Xbox Developer Direct Reveals
Xbox revealed more details about its 2024 lineup. Four games were officially announced, but there was a surprise waiting. An in-depth look at Visions of Mana was shown between Hellblade II and Ara: History Untold. Most of the games on this list don’t have an exact release date, but each looks interesting for fans of strategy and adventure.
- Avowed
Avowed is a first person rpg where players are tasked with stopping a magical plague. The areas shown were unique and full of small details. Quests will allow players to choose what happens at the end. It remains to be seen how important those choices are overall. Avowed’s combat will allow players to switch between magic, ranged, and melee attacks. It will also be easy to combine different attack types so there’s more freedom in how players choose to tackle each fight.
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Hellblade II follows Senua to Iceland as she continues her fight against the Vikings. The devs state their focus is on making each fight unique from each other, as well as standing apart from the previous game. They also paid more attention to creating a fully immersive audio experience. In the previous game this was mostly confined to the outstanding voice acting for voices Senua hears. For fans of mythology and brutal combat, Hellblade II will release on May 21st.
- Visions of Mana
Visions of Mana is debuting on Xbox consoles and brings some changes to the franchise. Behind the scenes footage showed the move from pixelated sprites to 3D characters as well as an example of the seamless transition from combat to map music. New animal companions were revealed. The adorable creatures called Pikuls can even act as mounts. Players will also be able to call on elementals through specialized items with various effects. These items can be combined with mid-air attacks to keep combat flexible. Visions of Mana is slated for a summer release.
- Ara: History Untold
Ara is a strategy game where players’ choices will affect a “Living World”. As time passes the landscape and cities will change depending on how you decide to rule. A prestige system will determine the game’s winner, but how that prestige is earned isn’t set. Turns in Ara will also be simultaneously. This is an attempt to keep players engaged by having less downtime. Ara: History Untold has a fall release window.
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
The trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle showed off multiple locations as Indy solves an ancient mystery. As the globetrotting archeologist, players will be encouraged to find creative ways around obstacles. When combat is unavoidable Indy’s iconic whip can be used. However, it can also be used to create distractions if a player would rather avoid a guard. There will also be plenty of puzzles, but this isn’t meant to halt progress. It’s a challenge for those players who want to explore each location thoroughly. The Great Circle is expected later this year and will be a day one launch on Xbox Gamepass.
Each game has an interesting look and pushes boundaries to allow their players the most control possible. Thankfully it’s a, relatively, short wait to see how well each game achieves that goal. The glimpses of gameplay we did get were promising. 2024 is shaping up to be a great year for new experiences, whatever your genre preferences.
