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Xbox and Bethesda Reveals
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While Starfield was the star of the recent Xbox & Bethesda games showcase it was far from alone and we've selected a few others to highlight.

Most won't be out until at least next year but we'll start with a few coming sooner.

Scorn

If you're dead keen for sci-fi horror and can't wait until January for the Dead Space remake or December for Callisto Protocol, an October 21 release date has been set for biopunk Scorn.

The release date trailer shows us what we presume to be your character ripping an enormous artificial umbilical cord out of your stomach.

Along with other equally gruesome bodily attachments and weapons.

This one won't be for everyone but for those into this aesthetic it looks like the developers are taking it all the way.

Scorn releases on PC (Steam and GOG) and Xbox on October 21.

High on Life

Another bio-weapon heavy game but with a comical slant, High on Life's reveal trailer certainly stands out from the crowd.

From the co-creator of Rick and Morty, it's the weird sci-fi you'd be disappointed not to have with this pedigree. You're a bounty hunter and your guns are alive and in search of death.

And you're not saving the universe or even just the locals from the typical villain type.

You're saving humans from being sold as drugs.

The trailer features an advertisement for the hyperbong (pictured above).

It looks remarkably original and that's not easy in gaming though some of the weapons, eg. Knifey, are a bit much for our tastes.

Also remarkable is the release date.

A game being unveiled and then released just a few months later is highly unusual.

High on Life releases on PC and Xbox in October.

Overwatch 2

Online shooter Overwatch's sequel has confirmed its free-to-play business model with a PvP (player versus player) gameplay trailer.

The original is not free-to-play.

Also unusual is that while the games will be separate clients and worlds, the PvP content will allow players of both games to compete against each other.

Overwatch 2's PvP will enter early access on October 4 on PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.

Lightyear Frontier

Originally scheduled to release this year, Lightyear Frontier's trailer comes with slightly sad news of a delay to 2023.

Farming simulators and exploration games are plentiful.

There are also more than a few games which allow players to pilot mechs (giant robots).

Lightyear Frontier brings them all together and unlike other mech games, your mechs aren't weapons.

They're just ultra cool farming tools.

Lightyear Frontier is now scheduled to release in Autumn (Oz) 2023 on PC (Steam) and Xbox.

Redfall

Open world co-operative first person shooter vampire hunter Redfall released a nearly six minute extended gameplay trailer.

Introducing us to each of the four playable characters and showing us some of their abilities.

Also giving us a brief tour of the vampire infested town and what looks to be some kind of connected alternate reality.

Games with pre-made characters don't usually interest us but Redfall's unique vampire mythology and gameplay are impressive.

Redfall is scheduled for a PC (Steam and Epic Games Store) and Xbox release in 2023.

Ark 2

Dinosaur taming sci-fi survival game Ark: Survival Evolved is one of the more substantial and popular multiplayer survival games so no-one was surprised when they announced a sequel in 2020.

It is currently the sixth most played game on Steam, though it's numbers are up this week courtesy of a few factors we'll get to.

Ark 2 has now released a second cinematic trailer again featuring Vin Diesel, who is also executive producer and one of the main voice cast for the upcoming animated series for which they released a trailer, also back in 2020.

It features an Australian character voiced by Australian actress Madeleine Madden.

ARK: The Animated Series chronicles the story of a mysterious primeval land populated by dinosaurs and other extinct creatures, where people from throughout human history have been resurrected. When 21st century Australian paleontologist Helena Walker awakes on the ARK after tragedy, she must learn to survive and find new allies, or die again at the hands of ruthless warlords -- all while trying to uncover the true nature of their strange new world.

Coinciding with the sequel trailer they released a free Norse themed DLC for the original game titled Fjordur, well timed to capitalise on Jurassic World Dominion in cinemas now and Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder releasing in cinemas next month.

Fjordur's trailer even includes a lightning spewing hammer at the end.

Note that this is a free DLC.

Instead of selling it to instantly cash in they gave it away as they have a number of previous updates.

The base game was also given away as a limited time freebie on the Epic Games Store and right now until June 19, it's also free on Steam.

Also available on Steam are first details about Ark 2 and we are blown away, eg. Souls-like melee combat, supremely customisable crafted equipment, dynamic world events and realistic creature sensory AI, i.e. there's simulated sound, sight, smell and methods to mask them.

If you've any interest in this or survival games, definitely check out the full post.

Ereban: Shadow Legacy

An announcement trailer was released for Ereban: Shadow Legacy, a sci-fi action platformer with a distinctive visual style.

It looks a bit anime but with a sharp twist.

Also twisted is the typical good = light and dark = evil paradigm.

The protagonist is a shadow wielding warrior pursued by a group called Helios - that name taken from the Ancient Greek sun god.

Ereban: Shadow Legacy is scheduled to release on PC and Xbox in 2023.

[ Main Image: High on Life trailer. Credit: Xbox via YouTube. ]

References

Ark: Survival Evolved (December 12, 2020). 'ARK: The Animated Series' Extended Length Trailer. YouTube.

Ark: Survival Evolved (June 12, 2022). Introducing ARK: Fjordur Free DLC! YouTube.

Epic Games Store. Redfall. Bethesda. (viewed June 14, 2022)

IGN (June 13, 2022). Ark 2 - Cinematic Trailer | Xbox & Bethesda Showcase 2022. YouTube.

IGN (June 13, 2022). Ereban: Shadow Legacy - Announcement Trailer | Xbox & Bethesda Showcase 2022. YouTube.

IGN (June 13, 2022). High on Life - Reveal Trailer | Xbox & Bethesda Showcase 2022. YouTube.

IGN (June 13, 2022). Lightyear Frontier - Official Console Announcement Trailer | Xbox & Bethesda Showcase 2022. YouTube.

IGN (June 13, 2022). Overwatch 2 - Official Free-to-Play Trailer | Xbox & Bethesda Showcase 2022. YouTube.

IGN (June 13, 2022). Redfall - Extended Gameplay Trailer | Xbox & Bethesda Showcase 2022. YouTube.

IGN (June 13, 2022). Scorn - Release Date Trailer | Xbox & Bethesda Showcase 2022. YouTube.

IGN (June 13, 2022). Xbox & Bethesda Showcase and The PC Gaming Show Livestream I Summer of Gaming 2022. YouTube.

Lightyear Frontier (June 12, 2022). Lightyear Frontier Arrives in Spring 2023. Frame Break.

Steam. Ark: Survival Evolved. (viewed June 14, 2022)

Steam. Lightyear Frontier. Frame Break. (viewed June 14, 2022)

Steam (June 13, 2022). Redefining the Survival Genre with ARK 2 and an Update from our Studio Founders. Studio Wildcard.

Steam. Redfall. Bethesda. (viewed June 14, 2022)

Steam. Scorn. Kepler Interactive. (viewed June 14, 2022)

SteamDB. Steam Charts. (viewed June 14, 2022)

Wikipedia. Ark: Survival Evolved. (viewed June 14, 2022)

Wikipedia. Ark: The Animated Series. (viewed June 14, 2022)

Wikipedia. High on Life (video game). (viewed June 14, 2022)

Wikipedia. Overwatch 2. (viewed June 14, 2022)

Wikipedia. Scorn (video game). (viewed June 14, 2022)