Xbox showed off a handful of next-gen games coming to the Xbox Series X in their showcase earlier today, and the games shared were all visually impressive. That said, the footage was largely edited B-roll, so we didn’t get to see anyone actually playing these games. As a matter of opinion: calling this a gameplay showcase may have been a bit of a stretch. While Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios promised what we saw was the genuine deal, it remains best to keep expectations in check.
Xbox’s Smart Delivery appears to be popular among publishers and developers, considering the vast majority of games shown off support the free-upgrade service (which indicates many of these titles will also be on Xbox One). Additionally, a couple of the titles shown in the showcase will launch on the Xbox Games Pass. For anyone eager to see what 343, Obsidian, Double Fine, and the other Xbox Game Studios are cooking up, Booty confirmed another showcase will premier in July to show off their hard work (and, yes, Halo Infinite will be there)
Below is a list of all the games revealed and their trailers. While the showcase was light on details, I went ahead and summed up what we do know.
Bright Memory Infinite (Smart Delivery)
“Bright Memory: Infinite is an all-new lightning-fast fusion of the FPS and action genres, created by FYQD-Studio. Combine a wide variety of skills and abilities to unleash dazzling combo attacks.” This one apparently started as a one-man project. Not much more is known about the title at this time, so hopefully we learn more soon.
Dirt 5 (Smart Delivery)
Codemaster’s racing series returns! Race worldwide with more vehicles to choose from. Play with up to four friends locally with four-player splitscreen in both career and arcade. Grid 5 will feature the voice-acting talents of Troy Baker as your mentor, and Nolan North as the antagonist. The Xbox Series X version of Dirt 5 will support 4K at 60 FPS, and 120 FPS at a lower resolution (not specified). Codemaster promises “instantaneous load times.” All and all, not a bad first impression.
Scorn
No mention of Smart Delivery for this one, but that’s likely because it will only be on the Xbox Series X. Scorn is an adventure horror game that was announced way back in 2014. The Kickstarter campaign may have failed, but this H.R. Giger fever dream has soldiered on. If you like your horror weird and alien, then Scorn will likely tickle your fancy.
Chorus (Smart Delivery)
Do you like space-combat shooters and ships that may or may not actually be cosmic horrors? Then Chorus is the game for you! “Become Nara, an ace pilot facing her haunted past, and Forsaken, her sentient ship. Their quest for redemption will take them across the galaxy and beyond the boundaries of reality to unite resistance forces and stop the Circle and their leader, the Great Prophet, at all costs.” Chorus looks like the sort of game I’ll lose a weekend to, so I’m interested to learn more later this year.
Madden 21 (Smart Delivery)
Shout-out to CNET for this video, because the trailer is neither on Xbox’s or EA’s YouTube channels. At the end of the day, it’s more Madden, but the inclusion of Smart Delivery proves EA isn’t opposed to using the service. Considering how many annual franchises they run, this is a net-win for consumers.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 (Smart Delivery)
Disturbing violence, an upbeat classic tune, and vampires feasting on mortal blood? Yep, it’s Bloodlines 2. Of all the trailers played during the showcase this one probably had the most “gameplay” on offer, though I use the term lightly. Still, the game does look impressive, but it will be some time yet till we get our hands on it.
Call of the Sea (Smart Delivery, Xbox Game Pass)
Explore a fantastic lost island in the South Pacific during the 1930s, where you try and find your husband’s lost expedition. The game sports a sharp, colorful design inspired by the old exploration films and posters from the early 20th century. Call of the Sea will also appear on the Xbox Game Pass.
The Ascent (Smart Delivery)
If Cyberpunk 2077 doesn’t sate your neon-drenched, mega-corporation itch, then The Ascent may do the trick. Play solo or in co-op in this top-down RPG as you try and survive the collapse of the The Ascent Group.
The Medium (Xbox Game Pass)
Silent Hills may be dead, but that hasn’t stopped the Bloober Team from picking up the corroded torch. Hell, even famed Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka will assist with the soundtrack. You’ll play as medium Mary Ann, who can peer into the spirit world. You’re trying to solve the mystery behind a vision she’s been having, and you’ll need to explore both 1980s Krakow and the spirit world to find the answers she seeks. The Medium comes to Xbox Series X and PC Holiday 2020.
Scarlet Nexus (Smart Delivery)
A select group of special soldiers battling a mysterious invading force that has nearly wiped out the entire human race? No, this isn’t Astral Chain, it’s Scarlet Nexus from Bandai Namco, where psychic abilities and “Brain Punk” are the flavors of the day. The glimpse of the game we were provided showed off the snappy combat and crisp anime art style. Games like Scarlet Nexus are typically not my jam, but if the combat is as solid in practice as it is in this trailer I may have to give it a gander.
Second Extinction (Smart Delivery)
Do you like brutal co-op shooters? Does the thought of shooting highly evolved dinosaurs excite you? Then look no further than Second Extinction, the latest game from Systemic Reactions (a team under the Avalanche umbrella). Why are there dinosaurs in the future? Who triggered this second extinction? Who cares!? You have hordes of angry reptiles to slaughter.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Smart Delivery)
Confession time: I have never played a Yakuza game. But, after this trailer, I feel like I need to absolve that sin soon. Yakuza: Like a Dragon looks absolutely bat shit insane, and I am totally on-board with the self-serious madness on display here. “Become Ichiban Kasuga, a low-ranking yakuza grunt left on the brink of death by the man he trusted most. Take up your legendary bat and get ready to crack some underworld skulls in dynamic RPG combat set against the backdrop of modern-day Japan.” Yeah, count me in. Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be a launch title for the Xbox Series X, but can also be played on the Xbox One and PC.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla (Smart Delivery)
Perhaps the most hyped game leading into this Xbox Series X Gameplay Showcase (and, the only one we knew about coming into it), Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla was light on actual gameplay. Sure, we saw how the game will look in-engine (which, shocking no one, Ubi’s latest is a looker), but we didn’t really see how the game would play. We saw some longboats, what appeared to be a castle siege, and a flying axe or two, but we still don’t know much about the game after this trailer. Ubi has stated they revised the combat for Valhalla, but until we get our hands on the game it’s hard to say just how (the new dual-wielding options aside). I expect Ubisoft to tease this title for a couple more months until we learn more.
