Source: Xbox / Xbox Developer Direct
Xbox gamers haven’t had much to cheer about in 2022, and Microsoft is hoping to change that in 2023 by showing off what we can expect to play on our Xbox Series S and X consoles.
Wednesday, Microsoft did something different this year with its first Xbox Developer Direct presentation that gave us a glimpse of some big games coming to PC, Xbox, and Game Pass. We even got a bit of a surprise with a shock launch.
So let’s break down what we saw.
Redfall Finally Gets A Launch Date
Fans have been thirsty to know when they will be able to bite back at the vampires that are terrorizing the small town of Redfall, Massachusetts, in the game.
Arkane Austin opened up the coffin and showed off some more gameplay, weapons, a breakdown of the map, and insight on the vampire hunters and the creatures of the night who gamers will face when Redfall finally launches on May 2.
Redfall is an open-world, sandbox, first-person shooter that can be enjoyed alone or with three other friends. Watching the trailer, we definitely get some Left 4 Dead and Back 4 Blood vibes, but it is different from Valve shooters in many ways.
Consider us hyped for this one. Sink your fangs into some Redfall below.
Forza Motorsport Arrives This Year
Source: Xbox / Xbox Developer Direct
Turn 10 has been hard at work on Forza Motorsport, a reboot of the highly successful Xbox car racing simulation Forza franchise.
Developers take us to the track during their presentations and under the hood to show how impressive this game looks. If you thought Forza Horizon 5 was a beautiful racer, we haven’t seen anything yet because Forza Motorsport is taking things to another level.
Based on the trailer, the game looks stunning, and developers promise to harness every bit of power the Xbox Series X console has to deliver one of the most realistic car racing games ever, and we believe them.
Forza Motorsport arrives on Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox Game Pass, including console, PC, and Cloud Gaming (Beta) sometime this year.
Minecraft Legends Arrives In April
Source: Xbox / Xbox Developer Direct
Mojang Studios, in partnership with Blackbird Interactive, took us on an adventure with its new action-strategy game Minecraft Legends.
In the game, players will embark on a story-driven campaign where players will be able to explore a world that is full of treasures and dangers, reunite with familiar characters and meet new mysterious characters. You can also team up with allies to strategize how to take down piglins.
Minecraft Legends will also introduce a PvP mode with two teams will faceoff head-to-head to gather resources and build a base to take down each other’s forces.
Minecraft Legends arrives on Tuesday, April 18, on Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, Windows 11/10 PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5|4, Steam, and Nintendo Switch.
Xbox Surprises Us With Hi-Fi RUSH
Source: Xbox / Xbox Developer Direct
Well, this was the biggest surprise of the presentation. Word on the video game streets was that Tango Gameworks had something cooking, and the rumors were true.
The studio that brought us terrifying games like The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, and Ghostwire Tokyo has decided to chill on the horror and bring us Hi-Fi RUSH, an over-the-top, single-player rhythm action game in which the entire world moves to the beat.
Players take on the role of Chai, who is described as a “free-spirited slacker with rockstar ambitions whose music player is fused in his chest.”
In the game, Chai must defend himself through rhythmic combat by utilizing licensed tracks from bands like Nine Inch Nails and The Black Keys. Chai also will get some help from an interesting crew of allies.
Microsoft decided to surprise fans with Hi-Fi RUSH by announcing it as a shock drop, revealing it is available now on Xbox Game Pass and PC, as well as through the Microsoft Store, Steam, and the Epic Games Store.
2023 is looking bright for Xbox owners, Starfield, the next big title from Bethesda, is up next and will have its own presentation.
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Photo: Xbox / Xbox Developer Direct