The past couple of console generations have been an uphill battle for Xbox against PlayStation, but a particular feature of Xbox’s upcoming exclusives shows that Microsoft’s system may have finally found its angle. Although the original Xbox positioned Microsoft as a power player in the console industry and the Xbox 360 doubled down as a smash success, a series of missteps around the launch of the Xbox One ceded territory to the PlayStation 4 and its increasingly strong library of exclusives. The PlayStation 5 has continued that momentum for Sony, but Xbox exclusives are now poised to carve out a niche that could even the odds.
Xbox recently highlighted a number of upcoming titles in the Xbox Games Showcase 2023, followed by a stream that doubled down on Bethesda’s space RPG Starfield. From a remake of Persona 3 to a Monkey Island update for Sea of Thieves, the event covered a variety of genres and gameplay experiences to fit any playstyle preference. Although FPS games like Halo have long served as flagships for Xbox, the roster of console exclusives headed to the Xbox Series X/S is taking a different direction. Several of the biggest upcoming games fit into a fantasy RPG mold that could be a glimpse into the Xbox’s future.
Two of the major standouts from the Xbox Games Showcase are the event-opener Fable and Avowed, both of which promise to bring fantasy RPG worlds to life on the Xbox Series X/S. Once Bethesda’s Xbox exclusive Starfield comes out, the studio’s development priorities will shift to The Elder Scrolls 6, another flagship release of the same genre. Each of these games offers individual points of attraction to hook gamers into its respective possibilities, making a case that gamers who stick to PlayStation won’t be able to have comparable experiences without turning to the Xbox Series X/S.
Recent years have positioned PlayStation as a leader in narrative AAA games, establishing a legacy that Xbox hasn’t yet significantly threatened. Developer Naughty Dog leaned into cinematic storytelling with the Uncharted games before doubling down with The Last of Us, which focused on weaving an unusually emotional arc through the gameplay. Franchises like God of War, Horizon, and Marvel’s Spider-Man have followed down a similar path, delivering an emphasis on characters and story alongside polished exploration and combat. The upcoming fantasy RPGs for Xbox finally promise serious competition for these games, offering a comparable focus on narrative while leaning into a degree of player agency that most PlayStation flagships lack.
The Xbox Games Showcase trailer for Fable focuses more on the look and tone of the game than on the gameplay, but past Fable games have made the promise of the concept obvious. Although traditional action serves as a major tenet of the Fable experience, the scope of possible interactions with the world extends far beyond swinging a sword. The games haven’t always delivered everything they promised, but even with some…
2023-06-17 19:30:04
Link from screenrant.com
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