Xbox Games Showcase 2024 Highlights

I know this conference was over a week ago but since I have been working on a lot of gaming content lately, I’ve had to prioritize accordingly.

My, my how things have changed. Every game conference used to fall under E3 but now each company just holds their own conference at different times. Microsoft and Xbox recently had their conference this month and there was a helluva lot of stuff that caught my eye and got my adrenaline going so here I’ll be talking about the highlights that I enjoyed the most with new announcements, trailers, etc.

DOOM: The Dark Ages

Pinch me right now. We’re getting another DOOM game? Fuck yeah! I thought Bethesda and id Software were done with the series for now but you can never have enough of DOOM!

What can I say? It’s badass as usual with the gameplay and soundtrack. I expect a story with possibly a darker tone this time. Also, I was even more hyped to see Doomguy don the massive suit and fight a Titan! It was fun as hell fighting the Icon of Sin so this will definitely be just as fun! Oh and I love the selection of weapons, like the one with the skull, and the shield with the circular sawblade, now that’s gonna be brutal. As long as I can fuck up some demons with heavy metal blasting, I’m happy.

Gears of War: E-Day

Okay, so I have been hoping for something very particular from this franchise and I was surprised to see the announcement was this.

I haven’t paid attention to the series since the third game and I have yearned for a remastered trilogy collection on PC of games 1 – 3 to be made, dubbed Marcus Fenix collection like Halo’s MCC.

So the announcement wasn’t that, but this could eventually open the doors toward it. This game is a prequel to the original trilogy of when the Locust war began and the formation of brotherhood between Dom and Marcus.

I am a bit of a purist who loves the era of Delta Squad so hey, you know what, I’m going to give this a chance. I’m sure the gameplay will be no different and it may even bring some nostalgia. Please let this eventually lead to what I really want.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

It’s finally real. This Dragon Age game has been in progress for years and now it’s almost here! It was first going to be called Dragon Age Dreadwolf but then they decided to change the name to make it less about the villain. At last, we go to Tevinter to stop that ugly egghead Solas from tearing down the Veil!

Before this, all we got was some concept art but now the past few weeks we got a reveal trailer, a 20-minute gameplay preview, and other goodies.

I don’t know why the fandom is in such an uproar about the style of this trailer. I loved how it introduced all the companions in a way like I am watching an anime intro that I loved as a kid. Plus the companions are the most important and beloved feature in a DA game.

I am happy to see Varric again and Lace Harding in a more prominent role. As for the newcomers, I am already attracted to Lucanis, he’s so cute so hopefully, I can romance him. Rumors have been circulating that romance in this game won’t be as restricted as DAI so I hope that’s true. I’m coming for you Lucanis! I can’t wait to learn more about you and see if my heart completely succumbs!

Oh, and Taash is badass! You know what, fuck those “this is too woke” comments whatever the hell that means. Taash doesn’t need to look like a Victoria’s Secret model to be considered a female Qunari. Need I remind you of the term tomboy? As someone with a tomboy side in me, I can’t wait to meet her as well!

I really like where this is going with gameplay. As much as I love the story of DAO, I don’t really enjoy tactical combat so much, as I’m more of a hack-and-slash girl. Fight me. Anyway, this is definitely the game I’m looking forward to the most.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

That’s right, half of the games that caught my eye are from Bethesda. It’s no surprise since Microsoft owns them now.

This game was revealed earlier but with the showcase, we got to see more cinematics and gameplay. It looks very polished and full of classic personality traits from Indy.

He’s not voiced by Harrison Ford this time, however, Troy Baker who does the voice-over instead sounds really close to what we’re used to hearing from the beloved protagonist. I have no doubt that this game will include lots of action, puzzle-solving and daring escapes. There’s no release date yet but they have said it will be out this year.

I was hoping we would get to see more of Jurassic Park Survival, another hugely anticipated licensed game, which was first revealed at the Game Awards last year. The only recent update we got was some screenshots. It might still be a while before we see more cinematics and gameplay due to it being developed by an independent company who are not under any major publisher.

Those are my highlights from the Xbox Showcase. Even though it’s Xbox, all these titles will be on PC too. This post does feel a bit late but you know, life happens. I am glad there are some great titles to look forward to.

👽Emily