.”. Based on the slice of gameplay we got, the game looks like it might be a fun, arcadey romp with friends that can spice up a boring afternoon or evening.
Segueing from blasting living fossils, we receive confirmation that not only is Sega’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon coming to the Series X; It will also be a launch title. This is a very encouraging move and helps solidify the work that’s been going into fostering stronger relationships with Japanese Developers. Like a Dragon takes the tried and true Yakuza formula and dials it too 100, with gameplay that can only be explained by witnessing it first hand.
Topping off the presentation, we are finally treated to ‘First ever gameplay’ of Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. It goes without saying that this is already one of the most anticipated titles of 2020, and with good reason. Coming off of the wholly successful Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, Ubisoft gave the franchise a rest with the intention of coming back even stronger. According to Game Director, Ashraf Ismaril, Valhalla will be packed with gameplay despite being narratively shorter than Odyssey (a criticism garnered by the surplus of padded quests). Personally, I would have liked to see more ‘raw’ gameplay, but it was confirmed that everything we saw in the trailer was directly from the game. I suspect we’ll inevitably see more as we draw closer to release.
What did you think? Were your expectations met, exceeded, or were you left completely disappointed? It’s very important to remember that there are more presentations coming, with the biggest one being in July, where we will be seeing Xbox Game Studio’s biggest first party titles taking the stage. Expect more coverage and updates as Xbox 20/20 continues!