The second-ever Xbox Partner Preview just took place, and it gave us a deeper look at some of the third-party games coming to Xbox. It has been an odd year for the Xbox, as its first-party lineup is finally starting to take shape with titles like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, while fans are also concerned about the future of its platform in the wake of the decision to bring some of its games to the Nintendo Switch and PS5. This showcase demonstrated that third-party studios are still in full support of Xbox and by showing off some of their games that are on the way to Xbox Game Pass.
We got more in-depth looks at games like Tales of Kenzera: Zau, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, and The First Berseker: Khazan, received release date confirmations for games like Frostpunk 2 and the Xbox version of Final Fantasy XIV, and were even pleasantly surprised by a few new game reveals. Check out the rest of this article for a full rundown of everything Microsoft showed off during the March 2024 Xbox Partner Preview.
11 Bit Studios takes center stage
It turns out that 11 bit Studios was the third-party publisher with the strongest showing at this Xbox Partner Preview as it platformed three of its upcoming games. Most notably, it announced a new Xbox console exclusive called Creatures of Ava. In Creatures of Ava, players save creatures from an infection called The Withering and then get the help of those creatures to solve puzzles and further explore its fantasy world. It looks like The Legend of Zelda by the way of Pokemon, all with nonviolent combat that’s more focused on healing and restoring infected creatures than hurting them. It launches later this year on Xbox Series X/S and PC.
We also learned that Frostpunk 2 will launch on PC on July 25 and got our first look at gameplay for The Alters. Both of those games will be on Xbox Game Pass when they launch this year.
Final Fantasy XIV for Xbox launches this month
In the wake of the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Square Enix used this Xbox show to announce the full release of MMO Final Fantasy XIV on Xbox. It will exit its beta trial period on March 21. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play the beta now and will get access to a Starter Edition of Final Fantasy XIV, which can be claimed via Xbox Game Pass perks from March 21 to April 19.
Persona 3 Reload gets The Answer this September
Following a successful launch in February, Persona 3 Reload will receive new DLC called Episode Aigis — The Answer. It launches this September and finally brings The Answer content from Persona 3 FES to the remake. Before that, a March 12 update will add background music sets based on Persona 5 Royal and Persona 4 Golden, while a May update will introduce costumes and a background music set based on the Velvet Room. All of this is part of the expansion pass for Persona 3 Reload.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess gets a gameplay overview
Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess showed off a striking sense of style when it was first teased last year, but we now have a better idea of how the game will actually play. In the trailer, we see that during the day, players are tasked with guiding a maiden and clearing its fantasy world of “defilement” to collect resources. They must then make tower defense game-style preparations before nighttime, with resources used to fend off hordes of enemies. Although players actively are fighting enemies on their own, it’s possible to command other units to help deal with the threats. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess launches later this year.
Everything else
- Unknown9 Awakening gameplay was revealed by Bandai Namco Entertainment, and it was confirmed for launch on Xbox this summer.
- Stealth sim Sleight of Hand was revealed with a cinematic trailer.
- Roblox horror game Griefville: Survive the Nightmare! is crossing over with Chucky.
- Frogwares announced The Sinking City 2, which releases in 2025.
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone Trilogy launches today.
- Monster Jam Showdown was announced.
- The First Berserker: Khazan got a new trailer.
- Tales of Kenzera: Zau highlighted its combat and traversal mechanics in a new trailer narrated by Abubakar Salim.
