Xbox Games Showcases 2023 Rundown

I’ve bombarded my Steam wishlist a lot this Faux-3 (Summer Game Fest), but it is time to take a break and ask “What does Xbox have that I’m going to play on PC?” This wasn’t Uncle Phil’s best showcase, but after the mess made by Redfall and trying to clean up that mess, I don’t think we were expecting groundbreaking announcements. Especially since we knew from the start that there would be a separate Starfield showcase, and much like Xbox we’ve separated it and Alexx will cover that later on.

Starting with Richard Ayoade, there was only one thing it was going to be: Fable. Fable for a new generation, we didn’t get much in the way of gameplay. In fact, this will be a theme of the big reveals as you’ll notice, they are often listed as 2024 releases. There wasn’t a release date this time, so maybe late 2024/early 2025 for this one. Fable, of course, will come to Xbox Series X|S and PC.

A strange choice for Compulsion the developers of We Happy Few, was next. It is a very dark, very interesting-looking, and gorgeous fantasy action-adventure, South of Midnight. Very macabre, it was more of a teaser trailer for something we’ll see in 2024 or 2025 maybe. There was no gameplay or specifics, but we do know it will be set in the Deep South. Taking a wild guess looking at the trailer and the art therein, it seems to focus on the idea everyone has of New Orleans, maybe a touch of Creole in there too? As I say, very few details were given other than its Xbox Series X|S and PC release.

Star Wars: Outlaws is the next thing from Ubisoft Massive. The trailer had more to it than the previous two in terms of deep diving into the world, but we still didn’t get too many details. More information was said to be coming during the Ubisoft Forward showcase from the 12th (yesterday) which Taylor is covering. It looks great, especially for Star Wars fans, but it is also made by Ubisoft which can be off-putting to some. Star Wars Outlaws is coming in 2024.

Following that was the David Cage robot that is Sarah Bond, padding for time. There is nothing extremely-important to cover here, but following that we got a look at Spiritfarer developer Thunder Lotus’s next title, 33 Immortals. This is a co-op action title that takes that Hades-style of action and turns up the volume to 33. Quite literally a 33-person co-op title, there isn’t much else other than that. 33 Immortals is coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC (Epic and Windows) next year.

I am so ready to rob some banks this September, but I also want to play Payday 3 before going to jail. Effectively more Payday with a decade of development ideas added on. Payday 3 is coming to PS5, PC, and Linux via Epic and Steam, as well as Xbox Series X|S, on the 21st of September. Is there much else to say? I want to play it now and I can’t wait until September.

Rumored and leaked before the showcase, Persona 3 Reload was shown off, finally adding some color to the showcase since Fable. Coming “early 2024” to Xbox One (who is she?), Xbox Series X|S, and PC, it is an updated look at the 2006 Atlus RPG about fighting god knows what in the basement of your Japanese school. This isn’t the only Atlus title we’ll see today, but certainly something that has piqued my interest as I get into the series as a whole.

Could we have something interesting in our fantasy? Avowed was next, finally showing off something more than a teaser of the studio making it and the name. It isn’t a very exciting-looking fantasy. Coming in 2024, the latest title from the developer of the Pillars of Eternity series (and set in that very world), we got some back story on why you are here. The world is plagued and you are expected to solve the problem of plague bears, plague Skeletons, and enough plague to make some excited for an Xbox Series X|S and PC adventure, but not a great trailer to pull others in.

Guybrush, my lad, keep your pants on! Yes, it is the yearly Sea of Thieves trailer showcasing someone else’s IP. In this case, it is more Disney following that Pirates of the Caribbean addition a while back. Of course, the Monkey Island DLC is coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on July 20th. Another fun adventure to add to the world of Sea of Thieves, if only it wasn’t tied to playing with other people who are smelly and shout rude things down microphones with the gain turned too high between crunching on extra spicy snacks. I don’t like multiplayer is what I am saying.

This one needed a lot of clarification that the trailer wasn’t too clear on. Flight Simulator 2024 is an “all-new” installment according to Uncle Phil later on in the showcase. With a greater focus on missions, races, and scenarios, Flight Simulator 2024 is shaping up to be a great improvement on what we’ve seen already from Asobo. My only hope is that you can actually download the game when it decides to update, not cause it to brick itself.

On top of that, we got a look at a Dune expansion to the already existing Flight Simulator coming November 3rd. It looks much like Dune, boring.

I know we’re supposed to cheer on anyone talking about mental health and anything that brings about a proper discourse about it, but for the love of all that is holy the trailers for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II are boring. Set around the 9th century, we got another look at the plight of a sad-angry woman having a mental breakdown as the voices in her head try to demoralize her from doing actions. The first gameplay trailer was boring, and somehow this is worse. Coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2024.

Now, this is what I want a cinematic trailer to be: Put a naked Japanese man on an American beach, confused and scared. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is set to release in early 2024 but there isn’t much else shown just yet. With the Ryu Ga Gotoku Summit on the 16th (which Samuel will be covering) I think we might see more from the upcoming turn-based title and other Yakuza/Like A Dragon games from the studio. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is set to release on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4 and 5, and (of course) PC.

Fallout 76 is still a thing, somehow. It has a boring world with boring multiplayer, but hold on, you can spend $100 to rent a server and play single-player. Yeah, I’ll pass. This was a trailer for the upcoming Atlantic City DLC sending you to budget Vegas without all the charm of a typical Fallout game. There is nothing special to really say here. There still isn’t a release date, just a “Coming Soon” sticker slapped on it. If anything I might presume sometime around November at just a wild guess. Somewhere in that post-Starfield haze.

Kanitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess came next with a strange but interesting trailer from Capcom, which we might see more of on the 12th with their showcase. Twisted horrors that have taken over the people of this Japanese village steeped in folklore and tradition are something you will slice, dice, and have a Dynasty Warriors-style fun time with. With kaleidoscopic colors and effects, the trailer made the many horrors you’ll face a lot more appealing. Confirmed to be coming to Xbox Series X|S, it seems there will be no PC launch early on here.

It is truly amazing how they got a La Mans hypercar (which came in 3rd and 4th) from France to where Microsoft filmed this showcase in a matter of about an hour just for a Corvette ad. Joking aside, Forza Motorsport looks great and I want to play it when it releases on Xbox Series X|S and PC on October 10th. Stated as the premiere of true racing, Motorsport is the series without that open-world business of the Horizons brand. Despite having Motorsport 3 next to me in my office, I’ve never played an installment in this side of the franchise.

I have a genuine question, what do you do in Elder Scrolls Online? The next expansion in the yearly releases of this MMORPG series is Shadows over Morrowind, coming to all platforms that The Elder Scrolls Online is available for on June 20th. The seventh main expansion to the MMO is set to add the usual things these MMO expansions add: More of the same quests dressed a little differently, ways to gain more XP, and an expansion on the lore that 90% of people don’t care about.

Wow, it is time for Blizzard’s other thing that is actually getting them some hate: Overwatch 2. The new Invasion update, coming August 10th is set to add some long-awaited story to the early access free-to-play hero shooter. The update is coming to PS4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Switch, and PC. Of course, this won’t include the PvE mode that they cut and angered the three people that care.

Have you always wanted a chibi Persona? Coming November 17th to Xbox Series X|S and PC, Persona 5 Tactica is an XCOM-like that actually has me very interested. No word on a PlayStation presence though. Even though this and Persona 3 Reload leaked there, is no word if either will be heading to the Sony side of the fence. It seems fun and colorful. It looks like a blast for fans at least, I’m interested to see how this one shapes up in November.

At the halfway point to wake everyone up again after the multiplayer-weeaboo nonsense hour, Starfield had a small showing to remind you the main reason you are here is for that. As I said, Alexx will cover that in greater detail, but it is Fallout 4 with quality-of-life updates in space. It looks lovely and I am beyond excited for the September 6th release on Xbox Series X|S and PC, even if they backtracked on the PlayStation release thus far and in an interview with IGN said consoles are locked to 30fps. I also want to point out that they don’t say “award-winning creators of Fallout 76.” I wonder why?

I like your new game Don’t Nod, but I don’t like the art style. Missing some proper eyes, Jusant is a sci-fi climbing adventure set for “fall 2023,” coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Very similar to Grow Home in its idea, the only thing off-putting is those small black characterless dots for eyes. It is very similar to Funko and thus creepy. I’m excited to see more and find out how the climbing works, as for the most part it looked like strict paths to follow. Once we see more, we’ll know if it is a linear “do as we say, not as we do” type of deal.

Everyone will be going to the bottom of the Mariana Trench if I have my way, as The Chinese Room showed off what is next from them. Their next game is a walking-horror-simulator called Still Wakes the Deep, coming in early 2024 to PC (via Steam and Epic), Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. The trailer did a poor job of conveying it but set in 1975, you’ll be aboard the Beira D off the coast of Scotland (probably Inverness-Aberdeen way). Think Amazon’s The Rig, but you’ll probably never see anyone or the cliffhanger monster/supernatural horror that the show ends on.

Dungeons of Hinterberg was next with a hint of that very Belgian comic book style that everyone has suddenly realized is a thing from Sable. Dungeons of Hinterberg is coming next year to Xbox Series X|S and PC, and looking gorgeous doing it. The Austrian developer Microbird Games was founded in 2020 by developers that previously worked on the now-dead Steel Circus. Set in the Austrian Alps, this magical, colorful, and exciting action RPG is one I’m absolutely keeping one eye on if they fix the frame rate.

Keanu, why are you here? Showing off a bit more of the Cyberpunk 2077 expansion, we got a good proper look at Phantom Liberty. This DLC will attempt to save V from her (why play as the guy?) ticking time bomb from the main story. Set to release on the 26th of September for GOG, Steam, Epic, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5, we’ll be reunited with the weirdo that did that funny run-out-of-frame and has Idris Elba joining the cast too. The only question I have over all of this is whether or not it will be as buggy as the original release, or if it will be stable.

We’re onto a strange final stretch now as following that we got a look at Cities Skylines 2. This sequel comes to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on October 24th for about $49.99 ($89.99 for the Ultimate Edition). It was a nice look at the actual gameplay inter-spliced with “cinematic” looks at the cities that can’t be without you.

They also showed tools that offer a greater depth of road building without all the faff, particularly with the grid building and highway construction tools shown off. Seemingly doing a lot of quality-of-life updates, I can’t wait to play this in October on PC. I’m not criminally insane enough to play something as complex with a controller.

Next up is the final Atlus title and supposedly a resurfacing of Project Re: Fantasy. Officially called Metaphor: ReFantazio, the new fantasy RPG is set to come next year on Xbox Series X|S and PC. It comes from the people behind Persona 3–5: Katsura Hashino, Shigenori Soejima, and Shoji Meguro. With the flashy style of Persona and the older-looking gameplay of Shin Megami Tensei, it seems to be a balance of the two in a whole new world that I am sure Atlus fans will be very happy to see.

The penultimate game of the main showcase is the next game from the people that brought you the Banner Saga trilogy, Stoic Studio. More of a real-time-looking action-adventure, the heavily stylized Towerborne looks like a lot of fun. That is more than I can say for The Banner Saga. Set for release in 2024, we need to see quite a lot on this one and I am sure we will at some point over the next several months.

The final game comes from the people over at inXile Entertainment, who are best known recently for the fantastic Wasteland 3. Stepping away from the squad, turn-based RPG, and into the realm of Dishonored and Bioshock, we get a clockwork tale of a time travel RPG. Whoever said this is Steampunk on Steam needs to have their head removed from their sphincter, as the interesting Victorian setting doesn’t have the more Gothic tone. Set to release “in due time” I’m excited for this upcoming Xbox Series X|S and PC title.

Uncle Phil came out to PR-talk us into believing everything we’ve seen was so amazing, so fantastic, and so unbelievable that we might have forgotten about Redfall. Ultimately, he came out to reveal that a small version of his company’s behemoth, the Xbox Series S (in Black), will have a new version out for $349 on the 1st of September. After that, it was straight into the Starfield Direct, which is being covered by Alexx in greater detail than I’d be able to give it.

If you’d like to watch the whole showcase and the Starfield Direct, it is linked below. Not the best offering from Xbox this year, but there was a greater purpose for it. With both this and the Starfield Direct, it was still miles ahead of the Devolver showcase.