We finally got our first look at Indiana Jones and the Great Circle at the Xbox Developer Direct showcase last night.
The adventure game was among a handful of Xbox Series X/S and PC exclusives revealed during the online gala, along with fantasy RPG Avowed, dark action game Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, the long-awaited sequel Visions of Mana, and the historical strategy title Ara: History Untold.
Best of all, almost all of the new games will be available on Game Pass the moment they launch. Here’s what you can look forward to playing this year.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
(Xbox, PC, Game Pass day one)
Release date: 2024
Indy is back and, thanks to the wonder of gaming, he hasn’t aged a day. Yes, the roguishly charming Harrison Ford has that same twinkle in his eye as he whips his way through his latest adventure. Only this time, Dr Jones is voiced by video game voice legend Troy Baker, who does a cracking impression of the Hollywood icon. Meanwhile, The Great Circle trailer plays like Indy’s greatest hits through the lens of first-person action specialist MachineGames. There are punch-ups with Nazis, a ground-breaking discovery that links the world’s ancient sites, and puzzles and death traps galore. Our only complaint is that we didn’t find out exactly when it will arrive this year.
Avowed
(Xbox, PC, Game Pass day one)
Release date: Autumn 2024
The Outer Worlds studio Obsidian offered a deep dive into its new RPG, Avowed, which arrives this autumn. During the roughly seven-minute clip, we glimpsed the first-person game’s combat, enemies, setting and quests. Avowed looks like it was built for players who can never decide which class to pick. The game lets you seamlessly switch between spellcasting, shooting, and melee combat on the go. At one point, we see the main character dual-wielding wands like a “gun-slinging mage", in the words of a developer. Be prepared to use your skills against packs of anthropomorphic lizards, giant crystalised arachnids, and bears that have seemingly succumbed to the plague that’s ravaging the game’s world.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
(Xbox , PC, Game Pass day one)
Release date: May 21
Celtic warrior Senua returns in the sequel to the Bafta-winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. In an extensive look at the new game, Cambridge-based developer Ninja Theory promised a short, but no less brutal, narrative-led experience. Once again, players must grapple with Senua’s psychosis, and the terrifyingly real monsters she encounters during her nightmarish odyssey. Ninja Theory also talked up the game’s improved motion-capture Icelandic setting and cinematic set pieces. Of the handful of games revealed during Xbox Direct, Senua will be the first you can play when it lands on May 21.
Visions of Mana
(Xbox, PC)
Release date: Summer 2024
While it doesn’t get the same amount of devotion as Final Fantasy, Square Enix’s Mana series is still a special little gem. After a quick history lesson about the 17 games in the franchise, this Xbox Direct deep dive plunges into the new mainline title. We’re treated to footage of aerial battles with the game’s cute and colourful critters; boss fights where elemental weapons are essential; and a friendly new creature called a Pikul that’s a cross between a Yorkshire terrier and pangolin. Following the success of RPGs like Genshin Impact, the Mana series seems primed for a comeback.
Ara: History Untold
(PC, Game Pass PC day one)
Release date: Autumn 2024
Your goal in Ara: History Untold is to build “the most impressive and influential nation the world has ever known,” according to developer Oxide Games. Governed by a "prestige system" that ranks your leadership prowess, the game lets you wage wars, usher in an artistic renaissance, devote your nation to scientific progress, and more. Thanks to its mash-up of cultures, you can even build real-world monuments, like the Pyramids of Giza and the Eiffel Tower, in the same country. Ultimately, your choices will influence the timeline you end up creating.
