Xbox exclusives we’re hoping to listen to about in 2024
The Outer Worlds 2
It was nearly precisely three years in the past when The Outer Worlds 2 was introduced on the Xbox & Bethesda Video games Showcase. Now, the very first thing to say right here is how good that announcement trailer was. Sticking to The Outer Worlds humorousness, it was fortunately truthful about how nothing was really completed within the recreation but. The narrator, going body by body, talked about the form of issues they had been including to make the trailer spectacular: “Out of the blue, and for no purpose, individuals operating. These pointless, slow-motion pictures make every little thing appear cool and will bolster pre-sale numbers.” It was an amazing trailer, which was very trustworthy about the truth that The Outer Worlds was nonetheless within the early levels: “Now we see our hero, however solely their silhouette, as a result of the builders have not completed the design, or completed the story, or completed any gameplay that is really prepared to indicate. The truth is, the one factor they’ve completed is the title.” That title is in fact The Outer Worlds 2, which does certainly do an excellent job of getting the purpose throughout about what this recreation is.
Obsidian can be engaged on Avowed, which we noticed much more of throughout 2024’s Xbox Video games Showcase, with new gameplay data and trailers. Since Avowed is anticipated to launch this yr, it is sensible that Obsidian will have already got its fingers full. Nonetheless, that announcement trailer for The Outer Worlds 2 was three years in the past, so maybe we are able to nonetheless hope to listen to some kind of replace on that entrance this yr — even whether it is, as soon as once more, “the one factor they’ve completed is the title.” If it got here with one other nice tongue-in-cheek trailer like the primary, that’d be greater than sufficient for now.
Everwild
This was certainly one of my Xbox Video games Showcase 2024 predictions that positively wasn’t profitable. It looks like I’ve written lots about this recreation contemplating it hasn’t had an replace shortly, however I can’t assist holding out hope of seeing Everwild at each Xbox occasion, just because it appeared so good when it was introduced (and within the few glimpses we’ve seen since).
On the one hand, it appeared potential Everwild may seem on the Xbox showcase just because it’s been so a few years since that X019 announcement. Alternatively, we’ve had radio silence about Everwild just about ever since. A report in 2021 prompt Everwild focusing on was focusing on a 2024 launch after being “restarted from scratch”, however the one official phrase we’ve had on Uncommon’s new IP was when the Everwild workforce commented final yr that they had been trying to “heat up… for our yr forward.” All that to say, some signal of life from the beautiful Everwild this yr could be very welcome, though I additionally positively wouldn’t say no to some extra definitive data on what this recreation will really be like. It seems to be extremely stunning, however how will it play? We all know we’ll be enjoying as an Everlasting, empowered by a mystical reference to nature, however what’s the story there? And please, Everwild, when may we see a launch window?
Contraband
Contraband was one other stunning reveal from Xbox & Bethesda Video games Showcase 2021. Like with The Outer Worlds 2, the announcement didn’t inform us a lot, however what it did share was sufficient to get us eagerly anticipating extra concerning the recreation. Contraband is an open-world action-adventure recreation from Avalanche Studios and “a co-op smuggler’s paradise set within the fictional world of Nineteen Seventies Bayan.” Its announcement trailer was really a little bit paying homage to the reveal of the subsequent Indiana Jones recreation. Each didn’t reveal their protagonists however confirmed off tables full of maps and adventuring gear, with Contraband’s clearly being extra smuggling-focused: maps, getaway routes, and hints of a plan for the “Solar River job.”
It’s arduous to evaluate from that announcement alone simply how far alongside in growth Contraband is likely to be, however with three years now between us and that first reveal, we’re hoping to see extra Contraband information quickly.
Ark 2
Ark 2 is rather more firmly positioned on the Xbox horizon, with a present set launch window of late 2024 (having initially been down for launch in 2023). “Late 2024” is wanting lots nearer now we’re this facet of the Xbox Video games Showcase, and after a number of trailers exhibiting Vin Diesel doing an excellent job of managing his dinosaur-filled world, we’re hoping to see extra from Studio Wildcard about what to anticipate from Ark 2 this yr. We do know a good quantity already — try our round-up of every little thing we learn about Ark 2 for extra!
These are just some of the Xbox exclusives on the horizon which we’re hoping to listen to extra of this yr. There are loads extra on the checklist, however most are both method too far-off or have already got launch dates or home windows. For example, there’s OD, however Hideo Kojima solely teased OD as an upcoming Xbox horror recreation late final yr, and given how lengthy we needed to wait earlier than we knew something for sure about what was occurring in Demise Stranding, it’s arduous to inform after we may see extra on this explicit mission. Then there’s Clockwork Revolution, which was additionally introduced simply final yr. inXile did specify on the time that the steampunk time-traveling first-person action-RPG was nonetheless “early in growth,” so there’s probably a little bit of a wait earlier than we hear extra of that.
Then there’s Ninja Concept’s Undertaking Mara, introduced as a “illustration of psychological terror” again in 2020, which we’ve scarcely seen since. Ninja Concept has in fact been busy with the superb Hellblade 2 which is out now (Sean liked it in his Hellblade 2 assessment), however even when this did imply extra of a concentrate on Undertaking Mara, it seems to be like that one’s nonetheless method off. One other mysterious mission is Undertaking Maverick, which was once more solely introduced final yr. Then we’ve bought the juggernaut of The Elder Scrolls VI, which appears solely to be talked about in reference to how far-off it’s.
Issues are, nevertheless, very a lot wanting up on the Xbox exclusives entrance. That Xbox Video games Showcase was wonderful (the truth is, Sean reckons there was just one factor lacking), and we’ve nonetheless bought the likes of Gamescom on the best way, so we’ll be looking out for any exclusives information. Which of those are you hoping to listen to from this yr?
