Highlights of the Xbox Games Showcase 2023

On Sunday, June 11th, 2023, Xbox held their double-feature of the Xbox Games Showcase 2023, which was immediately followed by a Starfield Direct. Overall, it was a pretty good showing — a good number of titles which caught my eye and have my interest, but aren’t yet in the “give it to me now!” zone for various reasons.

Following are, in chronological order of reveal, my picks for the highlights of the nearly two-hour show:

Fable had a neat trailer that that was amusing, and might have shown off some gameplay? There was some action, but without any HUDs showing or anything to indicate it was actual gameplay, it’s tough to tell what might or might not have been the actual game in action. Still, it was funny, so if it plays well and maintains that sense of humor, it looks like a good time, whenever it comes out.

South of Midnight has my notice, but other than a neat creepy vibe and aesthetic, all I can do is wait to see more.

I sincerely hate that Ubisoft seems to be such a terrible company to its employees, because Star Wars Outlaws is precisely the side of a galaxy far, far away that I’m keen to explore. As such, just a nod to acknowledge that this kind of thing is my jam, but this will probably be the last you hear from me on it unless I hear they’ve cleaned up their act.

Oh, and I’m extra pained, because that little axolotl-looking creature is cute, too.

Could there be a more fitting, perfect crossover in gaming than Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island? Maybe! But none come to mind at the moment.

I’ve talked about Microsoft Flight Simulator here before, but the inclusion of aerial firefighting seems topical, if nothing else.

I probably own more Yakuza/Like a Dragon games than I’ve finished — in fact, I’m certain of it — and yet, this one still grabs me. No, not because Ichiban woke up naked on a beach, but because the other people there are speaking English. Is… is he in America? For that alone, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has grabbed my attention by the throat, and probably isn’t letting go any time soon. And Kazuma Kiryu is somehow involved, apparently?

Also, speaking of Kiryu: it wasn’t shown here, but I should probably give a shout-out to Like a Dragon Gaiden, too, as it’s also coming to Xbox.

Instead of Dino Crisis, Capcom gives us Exoprimal, and instead of a new Onimusha, Capcom is giving us Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. It’s like they’re creating new IP from the ashes of their old IP, beloved IP, and I don’t really know how I feel about it. I just hope they don’t try that with Mega Man Legends.

While I was more of a Forza Horizon guy at first, I’ve warmed a bit to Forza Motorsport since then. And that Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray looks like something I’d expect Michael Bay to cast in a movie. That is, an awesome car, and I’m eager to take it for a spin.

I don’t really know what to say about Dungeons of Hinterberg, except that it looks like my kind of game. Vibrant, colorful exploration and action? Dungeons, magic, and monster-slaying? I’m keeping an eye on this one.

I’m not sure what state Cyberpunk 2077 has pulled itself into since launch, so I don’t have any strong thoughts about the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expansion, so I’m not showing the trailer. The reason I’m bringing it up is the bit with Keanu Reeves introducing it, and… something felt off. I hope he’s okay.

Okay, remember when I said I was doing these in chronological order, i.e. by the order they appeared? Well, that wasn’t entirely true. You see, they slipped in a trailer for Starfield. But I figured that since that was getting its own whole program, I’d just wait and save it for last.

And there is just so much here, all I can really say is that this is the kind of game that almost makes me wish I didn’t have other interests. This looks like the kind of game a person can lose themselves in for hours and days at a time, and enjoy every second of it.

Remember a few years ago, when Nintendo came to E3 with only one game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? I almost feel like Xbox and Bethesda could have done that here. Starfield just looks that good to me, like it could carry the entire thing by itself.

I’m glad it didn’t, because I enjoyed getting to see the other stuff above, and perhaps even some I didn’t mention (more of a “happy for others” thing). But this? This looks like a killer app. This looks like a reason to own an Xbox. It might even be the reason to own an Xbox. (Or a really good PC.)

Oh, and they’ve got some associated gaming accessories as well:

While these are awesome and I’d love to get my hands on them (at least the headset, I’ve been needing to get one for a while now), it’s the Constellation Edition watch and case that has me hyped.

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Those are my highlights! If you want more, you can watch the entire thing here, if you want:

Or visit Xbox Wire, where they have all the trailers, and other little details as well.

And of course, it’s worth noting that a bunch of what was shown — 27, in fact — are coming to Xbox and PC, and a lot of these will be on GamePass Day One.

I’m actually a little torn on where to play Starfield, since if Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is any indication, there are going to be some awesome mods. On the other hand, I’m not so sure my PC is up to the task. I guess if you wanted to help kick a little something my way to offset the upcoming Nyteworks server renewal on Patreon or Ko-fi, that could help.

Thanks for reading!