Yesterday was perhaps the highlight of all of E3 2021 so far: the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase.
It ran for around 90 minutes, and over 30 games were shown off. It was a lot of information to take in, and we got a glimpse of a lot of really exciting games coming to Xbox, PC and other consoles at some point in the future. But what were the stand-out announcements? The highlights? The games that really got us whooping from our armchairs?
Here are the five stand-out announcements from yesterday’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase. You can see a full round-up of everything announced right here.
Forza Horizon 5
A Forza Horizon 5 announcement during Xbox’s showcase felt like a given, but we were no less excited to see it fill our screens. Coming this November, Forza Horizon 5 is set in Mexico, and promises to be the biggest open-world Forza game yet. Considering the size of the last two games, that’s quite a feat. Bigger doesn’t necessary mean better of course, but judging by the trailer, the variety of environments, and just how beautiful this looks, I don’t think we’ll be disappointed.
It’s the closest many of us are going to be getting to a tropical beach any time soon, anyway. And getting to drive around Chichen Itza and other Mayan ruins – what could be more fun?
Twelve Minutes
We’ve been looking forward to Twelve Minutes, a game coming from Annapurna, for some time. It was first revealed back at E3 2019, and shows two people going about their lives inside their apartment. Unexpectedly, the police knock at the door, arresting one of them for murder. What do you do? What happens next? That’s up to you, apparently. A time loop lasting just 12 minutes, this is all about planning your actions and changing the course of your fate.
We finally got a release date at the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase: it’s coming to PC and Xbox on 19th August. And it’ll be available on Xbox Game Pass on day one. Rejoice!
Starfield
We’d be remiss if we didn’t include Starfield in our highlights. The short teaser trailer doesn’t give too much away, but this Bethesda game is one that’s been highly anticipated for a long time. The cinematic trailer uses in-game engine footage and provides us a brief look at what we have to look forward to. It looks stunning.
There’s a release date attached at the end, too: 11th November 2022. It’s still quite a way off, so we’re not getting too hyped up just yet. But it’s nice to know that an end is in sight for everyone who has been excitedly anticipating Starfield. Oh, and it’s an Xbox Series X/S and PC exclusive which will be on Game Pass on day one.
A Plague Tale: Requiem
We absolutely loved A Plague Tale: Innocence when it released back in 2019. We praised its characters, its setting and its story, all adding up for an experience that has stuck with us. And so, of course we were overjoyed to see a sequel is on the way. The teaser trailer revealed that brother and sister duo, Hugo and Amicia, are once again in trouble – not surprising considering Hugo’s powers. It looks like we’ll find out more about them, and see the characters develop in new ways.
It’s a way off: A Plague Tale: Requiem isn’t set to release until 2022. But hopefully this is one that will be worth the wait. It’ll be available on Xbox Series X/S and PC (and via Game Pass on day one), and PS5. There’s also a Switch release incoming, which will be delivered via the cloud. Sorry, last-gen owners; there’s no Xbox One or PS4 version slated for this.
The Outer Worlds 2
Yes, another sequel. And another trailer that didn’t give much away. But the announcement trailer for The Outer Worlds 2 is so delightfully entertaining – and pokes fun at itself (and other games) in such a wonderful way – that we couldn’t not include it.
It’s more-or-less just an announcement to say the game is being made rather than a look at any meaningful footage or gameplay. But that’s enough for us. We loved The Outer Worlds, praising its light-hearted tone, its difficult decision-making, and its excellent storytelling. Seeing all that again, hopefully improved upon in a number of meaningful ways, can only be a good thing. We’re excited to find out more about this.
