Xbox + Bethesda’s joint summer showcase is one of many to take E3’s place in 2022. While the showcase was long, Xbox decided to leave the interviews behind. Because the showcase honed in on gameplay, it was one of the strongest from Microsoft in years.
Everything shown comes out over the next year. Microsoft expressly listened to fans this year, forsaking tedious interviews. While Phil Spencer and several development leaders made brief appearances, they were quick. This year, the games did the talking.
Related: All the games announced during the Xbox + Bethesda Showcase
Plenty of Variety
Games of all genres and styles made appearances at Xbox’s 2022 show. Platformers, indies, shooters, horror games, and RPGs appeared. A varied portfolio of titles ensures that most of your fanbase is content. One of Xbox’s weak points was its overreliance on particular genres. Shooters often dominate their showcases, notoriously Halo and Gears of War. Despite this reputation, Xbox broke the mold in 2022. Another critical point of these games is the sizable budget. Titles like Scorn, for example, show that Microsoft will invest in breaking the mold.
Gameplay is King
Highly anticipated titles made an appearance at the Xbox + Bethesda Showcase. The 90-minute presentation offered dozens of gameplay trailers. Besides previously announced titles like Redfall, Xbox shared extended looks at titles like Starfield, and Starfield even got a 15-minute spotlight for Bethesda’s latest project. Starfield wasn’t an outlier in the showcase, either. Forza Motorsport and Diablo 4, for example, were two other titles with more extended walkthroughs. Moreover, the pacing of the gameplay was excellent, and the games stuck around just long enough to leave an impression.
Xbox Game Pass is the Cherry on Top
At the show’s end, Microsoft shared an image of every game shown at the showcase. Of the 50 games shown, over 40 will release on Xbox Game Pass at no additional cost. Xbox Game Pass continues to be one of the best values in gaming, offering an expansive library for subscribers to play on Xbox consoles and PC. Players can enjoy most games for just $15 a month, canceling and resubscribing whenever it suits them. That means Xbox owners can download titles like Starfield and Scorn on day one without paying full price.
The Xbox + Bethesda Showcase highlighted some of Microsoft’s biggest strengths. Besides several small speeches, the team offered a gameplay-driven presentation, and Microsoft took viewer feedback, making the show more exciting. By all means, the Xbox + Bethesda Showcase outdid the last showing.
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