Source: Xbox Games Showcase / Starfield Direct
Xbox is looking to close out the year positively and give Xbox Series S | X owners a reason to power up their consoles and keep that Xbox Game Pass subscription going for the foreseeable future. They got a strong lineup of games based on what was shown during the Xbox Games Showcase.
Hip-Hop Wired Gaming was in the building to see what Phil Spencer and his crew had to show off for their fans after a relatively disappointing year.
Spencer and co knew they had to bring it, and they had plenty of momentum following PlayStation’s “disappointing” showcase.
Xbox did not cheat games showing 27 games, 11 from Xbox Games Studio, and some surprise hardware announcements. So let’s jump into the biggest announcements from the presentation.
Fable
Source: Playground Games / Fable
It’s been 13 years since Fable III, but the drought is finally over. The event started with a trailer that lacked gameplay but featured impressive in-game engine footage from the game running on the Xbox Series X.
In it, we see Richard Ayoade from The It Crowd conducting an interview, and we eventually learn that he is a gardening giant from the classic fairytale Jack and The Beanstalk.
His talk of a world full of monsters and other wonders is interrupted when he tries to smash a small unwelcomed guest in his dwelling showing off his impressive scale.
Not many story details or gameplay mechanics were revealed, but we expect it to have the same feel as the other Fable games. Xbox fans should be happy to know the game is still coming and will be available on day one on Game Pass when it launches sometime in 2024.
South of Midnight
Source: Compulsion Games / South of Midnight
We Happy Few and Contrast studio Compulsion Games unveiled its new game South of Midnight. In the trailer, we see a mysterious figure strumming a guitar when he is approached by a woman looking for a monster with knives for teeth. We don’t see any actual gameplay, but the woman is about to be ambushed by the creature she is seeking and subdues it using a magical web.
South of Midnight is described as a “fantastical and macabre third-person action-adventure set in the American Deep South,” it has no release window but will launch on Game Pass.
Clockwork Revolution
Source: inXile entertainment / Clockwork Revolution
Wasteland and Arcanum creator inXile entertainment’s steampunk action RPG, Clockwork Revolution, will allow you to toy around with the time after discovering an invention that allows you to travel to the past, where you find out that Avalon, the steam-powered city you call home “has been carefully crafted through the alteration of key historical events,” a description for the game reveals.
Your interactions with the past will have a butterfly effect on the world and characters which will cause them to change and react in different ways.
There is no release window for the game.
Forza Motorsport
Source: Turn 10 / Forza Motorsport
Turn 10’s Forza Motorsport looks impressive, and we got another look at the beautiful racing simulator showing off the cover cars, General Motors: the stunning 2023 No.01 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R racecar and 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray.
Forza Motorsport arrives on Xbox Series S|X, PC, and Game Pass on October 10.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Source: CD Projekt Red / Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 got off to a rocky start but has since rounded itself into form, becoming the phenomenal game it was promised to be.
The trailer was introduced by Keanu Reeves, who reprises the role of Johnny Silverhand in the upcoming Phantom Liberty expansion that will take players to the brand new district of Dogtown, where they will meet sleeper agent Solomon Reed (Idris Elba).
The expansion is described as a spy thriller adventure introducing you to new characters, a choice-filled narrative, and gameplay mechanics.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty arrives on Xbox Series X|S on September 26 and is available for pre-order.
Xbox Series S Carbon Black 1TB Edition
Source: Xbox / Xbox Series S Carbon Black 1TB Edition
Microsoft has heard screams of their fans wanting an Xbox Series S with more memory during the Xbox Games Showcase. Phil Spencer unveiled the sexy new carbon black finish offering 1TB of memory.
The new Xbox Series S model arrives on September 1 and will cost $349.
Starfield
Source: Bethesda / Starfield
The crown jewel of Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda is Easily Starfield, and Xbox promises an RPG experience unlike none other.
During the deep dive into the highly anticipated video game, Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard and his team broke down all of the things we can do in the massive game, giving us a pretty good idea of just how immense the scope of Starfield is.
Players can travel to a thousand planets, build bases, and ships, recruit crew members, become space pirates, cops, or whatever the hell you want to do in the game’s expansive universe.
They also announced a new limited edition Starfield controller and headset plus a $277 Constellation Edition with a fully functional Starfield Chronomark watch modeled after an accessory in the game that can synch up with your smartphone, five days early access to the game, a Constellation patch and a steel book case.
As of this writing, the Constellation Edition has sold out.
Starfield also finally has a launch date and will arrive on Xbox Series S|X, PC, and day one Game Pass on September 6, 2023.
For the rest of the announcements from the showcase, hit the gallery below, and keep it locked on HHW Gaming for more gaming news throughout the summer.
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Photo: Xbox
1. Star Wars Outlaws: Official World Premiere Trailer
Watch the World Premiere trailer of Star Wars Outlaws. Introducing scoundrel Kay Vess in the first-ever open world Star Wars game.
Coming 2024. About Star Wars Outlaws: Experience the first-ever open world Star Wars™ game, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Explore distinct planets across the galaxy, both iconic and new. Risk it all as Kay Vess, an emerging scoundrel seeking freedom and the means to start a new life, along with her companion Nix. Fight, steal, and outwit your way through the galaxy’s crime syndicates as you join the galaxy’s most wanted.
2. Towerborne – Announce Trailer
Can you become the Ace humanity needs to survive? Find out in Towerborne, the newest action-adventure game created by Stoic, the studio that brought you the award-winning Banner Saga trilogy.
Coming 2024, Play day one on Xbox Game Pass.
3. The Elder Scrolls Online – Journey to Necrom
Discover the adventures you can have in Tamriel right now and learn about the mysteries to come in The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom. Are you ready to explore an all-new Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha, wield the eldritch energies of the Arcanist class, and delve into the secrets of Hermaeus Mora?
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is part of the Shadow Over Morrowind adventure and arrives June 20 for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. Pre-purchase Necrom now to receive unique bonus rewards at launch and immediate access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed mount.
4. Avowed – Official Gameplay Trailer
Explore the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. As an envoy of Aedyr, you are sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague with a secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save the island and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them apart?
Avowed coming in 2024, Play Day One with Xbox Game Pass.
5. Payday 3 – Gameplay Reveal
PAYDAY 3 is the much anticipated sequel to one of the most popular co-op shooters ever. Since its release, PAYDAY-players have been reveling in the thrill of a perfectly planned and executed heist. That’s what makes PAYDAY a high-octane, co-op FPS experience without equal. Step out of retirement back into the life of crime in the shoes of the Payday Gang, the envy of their peers and the nightmare of law-enforcement wherever they go.
Several years after the crew’s reign of terror over Washington DC has ended, they assemble once again to deal with the threat that roused them out of early retirement.
6. 33 Immortals – Announcement Trailer
Discover 33 Immortals, a co-op action-roguelike for 33 players. Coming 2024 on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC and with Xbox Game Pass for console and PC. 33 Immortals is a co-op action-roguelike for 33 players. Play a damned soul, and rebel against God’s final judgement.
Dive straight into epic 33-player co-op battles with instant “pick-up and raid” matchmaking. Cooperate with your allies to survive against hordes of monsters and massive, challenging bosses. Expand your arsenal and equip powerful new relics to permanently upgrade your soul. Face the wrath of God in a fight for your eternal life.
7. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 – Announce Trailer – 4K
Coming 2024 – the next generation of the legendary franchise. Join the aviation adventure in a groundbreaking simulator developed for Xbox Series X|S and PC.
8. Microsoft Flight Simulator – Dune Expansion Announce Trailer – 4K
Announced today! In partnership with Legendary and Warner Bros. Entertainment, Microsoft Flight Simulator has created an authentically detailed House Atreides Ornithopter. Master the complex controls of one of the most dynamic aircraft ever conceived as you pilot your ornithopter through awe-inspiring locations across the mysterious desert planet of Arrakis. See Dune: Part Two in theaters and play the expansion November 3, 2023.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is available now for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PCs with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and for Xbox One and the devices you already have via Xbox Cloud Gaming: https://www.xbox.com/games/microsoft-…
9. Metaphor: ReFantazio — Announcement Trailer
Enter the mirror of reality… into the pinnacle of fantasy.
⚔️ Fight for the future in Metaphor: ReFantazio, releasing on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC in 2024!
10. Cities: Skylines II – Pre-Order Trailer
If you can dream it, you can build it. Raise a city from nothing and grow it into a thriving metropolis with the most realistic city builder ever. This is world-building without limits. Cities: Skylines II will be available on PC, Gamepass, and Xbox Series X|S on October 24th. Pre-order to receive a bonus with landmarks from around the world!
11. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Reveal Trailer
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Coming early 2024
12. Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island – Announcement Trailer
Split across three hilarious Tall Tales packed with secrets and side-quests, Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island invites pirates to meet classic characters, in a new narrative that brings the iconic locations of Monkey Island to the Sea of Thieves.
The adventure begins on Mêlée Island, where pirates can take in the sights, smells and roguish splendor of the island as they seek to uncover why everyone suddenly seems to think quite highly of self-proclaimed mighty pirate, and known poodle pacifier, Guybrush Threepwood. Something’s quite clearly wrong… This love-letter to the classic adventure game series will be available to play alone or with a crew, with three Tall Tales being added over three months as free* updates for all players, starting July 20.
*Delivered for free to owners of any Sea of Thieves edition and all Xbox Game Pass members. Game on console requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Live Gold, sold separately.
13. Persona 3 Reload — Announcement Trailer
Your story begins again. Memento Mori. 🌙 Awaken the depths of your heart in Persona 3 Reload, the genre-defining RPG now reborn for modern consoles.
Coming to Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC in early 2024!
14. Persona 5 Tactica — Announcement Trailer
Ignite a fire in your heart in Persona 5 Tactica, an all-new strategy RPG adventure with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts!
Available November 17, 2023 on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC!
15. STILL WAKES THE DEEP – Announce Trailer
STILL WAKES THE DEEP is coming in 2024. STILL WAKES THE DEEP is a first-person narrative horror from The Chinese Room, creator of Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, and Dear Esther.
In STILL WAKES THE DEEP, you are an off-shore oil rig worker, fighting for his life through a vicious storm, perilous surroundings, and the dark, freezing North Sea waters.
All lines of communication have been severed. All exits are gone. All that remains is to face the unknowable horror that’s come aboard. Search for your crew and help them survive if you can. Run, climb, and swim through the flooding corridors and storm-lashed outer decks. Face a terrifying, unrelenting foe. And pray that, one day, you get to see your family again.
16. Overwatch 2: Invasion
New maps, new missions, and all-new ways to play await in #Overwatch2: Invasion, arriving August 10.
17. Dungeons of Hinterberg – Announce Trailer
Dungeons of Hinterberg is an action-adventure RPG that includes monster fighting, puzzle solving, magic wielding, and relationship building, all set around the cozy Alpine village of Hinterberg!
Visit Hinterberg when it launches on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass in 2024!
18. Fallout 76 – Answer the Call of Vault 76
Join 15 million players in the ever-evolving Wasteland in Fallout 76. Build your C.A.M.P.; customize your player’s outfit, weapons, and playstyle; and pave your path through exciting quests.
In the meantime, answer the call of Vault 76 as you explore, quest, build, craft, and fight across a post-apocalyptic Wasteland in West Virginia.
With so many ways to play, you too can answer the call of Vault 76.
19. Jusant – Reveal Trailer
We’re so hyped to reveal Jusant! Jusant is a brand-new action-puzzle climbing game with meditative vibes, coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Play Day One with Xbox Game Pass.
Climb, Fall 2023.
20. Cities: Skylines II – Pre-Order Trailer
If you can dream it, you can build it. Raise a city from nothing and grow it into a thriving metropolis with the most realistic city builder ever. This is world-building without limits. Cities: Skylines II will be available on PC, Gamepass, and Xbox Series X|S on October 24th. Pre-order to receive a bonus with landmarks from around the world!
21. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess – Announce Trailer
A new tale of the Kami awaits. Witness an epic clash between the sprit realm and mortal man, featuring traditional Japanese aesthetics.
22. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – The Senua Trailer
Sink deep into the next chapter of Senua’s story with this showcase of cinematic immersion, beautifully realized visuals, and encapsulating sound from the team at Ninja Theory. Captured on Xbox Series X.