The year is barely underway, but we already have our first showcase on the horizon. Microsoft is kicking off the new year with another Developer_Direct on Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 3PM ET, featuring upcoming titles from both Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda, including the impressive looking Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II from Ninja Theory, the history-based RTS ARA: History Untold from Oxide, the Western Fantasy RPG Avowed from Obsidian, and the highly anticipated Indiana Jones title from Wolfenstein developer Machine Games.

Microsoft’s last Developer_Direct was almost a year ago to the day on January 25, 2023, diving deep into Forza Motorsport, Elder Scrolls Online’s Necrom expansion, Minecraft Legends, and Redfall, ending with the surprise announcement and shadow drop of Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush. As excited as most fans are about Hellblade II and Indiana Jones, the conversation is really about what the surprise will be this year.

To get you up to speed, here are the trailers and a small description for each title as relayed by Xbox Wire.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Ninja Theory

Ninja Theory take us behind the scenes at their studio in Cambridge to give us some insight on how they are crafting Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. The team will speak to the ambition and meticulous care involved in creating Senua’s journey of survival. – Xbox Wire

Avowed – Obsidian

The team at Obsidian will share the first deep dive into the gameplay experience fans can expect in Avowed, their upcoming fantasy action RPG, set in the fantastical, vibrant Living Lands. Learn more about how Obsidian’s expertise in building worlds with deep themes, dynamic gameplay, and thoughtful reactivity come to life in Avowed where players will have agency to make choices to shape every step of their adventure. – Xbox Wire

Ara: History Untold – Oxide Games

Hear from the leads at Oxide Games – a studio founded by veterans of the strategy genre and the creators behind classic strategy titles including Civilization V – as they unveil exclusive new gameplay and share more details about the inspiration, key features, and road ahead for their upcoming historical grand strategy game. – Xbox Wire

Indiana Jones – Machine Games

MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, will reveal their upcoming Indiana Jones game, an action-adventure that puts players in the leather jacket of the legendary archaeologist. Developer_Direct will showcase more than 10 minutes of game and developer insights, including details about the game’s setting and story, how fans will actually play as Indy, additional details from his next globe-trotting adventure, and the premiere of the first gameplay trailer. – Xbox Wire

Our Take

For me personally, two titles stand out for very different reasons. First is Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. It might be graphically the most impressive game I’ve ever seen, and it holds special significance as a sequel to one of my top ten games of all time. I’m eager to see how Ninja Theory further explores Senua’s psychosis and mental health throughout this story as it seems the stakes have been raised for those around her.

The second title is Indiana Jones, and currently, there’s no information about the game aside from the first teaser trailer from 2022. Given that these movies are among my all-time favorites, I’m increasingly intrigued at how Machine Games will approach their version of Indy as he is markedly different from BJ Blaskowitz. Either way, I am excited to finally see gameplay.

Overall, Xbox has a very exciting lineup not only for this Developer_Direct, but through the short-, mid-, and long term if they can pull off the sheer amount of games they have announced. It’s exciting to see that this ship has finally made the turn that started when Phil Spencer took over from Don Matrick during the Xbox One era, building his team and acquiring the right studios to build Xbox into a brand fans can be proud of.

What games are you most excited for? Let us know in our Discord or in our Facebook Community!

Source: Xbox Wire
Featured Image: Xbox Wire

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