If you missed watching E3 live on Sunday, then you’re in luck! Here’s a recap of the titles announced during Microsoft and Bethesda’s joint press conference and a look into what Square Enix had to offer.
Microsoft + Bethesda Briefing
The first announcement came from Bethesda Studios’ Todd Howard with a brief cinematic look at their original IP Starfield, set to release November 11th, 2022. Described by Howard as an “epic about hope, our shared humanity, and answering our greatest mystery”. The space exploration title looks to be a promising Xbox exclusive.
Next up, we had a look at S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl, a first-person shooter where monsters lurk around every corner. We were also given a look at the upcoming title that’s got a lot of people excited, Back 4 Blood from Turtle Rock Studios. Made by the developers behind Left 4 Dead, Back 4 Blood will drop this October on the 12th. It will include both 4 player co-op and player v. player modes (humans versus zombies)!
Sea of Thieves has announced a Disney collaboration in “A Pirate’s Life,” featuring Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Carribean; the original story will be releasing June 22nd.
Most of the games featured throughout the showcase are available on Xbox Games Pass, including some older titles; the mainline Yakuza series as well as Yakuza: Like a Dragon are available now for Games Pass users. Additionally, 30 Bethesda titles, including Doom Eternal, will also be available.
Some highly anticipated titles like Psychonauts 2 and 12 Minutes, the Annapurna top-down interactive thriller featuring Daisy Ridley and James McAvoy as voice actors, will be available in August; Hades will be getting a physical copy available for Xbox One and Series X/S on August 13th, and a “resurrected” version of Diablo 2 will be coming on September 23rd.
A Plague Tale: Requiem, the sequel to A Plague Tale, has been announced to release in 2022. Additionally, a Limbo-esque title called Somerville will also be releasing next year, featuring a family trying to escape from apocalyptic peril with an absolutely stunning art style.
Age of Empires 4 will be releasing in just a few short months in October, and The Ascent, a cyberpunk shooter reminiscent of Devolver Digital’s Ruiner will be releasing July 29th. We also got a glimpse into Atomic Heart (release date TBD), a Bioshock-esque first person action game that looks quite interesting. JRPGs Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising and Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes are set to release in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
A few other notable mentions from Microsoft include an Outer Worlds sequel, Microsoft Flight Simulator featuring a Top Gun DLC, and Forza Horizon 5 – which will feature a battle royale mode.
Lastly, we got some in-engine looks at Microsoft’s most anticipated title, Halo Infinite, set to release this holiday season, as well as some gameplay footage from its free-to-play multiplayer, including PvP and Capture the Flag modes!
Square Enix Briefing
Square’s briefing was a bit on the lighter side, with about half of its 40 minute conference going towards footage from its new Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Game by Eidos-Montreal. Set to release October 26th, the game looks similar to its Marvel’s Avengers Game counterpart, with what appears to be a Devil May Cry-like style meter to boot.
DLC for the Marvel’s Avengers Game is also set to release this “summer and beyond,” including a Black Panther: War for Wakanda expansion (free of charge). In the phone game realm, Final Fantasy 1-6 are coming to Steam and mobile, Hitman Sniper: The Shadows will be releasing for iOS, and Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier battle royale will be releasing for both iOS and Android devices.
The last few announcements from Square include a Life is Strange remaster set to release September 30th, with the new Life is Strange: True Colours releasing September 10th. Babylon’s Fall, a new IP from the developers of Nier: Automata with up to four-player co-op, will be releasing on PS5, PS4, and Steam.
Square ended with its final announcement revealing Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin that’s got Tetsuya Nomura written all over it. Described as a “world of dark fantasy,” this title will be releasing in 2022 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles, as well as PC. A demo version of the game will be available for PS5 users until June 24th.
That wraps up our E3 coverage for Sunday’s briefings. Let us know if there are any games you’re excited about!
