By Chad W. Shreeves

Microsoft was the first major publisher to give their own showcase this year. This afternoon, the Xbox studio peeled the curtain back and showed off just a few of their upcoming titles.

First Impressions

Overall, this was a much smaller showcase than some were expecting. With only really showing off a few titles, Xbox kept the most cards for their big releases close to their chest. Without any real confirmation of the next Gears of War or what’s next for Halo, as well as what Rare would be working on, it kind of left room for improvement. Hopefully some of the big reveals will come at a summer showcase.

That aside, let’s focus on what they did show off.

Avowed

Obsidian showed off their Skyrim inspired RPG to start off the showcase. Along with some very unique branching dialogue trees and some powerful combat skills, Avowed looks to be a terrific entry from the people that brough us Fallout: New Vegas. I’m not familiar with the Pillars of Eternity universe, but the settings and characters shown looked fun and unique.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

I was a huge fan of the original Hellblade. It was short, but it was such a tense, narratively driven title that it felt well worth its length. And Senua’s Saga looks to elevate everything that made the original good and amp it up. Ninja Theory’s incredible looking game features some challenge-filled, brutal combat encounters and some next level audio design. What’s more, we don’t have long to wait. The game will be a digital only release on May 21.

Ara: History Untold

Oxide Games revealed more of their historical strategy epic. Looking to appeal to fans of the classic Age of Empires and Civilization games, this new game looks great and hits that historical itch that fans of this genre have been waiting for. Allowing you to rule however you want and plans to reward exploration and curiosity, it definitely looks intriguing.

Visions of Mana

One of the most pleasant surprises from last year’s game awards, Square Enix came in with a surprise announcement and trailer regarding their return to form action RPG, Visions of Mana. Being the first release ever to come to Xbox from this franchise, Square showed off some of the overworld and some of Mana’s various fiends that will be encountered. It definitely looks like a great time and it’s wonderful seeing them bring this franchise out of obscurity.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Machinegames closed out the show with their eagerly awaited title, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. With a first look featuring Troy Baker stepping into Harrison Ford’s boots and an Uncharted inspired combat, this first person adventure looks like a blast. From exploring tombs to solving puzzles to taking on Nazis in an all out brawl, this looks like a great game to play. While we didn’t get a full release date, we do know it’s coming later this year. I’d expect this may be Xbox’s big holiday release.

So while it was a short showing (even under an hour), I did enjoy everything I saw. Even I’m willing to admit we’ve been spoiled by showcases in the past and I’m as guilty as others of letting my imagination get away from me. But what we did see was a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to seeing what else Xbox has to show later this year.

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