X019 RECAP
X019 RECAP
X019 was a great showing for the Xbox brand. Clocking in around an hour & a half, the Inside Xbox Episode was well paced, & covered a wide range of things pertaining to the Xbox platform; Three new IP, 50+ new titles coming to Gamepass, long requested Japanese games finally coming to Xbox, several world premieres, a showcase of Indie titles, Project xCloud update, and new gameplay footage & release date for Wasteland 3 & Bleeding Edge, among the notable announcements. Aaron Greenberg had promised before the show that the focus would be on “games, games, games,” and that was delivered in spades. Xbox showed that they are focused on sustaining momentum, and carrying a full out assault into next gen. Exciting times are ahead. Below will be a summary of key takeaways from X019.
STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER
To start the show, Xbox showed a touching hype commercial for Jedi: Fallen Order. In this video, a little girl uses her imagination to live out being a Jedi, which includes appearances from characters in the Fallen Order game, a really fun, heartwarming way to kick off X019. After that, a developer from Respawn displayed some new gameplay of the title, including a double-bladed lightsaber! Jedi: Fallen Order is now available on Xbox One.
GROUNDED
Obsidian, fresh off the release of the critically acclaimed, and blockbuster selling Outerworlds, revealed their next IP. This game, Grounded, is a Survival/RPG hybrid, which is quite a unique mixture. In Grounded, players are ant sized people, trying to explore and survive the perils of the backyard. The game feels like a fun blend of A Bugs Life and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, two classic family films. Grounded will be an Xbox Game Preview Title, and will launch onto Gamepass Spring 2020.
PROJECT xCLOUD
Project xCloud made an appearance at X019, with some important updates being announced. xCloud Preview will be expanding to new regions, adding many new titles, coming to Windows 10 PCs, and be adding support for Dualshock 4 controllers and Razer game pads. Another key announcement was that xCloud would be included with a Gamepass subscription, which is an awesome bundle of services.
EVERWILD
Alongside revealing the next content update for Sea of Thieves (Seabound Soul & Fire), which launches November 20th, Rare debuted their next IP. This new game, Everwild, is a beautifully crafted adventure game, set in a nature filled fantasy world, allowing players to explore with their friends. Everwild takes clear inspiration from Breath of the Wild and Ori, and will definitely be a title to anticipate.
BLACK FRIDAY PRIMER
Xbox also gave a brief preview of some deals to expect for Black Friday, including some console bundles and discounts on controllers. Xbox Live Gold Members and Gamepass subscribers will get early access to some digital game sales coming in near future.
GAMEPASS
Gamepass was, as always at an Xbox event, a big focus. A whopping 50+ titles were announced as coming to the service, with some truly heavy hitters, such as The Witcher 3 among them. There will be more on this later, but a collection of some very requested Japanese titles will also be coming to Gamepass.
BLEEDING EDGE
Ninja Theory’s new IP, Bleeding Edge, had a new trailer, debuted a new playable character, and announced a release date of March 24th, 2020. Gamepass subscribers and pre-orderers will get access to a Closed Beta in February, along with an exclusive cosmetic pack for characters. It is now available to pre-order and pre-install.
TELL ME WHY
DONTNOD Entertainment revealed their next IP, Tell Me Why, an episodic narrative focused on a pair of twins trying to overcome a tragic event from their past. This emotionally charged, story game will be an Xbox exclusive IP, with all chapters being available Summer 2020.
HALO REACH MCC
343 announced a release date of December 3rd for the Halo Reach addition to the MCC. This content is now available for pre-install and pre-order. Gamepass subscribers can buy it for $7.99, while non-subscribers can purchase it for $9.99.
MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR
Xbox debuted stunning new footage of Flight Simulator, featuring jaw dropping visuals and otherworldly technology.
AGE OF EMPIRES
The Age of Empires franchise had several important announcements. First, Shannon Ward, head of the Xbox studio working on the franchise, revealed their name as World’s Edge. Second, they revealed a new gameplay trailer for Age of Empire IV. Third, they showed some new footage of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, which launched November 14th.
MINECRAFT
Xbox’s multiplatform mega series, Minecraft, had a large presence at the event. Developers from Mojang came onstage to demonstrate gameplay for Minecraft Dungeons, which is a Diablo inspired dungeon crawler set in the Minecraft universe. Along with talk about Dungeons, Mojang discussed Minecraft Earth Early Access Pop Up Events which will be happening in the near future.
CrossfireX
They showed a behind the scenes sizzle reel, and brief gameplay teaser for CrossfireX, the FPS franchise being co-developed by Smilegate, Remedy, and Microsoft Global Publishing. This title will be an Xbox console exclusive.
KartRider: Drift
Developers and professional players of the hit PC racing game KartRider: Drift, stopped by to discuss the game coming to Xbox One. The title is in the vein of Mario Kart and Crash Racing, and should be a quality addition to the Xbox library.
PLANET COASTER
The amusement park sim, Planet Coaster was announced as coming to Xbox One. In this game, players are in charge of running an amusement park filled with all kinds of activities.
WEST OF DEAD
The twin-stick shooter West of Dead, was revealed at the showcase. This game centers around an undead gunman trying to restore order in the lawless land of Purgatory.
DRAKE HOLLOW
The village builder game, Drake Hollow, was debuted at X019. This artful cooperative title focuses on people drawn into a mirrored world, where they must build settlements, and protect plant creatures called Drakes.
LAST STOP
The anthology game, Last Stop made its debut at the event. This title from the creators of the critically acclaimed Virginia, focuses on three interwoven stories about secret lives, a supernatural crisis, and magical events.
THE ARTFUL ESCAPE
Another title discussed, was The Artful Escape. In this game, the player is Francis Vendetti, a man who embarks on a multidimensional journey to discover his Rockstar persona.
JAPANESE GAMES
The lack of big Japanese titles on the Xbox platforms has long been a concern of Xbox fans. At X019, Xbox announced a huge batch of long request Japanese titles coming to Xbox One, with many also being Gamepass titles. Final Fantasies VII, VIII: Remastered, IX, X/X-2 HD Remastered, XII, XIII, XIII-2, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, and XV will all be coming to Gamepass in 2020. The Final Fantasy MMO, FF XIV will also be coming to Xbox One in the future. Square Enix also announced that their long-requested Kingdom Hearts (Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 & 2.5 Remix, and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue) titles will be coming to Xbox One in 2020, as well. SEGA’s Yakuza series was also announced as coming to Xbox One for the first time. Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami 1, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 will all be playable on Xbox One, and included as Gamepass titles soon.
WASTELAND 3
To close X019, Brian Fargo, head of inXile, stopped by to discuss their upcoming Tactical RPG, Wasteland 3. Along with providing a backstory for the franchise’s origins, he debuted a new gameplay trailer, which demonstrated a humongous visual and interface upgrade from the previous game in the series. He made it clear that the resources from Microsoft had been monumental in their efforts to create the best possible Wasteland 3 they could make. Wasteland 3 will be an incredibly deep RPG, with tactical combat, and many branching narratives and decisions. Brian also announced a release date of May 19th, 2020. It is now available to pre-order and pre-install.