Starting this month, Xbox is showcasing what they have in store for Xbox fans this year and beyond leading up to the launch of the Xbox Series X this holiday season. The first event in a series of announcements called Xbox 20/20 took place recently and we were treated to a glimpse and first look at next-generation third party games coming to Xbox Series X.
Moreover, all the games shown and announced are optimized for Xbox Series X. This means they are designed to take full advantage of the unique capabilities of the Series X. And, from what was shown, third party publishers (big and small) are throwing their support for the Xbox Series X in a big way.
Additionally, Smart Delivery was a common theme amongst many of the games revealed. Smart Delivery means that if you buy a game on Xbox One, you’ll get it for free on Xbox Series X when you upgrade. Let’s take a look at next-generation third party games coming to Xbox Series X.
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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Genre: Action role-playing
Smart Delivery: Yes
Release date:Â Holiday 2020
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was announced just a few days ago. And, now Ubisoft has pulled the curtain back a little bit further with a gameplay trailer. This highly anticipated title is coming this holiday for both Xbox Series X and Xbox One. Set in the Viking age, you play as Eivor a Viking raider and clan leader as he makes his way from Norway to England.
From the trailer we can see that this game will be a massive open world full of adventure. Eivor is equipped with a hidden blade on his arm that we see later on put to use. His longship is massive and invokes an excitement inside of me just thinking about all the fun I’ll have exploring this vast world. Combat looks epic and the new dual-wielding combat system allows for some truly brutal takedowns.
So, as a big Assassin’s Creed fan, I can hardly wait to get my hands on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla this holiday. Check out the trailer below and you’ll see why I am so excited for it.
Pre-order Assassin’s Creed Valhalla for Xbox One
Bright Memory: Infinite
Genre: FPS
Smart Delivery: No
Release date:Â 2021
Bright Memory: Infinite is an upcoming indie game for Xbox Series X that is quite impressive. It’s created from the ground up by a single individual at FYQD Studio in China. It features a rich sci-fi story that takes place in the year 2036 and you take on the role of a member of the Supernatural Science Research Organization. The SRO has more advanced science and technology than the military and thus is a threat.
In addition to the fast-paced combat, what excites me the most is the ability to use a variety of different skills to create your own fighting style. As you can see in the trailer below, the weather and visuals effects (raytracing) are stunning. It still boggles my mind to think this is all created by a single person.
Call of the Sea
Genre: First-person, adventure, puzzle
Smart Delivery: Yes
Release date:Â Holiday 2020
This first-person adventure puzzle game is developed by a brand-new studio of veteran game developers. Based out of Spain, Greece and the US these 12 developers have worked on games that include Gylt, Deadlight, Metroid: Samus Returns and more.
Call of the Sea takes place in the 1930s and you play as Norah, in search of your husband who has gone missing on an expedition. In this story driven adventure it becomes clear quite early on that things are not quite what they seem to be. I’m eager to get my hands on this game to uncover the strange secrets the island holds and find out what went wrong on the expedition.
Chorus
Genre: Action-adventure, shooter, racing & flying
Smart Delivery: Yes
Release date:Â 2021
Developed by Deep Silver Fishlabs, Chorus is a space combat shooter coming to Xbox Series X in 2021. In Chorus you take control of dual protagonists: an ex-cultist named Nara and sentient AI starfighter known as Forsaken. This is a single-player game where you explore the stars and fight to free the galaxy from the Circle, an oppressive cult.
I don’t know about you but anytime a game has space combat, it gets my attention. Just thinking about Zero-G dogfights gets me giddy! And, from what we saw in the trailer today, Chorus doesn’t look like it will disappoint. Chorus is scheduled to be released for Xbox Series X in 2021.
DiRT 5
Genre: Racing
Smart Delivery: Yes
Release date:Â Holiday 2020
Codemasters revealed the next entry in the DiRT series with DiRT 5, coming this year on Xbox Series X. This high-impact extreme racer is filled with stunning locations, and a variety of vehicles and surfaces. Everything about DiRT 5 is bigger, better and badder than all of the previous games put together.
Career mode features a deep story and includes legendary voices of gaming Troy Baker and Nolan North. Though, what gets me really excited to play DiRT 5 is the inclusion of a four-player split-screen mode that you can play offline with friends and family.
Oh, and did I mention that DiRT 5 is the first Xbox Series X game announced to support 120 frames per second? WOW!
Madden NFL 21
Genre: Sports
Smart Delivery: Yes
Release date:Â Holiday 2020
Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes announced that Madden NFL 21 is coming to Xbox Series X this year. While footage of this year’s game running on Xbox Series X wasn’t shown, a look back at the evolution of the Madden series over the past 30 years was shown.
We also learned that gamers who purchase Madden NFL 21 on Xbox One by the end of the year, will be able to upgrade to the Xbox Series X version of Madden NFL 21 for free by March 31, 2021. More will be revealed and shown next month at EA PLAY.
Scarlet Nexus
Genre: Action role-playing
Smart Delivery: Yes
Release date: Unknown
A new Action RPG franchise from Bandai Namco Studios called Scarlet Nexus was shown today for Xbox Series X and is also coming to Xbox One. This Japanese RPG features streamlined combat and balances fast-paced action along with strategic planning.
You take on the role of Yuito Sumeragi who has psycho-kinetic powers. And, as a member of the Other Suppression Force, your mission is to stop “the others”—deranged mutants who fell from the sky and have a hunger for human brains.
Seeing as Scarlet Nexus development is being led by former members of the Tales of series, I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the game.
Scorn
Genre: First person horror adventure
Smart Delivery: No
Release date: Unknown
Scorn is a first-person horror adventure game coming to Xbox Series X and has been in development since 2014. The game allows you to explore the world in a non-linear fashion and is filled with puzzles, and characters with their own stories.
Scorn is one of the most unique titles shown today and has piqued my interest in this title. Take a look at the trailer below and see how bizarre and intriguing this game is shaping up to be.
Second Extinction
Genre: Co-operative shooter
Smart Delivery: Yes
Release date:Â Unknown
This fast-paced co-op shooter has a simple yet enticing premise—Evil Mutant Dinosaurs have taken over the Earth. During the takeover, some humans escaped to an orbital station and now have come out of hiding returning to Earth.
It’s a battle to the death between your squad and the Dinosaurs to reclaim Earth.
The Ascent
Genre: Action role-playing
Smart Delivery: Yes
Release date:Â Holiday 2020
The Ascent is an action RPG with an isometric view set in a sci-fi and cyberpunk world. Scheduled to be released this year on both Xbox Series X and Xbox One, the game is filled with a deep story and plenty of destructible environments.
The Ascent Group, who owns everything and everyone, has mysteriously shut down. As a result, the city’s automated security systems have gone haywire and put everyone at risk. It’s up to you to uncover what is really happening before it’s all too late.
The Medium
Genre: Horror
Smart Delivery: Yes
Release date:Â Holiday 2020
This psychological horror game is one of my most anticipated Xbox Series X games shown to date. The game is centred around how your perspective changes your perception. You play the role of Marianne, a medium with visions, living and interacting with our world and the spirit world.
You must solve a terrible tragedy that happened many years ago by travelling and interacting between both worlds. To further immerse players in the world, the Bloober Team is working together with musical composer Akira Yamaoka of Silent Hill fame to create a musical score unlike anything else that has been done before in their games.
As a result, I’m really looking forward to playing The Medium later this year on Xbox Series X.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
Genre: RPG
Smart Delivery: Yes
Release date: Unknown
Bloodlines 2 is a RPG in the World of Darkness story universe. The game takes place in a dark and dim Seattle, filled with fascinating characters and competing factions. As a vampire, you discover the supernatural secrets of Seattle and decide how you’ll live your life as a vampire.
Set to release on both Xbox Series X and Xbox One, Bloodlines 2 will feature cross-generation character saves and Smart Delivery.
Pre-order Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 First Blood Edition for Xbox One
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Genre: Action-adventure
Smart Delivery: Yes
Release date: Holiday 2020
The Yakuza series is making its way to next gen and Sega’s launching a brand new game on the Xbox Series X. And, this launch title is coming to both Xbox Series X and Xbox One, with Smart Delivery support. As you might have guessed, it also features cross-save support.
In this new entry, you play as Ichiban Kasuga and is set in modern day Yokohama, Japan. Fight your way up from the bottom of the society with 19 different jobs. The Yakuza series is one of my favourites and I’m looking forward to Yakuza: Like a Dragon on Xbox Series X.
Xbox Series X is launching holiday 2020
What we have seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg for what Microsoft has in store for us when Xbox Series X launches later this year. Stay tuned to the Best Buy Blog for all the latest news on Xbox Series X. And, make sure and sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date with everything you need to know about Xbox Series X.
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