Xbox fans were wowed by the January Developer Direct – here’s everything that was shown

XBOX fans were excited to see the games that were being showcased during January 2024’s Developer Direct.

Featuring five games, mostly from Microsoft owned game studios, it gives a first look at some of the big games being released this year.

MachineGames

The first footage from the upcoming Indiana Jones game was shown.[/caption]

While there weren’t a lot of games shown, each game was given a significant spotlight and a deep dive into what the game will be like.

Here’s all the biggest announcements from Xbox’s January 2024 Developer Direct.

Avowed

Developed by Obsidian, best known for Pillars of Eternity and Outer Worlds, we saw a lot more from the studio’s next game Avowed.

It’s an open world first-person RPG which will mix strong story elements with varied and difficult combat.

You will be able to mix and match your loadout mid-fight as there will be different enemy classes such as tanks, fighters and healers.

There will be focus on your interactions with other characters, and the choices you make will have effects on others.

The open world, the living lands, will have varied landscapes including barren deserts and rich oases.

Avowed will be coming to Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass and PC in late 2024.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

There have been numerous trailers for Senua’s Saga over the years, but this is the first deeper dive into the game.

The team at Ninja Theory told more about the story which they want to keep as historically accurate as possible.

There will be more allies and enemies, and you will have to find strength in who to ally with and who will betray you.

The team went to Iceland to research the area to go along with the real actors the game uses.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 will be released on Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass and PC on May 21, 2024.

Visions of Mana

The Mana series is a long-running series of Square Enix action JRPGs, and the second title, Secret of Mana, is considered one of the best games of all time.

The next game in the series will be called Visions of Mana and is already far into development.

Vision of Mana tries to bring the Mana series up to date using the latest tools with a vibe similar to the Trials of Mana remake.

A new aspect to the game is that you will be able to ride an animal called a Pikul to make traversal much more fun.

Like the other games, there will be various party characters that will join you in battle and on your adventure.

Visions of Mana will launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC in mid-2024.

Ara: History Untold

From the developers behind classic strategy games like Civilization 5, Ara is the game the team always wanted to make.

The team hopes that Ara will pull in more people from outside of the strategy genre, by making it more accessible to new players.

The team has tried to keep the world historic, and calls the world map a ‘living world’ which changes with the choices you make.

There are no set victory conditions, instead you choose what your goal is in order to win your game.

Ara: History Untold will be released on PC and Game Pass for PC in late 2024.

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle

In development by Wolfenstein developer, MachineGames, almost everything about the upcoming Indiana Jones game has been kept under wraps until now.

The game will be in first-person with third person cut scenes, in this action-adventure game.

Indie will have his classic whip and gun in order to take on combat, and will raid tombs, solve puzzles, and investigate mysteries.

The full title was revealed for the first time, and it will be set between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade.

There will be a second protagonist Gina, who is an investigative reporter also following the story.

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle will launch onXbox Series X|S, PC and Game Pass in late 2024.

Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.