Best Moments from the 2022 Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase

This year’s Xbox (not-E3) presentation was an event unlike any in recent memory. Not just because of the games shown, but also because they held FanFest party events to accompany the Xbox + Bethesda Games Showcase in Los Angeles, Madrid, Melbourne, and lucky for me, Toronto! The venues were filled with not just video game journalists, but also fans who won admission by entering a drawing on the Xbox FanFest website.

So before we dive into the showcase itself, here’s a little of the extracurricular activities available that I was able to capture an opportune time, as most everyone was crowded into the theater space to view the presentation.

Xbox Game Pass for console and PC was there in force, for anyone to check out at their leisure. The tables also had this neat “X” logo display piece featured prominently. Hm, I wonder what they did with those after…

There was plenty to tickle an artsy itch, too, from an Xbox nail bar to a mural painting to getting your picture taken with a fully-costumed Master Chief!

There were snacks on hand, too, with the most memorable being bags of caramel or sour cream & onion popcorn, as well as what I believe were Krispy Kreme donuts. And while part of the hue of this shot is indeed due to the lighting, make no mistake — it all came in a glorious Xbox green.

And here was the cost of taking those photos — standing room in the back, at least until I found some vacant seats midway through. Either way, it was cool to experience the event alongside an audience.

There was also some neat swag from the event that I don’t currently have pictures of, but can provide if anyone is interested.

Anyway, with the setting established, here are my highlights from the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase itself! (In chronological order of appearance.)

High on Life

I’m a casual Rick & Morty fan at best (good on them for getting McDonald’s to bring back Szechuan sauce, but shame on how poorly the Golden Arches handled that return), and I’ve only just gotten into first-person shooters by way of Halo Infinite (I still need to write something about that), but together, along with this trailer, that might be enough to be there when this comes to Game Pass on Day One.

Forza Motorsport

Initially, I favored Forza Horizon over Forza Motorsport, and I guess I still do. That said, I guess being a fan of the former has had an effect of the latter chipping away at me, enough that this excites me. It looks great, and the past Forza Motorsport titles, even as comparatively little as I’ve played them, have always been quality. The day/night cycle and detailed settings here definitely have me checking my rear-view mirror to make sure this one won’t pass me by.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Okay, the helicopters got my attention, but the Pelican from Halo? And going into space?! It’s a big install, but I might have to download this one again when the time comes.

Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels

This felt less like a surprise than an inevitability, but a welcome one. Let’s ride!

Minecraft Legends

This just reminds me that I need to finish porting my old Wii U Minecraft world from my Switch to my Xbox. That aside, are they taking a cue from Dragon Quest Builders for this? My wife thinks they might be, and that’s enough to grab our interest.

Lightyear Frontier – A Fresh Start

I’ve gotten bored of Animal Crossing and never quite got into Harvest Moon and the like, but this? This has my attention. Another one to grab Day One on Game Pass.

Gunfire Reborn

It’s not Stray, but they had my interest when they showed the cat.

Sea of Thieves – “Captains of Adventure”

I haven’t touched Sea of Thieves in a spell, but a trailer this fun and catchy might just be the kind of thing to get me back around to it.

Ravenlok

Now we’re talking. This strikes me as a sleeper among the trailers of the show, but it definitely caught my attention, as I wish there were more games that had this kind of feel shown.

Persona on Xbox

Less for me, personally, but I’ve heard such great things about these games that, much like Yakuza a couple of years ago, I’m thrilled that people on the Xbox side of things will get to experience them. I’m only sad that if it’s like Yakuza, there won’t be any physical releases for the more dedicated collector fans.

Starfield

Ladies and gentlemen, Starfield and friends!

Okay, here’s the big one. For whatever reason, Skyrim never quite grabbed me, but this? This definitely has my attention. I guess I just like the space exploration thing? (Which reminds me, I still need to give No Man’s Sky a try.) And it looks like I got into first-person just in time, too.

There’s just a lot going on here, but it all looks appealing to me. My favorite part might just be getting to build and fly your own spaceship.

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And those are my personal highlights from this year’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase! What were yours? Feel free to tell me in the comments down below, or on Twitter or somewhere!

If you haven’t seen it yet, you can view it in its entirety right here:

Thanks to Xbox for hosting such a great event, and thanks for reading!

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David Oxford is a freelance writer of many varied interests. If you’re interested in hiring him, please drop him a line at david.oxford (at) nyteworks.net.