Xbox and Bethesda Showcase 2022

BENGALURU: If there was at all any doubt if Xbox and PC users had it bad after the PlayStation game announcements, it was all erased by the grand list of announcements in the Xbox and Bethesda games showcase on June 12, 2022.

A marked moment in history. A list that kept giving. A right combination of AAA games and small, weird ones. And before I say another word, I will recall my caveat from last time I am just reviewing game trailers. We don’t know how the final games will turn out, and the showcase only provides a platform for the developers to stir up some hype. I will divide my most anticipated games into three sections one big game, one indie game, and one for the fun. Plague Tale: Requiem is by far my standout action-adventure game. The trailer looks stunning as a successor to Innocence.

The visuals make it look like the Xbox’s response to The Last of Us. The gameplay features an older, battleworn Amicia, gruesome stealth kills, a crossbow, and lots of rats. The game is expected to release in 2022, and will be available on the Game Pass from Day One! I’m finding it hard to describe The Last Case of Benedict Fox as anything but the overused ‘hauntingly beautiful’. Because that’s exactly what it is. The game is a sidescroller set in a twisted world of secret organisations.

With the tying theme being a Lovecraftian Metroidvania, we descend into the memories of Benedict Fox to fight demons and uncover crimes. The problem is that we will have to wait till 2023 for this indie. For my most awaited fungame, it was a hard pick between the Sea of Thieves update and Minecraft Legends. But having recently finished Minecraft Dungeons, I am really excited for the franchise’s foray into real-time strategy.

The lands of Minecraft look spectacular in Legends, all ready for a battle against the piglins. The showcase also subtly pushes us to make friends, with some headlining games like Diablo IV and Redfall featuring both co-op and crossplay. Towards the end of the showcase, I did feel a good sense of dread. Because there is no way that any single person would be able to play all these games to completion in the next few years at least. So many games, how exciting!