Everything we saw at Xbox’s Developer Direct 2025

Jan 24, 2025 02:37 AM - 2 weeks ago 20903

Though Nintendo tin technically declare it had the first large gaming news arena of the year, astatine slightest Xbox’s Developer Direct really showed disconnected immoderate games and fto america cognize erstwhile we tin play them. The showcase was anchored by heavy dives into the biggest games coming down the greenish tube for illustration Doom: The Dark Ages and Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight, pinch a mates of surprises to capable retired the astir one-hour-long runtime. Here are the highlights from the show.

Ninja Gaiden 4

Xbox kicked disconnected the Direct pinch the astonishment uncover of Ninja Gaiden 4. The crippled is being codeveloped by Koei Tecmo’s Team Ninja and Bayonetta studio PlatinumGames. Ninja Gaiden 4 revives the series’ bloody, fast-paced combat and high-stakes (but often frustrating) platforming pinch a caller face, the ninja Yakumo. Yakumo will usage his unsocial fighting styles to conclusion the Divine Dragon Order that’s turned Tokyo into a dystopian, crumbling mess. Gaiden’s erstwhile protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa, will besides make an quality arsenic a playable characteristic and Yakumo’s rival.

Ninja Gaiden 4 will motorboat successful the autumn of this year, but if you don’t want to hold for your bloody ninja action, you don’t person to. Xbox stealth dropped Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, a remake of Ninja Gaiden II, and it’s disposable correct now connected Xbox and Game Pass.

South of Midnight

The developers astatine Compulsion Games went into item astir South of Midnight’s gameplay and story. You play arsenic Hazel who must usage her powers arsenic a Weaver, fighting monsters and traversing the haunted landscape, to rescue her mother who gets swept distant successful a hurricane. With this, everything I’ve seen astir South of Midnight makes it look for illustration it’ll beryllium 1 of my games of the year. It’s sewage a Black protagonist, features characters and tropes that harken to Southern gothic folklore, and its stop-motion creation style makes it instantly guidelines out. I cannot hold to get my hands connected this crippled erstwhile it releases connected April 8th.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Sandfall Interactive was founded successful Montpellier, France, successful 2020 pinch a squad led by erstwhile Ubisoft developers. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the studio’s first crippled — a turn-based RPG pinch a compelling communicative hook. The world has been ravaged by a being known arsenic the Paintress. Every year, she writes down a number, and everyone older than that number disappears. Expeditions are sent retired to extremity the Paintress, and the crippled will travel Expedition 33 successful their effort to prevention humanity. In summation to an absorbing Persona 5-style return connected turn-based combat, Expedition 33 features immoderate superior sound acting talent, starring Charlie Cox, Jennifer English, Ben Starr, and Andy Serkis. Can’t hold to perceive them execute erstwhile Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launches connected April 24th.

Doom: The Dark Ages

To adjacent retired the Direct, Xbox gave america different look astatine Doom: The Dark Ages, the prequel to id Software’s 2016 Doom reboot and Doom Eternal. It will, of course, characteristic each the ripping and tearing a Doom enjoyer could want, on pinch an absorbing attraction connected communicative — thing the bid isn’t really known for. But I fishy folks are acold much willing successful piloting a 30-story Doomguy-shaped mech suit when the crippled releases connected May 15th.

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