Fans are having to go another year without the traditional E3, but the recent Xbox + Bethesda Showcase was one of the many presentations intended to help fill that void. This presentation was mostly focused on games that will be released within the next year.
After some exciting reveals including an extra-long gameplay trailer of Bethesda's next RPG Starfield and the announcement that Persona ports will finally be available, Redditors discussed what left them most hyped for the rest of 2022.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
2017's Hollow Knight firmly established itself as one of the best indie games and modern Metroidvanias available, and fans have been painstakingly waiting for its sequel. Silksong has been through long stretches of silence or near-silence, but developer Team Cherry unveiled a new gameplay trailer for the Xbox + Bethesda Showcase.
On top of an exciting new gameplay look, it was also confirmed to be coming on day one to Game Pass. Redditor JesusSandro had somewhat mixed feelings from the preview, but excitement still won out, and they said "Am I disappointed that there isn't a release date? Yeah, but after the radio silence this trailer made the entire month for me."
Starfield
Of course, the most anticipated game at the show was likely Bethesda's next triple-A action RPG Starfield. The publisher/developer has gone all-in with Xbox, and fans have been groaning over the amount of time they take to put out a title. Despite Bethesda publishing some excellent games, their latest stumbles mean that Starfield specifically needs to regain some goodwill.
There are still some reservations, but fans are still finding signs of encouragement in the latest 15-minute gameplay reveal. Redditor uglyuglyugly_ enjoyed some of the gameplay improvements shown off, noting that "The modular customization looks amazing. Settlement building looks easier than in Fallout 4 and we finally have manual flight confirmed. This is really shaping up to be their biggest game yet. Looks great and I can't wait for this."
Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, Persona 5 Royal Ports
Atlus' Persona games are some of the best modern JRPGs available, and the Xbox + Bethesda Showcase finally showed what many were ready to give up on. Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal were announced to be getting Xbox/Game Pass and PC ports (4 Golden is already available through Steam). It's a surprise considering the publisher is known among fans for making some of the most baffling consumer decisions, but this was a long time coming nonetheless.
Redditor ThePotablePotato was thrilled over the reveal, saying "Can’t believe Atlus finally released their games with some semblance of platform consistency! That’s some damn good value for Gamepass though." Nintendo fans are still languishing, but perhaps the next Direct will have a similar surprise in store since these ports are also coming to PlayStation consoles.
Hideo Kojima & Xbox Partnership
Game designer Hideo Kojima is one of the most prolific figures in the gaming industry. He's synonymous with his brainchild Metal Gear Solid, and he's since started an independent studio and released Death Stranding for PlayStation and PC. Kojima's games are known to venture heavily into the psychological and trippy (at times too much for their own good), but they still garner tremendous intrigue.
Hideo Kojima partnering up with any major publisher was always going to be big news, so his fan following will surely wait eagerly for whatever mind-bending project he's thought of for Xbox. Redditor BFaHM7 said "Honestly before he showed up I was jokingly thinking it was gonna be Kojima. When he actually showed up I was flabbergasted. Can't wait for more news."
Forza Motorsport
The Forza series has put out some of the best racing games ever. And while the Forza Horizon spin-off series has gained more traction than Motorsport as of late, racing fans are optimistic regardless for the revelation of the latest entry in the latter series.
Last year's Forza Horizon 5 was released to critical acclaim and set a high bar to meet for the genre in general, but Redditor tythousand emphasized the major steps Motorsport is taking, pointing out that "Real-time raytracing for the new Forza is huge. The crash physics looked like a huge leap forward as well. When Gran Turismo 7 was announced as cross-gen, folks were saying it didn’t matter because racing games can’t do much to take advantage of the new consoles. I disagreed strongly and this demo looks like a generational leap for sure."
Diablo IV
Diablo is a historic action RPG in the industry, and it was one of Blizzard's staple franchises as well. The series has taken hits to its once-prestigious reputation in recent years due to issues like aggressive microtransactions in Diablo Immortal, and those holding onto any hope will be cautiously keeping an eye on Diablo IV.
However, as cautious as fans generally are, they're also finding things to be optimistic about in the Xbox + Bethesda gameplay showcase and character class spotlight. Redditor CouchPoturtle said "I am not a Diablo 2 veteran and I played the hell out of 3. This looks better in every way, just got to hope they don’t make any stupid decisions regarding MTX before release."
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Asobo Studio's A Plague Tale: Innocence was a refreshing surprise in 2019's gaming scene. The double-A title is an action-adventure set against the backdrop of the Hundred Years' War and the French Inquisition, with two siblings struggling to escape while hordes of rats ravage the land with the black plague. A Plague Tale: Requiem is a direct sequel set to launch later this year, with the Xbox + Bethesda Showcase providing fans with a new gameplay trailer.
Redditor kidcolumbo expressed their positive experience with the first game and optimism for the sequel, saying "The first game was one of the most recent games I took a leap of faith on and bought on release, and I loved the experience. This new one looks darker and more fleshed out, which is all I could ask for." Innocence was well-received for its ingenious blend of action-adventure, stealth, and survival-horror elements wrapped in an emotionally layered and gutwrenching story, and Requiem is set to build on the first's strengths.