It’s going to be a good year for Xbox gamers. At today’s Developer_Direct show, we took a deep dive into five new games coming to Xbox Series. Our third-party partners invited you into their studios to showcase expanded gameplay, reveal key information, and more.
During the show we visited the studios behind it Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Explained, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, And Ara: Untold Story to learn more about each one. Members of each development team gave us a glimpse of their creation, providing new information and offering a tantalizing glimpse of what’s to come this year. All four of these games will be available with Game Pass on day one, contributing to another great year for members by delivering incredible games throughout 2024.
And as a special surprise, we heard from the team at Square Enix to find out a lot more about it Visions of Mana, the first new mainline entry in the Mana series in over 15 years and its debut on Xbox platforms. With developers from three continents taking part, it was a truly global trade fair.
Here’s a recap of everything we announced and covered during Developer_Direct:
Explained – Market launch in autumn 2024
Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud – Join Game Pass from day one
Explained Game Director Carrie Patel gave us our first deep look at the gameplay of Obsidian’s upcoming fantasy action RPG, from the dynamic combat to the thoughtful responsiveness to the “colorful, vibrant, strange” world in the Living Lands. Explained continues Obsidian’s signature style of creating games that emphasize deep themes and player choice.
Not only will you make narrative decisions that can influence later changes in the game, but also Explained
Art director Matt Hansen then explained that the Living Lands are a mysterious island made up of extremely diverse regions, offering visually different backdrops and fascinating locations to explore. With secrets hidden within the regions, you’ll discover barren deserts, verdant forests, corrupted wastelands, volcanic biomes, and more.
That is not all ExplainedHowever, be sure to tune in to the Xbox Podcast on Monday, January 22nd for an exclusive interview with some of Obsidian’s developers that will provide even more information on the gameplay reveal.
Get ready to go your own way Explained when it launches this fall on Xbox Series X|S, PC and Cloud – and launches on day one with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. For more information, see Explained website.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Starts May 21st
Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud – Join Game Pass from day one
Ninja Theory took us behind the scenes at their Cambridge studio to take a look Senua’s Saga: Hellblade IImeet some of the team and learn more about the craft behind their new title, now in its final months of development.
In the video we learn more about Senua’s new journey, which takes her to Iceland, a harsh and brutal land plagued by myths and tyranny. We got a new look at Senua’s experiences with the world, saw ourselves through her eyes as someone suffering from psychosis, and saw some of Senua’s deep and violent battles with the Draugar. We also learned more details about what players can expect from the game’s story and how binaural and spatial sound will immerse players deeply in the world of Hellblade.
With a studio mission to create life-changing art using groundbreaking technology, Ninja Theory pushes the boundaries of fidelity, richness and immersion. From May 21st you can accompany Senua on her new quest. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is aviable Wishlist on Steam And Pre-installed on Xbox Game Pass Now.
Visions of Mana – Starting in summer 2024
Xbox Series X|S, PC
In a surprise appearance, Square Enix took part in the presentation Visions of Mana, the series’ first new mainline entry in over 15 years and its debut on Xbox platforms. Series producer Masaru Oyamada presented a sneak peek at the great new RPG ahead of its summer 2024 release, sharing gameplay and behind-the-scenes footage.
Koichi Ishii – father of the Mana series and creator of many of its iconic monsters – discussed the implementation and design of the enemies in Visions of Mana, and introduced the adorable new animal companions “Pikuls” and explained the design process behind them.
Oyamada then shared some details about the score and revealed the tracklist for Visions of Mana contains a total of 100 songs, including works by musical talents who have contributed to previous Mana games. Oyamada also shared details about the adaptive music system, which allows for a seamless transition from map exploration to battles, and demonstrated a snippet of the background music that changes as you enter or exit combat.
Oyamada also revealed this in Visions of Mana, The elementals support the player in battle in the form of special items, each of which has different effects in battle. Combined with dogfights that allow for the use of weapons and magic in the air, combat is fast-paced and flexible.
Visions of Mana launching in summer 2024 on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC!
Ara: Untold Story – Market launch in autumn 2024
PC – Join PC Game Pass on day one
The main actors from Oxide Games introduced a completely new look at the gameplay and gave an overview of the most important upcoming features Ara: Untold Story during today’s Developer Direct. Viewers learned more about it We buyThe crafting system, the unique approach to simultaneous rounds and more.
You can learn more about this innovative new historical grand strategy game in our in-depth interview with Design Director Michelle Menard. We will have more to share in the coming months We buy
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Launch in 2024
Xbox Series X/S, PC – Join Game Pass from day one
The official unveiling of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle debuted during Developer_Direct with over 13 minutes of gameplay footage and developer insights. This new journey with the legendary archaeologist comes from the award-winning team at MachineGames – the minds behind it Wolfenstein: The New Order And Wolfenstein: The New Colossus – in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games and executive producer: Todd Howard of Bethesda Game Studios. Find out more at Bethesda.net.
Other streams
Blizzard held one Diablo IV Developer Update livestream earlier today that delved into the horrors that await beneath the sands of Kehjistan in Season of the Construct, starting January 23rd, and introduced the competitive leaderboard activity called “The Gauntlet.” Adam Fletcher, Deputy Community Director, Daniel Tanguay, Game Design Manager, Madeleine James, Quest Designer, and Adam Jackson, Lead Class Designer, talked about the new Seneschal Companion, danger-filled dungeons called Vaults, a new quest line and more – all of which appear in Season of the Construct. Additionally, the group shared a quick look at The Gauntlet leaderboards and concluded the livestream by answering questions from the community in a question-and-answer session.
Shortly after Developer_Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios started The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal reveals the next big chapter of the game, including the new zone, storyline and other key features. Once the show ends, you can read more about what was revealed on Xbox Wire and Bethesda.net.
looking ahead
Today is just a small selection of the games coming to Xbox this year. With our own studios and our incredible partners bringing a variety of incredible experiences to Xbox consoles, PC, Cloud and Game Pass, there will be something new for every type of player. To find out more, be sure to come back to Xbox Wire later this month, where we’ll be publishing a roundup of some of the most exciting games coming to Xbox platforms in 2024.
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