Cameron Waldrop
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Despite what’s currently happening in Ukraine, Stalker 2 developer GSC Game World is still chugging along. While there was a definite break when things were really getting bad last year, the game is back in development, and a new trailer was released at the end of December. We’d love to see where the open-world FPS has come, along with perhaps a new update on the release date. The earlier titles in the series are classics, and Stalker 2 looks to keep that quality going.
Ark 2
Ever since its debut at the 2020 Game Awards, Ark 2 has only shown up once more, and that was at the 2022 Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase. To date, there hasn’t been a gameplay reveal. Every appearance of the sequel to 2017’s dino-filled survival crafting game Ark: Survival Evolved has been strictly in cinematic trailers. As Ark 2 is still set for a 2023 release, this upcoming Xbox stream is a good opportunity to give eager fans of the series a more detailed look at what’s to come. Even if developer Studio Wildcard isn’t yet ready to commit to a release date, seeing something more substantial than past reveals would be nice.
Alan Wake 2
Though Alan Wake 2 isn’t exclusive to Xbox as it was the first time around, the series still found its roots with the console, and Remedy Entertainment has released other exclusives (Quantum Break) on the platform. For this reason, it would make sense if Alan Wake 2 were to be shown off in a more complete sense at this Xbox stream. Like Ark 2, Alan Wake 2 hasn’t shown off any gameplay, but we know the story will be much more survival horror than the first game. As Remedy Entertainment is setting up a connected universe with their recent games, they could also easily sneak out a little bit of Control 2.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is the only other title on this list besides Stalker 2 to have previously released any gameplay. We do know the game has been in production since 2019, but Ninja Theory hasn’t put forward an even tentative release date. As the first Hellblade was a PlayStation console exclusive at launch, the sequel being released only on Xbox is a huge deal. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is one of the biggest upcoming Xbox games, and the Developer Direct stream would be a perfect place to drop new information.
State of Decay 3
To some degree, zombie games aren’t still big market movers like they were when the first State of Decay was released on the Xbox 360. But that game was different in that you weren’t one person against the horde, you were a community, and someone else would pick up the mantle of player character through what could be considered roguelike mechanics. All we have gotten of State of Decay 3 from developer Undead Labs was an unsettling cinematic trailer in 2020. As it’s been roughly two years since the game last surfaced for any sort of trailer, this is a perfect time.
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