This week Xbox held its second annual Developer_Direct event. The one-hour livestream gave viewers a chance to sit down and hear directly from the developers making some of this year’s most anticipated games.
Broken up into five total sections, the Xbox Developer_Direct showcased the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Avowed, and more. Check out the brief recaps below as well as trailers for all games featured at Xbox’s latest event.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was given its first major moment in the spotlight. The game is being developed by MachineGames, in collaboration with LucasFilm Games and executive produced by Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard. MachineGames confirms that the game is set in between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. Play as the iconic character in this first-person, single-player globe-trotting adventure.
MachineGames’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle uses Harrison Ford’s likeness in the game, creating a greater sense of cohesion within the larger series. Actor Troy Baker will be providing his voice in what sounds like a genuine impression of the original actor. Indiana Jones and The Great Circle launches later this year on Xbox Series X, Series S and PC and will be available day one on Game Pass,
Ninja Theory’s highly-anticipated Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II has been given a release date of May 21. In the latest feature, the development team detailed what’s gone into the atmospheric and visceral sequel. During the Developer_Direct, we’re shown some of the mo-cap process as well as audio engineering that goes into the binaural audio. To accurately portray Senua’s psychosis, Ninja Theory is working with Professor Paul Fletcher of the University of Cambridge. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will launch across Xbox Series X|S, Windows and Steam and be available on day one on Xbox Game Pass.
Obsidian Entertainment gave new details on its upcoming fantasy RPG Avowed. Set in the universe of Pillars of Eternity, players will explore new corners of the Living Lands. Gameplay Director Gabe Paramo discussed the game’s combat elements, including the ability to mix loadouts, including traditional swords and shields with wands, pistols, and more. Player agency was also a focal point. During the game, players will make dialogue choices that will impact the characters around them as well as the overarching story and world. Obsidian has proven to be masters of this element whether looking at Fallout: New Vegas or the more recent Outer Worlds. Avowed launches this fall for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud as well as on Xbox Game Pass.
In a surprise appearance, Square Enix joined the event to announce Visions of Mana will be coming to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC this summer. Visions of Mana is the first in the series to arrive on Xbox. It’s also the first mainline entry in the series in over 15 years. Series producer Masaru Oyamada gave viewers a new look at the game’s gorgeous art direction and music. The game is said to have over 100 songs with a new adaptive music system, enabling seamless transitions from map exploration to battles.
Finally, Oxide Games showed off Ara: History Untold. The game is a strategy game, designed to “evolve” the historical grand strategy genre. In its moment in the spotlight, Oxide showed off the game’s crafting systems, simultaneous turn systems, as well as the growing branches of historical settings. Players will be able to research various technologies, building their nations, and rule throughout history. Ara: History Untold launches this fall on PC with PC Game Pass.
Check out the full Xbox Developer_Direct below.
