Let’s talk about the 2023 Xbox Showcase
I don't even know where to begin after years of what's felt like constant letdown and disappointment. The constant meme of "games are coming, just wait". Xbox walked into their 2023 showcase and laid out their hand for the next 2 years in what is a major win for the Xbox community today. Congratulations to everyone under the Xbox umbrella and the thousands of people who finally got to show off their work today. If you're someone who only cares about deep dives into core gameplay mechanics and not flashy trailers, this isn't for you, but the constant bombardment of new IP and in-game footage was a sight to behold. Something Greg Miller at Kinda Funny said really stuck with me: "If this wasn't a 5 out of 5 from Xbox for you, what more could you want from Xbox?"
This showcase nailed every possible beat someone could've lined up for them. What unannounced projects from your first parties are coming down the pipe? Clockwork Revolution, a Steampunk time-traveling first-person RPG with strong Bioshock Infinite vibes from inExile, and South of Midnight, a mystical, almost stop-motion journey filled with creatures and stories of folklore from the deep south from Compulsion Games, their first project since being acquired in 2018, were unveiled
Is Xbox still invested in gaining ground in the Japanese market? To my surprise, we got the first announcement and trailer for the next mainline Yakuza title, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, launching day one into Gamepass. Atlus/Sega also showed up big with the reveal of Persona 3 Reload, a remake of the original breakout entry in the Persona franchise; Persona 5 Tactica, a top-down tactics-style entry continuing the Persona 5 story with a new chibi art style; and Metaphor: ReFantazio, a brand new full-scale fantasy RPG from the Persona team. All launching day one into Gamepass.
"What about indie games?" you may ask. Well, they had a large and unique lineup of titles that fully showcased the special wonder and joy that can only be found in these smaller, more focused experiences. 33 Immortals is,oddly enough, a top-down co-op action rougelike for 33 players. Coming to you from Spiritfarer developers Thunder Lotus. Fight your way through hordes of enemies and bosses, collecting relics to upgrade your soul on a righteous journey to eventually battle God in 2024. Still Wakes the Deep was announced by the team that brought us Dear Esther and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is a first-person horror experience that takes place on an offshore oil rig. Trying to survive the claustrophobic corridors while a violent storm rages outside is only elevated by a mysterious being that calls your prison home. Jusant was announced by DONT NOD, the team behind Life is Strange and Tell Me Why. Jusant could fit under the "cozy game" banner as a climbing puzzle game centered around a meditation backdrop.
The Legend of Monkey Island begins its first of three adventures July 20th.
New Atlantis, one of the central hubs in Starfield.
Clockwork Revolution from inExile.
What about all the games Xbox has previously announced but that have disappeared? Good news for you, because they started strong with an in-engine trailer, setting the tone and mood Playground is going for. The strong British humor is still there, tied together with a more classical storybook fantasy theme. Avowed was also finally shown off with a slightly more cartoon art style that Obsidian later said was due to wanting to refocus the game as an experience that focuses more on "depth over breadth". Tied in with Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity series, Avowed has you traveling across the Living Lands, full of Obsidian's signature world-building and diverse ecosystems.
Xbox gave their live service titles enough time to give those players updates on what's next. Elder Scrolls Online's next expansion, "Necrom," is already out on PC and Mac and will come to consoles in a few short weeks. Fallout 76 is getting its next expansion set in Atlantic City in the near future. Meanwhile, Sea of Thieves threw the community a curveball and announced Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island, in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. This series of three tall tales merges the respected worlds, detailing the new journey of Guybrush Threepwood in the Sea of Thieves. The first part of this adventure launches for free on July 20th.
Of course, the show was followed up by an hour-long deep dive into Starfield. Everything from gameplay mechanics and systems to an expanded look at the lore and characters you'll meet across your journey Skill trees and character traits were explored more; simple things like rolling your character as a chef may unlock a different dialogue tree or way to complete a quest across your journey. A look at ship customization and how different parts allow for more crew members to be on board while displaying some more off-the-wall ship designs, a functioning spaceship in the style of Optimus Prime, was shown. If you have any interest in or doubts about Starfield before its September 6th launch, I highly suggest checking out this direct. Todd Howard and the team seem more comfortable and confident than ever with this project. It sure got my suspicions turned into hype and excitement thinking about the countless stories that will unfold during our space epic. The entire Starfield demonstration honestly deserves its own sort of breakdown because they crammed so much information into it.
That's not even covering everything announced, but it sure felt like a turning point for Xbox. I came in a little skeptical still after being burned year after year by mild showcases that didn't light a fire under the fanbase or engage and get them excited about Xbox. Did we see a ton of first-hand gameplay? No, but we saw one of the widest and most diverse lineups of games Xbox has showcased in memory, with the majority being from their first-party lineup. For the first time in a long time, I'm excited to be a fan of Xbox and to be invested in their ecosystem. I'm excited for multiple first-party titles that grab my attention and make me want to learn more while not making me wonder where my exclusive experiences are on my platform of choice. The discussion online coming into June 11th was one of negativity and came off as a make-or-break scenario, especially after Redfall. Now the discussion is about excitement and a re-engaged pride of the Xbox community at large. Once again the biggest kudos and congratulations to everyone at Xbox for this years event.