Microsoft recently showed off their first round of Xbox Series X games to mixed reactions across the board, with many gamers left wanting more.
Misguided Promises
In the days before the Inside Xbox live stream, Microsoft was hyping fans up for a visual gameplay feast; what they actually offered up was nothing more than appetizers. Inside Xbox promised a “first look at next-gen gameplay” but most of the trailers showed nothing more than cinematics or In-Engine footage.
The Big Let Down
The game that everybody was eager to see, Assassins Creed Valhalla, was still fresh in everybody’s mind from its recent reveal trailer. It was supposed to be the centre-piece of the show and give us our first glimpse of actual gameplay; what was actually presented was a short In-Engine trailer that showed none of the gameplay teased. Fans are going to have to wait a little bit longer yet.
The rest of the show did not fare any better with gameplay reveals but it did unveil some new games for fans to get a next-gen shopping list going.
Best of the Rest
First up we have Scorn. The newly announced game is a first-person shooter horror game developed by Ebb Software and although no gameplay was shown the trailer did a fantastic job of giving players a glimpse of the grotesque world that awaits.
Bright Memory: Infinite was another hidden gem for Xbox players to sink some time in to after the Series X release. A fast-paced first-person shooter that probably offered the best look at next-gen gameplay. The game is already available on Steam Early access but will receive some visual upgrades in time for the Series X.
The Ascent offered something a little different and is a top-down action RPG that can be played solo or co-op. The game is set in a futuristic cyberpunk world where the mega-corporation in charge has collapsed and sent the world into chaos.
Other Offerings
Other titles in the line up included Scarlet Nexus, Chorus, Call of the Sea, Second Extinction, The Medium, Vampire: The Masquerade-Bloodlines 2 as well as big series entries from Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Dirt 5 and Madden NFL 21.
However, fans were left disappointed by the omission of Xbox big hitters Halo, Gears of War and Forza.
A Missed Opportunity
With Sony having shown next to nothing so far for next-gen, this was Microsoft’s chance to drive home their early lead even further but they missed their mark by a clear margin. If they had not raised gameplay expectations so high beforehand, the showcase might have had a far better reception and kept fans on side. Microsoft now has some work to do to earn back fans trust.
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