With the first-ever Xbox and Bethesda Developer_Direct airing on Jan. 25, players the world over received updates on quite a few key Microsoft titles – in case you missed it, here’s everything you can expect in the coming months!
A rhythm-based beat down
Starting off, we have Tango Gameworks’ newest title – Hi-Fi Rush! Hi-Fi Rush is like Jet Set Radio, Sunset Overdrive and Devil May Cry blended into one, giving players beat-driven beat ’em up gameplay with a stunning art style and a killer soundtrack. Hi-Fi Rush came as a big surprise to viewers, as Tango Gameworks is generally known for more horror and mystery-oriented titles like The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo.
Hi-Fi Rush combines the musical elements and focus of Jet Set Radio and Sunset Overdrive with Devil May Cry’s beat ’em-up gameplay. Players assume the role of Chai, a would-be rock star a brand-new chest-mounted music player, a robotic arm, and a corporation looking to take him down.
Hi-Fi Rush is all about music, from the environment down to the cutscenes, with everything in the game syncing to the beat like one big, violent interactive music video. With tons of licensed music from the likes of icons like Nine Inch Nails to The Black Keys, Hi-Fi Rush is a game that any fan of rhythm-based should be excited about. In case that description has you anxious to try it out – no need to worry because Hi-Fi Rush was released just a few hours after the Developer_Direct and is available on PC and Xbox.
Minecraft gets the Fortnite treatment
We mean Fortnite: Save the World, not Battle Royale, by the way. Mojang Studios has partnered up with Blackbird Interactive to create a brand new Minecraft tale for base defense enthusiasts!
Minecraft Legends is a new game in which players explore a world filled with treasures and perils, reunite with familiar mobs, meet new mysterious characters, and strategize with their allies in epic battles against the piglins in the story-driven campaign. Minecraft Legends also includes a PvP mode in which two teams of up to four players each collect resources, build a base, and lay siege to the opposing team’s forces. Minecraft Legends is slated for release on Apr. 18 on PC, Nintendo Switch, and current/last-gen Xbox and PlayStation consoles!
Vampires have taken over a town in… Massachusetts?
Arkane Austin lifted the veil on Redfall, revealing new, expanded gameplay that showcased the open world, the evil vampires (including a sneak peek at the mighty Vampire Gods), player customization, psychic Vampire Nests, and much more.
Arkane’s story-driven first-person shooter hits PC and Xbox Series X|S on May 2, bringing single and multi-player vampire hunting to the bloody streets of Redfall, Mass. Good luck out there hunters!
Forza Motorsport is looking, sounding, and feeling very promising
Turn 10 Studios demonstrated how they are delivering a generational leap in fidelity, immersion, and realism by making Forza Motorsport look, sound, and feel real – through its cars, tracks, and audio – all while delivering a generational leap in fidelity, immersion, and realism.
Forza Motorsport is the team’s most technically advanced and authentic racing game to date, designed to take full advantage of the Xbox Series X|S consoles. While there is no concrete launch date as of yet, Forza Motorsport will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, console, PC, and Cloud Gaming, with an incredible new online racing mode and an all-new car building focused single-player career.
Venturing back to Morrowind in The Elder Scrolls Online
ZeniMax Online Studios has revealed the key details about this year’s massive Chapter update that ESO players have been waiting for. The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom, drops in June and is taking players back to the alien lands of Morrowind to venture across the unexplored eastern regions of Tamriel. The Chapter will also include a new playable class, the Arcanist, marking the game’s third new class since release.
ZOS also announced a free trial for ESO Plus, which makes all previous Chapters and DLC (except High Isle) available to all ESO base game players, including those using Game Pass, starting Jan. 25. The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom will be released this June on PC/Mac, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles.
Sorry Starfield fans, but you’ll have to wait a little while longer
While there wasn’t any Starfield news (which many players were expecting) Microsoft and Bethesda are planning to hold a separate event to give the eagerly anticipated title its due time in the spotlight. It’s just as well since it’s doubtful anyone would have been satisfied with just a ten-minute demo.
That’s it for the Xbox & Bethesda Developer_Direct! In case you missed it, want to watch it again, or anything in between, you can watch the full showcase right here – and be sure to stick around with SQUAD for more on new releases and gaming showcases!
