That Was The Most Impressive Xbox Showcase, Possibly Ever

Gears

MS

While I did expect some decently big announcements from the Xbox Games Showcase yesterday, its sub-in for what might have otherwise been an E3 showcase in past years, I was not expecting Microsoft to craft what I would argue was its best presentation maybe ever.

I’m genuinely trying to think of another one that could beat it. Yes, there are ones with individual new console announcements or new Halo sequel reveals, but nothing that matches the start-to-finish, wall-to-wall looks at promising games like we saw here.

Of course there’s a factor here that is not the case across all the other years, that Microsoft, big as it was before, is now a monster collection of studios after gobbling up major and minor publishers, the last of which being Activision Blizzard itself. So, as you go through what looks good in the show, you can keep that in mind. Such as:

Indy

MS Indiana Jones? Machine Games (Bethesda) Starfield expansion? Bethesda Doom: The Dark Ages? id (Bethesda) Avowed? Obsidian WoW expansion? Blizzard Diablo expansion? Blizzard Call of Duty? Activision

So, without these recent acquisitions you might imagine how this would have been a lot slimmer, as things used to be. Though to give full credit, some of the most impressive games at the show were from traditional first-party Xbox studios, Fable from Playground, Perfect Dark from The Initiative and Gears of War: E-Day from The Coalition.

Of course, there was also a glaring hole in the lineup, not that the show was worse because of it, but just because of how strange it is. How does Microsoft have its best showcase ever and not have Master Chief or Halo there…at all? I think we know the answer that, which is that Halo Infinite was not the generational resurgence Xbox was planning on for the game, and despite significant multiplayer improvements, they still mostly ignore it. And Master Chief himself is on ice with maybe some story content coming later in the future, if rumors are to be believed. Still, it’s a strange time to be alive.

Halo Infinite

Microsoft

The games, of course, have to deliver. Fable and Perfect Dark in particular are IPs that have been untested for eons, and though talented studios are attached, nothing is guaranteed. That said, there is no denying they looked good in the trailers, as did much of the “acquisition” content listed above. Indiana Jones in particular really won me over this time around, seemingly a better rendition of an Indy story than the last two actual movies have been. And I personally am extremely hyped for the Diablo and Starfield expansions, two of my most-played games this past year.

It was a stellar showcase from Xbox, a brand I have been extremely critical of across two generations now, but there is absolutely no denying that they brought it during that showcase, and I hope everything turns out to be as good as it looked.

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