With Microsoft’s big buy of ZeniMax media aka Bethesda, id Software etc. (check out all the big franchise names in this article). Is the Xbox Series X the next-gen console to buy? Announced for release on the 10th of November this comes a little bit before the release of the PlayStation 5, which is out on November 19th.
To make the decision between the two consoles we need to see what games we’re getting at launch. Sorry no Halo Infinite. But we are getting Gears Tactics, a previously PC-exclusive entry in the Gears of War series. As well as a number of other great looking titles that Microsoft announced at yesterday’s Tokyo Game Show presentation. Be sure to tab this link open and compare it with our PlayStation 5 launch list too.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
Next in line in the Assassin’s Creed franchise brings you to the Viking lands of Norway. Valhalla is the latest game from the franchise and Ubisoft actually brought their release date forward by a week to coincide with the launch of the Xbox Series X. This game however won’t be an exclusive to the console and you’ll still be able to get it on PC and the PlayStation 4.
Not quite a sneaking assassin this time around you play as Eivor, warrior and Viking clan leader. Your clan has left Norway behind to start a new life in England. But staking out new territory and dealing with the Saxons isn’t going to be a walk in the park. Expect God of War style brutal combat with dual axes and a not so hidden blade. Similar to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Vallhalla will feature branching RPG dialogue decisions and alternate endings. Not quite sure how I feel about this game yet.
Watch Dogs: Legion
London has fallen and you’re here to build the resistance and take it back in Watch Dogs: Legion. In the fall opportunists were the first to catch the important pieces. They’re in charge, and it’s up to you to make sure that position is only temporary. Take on a brand new Watch Dogs that introduces new melee systems and a wide range of weapons and abilities. The catch? Sometimes your combat has real consequences. If you use non-lethal force, the enemy will attempt to subdue and arrest you. If you shoot to kill, you risk having your characters permanently killed. Ready to resist?
Legion brings a neat twist over past Watch Dogs games: every NPC character is a potential protagonist for you to recruit to your cause. Each comes with their own traits and skills that you can use before hopping into another member of your budding resistance movement. There are hacker grandmas and nanobee controllers and rugby fanatics all over the city who may be receptive to DedSec’s cause.
Observer: System Redux
The year is 2084. The future has turned out much darker than anyone could imagine. First, there was the Nanophage. A digital plague that killed thousands upon thousands of those who chose to augment their minds and bodies. Then came the War, leaving both the West and the East decimated and shattered. With no one left to seize power, corporations took over and forged their own crooked empires in this dark cyberpunk world.
You are an Observer, a neural police detective that will hack into the jagged minds of the dead and the dying. Delve into these twisted neural mazes and search for clues that will help you find the elusive killer. But beware: the deeper you go, the greater the risk of losing your own sanity. Like Assassin’s Creed, Observer: System Redux will launch on the same day as the Xbox Series X.
Gears Tactics
Gears Tactics is an aggressive strategy game set 12 years before the first Gears of War. Outnumbered and fighting for survival, recruit and command your squad to hunt down the evil mastermind Ukkon who makes monsters. Play as Gabe Diaz, and battle against the odds to fight for survival. Outsmart your enemy in this uniquely brutal, turn-based tactical combat.
While it first looks an awful lot like XCOM, Gears Tactics plays differently. Every turn in XCOM is about the tension of how few moves you can make. Gears is more freeform, giving each of the four soldiers you take into a mission three actions per turn; with any combination of moving, shooting, and special abilities you want.
The Falconeer
The Falconeer is an open-world air combat game, featuring frenetic aerial dogfights and deep exploration of the mysterious open-world of The Great Ursee. If you love those aerial dog-fights but want to do it on a majestic bird then this is the game for you. As you might guess, you’ll take on the role of falconer, riding on the back of a giant bird of prey as you explore a steampunk world made entirely of oceans and island civilizations. You’ll take on missions like clearing mines from shipping lanes as you battle ground-based enemies and other falconers.
The Falconeer made our Top 10 list of Pax East 2020 games and its made by sole developer Tomas Sala. The Falconeer with launch on the 10th of November together with the Xbox Series X.
