Highlights from the Xbox Developer Direct 2024

The Xbox team hosted the Xbox Developer Direct event. This gaming show features internal Xbox teams discussing their projects slated for release in the current year. However, this broadcast was an exception: projects from not only Microsoft Gaming studios but also Square Enix publishing were showcased.

Avowed

Developers shared more about the combat system, which allows swift switching between melee weapons, magic, wands, bows, guns, and more. The studio also displayed the beauty of local biomes and one of the additional quests.

Avowed is set to release on PC and Xbox Series by fall 2024. The game will be available on Game Pass from day one.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

Ninja Theory studio showed many new gameplay scenes. Developers boasted about upgrading all combat animations and making every fight in the sequel unique.

The sound will also reach a new level in the sequel. Now, not only will the voices in the protagonist's head be stereophonic, but the music and other sounds as well, enhancing the immersion effect of the character's "audio hallucinations".

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will be released on May 21 for PC and Xbox Series. The project will also be available on Game Pass.

Visions of Mana

An unexpected guest at the conference was the Square Enix team. The studio revealed the Action-RPG Visions of Mana, which will be the first standalone project in the series after a 15-year hiatus.

Viewers were introduced to gameplay featuring battles with monsters and exploration of a semi-open world. Developers also detailed the design of characters, monsters, and pets.

The project will be available on PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 4 and 5 by summer 2024.

Ara: History Untold

Oxide Games studio presented their new 4X strategy game. The creators promise deep systems that will appeal to genre veterans. They also endeavored to cover as many nations and historical periods as possible.

A key feature of Ara, distinguishing it from competitors, will be the Living World system. It ensures players see the consequences of their decisions not just in tables and numbers, but in practice. Architecture changes, fields are sown, birds leave forests near battle sites, and so on.

Ara: History Untold will be released in the fall of 2024 on PC and will be available on Game Pass.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

MachineGames unveiled its Indiana Jones game. Gamers can expect a first-person action game with shootouts, puzzles in ancient temples, chases, and numerous thrilling staged scenes.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is set to release in 2024 for PC and Xbox Series. The game will also be available on Game Pass from day one.