I watched the Xbox Games Showcase in bed first thing in the morning and found myself sitting up a little straighter with every trailer. I remember watching PlayStation’s showcase late last month and not having nearly as strong a reaction – I was excited about the indie g𝕴ames being released, and pleased to see gameplay for Spider-Man 2, but overall, I had a lukewarm response to it. It was a stream, and it did its job informing me what PlayStation has next on the roster. Xbox, however, had me practically vibrating with excitement from the jump.It’s weird that I ended the stream so pleased, because I wasn’t expecting much from the showcase. trailer had me inexplicably excited for a game that I previously hadn’t thought twice about, as someone who has no experience with the series and knows nothing about it. somehow had me feeling optimistic about an Ubisoft game, which is a miracle considering how the company has ground down its goo🌄dwill with its customers through micro-transactions an💧d bad design choices. Keanu Reeves popped in, gave an enthused introduction to ’s upcoming expansion, then darted out of frame, making me ask myself if now is the time to finally give the game a shot. There is a new game, and that is all I need to hear. Even the indies had me far more interested than PlayStation’s, with South of Midnight’s incredible art style and music hooking me from its opening, and Still Wakes The Deep intriguing me immediately with its gorgeous environments and creepy vibe. The Sea of Thieves and The Legend of Monkey Island crossover had me groaning, wonderi꧟ng how I would fit yet another game in my list of things I want to play this year. Despite being a bouldering-hater, just because the culture around it is so annoying where I live, Jusant made climbing walls look so much more thrilling than triple-A games have in the past.
Af♍ter watching the Xbox showcase, it’s clear to me that PlayStation’s games lacked exclusivity, killing its advantage over Xbox. In fact, so many of PlayStation’s games will also be available on Xbox that after its showcase, the latter posted a tweet rounding up 12 of the games the former had announced that would also be released on Xbox. The fact of the matter is that Xbox needed a great showcase to regain the faith of its players, and I think this one did t🅰he trick. So many great games were showcased, and most would be hitting Game Pass on day one. It’s a great day to be a Game Pass user, knowing that I can try out almost all of the games that interest me for no charge other than the subscription fee I’m already paying.
The reception for PlayStation’s showcase was middling, but people are thrilled about Xbox’s, and it&r꧅squo;s entirely warranted. Paired with a Starfield Direct that had me jazzed for Bethesda’s upcoming game, it’s clear that this is a massive W for Xbox. We can only hope that the streak continues with a smooth Starfield release.