Everything Announced At The Microsoft And Bethesda Developer Direct
Last night saw Microsoft and Bethesda take to the virtual stage and present a host of games that is coming soon for both Xbox Series X|S and PC (along with a few other platforms). Hotly anticipated titles such as Redfall and the next Forza were shown, as well as a few surprises. Let’s have a look at the show.
Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, and Redfall, as well as the next chapter reveal for The Elder Scrolls Online had the spotlight shone on them during the presentation and unlike a Nintendo Direct, the Microsoft presentation did go into detail with their games. To that end, we’ve listed the games in release date order and put quick links below so you can jump to whichever one interests you the most.
Where there is a deep dive video, we’ve linked to it rather than embedding, to keep the games as spoiler free as possible.
Hi-Fi Rush
Up first, we had a surprise announcement of Hi-Fi Rush, a previously unannounced game by Tango Gameworks, the studio that brought The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo. Unlike the previous horror centric titles, Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm-action game that stars rockstar Chai. After finding what looks like an iPod buried in his chest, he finds that the world is syncing up to the beat of whatever is playing. Chai sets off to battle a sinister robotics enhancement conglomerate using rhythm-amplified combat in order to escape their clutches. A full gameplay deep dive can be found on Bethesda’s YouTube channel but for those who just want a quick look, here’s the reveal/launch trailer.
Along with slick action, Hi-Fi Rush features a killer mixtape of both licensed and original songs and even includes a streamer-friendly alternate audio mode which replaces those licensed songs with original tracks made especially for streaming. The beat of Hi-Fi Rush can be found on Game Pass from today and is available to buy on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Steam.
Minecraft Legends
Minecraft Legends is set to take all the blocks, mobs, diamond swords from the best selling game of all time and transform it into a fully-fledged strategy game. Alongside the single player story which sees players trying to reclaim the Overworld from a Piglin invasion, you’ll also be able to take part in 4v4 battles against your friends, enemies, and frenemies in the game’s instantly recognisable style.
Minecraft Legends will release on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC and Cloud on 18 April 2023. It will be, of course, on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on day one.
Redfall
After the Dishonored series went into hiatus, Arkane studios have been busy. 2021 saw Deathloop, the Groundhog Day esq espionage thriller and last year should have seen Redfall hit Xbox Series X|S. That was delayed until this year, and now we know that it’s set for a 2 May 2023 release.
Arkane Austin are at the helm of Redfall, a vampire-centric open world First Person Shooter. Set in the town of the same name, Redfall is a vampire hunting game where players have to work together to stop a vampiric invasion. The game can be played either solo or with a team of up to four who can pick from a range of characters, each one with a special set of skills that can be utilised in taking back the town. The team showed an extended look at the gameplay showcasing some juicy bits of the game, and hints at some of the enemies you’ll be tracking down.
Pre-order bonuses, and the upgraded Bite Back Edition, which adds a Hero Pass for future additions to your vampire slaying roster, outfits and weapons were also announced for those looking to make the most of their time with the game. Redfall will release on Xbox Series X|S, PC and Game Pass on 2nd May.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom
The next expansion for The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom has been detailed by the team at Zenimax. TESO players will be excited to learn that a new Arcanist class, new zones, and of course a meaty storyline is coming to the MMORPG. The action will primarily be situated along the eastern coast of mainland Morrowind, in the Telvanni Peninsula first seem in The Elder Scrolls: Arena. As you venture through the Dark Elf homeland, players will also be able to access Apocrypha, Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Oblivion. Both zones will feature new quests, NPCs, challenges such as world bosses and an all-new kind of world event which has yet to be announced.
In addition to the main expansion, Bethesda confirmed that a free trail of all previous expansions is underway and the save data will transfer should players wish to buy the full adventure. Also, all of the future storylines in 2023 will be standalone but will tie into the wider Necrom picture. Necrom will launch on 20 June 2023, for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S as well as PC, PS5 and PS4. Various pre orders for new and existing players are now live on the respective digital stores.
Forza Motorsport
Finally, Forza Motorsport has made an appearance. Set for release in 2023, the next entry into Microsoft’s long running simulator is aiming to be the most realist driving experience yet. The team at Turn 10 Studios have said that they are working on making Forza look as real as possible, and are leaving no details unturned as they look at all aspects of racing, including the sound and feel of the cars.
Built specifically around the Xbox Series X|S Forza Motorsport looks to set the standard of racing games and will feature over 500 cars with more than 800 unique upgrades, along with 20 environments featuring multiple track layouts. While the presentation was light on the game specific stuff, the technical detail does look staggering and a massive step up from the previous games in the series. Forza Motorsport is coming later this year to Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass, PC and Cloud with a beta to follow.
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