Microsoft’s Xbox team recently held the Xbox Partner Preview – March 2024 event. As an avid Xbox fan, I approached Microsoft‘s recent Xbox Partner Preview event with high expectations. This showcase was meant to highlight upcoming games from third-party partners, not first-party Xbox titles. I went in with an open mind, ready to be wowed.
Disappointing Reveals
Unfortunately, several game reveals just didn’t do it for me. Titles like Unknown 9: Awakening, Sleight of Hand, The Alters, The First Berserker: Khazan and Creatures of Ava missed the mark completely. Then there was the Chucky fiasco – I got excited thinking it was a full Chucky game, only to learn it was mere Roblox DLC. Talk about a letdown! Games like Monster Jam Showdown and the Persona 3 Reload DLC failed to impress me as well.
Glimmers of Hope
However, not everything was a total bust. I welcomed the surprise announcement of The Sinking City 2 sequel, having quite enjoyed the first game despite its flaws. Seeing Final Fantasy XIV finally coming to Xbox was a big win too, opening up the beloved MMO to the Xbox community at last. The stealthy console launch of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl also piqued my interest.
Standout Titles
A few titles managed to stand out in a good way. Tales of Kenzera: Zau, that EA game giving major Prince of Persia vibes, looked really cool with its gameplay and visuals. As a massive Frostpunk fan, the Frostpunk 2 reveal for July 2024 had me absolutely hyped. But the game that stole the entire show for me was Capcom‘s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess.
I could not get enough of how ridiculously smooth Kunitsu-Gami looked. The unique blend of real-time strategy base-building during the day and intense action combat at night seemed incredibly fresh. I’m a sucker for games that innovate like that. Being a Game Pass title was just the cherry on top, making Kunitsu-Gami an easy day-one download for me.
Mixed Feelings
Despite those highlights, I couldn’t shake mixed feelings about the Xbox Partner Preview overall. Too many games simply didn’t appeal to my particular tastes as a player. It made me question whether this event warranted a full dedicated presentation instead of just individual game trailers. When the dust settled, I could only muster a low C grade – the event had some weird choices and lacked truly big announcements.
That said, I know my perspective is just one among many in the gaming community. What missed with me may have hyped others. Varied tastes are what keep this industry thriving and interesting. While the Xbox event left me a bit underwhelmed, I appreciate Xbox putting its partners on the big stage.
