On Thursday, January 18, Xbox hosted the second annual Developer_Direct stream, giving its first-party developers an opportunity to show off their latest games. Xbox told us ahead of time that four games would be featured: Avowed, Ara: Untold History, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, and MachineGames’ Indiana Jones game.
The stream included gameplay footage from the four games and developer commentary about the upcoming releases, as well as a surprise from Square Enix. You can read all about the big announcements from the Xbox Developer_Direct below.
Avowed
- Release date: Fall 2024
Obsidian Entertainment, the developer of Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer World, and Pillars of Eternity, is back with a new first-person action RPG. Avowed takes place in the same world as Pillars of Eternity, and as in those games, your decisions do matter. When you’re not swapping between magic wands, firearms, and melee weapons to dispatch hordes of monsters, you’ll be stressing over whether or not to trust a stranger with an important task.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Release date: May 21, 2024
The sequel to 2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua’s Saga is set in 10th-century Iceland and again follows the titular Celtic warrior as she battles the Draugar and searches for hope in a dangerous world while experiencing psychosis. Senua’s Saga has a brand new combat system that the developers say will leave you on the edge of your seat every time.
Visions of Mana
- Release date: Summer 2024
Surprise! The long-running action RPG series is finally coming to Xbox. Visions of Mana is the latest entry in the Square Enix series, and it’s also the most modern entry to date. You’ll explore a fully 3D open world, ride around on adorable creatures called pikuls, and smack enemies into the air to engage in aerial combat for more strategic battles.
Ara: History Untold
- Release date: Fall 2024
Ara: History Untold is a historical grand strategy game from the people who brought you 2016’s Ashes of the Singularity. Ara features a procedurally generated open world in which players can stake their claim, and attempt to build the most influential and important nation to win the match. There are no set victory conditions — focus on whatever you like. Unlike other strategy games, Ara resolves all player actions at the same time, so there’s less waiting around.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Release date: 2024
MachineGames (Wolfenstein: The New Order) teamed up with executive producer Todd Howard (Starfield) to make a new Indiana Jones game. Set between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, this first-person action-adventure game is filled with fistfights, puzzle solving, stealthy sneaking, and original characters. Along the way, you’ll travel to Egypt, the Himalayas, and beyond as Indy tries to solve the mystery of the Great Circle.
