The Xbox Games Showcase took the internet by storm this past weekend, but that isn't all Microsoft has in store for this Summer of Gaming as the Xbox Games Showcase Extended has arrived to give us a deeper look at such games as Avowed, Towerborne, Senua's Saga, Hellblade II, The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom, Microsoft Flight Simulator - Dune Expansion, and more.
This article will gather all the biggest reveals and announcements from the Xbox Games Showcase Extended to ensure you don't miss a thing, so check out all the details and videos below and let us know which games you are most excited for!
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty kicked off the Xbox Games Showcase Extended and fans were treated to a deep dive of the expansion and a new look at Dogtown, which is being described as the underbelly of Night City. Dogtown is a dangerous place, and that's saying something as Night City isn't simply a walk in the park, and it features chromed-out vendors who have their own unique mods, including a fancy flamethrower connected to an arm mod.
Keanu Reeves, who is returning as Johnny Silverhand, also stopped by the show to discuss more about the expansion. He confirmed that "s***'s gone down in Dogtown," and that it has a "tension to it" and an "undercurrent of violence."
He also shared some words about Dogtown's ruler Colonel Hansen and Idris Elba's Solomon Reed. Hansen is ex-military and power hungry, and Johnny is not the biggest fan of him. Solomon, on the other hand, appears to have a lot in common with Johnny, according to Reeves. This includes his military experience, sense of duty, his desire to fight for liberty, and his wish to reclaim his life, just like Johnny. His story starts as one of revenge, but Reeves teases it may not end that way.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty will be released on September 26, 2023.
Squanch Games announced High on Knife, a DLC expansion for High on Life that has some serious horror vibes to go with the game's focus on comedy. High on Knife stars a knife called Knifey, who is voiced by Michael Cusack, and players will also run into new characters/guns, including one named Harper, who is played by Saturday Night Live's Sarah Sherman, and another named B.A.L.L., the latter of which is a pinball gun voiced by High on Life narrative director Alex Robbins.
The Lamplighter's League and the Tower at the End of the World got a brand-new look and it gave a glimpse of the game in action. The Lamplighter's League stars a band of outcasts who need to save the world, and gameplay features a mix between "real-time infiltration, tactical turn-based combat, and team management."
The Lamplighter's League will be released on October 3, 2023.
Avowed had its big gameplay reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase, and its game director Carrie Patel was part of the Extended stream to give fans a bit more info on the much-anticipated game from Obsidian Entertainment.
Patel began by confirming fans won't need to know much about the Pillars of Eternity games to enjoy Avowed, but there will obviously be nods to the game in Avowed. What they do need to know is that it takes place in the Living Lands of Eora, which is an "otherworldly frontier" and has not been explored to its fullest yet.
Kai, the Coastal Aumaua who was featured in Avowed's gameplay trailer, was also discussed in this new look, and it was confirmed he will be one of the first companions you run into and that he is a battle-hardened mercenary who also has a great sense of humor.
Patel also shared that the player character will not be a watcher, but they will have a unique connection to the world of Eora. Furthermore, there is a plague devastating the Living Lands and one of you missions will be to investigate what is causing it. Oh, and Patel talked about how Avowed isn't quite open-world, but instead it will have massive zones that are just waiting to be explored.
Avowed will be released in 2024.
The First Descendant, a free-to-play third-person looter shooter build on Unreal Engine 5, announced it would be getting a crossplay beta from August 22-28. We also got a new look at the game that sees humanity trying to survive against alien invaders. In that mission, player and up to three of their friends will be able to take on giant boss raids, use a hookshot to traverse the world, use elements like water to take down foes, and much more.
Towerborne, which is coming from Banner Saga's Stoic, got a big gameplay trailer and discussion at the Xbox Games Showcase Extended and it showed more of the fast-paced action-rpg adventure that can be player online or on the couch with your friends. Towerborne features a grid map and sees players exploring a big world and jumping into fun and fast combat scenarios to gather resources and items.
Once enough is earned, players can go back to The Belfry tower to upgrade their characters and gear, as well as learn more about this world that sees humanity pushed to the brink of extinction.
Towerborne is invited people to join its Towerborne Insiders Program to learn more, and the devs promised the game will be supported well after launch with new storylines, quests, biomes, gears, monsters, and more.
After revealed that Fallout 76 players would be headed to Atlantic City in the future at the Xbox Games Showcase, the Extended show revealed the free Once in a Blue Moon update that will arrive on June 20 and will bring with it werewolves and spookiness to Appalachia.
This free update will contain two public events in Safe and Sound and Beasts or Burden, two cryptids in the Blue Devil and the Ogua, and more. There will also be a new scoreboard called Shoot for the Stars that will reward players with movie-themed gear and items.
Hi-Fi rush will be getting two new game modes on July 5 with the Arcade Challenge! Update!, and they are BMP RUSH! and Power Up! Tower Up!
The first of these modes, BMP RUSH! features high-speed gameplay that is faster than anything seen in the main game, and defeating enemies will cause that speed to skyrocket higher and higher until you are defeated.
In Power Up! Tower Up! Chai will see his skills downgraded to zero, and the goal is to defeat wave after wave of enemies to get powerful once again in this new rhythm tower.
Alongside these new modes, the update will also bring new songs, enemies, rewards, accessories, a costume pack with a retro vibe, and more.
The team behind The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom shared more about the upcoming expansion and why this is a great time to jump into the game.
One of Necrom's key players is Hermaeus Mora, a Daedric god of knowledge who is neither good nor evil. They really just want to catalog the world, and players will be able to learn more about them and the Apocrypha realm. There will also be a new class called the Arcanist that uses the powers of Hermaeus Mora to take down foes.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom launches on June 20, 2023.
The hit horror game Phasmophobia will officially arrive on consoles via Early Access in August 2023. By using real-world ghost hunting tools, you and up to four of your friends can go on ghost hunts and try not to be horrible scared by what your find. The console edition will feature crossplay with PC alongside free content updates, seasonal events, and more.
Exoprimal got a new look at the Xbox Games Showcase Extended, and a new mode called Savage Gauntlet was revealed. This new mode is all about speed and will challenge players to be the fastest to complete a weekly missions. The missions will be the same for everyone, including enemy placement, and the challenge is figuring out how best to tackle it.
We also got a look at Exosuit Variants, which will let players change how a suit plays. One example of these "Alpha" suits is The Deadeye Alpha, which swaps out the assault rifle for a new weapon with both a shotgun and burst fire capabilities.
Exoprimal will be released on July 14, 2023.
ID@Xbox Developer Accelerator Program showcased 11 games at the Xbox Games Showcase, inclduing Drag Her!, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, Sonzai, Slime Heroes, Naiad, Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To, Botany Manor, Despelote, Island of Winds, Psychroma, and El Pasa, Elsewhere.
Microsoft Flight Simulator - Dune Expansion got a behind-the-scenes look that saw Academy Award-winning production designer from Dune Part 1, Patrice Vermette, showing a real-life Ornithopter that was used to help create one in-game for this new content. The warehouse in Budapest also housed many of the items used in the Dune Films, and it was a nice glimpse behind the curtain.
We also learned a bit more about the expansion itself, including that players will be a training pilot and will learn how to fly while exploring the world of Arrakis. A secret mission was also teased that will be ending this experience and, we don't know about you, but we're hoping for an appearance from a massive sandworm.
Microsoft Flight Simulator - Dune Expansion will be released on November 3, 2023.
Go Mecha Ball got a new gameplay trailer that showed off the awesome action in this upcoming roguelite that has players shifting from a rolling ball of destruction to a mech taking down foes in the style of twin-stick shooters.
Go Mecha Ball will be released in 2024.
Lies of P, the upcoming soulslike that aims to take the story of Pinocchio turn it "on its head," got a new look at the Xbox Games Showcase Extended. Taking center stage in this new look were some of the features in the game, including the weapon combination system.
Lies of P will be released on September 19, 2023, and a demo is available now.
While Hellblade II's section of the Xbox Games Showcase Extended didn't feature any new gameplay, it did take fans behind the scenes at Ninja Theory and showed how the team's upgraded motion capture tech will help make this an incredibly immersive experience when it arrives in 2024.
The first Hellblade's motion capture was done in a board room, and the sequel has the benefit of having it done in a new state-of-the-art studio. This allows for everything to translate more realistically to the full game, including the smallest of gestures and facial expressions. We also got a look at the props uses by the characters, a full boating rig that can house multiple characters, and more.
Lightyear Frontier looks to be a beautiful mashup of Harvest Moon and mechs, and the new gameplay trailer showed some of the fun it will allow you and up to three of your friends to get into when it launches in Early 2024. Lightyear Frontier features farming, house building, exploration, mysteries, and so much more.
ID@Xbox showcased 10 new games headed to Xbox Game Pass, and they include, Another Crab's Treasure, Litttle Kitty Big City, Techtonica, Sea of Stars, Harold Halibut, Galacticare, Neon White, Mineko's Night Market, The Book Walker, and The Wandering Village.
33 Immortals was the final game shown at the Xbox Games Showcase Extended and it was the only one to feature Xbox head Phil Spencer on-stage playing the game with the developers. Spencer also said, "every year in our Showcase, there's one game that kind of pops for me - something i'm very interested in." That game? 33 Immortals.
We then got to see Spencer and a bunch of the 32 devs from Thunder Lotus play 33 Immortals and showcase the game in action. In the game, players are rebelling against god's final judgment and they will have to complete Torture Chambers to unleash the wrath of the gods in hopes to get to the big final bosses and save everything we hold dear.
This roguelike allows players to spread out across the map to complete objectives, and each one will help further the overall cause. Once that is done, players will be sent to that previously mentioned big boss, and we got a glimpse of one in the demo - a terrifying three-headed skeleton winged demon that didn't look to happy.
33 Immortals will be released in 2024.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Continue reading...
This article will gather all the biggest reveals and announcements from the Xbox Games Showcase Extended to ensure you don't miss a thing, so check out all the details and videos below and let us know which games you are most excited for!
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty's Dogtown Gets a Deep Dive
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty kicked off the Xbox Games Showcase Extended and fans were treated to a deep dive of the expansion and a new look at Dogtown, which is being described as the underbelly of Night City. Dogtown is a dangerous place, and that's saying something as Night City isn't simply a walk in the park, and it features chromed-out vendors who have their own unique mods, including a fancy flamethrower connected to an arm mod.
Keanu Reeves, who is returning as Johnny Silverhand, also stopped by the show to discuss more about the expansion. He confirmed that "s***'s gone down in Dogtown," and that it has a "tension to it" and an "undercurrent of violence."
He also shared some words about Dogtown's ruler Colonel Hansen and Idris Elba's Solomon Reed. Hansen is ex-military and power hungry, and Johnny is not the biggest fan of him. Solomon, on the other hand, appears to have a lot in common with Johnny, according to Reeves. This includes his military experience, sense of duty, his desire to fight for liberty, and his wish to reclaim his life, just like Johnny. His story starts as one of revenge, but Reeves teases it may not end that way.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty will be released on September 26, 2023.
High on Life Is Getting a High On Knife DLC and It Has Some Serious Horror Vibes
Squanch Games announced High on Knife, a DLC expansion for High on Life that has some serious horror vibes to go with the game's focus on comedy. High on Knife stars a knife called Knifey, who is voiced by Michael Cusack, and players will also run into new characters/guns, including one named Harper, who is played by Saturday Night Live's Sarah Sherman, and another named B.A.L.L., the latter of which is a pinball gun voiced by High on Life narrative director Alex Robbins.
The Lamplighter's League Is a Tactical Game Starring a Band of Outcasts Trying to Save the World
The Lamplighter's League and the Tower at the End of the World got a brand-new look and it gave a glimpse of the game in action. The Lamplighter's League stars a band of outcasts who need to save the world, and gameplay features a mix between "real-time infiltration, tactical turn-based combat, and team management."
The Lamplighter's League will be released on October 3, 2023.
Avowed Gets a New Extended Look that Explains More of the Game's World
Avowed had its big gameplay reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase, and its game director Carrie Patel was part of the Extended stream to give fans a bit more info on the much-anticipated game from Obsidian Entertainment.
Patel began by confirming fans won't need to know much about the Pillars of Eternity games to enjoy Avowed, but there will obviously be nods to the game in Avowed. What they do need to know is that it takes place in the Living Lands of Eora, which is an "otherworldly frontier" and has not been explored to its fullest yet.
Kai, the Coastal Aumaua who was featured in Avowed's gameplay trailer, was also discussed in this new look, and it was confirmed he will be one of the first companions you run into and that he is a battle-hardened mercenary who also has a great sense of humor.
Patel also shared that the player character will not be a watcher, but they will have a unique connection to the world of Eora. Furthermore, there is a plague devastating the Living Lands and one of you missions will be to investigate what is causing it. Oh, and Patel talked about how Avowed isn't quite open-world, but instead it will have massive zones that are just waiting to be explored.
Avowed will be released in 2024.
The First Descendant Is Getting a Crossplay Beta in August
The First Descendant, a free-to-play third-person looter shooter build on Unreal Engine 5, announced it would be getting a crossplay beta from August 22-28. We also got a new look at the game that sees humanity trying to survive against alien invaders. In that mission, player and up to three of their friends will be able to take on giant boss raids, use a hookshot to traverse the world, use elements like water to take down foes, and much more.
Towerborne Is the Next Game from Banner Saga's Stoic and Sees Humanity Pushed to the Brink of Extinction
Towerborne, which is coming from Banner Saga's Stoic, got a big gameplay trailer and discussion at the Xbox Games Showcase Extended and it showed more of the fast-paced action-rpg adventure that can be player online or on the couch with your friends. Towerborne features a grid map and sees players exploring a big world and jumping into fun and fast combat scenarios to gather resources and items.
Once enough is earned, players can go back to The Belfry tower to upgrade their characters and gear, as well as learn more about this world that sees humanity pushed to the brink of extinction.
Towerborne is invited people to join its Towerborne Insiders Program to learn more, and the devs promised the game will be supported well after launch with new storylines, quests, biomes, gears, monsters, and more.
Fallout 76: Once in a Blue Moon Brings Werewolves to Appalachia
After revealed that Fallout 76 players would be headed to Atlantic City in the future at the Xbox Games Showcase, the Extended show revealed the free Once in a Blue Moon update that will arrive on June 20 and will bring with it werewolves and spookiness to Appalachia.
This free update will contain two public events in Safe and Sound and Beasts or Burden, two cryptids in the Blue Devil and the Ogua, and more. There will also be a new scoreboard called Shoot for the Stars that will reward players with movie-themed gear and items.
Hi-Fi Rush Arcade Challenge! Update! Announced
Hi-Fi rush will be getting two new game modes on July 5 with the Arcade Challenge! Update!, and they are BMP RUSH! and Power Up! Tower Up!
The first of these modes, BMP RUSH! features high-speed gameplay that is faster than anything seen in the main game, and defeating enemies will cause that speed to skyrocket higher and higher until you are defeated.
In Power Up! Tower Up! Chai will see his skills downgraded to zero, and the goal is to defeat wave after wave of enemies to get powerful once again in this new rhythm tower.
Alongside these new modes, the update will also bring new songs, enemies, rewards, accessories, a costume pack with a retro vibe, and more.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom Dives into the Secrets of Hermaeus Mora
The team behind The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom shared more about the upcoming expansion and why this is a great time to jump into the game.
One of Necrom's key players is Hermaeus Mora, a Daedric god of knowledge who is neither good nor evil. They really just want to catalog the world, and players will be able to learn more about them and the Apocrypha realm. There will also be a new class called the Arcanist that uses the powers of Hermaeus Mora to take down foes.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom launches on June 20, 2023.
Phasmophobia Is Coming to Consoles via Early Access This August
The hit horror game Phasmophobia will officially arrive on consoles via Early Access in August 2023. By using real-world ghost hunting tools, you and up to four of your friends can go on ghost hunts and try not to be horrible scared by what your find. The console edition will feature crossplay with PC alongside free content updates, seasonal events, and more.
Exoprimal's Savage Gauntlet Mode and Exosuit Variants Revealed
Exoprimal got a new look at the Xbox Games Showcase Extended, and a new mode called Savage Gauntlet was revealed. This new mode is all about speed and will challenge players to be the fastest to complete a weekly missions. The missions will be the same for everyone, including enemy placement, and the challenge is figuring out how best to tackle it.
We also got a look at Exosuit Variants, which will let players change how a suit plays. One example of these "Alpha" suits is The Deadeye Alpha, which swaps out the assault rifle for a new weapon with both a shotgun and burst fire capabilities.
Exoprimal will be released on July 14, 2023.
ID@Xbox Developer Accelerator Program Shows Off 11 Games
ID@Xbox Developer Accelerator Program showcased 11 games at the Xbox Games Showcase, inclduing Drag Her!, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, Sonzai, Slime Heroes, Naiad, Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To, Botany Manor, Despelote, Island of Winds, Psychroma, and El Pasa, Elsewhere.
Microsoft Flight Simulator - Dune Expansion Gets a Behind-the-Scenes Look
Microsoft Flight Simulator - Dune Expansion got a behind-the-scenes look that saw Academy Award-winning production designer from Dune Part 1, Patrice Vermette, showing a real-life Ornithopter that was used to help create one in-game for this new content. The warehouse in Budapest also housed many of the items used in the Dune Films, and it was a nice glimpse behind the curtain.
We also learned a bit more about the expansion itself, including that players will be a training pilot and will learn how to fly while exploring the world of Arrakis. A secret mission was also teased that will be ending this experience and, we don't know about you, but we're hoping for an appearance from a massive sandworm.
Microsoft Flight Simulator - Dune Expansion will be released on November 3, 2023.
Go Mecha Ball Looks Stars a Twin-Stick Shooting Mech That Can Turn Into a Ball of Death
Go Mecha Ball got a new gameplay trailer that showed off the awesome action in this upcoming roguelite that has players shifting from a rolling ball of destruction to a mech taking down foes in the style of twin-stick shooters.
Go Mecha Ball will be released in 2024.
Lies of P Gets a New Look at Xbox Games Showcase Extended
Lies of P, the upcoming soulslike that aims to take the story of Pinocchio turn it "on its head," got a new look at the Xbox Games Showcase Extended. Taking center stage in this new look were some of the features in the game, including the weapon combination system.
Lies of P will be released on September 19, 2023, and a demo is available now.
Hellblade II's Impressive Motion Capture Tech Will Make For an Incredibly Immersive Experience
While Hellblade II's section of the Xbox Games Showcase Extended didn't feature any new gameplay, it did take fans behind the scenes at Ninja Theory and showed how the team's upgraded motion capture tech will help make this an incredibly immersive experience when it arrives in 2024.
The first Hellblade's motion capture was done in a board room, and the sequel has the benefit of having it done in a new state-of-the-art studio. This allows for everything to translate more realistically to the full game, including the smallest of gestures and facial expressions. We also got a look at the props uses by the characters, a full boating rig that can house multiple characters, and more.
Lightyear Frontier Is a Beautiful Mashup of Harvest Moon and Mechs
Lightyear Frontier looks to be a beautiful mashup of Harvest Moon and mechs, and the new gameplay trailer showed some of the fun it will allow you and up to three of your friends to get into when it launches in Early 2024. Lightyear Frontier features farming, house building, exploration, mysteries, and so much more.
ID@Xbox Announced 10 New Games Headed to Xbox Game Pass
ID@Xbox showcased 10 new games headed to Xbox Game Pass, and they include, Another Crab's Treasure, Litttle Kitty Big City, Techtonica, Sea of Stars, Harold Halibut, Galacticare, Neon White, Mineko's Night Market, The Book Walker, and The Wandering Village.
33 Immortals Gets a Gameplay Demo With Phil Spencer
33 Immortals was the final game shown at the Xbox Games Showcase Extended and it was the only one to feature Xbox head Phil Spencer on-stage playing the game with the developers. Spencer also said, "every year in our Showcase, there's one game that kind of pops for me - something i'm very interested in." That game? 33 Immortals.
We then got to see Spencer and a bunch of the 32 devs from Thunder Lotus play 33 Immortals and showcase the game in action. In the game, players are rebelling against god's final judgment and they will have to complete Torture Chambers to unleash the wrath of the gods in hopes to get to the big final bosses and save everything we hold dear.
This roguelike allows players to spread out across the map to complete objectives, and each one will help further the overall cause. Once that is done, players will be sent to that previously mentioned big boss, and we got a glimpse of one in the demo - a terrifying three-headed skeleton winged demon that didn't look to happy.
33 Immortals will be released in 2024.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Continue reading...
