The May edition of the Inside Xbox stream – once again carried out from quarantine, with presenters and Xbox executives alike broadcasting from their homes – was dedicated to revealing brand-new gameplay for upcoming Xbox Series X titles. We got our first look at a whole host of exciting games being developed by partner studios around the world.
Sarah Bond, the Head of Partnerships for Xbox, made the exciting announcement that every single one of Xbox’s partner studios currently has a game in development. This means that there are hundreds of titles being produced for the upcoming next-generation console, the Xbox Series X, which is planned to debut later in 2020. These games will be released throughout 2021.
Not interested in shelling out additional cash for multiple copies of these brand new games? Xbox has got your back! Today’s Inside Xbox stream announced the Smart Delivery system: purchase a game once and get access to the title on every single Xbox console you own. This means that you can buy a Series X title but continue to enjoy it on your Xbox One at the same time, and vice versa!
The Inside Xbox stream then became something more along the lines of a raging river as viewers were treated to an absolute deluge of brand new trailers and gameplay footage.
Here’s a quick look at everything that was announced. Check out the links included in this list for more in-depth coverage of a few of these titles.
The brainchild of a single dedicated developer, Zeng Xiancheng, Bright Memory: Infinite, is a hybrid action-shooter by FYQD-Studio and Playism. It takes place in a sci-fi metropolis in the year 2036 and features a combat system focused around delivering high-powered combo attacks.
Dirt 5 is the latest and greatest entry in the famous off-road racing series. Travel around the world with brand new tracks, brand new cars, and more as you compete to earn money, attract the attention of sponsors and become the fastest of them all. Learn more here!
Ebb Software presented Scorn, which was previously funded via Kickstarter. This chilling environmental horror game thrusts you into a mysterious, cloudy world filled with challenging puzzles and bizarre creatures. It was inspired by the work of H. R. Giger, the painter who provided the famous, chilling design work for the Alien film franchise.
Viewers journeyed into outer space to visit the world of Chorus, a space shooter developed by Deep Silver and Fishlabs, and announced for release in 2021. It stars an ace pilot who uses mysterious abilities and teams up with a sentient spaceship with unknown motives. In addition to both the Xbox One and Xbox Series X via the Smart Delivery system, Chorus has been announced for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, and Stadia.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes stopped by to introduce Madden 21, developed by EA. Mahomes promised that Madden 21 will provide an all-new, next-level football experience and that more information will be coming soon.
We returned to the midnight world of bloodsucking delights with Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2, releasing a full sixteen years after the first Bloodlines game. This one gets my vote for scariest gameplay reveal of the entire stream, with vampires casually seducing, defeating and playing with their victims to the gentle, dulcet tones of Wayne Newton crooning “Danke Schoen.”
Raw Fury teamed up with Madrid-based studio Out of the Blue to premiere Call of the Sea, a 1930s-era puzzle-solving mystery set on a tropical island. It stars Firewatch and The Walking Dead’s Cissy Jones as Norah, a woman who goes searching for her long-lost husband and discovers a world filled with exciting secrets. Call of the Sea will be released via the Smart Delivery system.
Also coming to Smart Delivery is The Ascent, an action RPG from Neon Giant and Curve Digital. This Series X launch title will take place in a sprawling sci-fi metropolis populated by creatures from across the galaxy. Learn the secrets behind the mysterious megacorporation The Ascent Group in this all-new adventure.
This was undoubtedly a good stream for horror fans. Next up was Medium, a psychologically intense title from the Polish developer Bloober Team. Play as a medium whose visions allow you to explore a second world filled with humanity’s darkest secrets – all accompanied by the chilling creations of Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka. Medium was announced for a Holiday 2020 release. Learn more here!
Bandai Namco encouraged gamers to join an elite group of psionic warriors dedicated to fighting mysterious creatures from outer space in Scarlet Nexus, another addition to the Smart Delivery system. Main character Yuito Sumeragi leads the Other Suppression Force, with the singular goal of exterminating the deadly “Others.” These creatures feature an especially eye-catching design, combining metal, flesh, and flowers to create something truly “out of this world.”
Up next was an exciting co-op adventure from Systemic Reaction: Second Extinction: Reclaim Earth. This three-player title sees players teaming up to defeat mutated dinosaurs with a stunning array of firearms and other weaponry. If you thought a co-op game like this would be perfect for the Smart Delivery system, then you would be right — Second Extinction was announced as another Smart Delivery title.
The wildly popular Yakuza franchise is getting a new entry in the form of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, coming to Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and Windows Ten. When his boss frames him for a crime and then shoots him, what’s a poor yakuza to do? Go on an intense, high-paced, explosive quest for revenge, of course! Developer SEGA has confirmed that Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be a launch title for the Xbox Series X.
There was one more game discussed during the Inside Xbox stream — but we’ll leave that one to its very own article. Read all about the brand new details and gameplay for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla here.
The next installment of Inside Xbox will take place in June. The following stream, in July, is confirmed to feature new information regarding upcoming in-house Xbox Studios titles.
Did you enjoy today’s Inside Xbox stream? Which upcoming title are you looking forward to the most? Let us know!
