Microsoft announces its new Xbox Series X console 1:17
New York (CNN Business) - Microsoft revealed on Thursday what games will be available on the next-generation Xbox Series X. The announcement comes a month after Sony unveiled its upcoming games and design for the PlayStation 5.
The first and most anticipated announcement was "Halo Infinite," which Xbox claims is the "biggest and most ambitious Halo game ever created." It has bigger battles and new gameplay and landscapes. The protagonist, Master Chief, is back for another adventure that spans a broader region. The game comes out this Christmas season.
"We want to make sure this is a game that feels great for our longtime fans who have been playing 'Halo' games as well as a great entry point for new players," said Chris Lee, head of studio at Halo Infinite at 343 Industries, during a press event following Thursday's announcement. The game will use the processing power of the Xbox Series X to generate higher resolution graphics.
Some followers on the YouTube livestream were not impressed, commenting that the game seemed generic. The "Halo" franchise is synonymous with the Xbox brand, which is why many bets have been placed on "Halo Infinite."
'Hello Neighbor 2'
Five games were revealed during the presentation, including "Hello Neighbor 2," a sequel to the popular horror game where you sneak into your neighbor's basement to uncover a secret. In “Hello Neighbor 2”, you try to find your neighbor who has now disappeared, while they stalk you. The game comes out in 2021.
'State of Decay 3'
Xbox also announced "State of Decay 3," the next game in the zombie survival franchise. Microsoft acquired Undead Labs, the studio behind "State of Decay" in 2018, the same year the previous sequel was released. In the trailer, a woman hunts a zombie moose.
'Forza Motorsport'
"Forza" is one of the games that Xbox used to showcase its cloud gaming project, Project xCloud, during a demo at last year's E3 gaming convention. The racing game is also designed to showcase the improved Xbox Series X technology, including ray tracing, which helps to better illuminate shadows and highlights. The game is currently in an early stage of development with no release date, and an Xbox trailer shows a team preparing for a race with higher-speed cars.
Everwild
Everwild is about a magical world filled with friends who peacefully coexist with unusual beasts. Since the game's trailers have only shown movie snippets of what to expect, we still don't have a good idea of what players can do and interact with in the game. Given the emphasis on stage, it seems to be a game about exploration. The game is developed by Rare, who made the fun pirate game "Sea of Thieves." There is no release date yet.
'Tell me why'
"Tell Me Why" is a narrative game by the developers of "Life is Strange" about twins who can see visions of the past. The game is the first in a major study to feature a transgender character, which will be a significant boon to LGBTQ representation in video games. Depending on the decisions players make, the end of the story will change. The game will be out on August 27.
'Psychonauts 2'
The Xbox teaser for "Psychonauts 2" was quite different from the other games: it showed actor Jack Black singing on the soundtrack, intriguing fans of "School of Rock." Like the voice, the game looks psychedelic, with eyeballs floating around and neon colors. Like its predecessor, "Psychonauts 2" appears to be a 3D game where players jump from platform to platform.
'Fable'
The presentation ended on an exciting note for fans, revealing “Fable,” a 16-year-old franchise that is receiving a new title for Xbox Series X. The trailer didn't show much gameplay, depicting a green fairy flitting through the woods just to be swallowed <by a toad. "Fable", the fourth game in the franchise is a role-playing game in which players make decisions that affect the way other characters treat them. The game is coming to Xbox and PC and there is no release date yet.
Xbox announced several other games, showing some that fans have seen before, and said games like "The Outer Worlds" will get more expanded content. Tetris Effect, a colorful and fascinating version of "Tetris", also has a multiplayer mode. For games that certain people are not so enthusiastic about, many will be available on the Xbox Game Pass subscription service so that they can have a sample at a lower cost.
"Microsoft said that all the first party games will be in Game Pass," said David Cole, an analyst at research firm DFC Intelligence. "I think that is his secret weapon because it is a proposal of great value."
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