As someone who has been gaming for over three decades, I must say that this year has been quite the rollercoaster for Xbox fans like myself. But fear not, dear fellow gamers, because it seems that the final stretch of 2024 is shaping up to be a true celebration of all things Xbox!
It’s apparent over the past few years of the Xbox Series X/S era that Microsoft hasn’t been able to fully realize the potential initially offered by their current-gen console duo. While the initial years saw strong sales for Xbox, as support from first-party games waned a couple of years later, so did the entire Xbox ecosystem. Although 2023 showed some improvement on that front (albeit with issues like the failure of Redfall and the mixed response to Starfield), in 2024, Microsoft has once again fallen short of meeting its commitments.
This year so far, the only significant first-party Xbox game to be launched is “Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2”, but it didn’t seem to leave a lasting impression or create much buzz. Apart from its underwhelming debut, games like “Ara: History Untold” and an early access version of “Towerborne” have been released on PC. However, other than these and a few expansions, the selection has been rather slim. Interestingly, Microsoft has been more active in releasing Xbox Game Studios titles on PlayStation this year.
As a dedicated gamer, it’s important to highlight that while first-party support might have been scarce for Xbox this year, the release of some incredible third-party and indie games has more than made up for it! Games like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Persona 3 Reload, Unicorn Overlord, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and Tekken 8 have graced the Xbox Series X/S this year. And let’s not forget about the outstanding indie games such as Balatro, Animal Well, UFO 50, 1000xRESIST, and Neva. Sure, we might have missed out on a few major hits like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Black Myth: Wukong, and Silent Hill 2, but there’s no shortage of games to keep us entertained on Xbox!
Returning to the subject of exclusives, it’s worth noting that the number of releases in 2024 has been dwindling, but Xbox seems poised to finish the year impressively. We’re down to just a couple of months left in 2024, and Xbox has lined up three exciting titles for release. These include the highly anticipated third-party exclusive “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl,” as well as two first-party releases: “Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024” and “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.” Not only are these games some of the most significant titles of the year, but they all appear to be shaping up quite nicely.
Let’s discuss S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 first, an intriguing game that has caught our attention not only due to its own potential but also because of the anticipation surrounding it. Fans of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series have been eagerly awaiting a sequel since as early as 2020, though even now, the wait for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has been prolonged. The game was initially announced in 2018 with an ambitious 2021 release date, but was officially unveiled in 2020.
Over the past four years, the release of the open-world survival horror shooter game has encountered multiple setbacks, largely due to unfortunate circumstances, particularly the invasion of Ukraine by Russia affecting developer GSC Game World. Despite the chaotic conditions surrounding its production, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has continued to appear very promising. Much like its original trilogy, it seems set to maintain an unyielding vision, offering a massive open-world experience that seamlessly integrates first-person shooter mechanics with survival, horror, and immersive simulation elements.
It’s unlikely that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. will be for everyone. In fact, it seems quite certain that it won’t be. This is characteristic of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., and even though S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 appears to offer a more refined and less glitchy experience than its predecessors, it doesn’t seem that GSC Game World has made any concessions in terms of the series’ tendency to not guide players’ hands and prioritize immersion and player autonomy over all else. This unique approach, however, is likely to win over a large number of fans- provided the game delivers on all its promises, of course.
In a little over a week, right before the unveiling of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, we’ll also witness the debut of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. The 2020 version was one of the standout games of the year, and we anticipate that its successor will surpass it just as impressively. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is set to enhance its predecessor in numerous ways – by introducing a Career mode, expanding player interaction options, refining technology for an even more realistic and immersive experience, and relying on cloud streaming to eliminate the lengthy installation times that were a hurdle with the previous game. Under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t be shocked at all if the game receives widespread acclaim within a few days, unless something catastrophic happens.
Ultimately, in December, we’ll see “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle,” another highly anticipated release from MachineGames. Whether or not they will revisit the Wolfenstein series is still uncertain, but given that their Indiana Jones game has been in development for a while now, excitement for its upcoming launch is certainly building. Additionally, it’s important to note that this game carries a well-known IP name, even though it’s been a while since we had a truly excellent Indiana Jones movie, with the SNES not yet having been released at that time.
The visual appeal of “The Great Circle” has been consistently impressive in all our previous glimpses, offering a lot to take in. Not only does it convincingly recreate the feel and ambiance of a traditional Indiana Jones adventure, but it also appears to offer an engaging gameplay experience, with its emphasis on first-person melee combat, puzzle-solving reminiscent of adventure games, and a promise of innovative sim-style gameplay that encourages strategic thinking beyond the typical run-and-gun mechanics, which is unusual for creators of Wolfenstein.
As we approach the end of the year, there’s no doubt that the upcoming weeks are packed with significant releases for Xbox. A number of highly anticipated multiplatform games are joining forces with major exclusives, some of which fans have been eagerly waiting for for decades. Whether these three releases will meet expectations is yet to be determined, but at this moment, it seems that Xbox is poised to end the year on a high note, despite the fact that 2024 hasn’t been particularly successful for the platform so far.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
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2024-11-12 15:11