Xbox has needed some exciting news to start off the year. I think it has certainly happened with this conference. After all, it was first noted starting off that this year is the 25th anniversary of the Xbox. Despite all the ups and downs, that is something to celebrate. Everyone should be aware of that. This conference got me excited without even the first game being shown. As I pointed out in my article “Xbox: Where Do We Go From Here”, the advertisement of Game Pass and xCloud were advertised. Check out that article after this one if you haven’t read it yet. All games that that were going to be shown will be available on day 1 with Game Pass and will cross progression and save. There have been many games so far that will enable cross-save, so this was good to see. This all what makes me still looking forward to keep going the Xbox route. Now for the games:
Forza 6
If there’s any racing game that has been a big part of Xbox, it’s Forza. With over 500 vehicles to choose from, that is something to capture attention. The biggest thing that stands out from this presentation is a new location, Japan. The biggest Forza map yet and being able to have the freedom to drive around will be awesome. I was impressed by the landscapes that were shown. Being able to make your own garages for your friends to see is a good idea. This game will no doubt go beyond just racing.
Beast of Reincarnation
Well fans of Final Fantasy will like this one. This is going to be an RPG with a lot of hack’n slash in it. Some of the team helped with the Pokémon games, so this is going to be an interesting new direction. Much of the game was inspired by Pokémon. The amount of detail shown with the mountain landscapes was beautiful. Their big sell is blending this in with science fiction. You will be able to apply stealth and make your own combo attacks. The developers are eager for people to play this and to see how you will play. With a fighting game that allows flexibility like this, I’m confident it will sell.
Kiln
Well if a new idea is needed, this one will fulfill that. The team behind this game I think gave the most entertaining conference out of them all. I liked how they started off with making something out of a real pottery wheel. I encourage you to watch it. You will have a pottery wheel in the game and whatever you make becomes your character to take on an adventure. From what I saw, this could be a surprise Game of the Year contender when it releases. You’ll have customized tools when making your pottery. Certain objects and landscapes in each map will interact with certain pottery. Water will even change each map! Some tunnels you go through may not fit your pottery character. Online multiplayer looks like it will be blast. One mode introduced is called Quench. It is a 4v4 battle. The combat looks silly, given it’s all pottery crafts, but also looks fun. It will add to the line up of simple party games. I just hope it will have 4 player split-screen. Having a lobby after each multiplayer session where you can make some pottery with your friends and up grade your capabilities are good ideas! I was amazed seeing more of how you can shape your piece of pottery as you make it with the wheel. You’ll be able to add handles too. My excitement for this game got higher as I kept watching it. You can count on me downloading this as soon as it hits Game Pass.
Fable 6
Well I can see why Fable would be the final game to be shown for this conference. The team for Forza has put together a team to take on Fable 6. This is going to be their first action RPG. It is going to be a big reboot, and the gameplay clearly shows. I have never played Fable, but I have seen screen shots and gameplay of earlier Fables, and what was shown of the landscapes at the start of this conference was quite impressive. Being able to go wherever you want as the developers say on top of that, makes me eager want to sit down and play this for the first time. The villages and towns look like scenes from the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. I don’t know if customization has ever been much of an option before, the developers really telling us that it will be a thing like never before. Being able to make your character and choose how you want to play when you are out and about, could be the key to getting new players to come on board with this. If the game can adjust to my style, that is a win for me. I liked Hitman: Absolution for this reason. I didn’t have to be stealthy the whole time if I didn’t want to. The team behind Fable is really on to something. Your reputation will impact the game greatly. Every character you see has a name, a job, and you’ll be able to talk to them. The devs mention on top of that that you can follow any one of them around to see what all they do. We really have entered the next generation here as you’ll be able to have a family, buy homes, be boss and hire people, and more.
As always, we’ll have to wait until these all come out to see if they live up to the hype. But sure it could be a solid start to a new year for the Xbox. While all the games shown are also for PC and PS5, it will pay off to be subscribed to Game Pass.
Comment below and tell me your thoughts of this conference. You can see it all for yourself right here: https://www.youtube.com/live/hXn6bvU1Kh4?si=B4u9QoZjwUo5n-xk
In the next article, I took a one night vacation by myself in central Washington in the town of Ellensburg. I found a small bar that had video game consoles and board game tables in it. I’ll you how it went for me then.
I will be attending another convention next month back down in Portland called GameStorm. It is a big board game convention right off the Columbia River. I’m excited to cover that on here. If you want to see what is about and attend, just head on over to the GameStorm website.
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One response to “Thoughts On The Xbox Developer Conference”
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it was funny that five of the games shown will be on PlayStation
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