Xbox Third-Party Preview round-up: Still Wakes the Deep, Spirit of the North 2, Manor Lords, more
Plenty of games headed your way.
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Microsoft hosted a presentation today focusing on some third-party titles coming to Xbox. For those who missed the show, we rounded the announcements up for you.
During the presentation, we were given a look at new gameplay for Still Wakes The Deep from masters of horror, The Chinese Room. The narrative horror game is set on the slowly collapsing Beira D oil rig, where you will navigate perilous encounters. The trailer even showed a quick look at the supernatural entity.
According to The Chinese Room, inspiration for the game came from many films, starting with John Carpenter’s excellent 1982 film, The Thing. The atmosphere was inspired by the 1970s-era thriller Don’t Look Now and 1968's horrifying Rosemary's Baby. It also pays homage to the directing style of lauded British film director Ken Loach, with a nod to his heartbreaking movie, Kes. The gameplay structure was inspired by The Poseidon Adventure, and other films that provided creative fodder were Annihilation, Midsommar, Hannibal, The Southern Reach Trilogy, Sapphire & Steel, Suspiria, and others.
Sounds like players will be taken on a wild ride.
Set for a 2024 release, Still Wakes the Deep will be available for Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox. It will also be available through Game Pass.
The presentation also revealed the release date for Manor Lords, the highly-anticipated historical city-building strategy game from Slavic Magic.
The third-most wishlisted game on Steam, Manor Lords tasks you with establishing a medieval town where you will also assemble the townsfolk to defend the homestead or even conquer your neighbors.
As well as coming to Steam, the developers have partnered with Xbox to release the game on day one via PC Games Pass and to Xbox Game Pass and consoles further down the line.
You can start playing Manor Lords on April 26, 2024.
Ikaro: Will Not Die was announced with an action-packed trailer, showing off FuturLab and Thunderful's momentum-based, fast-flowing action rogue-lite.
Set in a futuristic, neon facility, the game features gravity surfing action and unique combat that allows you to chain abilities together through sci-fi environments.
Not much else is known about the game, but more will be shared soon. Upon release, it will be available for Steam and Xbox.
Another game announced during the presentation was the sequel to Spirit of the North.
In Spirit of the North 2, you take control of a new fox traveling with a raven companion on a quest to release the lost guardians from the grasp of the shaman Grimnir and return home.
On your journey, you will explore unique biomes, each with challenges and secrets to uncover. Discover potent runes that enhance your abilities as your quest takes you from dense forests to snow-capped peaks and into dark and ancient crypts.
You can customize the appearance of your fox along with skills you will need to face off against foes as you save the legendary guardian beasts in puzzle-based encounters.
Without a firm release date, the game is out in 2024 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Today, Teyon showed off new gameplay footage, including a battle with the ED-209 of the upcoming RoboCop: Rogue City.
Releasing on November 2 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, in the game, you will explore the blurry lines between humanity and machinery by experiencing recurring visions of Alex Murphy’s past life.
You will also explore the dichotomy surrounding RoboCop’s existence and delve into his psyche to understand his state of mind, especially during a mandatory psychiatric evaluation.
The developers worked with the original RoboCop, Peter Weller, who provided the voiceover for this titular character and provided the team with feedback.
With your powerful Auto-9 or one of the other 20 weapons available, your job in the game is to eradicate criminals using your robotic strength and cybernetic abilities, which can be upgraded as you progress.
Set between RoboCop 2 and RoboCop3, the game features an original story that has you investigating a new enemy threatening public order in Detroit.
The team behind the Dungeons of Hinterberg showed off some new gameplay of the challenges the main character Luisa might face on her adventures and who she might meet along the way.
The game centers around Hinterberg, a tourist hotspot in the Austrian Alps. You play as Luisa, taking a break from corporate life to conquer the Dungeons of Hinterberg and become a Master Slayer.
It's full of various actions like the ability to snowboard down a glacier, zipline through a forest, climb a mountain, and there are numerous places to discover. There are also monsters lurking around every corner, and you can harness the wind, conjure a snowboard, solve puzzles in the dungeons, and freeze your enemies.
There's also a social side to the game, with both locals and visitors to interact with and learn more about them and their lives. You will also gain insight into what’s happening in the village of Hinterberg through them, and you can decide who to befriend.
In the evening, you can decide to spend quality time with one person, and should you deepen your relationship, you will be rewarded. Building strong relationships is also the key to becoming a formidable slayer.
Dungeons of Hinterberg is coming to PC and Xbox Series X/S in early 2024 and day one with Game Pass.
Finally, Embark Studios provided a new look at their upcoming team-based competitive shooter, The Finals. This free-to-play game is centered around virtual arenas featuring destruction physics.
Look for more information on the game in the coming year.
The closed beta kicks off tomorrow, October 26, for Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.