It’s become a tradition these last few years for Xbox to have a presentation in January to show off some of the games coming out across the year. Direct from the developers making them. And this year was no exception, with a first look at Forza Horizon 6 and Fable from Playground Games, and Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation being confirmed for it. Naturally, people were expecting a surprise game to appear, and one did! And I’ll start off with that surprise.

Double Fine are the developer of that surprise game which appeared, and it’s another crazy idea that’s come from them. A team-based arena battle game using… pottery? Yes, players of Kiln create and customise their own pottery – with its shape determining its class, then take it to the arena to do battle with three other people against another team of four. The customisation for it does look pretty neat. As does the main mode that was shown off.

Quench is that mode, where the teams do battle to carry water to the opponent’s kiln to douse the fire within and win the match. Each pot has a different use within matches, with larger ones being slower but able to smash enemies while smaller ones are fast but can easily transport water around. There seems to be a lot of variety to the tactics on offer. Numerous maps to battle on. It seems like Kiln will be a fun one to experience, with it coming sometime in the spring.

Starting off the known games with Beast of Reincarnation, this action-RPG looks an interesting one. Protagonist Emma has been infected with blight, leaving her without memories and without emotion. But she forms a bond with Koo, a dog that is a malefact. A creature that poses a threat to this post-apocalyptic Japan. With a quest of removing the blight from the world, and taking down the Beast of Reincarnation, the two travel across the world, doing battle with other malefacts.

The combat looks to flow nicely, with Emma utilising a lot of fast strikes to defeat enemies. Koo’s combat abilities come in the form of a command menu, acting as special attacks that can be unleashed to control the battlefield. It’s a system I see working well, especially as the command menu slows the action down, allowing a bit of breathing room to decide the best course of action. Game Freak’s latest Gear Project will be releasing in the summer, and it’s one I’m certainly curious to try.

Fable. I can confidently say this is one I absolutely will be getting. What Playground Games showed here was enough to convince me. Not only with a world that’s looking great to explore, but all the systems that have been implemented into it that makes this a world that should truly feel alive. Reacting to everything I do within Albon. The choices a player makes have consequences, with a morality system that isn’t just reacting to good and bad actions.

It’s a system that is tracking everything a player might do across the open world, with NPCs reacting to you based on their perception of you. Was quite funny to see with the example given of buying up a load of property within a town. One woman who was interacted with seemed fed up the player was flaunting their wealth with such purchases. Indeed, their voiced assessment of the player was also matched by the info menu that popped up which declared the woman “thinks you are a rich twat.”

There feels so much to do in Albion away from the main questline that it would be easy to lose yourself in its world. Combat looks fun, with a mix of close-quarters and ranged weapons along with magic to utilise when defeating the many enemies of the world. Said world being such a varied and colourful one. Along with some areas not so colourful. Again, this showcase has me convinced to put Fable on my waiting for list. It truly feels a game I can get invested in.

And speaking of getting invested, I know that’s exactly what I’ll be doing with Forza Horizon 6. Playground Games look to be delivering the best Forza Horizon experience yet with this foray to Japan. The world is said to be the largest one yet, full of so much beauty in its landscapes and the architecture it holds. And also the largest urban area the team have created, said to contain numerous districts to be driving around in.

One of the most exciting things for me is a return to proper progression. While not the type of open-ended progression I was hoping would return from Forza Horizon 3, this is progression that feels like a return to Horizon’s roots. No longer are we a superstar. Someone known across the world. We are nobody. A tourist. Someone who works their way from the bottom to becoming a legend. Acquiring numerous wristbands as a mark of that progress through the ranks.

There’s a few other returning things here, too. Such as the car meets that were part of Horizon 2’s festival in Europe. Billboards dotted the map, as did PR Stunts. Now with the multiplayer-focused time trials. The track creation tool has been expanded to allow tracks to start from anywhere. Houses return, but now with customisable garages allowing you to show off favourite cars.

There’s plenty of other customisation features here, such as the ability to put stickers on the windows of cars. And then there’s the Estate. A large piece of land that a player is free to customise however they want. This Forza Horizon is one I can see occupying a lot of my time. Cruising Japan, rising the ranks, filling the journal, and enjoying everything Playground Games is putting into it. And with a known date of 19/May, it’s only a matter of months before I become sucked into another Horizon Festival.

Xbox has delivered with this Developer Direct. Four games spaced out across the year, with two that are high priorities on my waiting for list, with two others I’m more curious on. Of course, this isn’t all of what Xbox have to offer, with both Halo and Gears of War to be shown off later in the year. Naturally, I can’t help but wonder what else Xbox has planned for its 25th anniversary. I’m sure there are some interesting surprises to come.

Images Taken From:
Beast of Reincarnation: A One-Person, One-Dog Action RPG | Xbox Wire
Fable: Answering the Big Questions After that Long-Awaited Developer_Direct Deep-Dive | Xbox Wire
Forza Horizon 6: More Details on The Country, The Culture, and The Cars… | Xbox Wire