Xbox Partner Preview October 2023: Everything Shown Off at Microsoft’s Showcase
Oct. 26, 2023Xbox Partner Preview showcases almost thirty minutes of trailers and gameplay which teases things to come.
Yesterday, on October 25 at about 10 am PST / 1 pm EST, Microsoft held theirXbox Partner Previewfor the month. Live on various online streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube, they took to stage many of their partner developers instead of focusing on their first-party games such as Starfield by Bethesda, or other Obsidian projects. The Xbox Partner Preview was a healthy mix of already-announced games and some reveal and was a swift and heavy 30 minutes filled with trailers and previews.
So what can we expect from the preview? What’s been announced, updated, and teased? Since it’s considered a “partner” preview, anything from the Activision Blizzard acquisition will not be included, as they will eventually become first-party developers quite soon. Here are some of our favorite trailers!
It’s quite sure that Remedy’sAlan Wake 2is a game that needs no introduction at this point, due to the franchise and developer’s mass appeal. But it was still nice to see the sequel receive a launch trailer during the Xbox Partner Preview ahead of itsOctober 27 release date.
The tense trailer beautifully sets the stage for Wake’s newest nightmare and also introduces newcomer Saga Anderson. It shows tons of gorgeously haunting scenes that masterfully set the tone. The trailer is also very cinematic, teasing just enough to get viewers interested without spoiling too much on what to expect from the narrative.
Also highly featured in the Xbox Partner Preview was Ryu Ga Gotoku’sLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Everyone is aware that the Yakuza (or the now Like a Dragon) series is best known for being chock-full of various minigames and side activities. So now the developers have decided to make a whole game formed by these minigames.
Introducing Infinite Wealth, a game where Ichiban goes off to a Hawaiian island in search of rest and relaxation. Instead of busting heads and taking names, Ichiban gets to design, build, and manage his own island paradise called Happy Resort: Don Doko.
Players will need to engage in various activities to make their island flourish, such as catching butterflies and fish, building roads and furniture, and interacting with the islands’ various citizens. You may even need to whip out your trusty bat to keep troublemakers in check.
One indie gem that took the stage in the Xbox Partner Preview is the upcoming Dungeons of Hinterberg. Here, players follow the story of Luisa, a burnt-out law student who decided to venture out into Hinterberg, a new tourist destination in the middle of the Austrian Alps.
The game is mostly an adventure where Luisa goes through the neighboring areas, snowboarding, exploring, or dungeon diving. But since she’s technically on vacation, she will also be able to explore the small town of Hinterberg itself and get to know its citizens. And this social aspect looks to be a big chunk of its gameplay, as making friends unlocks various perks and other features such as a Photo Mode.
While the footage showed off the game’s social aspects, one can’t ignore the most striking thing about it: the game’s gorgeous art and soundtrack. Dungeons of Hinterberg has a truly unique look and feel, giving off the impression that it’s jumped right out of a comic. It has thick outlines and deep colors, which are definitely eye-catching. The music choice also gives it a very chilled and laid-back vibe.
Another notable entry in the Xbox Partner Preview was some new gameplay footage for RoboCop: Rogue City. This first-person adventure puts players into the shiny metal shoes of the titular character, RoboCop. From what the trailer and early demo impressions show so far, the game looks to be quite a good adaptation of the original movie. It even comes complete with cheesy one-liners and gratuitous amounts of violence.
This was one of the more action-oriented trailers, showing off the RoboCop’s wide arsenal that he can use to impose justice. We even get to see snippets of a massive mech walker boss fight that RoboCop needs to take down. Even more impressive is the amount of destruction you can wreak on the environment.
The 30-minute showcase was just enough as well to feature tons more. We have the horror game Still Wakes the Deep which has players try and escape an abandoned oil rig in the middle of the ocean. There were also some in-engine looks at the highly detailed graphics of the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake. Aside from that, Ark: Survival Ascended, Manor Lords, Spirit of the North 2, The Finals, and Ikaro: Will Not Die were also shown off.
In other news, check outAchilles: Legends Untold Gets New Gameplay with Dev Commentary, andStarfield Gains New Record for Most New Game Pass Subs on Launch.
Auberon
Writer at Fextralife. I really like vanilla ice cream.
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